Ever wonder what fasting for the entire day does to your body? Health in Ramadan has crossed everyone’s mind at some point. Some may use this as an opportunity to lose weight and build healthier eating habits. Let’s look at this further.
Why Muslims Fast in Ramadan?
Fasting is a core pillar of Islam. It requires Muslims to abstain from eating, drinking and intercourse. Over 1.6 billion Muslims observe this holy month all around the world. It is a time to reflect on our blessings, get closer to our purpose and most importantly as stated in the Qur’an, achieve Taqwa.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you1—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.”
Eating with Balance
“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.’”
It is recommended in our tradition that we eat in a God conscience manner. Our stomach is another test upon us. How we consume not only affects us but also our surrounding. If we are more modest in our consumption, we would see a wider positive effect on our global condition. We would consume less which would harm our environment less and create a more sustained approach to eating.
Health in Ramadan is still very important, and can actually be quite beneficial if we approach it appropriately. In this episode of Ramadan Dates, we speak with Dr Zachariah Matthews on the topic of the maintaining health in Ramadan.