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Ramadan 11, 1442 April 23, 2021
fait h •The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “There is a (place) in paradise . . .prepared for those who are polite in their speech, provide food (to the needy), fast frequently, and (pray) when (other) people are asleep.” Al-Tirmidhi
Ramadan during COVID-19: Is it safe to fast, get vaccinated?
By Saba Aziz, Globalnews
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or a second consecutive year, Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ramadan is the holiest Islamic month for Muslims, in which they refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and engaging in any sexual activity from dawn to sunset. In Canada and elsewhere, Tuesday marked the beginning of Ramadan, which is determined by the sighting of the new moon. We asked some medical experts about what fasting does to your body, what to expect with COVID-19 in the mix again this year and vaccinations during Ramadan. What are the health benefits of fasting? There is a growing body of research that shows multiple health benefits of fasting. Experts say it can help control blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, hypertension, obesity, inflammation in the body, decrease blood sugar levels and increase metabolism. “When you first start off in the month, there’s a shock to the system, said Dr. Balal Lone, a family physician and board member of the Muslim Medical Association of Canada. “It does take a little bit (of time) for the body to get used to, but then as the month progresses, you develop into a steady state.” How to take part in a healthy, active Ramadan? Some studies show that fasting is also good for mental health as it can reduce depression, anxiety and the risk of dementia, Lone added. “There is evidence that fasting can actually help regenerate some of the brain cells, so you actually have better cognition and cognitive memory,” said Dr. Aisha Khatib, assistant professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the
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our immune system either, Khatib added. “In fact, with fasting, it has shown to decrease inflammation generally and over time it can even help improve the immune system.”
University of Toronto. Fasting during Ramadan also gives Muslims a chance to cut out unhealthy habits, like smoking or consuming too much caffeine, she added. “It’s almost like you’re detoxing your system,” Khatib said. What are the risks of fasting? However, it is not uncommon for people to indulge in fatty, fried foods and binge eat after a long day of starvation. “There always is that risk of putting on weight if you’re not careful with what you’re eating,” said Khatib. Muslims honour Ramadan in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic She recommended a protein-rich meal in the morning to keep the energy levels up throughout the day and eating fruits and vegetables to replenish and hydrate when breaking the fast in the evening. There are also increased risks of fasting for people with advanced cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and those who suffer with uncontrolled diabetes, Lone said. Hence, it is important to seek the medical advice of your healthcare provider about whether you can safely fast. Can you fast with COVID-19 symptoms? Sick people, the elderly, pregnant, menstruating and nursing women are exempt from fasting, according to the Quran. Most people who get COVID-19 develop mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, so they should be able to fast without difficulty, Khan said. However, if you are battling more severe symptoms, then it is permissible to skip the fast, or break it if your health deteriorates while fasting, he added. Khatib agreed. “If you have COVID-19, if you’re having symptoms and you’re feeling unwell, that could actually put yourself at risk of hav
ing a more severe disease or feeling more unwell from it,” she told Global News. Muslims can make up for the missed fast within a year after Ramadan or give charity instead. In all cases, you should consult your doctor if you are unsure whether fasting is safe for you, or your local Imam (religious scholar) if you are unsure about exemptions to the fast, according to Ramadan guidelines published by the Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force (CMCTF). A Mississauga husband-wife duo spread joy with their inflatable decor for Ramadan and Muslim holidays What is the impact of fasting on COVID-19? There is no evidence to suggest that fasting could increase or decrease the risk of developing COVID-19 illness. “The risk is related to being exposed to someone who’s around you without enough measures in place, so enough Canadian Muslims should be able to fast, safely, as long as they’re not being exposed to others,” said Dr. Hashim Khan, a respirologist and medical co-chair of CMCTF. “And it (fasting) doesn’t necessarily increase their risk of developing COVID-19 or catching the virus responsible for it.” Fasting does not have a negative impact on
Yes, you can get the vaccine and take a COVID-19 test while fasting. Consuming any form of food and medication or drinking fluids is not permitted while fasting, but vaccinations and testing, which are not a source of nutrition, are acceptable. “From a religious standpoint, there’s nothing that a vaccine intramuscularly, such as COVID vaccines are, would invalidate the first,” Lone said. “The same goes for other vaccines as well.” In the United States, Islamic leaders are using social media, virtual town halls and face-to-face discussions to spread the word that it’s acceptable to be vaccinated for the coronavirus during daily fasting. Khatib said if you are scheduled to get vaccinated, make sure to hydrate well the night before and in the morning. It is not uncommon to experience some side effects after vaccination, such a fever, body aches and sore arm. If the effects are intolerable to the point that medication is needed then it is OK to break the fast, Khan said. “If you do have a reaction or if you do feel unwell after your vaccine and you don’t feel that you can carry on fasting, it’s perfectly fine to break your fast and make your fast up another day,” Khatib said. If possible, Khatib said it is also a good idea to opt to get the vaccine later on in the day so that it is closer to the end of the fast, so that you won’t have to purposely break it if there are some side effects. Source: globalnews.ca/news
hours. Can I take the vaccine while fasting?” The answer is, “Yes, you should take it as it does not affect the fast.” Tackling misinformation Anwer said he’s trying to tackle any confusion and misinformation, as well as encourage Muslims to get vaccinated. “That is something that we are encouraging Muslims to take, as part of their commitment to their faith, as part of their commitment to their well-being.”
