Ramadan is the best month in Islam. It is called the month of fast and is called " the God's month" as well . In this month Muslims are obligated to fast from sunrise to sunset. Muslims should not eat or drink anything or smoke in this period of daytime in Ramadan. It is said, the Muslim who is fasting is the guest of God. fasting is an obligatory task for every Muslim that he/she is able to fast but some Muslims has been excepted 1- The Muslims that are sick 2- The old man and old women that are not able to fast because of weakness. 3- The women that are pregnant and fasting is harmful for their embryo. 4- The Muslims that are in a journey ( less than 10 days. If they are traveling but they want to stay in a place more than 10 days they have to fast) 5- The Muslims that can't tolerate fasting and it is hard for them to fast because of an uncommon biological problem in their body. For example, a Muslim that becomes thirsty, extraordinary ( of course, the hunger and thirst are the natural things in fast and people must tolerate them but when thirst is an extraordinary thing, and it is harder than to be tolerated, it is considered as an excuse) The forbear eating, drinking and smoking is the basis of fast in Islam but there are some quote of God that say, it is better a Muslim be fasting spiritually as well. It does mean, it is better that he doesn't do any wrong in Ramadan as much as possible and do the good works instead. One day a Muslim woman that was fasting, insulted her servant, The messenger of God Mohammad was informed by the servant. The messenger sent her a dish of food. After a while that woman came to the messenger of God with the same dish of food and told him, " O Muhammad, I am fasting." Mohammad told her unhappily," how you claim, you are fasting while you insult your servant? Fasting is not just forbear eating and drinking but the bad deeds and bad words revoke it." However, Ramadan is a blessed month that God welcomes his guests with hunger and thirst! In fact, the hardness of Ramadan is not a tribulation to people but it is the great intangible gifts that God donates them to get rid Satan's temptations and their own extreme desires and bestiality. I remember, the years ago that I was able to fast, the first days were hard for me, because it was hard that I would leave my habits as eating drinking and smoking, but after 10 ~ 15 days it became like a regular lifestyle for me and I didn't feel any hardness. When it was the twentieth day, I sometimes laughed loudly and unreasonably because of an unknown and intense joy. In that situation, I didn't know what was, anxiety, sadness, fear, depression and so on. I was light like a free bird that was flying in the blue sky singing and joyfully. Afterwards, I don't know what happened for me and what I did, that I deprived of Ramadan gifts. Now I can not be fasting. I have to sorrow for the treasure that I have lost. My body and stomach has been weak and I can not to be fasting. At present, what I can do in Ramadan is just praying and nothing else. I say truly, now, I am like a bird in a cage...Alas. Today is the first day of Ramadan
That's very interesting, I didn't know much about Ramadan before. Thanks for sharing. Happy Ramadan to you!
That's a nice article on Ramadan Mans, thanks for sharing! I have had Muslim friends throughout my life, in Yugoslavia, Australia, UK, they come from different places like Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, so I've seen Ramadan 'in action' many times. One thing I didn't realise is this concept of spiritual fasting, which makes a lot of sense. However, a friend of mine is a surgeon and a Muslim from Pakistan, and one thing that is always very difficult for him is operating without being allowed to eat and drink. The theatres are hot, especially in all the scrubs and with the various equipment like cauterisers, the surgeries very long, 3,4,6 hours sometimes, the concentration required to do it uses up a LOT of glucose as brain fuel, and he struggles. He tries to take his holidays during Ramadan, swap theatre lists etc. but in a busy hospital, it is impossible to ensure, or to take more than 2 weeks at the time, so he basically has to work through it every year. He takes sips of water, but only the bare minimum, and it isn't enough. Similarly, in Australia, the heat would get unbearable, people can die from dehydration if they have to go to work and can't just stay home, rest and pray. I really think there should be an exception to fasting in the religious laws, when the work of a Muslim can't tolerate him not eating and drinking, as in my friend's case. Or when the climate makes it too dangerous to go without water. Another, more funny anecdote, I love Middle Eastern and African food and I have a favourite Algerian restaurant I go to, but every year, during Ramadan, their food before sundown becomes awful! Over-seasoned, under-seasoned, the aromas and the flavours are all wrong, because the cooks can't taste the food they are cooking! So chefs should be exempt as well, I think.
