Experiences in Treatment by Medical Fasting.
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The Shaykh : By the way, it is good to mention to you that one of our brothers in Damascus had been afflicted with a type of epilepsy that would sometimes intensify in him, to the point that nothing in the house would stand in his way; he would break it and smash it to pieces. He was treated in the hospitals that treat this type of disease, until he went to Beirut to the American University and was treated there by this method, namely: electric shocks. He returned to Damascus and was not cured; he remained in that state, but it was in episodes, not constant; he was not always in an epileptic state. After that, I presented my suggestion to him, which is what is called today treatment by fasting. The intended fasting is, of course, not the religious fast, but rather let us call it starvation, or treatment by hunger. This treatment by hunger has no relation to the Shari'ah, so we do not say it is a religious innovation, nor do we say it is a recommended practice. If this method succeeds as a means of treating some diseases, then it is good; and if it does not succeed, then there is absolutely nothing in that. Personally, perhaps some of you know that I reached this type of treatment by hunger, so I fasted for forty days. The meaning of this fasting is that this fasting person does not eat anything at all and does not drink anything at all except this water for forty days. After all these days, he begins to gradually accustom himself to the food that is usual for him, and he finds the effect of healing in much of what he had been complaining of regarding diseases. I tried this myself and I will not lengthen the explanation; rather, the point is this one who was treated by electric shocks and spent large sums of money in the many hospitals in Syria and in Lebanon, and was not cured except by this fasting. He fasted the first time for six days, then after that more and more, until the matter reached him that he fasted for thirty-four days, and then he did not see any effect of this disease. Such a treatment, which was not previously known, even though some preachers today encourage it with such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him), as they claim: , there is no doubt that the religious fasting contains all the benefits, but this hadith with this wording is not authentic, as we had explained that in *Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah* (The Chain of Weak Hadiths). But this medical fasting, in which it is permissible for this fasting person to drink as much water as he wishes and whenever he wishes, resulted in many and very many benefits in my person and in the person of that student among our brothers there, and in many others.
Also, by way of example, the last one with a bit of novelty and humor. This one who was afflicted with epilepsy, from what he touched of the benefit of this type of fasting, became such that whenever a person came to him complaining of a disease that had befallen him and the doctors were unable to treat it, he would say to him: "You must fast, you must fast." A handsome young man came to him complaining about his mother, who was an old woman and had become bedridden, and she could not move to relieve herself. And although she had two daughters who were nurses in some hospitals, they had become tired and weary of serving their old mother, because you imagine with me that she had become in a state, I mean, of dirtiness such that even the children would be disgusted by these things. So when the son of this old woman complained, he ordered her and said to him: "Fast her." And he explained to him what he meant by fasting, namely: prevent her from all food. He placed before her on the table a jug of water like this and a glass, and whenever she wished, she would drink. He said, "My brother, she is screaming, and she is an old woman, and perhaps she will die, and so on, she will die of hunger," in his opinion. He said to him jokingly: "The talk is between us; do you have any certainty that the old woman will die so that you and your two sisters will be relieved of her? Fast her." So the man seemed to be convinced, and indeed he placed the water before the old woman and they prevented her from food in all its forms, and drink in all its types. She was screaming and they did not respond to her. "Food, food, eat," no one responded to her. So she was forced to drink water when she felt the need. Her son, who took this prescription from our friend, says: "Not more than about six days passed until he came to announce to our friend that his mother had gotten up from her bed and began to serve herself. And so she remained, after she saw the effect of this fasting, she began to prevent herself from food until Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, cured her."
Fast, and you will be healthy.
صوموا تصحُّواAlso, by way of example, the last one with a bit of novelty and humor. This one who was afflicted with epilepsy, from what he touched of the benefit of this type of fasting, became such that whenever a person came to him complaining of a disease that had befallen him and the doctors were unable to treat it, he would say to him: "You must fast, you must fast." A handsome young man came to him complaining about his mother, who was an old woman and had become bedridden, and she could not move to relieve herself. And although she had two daughters who were nurses in some hospitals, they had become tired and weary of serving their old mother, because you imagine with me that she had become in a state, I mean, of dirtiness such that even the children would be disgusted by these things. So when the son of this old woman complained, he ordered her and said to him: "Fast her." And he explained to him what he meant by fasting, namely: prevent her from all food. He placed before her on the table a jug of water like this and a glass, and whenever she wished, she would drink. He said, "My brother, she is screaming, and she is an old woman, and perhaps she will die, and so on, she will die of hunger," in his opinion. He said to him jokingly: "The talk is between us; do you have any certainty that the old woman will die so that you and your two sisters will be relieved of her? Fast her." So the man seemed to be convinced, and indeed he placed the water before the old woman and they prevented her from food in all its forms, and drink in all its types. She was screaming and they did not respond to her. "Food, food, eat," no one responded to her. So she was forced to drink water when she felt the need. Her son, who took this prescription from our friend, says: "Not more than about six days passed until he came to announce to our friend that his mother had gotten up from her bed and began to serve herself. And so she remained, after she saw the effect of this fasting, she began to prevent herself from food until Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, cured her."