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Fasting—The Physician Within
 
Syed Tanvir Ahmad, Qa'id Health
 
“O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.” (The Holy Qur’an, 2:184)

“Fasting is the greatest remedy—the physician within.” (Philippus Paracelsus, Swiss Physician)

“Humans live on one-quarter of what they eat; on the other three-quarters live their doctors.” (Egyptian Pyramid Inscription 3800 BC)



We are about to enter the month of Ramadan. While fasting in this blessed month is spiritually uplifting, it also offers many physical benefits. Some of these benefits are:
 

• Intermittent fasting (Ramadan is the best example) drops insulin levels leading to increased fat burning.
   
• Intermittent fasting can increase level of growth hormone up to five folds—which leads to increased muscle mass and increased fat burning among other benefits.
   
• Intermittent fasting can help lose weight and body fat.
   
• Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lowering our risk of developing diabetes.
   
• Fasting promotes early satiety, which means that you feel full with a smaller quantity of food. This occurs through a hormone called Leptin.
   
• Fasting decreases the production of harmful free radicals in the body leading to decreased inflammation—underlying cause of many diseases and ageing.
   
• Intermittent fasting decreases many risk factors associated with heart disease e.g. it decreases blood pressure, cholesterol, sugar, weight etc.
   
• Intermittent fasting can stimulate body’s own repair system.
   
• Intermittent fasting may improve brain function through growth of new cells and decrease inflammation and damage to brain function.
   
• Intermittent fasting has been shown to decrease risk of cancer among animals. More research is needed in humans.
   
• Studies in rats show that Intermittent fasting may delay or decrease the severity of Alzheimer’s disease.
   
• Fasting may delay ageing and promote a long healthy life.

   
Source: healthline.com
  

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A Misconception Removed
 
Suhail Kausar, Na'ib Sadr Awwal

Many members have expressed their hesitation in joining the system of Wasiyyat because they think they are not at a spiritual level that the divine scheme of Wasiyyat requires.

To those who feel that their standards of piety are still not high enough to join the system of Wasiyyat, Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (may Allah be his helper) said, “This is such a revolutionary system that if a person joins it with true intentions and later makes sincere efforts for self-improvement in accordance with sayings of the Promised Messiah (may peace be on him), then with the blessings of this system the long spiritual journey that would take years to finish will be covered in days, and that of days will be covered in hours.” (Al Fazl International, Vol. 11, Issue No. 50, 2004)

The Promised Messiah (may peace be on him) says, “In the end I pray that may Allah help every sincere person in this matter and that He may kindle the fire of faith in their hearts and that they all meet their death when Allah is pleased with them. Ameen.”

Members are urged to read the booklet Al-Wasiyyat (The Will) and consider joining the divine system of Wasiyyat.
   

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Department of Publications Majlis Ansarullah USA