Finally, Ramadan is here!!

Ramadan is the 9th Month of the Islamic Calendar, starting today, March 1st. For one month, Muslims around the World fast from Sunrise to Sunset with no food or water during fasting hours. This will allow for the body to cleanse itself from dead cells and malformed cells ( precancerous) through the phenomenon known as programmed cell death, as there is a complete cell turnover that takes place every 10 years in the body. This will also allow for the generation of new healthy cells and tissues along with a surge of energy and the loss of extra weight as well!

The duration of fasting varies around the world. For example, in Iceland, fasting hours are 21.57, which is the longest, London 18 hours and 57 minutes, and in the USA, a little over 15 hours. This is also an extra?challenging factor, which is the summer, as it is hotter than fasting in the winter, for example, but the rewards are multiplied with more sacrifice that comes with longer hours of fasting in the summer!

This amazing Global event of spiritual renewal, redemption, and charity serves humanity by unconditional giving to the needy, hungry, and disfranchised. Fasting for a month from sunrise to sunset and abstaining from food, drink, and intimate relationship between married couple to only seek the pleasure of our Creator.

Breaking fasting at Sunset is followed by a special prayer called ( Joy of the Heart or Taraweeh Prayer) to almost midnight. Ramadan teaches to?abstain from bad deeds such as lying, cheating, envy, jealousy, or using profane language even if you were cursed or provoked.

Good deeds such as praying, reading the Holy Quran, and helping others have multiplied rewards. It is time to forgive and make peace with friends, family, and community as Ramadan softens the hearts!

It is time to get rid of bad habits such as smoking cigarettes or Hookah. Ramadan teaches humility, patience, and sincerity as God is watching all that we do. Everyone across the Globe is doing the same thing, trying to get purified from all sins committed intentionally or unintentionally, as if your Ramadan is accepted, all sins will be erased, and you will become like the day you were born with a clean slate!

Ramadan is considered to be the greatest event in life, as life is valued by the number of Ramadans observed with related duties fulfilled. It is a known fact that everyday during the Holy month of Ramadan, there is a dinner meal called ( IFTAR) where anyone can eat for free in any Mosque across the World as spirit of Ramadan is about sharing food especially with those who are in need ( we have 60 million hungry people in America). Everyone who fasts knows what hunger pain feels like, and Ramadan teaches compassion to share whatever you have, even if it is just a date. Sharing this half date can save you from hellfire.

You do not only shed a few pounds off your weight with fasting, but?also sins and dead cells as our bodies goes through full cell turnover every 10 years, and Ramadan allows replacing them with new stem cells to enhance the immune system and rejuvenate the whole body. This will help promote total body Wellness, physical, mental, spiritual, and social Wellness?to fight chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 Diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.

Ramadan has total Wellness Solutions for Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Social Wellness, all happening simultaneously. You get tremendous improvement in all body systems, especially with irritable bowel syndrome, improvements and sometimes cure of type two Diabetes, similarly a significant improvement of the lipid profile with lowering of Total Cholesterol, Total Triglycerides and lowering of bad Cholesterol LDL. Mentally, you get sharper and clearer with a more relaxed and peaceful state of mind. Spiritually, you will feel as if you are flying, not walking, as you are closer to the Creator through non-stop worship and good deeds, asking God for forgiveness as good Ramadan observance will wipe out all previous sins, thus starting a clean slate.

Fasting can increase the level of natural Happiness substances |( Endorphins)?along with prayers, reading the Holy Quran, and engaging 24/7in doing good deeds. The first 10 days of Ramadan are days of forgiveness, the second 10 days is about God's Mercy, and the last third of the month is about being granted the ultimate freedom from hellfire. Then comes the Night of Power( Laylat Al-Qadr), which is better than 1000 months of life time.( better than 84 years !). This night could come on any of the odd nights of the last 10 days being?21,23,25,27, or 29th as it marks the revelation of the Holy Quran to Prophet Mohamed( Peace Be Upon Him) . During that night, there will be total peace and serenity on the entire earth where Angel Gabriel, among other Angels, descends to come close to Earth and prayers are answered.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA) as well as the President of the Scientific Committee on Miracles of the Holy Quran) in Egypt Dr. Mohamed Abd El Baset?have confirmed the Scientific Phenomenon mentioned in the Holy Quran more than 1400 years ago about (?Night of Power)?where temperature is moderate not hot or cold and direct sunbeam does not hit the Earth directly. Usually, there is 10 thousand stars and 20 thousand Meteors that hit Earth every day, except in Laylet Al-Qadr, where there are NO beams or any collisions with any stars or Meteors so as not to harm the angels coming down close to Earth during that night till dawn time as was reported by NASA scientist Kamar.

