The month of Ramadan is upon us, and thus millions of Muslims around the world have commenced Fasting. Apart from reinvigorating our spirit; this blessed month provides us with an opportunity to reboot our bodies back to health.
Fasting has become a popular and parsimonious method of weight loss. Indeed, expensive smart watches and mandatory gym attire, along with associated membership costs are not needed. All you really need to do, is restrict your caloric intake, ie food intake. You might even save money!
There are a multitude of ways people achieve their weight loss goals through fasting, including, the 5:2 diet, the Alternate Day Fasting Diet, and the 16:8 method. Time restricted fasting is another method which involves a feeding phase of 6-10 hours, followed by a fast.
With so many diets out there, how do we choose what will work best for our weight loss goals and metabolic profile.
As Muslims, it is important to refer to the sacred scripture and indeed, the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (s). His medical recommendations are universal, easily applicable, cost effective, and a means of drawing closer to your Creator. Thus, providing a means for continued spiritual and physical invigoration outside of the month of Ramadan.
Indeed, fasting has been proven to have numerous health promoting effects. They include an improvement in your metabolic profile (weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels), circadian rhythm, mental health (depression, anxiety), and gut microbiome to name a few.
The most popular diet, named the 5:2 involves caloric restriction for two non-consecutive days, and “normal” eating on the remaining five days. Sound familiar? Our beloved Prophet (s) mentioned fasting two non-consecutive days in the following Hadith:
- Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Actions are presented on Mondays and Thursdays, so I like my actions to be presented while I am fasting (at-Tirmidhi).
The other form of fasting is called the Alternate Day Fast. It is a 48-hour routine which involves fasting for 24 hours, followed by a period of non-fasting. Again, sounds familiar? Our treasured Prophet (s), mentioned God’s most beloved fast in the following Hadith:
- Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al-As narrated: Allah’s Apostle (s) said to me: “The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of Prophet David (a), who used to fast alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David (a), who used to sleep the first half of the night, and pray for one third of it and again sleep for a sixth of it. (Sahih Al-Bukhari).
There is also another Hadith related to fasting three days in the month which is also worth mentioning here:
- It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever fasts for three days of each month, he has fasted for a whole lifetime.’ Then he said: Allah has spoken the truth in His book: Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit (Quran 6:160). (Sunan an-Nasa’i 2409)
As further empirical research is undertaken, more health benefits of fasting will no doubt be discovered. But in the mean-time, if you are searching for way a to improve your mental health, enhance your gut microbiome, lower your metabolic profile risk, improve your sleep and lose weight, then why not consider fasting.
Use the month of Ramadan as launch pad for continued fasting after its completion. Obtain the blessing of following a Sunnah, draw nearer to your Lord and reap the associated health benefits.
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