The Qur’an is truly the perfect book. Not only is it written so beautifully that it’s incomparable by any other book of religion, but it also has… weight loss tips? Didn’t see that coming, did you? :heh:
It seems unfair how easy it is to gain weight and how hard it is to lose it. All of us want to reach a standard of perfection when it comes to our body image: tanned, toned, and tiny. At the same time, we shouldn’t stress ourselves out about it too much! Not only should we remember that modesty is of our faith, but we also shouldn’t forget that stress is the silent killer. With that being said, here is what Islam gave us to solve the all-too-modern problem of weight gain…
1. Ramadan: Just in time! Ramadan begins next week, insha’Allah, and it is the perfect month to tune up our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Fast the month of Ramadan so to heal your bodies from disease.” If, during this month, we eat only the pure and unprocessed foods that Allah has provided us with (such as fruits, vegetables, wheat, grain, and beans), we can be guaranteed weight loss. The Qur’an says, “They ask thee what is lawful to them as food. Say, ‘Lawful unto you are all things good and pure.'” (5:4) “And the earth we have spread out, and we have set firm mountains on it, and have made every kind of beautiful growth to grow on it.” (50:7) Of course, our main intention for fasting must be devotion to Allah (SWT) – weight loss is just one of its positive results.
2. X Out the Excess: This speaks for itself. A good Muslim eats to live, not lives to eat. The Qur’an says, “Eat and drink, but waste not by excess for God loves not the prodigals.” (7:31) The Prophet (SAW) emphasized, “The stomach is the home of disease, and abstinence the head of every remedy. So make this your custom.” He (SAW) also warned, “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink, and one third for his breath.” Eat satisfying, but small, meals. The remaining food can be saved for later or donated to the poor. It’s important to remember that if you stuff yourself with food you not only run the risk of gaining weight, but become sluggish and tired. Also, as the Prophet (SAW) told us, the stomach is the home of disease, and the more unnecessary food you eat, the weaker your immune system may become.
3. Eat Breakfast: Eating breakfast speeds up the metabolism of the body; it nourishes us early in the day so that we don’t eat meals late and then sleep on them. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Eat your meal at dawn, for there is blessing in the meal at dawn,” and “There is blessing in three things: the early morning meal, bread, and soup.”
4. Drink Sufficient Water: Not only does water aid in weight loss, but it also flushes toxins from the body and hydrates skin so that we glow! The Qur’an says, “We made water essential for all life.” (21:30) Instead of drinking unhealthy beverages like soda when you’re thirsty (which, incidentally, slows your metabolism and is a factor in tooth decay), try drinking more water. I personally do my best to have 8-10 glasses of water per day and it makes me feel great.
5. Have Patience: So many diets are ruined because people lose heart and go back to regular routine. The Qur’an says, “Give glad tidings to those who exercise patience when struck with adversity and say, ‘Indeed, we belong to God, and to Him is our return.’ Such ones receive blessings and mercy from their Lord, and such are the guided ones.” (2:155) The Prophet (SAW) said, “Tie your camel first, then trust in God.” It is crucial for us to “do our best and leave God to the rest”.
May Allah aid us all in remaining as healthy as possible!
Source: Islam Online
I was just talking about this last night with my dad. Our scale in the bathroom was broken yesterday, it said i lost 5 pounds, and i was very happy not knowing the scale wasnt right, but when my dad came home, he fixed it, it was back to normal. it was a bummer, but i remembered the holy month of ramadan coming around, and aside from seeing friends and family every night, i’m so excited, because i feel so healthy and waste free, and i always lose some weight. Allah (swt), indeed, knows best. Mashallah, i like this post a lot 😀
This is so very helpful. 😀 Thanks!
what i love most is how this was all revealed to the Prophet (SAW) CENTURIES before modern day scientists started discovering these things 🙂 subhanAllah ♥
I love this article. I wish Muslims all over the world understand that gluttony is a sin. The way some people eat is ridiculous. Then you see people with no food and wonder what is wrong with the world. Why aren’t people following or even understanding the basics of religion anymore.
This was a beautiful article :). Not only does it give advice on how to lose weight but the way you used the advice that was given from the Prophet (Saw) and from the Quran and put it in perspective really helped put more depth in the beauty of their words. It’s amazing how much we can learn from these sources, but sad how much of it we overlook.
this is a very good post and i think it will come in handy
Very awesome post.
But the fasting in Ramadan part for losing weight is haram. My friend told me that if you even think of fasting for losing weight is haram. So I don’t know about that part but the rest of the post is great!
yes, it is haram. you have to fast with the intention that it’s solely for the sake of Allah (SWT) . losing weight is just a good result from it and i guess it will encourage people to fast more 😛 Allahu A3lam.
I heard from people more often than not that gaining weight is FAR more common during Ramadan. With that in mind, I went in thinking I would gain a ton of weight and would need to lose it afterwords, but alhamdulillah I lost over ten pounds already! I guess when you have the right intentions, you get an even greater reward. (:
Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven
One of the five pillars of Islam (aka the requirements to be a true believer) is belief in the prophets, including Prophet Jesus, may peace be upon him. 🙂
I wouldn’t say only but u do have a point in how he can lead you to heaven, you just have to actually follow him instead of the church.
In Islam every thing depends on your intension. What is the intension in your hear, that you know and ALLAH (God) knows. what was and what is the intension behind all the works you carry out in day to day work or as per Islam.
Dear we are all banee Adam (son and daughter of Adam) inspite of being from different religion. we should understand, only one thing ALLAH (God) cannot be a human being he don’t have any son, daughter, wife, father, and no mother. if he have all this things then he is a normal human being.
I’ve been overweight for 10 years and tried so many things. Different things work for different people and I was lucky enough to find one that worked for me. I lost 22 pounds in one month without exercise and it has been a life changer. I’m a little embarrased to post my before and after photos here but if anyone actually cares to hear what I’ve been doing then I’d be happy to help in any way. Just shoot me an email at oceanflowers82@gmail.com and I’ll show you my before and after photos, and tell you about how things are going for me with the stuff I’ve tried. I wish someone would have helped me out when I was struggling to find a solution so if I can help you then it would make my day
How did u do it shaunta?? Plzz tell me….
I love this post. Eid Mubarak. I recently did a similar post after being inspired by a post done by a non-Muslim and his enlightened perspective on what he could learn about Islam. I applied it to weight loss and emotional eating which is what I write about on my blog. Check it out: http://wp.me/p5YYjb-Ir