We for You | Daily Reflection | *by Maryam* ❤️
Salam Alaikum dear Sisters. 🌸 I hope you are all feeling well, InshaAllah.
A warm welcome to the new sisters who recently joined the group.❤️
Today I want to share an important reminder - honoring our bodies and minds during Ramadan.
In other words:
Fasting for Allah: Intention, Balance, and Taqwa
( living with a constant awareness that Allah SWT sees you and allowing that awareness to guide your actions).
Today is not about what to eat or what not to eat during Ramadan.
It is about something many of us experience quietly- low mood, sadness, emotional heaviness, or even depressive feelings that may appear before Ramadan begins or during the days of fasting as the body and mind adjust.
Ramadan can profoundly impact mental health. ❣️
For many, it enhances well-being through spiritual reflection, increased mindfulness, stronger self-discipline, and a beautiful sense of community. Many people feel more focused, grounded, and spiritually connected.
At the same time, others may face challenges due to disrupted sleep, fatigue, stress, or physical adjustment.
We need to remember something essential:
❣️We are not only spiritual beings.
❣️We are not only emotional.
❣️We are not only psychological.
❣️We also have physical bodies.
And our bodies are an amanah, a trust from Allah SWT.
During Ramadan, not every body reacts in the same way, especially during long hot days or in different climates across the world. (remember, we are in this group from all over the world, living in different climates and conditions.)
*Some women feel strong and energised. Others may feel tired, emotional, irritable, or low. This does not mean someone’s iman is weak.*❣️
From a holistic mental health and wellbeing perspective, our emotional state is closely connected to our physical state and vice versa.
Hormonal fluctuations, especially in women, can influence mood and energy. Thyroid imbalance, blood sugar changes, dehydration, sleep disruption from early Suhoor and late Taraweeh, and physical fatigue can all affect how we feel.
Sometimes what we experience is spiritual growth. Sometimes it is physical adjustment.
Often, it is both.
The most common symptom during fasting is headache. In many cases, this is a normal response to changes in hydration, caffeine intake, sleep patterns, and blood sugar levels.
Often, the body is simply adapting.
However, there is a difference between normal adjustment and real harm.
If someone experiences:
⚠️Fainting
⚠️Severe shaking
⚠️Confusion
⚠️Extreme weakness
⚠️Worsening anxiety or depressive symptoms
Islam allows breaking the fast. ❣️
This falls under the ruling of illness, and Allah SWT does not want hardship for us.
For those managing mental and physical health conditions, including anxiety, depression, or eating disorders, consulting a healthcare professional is important. Person may be exempt from fasting. *Islam prioritises preservation of health.*❣️
Strength is beautiful, and endurance is rewarded. But harming ourselves is not worship.
Managing well-being during Ramadan also means:
💚Prioritising sufficient sleep, even if through short naps.
💚Eating balanced, nourishing foods at Suhoor and Iftar.
💚Setting realistic expectations and avoiding unnecessary pressure.
💚Staying connected to supportive family and community.
If fasting itself becomes difficult, and people need to break the fast they usually become upset, but remember: focusing on charity, dhikr, Qur’an recitation, and acts of kindness are also powerful ways to live Ramadan fully.
As a holistic mental health and wellbeing consultant, I encourage everyone preparing the body, mind, and soul throughout the year - not suddenly when Ramadan begins.❣️It is not a coincidence that fasting Mondays and Thursdays is encouraged. This gradual practice builds physical and spiritual resilience.
If we want to improve our eating habits, loose weight, exercise, we should work on them throughout the year, not change everything suddenly in Ramadan.
Spiritually, reciting Qur’an, engaging in dhikr, and living with mindfulness throughout the year strengthens both body and mind. *It is never too late to renew your intention and Ramadan is the perfect month to realign.*❣️
Fasting is an act of worship built on intention. The Prophet pbuh taught that actions are judged by intentions. What gives fasting its value is sincerity - not suffering. Be honest with yourself and feel yourself.
*Hunger alone is not the goal.*❣️
*Taqwa is the goal.*❣️
CONSCIOUS OBEDIENCE is the goal.
Drawing closer to Allah SWT is the goal.
So Ramadan is not about proving how much we can endure.
It is about purifying our hearts, disciplining our desires, and strengthening our awareness of Allah SWT .
We fast for Allah and protect our health because it is Allah’s trust.
*We seek balance because Islam is a religion of balance.*❣️
May Allah accept our fasting, purify our intentions, increase us in taqwa, and grant us strength with wisdom.
Ameen 🤍
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