Referring to Islamic agencies in North America and internationally, Anwer said there is the understanding that “non-nutritious injections, for example vaccines, have no effect on the fast and will not invalidate the fast. A person can take this and their fast will continue to be intact.” Nour Al-Farawi, a primary-care nurse practitioner, said it’s important for everyone, including Muslims, to get vaccinated as soon as they’re able to, even if it’s during the
month of Ramadan. ”It is well established that intramuscular injection is not a form of sustenance or food, and therefore is permissible,” he said. ”I do want to stress we are in the third wave of this pandemic and it’s important, now more than ever, to keep ourselves and others around us safe and healthy, and this vaccine rollout is unlike any we may have experienced in the past,” she said. Source: cbc.ca/news
again in December. It may sound bizarre, impossible or even outright crazy but it’s correct, even though it will mean two periods of fasting within one year. The reason for this unusual occurrence is that Islamic dates follow the lunar cycle. A lunar year is 354 days, shorter than the 365 days of the solar-based Gregorian calendar used by much of the western world. So this means that all Muslim dates appear to move back by about 11 days a year. In 2021, Ramadan is expected to start on April 13, depending on the visibility of the moon. And in subsequent years it will get earlier and earlier. The predicted date for the start of Ramadan 2022 is April 2, while in 2023 it will begin on March 23 and so on. So, by 2030, it will fall in January. But because the Islamic year is shorter than the
western year, it will also come round again at the end of that year. The Saudi Arabian calendar for 2030 on the website timeanddate.com explains that Ramadan is likely to be observed on January 6, 2030, followed by Eid al-Fitr on February 5, and then a second Ramadan starting on December 26. Sheikh Yahya Safi, Imam of Lakemba Mosque in Sydney, Australia, delivers an Eid al-Fitr prayer to a reduced congregation practising social distancing, during a live online prayer event on May 24, 2020 Hassan Ahmed Al Hariri, chief executive officer of the Dubai Astronomy Group, told Gulf News that observing two Ramadans in one year was not as strange or unnatural as it sounded but was down to the way calendars are worked out. He said: “The solar calendar and the lunar calendar run separately from each other
and are different. The solar one is fixed with the sun, while the lunar calendar is always 11 days shorter. So having two Ramadans is a natural result of having two different calendars. “Calendars were invented by humans so we could use them as a benchmark and count the time. People should see the two Ramadans as a natural thing.” Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and sees devout Muslims fasting every day between early morning and sunset. They are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke or indulge in sexual activity during daylight hours, and must instead dedicate their time to prayer, religious study and spiritual reflection. Ramadan is regarded as the holy month because it is when the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Source: birminghammail.co.uk
Can you get a COVID-19 vaccine and test while fasting?
COVID-19 vaccination won’t break your fast this Ramadan, say experts
By: Sara Jabakhanji · CBC News · xperts on Islam, health field questions from Muslim community about what’s acceptable during the month. Aarij Anwer, interim imam and Islamic education co-ordinator with the London Muslim Mosque, said community members have asked him if they are permitted to get vaccinated while fasting. “The question very frequently asked is, “I got an appointment during the fasting
Ramadan will happen twice in 2030 and here’s why there’s no reason to worry
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By: David Bentley SEO Content Writer he holy month of fasting will occur twice in 2030 as lunar and solar differences bring an unusual double celebration that is sure to cause some confusion Ramadan is coming with the exact date it starts in 2021 to be confirmed by sightings of the first faint crescent of the new moon. But in 2030, the holy month will occur twice in one year: once in January and then
