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Does Fasting Improve Our Health?

09 June, 2016
Q Scholars of Islam, As-Salamu `alaykum. I read a story about “Skipping meals protects from diabetes” on the BBC web site. The story says that scientists who carried out studies on mice say that fasting every other day actually appears to improve the health. The study was carried out by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in the US. The scientists used three groups of mice, one of which was allowed to eat normally, one given 30% fewer calories in their diets, and one allowed to eat as much they wanted but only on every other day. They found that the "meal-skipping" mice had lower blood glucose and insulin levels compared with the other groups. This quality offers some suggestion that these mice might be less likely to develop diabetes, although the longer-term consequences of such a diet were not investigated. Based on the above story, could we say that the above discovery is in tune with the Prophet’s instructions regarding fasting, particularly optional fasting? I remember the hadith that indicates that the best form of optional fasting is that of Prophet Dawud, who used to fast a day and breakfast the following day, and so on. Please comment on this subject.

Answer

Ask the Scholar Editor
09 June, 2016

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Brother, first of all, we’d like to say that we are impressed by your question, which emanates from a thoughtful heart. May Allah Almighty help us all adhere to the principles of this true religion, Islam, and enable us to be among the dwellers of Paradise in the Hereafter, ameen.

Such studies as you point out, and others, point to the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a true Prophet of Allah who delivered the Divine message for the prosperity of mankind.

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In his response to your question, Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustapha, professor of Fiqh and Its Principles, International Islamic University, Malaysia, states:

It is so great to hear this scientific conclusion about the effect of fasting on the health. It proves that the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) is a real Messenger of Allah, and he delivered the message of Allah to mankind. However, the rightness of the prophetic statement has been proven long time ago and this scientific conclusion is an additional confirmation to his statement.

Let us strengthen our commitment to this true religion by following its teachings which were meant for the interest of mankind. Thank you for sharing this wonderful information. May Allah bless you.

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, adds:

If these studies prove that fasting may contribute to better health than simply leading a lifestyle of gluttony, it is simply a truth that humanity has learnt from divine inspiration as well as from their own traditional practices of prevention and health. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “Fast frequently in order to gain better health.” He is also reported to have said: “The stomach is the warehouse of diseases.” Therefore, he ordered the faithful to eat only sparingly: “It is sufficient for human beings to partake a few morsels of food everyday that would maintain his posture. If he must indulge, let him divide his stomach into three parts: one third for his food, one third for water, and the remaining one third for the air passage.”

These are wonderful truths that have been tested and proven to be perfect recipes for health, and they undoubtedly confirm the veracity of the Divine Message of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Qur’an says:

(He (the Prophet) does not speak out of his own whims; rather he is inspired by Allah.) (An-Najm 53:3-4)

Allah the Almighty knows best.