Fasting & Health

02/04/2009| IslamWeb

Islam calls on people to take care of their health and preserve it, because it is one’s capital investment in this life. The Prophet told us that a strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak believer. The reason for this is that a strong believer will be able to fulfill his religious and worldly obligations in the best manner, unlike a weak one who may not be able to handle the burdens of life and its religious demands, and might even become a burden on society.

The fasting system, as prescribed in Islam, helps a Muslim preserve his health and protects it from many diseases, like high blood pressure, being overweight and other diseases that infect those who do not follow the divine system set forth by Allah.

 

It this article we will briefly address this issue without going into detail. We will mention some of what physicians have said about fasting and its benefits.

 

Medical studies have proved that fasting (when done properly as part of a system), has many health benefits, most important of which is getting rid of the excess fats that cause one to be overweight or even obese, which is one of the most widespread health problems of this age.

 

It is a known fact that being overweight has negative effects on the body, and especially the heart, which make fasting (as a system) an important factor in preserving and protecting one’s health.

 

One of the health benefits fasting has is its getting rid of bodily excretions. It has been scientifically proven that the body builds up pus nodules that push its excretions into the blood, which causes many diseases. Fasting is a very important and beneficial means to clear the body from these harmful excretions.

 

Fasting allows the body’s cells and organs to perform their duties properly. The reason is that fasting gives the body’s organs a chance to relax and take an almost complete rest. These organs work constantly for the remainder of the year, and the fasting month of Ramadan comes as a period of vacation for them, which gives them a chance to take the needed break so that they can resume more energetically afterwards.

 

Therefore, fasting (as a system) gives the body the required diet and protects it from many endangering diseases. Many medical clinics have resorted to fasting as a part of their treatment plan, which proves the importance of fasting in one’s life in general, and his health in particular.

 

It is equally important to say that the fasting system is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset and that one is then free to eat in any which way he desires. Absolutely not, one must observe the system of eating at the time of breaking the fast and must adhere also to eating balanced meals and stay away from overeating.

 

Finally, we would like to remind the fasting people that the main objective of fasting for which it was legislated is to attain piety and to be conscious of Allah by adhering to His commands and shunning His prohibitions. Allah says (what means): {O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.} [Quran 2: 183] The verse clearly states the objective sought from fasting being piety and righteousness in order to draw nearer to Allah.

 

Therefore, fasting is not intended to be primarily a medical system to treat one’s diseases (though it certainly achieves this), rather, it is an act of worship intended to make the Muslim a better person with regards to his religious commitment and moral conduct.