The benefits of Fasting By Brother Kyle Smith
A corner stone of Ramadan is fasting. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise until sunset. As Muslims, we also restrain ourselves from physical desires. Now to an individual who has never fasted before, this may seem like a very difficult thing to do. Some may even see it as unnecessary. Some may question how fasting going to get them closer to God, while some may wonder what the benefits are. As Muslims, we know that whatever Allah (SWT) mandates upon us will benefit us in this life and the hereafter. InshaAllah, in this article I will talk about the various benefits of fasting. Fasting protects against sins. Fasting puts an individual in a state of control. When someone is in control of themselves, while refraining from sins, it is more likely for that individual to do good deeds for the sake of Allah (SWT). For example, we know that marriage is supposed to keep an individual away from zina(fortification). At the time of the Prophet (SAW), there was not a large abundance in the Muslim treasury, as there was in the time of Umar. Therefore, during the time of the Prophet (SAW), it was difficult to sponsor other Muslims marriages. A man came to the Prophet (SAW) saying that he could not afford to get married. So, the prophet (SAW) advised him to do extra prayers, and to fast to keep him away from sin. One of the most important things in Islam is to stay away from the abomination of backbiting. To understand how devastating this abomination is, Muhammad (SAW) related it to eating the flesh of your dead brother. As humans, it is very easy to be caught up in this abomination. This is because the shaiytan whispers to us the justifying of this action. Therefore, as Muslims, we should always refrain from sins such as this. We can do this by fasting. Photograph: http://pages.intnet.mu/islam/clipart.htm
Another benefit of fasting is to be rewarded by Allah (SWT). The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that “when one fasts purely for the sake of Allah (SWT) Allah will put a riding distance of seven years between his face and hellfire. Therefore, if one fasts purely for the sake of Allah (SWT) during the whole month of Ramadan, his face will be a riding distance of 210 years away from hellfire. Also, anything a Muslim does during the month of Ramadan is multiplied by a minimum of 30 fold, up to a maximum of 1000 fold. Just imagine how far one would be from hellfire just for fasting the whole month purely for the sake of Allah (SWT). Furthermore, when we fast, we please Allah (SWT). Muhammad (SAW) said “every good deed that a human does is for his own benefit, except for fasting—it is for Allah (SWT)”. Just think about how special this is. Allah (SWT) does not need us to do anything for him, but he wants us to fast just for him. As we know, Allah (SWT) is responsible for all the good things that we have in this life, and inshaAllah, by his mercy, he will grant us the ultimate prize of his jannah. So, when we fast, we are doing something that is pleasing to Allah (SWT). This is a great way to thank Him for everything. Since fasting is the only good deed that is for Allah (SWT), it is like no other. As stated before, whatever Allah (SWT) mandates upon us is for our own benefit, whether we realize it or not. Fasting has many health benefits. The first major health benefit of fasting is that it removes toxins from our body. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat to Live explains how this process works. Dr. Fuhurman explains that, “When you go without eating for more than a day or two, the body enters into ketosis. Ketosis occurs when the body runs out
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