RAMADAN 2006 The 4th Day

Abandoning Worldly Appetites - I

The Qur'an says that the world has been adorned in such a way to separate true believers from insincere people: "We made everything on Earth adornment for it so that We could test them to see whose actions are the best" (Surat al-Kahf: 7). Another verse describes some of these adornments:

The love of worldly appetites appears fair in people's eyes, painted in glowing colors: women and children, heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, horses with fine markings, livestock, and fertile farmland. All of that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in Allah's presence. (Surah Al 'Imran: 14)

Each thing listed here was created as a blessing for humanity. However, it is up to individual human beings to realize that these blessings are from Allah and that they are obliged to thank Him and use them in ways designed to win His favor. Each blessing should draw people closer to Allah and lead them to give Him greater thanks and better appreciate His greatness, intelligence, artistry, infinite mercy, and generosity. Individuals should always be aware that He can remove all of these things whenever He wills and that, apart from Him, there is no power that can help them.

Those believers who are aware of this understand that, apart from Allah, they have no other friends, or helpers, and that only Allah protects and cares for them, gives them their blessings and daily bread, makes their work easier, and bolsters their heart with a sense of contentment and security. They are attached to Allah with such a deep love and unshakable trust that their greatest fear is that of failing to win His approval, pleasure, love, and friendship. Therefore, they avoid any action that might cause this by doing their best to please Him and conform to the Qur'an's moral teachings.

In accord with this sincerity, they use every blessing they have to win Allah's favor, friendship, and infinite mercy. Of course, all of the things listed above are blessings for believers; however, they are never more important than winning His approval. Believers are never greedy for such profits, for they would give up any one of them immediately in order to win His approval.

Some people measure self-sacrifice in terms of looking after their own needs, desires, and comfort before considering the well-being of others. But this view has nothing to do with the moral understanding of self-sacrifice described in the Qur'an. When these people say that they have been self-sacrificial in some things, they mean only with regard to things they do not need, things whose absence does not really trouble them. They may think they are being self-sacrificial, but the Qur'anic morality is being able to renounce all gain and give up without a second thought that which he/she loves the most:

You will not attain true goodness until you give of what you love. Whatever you give away, Allah knows it. (Surah Al 'Imran: 92)

Another measure is not expecting any benefits in return other than Allah's good pleasure in performing self-sacrificial acts and not making the recipient feel obligated. Some people do a favor for someone else and then take every opportunity to mention it so that the recipient will feel obligated and so that they can claim a favor in the future, if necessary. Some seek to collect appreciation from those around them, hoping that they will say how generous and kind-hearted they are. However, the purpose of sincere self-sacrifice is not to gain any material or emotional return, but to win Allah's approval: "The metaphor of those who spend their wealth, desiring the pleasure of Allah and firmness for themselves, is that of a garden on a hillside. When heavy rain falls on it, it doubles its produce; and if heavy rain does not fall, there is dew. Allah sees what you do" (Surat al-Baqara: 265). In addition: "Those who give their wealth to purify themselves – not to repay someone else for a favor done – desiring only the Face of their Lord Most High. They will certainly be satisfied" (Surat al-Layl: 18-21). The Qur'an tells us not to belittle others and make them feel obligated, and mentions a reward for those who follow these words:

Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow what they have spent by demands for gratitude or insulting words will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 262)

The Qur'an also tells us that believers, because of their moral superiority, often keep quiet about what they have given:

[People of intelligence] are steadfast in seeking the Face of their Lord; perform prayer and give from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly; and stave off evil with good. They will have the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 22)

Health Advice For Ramadan

In these early days of Ramadan, we have brought together in this article-written to offer advice to Muslims-the views and recommendations of doctors and expert dieticians regarding healthy nutrition during Ramadan. It is our hope that the entire Islamic world will spend the month of Ramadan in health, peace, security, abundance and solidarity.

Beware of Poor Nutritional Habits!

In order to fulfill the fasting obligation without suffering any health problems, a number of unwise dietary habits need to be avoided.

For those fasting during Ramadan, it is of great importance to pay close attention to what they eat during the two main meals: before sunrise (sahur) and after sunset (iftar). They also need to be carefully aware of changes that take place in the body when fasting throughout the day. Since eating nothing for a long hours increases the appetite and one's satiation threshold, the typical result is the consumption of more food--and more quickly--than normal. Therefore, believers should avoid sudden and excessive food consumption, especially during the evening meal.

Increased consumption of such foodstuffs as meat, bread, rice, pasta, baked goods, desserts and pastries is common during Ramadan, while the consumption of fruit and vegetables decreases. However, that the levels of protein, vitamins and minerals that the body requires for a healthy, energetic life do not alter during Ramadan. In addition, behavior such as overeating, eating too wide a range of foods too quickly, failure to get up for the morning meal and eating too much before sunrise, may lead to ulcers, and other disorders, even abdominal bleeding. For these and other similar reasons, a number of basic points need to be borne in mind in order to fast in a healthy manner and not to tire the body...

1. What Health Issues Need to be Considered When Fasting?

Those who fast during Ramadan need to be careful to drink enough water and must pay attention to their sleep patterns. Insufficient sleep can lead to headaches and low blood pressure.

- Since metabolism falls rapidly during Ramadan's daylong fasting, it is easy to gain weight. Therefore, high-calorie, rich foods should be avoided.

- In the evenings, sudden consumption of large quantities of food may lead to indigestion.

- To avoid digestive problems during Ramadan, care should be taken to consume dried fruits, particularly apricots.

