The Final Prophet by Mohammad Elshinawy

O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become more mindful of Allah.199

Fasting is another pillar of Islam, practiced by over a billion Muslims worldwide during the lunar month of Ramadan and periodically at other times of the year. From dawn until sunset, a Muslim abstains from food, drink, and conjugal relations out of devotion to his or her Creator. This restriction of the carnal appetites feeds one’s spirituality, reinforces the religious conscience, and cultivates sincerity with God—for only God is always watchful of you. It also teaches self-restraint in other spheres of life, and thus the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us, “Whoever does not give up foul speech while fasting, [know that] Allah has no need for this person to give up food and drink.”200 Of course, fasting also allows a Muslim to experience hunger and discomfort, generating empathy for the underprivileged and downtrodden. For that reason, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم would outdo himself in generosity during Ramadan,201 and obligated his followers with a mandatory charity (Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr) at the month’s end.

As for the health benefits gained by fasting, both the physical and psychological are quite evident. In one 2003 study at the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore, it was found that caloric restriction extended lifespan and reduced the incidence of age-related diseases.202 Similarly, Clive McCay of Cornell University found that laboratory rats kept on a severely reduced- calorie diet lived almost twice as long as expected, so long as they had the proper nutrients.203 And in the famous “Canto and Owen Experiment,” anti-aging researcher Richard Weindruch, from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health, published a major paper showcasing two rhesus monkeys of similar ages with very different diets.204

His research yielded a clear message: “caloric restriction” and “fasting” reverse and slow the cellular decline associated with aging. As for the positive effects of fasting on mental health, one psychology study has tracked how, while a healthy woman fasting an eighteen-hour day may report increased irritability, she may also experience an increased sense of achievement, reward, pride, and control.205 Therefore, it can be argued that the mild agitation experienced by a healthy person in their fast (the Qur’an exempts the ill from fasting) is just the challenge a person may need to develop frustration tolerance and a sense of accomplishment that fuels our happiness as purposeful beings.

It is interesting how the overall health benefits derived from intermittent fasting have only recently begun to mount,206 while just a short time before the latest science had recommended three meals a day with snacks in between as the dietary ideal to stabilize one’s metabolism and brain’s glucose supply. Such theories continue to lose credibility with intermittent fasting’s surging popularity and newfound benefits,207 though it has been a consistent practice among the followers of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم for fourteen centuries now and counting.

Not only do Muslims fast daily from dawn to sundown for the month of Ramadan as an obligation and pillar of their faith but they have also been encouraged by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to observe this fast twice a week at other times of the year, or thrice a month at least.