Feeling hungry? Allow me to explain why.

Man did I feel ill yesterday. All the research I was attempting to do just made me feel very ill. By the time I finished yesterday's blog I was feeling nauseous, light-headed and my eyes were stinging! The obvious conclusion is not to spend so much time on this blog. At least on the positive side it helped to kill the time, but the after effects were really difficult to manage. By the time I was seeing my last patient I could barely concentrate on what was going on. I think I called the patient 'maam' at one point, even though it was a guy! Oops!

With this in mind, I think I will have to modify my ambition for the next few days whilst I adjust to fasting. My initial ambition was to talk about various topics in Islam during the month of Ramadhan. I wanted to talk about one topic per day, relevant to the religion. Yesterday was about the moon sighting and I obviously bit off more than I could chew, so even though I hope to stick to the same idea, the topics won't be as detailed as I first hoped. A friend of mine hopes to write a book titled "50 things you didn't know about Islam," but he is a great procrastinator, and who knows when that book will see the light of day. So taking my inspiration from that, I will attempt to write about 30 topics over the 30 days of Ramadhan relevant to Islam. It's easier than writing a book, and hopefully some people will read it!

Before I go on to today's topic, I would like to digress. Working in a GP surgery, the main thing I have picked up on is that patients don't really have any problems. A vast amount of patients I see (at least 40%), don't have any major medical problems but wish to see a doctor for a chat. They talk about their home life, work life, stresses and tensions and are just looking for reassurance. My trainer summed it up by describing GPs as "parents, listeners, advisors and doctors - in that order."

I saw one patient last week who came in with abdomnal pains for the past week. The patient was eating properly and not sleeping well. I asked whether stress was causing difficulty with sleep and diet and then I got to the real problem. The patient literally broke down in a matter of seconds. They talked about being extremely stressed, describing in detail what was causing the stress. When the conversation finished, the inital problem was forgotten, the patient felt much better after talking about all the stress and there was no medical problem! Numerous patients present in a similar fashion, they want someone to talk to and often, the GP is the only person who will - mainly cause they have to! It's completely different to what hospital work was like. People had medical problems which needed to be dealt with as fast as possible so that they could go home again, no time for anything else, to busy for anything else.

Anyway, moving on, today I would like to talk about fasting. Most people (muslim and non-muslim) associate Ramadhan with fasting and only fasting. It is much more than that (and I hope to go into it in more detail), but today I would like to address that point. Why do muslims fast? Do we just like to punish ourselves? The Quran descirbes it quite simply: "O Believers! Fast is prescribed for you as it was for those before you so that you may ward off evil" (Quran Chapter 2, Verse 183), fasting is therefore commanded by God to ward of evil.

Fasting in practical terms means to abstain from all food, drink, vain talk, and sexual intercourse for married couples from the time before dawn until after sunset. Some people are not to able to fast due to age, health, child-bearing conditions, etc., and instead give charity, and/or make up the days of fast they missed at a later time. The practical aspects go against our natural instincts and this inevitably helps to build and strengthen our self-control bringing us closer to God.

Spritually however, the reasons for fasting are numerous. It is a time of sustained and amplified effort toward spiritual perfection. The Holy Prophet states that “Thirst and hunger you undergo, feel and live through, here and now, bring to your mind the severity and sharpness of the drought and starvation that will be the order of the day on the Day of Judgment.

• Give alms to the poor and destitute.
• Treat your parents and elders with respect.
• Be kind and loving to your children and juniors.
• Take care of and look after your relatives.
• Keep from giving tongue to that which should not even be whispered.
• Shut your eyes to that which is indecent to have an eye for.
• Turn a deaf ear to that which is too slanderous to be all ears to.
• Be compassionate, gentle and benign unto orphans so that after you, your children, if need be, receive the same treatment from others.
• Turn repentant to God and seek His nearness.”

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to looking at the spiritual reasons for fasting. The Quran also states that “And men who fast and women who fast…God has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.” (Quran Chapter 33, Verse 35 [scroll down to point 35]) Beyond this, it is also prescribed in other faiths. Moses observed a fast of forty days at time of the revelation of the Ten Commandments. Most Jews fast on the Day of Atonement and Christians still observe the Lent period before Easter, although now it includes abstention from only certain food items, rather than all food and drink.

Fasting is prescribed in the month of Ramadhan because it is the holiest of the Islamic months. It is a month when God revealed a number of sacred texts including the book of Abraham, book of Moses and the Holy Quran. It is also considered sacred because it contains the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr). “Qadr” literally means destiny, and on this night God determines each and every event to occur during the next year to any and all of His creation. Put simply, it is a month when the Satan is locked away and the gates of heaven are open. The satan is unable to interefere with our thoughts and actions, and our actions help us reach heaven after our deaths.

In conclusion, muslims fast, to seek nearness to God, seek His pleasure and Forgiveness, and generate a spirit of piety. Fasting in this month honors the revelation of God’s word and purifies one in preparation for the night of destiny and in hope of forgiveness. Fasting is a yearly spiritual renewal, given abundant reward in this month of God’s Mercy. So next time you think about why muslims fast, the reason is not simply just to punish ourselves, but to seek improvement in our faith and to get closer to God.

Take care all, I promise the topics will improve as time goes on!
Thoughts just flow, when do they have to make sense?