Photo by Abdullah Arif on Unsplash

As the blessed month of Ramadan approaches, our focus naturally turns to Qur’an, duʿā’, charity, and standing in prayer at night.

But there is a forgotten act of worship many Muslims neglect:

Taking care of the body Allah entrusted to us.

The Prophet ﷺ taught that your body has a right over you.

And on the Day of Judgment, we will be asked about our health — how we used it and how we preserved it.

So Ramadan is not only a detox for the soul — it is meant to be a reset for the body too.

Yet sadly, for many people Ramadan becomes:

• More fried food
• More sugar
• More tiredness
• Less khushūʿ in prayer

By the second week:

• Knees hurt in Tarāwīḥ
• You feel heavy in sujūd
• You struggle to stand long
• You feel sleepy instead of spiritual

This is not from fasting.

This is from what we break the fast with.

Using guidance consistent with British Dietetic Association (BDA) recommendations, let’s realign Ramadan eating with Ramadan worship.

So let’s remember: the fast was prescribed to discipline desire, not to delay it until sunset. When we open the fast with balance — water, dates, fibre-rich foods, moderate portions, steady energy-releasing carbohydrates and lean protein — the body responds with stability, not shock. Blood sugar rises gently, joints feel lighter in Tarāwīḥ, and the mind remains present in dhikr rather than clouded by fatigue. In line with evidence-based guidance such as that promoted by the British Dietetic Association, Ramadan nutrition should aim to support hydration, digestion, and sustained energy — because a nourished body protects khushūʿ, not distracts from it. When we eat with intention, the fast stops being something we merely endure… and becomes something that carries us — physically and spiritually — toward Allah.

First Principle: Fasting Is Not Starving — It Is Structured Nourishment

The BDA explains fasting changes:

• Hydration patterns
• Sleep cycles
• digestion
• Blood sugar stability

Common early symptoms:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Dizziness

Most of these are nutrition mistakes — not hunger.

Your fasting success depends on two meals:

Suḥūr determines your energy.

Iftār determines your spirituality.

In essence, fasting is not a battle against hunger but a discipline of intelligent nourishment. When hydration, slow-release energy, and balanced nutrients are managed correctly, the headaches, fatigue, and irritability many people fear begin to fade, revealing clarity and calm instead. Suḥūr prepares the body to serve the soul throughout the day, while ifṭār restores not just strength but presence, gratitude, and devotion. A successful fast, therefore, is not measured by how little you endure, but by how well you prepare — because the body follows what the plate teaches it, and the heart follows what the body allows it to feel.

SUHŪR — The Meal That Carries Your Entire Day

The worst suḥūr:

• Tea + Biscuits
• Sugary cereal
• Leftovers
• Paratha & Fried eggs only

This causes:

• Rapid sugar spike
• Crash at 11am
• Dehydration
• Anger & Irritability

The Sunnah wisdom

The Prophet ﷺ delayed suḥūr — meaning it must be sustaining, not symbolic.

The Perfect Suḥūr Plate (BDA Aligned)

1) Slow Energy (Essential)

Keeps you stable for 12–16 hours

• Oats / porridge
• Wholegrain roti
• Brown rice
• Wholegrain bread
• Barley

Slow carbs release glucose gradually → prevents exhaustion in Dhuhr & ʿAṣr

2) Protein (Prevents hunger & muscle weakness)

• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Milk
• Lentils (dāl)
• Chickpeas
• Peanut butter
• Cottage cheese

Protein delays stomach emptying → you feel full longer

3) Hydration Foods (Critical)

The BDA stresses fluid distribution between iftar and suhoor.

Add:

• cucumber
• watermelon
• yogurt
• milk
• chia seeds
• soups

These release water slowly during the day

4) Healthy Fats (Stops energy crashes)

• nuts
• olive oil
• seeds
• avocado

Best Suḥūr Example

• Oats with milk + dates + nuts
• Boiled eggs
• Yogurt
• 2 glasses water

You will feel completely different at ʿAṣr.

In short, suḥūr is not a ritual snack — it is your physiological preparation for a 12–16 hour act of ʿibādah. When the plate is built with slow carbohydrates, adequate protein, structured hydration, and healthy fats, blood glucose remains steady, cortisol spikes are reduced, and the brain stays calm and focused. This is why the Sunnah emphasises delaying suḥūr: not merely to eat later, but to fuel wisely so the body can support the soul. A well-designed suḥūr protects your energy in Ẓuhr, preserves patience in ʿAṣr, and prevents irritability before maghrib. You don’t just fast better — you worship better.

IFTĀR — Where Most People Destroy Their Fast

The Sunnah:

Break with dates and water — then pray.

Modern practice:

Dates → samosa → pakora → spring rolls → fried chicken → dessert → tea → exhaustion

After this:

You stand in Tarāwīḥ like you’re carrying weights.

That heaviness is real.

And that heaviness isn’t just “feeling full” — physiologically you’ve shocked a stomach that was resting for 14+ hours with a surge of fat, salt, and rapid sugars. Blood rushes to digestion, insulin spikes, dehydration lingers, and your body diverts energy away from focus and towards survival-mode processing. The Sunnah protects you from this: a gentle glucose rise from dates, water to rehydrate, prayer to restart circulation, then a calm balanced meal. When you honour that sequence, Tarāwīḥ stops feeling like a burden and starts feeling like worship again — because the fast was meant to soften the heart, not overload the stomach.

Why Fried Foods Ruin Your Worship

Deep fried foods cause:

1) Blood flow diverted to stomach

→ sleepiness in Tarāwīḥ

2) Inflammation increase

High repeatedly heated oils increase inflammatory compounds

3) Joint discomfort

Inflammatory diets are associated with worsening joint stiffness and knee pain — especially noticeable during long standing and sujūd.

