
For example, is Islam, Rabi al Awwal is the month when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born, and the month in which he also dies. Consequently, it is a month which holds great importance for Muslims around the world. Although there is no specific festival held during the month, Muslims use it as an opportunity for much introspection and reflection, and a dedication to forming better habits.
Fasting is encouraged on Mondays throughout this month. For Muslims, fasting is a way for them to show gratitude to Allah for His countless Monday is significant during this month as it was the day on which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born, and also the day the Quran was revealed to him.
As a result Monday has special significance. Fasting on a Monday allows Muslims to strengthen their commitment to showing gratitude to Allah and the messengers that he has sent.
The physical benefits of fasting
Fasting from anything from 12 hours has proven to have significant health benefits – and the longer you fast, the greater those benefits. It is not just about weight loss, but the control of blood sugar, improvements to blood pressure and cholesterol, a boost to the immune system, a clarity of thinking, even cell regeneration leading to cancer prevention.
Through fasting you can also practice emotional discipline, working towards a mindset which no longer self sabotages.
The healing properties of gratitude and appreciation
The tradition of reciting salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a way of showing gratitude and appreciation for his love and guidance is a genuine act of gratitude which is encouraged throughout the year.
Practicing gratitude has been proven to not only have a significant impact on your overall health and wellbeing, but can actively lengthen your life too. There is a famous study in which in the 1930s a group of young nuns were asked to write an account of their lives and why they decided the enter the convent. They were then monitored during their decades of service, and the results evaluated in the early 1990s, when the nuns were aged between 75 and 102.
Because all the nuns lived a similar lifestyle in terms of external stress (limited), diet (modest and no- alcohol), and routine, the circumstances of the study were considered ideal as a vehicle to examine individual emotional attitudes and their impact on health.
What the results showed is that those nuns who originally wrote positively about their decision to enter the church, who approached it with an open heart and gratitude, who expressed thanks to their God on a regular basis, tended to be the healthiest, and lived a longer life. However, those nuns who had a negative element to their answers, who maybe entered due to a sadness in their life, or an obligation to family, were more susceptible to ill health and died earlier than their more positive sisters.
This particular study opened up the interest in how different positive emotional attitudes such as contentment, gratitude, happiness and love could have a massive impact on physical health and overall wellbeing.