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Learn from Quran the year round

Date: April 15, 2016

A human being’s caliber and knowledge lies in his bio and gene. Some of us excel in mathematics, some in social studies etc. by profession we will be doctors, engineers, scientists, politicians etc. by hobby, we will be coin collectors, riders, cookers etc. profession, wishes, character and everything may be different. But ultimately, each Muslim has a clear singular goal. It is nothing but, aspiring to the character of Prophet Muhammed. If you are physically clean for the day, you should read Quran on that day. If it is possible, a Muslim should read Quran every day. And there is a belief that Muslim should read Quran during the holy month of Ramadan. But you should read it before, during and after the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is meant for intense character training and its lessons are applicable for the year round. In the holy month of Ramadan and there after we should attempt to focus on the wisdom of Quran and the idealistic ways of Prophet Muhammed. In addition, we should engage with two greatest miracles of life through prayer, those are reflection and action. We should always be in remembrance of Allah and we should learn Quran and its teachings before, during and after Ramadan.

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Benefits of Fasting

How quickly time flies…just about three weeks ago Ramadan began and Muslims around the world commenced their first fast and today it is approaching its last ten days. Now of course we all know that fasting is important spiritually as it teaches us to be patient, be self-aware, and to have restraint (“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint.” al-Qur'an 2:183). But did you know there are many physical and mental benefits of fasting? Let’s start with physical benefits: • weight Loss - Normally, the body uses glucose for energy and keeps fat as “reserve” energy. But while fasting the body begins to use fat as its main source of energy. Why does this matter? Essentially you are burning fat which entails to weight loss. However, keep in mind due to this occurring, the food you eat before and after fasting is absorbed much more quickly and powerfully. So if you break your fast with fried fatty foods, you will gain more weight than you will lose. In the same way, if you eat more nutritionally rich foods, then you will be much more energized. • Giving your body a break - As you fast your metabolism slows down and less of your energy is directed towards breaking down food. 650f your body’s energy is directed towards digesting your food in a day. In a way, you are resting your body by fasting! • Repairing the body – Since less of your energy is directed to breaking down food, the body spends more time repairing the body by producing more white blood cells. White blood cells are the body’s main source of protection against diseases and ailments. This helps tremendously for patients recovering from cancer as during chemotherapy many of the white blood cells are destroyed in the cancer cell eradication process. • Detox – As you fast the toxins stored in your body are dissolved. No special juice or greens needed. Alright now that we’ve listed a few great physical benefits let’s move onto some mental benefits: • General mental well-being – After a few days of fasting, the production of endorphins increases tremendously leading to a happier sense of self and increased alertness. • It decreases feelings of depression – BDNF (Brain-derived neurotic factor) is a protein that interacts with neurons in the parts of the brain that regulate memory, learning, and higher cognitive function and helps to spur synapses (which pass signals from one neuron to the next) and new neurons. Depression occurs when there is a lack of serotonin production as well as a miscommunication between the synapses. Since the brain can focus on functions other than food digestion, it can produce more BDNF. • Aids in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are neurodegenerative diseases. This means that they occur when the brain is not producing enough neurons. Fasting could help mitigate this issue; since the brain produces more BDNF while fasting (which aids in the production of neurons and synapses) then it will be more unlikely for a person to be deficient in neurons. • More Sleep – A study in 2003 by Michaelson et. al. found that after 8 days of fasting those who fasted were much more likely to get better sleep than those who did not fast. Time and time again Islam proves itself as an enduring religion. Whether it is through salat or fasting, Islam continues to show us the many faceted benefits of our way of life. Sources: 1. "Fasting and Your Health." - Live Well. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Healthyramadan/Pages/fastingandhealth.aspx 2. "Fasting for Mental Health: Does It Work? - Mind the Science Gap." Mind the Science Gap RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-brain-function/axzz37MsEbQbn 3. "Fasting for Mental Health: Does It Work? - Mind the Science Gap." Mind the Science Gap RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/2013/04/10/fasting-for-mental-health-does-it-work/

The cardiac patient during Ramadan and Hajj

The holy month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. During this month, fasting Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sex from dawn until sunset. Although the Quran exempts sick people from the duty of fasting, it is not uncommon for many heart disease patients to fast during Ramadan. Despite the fact that more than a billion Muslims worldwide fast during Ramadan, there is no clear consensus on its effects on cardiac disease. Some studies have shown that the effects of fasting on stable patients with cardiac disease are minimal and the majority of patients with stable cardiac illness can endure Ramadan fasting with no clinical deterioration.

Read the sky and find the Qiblah

Everybody know that what exactly Qiblah is. It is the direction of the Kaaba,the sacred building at Mecca, to which Muslims turn at prayer. Suppose, you are on a road trip and it is the time to pray Maghrib and ‘Isha. Suddenly you strated peforming the Wudu. But how do you know which direction to face? Your answer might be to use a Qiblah app from your smart phone. Thats right! But if you are not having such facilities in your hand, what is the perfect solution to find the Qiblah? Before inventing smart phones and such technologies, Muslim sailors developed the art of reading the stars to find the navigation. As the earth rotates, stars moves to different positions. Muslim sailors called it al-Qiblah and it is found in the constellation they named al-Rakabah. We know it as the North Star, found in the Little Dipper. Once you are done this, it becomes easy to locate the north star to know the Qiblah. Check out the folllowing steps to find out the Qiblah: 1. Locate Banat Naash al-Kubra (The Big Dipper). The Big Dipper is one of the easiest constellations to find. This constellation is shaped as a large spoon. That is, three stars in the handle and four stars in the head. By finding this Big Dipper, you can spot the north star. 2. Trace a line to al-Qiblah (the north star). Next step is to imagine a line that connects the front two stars of this Big Dipper. If you follow this particular line, you can spot the north star at a five times distance range. It&8217;s the first bright star you&8217;ll run into that&8217;s close to this vector. 3. Verify that you are spotted the north star itself. Be sure that you have spotted the north star itself and then only start the prayer. Otherwise, your prayer time may get conflicted.

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