Category: Hedayah Gurgaon

My ancestors,

They didn’t give me grand majestic empires to run
Nor powerful thrones to vie for or crowns to hold in;
They didn’t bequeath me ancient magical wisdom
Nor gave me secrets and sorcery to run in my blood;
They didn’t pass me down multimillion dollar luxuries
Nor oil wells and gold mines to topple economies with;
They didn’t leave me with old famous textbook names
Nor family trees on tapestries to hang in the living room;
They didn’t even let me have mysterious affairs in manors
Nor generations of journalists to poignantly answer to;

But what they did do is this,
They left behind a never-dwindling wealth,
They left behind a never-fading fame,
They left behind a never-ending history,
In a different city, a country apart, a continent away, or maybe right here,
A generation ago, or a century ago, or a millennia ago or maybe yesterday,
They whispered,

أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله

Ashadu an la ilaha illa illa-ilah, wa ashadu anna muhammadan rasul ullah.

They gave me the ‘different’ name that doesn’t translate into my native,                                 They gave me the ‘different’ language that doesn’t read left to right,
They gave me the ‘different’ identity that seemingly doesn’t fit;
They gave me something very, very beautifully different;

They gave us ourselves; Alhamdulillah we’re born Muslim

~sanaa

 

 

Assalam O Alaikum,
Last week, the students of Marreekh and Shams had a discussion on an article by the Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, James B. Mayfield. Titled Ishmael, Our Brother, it puts forth the views and perception of a Christian of the Latter-day Saints on the Muslim world, its rich history and the Islamic way of life. It revolves around the similarities between Christians/Jews and Muslims and the untold achievements and discoveries of the Muslims. Not only did I witness Islam from a different point of view, but along the way I also came across knowledge and facts that I was unaware of previously. A few of these were:

• The author mentions the Promises of Abraham, scriptures in the Book of Genesis about the promises and commandments that God made to Abraham and his descendants. He noted that the promises were applicable to both Ismael and Ishaq. For example, Allah commanded Ibrahim that every man child among you must be circumcised, a custom of the people of both Ismael and Ishaq.
• Another piece of information I gained from this text was the advanced medical knowledge that Muslim physicians possessed. I had no idea that they knew about the location and function of the eye muscles, pupillary movements, the laryngeal nerve, the difference between measles and smallpox, blood circulation and mastectomy for cancer during the 9^th–13^th century!
• Similar was the development in the field of mathematics by the Arab civilization. They had conceived the decimal system, algebra and its relation to geometry, advancements in spherical trigonometry, logarithm tables and solutions to quadratic equations.
• Studies by Arab astronomers established the fact that the earth was a sphere floating in space, about 400 years before Columbus did. They calculated the length of a terrestrial degree and very accurately determined the circumference and diameter of the Earth. They calculated the length of a stellar year, charted positions and orbits of stars and planets, knew at what time Mercury would cross the face of the Sun and corrected mistakes in Ptolemy’s astronomical system and developed a navigational astrolabe.

This gives clear evidence that major works by renowned scientists and the European Renaissance was initiated and stimulated by the technological advancements of the Islamic civilization. The great contributions of the Muslims were a result of the teachings and morals of the Quran and Our Prophet Muhammed(s.a.w.). Religious values and concepts are not just a segment of our lives, they are the driving force behind life and reality itself and, to quote James Mayfield, “must permeate our lives from dawn to nightfall, where every activity is religiously oriented.” We must strive to embody the message of Allah in every part of our lives and understand the moral responsibility for our actions. It is this very realisation that must be instilled in every Muslim man, woman and child if we ever hope to recover from our current downfall and regain our position as the strong and successful culture that we once were.

 

[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] – a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess – it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.               (Q 2:184)

Medical benefits of Ramadan

Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on “Health and Ramadan”, held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients’ health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, “If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting.”

This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus Muhammad ﷺ says in a hadith that “If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink”.

Happy Ramadan to all