Have you ever thought of attempting to eat or drink nothing for a month? Take a step back and think about it.
The Holy Quran states: `O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you during a fixed number of days as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may safeguard yourselves against every kind of ill and become righteous’.
Ramadan is considered as the most sacred Muslim occasion. It derives from an Arabic word which means scorching heat or dryness (Aloian, 2009). The fasting period falls on Ramadan or ninth month of Islamic calendar. Fasting in Islam not only refraining a faster from food, drinks and marital relations during the daylight hours is also the time for them to exhibit the best conduct as Muslims.
The fast is from dawn till sunset. In some locations, fasting period can be as long as 18 hours in the summer and as short as 8 hours in the winter. Fasting is obligatory for every adolescents Muslim who reach puberty but it is a good practice for children to fast at the age of seventh or ninth. Therefore, it is vital to understand the importance of fasting in Ramadan for Muslims, the benefits of fasting and some permissible exception for this practice.
Ramadan denotes as a religious duty or fard. Historically, the obligation to start fasting starts on second year of Hijrah. It is one of the the five pillars of Islam as Sahih Bukhari states clearly that ‘“Islam is based on five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, establishing the prayer (salah); paying the zakah (wealth-tax), performing the Hajj and fast in Ramadan.”
As a matter of fact, Muslims all over the world is celebrating Ramadan through fasting in the same manner and at the same time. The most common question from non-Muslims is ‘why do Muslims fast?’. The main reason is of the fasting is to heightened spiritual consciousness; to be socially responsible by become aware of the needy and poor; and eliminating the impurities from the body (Mohamed, Car & Muačević-Katanec, 2002). Fasting also bridges the gap between rich and poor as Muslims are encouraged to spend their wealth on good causes and exhibit good deeds in this blessed month.
Fasting in Ramadan is medically proven to benefits in human’s psychological and physiological being. Athar (2006) asserts that based on research, Ramadan fasting can contribute physiological effects which includes maintain the blood sugar, reducing cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. He added that it is also advisable during this period of time for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. Psychologically, fasting offers tranquilly and peace.
In fact, fasting in Islam is very much different from any other religion as it has the pre-dawn meal or suhoor, as it is important in keeping you energy up all day. Plus, taking suitable and nutritious meal during iftar or breaking the fast is important to maintain health condition throughout 28 or 29 days of Ramadan. In a nutshell, the impacts of fasting for Muslims whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness are it helps in building mentally and physically fit in long terms.
The fast, however, is subject to the permissible exception. For instance, pregnant woman, people who are not in the pink of health and travellers should refrain from fasting during the days. For special cases such as athletics for Olympic Games 2012, religious leaders in some nations such as Egypt and Malaysia have issued fatwa, or blanket rulings said flatly that athletes did not have to fast at the Olympics (Kersick, 2012).
As fasting is an act of worship, hence keeping the body prepared and sanity is prerequisite for imposing this responsibility. Nevertheless, Muslim who had exempted fasting should compensate the days that had missed after Ramadan.
In conclusion, these concise descriptions of the importance of fasting, the benefits and special exemptions are just a graze surface of introduction for the blessed month, Ramadan. It is medically proven that fasting in Ramadan can offers psychological and physiological benefits, as well as it can help Muslims to be a better human being just by the act of fasting. However, this spiritual occasion of fasting in Ramadan is more than eat and drink nothing for a month. The beauty of this blessed month is hard to encapsulate in words as the feeling of tranquillity is indescribable.
REFERENCE
Mohd Asri Jusoh
The Holy Quran states: `O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you during a fixed number of days as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may safeguard yourselves against every kind of ill and become righteous’.
Ramadan is considered as the most sacred Muslim occasion. It derives from an Arabic word which means scorching heat or dryness (Aloian, 2009). The fasting period falls on Ramadan or ninth month of Islamic calendar. Fasting in Islam not only refraining a faster from food, drinks and marital relations during the daylight hours is also the time for them to exhibit the best conduct as Muslims.
