In answer to the video "The Truth about Ramadan (David Wood)"
Contrary to Christians who went to such extent in their over-exaltation of their prophet that, in the absence of a birthday for Jesus went searching in the pagan calendar for a date to artificially ascribe as Jesus' birthday, the Muslims do not celebrate their prophet's birth or death. The importance is focused on the message and this is why we celebrate the only month mentioned by name in the Quran, that of Ramadan. We gratefuly fast, which is a symbol of self sacrifice, in remembrence of God's sending in this month, a guiding light for all of mankind, to the heart of His prophet on a night of Ramadan, the Night of Destiny/laylatul Qadr. The root is R-M-Dhad, meaning "heat".
RAMADAN was the month of heat because it fell in the heat of the summer. The pre-Islamic Arabs used a combined Lunar/Solar calendar, and would periodically add a month in order to compensate for the shorter lunar year as opposed to the solar year. This resulted in fixing their rituals, like the yearly pilgrimage, to more convenient times from certain aspects. However, Islam banned the addition of such months 9:36-7.
This meant that the month of Ramadan is now rotating through the year in a 33 year cycle. This avoids the convenient fixation of certain religious practices according to human whims, for purely worldly motives, violating God's established sacred months and allowing an ordinary month to be observed as sacred and vice versa. For example the pre-Islamic Arabs used this practice to avoid the disadvantages for their trade. Banning the intercalary month opens up the way for spiritual improvement, training one to perform his duties at all times of the year and under all circumstances.
Also, from the viewpoint of the universality of religion, it is obvious that the periods of fasting and performing Haj cannot satisfy all if they be fixed, always falling in the same season and month in different places-summer or winter or very hot or very cold or rainy or dry or harvesting or sowing-year after year. The Islamic time-keeping system is in fact the most scientifically relevant, because it does not require intercallation and thus making its precise reference point known to the day. Add to this the fact that the Islamic calendar is the only one that is divested from all elements of overt and parenthetical shirk, such as how the days of the week and the months of the year are named.
Before Islam, fasting did not resemble the current practice of Ramadan. Fasting meant, among other things to the Arabs the suffering of some (not complete) privation in times of mourning and sorrow.
In pre-islamic times, couples also entirely refrained from sexual contact even after breaking their fast, which the Quran abolished 2:187. The regular, yearly practice of fasting for the Meccans was done on the day of Ashura, on the 10th of Muharram. Ashura is the Arabic for the "10th" just as Tasua is for "9th". The prophet was no exception. He in addition fasted throughout the year, not leaving any month without fast
"Sometimes Allah's Messenger would not fast (for so many days) that we thought that he would not fast that month and he sometimes used to fast (for so many days) that we thought he would not leave fasting throughout that month".
Before institutionalizing fasting in its current form during Ramadan, the Muslims were to emulate the prophet during short fasting periods.
This is reflected in the Quran's introduction to the practice of fasting, as well as the prophet's recommendation
"Once Allah's Messenger said to me, "I have been informed that you offer Salat (prayer) all the night and observe Saum (fast) during the day." I said, "(Yes) I do so." He said, "If you do so, your eye sight will become weak and you will become weak. No doubt, your body has right on you, and your family has right on you, so observe Saum (for some days) and do not observe it (for some days), offer Salat (for sometime) and then sleep".
Before speaking of Ramadan, the Quran regulates fasting for a short period of time, using the phrase ayyam maAAdudaatin/counted days, implying a small number 2:183-4, which isnt the case of a 30 days fast. maAAdudaatin is a device in Arabic called jam3un qilla/lit. plural for little. The regulations of the previous fast are then transposed onto the new fast of Ramadan. This will be the definite form of the fast
"Ashura' (i.e. the tenth of Muharram) was a day on which the tribe of Quraish used to fast in the prelslamic period of ignorance. The Prophet also used to fast on this day. So when he migrated to Medina, he fasted on it and ordered (the Muslims) to fast on it. When the fasting of Ramadan was enjoined, it became optional for the people to fast or not to fast on the day of Ashura".
