IFTAR WITH DATES

Fiaz Fazili Sun, Apr 2, 5:41 PM to editor, irfanahyattoo Healthy eating in Ramadan- IFTAR WITH DATES The Prophet’s way is the best way….- Why is it considered spiritually and nutritionally healthy to break the Ramadan fast with dates? “Dates (Tamr-arabic)–--The Energy-Enhancer Fruit !” Breaking the Ramadan fast with dates is an important Muslim tradition and valued nutritionally amongst the beneficial things to eat during this holy month . It is possible to break a fast with any food available. Why Muslims Should Prefer to Break Their Fast with Dates? The Prophet’s way is the best way .“Truly, in the Messenger of Allah [SAWS] you have a good example to follow for the one who hopes for the Meeting with Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.”.Salman ibn Amir Dhabi related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it is pure (Abu Dawud) Prophet (saw) had preached his followers the spiritual,nutritional and health benefits of dates thus showing their importance and to consume it regularly. The Prophet (saw) said:A family which has dates will not be hungry.(Muslim).Dates were the food Almighty Allah recommended and provided for Sayyidah Maryam when she felt labor pains. It was a prescription of dates to make the delivery easy, comfortable and perhaps with less pain. "Shake the trunk of the palm tree, and it will drop ripe dates on you, so eat, drink, and comfort your eyes with what Allah gave you." (Qur'an 19:25). Firstly, the reward for reviving a Sunnah:“Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhi] However, aside from the vast religious and traditional reasons, Muslims are encouraged to break their fast with dates for nutritional benefits too. A single date contains an average amount of 25-30 calories. The calorie count , a quick burst of energy. and the huge amount of healthy substances in dates are the perfect food to consume after hours of fasting. Dates contain also Vitamin A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and more than 20 different amino acids; they help us digest and assimilate carbohydrates easier and control blood sugar levels and fatty acids content in our bodies.The selenium lowers the risk of cancer and heart diseases, as well as helps us keep our immune systems healthy. Dates are also rich in natural fibers and therefore the eating of them helps to fight many of the ailments of intestinal disturbances with which we commonly suffer today. Offering a wide variety of nutritional benefits such as iron, potassium, magnesium, sulphur, copper, calcium and phosphorus.. Certain researches have also shown that dates contain some stimulants which strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy Sayyidah Aishah (R.A.) used to prescribe dates for those suffering with giddiness. The Prophet (saw) took all varieties of dates, but preferred the variety called dates of cure 'Ajwah’ in Arabic. Sayyidah Aisha (RA) related the saying of Allah's Messenger (saw), "Ajwah date is an excellent remedy." (Bukhari and Muslim) "Ajwah is from Paradise (Tirmidhi).“If somebody takes some ‘Ajwa dates every morning, he will not be affected by poison or magic on that day till night.”(Bukhari) Breaking the Fast in prophet mosque Al Madina needs a special mention- a rare scene to watch. as soon as devotees step through the gates of the Mosque, many children coming running from all directions attempting to invite people to break the fast with them with special type of refrigerated fresh dates of “Rotana” variety called “Rutoob”- -; or small containers of “zabadi” (yoghurt) and water. Where it is, millions of hungry people are invited to take food at one time, without any stampede - a classical example of charity, equality, discipline and hygiene to witness. A common mistake which many Muslim women make in Ramadan is that they spend far too much time in the kitchen preparing variety of dishes, heaps of fruit chaat ,frying samosas or pakoras for Iftar and for Sehar (Sehri) thus spending the majority of their time. This takes away from the valuable time available for worshiping Allah during this blessed month used up for. Also a lot of food gets wasted during Ramadan as people throw iftar parties to outdo each other in putting up huge iftar spreads comprising many dishes that leave patrons biting off more than they can chew. Ramadan is a holy month where you get the chance to get in touch with Allah(st) and everyone knows Allah(ST)doesn't like people wasting food. Help the poor and the needy, feed the people who are fasting ALLAH will bless you all without reducing your rewards. Can Diabetics eat dates? Depending on the severity of your Diabetes It is better to have a limited amount of these sweet items with high GI /GR value. It provides natural sugar in the form of glucose and fructose. Having them once in a while probably won't hurt but to be safe, ask your Physician. Dates also have a special place in Islam. In fact, they were one of the Prophet's (SAW) most frequently consumed foods. Breaking fast with Dates brings benefits most likely spiritual as well as for good health. However, the act of following the Prophet's (SAW) tradition is one way of connecting and remembering him, which is spiritually beneficial for Muslims. (DR.Fiaz Maqbool Fazili Is Surgeon, with Diploma In Islamic studies ,his columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs) .