Fasting In Ramadan Can Prevent COVID-19, UK Based Doctor Suggests
Uplifting the essence of Ramadan amidst Corona virus Crisis
Ramzan kareem, a holy month filled with fasting, prayers, and revival of faith is nothing short of a blessing for entire Muslim population around the world. Muslims around the world observed the start of this month on different dates but 23rd April 2020 marked the beginning of Ramadan for majority. With the starting of Ramadan, each Muslim wishes to pray, fast, and connect with ALLAH in a better manner. For those of you who don’t know, Ramadan is the same month in which Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
The procedure of fasting involves abstaining from eating and drinking anything from sunrise to sunset for a period of 30 days. Families around the world sit together for suhoor i.e. the pre-dawn meal and iftar i.e. the evening meal at sunset marking the end of fasting for that day. It should also be known that Ramadan is a month of festivities and joyous nature coherent with prayers. Congregational prayers take place in mosques whereas; special care is taken to perform prayers at home too. Mosques around the world remain at their full capacity throughout the whole month. All in all a month that embodies true nature of Islam.
However, this year it’s not the same. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world are asked to stay at homes and practice social distancing- An act which dictates people to maintain a safe distance of at least 2 meters. This has troubled many in Pakistan because of the fact that people pay special emphasis on congregational prayers in Ramadan. Due to the contagious nature of the disease, government has asked to follow strict standard operating procedures for those going to mosques to pray. So it simply means, this Ramadan won’t be the same.
Here another question arises, how to cope with covid-19 amidst Ramadan? People doubt the very existence of knowledge and are questioning about the impact of fasting on their health. Well not to worry, we are here with some answers for you.
Will fasting affect my ability to get affected by COVID-19?
The answer is plain NO. You can only get corona virus by getting in contact with an infected person. If an infected person sneezes, coughs, or breathes around you without covering their mouth then you may contract the virus if you are not taking appropriate precautions. Other than that it’s all good. So, fasting has nothing to do with you getting the virus. In fact, fasting has way too many health benefits to remain ignored. During fasting, your body starts to cleanse itself and tries to get rid of toxins. Your organs start to repair themselves and your metabolism starts to jump up. Each and every part of your body benefits from fasting including your immune system.
What do the experts have to say?
Dr.Amir, an esteemed health professional for NHS discussed the benefits of fasting in his article. He stated that fasting helps your body to go into an energy conservation mode. As no new nutrients are coming in, in order to save up on energy consumption, body starts to recycle many of its old or affected immune cells which in turn help the production of new and healthy immune cells as soon as the period of fasting ends. According to him abstaining from water makes all the difference. A study revealed that no water intake for 12 hours or more may have a slight deteriorating effect on the immune system. However, as soon as one drinks and eats after fasting immunity levels return to a better state. So all in all, fasting has great beneficial effects on your body.
These are the known effects only; imagine how many beneficial effects of fasting are still hidden from us? Indeed ALLAH prescribed fasting for us just like it was prescribed for those before us. So, this month Muslims can fast with all their heart without having to worry about any effects on their immune system. For those of you with systemic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases, consultation with your doctor is a must.