The fast is from dawn till sunset. In some locations, fasting period can be as long as 18 hours in the summer and as short as 8 hours in the winter. Fasting is obligatory for every adolescents Muslim who reach puberty but it is a good practice for children to fast at the age of seventh or ninth. Therefore, it is vital to understand the importance of fasting in Ramadan for Muslims, the benefits of fasting and some permissible exception for this practice.
Ramadan denotes as a religious duty or fard. Historically, the obligation to start fasting starts on second year of Hijrah. It is one of the the five pillars of Islam as Sahih Bukhari states clearly that ‘“Islam is based on five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, establishing the prayer (salah); paying the zakah (wealth-tax), performing the Hajj and fast in Ramadan.”
As a matter of fact, Muslims all over the world is celebrating Ramadan through fasting in the same manner and at the same time. The most common question from non-Muslims is ‘why do Muslims fast?’. The main reason is of the fasting is to heightened spiritual consciousness; to be socially responsible by become aware of the needy and poor; and eliminating the impurities from the body (Mohamed, Car & Muačević-Katanec, 2002). Fasting also bridges the gap between rich and poor as Muslims are encouraged to spend their wealth on good causes and exhibit good deeds in this blessed month.
Fasting in Ramadan is medically proven to benefits in human’s psychological and physiological being. Athar (2006) asserts that based on research, Ramadan fasting can contribute physiological effects which includes maintain the blood sugar, reducing cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. He added that it is also advisable during this period of time for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. Psychologically, fasting offers tranquilly and peace.
In fact, fasting in Islam is very much different from any other religion as it has the pre-dawn meal or suhoor, as it is important in keeping you energy up all day. Plus, taking suitable and nutritious meal during iftar or breaking the fast is important to maintain health condition throughout 28 or 29 days of Ramadan. In a nutshell, the impacts of fasting for Muslims whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness are it helps in building mentally and physically fit in long terms.
The fast, however, is subject to the permissible exception. For instance, pregnant woman, people who are not in the pink of health and travellers should refrain from fasting during the days. For special cases such as athletics for Olympic Games 2012, religious leaders in some nations such as Egypt and Malaysia have issued fatwa, or blanket rulings said flatly that athletes did not have to fast at the Olympics (Kersick, 2012).
As fasting is an act of worship, hence keeping the body prepared and sanity is prerequisite for imposing this responsibility. Nevertheless, Muslim who had exempted fasting should compensate the days that had missed after Ramadan.
In conclusion, these concise descriptions of the importance of fasting, the benefits and special exemptions are just a graze surface of introduction for the blessed month, Ramadan. It is medically proven that fasting in Ramadan can offers psychological and physiological benefits, as well as it can help Muslims to be a better human being just by the act of fasting. However, this spiritual occasion of fasting in Ramadan is more than eat and drink nothing for a month. The beauty of this blessed month is hard to encapsulate in words as the feeling of tranquillity is indescribable.
REFERENCE
- Aloian, M. (2009). Ramadan. Canada: Crabtree Publishing Company.
- Athar, S. (2006). Health Concerns for believers: Contemporary Issues. Chicago, IL, USA: Kazi Publications.
- Kersick, C. M. (2012). Nutrient Timing: Metabolic optimization for health, performance and recovery. USA: Taylor & Francis Group.
- Mohamed, G.A., Car, N., & Muačević-Katanec, D. (2002). Fasting of persons with Diabetes Mellitus during Ramadan, Zagreb, Croatia: Vuk Vrhovac Institute.
Mohd Asri Jusoh
mabruk2...
ReplyDeletesalam,
ReplyDeletethe translation of the quran verse 2:183 in this post is quite different from what i read. can you name the source of the translation.
other than that, very good reading.
good job dear friend. really proud of you. for non Muslim, you can read this if you have a main question in your mind, which is "why Muslim need to fast?". good info.
ReplyDelete