Ramadan commemorates the sacredness and spiritual significance of that month
Fasting is an act of great virtue and piety practiced by nations and prophets long before Muhammad 2:183-187,Ex24:18,Joel2:11-13,Matt4:2,6:16-18etc The abstinence prescribed, from gratifying material desires, satisfying the body's lust and inclinations purges the soul from the love of worldly affairs, focuses the attention on the spiritual realm. It is a period of self-improvement, where Muslims start a spiritual and moral training that shapes their lives for the months ahead, from one Ramadan to the next. It is a command literally aimed at "doing guarding"/laAAlakum tattaqqun 2:183. Often translated "fear", taqwa stems from w-q-w meaning guarding, or protection (see 73:17). In Arabic, as in any language, synonyms have one or more common elements but every synonym on its own carries some sort of specific nuance. For example many words are used in the Quran to denote fear, including khushuaa, Khawf, Hadhr, rawaa, awjas, rahb, ruaab, taqwa etc. The common denominator between these words is fear but every time with a nuance highly meaningful to the context. The specificity of the taqwa type of fear is that it is the fear of future consequences, hence the implicit notion of guarding oneself. The prophet is reported to have stated that
So, just as the body must go through physical training to become protected in specific situations, the soul needs the same in order to be guarded from deviations. Fasting, along with all its spiritual implications is one of the means given in the Quran for the achievement of that objective. This taqwa/guarding of the soul happens through consciousness of God in all deeds, by increasing help to the underprivileged members of society, working towards improving social interactions, including strengthening ties of kinship, showing forgiveness and compassion. Fasting also teaches one that if he can abstain from that which is otherwise lawful and a primary need such as food, natural sexual desires and passions, how much more necessary is it that he should abstain from the evil ways which are forbidden by God and are not only unnatural but oppose one's own conscience.
It is made compulsory except on the sick or temporarily incapacitated from travel
We will now get technical and analyze the claims of adverse health effect resulting from fasting.
The physical effects of a Ramadan-type fasting, on the ones able to perform it, lowers LDL cholesterol, excessive fatty tissue and anxiety in the fasting subjects. Experiments on mice have shown that extending the daily fasting period may override the adverse health effects of a high-fat diet and prevent obesity, diabetes and liver disease. This is because when eating frequently, the body continues to make and store fat, ballooning fat cells and liver cells, which can result in liver damage. Under such conditions the liver also continues to make glucose, which raises blood sugar levels. Time-restricted feeding, on the other hand, reduces production of free fat, glucose and cholesterol and makes better use of them. It cuts down glucose, fat and ketone storage, and turns on fat burning mechanisms, thereby keeping the liver cells healthy and reducing overall body fat.
The daily feeding-fasting cycle activates liver enzymes that breakdown cholesterol into bile acids, spurring the metabolism of brown fat -- a type of "good fat" in our body that converts extra calories to heat. Thus the body literally burns fat during fasting. The liver also shuts down glucose production for several hours, which helps lower blood glucose. The extra glucose that would have ended up in the blood -- high blood sugar is a hallmark of diabetes -- is instead used to build molecules that repair damaged cells and make new DNA. This helps prevent chronic inflammation, which has been implicated in the development of a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and Alzheimer's. Hormonal changes during the fasting period have also shown to favor the dieter.
For example the satiety hormone (leptin)'s secretion rises in daylight hours, declining in the late day; the hunger hormone (ghrelin)'s secretion decreases, peaking only in the evening hours; and the curve of adiponectin, the hormonal link between obesity, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome, remain elevated. Dieters have thus been shown to have a pattern leading to lower hunger scores, and better anthropometric (weight, abdominal circumference and body fat), biochemical (blood sugar, blood lipids) and inflammatory outcomes.
Cycles of prolonged fasting also provide protection against immune system damage, even inducing immune system regeneration, shifting stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal. That is because starvation forces the system to save energy, such as by recycling a lot of the immune cells that are not needed. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells. In particular, prolonged fasting reduced the enzyme PKA, responsible for longevity in simple organisms and which has been linked in other research to the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency. Prolonged fasting also lowered levels of IGF-1, a growth-factor hormone, linked to aging, tumor progression and cancer risk.
Prolonged fasting also protects against toxicity in a pilot clinical trial in which a small group of patients fasted for a 72-hour period prior to chemotherapy, causing partial regeneration of damaged immune cells.
The important point about fasting as said in the passage's opening statement is that it is aimed at increasing piety, God-consciousness. It is thus the responsibility of the one seeking spiritual betterment to make all necessary preparations for the attainment of that objective. This doesnt only apply to fasting but to all other religious practices, like praying, spending for charity, going on pilgrimage or fighting in self-defense when required. All religious rites demand the fulfillment of certain conditions to be valid and so is the practice of fasting, counting among its conditions the witnessing of certain natural phenomena. These phenomena are the start and end of a lunar month
2:185"The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction; therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein..that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks".The first thing said about the month of Ramadan is its sacredness due to the revelation having initiated in it, fasting is the secondary aspect of it.