- Since fasting without eating an early-morning meal prolongs the length of time one goes without food, metabolism falls quickly. Fatigue and headaches may occur.

- Whether or not you get up early for the morning meal, eat slowly, chew your food well, and drink enough water. In the evening, avoiding eating to complete fullness will improve the quality of your sleep. Avoid rich, fatty and spicy foods at both meals.

- Since when fasting, the body will be deprived of water for long periods, it is important to drink often between evening and morning.

- If you become very thirsty while fasting, be careful to avoid salty foods such as pickles and peanuts at your morning meal.

- Blood sugar levels drop while fasting. However, they rise very fast when food is consumed suddenly in the evening. If you do not get up before sunrise to eat, your blood-sugar levels begin to fall in the very early hours of the day and soon reach even lower levels. After the evening meal, therefore, you should follow the principle of eating little and often.

- During Ramadan, be careful to avoid inactivity. You can have a walk two hours after the evening meal, as long as it is not too strenuous.

- On an empty stomach, you should also avoid walking, jogging or putting in excessive effort in the gym in order to burn off excess food intake.

2. What Should We Eat when Fasting?

- The ideal recommended evening meal is to begin eating slowly and moderately at sunset, followed by a main course a few hours later.

- Begin with water, soup and light foods.

- Do not eat too much or too quickly.

- The main course should be eaten a few hours after sunset. Give priority to fruit and vegetables, and take care to consume yoghurt, buttermilk (diluted yoghurt) or milk.

- Preference should be given to vegetables such as fresh green beans, spinach, aubergines, purslane, Brussels sprouts, white cabbage, lupus and broccoli, as well as small quantities of fat-free fish, low-fat chicken and dried beans and seeds.

- Traditional desserts at the evening meal should be eaten two hours afterwards. Prefer milky puddings to syrupy desserts.

- In the morning, avoid eating spicy, fatty, or salty foods such as pickles that will make you feel thirsty during the day,

3. What Foods should We Consume in Limited Quantities?

 - Instead of gorging yourself before sunrise, choose light foods, such as whole-wheat cereal products, vegetables and salads that get absorbed slowly into the bloodstream.

- During Ramadan, especially in the morning, consume high-fiber products and avoid heavy, spicy foods and all kinds of fried and fatty foods, such as fried chicken and kebabs.

- Do not neglect to consume at least two portions of fruit as snacks between during your evening and morning meals.

- Consume nourishing liquids foods such as fruit juice and buttermilk during the night between evening and morning. Avoid acidic drinks.

- Also avoid refined carbohydrates, too much table sugar, jam, honey, treacle, products made from white flour, heavy desserts, salty foods, too much spice, carbonated drinks and ones containing caffeine.

Additionally, experts recommend consuming limited quantities of flour-based desserts, and say that milky puddings are preferable. Dried fruit in syrup made from normal sugar is very popular, but it raises insulin levels, and for this reason, dieticians say that dried fruit in syrup should be cooked with very little sugar. They also recommend vegetable-based pastries in the morning, instead of ones containing meat or cheese.

Be careful not to consume too many of ready-to-eat meals, flour-based foodstuffs and fried foods during Ramadan. Unfortunately, Ramadan pita bread is one of the hardest foods to digest, and experts recommend whole wheat bread instead.

4 . What Foods are the Healthiest to Eat During Ramadan?

After fasting and going without food all day, instead of overeating, it's best to choose low-glycemic foods that are digested and slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, such as dark cereal products, vegetables and salads,. Some of the healthiest foods that you can choose include:

- High-fiber foods (apples, pears and grapes with the skin on; dried apricots, prunes and dates; cereal products and dried cereals; green beans, peas, and spinach.)

- Foods rich in Omega 3 and folic acid (products made from whole-wheat flour and breakfast cereals such as meusli; asparagus, spinach, peas, and tomato juice;, salmon, tuna fish, sardines and mackerel; linseed, purslane, lentils, walnuts, and almonds.) .),

- Foods made with non-saturated oils, especially filtered olive oil.)

- Fruits like oranges rich in Vitamin C.

5. How Can One Avoid Gaining Weight over Ramadan?

Foods high in carbohydrates consumed in the evening will trigger the release of the hormone insulin, which plays an important role in stimulating the appetite. Therefore, people who overeat in the evening can easily put on weight and also risk increased blood fats and blood pressure that in turn can lead to many diseases such as heart and circulatory disorders.

Delicatessen products, baked goods, pita bread and desserts are all high-calorie foods that can therefore lead to weight gain. Dietary experts therefore recommend that the ideal early-evening meal should be eaten slowly and moderately, followed by the main course a few hours later. Another way to avoid putting on weight during Ramadan is to drink plenty of water.

POPLAR

Age:15 million years old

Location: Stewart Springs Flora,
Stewart Valley, Nevada, USA

Formation: Green River Formation

Period: Miocene

Poplar trees of the Salicaceae family have remained unchanged for millions of years. There are no differences between their organic and structural features they had initially and those they have now. This poplar leaf fossil dating back 15 million years proves this.

LANTERN FISH

Age: 23 to 5 million years old

Size: 3.8 centimeters (1.5 in)

Location: California, USA

Formation: Puente Formation

Period: Miocene

Lantern fish are small fish that live in the ocean deeps and produce light within their bodies, generally in their abdomens. Because they live in water that's deep and dark, they use their light both to illuminate their immediate environment and to scare their enemies. That these fishes' bodies have extremely advanced and complex bodily structures that can produce light in their bodies millions of years ago is inexplicable to evolutionists.