Ramadan | Fasting Science | Health | Merits | Benefits And Rules
Ramadan Fasting Merits Science Health Benefits Rules
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12 month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, each lunar month moves 11 days earlier each year. It takes 33 solar years for the lunar months to complete a full cycle and return to the same season. The month traditionally begins and ends based on the sighting of the new moon.
Ramadan is the month of fasting. Fasting is the third pillars of Islam.
In between the hours of sunrise and sunset, fasting is not just accomplished by abstaining from food and drink. It involves refraining from sinful acts such as cursing, lying, bad intentions and sexual relations; amongst many other things. These can negate the validity of a fast.
Ramadan is an auspicious month for generosity and giving. The reward for charity and benevolence in this month are immense. It is known as a month of humbleness and simplicity, and to remember those who are less fortunate than us. Many people choose to commit to Ramadan donations in this month.
Quran and Hadith on the month of Ramadan and Fasting
Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you many learn piety and righteousness" (2:183)
Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa (fear of Allah, love for Allah). (2:183)
The most honored by Allah amongst you are those best in taqwa (fear of Allah, love for Allah). (49:13)
..And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew." (2:184)
"Indeed We have revealed it (Quran) in the night of Power. And what will explain to you what the night of Power is? The night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein descends the Angels and the Spirit (Jibreel) by Allah's permission, on every errand: (they say) "Peace" (continuously) till the rise of Morning!" (97:1-5)
We sent it (this Quran) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning (mankind of Our Torment). Therein (that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Quran or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger). (As) a Mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." (44: 3-6)
Hadith
The Messenger of Allah said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." (Imam Bukhari) ...
Narrated Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah said:"... whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Imam Bukhari).
The Messenger of Allah addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]
Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: "No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hellfire seventy years further away from his face." This is related by "the group," except for Imam Abu Dawud.
Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: "The fast and the Quran are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: 'O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.' The Quran will say: 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.' And their intercession will be accepted." [Imam Ahmad]
Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and he said: 'Stick to fasting."' [Imam Ahmad, Imam Nasaei, and Imam Hakim].
Sahl ibn Saad reported that the Messenger of Allah: "There is a gate to Paradise that is called ar-Rayyan. On the Day of Resurrection it will say: 'Where are those who fasted?' When the last [one] has passed through the gate, it will be locked." [Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim].
He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who is from those' who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan." Abu Bakr said, "He who is called from all those gates will need nothing," He added, "Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr." [Imam Bukhari]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said : "The time between the five prayers, two consecutive Friday Prayers, and two consecutive Ramadans are expiations for all that has happened during that period, provided that one has avoided the grave (major) sins." [Imam Muslim]
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah says, "Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." [ImamTabarani]
Abu Umaamah said: I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I may enter Paradise'. He said: 'Take to Fasting, there is nothing like it.' [Imam Nasai’, Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Haakim, Saheeh]
Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving then times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' for the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk." [Imam Bukhari]
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire." [Imam Ahmad, Saheeh]
On the Day of Judgement, "Fasting will say: O My Lord I prevented him from food and desires so accept my intercession for him." [Imam Ahmad, Imam Haakim and Abu Nu'aim, Hasan]
There are in the month of Ramadhan in every day and night those to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can make and will be granted." [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad, Saheeh]
The Messenger of Allah said: He who gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, except that nothing will be reduced from the fasting persons reward." [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh].
Merits of Ramadan
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Another version reads: “When the first night of the month of Ramadan comes, the devils and rebellious Jinn are chained up and the gates of Hell are closed, and not one gate of it is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and not one gate of it is closed. A caller cries out, ‘O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.’ Allah saves some people from Hell - and that happens every night.” [At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah][Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
“O seeker of good, proceed!” is a call to the people who want to do good deeds to proceed, because this is their opportunity for doing good deeds as they will be rewarded generously for every little effort.
“O seeker of evil, desist!” is a call to the people who want to get involved in evil deeds to stop and repent, because this is the time for repenting to Allah The Almighty.
