Allah Almighty says in the Quran:
O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become righteous. [1]
If you ask non-Muslims what do they know about Islam (not considering the negativity spread by the media), they will tell you one common thing they all know: Muslims are the ones who fast during the month of Ramadan. [2] Even the people who are not very acquainted with Islam or Muslims are aware of our religious obligation of fasting.
Although, the purpose of fasting[3] is to develop the quality of righteousness (taqwa), inwardly and outwardly by abstaining from sinful deeds and training ourselves to control our thoughts and desires, there are numerous health benefits of fasting[4] also, e.g., it controls blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, fights inflammation, prevents neuro-degenerative disorders, boosts metabolism and aids weight loss, delays ageing and so on.
The Western Idea of Intermittent Fasting:
One of the types of fasting is intermittent fasting (IF). IF is currently one of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends. People are using it to lose weight, improve their health and simplify their lifestyles. In IF, intake is partially or completely restricted for a few hours up to a few days at a time and a normal diet is resumed on other days.
There are several different ways of doing intermittent fasting — all of which involve splitting the day or week into eating and fasting periods. The western world presents 6 popular ways to do intermittent fasting[5]:
- The 16/8 Method: Fast for 16 hours each day.
- The 5:2 Diet: Fast for 2 days per week.
- Eat-Stop-Eat: Do a 24-hour fast, once or twice a week.
- Alternate-Day Fasting: Fast every other day.
- The Warrior Diet: Fast during the day, eat a huge meal at night.
- Spontaneous Meal Skipping: Skip meals when convenient.
If you are Muslim, you probably would be familiar with the 2nd and 4th type of above mentioned fasting techniques. If not, let us fill you in 🙂
The 5:2 Diet in Islam:
The 5:2 diet[6], also known as The Fast Diet, is currently the most popular intermittent fasting diet. It was popularized by British journalist Michael Mosley. It’s called the 5:2 diet because five days of the week are normal eating days, while the other two restrict calories to 500–600 per day. In 2012, Michael Mosley released his TV documentary “Eat, Fast and Live Longer”[7] and published his best-selling book “The Fast Diet”, both based on the 5:2 concept of intermittent fasting.
While the scientists are advocating intermittent fasting for its mental and physical benefits only today, Muslims were commanded to fast more than 1,400 years ago. It was the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ to fast twice a week.
Aishah narrated: “The Prophet used to try to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.”[8]
Modern research backs this method of fasting. Fasting twice a week could be the key to a longer life by slashing the risk of a host of killer diseases. Research shows dramatically cutting the amount of calories you eat for two days can keep obesity, heart disease and diabetes at bay.[9]
The Alternate-Day Fasting in Islam:
Abdullah bin Amr narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said: “The most virtuous fast is the fast of my brother Dawud. He would fast a day, and not fast (the next) day.” [10]
So the fast of Prophet Dawud (AS) was the most beloved to Allah. This kind of fast consists of fasting one day and not fasting the other day.
The 16:8 (Daily) Fast is not Recommended in Islam:
16/8 intermittent fasting involves limiting consumption of foods and calorie-containing beverages to a set window of eight hours each day and abstaining from food for the remaining 16 hours.
While other diets often set strict rules and regulations, 16/8 intermittent fasting seems easy to follow and can provide real results with minimal effort. It’s generally considered less restrictive and more flexible than many other diet plans and can easily fit into just about any lifestyle. In addition to enhancing weight loss, 16/8 intermittent fasting is also believed to improve blood sugar control, boost brain function and enhance longevity.
However, research has also linked fasting to increases in LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind). Daily intermittent fasting can make you feel dizzy and nauseated and cause periods of low-blood sugar and dehydration. [11]
Restricting daily food intake may cause weakness, hunger, increased food consumption and weight gain. Animal studies show that intermittent fasting may impact men and women differently and may even interfere with fertility. [12]
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade his followers from fasting daily 1400 years ago:
The Prophet said:“Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted.” [13]
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr: The news of my daily fasting and praying every night throughout the night reached the Prophet. So he sent for me or I met him, and he said, “I have been informed that you fast every day and pray every night (all the night). Fast (for some days) and give up fasting (for some days); pray and sleep, for your eyes have a right on you, and your body and your family (i.e. wife) have a right on you.” I replied, “I have more power than that (fasting).” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Then fast like the fasts of (the Prophet) David”. I said, “How?” He replied, “He used to fast on alternate days, and he used not to flee on meeting the enemy.” [14]
Fasting for Less than 12 Hours or More than 24 Hours
So how long do you have to fast to reap the potentially life-changing rewards of fasting? Is there a minimum number of hours you need to restrict food to get the perks?
Most of the experts agreed, less than a 12-hour fast doesn’t really do anything. “Twelve hours [per day] is the minimum in my experience,” says integrative physician Amy Shah, M.D. “For many people, somewhere between 14 and 18 hours of fasting per day is the ideal range, providing more significant weight loss benefits than a 12-hour fast, while still being attainable”, says functional practitioner B.J. Hardick, D.C. [15]
On the other hand, fasting for longer than 24 hours is harmful, says Adi Crnalic, a health & wellness coach and a fitness author. “It will most certainly put your body into a catabolic (tissue wasting) state. When you are in a catabolic state, your body is basically surviving on its own tissue in order to keep you alive.” [16]
Fasting puts two different types of stress on your heart. First, it cannibalizes cardiac muscle for fuel. The human body does everything it can to conserve muscle during a fast, but inevitably some muscle will be sacrificed at the beginning of the fast. After a few days, the body switches over to using fat, but researchers have discovered that protein (muscle) utilization actually increases again later on, even though fat stores are still available. This protein includes the muscle in your heart: weaken this too much, and heart failure will result. [17]
Coincidently, or you can say, in His profound wisdom, Allah Almighty never ordained the Muslims with a fast of less than 10 hours or more than 22 hours. Gulf News reports that the shortest fast around the world in Ramadan 2019 was in Argentina for 11 hours and the longest was in Russia for 21 hours. [18] SubhanAllah! Allah is the Al-Wise!
Sunnah Fasting Days
Aside from the days on which it is forbidden to fast – the two days of Eid, the three days of Al-Tashreeq (11th, 12th, 13th of Dhul-Hijjah), the Prophet, peace be upon him, would fast intermittently throughout the year. [19]
Based on one’s capacity, fasting is a beloved act of worship. May Allah accept from us the efforts we put forth and allow us to continue our good habits!
References:
[1] Quran 2:183
[2] Jay Kim asks Koreans what they know about Islam?
[3] The purpose of fasting in Islam
[4] Health benefits of fasting
[5] Six popular ways to do intermittent fasting
[6] The 5:2 diet
[9] Secret of living longer is to fast twice a week
[11] How 16:8 Diet Can Backfire
[12] 16:8 Intermittent Fasting Drawbacks
[13] Sunan an-Nasa’i 2388
[15] The Minimum Number Of Hours You Can Intermittent Fast
[16] Fasting Longer than 24 Hours
[17] Long Fasts, Dangers and Drawbacks
[18] Longest and Shortest Fasting Timing in the World in Ramadan 2019