Benefits of Ramadan
Ramadan is a period of fasting, reflection, devotion, generosity and sacrifice observed by Muslims around the world. While major holidays of other faiths have largely become commercialized events, Ramadan retains its intense spiritual meaning.
The word "Ramadan" comes from the Arabic root word for "parched thirst" and "sun-baked ground." It is expressive of the hunger and thirst felt by those who spend the month in fasting. As opposed to other holidays, when people often indulge, Ramadan is by nature a time of sacrifice.
- Through fasting, a Muslim experiences hunger and thirst, and sympathizes with those in the world who have little to eat every day.
- Through increased devotion, Muslims feel closer to their Creator, and recognize that everything we have in this life is a blessing from Him.
- Through increased charity, Muslims develop feelings of generosity and good-will toward others. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said, "A man's wealth is never diminished by charity."
- Through self-control, a Muslim practices good manners, good speech, and good habits.
- Through changing routines, Muslims have a chance to establish more healthy lifestyle habits -- particularly with regards to diet and smoking.
- Through family and community gatherings, Muslims strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, in their own communities and throughout the world.
May Allah accept our fasting, forgive our sins, and guide us all to the Straight Path. May Allah bless us all during Ramadan, and throughout the year, with His forgiveness, mercy, and peace, and bring us all closer to Him and to each other.
Source : About.com
33 Blessings of Ramadan Fasting (Benefits)
The benefits of the Ramadhan month of 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 Holy Quran and Hadith.
The following is a partial list for the blessings and benefits of the month of fasting during Ramadhan:
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
03. Revelation of 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
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. 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
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 meal time gives the opportunity for:
- Night Prayers
- Zikr, Remembrance, Contemplation
- Recitation of Holy Quran
- Fajr Salat in Jamaat
- Dua of Fajr
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
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
- Forgiveness of mistakes
- Better than 1,000 months
- Dua
- Zikr
- Prayers
- Reading Holy Quran
- Rewards
- Blessings
- Better human being
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
- Purity
- Flourishing of wealth
- Improving economy
- Circulation of wealth
- Elimination of inflation
- Elimination of poverty
- Purification of body from toxins
- Reducing of weight
- Purity of brain
- Rejuvenation of body
- Living of life with happiness
- Looking younger
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
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)
- 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.
- Wafaat Hazrat Khadijeh (as).
- Wiladat Imam Hassan bin Ali (as).
- Shahadat Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as).
- Youm-al-Quds.
7 surprising health benefits of Ramadan
Dates
Although three dates are eaten at the start of Iftar every day during Ramadan for spiritual reasons, they also come with the added bonus of multiple health benefits. One of the most important aspects of fasting is getting the right amount of energy, and considering an average serving of dates contains 31 grams of carbohydrates, this is one of the perfect foods to give you a boost. Dates are also a great way of getting some much-needed fibre, which will aid and improve digestion throughout Ramadan. Add to that their high levels of potassium, magnesium and B vitamins, and it quickly becomes apparent that dates are one of the healthiest fruits out there.
Boost your brain
No doubt you’ll be aware of the positive effects fasting can have on your mental wellbeing and spiritual focus, but the brain-boosting powers of Ramadan are even more significant than you might think. A study carried out by scientists in the USA found that the mental focus achieved during Ramadan increases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which causes the body to produce more brain cells, thus improving brain function. Likewise, a distinct reduction in the amount of the hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenal gland, means that stress levels are greatly reduced both during and after Ramadan.
Ditch bad habits
Because you will be fasting during the day, Ramadan is the perfect time to ditch your bad habits for good. Vices such as smoking and sugary foods should not be indulged during Ramadan, and as you abstain from them your body will gradually acclimatise to their absence, until your addiction is kicked for good. It’s also much easier to quit habits when you do so in a group, which should be easy to find during Ramadan. Fasting’s ability to help you cut out bad habits is so significant that the UK’s National Health Service recommends it as the ideal time to ditch smoking.
Lower cholesterol
We all know that weight loss is one of the possible physical outcomes of fasting during Ramadan, but there’s also a whole host of healthy changes going on behind the scenes. A team of cardiologists in the UAE found that people observing Ramadan enjoy a positive effect on their lipid profile, which means there is a reduction of cholesterol in the blood. Low cholesterol increases cardiovascular health, greatly reducing the risk of suffering from heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. What’s more, if you follow a healthy diet after Ramadan, this newly lowered cholesterol level should be easy to maintain.
Lasting appetite reduction
One of the main problems with extreme fad diets is that any weight lost is often quickly put back on, sometimes even with a little added extra. This isn’t the case with Ramadan. The reduction in food consumed throughout fasting causes your stomach to gradually shrink, meaning you’ll need to eat less food to feel full. If you want to get into the habit of healthy eating then Ramadan is a great time to start. When it’s finished your appetite will be lower than it was before, and you’ll be far less likely to overindulge with your eating.
Detoxify
As well as being great for spiritually cleansing yourself, Ramadan acts as a fantastic detox for your body. By not eating or drinking throughout the day your body will be offered the rare chance to detoxify your digestive system throughout the month. When your body starts eating into fat reserves to create energy, it will also burn away any harmful toxins that might be present in fat deposits. This body cleanse will leave a healthy blank slate behind, and is the perfect stepping stone to a consistently healthy lifestyle.
Absorb more nutrients
By not eating throughout the day during Ramadan you’ll find that your metabolism becomes more efficient, meaning the amount of nutrients you absorb from food improves. This is because of an increase in a hormone called adiponectin, which is produced by a combination of fasting and eating late at night, and allows your muscles to absorb more nutrients. This will lead to health benefits all around the body, as various areas are able to better absorb and make use of the nutrients they need to function.
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