Thread by @Taesthetic_Amy, Benefits of Ramadan & fasting: an educational thread Ramadan is a month [...]

Benefits of Ramadan & fasting: an educational thread

Ramadan is a month when we feel closest to Allah. It is a period of fasting, self-reflection, devotion, generosity & sacrifice observed by Muslims around the world. We restrain ourselves from food, water & immoral acts hence it is a chance for us to attain spiritual purification.

We try to break bad habits (eg: addictions such as use of tobacco & other unhealthy habits) and form good ones (eg: praying & reading the Quran more often, self-control by practising good manners)

Ramadan is there to test & maintain the strongest of human urges; hunger and lust.

You are not allowed to eat or drink for long hours, nor are you allowed to make sexual contact for the same period of time. It is also said that the less a person eats, the weaker his desire becomes, and the weaker his desire is, the less sins he commits.

Apart from abstaining from sins, we are also expected to perform as many good deeds as possible. We do this by helping the poor (practicing acts of charity such as distributing money, food, clothes, giving them shelter etc), taking extra care of neighbours and relatives-

(family-bonding by gathering together for iftar, making dua for their good health etc), praying more often and focusing on our mental, spiritual, physical and emotional health and needs. All these habits build a feeling of peace, tranquility and self-satisfaction.

Fasting teaches us compassion and helps us understand & sympathize with the unfortunate people who don't always get access to food & water every day. We thank Allah for all that we have and let go of greed.

There are also a lot of scientific benefits behind fasting. It promotes blood sugar control by reducing insulin resistance & enhances heart health by improving blood pressure, cholesterol levels & heart rate. It can boost brain function as well and greatly reduces stress levels.

It increases the efficiency of metabolism which results in better absorption of nutrition from food. It fights inflammation in our body. Fasting also improves hunger & your eating patterns. Some people are even adviced to take advantage of Ramadan to overcome hormonal problems.

For those curious about how fasting helps with all of these, I'm sure you can easily find many articles and youtube videos explaining in more depth!

It's also scientifically proven that following the routine of Ramadan-

(eating before sunrise and then taking a break before eating again at sundown) is healthy for your stomach. The Islamic way of eating during Ramadan is quite similar to intermittent fasting which is beneficial to the body. Fasting promotes detoxification

as food consumption is modified & the body gets a chance to cleanse itself of unwanted impurities and toxins.

Fasting also boosts self-discipline & the patience level of a person.

It helps people who have a habit of stealing, lying, backbiting, using abusive language or engaging in physical fights etc break out of those habits atleast while they're in a state of fasting by doing this daily for an entire month.

To all the Muslims out there: HAPPY FASTING and let's do our best!! Good luck :)