Fasting is an act of great virtue and piety practiced by nations and prophets long before Muhammad 2:183-187,Ex24:18,Joel2:11-13,Matt4:2,6:16-18etc The abstinence prescribed, from gratifying material desires, satisfying the body's lust and inclinations purges the soul from the love of worldly affairs, focuses the attention on the spiritual realm. It is a period of self-improvement, where Muslims start a spiritual and moral training that shapes their lives for the months ahead, from one Ramadan to the next. It is a command literally aimed at "doing guarding"/laAAlakum tattaqqun 2:183. Often translated "fear", taqwa stems from w-q-w meaning guarding, or protection (see 73:17). In Arabic, as in any language, synonyms have one or more common elements but every synonym on its own carries some sort of specific nuance. For example many words are used in the Quran to denote fear, including khushuaa, Khawf, Hadhr, rawaa, awjas, rahb, ruaab, taqwa etc. The common denominator between these words is fear but every time with a nuance highly meaningful to the context. The specificity of the taqwa type of fear is that it is the fear of future consequences, hence the implicit notion of guarding oneself. The prophet is reported to have stated that
"A person might fast and he gets nothing from his fast but hunger".That is because he did not do it with taqwa, guarding his spirituality.
So, just as the body must go through physical training to become protected in specific situations, the soul needs the same in order to be guarded from deviations. Fasting, along with all its spiritual implications is one of the means given in the Quran for the achievement of that objective. This taqwa/guarding of the soul happens through consciousness of God in all deeds, by increasing help to the underprivileged members of society, working towards improving social interactions, including strengthening ties of kinship, showing forgiveness and compassion. Fasting also teaches one that if he can abstain from that which is otherwise lawful and a primary need such as food, natural sexual desires and passions, how much more necessary is it that he should abstain from the evil ways which are forbidden by God and are not only unnatural but oppose one's own conscience.
It is made compulsory except on the sick or temporarily incapacitated from travel
"but whoever among you is sick or on a journey".That person must later redeem himself by fasting the same number of missed days (when the conditions become more favorable for a fast) and in addition must feed a needy person if he can afford it (the pronoun HU in yatiqunahu refers to taam/feeding). In all cases, whether it be to redeem a missed fast or not
"whoever does good spontaneously it is better for him; and that you fast is better for you if you know".
We will now get technical and analyze the claims of adverse health effect resulting from fasting.
The physical effects of a Ramadan-type fasting, on the ones able to perform it, lowers LDL cholesterol, excessive fatty tissue and anxiety in the fasting subjects. Experiments on mice have shown that extending the daily fasting period may override the adverse health effects of a high-fat diet and prevent obesity, diabetes and liver disease. This is because when eating frequently, the body continues to make and store fat, ballooning fat cells and liver cells, which can result in liver damage. Under such conditions the liver also continues to make glucose, which raises blood sugar levels. Time-restricted feeding, on the other hand, reduces production of free fat, glucose and cholesterol and makes better use of them. It cuts down glucose, fat and ketone storage, and turns on fat burning mechanisms, thereby keeping the liver cells healthy and reducing overall body fat.
The daily feeding-fasting cycle activates liver enzymes that breakdown cholesterol into bile acids, spurring the metabolism of brown fat -- a type of "good fat" in our body that converts extra calories to heat. Thus the body literally burns fat during fasting. The liver also shuts down glucose production for several hours, which helps lower blood glucose. The extra glucose that would have ended up in the blood -- high blood sugar is a hallmark of diabetes -- is instead used to build molecules that repair damaged cells and make new DNA. This helps prevent chronic inflammation, which has been implicated in the development of a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and Alzheimer's. Hormonal changes during the fasting period have also shown to favor the dieter.
For example the satiety hormone (leptin)'s secretion rises in daylight hours, declining in the late day; the hunger hormone (ghrelin)'s secretion decreases, peaking only in the evening hours; and the curve of adiponectin, the hormonal link between obesity, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome, remain elevated. Dieters have thus been shown to have a pattern leading to lower hunger scores, and better anthropometric (weight, abdominal circumference and body fat), biochemical (blood sugar, blood lipids) and inflammatory outcomes.
Cycles of prolonged fasting also provide protection against immune system damage, even inducing immune system regeneration, shifting stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal. That is because starvation forces the system to save energy, such as by recycling a lot of the immune cells that are not needed. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells. In particular, prolonged fasting reduced the enzyme PKA, responsible for longevity in simple organisms and which has been linked in other research to the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency. Prolonged fasting also lowered levels of IGF-1, a growth-factor hormone, linked to aging, tumor progression and cancer risk.
Prolonged fasting also protects against toxicity in a pilot clinical trial in which a small group of patients fasted for a 72-hour period prior to chemotherapy, causing partial regeneration of damaged immune cells.
The important point about fasting as said in the passage's opening statement is that it is aimed at increasing piety, God-consciousness. It is thus the responsibility of the one seeking spiritual betterment to make all necessary preparations for the attainment of that objective. This doesnt only apply to fasting but to all other religious practices, like praying, spending for charity, going on pilgrimage or fighting in self-defense when required. All religious rites demand the fulfillment of certain conditions to be valid and so is the practice of fasting, counting among its conditions the witnessing of certain natural phenomena. These phenomena are the start and end of a lunar month
"whoever of you witnesses the month"and the start and end of a day
"and eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night"
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