1- What is Ramadan?
Ramadan in Islam is the ninth month of the lunar calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of a new moon.
For Muslims Ramadan is a period of introspection, communal prayer (Salāt) in the mosque, and reading of the holy Qur’an.
2- What do Muslims do in Ramadan?
Ramadan is the month of fasting. Fasting is known as the obligation to refrain between dawn and dusk from eating, drinking, sexual activity, and from all forms of immoral behaviour, including impure or unkind thoughts. Thus, false words or bad deeds or intentions are as destructive to a fast as is eating or drinking.
3- Fasting in different religions
Fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and plays a central role in many cultures and religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.
Fasting has been shown to have many health benefits and spiritual effects, from increased weight loss to improved moral habits. In the following are some of these benefits.
4- Physical benefits of fasting
14 holy infallibles’ point of view about fasting:
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH): Fast, in order to be in good health.
Imam Ali (PBUH): Fasting is one of the ways to health.
Imam Ali (PBUH): Keeping hungry is the most useful treatment.
Imam Ali (PBUH): Hunger and illnesses do not come together.
Some results of modern researches about fasting:
Intermittent fasting and alternate-day fasting could help decrease blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance; but may affect men and women differently.
Some studies have found that fasting could decrease several markers of inflammation and may be useful in treating inflammatory conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.
Fasting has been associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease and may help lower blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
Fasting may increase metabolism and help preserve muscle tissue to reduce body weight and body fat.
Studies show that fasting can increase levels of human growth hormone (HGH), an important protein hormone that plays a role in growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength.
Here are some researches from different universities:
Fasting-like diet turns the immune system against cancer (California University)
Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (California University)
Fasting weakens cancer in mice (California University, 2012 researches)
Fasting-like diet reduces multiple sclerosis symptoms (Columbia University)
Results of a randomized clinical trial shows a periodic, five-day fasting diet designed by a researcher safely reduced the risk factors for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other age-related diseases. (Columbia University, 2017 researches)
5- Spiritual effects of fasting
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH): God says: I have laid five benefits in five things, but people seek these five elsewhere and thus, they cannot find them. I have set knowledge in hunger, effort and endeavor; but people seek it in fullness and comfort, so they cannot find it.
Imam Ali (PBUH): What a good companion is keeping hungry to chastity.
In one review, fasting improved alertness, mood, and subjective feelings of well-being, possibly improving overall symptoms of depression, this is only a mental benefit of fasting; But fasting not only effects on psychological symptoms, but also it has many spiritual effects.
Fasting helps the believer to “remember Allah” and “exalts the soul”; it protects a person against sins and controls worldly desires. Fasting teaches a person how to be trustworthy and keep oaths and promises, the worth of blessings, patience, perseverance and endurance and contentment. It brings about a sense of order and harmony.