اللَّهُمَّ حَصِّنْ فَرْجِي، ويَسِّرْ لِي أمْرِي. اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أسألُكَ تَمَامَ الوُضُوءِ وتَمَامَ الصَّلاةِ وتَمَامَ رِضْوَانِكَ، وتمَامَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ. اللَّهُمَّ أعْطِنِي كتَابِي بِيَميِنِي

Saum (Fasting)

صَوْمٌ‏:‏ الصوم جُنَّةٌ من أدواء الروح والقلب والبدن، منافِعُه تفوت الإحصاء، وله تأثيرٌ عجيب في حفظ الصحة، وإذابةِ الفضلاتِ، وحبْسِ النفسِ عن تناول مؤذياتها، ولا سِيَّما إذا كان باعتدالٍ وقصدٍ في أفضلِ أوقاته شرعاً، وحاجَةُ البدنِ إليه طبعاً‏.‏ ثم إنَّ فيه من إراحة القُوَى والأعضاء ما يحفظُ عليها قُواها، وفيه خاصيةٌ تقتضى إيثارَه، وهى تفريحُه للقلب عاجلاً وآجلاً، وهو أنفعُ شىءٍ لأصحاب الأمزجة البارِدةِ والرطبة، وله تأثيرٌ عظيم في حفظ صحتهم‏.‏

وهو يدخلُ في الأدوية الروحانية والطبيعية، وإذا راعى الصائمُ فيه ما ينبغى مراعاتُه طبعاً وشرعاً، عظُمَ انتفاعُ قلبه وبدنه به، وحبس عنه الموادَّ الغريبةَ الفاسدةَ التي هو مستعدٌ لها، وأزال الموادَّ الرديئة الحاصلة بحسب كماله ونقصانه، ويحفظ الصائمَ مما ينبغى أن يُتحفَّظَ منه، ويُعينه على قيامه بمقصود الصوم وسرّه وعلته الغائية، فإن القصدَ منه أمر آخر وراءَ تركِ الطعام والشراب، وباعتبار ذلك الأمر اختُصَّ من بين الأعمال بأنه لله سبحانه، ولـمَّا كان وقايةً وجُنَّةً بين العبد وبين ما يؤذى قلبه وبدنه عاجلاً وآجلاً، قال الله تعالى‏:‏ آمَ‏{‏يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ نُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ‏}‏ ‏[‏البقرة ‏:‏ 188‏]‏‏.‏ فأحدُ مقصودَى الصيام الجُنَّةُ والوِقاية، وهى حِمية عظيمةُ النفع، والمقصودُ الآخر‏:‏ اجتماعُ القلب والهم على الله تعالى، وتوفيرُ

قُوَى النفس على محابِّه وطاعته، وقد تقدَّم الكلامُ في بعض أسرار الصوم عند ذكر هَدْيه صلى الله عليه وسلم فيه‏.‏

Fasting is a shield against the ailments of the soul, heart, and body. Its benefits are beyond enumeration, and it has an amazing effect on preserving health, dissolving excesses, and restraining the self from indulging in harmful things. Especially when done with moderation, proper intention, and at the best prescribed times according to Islamic law, it meets the natural needs of the body. Additionally, fasting provides rest for the joints and organs, helping to maintain their strength. One of its unique qualities is that it brings joy to the heart, both in this world and the hereafter.

It plays a role in both spiritual and physical treatments. If the fasting person adheres to the proper guidelines, both naturally and religiously, the benefits to his heart and body will be great. It prevents harmful foreign substances from affecting the body, removes bad substances accumulated according to one's level of completion or deficiency, and protects the fasting person from what they should be safeguarded from.

It also helps a person fulfill the true purpose and secret of fasting, beyond merely abstaining from food and drink. Because of this higher objective, fasting was singled out among all acts of worship as being for Allah alone. Since it acts as a shield between the person and things that harm his heart and body both in this world and the next, Allah says: 

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيامُ كَما كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ البقرة: ١٨٣

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:183).

مومنو! تم پر روزے فرض کئے گئے ہیں۔ جس طرح تم سے پہلے لوگوں پر فرض کئے گئے تھے تاکہ تم پرہیزگار بنو

Thus, one of the main purposes of fasting is to serve as a shield and protection—a highly beneficial form of abstinence. The other purpose is for the heart and mind to focus solely on Allah, and for the person to direct his strength towards what pleases Him and obedience to Him.

Modern science has proven that the laws of Islam and the directives of the wise Legislator (Allah) only bring about goodness for humanity, happiness for mankind, and the well-being of both soul and body. Allah did not make anything obligatory, nor did He forbid anything, except with profound wisdom, as confirmed by the results of extensive studies, which continue to reveal new insights from time to time.

The health benefits of fasting extend to all parts of the body, with no organ or tissue being deprived of its advantages. This noble act of worship provides annual rest to the body’s organs, allowing them to recover and rejuvenate after long periods of effort in which they have rendered invaluable services, earning the right to regain their vitality.