People think:

“Tarāwīḥ is long”

Often the reality:

Your plate was heavy

The Prophetic Way to Eat Iftār

Step 1 — Gentle Opening

• 1–3 dates
• water or milk

Dates restore blood glucose safely.

Step 2 — Pray Maghrib

This prevents overeating.

Step 3 — Proper Meal (BDA balanced plate)

Half Plate: Vegetables

• salads
• roasted veg
• soups
• lentil soup

Quarter Plate: Protein

• grilled chicken
• fish
• beans
• lamb (moderate)
• tofu

Quarter Plate: Carbohydrate

• rice
• potatoes
• wholegrain roti

Add: Yogurt or milk

What To Limit (Key Ramadan Advice)

Avoid making these daily habits:

• Samosas
• Pakoras
• Fried chicken
• Chips
• Heavy desserts
• Salty processed foods

The BDA highlights excess salt → thirst & dehydration the next day.

As Muslims, we prepare for Ramaḍān by planning our Qur’ān, our duʿā, and our nights — but our bodies are the vessel that carries all of that worship. When we burden it with heavy, fried, and inflammatory foods, we unknowingly make ṭahajjud heavier, rukūʿ slower, and sujūd shorter. A light Sunnah-style ifṭār nourishes without distracting, energises without sedating, and allows the heart to be present in ṣalāh rather than the stomach demanding rest. Eat to stand before Allah, not to recover from the table — because the believer does not merely fast from food; he chooses food that helps him fast well and worship better.

Hydration Strategy (Most Muslims Do Wrong)

Do NOT drink 1 litre at once.

Instead:

• 2 glasses at iftar
• 2 after tarāwīḥ
• 2 before sleep
• 2 at suḥūr

Add:

• soups
• fruit
• milk

This prevents:

• headaches
• fatigue
• constipation

The Link Between Food & Khushūʿ

Notice the nights you eat lightly:

You cry in duʿā’.

Notice the nights you eat heavy:

You watch the clock.

Your stomach affects your heart.

Imām Mālik رحمه الله said excessive eating hardens the heart.

Knee Pain in Tarāwīḥ — A Ramadan Complaint

Many people suddenly develop knee pain in Ramadan.

Not always age.

Often:

• dehydration
• inflammation
• weight gain within 2 weeks
• high fried oil intake

Inflammatory diets can worsen joint discomfort and stiffness — especially noticeable during long standing and sujūd movements.

So the solution is not:

“Sit and pray”

The solution is:

“Change the iftār plate”

Ramaḍān does not weaken the body — our habits do. When hydration is steady and the ifṭār plate is balanced, energy remains stable, joints stay supple, and the mind is calm enough for khushūʿ. Many complaints we attribute to “long prayers” are actually nutritional fatigue, dehydration, and inflammation showing up in the masjid. Nourish yourself with intention: drink gradually, eat moderately, and let food support your ibādah rather than compete with it. The goal is not simply to complete Tarāwīḥ, but to stand comfortably, focus deeply, and leave the prayer spiritually uplifted rather than physically exhausted.

Ramadan Is Training — Not Feasting

If Ramadan increases:

• Lethargy
• Weight
• Pain
• Sleepiness in Qur’an

We misunderstood fasting.

Allah reduced our meals to two

So we could purify — not multiply — them.

Ramaḍān is a metabolic and spiritual reset: fewer meals, better choices, clearer mind. When we treat ifṭār as a reward feast, the body stores, slows, and inflames; when we treat it as nourishment, the body repairs, stabilises, and energises. Eat with purpose — modest portions, balanced plates, steady hydration — so hunger trains discipline and food restores strength for worship. The success of fasting is not measured by how full we feel at night, but by how light we feel in ṣalāh, how present we are in Qur’ān, and how consistent our energy remains through the day.

Final Advice

This Ramadan aim for:

Light stomach → soft heart → long sujūd

Eat to pray.

Don’t pray after eating.

A light ifṭār brings a heavy scale on the Day of Judgment.

May Allah allow us to worship Him with strength, stand in Tarāwīḥ with ease, and leave Ramadan healthier in body and purer in soul.

Let your nutrition serve your niyyah. Choose foods that stabilise blood sugar, hydrate your cells, and reduce inflammation so your energy lasts from Maghrib to Fajr without heaviness. A thoughtful ifṭār is not deprivation — it is optimisation for worship: clearer focus, calmer breathing, and more comfortable standing and sujūd. Build plates that sustain rather than sedate, and you will notice the difference not only in Tarāwīḥ, but in mood, sleep, and recovery the next day. When the body is cared for wisely, the heart is freer to turn fully to Allah.

Āmīn.

Ramadan is Coming — Worship Allah With Your Heart… and Your Body

Published on February 17, 2026

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Excerpt

As Ramadan approaches, we prepare our hearts for Qur’an, duʿā’ and standing before Allah — yet we often forget that our bodies are also an amānah (trust). We will be asked not only how much we prayed, but how we cared for the health Allah gave us. The way we eat at suḥūr and ifṭār directly affects our energy, focus and even our ability to stand in Tarāwīḥ with khushūʿ. Many people blame long prayers for tiredness and knee pain, but in reality it is often our plates — heavy fried foods, excess salt and sugar — that lead to dehydration, inflammation and weight gain within just a few weeks. A balanced Ramadan diet, as recommended by dietetic guidance, restores energy, improves hydration and allows worship to feel light instead of burdensome. Ramadan is not a month of feasting after fasting; it is a month of disciplined nourishment. When we eat with intention — wholesome suḥūr, gentle ifṭār and moderation throughout the night — the body strengthens, the mind clears and the heart softens. A lighter stomach often leads to a heavier scale of deeds.

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