Basically fasting has two dimension : 1- It is useful for body and health. As it is said, fasting is the charity of body. I can mention some benefits of fasting for body thus : - it is a good treatment for " blood fat". All harmful fats in blood will be used or burned during 29 days of fast. - All the other additional substances is blood will get back to a normal level - The harmful stored substances in the cells that are considered to be toxic for body, will be lost. - All useless, and additional substance which have been stored in liver, will be used in body or will be rejected from liver. - It reduces the activity of stomach, clones, heart and kidneys and they will rest for a while. This makes them stronger and more healthy. - The probable hidden parasites in the stomach and clones will be destroyed or will become weak and inactive ( this is my personally opinion). - The stored septic hydrates in the cells will reject from body gradually. - the most of stored fats in the cells will be burned (overweight) - The most of bacterias will be weak because of lacking food in blood and body. This help the defend system of body to be recovered. - The ability of food absorption in the stomach and colones will get better. 2- It is useful for spirit and psych of human. Fasting returns a human to a gentle and natural morality and behavior, according to humanity. there are a lot of explanation here that I mention some of them : -It is an effective factor for "will strengthen" - It is a very important factor for resistance against temptations and negative thoughts and doing. - It is a booster for wisdom, consciousness, and humanly affection. -The memory will be modified and expanded - It is a certain guardian shield against sorrow, anxiety, fear, and other adversities. - it is promising and assures about future - The one who fasts in Ramadan his connection and attention to his ego and body is reduced so his spirituality and mental powers will be increased. This help him to realize the realities more and more. Also this causes he goes close to death and don't fear it anymore ( because of assurance to God and cutting off his relation with his body in moderate.) - His character become stronger - As he himself has suffered of hanger and thirst, he understands the situation of hanger and poor people. This causes he think to help them and show mercy to other humans generally. - He believes in his own power, will and ability and this makes him" self-reliant" - He will able to control himself , his emotion and desires in his life and so on ... But as I pointed in the first post, some sicknesses prevent fasting and Islam doesn't allow those Muslims that fasting is harmful for them to fast. Even, if a Muslim knows, fasting is harmful for him and despite this awareness he fasts, he has done a sin. In other word, fast is forbidden for those Muslims that fasting is noxious for them.
Baha'is fast is in March and every year I swear it gets harder. The best advice anyone ever gave me on the topic was my grandmother's, "Eat dinner for breakfast". This year I got a whole bunch of microwaveble dinners (well 19 of them) and took a couple minutes before sunrise to eat them, the whole thing went so much better. But the worst part about the whole thing is the no smoking. It is torturous.
Two years ago or so, my dad and me went on vacation to Turkey during Ramadan. We are Christian but we decided to fast like the locals do, just to give it a try. It was really hard in the beginning, especially not drinking (it was incredibly hot) and smoking. However, once we got attuned to it, it felt great. Ridding yourself of your body's compulsions is an amazingly liberating experience. Sadly, I haven't gotten myself up to fast regularly as of now.
Oh congratulations to you! You are the first Christian that tasted Ramadan fast willingly Early, fasting was obligatory, in all official religions like Christianity, before appearance of Islam. In Moses time and afterward Jesus time, people were obligated from God to fast. There is a verse in Koran hereon : "Believers, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will be cautious. (183) (fast) a certain number of days, but if any one of you is ill or on a journey let him (fast) a similar number of days later on; and for those who are unable (to fast), there is a ransom the feeding of a needy person. whosoever volunteers good, it is good for him; but to fast is better for you, if you but knew. (184)" Of course, body is a wonderful thing that God has created. It can adopt itself with hard conditions,among fast. When you are fasting, cells of body try to use the less water and food. Brain receives all the information from every limb that how they are working and what is their condition. If there is a problem or difficulty, brain express an proper order to the nerves and cells to reduce the effect of the problem by an interactive respond. one of the brain's task is to adopt body with extraordinary situations. The amount of water that we drink daily is more than the minimum water that body needs to continue its activities and life. As you can see, a noticeable amount of additional water is excreted from body in shape of urine. Also, the fat, sugar and protein that our body needs, is less than what we use daily, by eating a lot of fat foods like hamburgers, pizza, chicken, cream and the various pastries . Usually, we eat based on our desire and not based on our body needs. As you see a lot of people are suffering of obesity and additional sugar in blood. As I said previously, fast is not only for body health, but the most of its gifts are in spiritual dimension.
