TruthBook Religious News Blog

August 10
Priscilla Martinez

American Muslims will begin the annual Ramadan fast on Saturday, August 22. In keeping with the divine commandment in the Holy Qur'an,

"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed to those before you in order that you may attain God-consciousness" (2:183),

Muslims will refrain from all food and drink during daylight everyday for about a month. The Eid al-Fitr holiday ends the month of fasting.

Fasting is an instrument for gaining closeness to God and achieving purification of heart and mind. Muslims look forward to the coming of Ramadan with great longing for the spiritual, physical, and emotional benefits this special season brings.

Ramadan is also important for Muslims because it is the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims consider the Qur'an to be God's speech recorded in the Arabic language and transmitted to humanity through Muhammad, the last of the prophets. This tradition of God-chosen prophets or messengers includes such figures as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Muslims believe that over a period of twenty-three years, various verses and chapters of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel. The Qur'an is comprised of 114 chapters of varying length, with titles such as "Abraham," "The Pilgrimage," and "Mary."

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day. This means not consuming food or drink, including water, during the daylight hours. Muslims arise early in the morning during Ramadan to have a pre-dawn breakfast meal. They will then complete the fast at dusk by having a meal that usually includes dates, fresh fruits, appetizers, beverages and dinner.

Ramadan is also a month of heightened devotion. The five daily prayers are performed with greater intensity. The community gathers at the mosque nightly for extra prayers called taraweeah. During the last ten days of Ramadan, some families seclude themselves in the mosque for itikaf, a night spent performing even more prayers and reading the Qur’an. It is a spiritually intense period of reflection and devotion whose purpose is to seek guidance and ask for forgiveness.

There are many other important lessons learned during this month as well. In Ramadan, Muslims try to practice what's become known as "the five S's:"

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Labels: devotion, Eid al-Fitr, fasting, Islam, Koran, Muslims, Priscilla Martinez, Ramadan

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Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Muslims combine worship, willpower as Ramadan begins

Tonight, minutes after sunset, Muslims around the world will begin searching the skyline for the new crescent moon. The sighting of that...

Mr. Aziz Junejo

Tonight, minutes after sunset, Muslims around the world will begin searching the skyline for the new crescent moon. The sighting of that sliver of light signals the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar and the month during which Muslims are required to fast as a form of worship.

Hearing the word "fast" may conjure thoughts of extreme hunger, weight loss or body detoxification, but across the ages, followers of the Abrahamic faiths have employed fasting as a form of discipline, following the examples of Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, all of whom fasted for God.

The month of Ramadan is sanctified by meticulous fasting from the pre-dawn to sunset. During daylight hours, Muslims abstain from all food and drink while controlling all desires. If one does this in complete devotion to God, we believe, her or his sins will all be forgiven.

When I was a child, preparation for Ramadan always came early, including the planning for special menus of healthy, traditional foods. "Foul Mudammas" made from fava beans with fresh-baked pita was a breakfast preference while Medjool dates and a variety of Mediterranean salads and soups were usually served for dinner. These were light menus, which allowed our bodies to better utilize reserves during the fast.

Days always felt longer during Ramadan. The delightful aromas of Mother's dinner preparation at the end of the day tested the limits of my willpower. I remember that my father was especially peaceful during this month, encouraging more reading of the Quran, saying extra prayers and, most important, storing the television for those 30 days.

This year, in an effort to increase my spirituality, I have decided I, too, will eliminate television for the entire month. I know TV serves many social purposes and helps some people relax, but turning it off for an extended time can be a way to reconnect with God, enjoy quality time with the children, or just eliminate the noise.

Each year, I look forward to the opportunities of Ramadan: getting in touch with my spirit and feeling at peace.

Television can bring us to tears, make us laugh, even inspire hate. Such a powerful medium must have some effect on spirituality. Without television, I anticipate being able to focus more on my spiritual self, creating a sacred retreat to awaken my heart with consciousness of God and all creation.

Fasting, I believe, not only strengthens willpower but improves eating habits, providing a sense of health and happiness.

I know the practice may be unpopular in a culture of instant gratification, a food channel and supersizing meals. You would think refusing food and drink all day would make one grumpy and irritable, but after a week of fasting I feel renewed, healthier and full of extra energy. At night, I fall asleep right away and wake recharged and alert.

Thinking about the effects on my body and mind, I recognize how much Ramadan has benefited me over the years, how much it has enhanced my self-discipline and faith. Knowing that fasting has always been a part of the Abrahamic traditions reassures me I have much in common with people of other faiths. As I practice prayer, reflection and am God conscious this month, I hope to experience the true spirit of Ramadan, the Muslim month of forgiveness.

Labels: Aziz Junejo, discipline, fasting, Islam, Ramadan, worship

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Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Fasting seen as tool for health, spirituality

February 5, 2008

By JANET ST. JAMES

The history of fasting goes back thousands of years to Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato.

Jesus did it for 40 days for spiritual renewal.

Debbie Ragsdale of McKinney does it once a month, for about the same reason.

Far from starving, a growing number of studies show a periodic fast can do as much for the body as it does for religious beliefs.

After years of being told to eat many small meals a day to rev up the metabolism, research shows giving it a one day rest, once a week or once a month -- may also be beneficial.

Research shows depriving the body of food -- for 24 hours, drinking only water -- can give the heart arteries and pancreas a rest.

"If you're able to fast all day long, except for water, and reduce your insulin secretion," says Baylor University Medical Center Dr. Brian Welch. "There may be some metabolic advantage to that as long as it's not followed by binge eating."

Dr. Welch, a practicing endocrinologist, says there's even evidence partial fasting can extend the lifespan, because eating less sends a message to the brain and cells to use energy more efficiently.

Scientists have seen the proof in rat studies and in real life.

A study recently presented to the American Heart Association looked at Mormons. The study showed Mormon's hearts are much healthier than the average American's -- and not just because their religion forbids smoking and drinking.

Gordon Wright, a Dallas attorney who also happens to be Mormon, has fasted regularly his whole life.

"The appetites that we typically have and just set them aside and focus on more spiritual things. It allows us to focus on things other than the body and the things that drive us day to day," he said.

And Wright says when the fast is over, he's suprisingly not ravenous or obsessing about food. That's because research also suggests that supressing insulin may also reduce the taste for sugar.

Reducing sugar cravings can lead to weight loss over time.

Ragsdale also tries to eat healthy. Once a month, she and friends gather to cook and share a light, healthy lunch, as part of that endeavor.

And, she never misses her monthly fast, for body and soul.

Doctors say fasting more than a day at time breaks down muscles, instead of helping the body. And diabetics should talk with their physician before attempting even a one day fast.

Labels: fasting, health, Janet St. James, Mormonism, religiosity, spirituality