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Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
Dear esteemed audience, a question is being circulated: Is it possible that it would be better not to fast this Ramadan, as fasting may weaken us against the coronavirus pandemic?
We say, with Allah's guidance: Our religion is one of knowledge and evidence, and judgment on a matter is a branch of understanding it. Therefore, to know if this can increase our exposure to the pandemic, and if Ramadan fasting can increase our exposure to the pandemic, let us see what empirical science says.
The best research I have come across in this field is a serious scientific article by Dr. Muaz Islam Fares, a distinguished Associate Professor and researcher. He has conducted extensive research in the field of fasting and its effects on human health, immunity, and disease resistance.
Dr. Muaz Islam published his article last week titled "Fasting and Body Immunity Against Infection: What Does Science Say?" In it, he mentioned rigorous research published by Dr. Muaz Islam in some of the world's most prestigious journals, such as the British Journal of Nutrition, the European Journal of Nutrition, the official journal of the International Diabetes Federation, and other renowned academic journals.
Some of his research has been cited by other scientific studies more than a hundred times. Dr. Muaz Islam also conducted reviews with his team of dozens of other studies within what is known as a meta-analysis.
In his article, Dr. Muaz Islam mentioned research by other research teams besides his own. In this article, he discussed Ramadan fasting and its impact on immunity, citing a total of twenty scientific studies, both his own and others, conducted using rigorous research methods. His article, in which he presented these studies, reflects his faith and insight in religion, as we see it, and Allah knows best.
We will provide a link to his article in the first comment on Facebook and YouTube, then repost it in a separate post on Facebook and the YouTube community forum, inshallah. We urge our academic brothers to follow his example in writing articles that benefit people, so that scientific discoveries are not confined to academic circles and foreign journals, and so that Muslim academics conduct research that directly benefits people and addresses their reality.
In this article, Dr. Muaz Islam presented his results objectively and stated that fasting has no negative effect on immunity. Rather, it has a positive effect on certain immune components and helps the body resist certain types of bacteria. Fasting also has positive effects on some diseases, such as autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, as well as metabolic syndrome and other diseases. This is after reviewing what has been published in the field of fasting and its health effects, not just Ramadan fasting, but different types of fasting.
Now, my brothers, there is a well-known website for researchers in the health field called PubMed, which is affiliated with the U.S. National Institutes of Health. If you go to PubMed.com and type in keywords such as "Intermittent Fasting," "Time-Restricted Feeding," "Alternate Day Fasting," or "Fasting-Mimicking Diet," you will find many studies. You will find research by non-Muslims on these types of religious and non-religious fasting.
In conclusion, dear esteemed audience, the conclusion reached by Dr. Muaz Islam Fares - based on evidence, documentation, research, and respected citations - is that empirical science provides no evidence that fasting increases the body's susceptibility to diseases, pandemics, and viral infections. In fact, the evidence suggests the opposite.
What some people claim about untested theoretical mechanisms does not rise to the level of the experiments conducted by Dr. Muaz Islam or discussed in his article. As I mentioned in my talk "Corona and the Proliferation of Claims," did you follow this talk? I explained the levels of scientific evidence in empirical science: randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and so on. I explained that the lowest level of evidence is experiments on cells or expert opinion. Even if such statements come from an expert in the health field, a prominent doctor, and he has no scientific evidence like the research we mentioned, it does not rise to the level of the evidence presented in Dr. Muaz Islam Fares' research. Therefore, anything mentioned without respected evidence, even weak evidence, carries no weight.
To those who suggest abandoning fasting to prevent the pandemic, we say what our Lord said: "Say, 'Do you have any knowledge, so produce it to us.'" We have presented you with scientific evidence, and our religion respects this science. Do you, in turn, have any knowledge to present? "Say, 'Bring your proof if you are truthful.'" And if there is no knowledge or proof, we will not listen to your words, and they will carry no weight.
Of course, Dr. Muaz Islam stated that his remarks are about healthy individuals and that patients have their own rulings. Before that, Allah the Almighty said - may Allah preserve and guide Muaz Islam - that his experiments did not include experiments on coronavirus, as this is a new topic. However, the implications of these studies are that immunity increases the strength of some of its components, that it is not negatively affected in any influential way, and that the body's ability to resist certain types of bacteria increases. Therefore, there is no evidence on which to base the prediction that fasting may negatively affect infection with the coronavirus.
Dr. Muaz Islam also discussed in his excellent article habits in Ramadan that are not part of fasting, such as excessive consumption of carbohydrates, sweets, and fats. Yes, these have negative effects, but they are not part of fasting; they are habits that we unfortunately practice.
Of course, my brothers, we must distinguish fasting from bad habits and separate it from things that are not bad habits but are good practices. However, we may not be able to do some of these things this Ramadan, unfortunately. We may not be able to gather for Taraweeh prayers. But this is one thing, and discussing fasting itself is another.
Fasting remains a pillar of Islam and will not negatively affect this pandemic, inshallah. I urge every brother and sister who is able to fast to do so, seeking the face of Allah the Most High.
I will not tell you everything in Dr. Muaz Islam Fares' article; the article is excellent and deserves to be read. Read and enjoy that there are people in our nation who formulate and conduct such research in this beautiful way. May Allah benefit us and all Muslims with it, and may He accept it from us and from you. May He grant us a Ramadan in better circumstances than this, remove the pandemic and affliction from us, and may we gather again in the houses of Allah to recite the Book of Allah, pray, and celebrate Ramadan and Eid.
Allah is the Most High, the Most Knowing. Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah the Most High.