Ramadan, often has a nickname ( the fleeting month) as it passes by so quickly like a dream and ends with celebration of ( Eid -El Fitr) or Feast of fast breaking where everyone goes out to buy new clothes and exchange gifts and visit family, friends and neighbors to share the joy with great sense of accomplishment!

Reading the Holy Quran as many times over with extra late evening prayers after breaking the fast called ( Traweeh Prayer) or Joy of the Heart Prayers finishing almost at midnight with a surge of naturally secreted Endorphins causing a sensation of happiness. Then, you get few hours of sleep then get up around 4.00 am for a predawn light meal called ( Suhur) tanking up on coffee, water, dates for energy, yogurt and cucumber to help fight thirst. Socially, extremely busy with packed daily schedule during the weekdays and peaks during weekends with community and Interfaith IFTAR( which is fast breaking meal at sunset) with most joyous moment of the day especially for the youth and young ones being trained to fast gradually and they can say ( I did it!) as Ramadan teaches patience, discipline, honesty and humbleness.

Fasting is a very exclusive act of worship that is not visible like prayer, for example, and the young ones will learn that God is watching and He alone should be feared, not the Camera!

Sharing is very important no matter how little, even if it is half a date which if you share it with any needy person will save you from Hell Fire. So, the IFTAR meals is shared with the entire community, not just those who were fasting, and thus anyone can go to any Mosque anywhere in the Globe at sunset time and get a free meal and share the most beautiful spirit of unconditional giving to all mankind. There have been traditional IFTARS parties held in the State Department, Capitol Hill, and in the White House over the past few years, which had a positive impact of inclusiveness and peace building strategy globally!

There is so much charity going on locally and globally to help the needy and poor as everyone appreciates what hunger and thirst feel like during fasting and force you to think about those who are starving all year round. The poor and needy are usually served food first?from the same fresh food prepared, and not given left over food which brings happiness to those folks. God, Almighty, ordered us to fast, and He assures us if we fast, this will be good for us only if we know! ( Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 184)?

Of course, there are exemptions to fasting in cases of long distance travel, illness, being pregnant, or during menstrual period or extremely old, or frail, but if any one misses any fasting day of Ramadan, they can make these days up during the subsequent 11 months before the next Ramadan season comes as God is Most Merciful. Training for fasting starts at 7 years of age with a gradual increase of fasting hours till the total hours of fasting are fulfilled.

This short dream of Ramadan passes so quickly and ends with a Feast of Fast Breaking( Eid El Fitr). Everyone buys new clothes, exchanges gifts, and visits and spreads happiness to everyone through helping the needy. Everyone feels a great sense of accomplishment after fulfilling Ramadan duties, which is not just fasting but doing charity, extra prayers, making peace and resolving conflicts as hearts soften with fasting, prayer, and the Quran. Ramadan is a time to give up bad habits like smoking and overeating, but it is also the time to let go of any ill feelings such as Anger, Jealousy, and hatred and make peace with yourself, family, and friends and even forgive those who wronged you, seeking the pleasure of God Almighty.?

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing the happiness on the faces of those who are forgotten and less fortunate being remembered with a nice fresh meal during Ramadan Season. You see Humanity at its peak with renewed Hope for Total Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Social Wellness for all (Ramadan Mubarak). Have a Blessed Ramadan, everybody!!

• Dr Adel Eldin, MD, FACC, FACP
• Board Certified Cardiologist
• President, Clinical Appeals Services
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