It is astounding to consider the significant impact fasting has on our physical health, as discovered by natural scientists. Human beings are not the only creatures that fast. In fact, all living beings go through periods of voluntary fasting, even when there is abundant food available in their surroundings. Some animals remain in their burrows for days without moving or eating, while some birds stay in their nests and abstain from food during specific seasons each year. Certain fish bury themselves in the ocean or riverbeds for a certain period without eating. It has been observed that these creatures emerge from fasting periods more active, energetic, and healthy.

During fasting, chemical reactions occur in the body of the living creature, most notably the activation of the catabolic process, where the body gets rid of aged, diseased cells and toxins stored in the tissues due to excessive food intake. Fasting acts like a surgeon’s scalpel, removing damaged or weakened tissues from any sick organ, giving it the opportunity to regain its strength and vitality. This series of events makes fasting a reliable method for purifying the body from harmful toxins, where microbes and harmful microorganisms, deprived of their food sources, starve, die, and decompose, eliminating their threat to our bodies.

After the fasting period ends, the process of anabolic building is activated, during which new and young cells are formed. These cells are functionally more efficient and play a crucial role in enhancing the growth and mental activity of the body.

Fasting is also highly beneficial for the digestive system and its glands, which work continuously day and night throughout the year. They get their well-deserved rest only during fasting. Additionally, fasting is the best treatment for obesity, especially when accompanied by moderation in eating after breaking the fast and before dawn.

Many people who regularly fast obligatory and voluntary fasts often report relief from digestive issues that troubled them before fasting, such as excessive belching, the presence of stomach gases, indigestion, and bloating.

Fasting has significant health benefits for the heart as well. It lowers the level of fats, lipids, and cholesterol in the blood, offering protection and treatment from various heart diseases and reduces the risk of clots. Additionally, the heart rate decreases during fasting, as does blood pressure, all of which contribute to giving the heart a much-needed break from the burdens it carried before fasting. The joints also benefit from fasting, as it protects them from many diseases, with the reduction of uric acid levels being at the forefront. This helps in preventing and alleviating the symptoms of gout.

Fasting also stimulates the body’s glandular system. Abstaining from food and drink lowers blood sugar levels, prompting the brain to send signals to the endocrine glands for assistance. In response, the adrenal, thyroid, and pancreas glands secrete special hormones that convert the stored complex sugars in the muscles and liver into easily absorbable sugars, providing the body with the energy it needs. Once the energy from these sugars is depleted, the body turns to its fat reserves, breaking them down and releasing their stored energy.

Fasting also offers protection against diabetes. This is because fasting lowers blood sugar levels, reducing the pancreas’s need to secrete insulin, allowing the pancreas to rest. On the other hand, neglecting fasting can lead to consistently high blood sugar levels, putting strain on the pancreas as it struggles to produce insulin, ultimately leading to its exhaustion and the onset of diabetes.

Research has also shown that fasting has a clear impact on skin health. Abstaining from food and drink reduces the amount of water reaching the skin, decreasing its moisture levels. This reduction leads to a variety of benefits, including the cleansing of the skin from pimples and acne, a decrease in the skin’s oily secretions, faster healing of wounds and ulcers, reduction in skin allergies, and an increase in the skin’s resistance to microbial growth. As a result, the fasting person’s skin becomes healthier, more radiant, and more resistant to diseases.

One of the well-known health benefits of fasting is that it provides an opportunity to rid oneself of harmful and prohibited habits, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and using drugs. Fasting gradually reduces the concentration of these toxic substances in the blood, eventually cleansing the nervous system of their effects. This is the hope of those addicts who sincerely seek to free themselves from these harmful dependencies that have weakened their bodies and health.

Just as fasting benefits the body, it also enhances mental health. Fasting improves cognitive abilities, strengthens memory, and elevates spiritual qualities such as compassion, love, and psychological tranquility.

Apart from fasts of Ramadhan, you can fast the white days ~ أيام البيض, & fasts on Monday & Thursday.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «تُعْرَضُ الْأَعْمَالُ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ

Abu Huraira Radi Allaho Anh reported Allah’s messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم as saying, “Men’s deeds are presented to Allah on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like mine to be presented when I am fasting.”

وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ: أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏أَنْ نَصُومَ مِنْ اَلشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ: ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ, وَأَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ وَخَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ - رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ, وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ, وَصَحَّحَهُ اِبْنُ حِبَّانَ

Abu Dharr Radi Allaho Anh narrated that The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded us to fast for three days of every month; that is on the days of the full moon; the 13th, 14th, and 15th (of the lunar month).’ (An-Nasa’i and At-Tirmidhi and rendered authentic by Ibn Hibban)

Fasting on these days is not obligatory, every individual should check his ability & health, anyone who is capable enough to adopt this weekly/monthly routine of fasting will see tremendous benefits & improvement in his health Insha’Allah.