In a third version, the Prophet gave glad tidings to his Companions, saying: “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month. Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast in it. In this month, the gates of Heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are locked, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night that is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is deprived indeed.” [An-Nasaai and Ahmad]
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah and Abu Saeed, may Allah be pleased with them, said that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah has people whom He saves (from Hell) every day and night (in Ramadan) and every one of them has a supplication that will, indeed, be fulfilled.” [Ahmad and At-Tabaraani: authentic chain of narrators]
It was narrated on the authority of Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah has people whom He saves (from Hell) at each time of Iftaar (breaking the fast), and that is every night (of Ramadan).” [Ibn Maajah] [Al-Albaani: Hasan Saheeh[
Benefits and rulings:
First: The virtues of the month of Ramadan, where great things take place, such as opening the gates of Paradise, closing the gates of Hell and chaining the devils. All this takes place in the first night of Ramadan and continues to the end of the month.
Second: The first Hadeeth indicates that Paradise and Hell are already created and that their gates are actually opened and closed.
Third: Seasons with a special virtue and the righteous deeds that are observed therein bring about the Pleasure of Allah and these results in opening the gates of Paradise and closing the gates of Hell.
Fourth: It is permissible under Shareeah (Islamic legislation) to give glad tidings about the advent of Ramadan and congratulate people on living to witness it. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to remind his Companions of such merits to make them rejoice and drive them to do righteous deeds. Thus, glad tidings should be given with regard to every good thing.
Fifth: Rebellious devils are chained in Ramadan and thus their effect on people is weakened due to the good deeds that people do.
Sixth: Allah The Almighty confers His favor and kindness upon His slaves by preserving their fasting and warding the harm of rebellious devils off them, so as not to spoil their acts of worship in the blessed month of Ramadan.
Seventh: Proving the existence of devils and that they have bodies that can be chained and that rebellious devils from among them are chained during the month of Ramadan.
Eighth: These great advantages, which are unique to Ramadan, are enjoyed by the believers who glorify this month and fulfill the rights of Allah The Almighty during it. However, the disbelievers who do not fast during this month and do not believe in its sanctity, the gates of Paradise will not be opened for them, the gates of Hell will not be closed for their sake, their devils will not be chained and they will not deserve to be saved from Hell. Consequently, anyone of them who dies during the month of Ramadan or during any other month will deserve the punishment of Allah and will certainly taste it.
Ninth: It is feared that Muslims who imitate the disbelievers in violating the sanctity of Ramadan, breaking the fast during the daytime, committing acts that invalidate their fasting or decrease its reward (such as backbiting, carrying tales or spreading slander and attending gatherings where such acts take place), will be excluded from this great favor from Allah; the gates of Paradise will be closed for them, the gates of Hell will be opened for them and their devils will be released.
Tenth: The opening of the gates of Paradise and the closing of the gates of Hell do not contradict the verse (which means): {Gardens of perpetual residence, whose doors will be opened to them.} [Quran 38:50]
The opening of the gates of Paradise during the month of Ramadan does not mean that they will be always opened. Also, the noble verse tells about the opening of such gates on the Day of Judgment. Likewise, the closing of the gates of Hell during the month of Ramadan does not contradict the verse that says with regard to Hell (what means): {until, when they reach it, its gates are opened.} [Quran 39:71] This is because the gates of Hell may be closed before the time the doomed people reach it.
Eleventh: The virtue of the Night of Al-Qadr and how it is better than one thousand months. The Muslim who misses that night is deprived of a great blessing.
Twelfth: Allah The Almighty saves people from Hell every night in the month of Ramadan. Those who are worthier of redemption are those who fast perfectly, pray Qiyaam (supererogatory night prayers) well, perform a lot of righteous deeds, out of loving Allah and hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment.
Thirteenth: Those people who will be saved from Hell will be granted the privilege of having their supplications fulfilled. Thus, Allah combines two great rewards for them: redemption from Hell and answering their supplication.
