At the onset of Ramadan Muslims all over the world start fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 30 days as ordained in Quran.
"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)
The blessings and benefits of Ramadhan Fasting are too many to be counted. If one does recognize them and realize their importance, he wishes to have the month of Ramadhan to be throughout the whole year.
These blessings are given by Allah to the fasting Muslims, who are to fast with full faith and expectation.
These blessings and benefits of the month of fasting during Ramadhan have been grouped and summarized into different categories. They are summarized here without commentary. It should be remembered that all of these blessings were taken directly from the Holy Quran and Hadith.
The following is a partial list for the blessings and benefits of Ramadhan Fasting:
01. Taqwa:
Fearing Allah (SWT)
Practicing the Revelations of Allah (SWT)
Accepting the little things that one has achieved
Preparing for departure from this world to the Hereafter
- Self-discipline
- Self-control
- Self-restraint
- Self-education
- Self-evaluation
02. Protection:
- Avoiding Immorality
- Avoiding anger/outcry/uproar
- Avoiding stupidity
- Avoiding all makrooh/mashbooh/haram
By achieving these good manners, a Muslim will come out of fasting a better human being in society.
03. The revelation of the Holy Quran: The Holy Quran was revealed during the month of Ramadhan. The Holy Quran is meant to be:
- A Guidance to mankind
- A Manifestation of right from wrong
- A Summation and culmination of all previous revelations
- A Glad-tiding to the believers
- A Healer
- A Mercy
04. Doors of heaven are open.
05. Doors of hell are closed.
06. Devils are chained down.
07. Fasting with Iman (faith) and expectation: Such type of intention leads to forgiveness by Allah (SWT) to the individual's sins.
08. The door of Rayyan: There is in Paradise a door called Al-Rayyan. It is for the fasting Muslims. Only those who fasted the month of Ramadhan are the ones to enjoy the bliss of Paradise inside that area.
09. Rejoices: There are two types of rejoices for the Muslims who fast. These are:
When breaking fast
When meeting Allah (SWT) on the day of Judgment
10. Mouth Smell: The smell of the mouth of the fasting Muslim will be better than the smell of musk during the day of Judgement. (Bad Breath)
11. Glad-Tidings: These glad-tidings are given to the well-wishers while the ill-wishers are to be stopped during fasting.
12. Ramadhan -to- Ramadhan: Whoever fasts two consecutive months of Ramadhan with good intention will receive forgiveness for the mistakes committed throughout the year.
13. Multiplication of Rewards: Doing good = 10x, 70x, 700x or more during the month of Ramadhan.
14. Feeding Others: Whoever invites others to break the fast, and whoever takes care of the hungry, needy, during the last ten days of Ramadhan will receive equal rewards to the fasting person(s).
15. Blessing of Iftar: Dua is accepted by Allah (SWT) at Iftar time.
16. Blessings of Sahoor (The late night meal): This mealtime gives the opportunity for:
Night Prayers
Zikr, Remembrance, Contemplation
Recitation of the Holy Quran
Fajr Salat in Jamaat
Dua of Fajr
17. Night Prayers: Whoever performs the Night prayers with sincerity and good intention will receive forgiveness of his past mistakes.
18. Shafa'at (Pleading One's Case for Forgiveness): Whoever fasts Ramadhan will receive on the day of Judgement the Shafa'at of:
Ramadhan
Holy Quran
19. Ihya (Passing Nights Awake): Last ten days of Ramadhan. When a Muslim makes this type of effort, he will get rewards, forgiveness, and multiples of blessings.
20. Itikaf (Retreat): A Muslim who performs Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadhan will get:
Blessings and rewards
Peace of mind
Contemplation and evaluation
Better citizen
21. Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Power): Whoever observes it with sincerity and good intention will get the following benefits:
Forgiveness of mistakes
Better than 1,000 months
Dua
Zikr
Prayers
Reading the Holy Quran
Rewards
Blessings
Better human being
22. Generosity: Kindness, hospitality, visitation, etc. All of these and many more are among the benefits of Ramadhan.
23. Zakat al-Fitrah (Charity on Eid Day): The benefits of paying such as charity to the needy are tremendous, among which are the following:
Purity
Feeding the needy
Sharing happiness
Improving human relations
Improving society
24. Sadaqah (Charity): The benefits of paying sadaqah are many. These are summarized as follows:
Purity
Flourishing of wealth
Improving economy
Circulation of wealth
Elimination of inflation
Elimination of poverty
25. Fasting and Health: By fasting, one gets the following benefits:
Purification of body from toxins
Reducing of weight
Purity of brain
Rejuvenation of body
Living of life with happiness
Looking younger
26. Change of Lifestyle: By living a different life style, one gets rid of the monotony of life and hence enjoys his life span.
27. Sharing: Of hunger, thirst and rituals with others in the society.
28. Eid-ul-Fitr (Feast): Sharing of happiness and visitation of one another as members of the society.
29. Graveyards Visitation: One will get the following benefits by visiting graveyards.
Dua for the deceased
Preparing oneself for departure from this world
Feeling respect for the deceased
Making the person to be humble in his life
30. Every breath is Tasbiih. Every breath and even sleep is Ibadah and awarded.
31. Umrah in Ramadhan: Visiting Makkah during the fasting month of Ramadhan is:
Equal to one Hajj (pilgrimage)
Equal to one Hajj with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
32. Historical Successes and Victories in Ramadhan: Muslims throughout their history received many benefits during Ramadhan the month of fasting, among which are the following:
Battle of Badr
Battle of Khandaq
Opening of Makkah
Battle of Tabuk
Tariq Ibn Ziyad opened Europe
Salahuddin liberated Jerusalem from the crusaders
Egypt and Israel, 1973 - Egyptians kicked the Israelis out of Egypt during Ramadhan the month of fasting, etc.
33. Learning lessons from historical incidents that happened during Holy Ramadhan the month of fasting, e.g.
Wafaat Hazrat Khadijeh (as).
Wiladat Imam Hassan bin Ali (as).
Shahadat Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as).
Youm-al-Quds.
Medical Benefits of Ramadan
Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In3addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.
Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan.12 If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.
The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.
The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.
There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting."
This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.
One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.
Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in a hadith qudsi that "Fasting is for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink".
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