Benefits of fasting for one’s spiritual and physical health

Mansoora Farhat Kashif, UK

 وَاَنۡ تَصُوۡمُوۡا خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ 

“And fasting is good for you, if you only knew.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.185)

The above verse of the Holy Quran encourages Muslims to fast, as the benefits of observing fasts are numerous and include spiritual, mental, social and physical benefits.

Muslims all over the world fast in the month of Ramadan, as well as observe voluntary fasts, especially on Mondays and Thursdays.  Similarly, various religions (e.g., Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus) all practice fasting in various forms. “Interestingly, religious fasting could help to improve individual health as well as the community and planet.”¹

Nowadays, fasting is also being endorsed by the non-religious population, regardless of race, religion or creed. For example, intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular among celebrities as well as the general population.² Even the former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is known to fast.³

Spiritual benefits

Below are some of the spiritual of fasting:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

“O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.184)

In the commentary of this verse, it is written:

“It is a special characteristic of the Quran that, whenever it gives an important commandment, it does not give it arbitrarily but also explains its usefulness so that the addressee may be convinced of, and satisfied about, the wisdom underlying it. The object of صیام or fasting has been stated in this verse as the attainment of تقوی i.e. righteousness.” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 293)

Allah Almighty then says:

شَہۡرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِیۡۤ اُنۡزِلَ فِیۡہِ الۡقُرۡاٰنُ ہُدًی لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَیِّنٰتٍ مِّنَ الۡہُدٰی وَالۡفُرۡقَانِ ۚ فَمَنۡ شَہِدَ مِنۡکُمُ الشَّہۡرَ فَلۡیَصُمۡہُ ؕ وَمَنۡ کَانَ مَرِیۡضًا اَوۡ عَلٰی سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّۃٌ مِّنۡ اَیَّامٍ  اُخَرَ ؕ یُرِیۡدُ اللّٰہُ بِکُمُ الۡیُسۡرَ وَلَا یُرِیۡدُ بِکُمُ الۡعُسۡرَ ۫ وَلِتُکۡمِلُوا الۡعِدَّۃَ وَلِتُکَبِّرُوا اللّٰہَ عَلٰی مَا ہَدٰٮکُمۡ وَلَعَلَّکُمۡ تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ 

“The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was sent down as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination. Therefore, whosoever of you is present [at home] in this month, let him fast therein. But whoso is sick or is on a journey, [shall fast] the same number of other days. Allah desires [to give] you facility and He desires not hardship for you, and that you may complete the number, and that you may exalt Allah for His having guided you and that you may be grateful.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.186)

The month of Ramadan was chosen for fasting, because it was a sacred month in which the Quran was revealed. We all know that the Holy Quran is not an ordinary book, as it is written in the commentary of this verse:

“It is a Book full of right guidance and of bright Signs and of things that help to differentiate between truth and falsehood. This sublime foreword placed before the commandment about fasting contains an implied question to the effect: Will you not now fast when fasting is a tried thing, when it is so useful, when it is to be observed only for a few days, when even in these few days suitable facilities have been provided, and lastly when these few days correspond with a month which is full of blessings?” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 297)

Most importantly, the above verse emphasises the importance of reading, understanding, reflecting and acting upon the teachings of the Holy Quran. As the Holy Quran discriminates right from wrong with such clarity, that there is no room for doubt.  Hence, both fasting and reciting the Holy Quran can cultivate a believer in almost every area of their lives.

An individual who keeps a fast, “learns through personal experience about what hunger, poverty, loneliness and discomforts mean to the less fortunate sections of society. Abstention from even such practices during the month of Ramadan as are permissible in everyday life plays a constructive role in refining the human character.”⁴

Physical benefits

Some of the physical benefits of fasting will now be enumerated:

• Studies have shown that Ramadan fasting may decrease leukocytes and monocytes.⁵
• Studies show that fasting can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases⁶, insulin resistance⁷, and cancer⁸
• Body weight; and body fat percentage were found to be “significantly lower during Ramadan as compared with before Ramadan or after the cessation of Ramadan fasting.”⁹
• Ramadan fasting has also shown to have a slight benefit “in glucose control and lipid profile among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as well as an overall decrease in body weight and waist circumference.”¹⁰

Even scientists admit:

“Religious fasting, alongside other religious health assets, can provide several opportunities across multiple levels of scale, ranging from the individual to the community, population, environmental, and planetary levels, by facilitating and supporting societal transformations and changes, including the adoption of healthier, more equitable, and sustainable lifestyles and preserving the Earth’s systems.”¹¹

In essence, we have only focused on a few of the benefits of fasting. Although fasting has innumerable spiritual, mental, social and physical benefits, Allah rightly says, “Fasting is good for you, if you only knew.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.185).  Knowing what fasting truly is, can enable individuals to better understand and implement it with greater zeal.  May Allah enable us all to fully understand the blessings of fasting and reap its countless benefits. Amin.

References

1. Trabelsi K et al., (2022) Religious fasting and its impacts on individual, public, and planetary health: Fasting as a “religious health asset” for a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable society, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. BodyFast, Fit with Fasting: Celebrities Reveal their Secret Strategies, www.bodyfast.app
3. Independent. (2024) Is a 36-hour fast really good for you? Experts lay out the benefits and the downfalls, www.independent.co.uk
4. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad^rh, An Elementary Study of Islam, p. 46
5. Develioglu ON et al., (2013) Effects of Ramadan fasting on serum immunoglobulin G and M, and salivary immunoglobulin A concentrations, https://journals.sagepub.com
6. Nematy, M et al., (2012) Effects of Ramadhan fasting on cardiovascular risk factors: a prospective observational study, nutritionj.biomedcentral.com
7. Vahdat Shariatpanah, Z et al., (2008) Effect of Ramadhan fasting on some indices of insulin resistance and components of the metabolic syndrome in healthy male adults
8. “Effect of Ramadan fasting on some indices of insulin resistance and components of the metabolic syndrome in healthy male adults”, www.cambridge.org
9. Faris, MA et al., (2012) Intermittent fasting during Ramadan attenuates proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells in healthy subjects, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
10. Tahapary, DL et al (2020). The impact of Ramadhan fasting on metabolic profile among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A mete-analysis, www.sciencedirect.com
11. Trabelsi K et al., (2022) Religious fasting and its impacts on individual, public, and planetary health: Fasting as a “religious health asset” for a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable society, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov