Ey iymon keltirganlar, sizlarga ro'za farz qilindi, xuddi sizdan oldingilarga farz qilingani kabi, toki taqvoli bo'lasiz.199

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

Ro‘za tutish — Islomning yana bir rukni bo‘lib, dunyo bo‘ylab bir milliarddan ortiq musulmon tomonidan qamariy oy bo‘lmish Ramazon oyida, shuningdek yil davomida vaqti-vaqti bilan boshqa paytlarda ham amalga oshiriladi. Tong otgandan to quyosh botguncha musulmon Yaratuvchisiga bo‘lgan ibodat niyatida ovqatdan, ichimlikdan va turmush munosabatlaridan o‘zini tiyadi. Nafsoniy ishtiyoqlarni cheklash ruhiyatni oziqlantiradi, diniy vijdonni mustahkamlaydi va Alloh bilan samimiylikni tarbiyalaydi, chunki faqat Alloh sizni doimo kuzatib turadi. Shuningdek, u hayotning boshqa sohalarida ham o‘zini tiyishni o‘rgatadi. Shu sababli Payg‘ambar Muhammad ﷺ bizga xabar berganlar: “Kim ro‘za paytida yomon so‘zni tark etmasa, bilsinki, Allohga bu kishining ovqat va ichimlikni tark etishi kerak emas.”200 Albatta, ro‘za musulmonga ochlik va noqulaylikni boshdan kechirish imkonini ham beradi, bu esa kambag‘allar va ezilganlarga nisbatan hamdardlikni uyg‘otadi. Shu bois Payg‘ambar Muhammad ﷺ Ramazonda saxiylikda o‘zlaridan ham oshib tushar edilar,201 va ummatlariga oy oxirida majburiy sadaqa (Sadaqatu-l-fitr) berishni farz qildilar.

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.

Ro'za tutishidan olinadigan sog'liq foydalari, ham jismoniy, ham ruhiy jihatdan, juda aniq ko'rinadi. 2003 yilda Baltimordagi Milliy qarish instituti tomonidan o'tkazilgan bir tadqiqotda kaloriyalarni cheklash umr davomiyligini uzaytirishi va qarishga bog'liq kasalliklar uchrashini kamaytirishi aniqlangan.202 Shunga o'xshash ravishda, Kornell universitetining Klayv Makkey laboratoriya kalamushlarini keskin kamaytirilgan kaloriyali parhezda saqlaganda, ular to'g'ri oziq moddalar bilan ta'minlangan sharoitda kutilganidan deyarli ikki baravar uzoq yashaganini aniqlagan.203 Va mashhur "Kanto va Оуэн tajribasi" doirasida qarishga qarshi tadqiqotchi Richard Veyndruch, Viskonsin universitetining Tibbiyot va jamoat salomatligi maktabidan, yoshi bir-biriga yaqin, ammo parhezi juda turlicha bo'lgan ikki rezus maymunini ko'rsatuvchi yirik maqolani e'lon qilgan.204

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

Uning tadqiqotlari aniq bir xulosaga olib keldi: “kaloriyani cheklash” va “ro‘za” hujayralarning qarishi bilan bog‘liq pasayishni teskari aylantiradi va sekinlashtiradi. Ro‘zaning ruhiy salomatlikka ijobiy ta’siriga kelsak, bir psixologiya tadqiqoti shuni kuzatdiki, o‘n sakkiz soatlik ro‘za tutgan sog‘lom ayol asabiylashishning ortganini his qilishi mumkin, shu bilan birga u yutuq, mukofot, faxr va nazorat hissining ortganini ham boshdan kechirishi mumkin.205 Shunday ekan, sog‘lom insonning ro‘zasida sezadigan yengil bezovtalik (Qur’on kasallarni ro‘zadan ozod qiladi) aynan u frustratsiyaga chidamlilik va yutuq hissini shakllantirishi uchun kerak bo‘lgan sinov bo‘lishi mumkin, bu esa maqsadli mavjudot sifatida bizning baxtimizni oziqlantiradi, deb ta’kidlash mumkin.

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.

Qiziq, oraliq ro‘za tutishdan olinadigan umumiy sog‘liq foydalari yaqinda-gina to‘plana boshladi, holbuki bundan atigi qisqa vaqt oldin eng so‘nggi ilm uch mahal ovqat va orada yengil taomlar yeyishni, metabolizm va miya glyukoza ta’minotini barqarorlashtirishning ideal parhezi sifatida tavsiya qilgan edi. Bunday nazariyalar oraliq ro‘za tutishning ortib borayotgan mashhurligi va yangi topilgan foydalari bilan ishonchliligini yo‘qotishda davom etmoqda, garchi u o‘n to‘rt asrdan beri, hamon davom etgan holda, Muhammad ﷺ payg‘ambarga ergashuvchilar orasida doimiy amaliyot bo‘lib kelgan bo‘lsa ham.

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.

Musulmonlar Ramazon oyida tong otishidan quyosh botishigacha kunduzi ro'za tutadilar, bu ularning dinidagi farz va ustunlardan biridir, balki Payg'ambar ﷺ yil davomida boshqa vaqtlarda haftada ikki marta yoki kamida oyiga uch marta shu ro'zani tutishga ham undaganlar.

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.