Fourteenth: The fasting Muslim should not commit anything that invalidates his fasting or decreases his reward. Also, he should keep his hearing, sight and tongue away from everything that has been forbidden by Allah, to be saved from Hell.
Fifteenth: The fasting Muslim should frequently supplicate Allah The Almighty, because the supplication made by a fasting person is fulfilled, by the will of Allah The Almighty
Science and Fasting
A large body of evidence now supports the benefits of fasting, though the most notable data has been recorded in studies with animals. Even so, these findings are promising for humans. Essentially, fasting cleanses our body of toxins and forces cells into processes that are not usually stimulated when a steady stream of fuel from food is always present.
When we fast, the body does not have its usual access to glucose, forcing the cells to resort to other means and materials to produce energy. As a result, the body begins gluconeogenesis, a natural process of producing its own sugar. The liver helps by converting non-carbohydrate materials like lactate, amino acids, and fats into glucose energy. Because our bodies conserve energy during fasting, our basal metabolic rate (the amount of energy our bodies burn while resting) becomes more efficient, thereby lowering our heart rate and blood pressure.
Ketosis, another process that occurs later into the fast cycle, happens when the body burns stored fat as its primary power source. This is the ideal mode for weight loss and balancing blood sugar levels.
Fasting puts the body under mild stress, which makes our cells adapt by enhancing their ability to cope. In other words, they become strong. This process is similar to what happens when we stress our muscles and cardiovascular system during exercise. As with exercise, our body can only grow stronger during these processes when there is adequate time to rest and recover. That’s why short-term fasting is recommended.
Health Benefits of Fasting
Although fasting can be challenging and sometimes uncomfortable, the mental and physical benefits can:
Boost cognitive performance; Protect from obesity and associated chronic diseases; Reduce inflammation; Improve overall fitness; Support weight loss; Decrease the risk of metabolic diseases; Benefit cancer patients and more
What are my duties as a Muslim after Ramadan?
Make up for missed fast days
A Muslim should hasten to make up the missed fast days of Ramadan if he or she has missed fast days of Ramadan for a valid reason such as illness, travel, (or menses in the case of women).
Fast six days in shawwal (10th month of Islamic
calendar)
It is highly recommended by the Sunnah for a Muslim to fast six days in the month of Shawwal. Fasting for six days in Shawwal entails great reward and blessings from Allah Almighty.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, and then follows it up by (fasting) six days of Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted the whole year.” (Muslim)
Here, it is important to point out that it is not necessary for a Muslim to fast the six days of Shawwal consecutively. So long as one has fasted six days, either consecutively or separately, he or she will fulfill the requirement and will receive the same rewards.
Keep the spirit of Ramadan
A Muslim should spare no efforts to keep the spirit of Ramadan throughout the other months of the year by means of:
1- Seeking Allah’s support, beseeching Him Almighty to guide him to the right path and help him remain steadfast in faith.
2- Observing optional fasting after Ramadan, as Muslims are encouraged by the sunnah to observe optional fasting after Ramadan. The days in which optional fasting is recommended are:
3- Fasting six days during the month of Shawwal.
4- Fasting the day of Arafah, the 9th of dul hijjah, provided that the person is not offering Hajj.
5- Fasting the 10th of Muharram, and if possible the 9th and the 11th days of the same month.
6- Fasting as many days as possible during the month of Sha`ban.
7- Fasting during the months of Rajab, Dhul Qidah, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram.
8- Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.
9- Fasting the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month.
10- Keeping on offering optional night Prayer.
11- Keeping on reciting, listening to and reflecting on the Quran.
12- Keeping on taking care of the poor and the needy.
13- Keeping on offering supererogatory acts of worship.
14- Keeping on performing dhikr (remembrance of Allah) a lot and asking Almighty Allah for forgiveness.
15- Avoiding the prohibitions and illegal practices.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Appeal:
Thank you for reading, being a Muslim it is must to spread saying of Prophet (Peace be upon him) to each and every one for which will be rewarded both in this world and life hereafter.
0 Comments