Sawm- the fasting during the month of Ramadan - is the fourth Pillar of Islam . It was in Madinah , in the second year of Hijrah , that fasting was made obligatory . Until then the Muslims were commanded by the prophet peace be upon him to keep the fast of Ashura , on the tenth of Muharram . When the fast of Ramadan was instituted , that of Ashura , ceased to be compulsory .
Sawm is an Arabic word . It means to keep away from something . One who fasts keeps away from eating and drinking throughout the hours of daylight .
Above all he keeps away from things shameful and he turns his back on laying .
Ramadan does not always fall at same time of the year . In fact , it passes through all the seasons . fasting may be a little difficult if the month falls in summertime , when the days are hotter and longer . But true Muslim fasts in any season , obeying the command of Allah . There are Muslims who love summertime fasting most .
The Quran commands that during the twenty nine or thirty days of Ramadan , the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar , Muslims must fast so that they might become conscious of Allah .
Fasting provides and exacting exercise in self- discipline and it strengthens and deepens our faith . It
honours the memory of the sending down of the Quran which took place in the holy month of Ramadan .
It makes the faster realize through his own experience , how it feels like to be hungry and thirsty , and thus makes him appreciate the needs of the poor.
Our body is composed of bones , muscles and blood , But Allah has given us a soul . We can think , feel and decide what is good and what is bad / or evil .Man therefore, is higher than animals and the angles as well . Heaven is our homeland , this earth is a place of trial for us . Fasting raises us above our self and provides a spiritual lift up . It liberates us from desires and temptations.
It is the rein of the God -fearing ; that it is restrains or controls him as a rein controls a horse .
Whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of Faith and seeking reward of Allah will have his past sins forgiven ; and he who passes the
laylatul - Qadr in prayer out of Faith and seeking His pleasure , will have his past sins forgiven .
Fasting is a shield against sins , so the faster should not indulge in shameful talking ... and surely the breath of a faster is pleasanter to Allah than the smell of Musk.
Fasting commences with the new moon of Ramadan and ends on the appearance of the new moon of Shawwal . The Holy Prophet has said , Do not fast until you see the new moon and do not end fasting until you see it again , and if it is cloudy , then complete thirty days of Shaban . Another Hadith gas it , none of you should fast one day or two days just before Ramadan , except in the case of a man who has been in the habit of observing a particular fast , for he may fast on that day . This is in order not to mix Fard with Naafilah.
Only such people are bound to fast as are full - grown and are sane and Physically fit .
Children , who have not come of age , are exempted from the obligation of fasting but it is
strongly recommended that you should fast quite often to habituate yourselves to fasting .
The following may relax their fast :
1. Children , who have not yet come of age .
5. Men and women who are too old or feeble .
6. Women in the period of menses , delivery or feeding a
daby. But It should be , however , remembered that the sick , travelling , and the women who have been delivered , are not absolutely exempted from fasting ; they are required to make up the lost days later on , when the sickness is gone or when the journey ends.
The word for breaking the fast is
Iftar , and the thing that break a fast are called
Muftir { Sing -
muftirah} The thing which one must abstain from in fasting are eating and drinking which if resorted to intentionally , between daybreak , and sunset , would break the fast . If however , they are done forgetfully , the fast would remain and must be completed . But remember well , breaking a fast intentionally before its time is a serious sin.
Rinsing the mouth with water , using a miswak ; sniffing water into the nostrils taking a bath or pouring water on the head to relieve the severity of heat and thirst , using perfumes , or swallowing one's own saliva do not break the fast .
1.Always have a light meal before coming of the dawn , known as ,
,,suhur ,,,
2. Break the fast on time preferably with dates ,
ZamZam or with simple water saying,
3. Do not eat or drink too much after breaking the fast or at the time of
suhur[ Dawn].
4. Recite the Holy Quran during day and night as much as you can .
6. Seek inly Allah's pleasure out of fasting .
7. Keep yourselves ritually clean .
8. Observe respect of the month of Ramadan . If you are not fasting for some reason do not eat or drink openly .
9. Ask Allah's blessing particularly at the time of the
Iftat. ,, for it is the time when Allah accepts
Du'as. 10. Do not ply too much during the hours of fasting . This will tire you .
11. Do not indulge in shameful talking A Hadith has it ,, Whoever does not give up lying and acting shamefully , Allah does not stand in need of his giving up food and drink .
12. Fasting is a shield , so let the man who fasts no indulge in any foul speech or do any evil deed and if anyone fights or picks a quarrel with him or abuse hi , let him say : I am fasting ,,,,.
13. Above all keep it clearly in mind that the fast loses its value not merely by taking food or drink but also by telling lies , using foul speech , acting shamefully or doing an evil deed.
Fasting can be a safe way to lose weight as many studies have shown that intermittent fasting – fasting that is controlled within a set number of hours – allows the body to burn through fat cells more effectively than just regular dieting.
Intermittent fasting allows the body to use fat as it’s primary source of energy instead of sugar. Many athletes now use fasting as means to hitting low body fat percentages for competitions.
Fasting has shown to have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, allowing you to tolerate carbohydrates (sugar) better than if you didn’t fast. A study showed that after periods of fasting, insulin becomes more effective in telling cells to take up glucose from blood.
Intermittent fasting gives your digestive system a rest, and this can energise your metabolism to burn through calories more efficiently. If your digestion is poor, this can effect your ability to metabolise food and burn fat. Intermittent fasts can regulate your digestion and promote healthy bowel function, thus improving your metabolic function. Believe it or not, the less you eat the longer you will live. Studies have shown how the lifespan of people in certain cultures increased due to their diets.
However, we don’t need to live amongst a foreign community to reap the benefits of fasting. One of the primary effects of ageing is a slower metabolism, the younger your body is, the faster and more efficient your metabolism. The less you eat, the less toll it takes on your digestive system.
Just think about this, can you actually experience real hunger if you eat a meal every 3-4 hours? Of course you can’t. In fact, to experience the true nature of hunger, this would take anything from 12 to even 24 hours.
Fasting helps to regulate the hormones in your body so that you experience what true hunger is. We know that obese individuals do not receive the correct signals to let them know they are full due excessive eating patterns.
Think of fasting as a reset button: the longer you fast, the more your body can regulate itself to release the correct hormones, so that you can experience what real hunger is. Not to mention, when your hormones are working correctly, you get full quicker.
6. Fasting Improves Your Eating Patterns .
Fasting can be a helpful practice for those who suffer with binge eating disorders, and for those who find it difficult to establish a correct eating pattern due to work and other priorities.
With intermittent fasting going all afternoon without a meal is okay and it can allow you to eat at a set time that fits your lifestyle. Also, for anyone who wants to prevent binge eating, you can establish a set time in where you allow yourself to eat your daily amount of calories in one sitting, and then not eat till the following day.
Intermittent fasting improves the immune system because it reduces free radical damage, regulates inflammatory conditions in the body and starves off cancer cell formation.
In nature, when animals get sick they stop eating and instead focus on resting. This is a primal instinct to reduce stress on their internal system so their body can fight off infection. We humans are the only species who look for food when we are ill, even when we do not need it.
Fasting has helped many people feel more connected to life during the practices reading, meditation, yoga and martial arts etc. With no food in the digestive system, this makes room for more energy in the body – the digestive is one of the most energy absorbing systems in the body.
Fasting for self-enlightenment allows us to feel better both consciously and physically. With a lighter body and a clearer mind we become more aware and grateful for the things around us.
No comments:
Post a Comment