Our brains operate on a priority system.

Neuroscientists call it "salience", the quality that makes something stand out, demanding our attention and resources.

This salience network in our brain determines what we focus on, what motivates us, and even what we remember.

From an Islamic perspective, whatever captures your attention most consistently is, functionally speaking, what you worship.

"La ilaha illa Allah" isn't just a statement of theological belief; it's a declaration about what deserves the highest position in your brain's salience hierarchy.

Each time you overcome a temptation for Allah's sake, you strengthen the neural connections that prioritize divine pleasure over immediate gratification.

Our brain works in two directions: bottom-up and top-down.

Bottom-up processing is when our body's sensations drive our behavior, like when hunger signals command our attention.

Top-down processing is when our knowledge and beliefs guide our responses to these sensations.

While bottom-up processing keeps us alive (telling us when to eat, sleep, or flee from danger), taqwa operates as a powerful top-down force.

It's our spiritual override system, allowing our consciousness of Allah to control and redirect our primitive urges.

When you fast despite hunger, choose modesty despite desire, or donate despite fear, you're exercising this top-down spiritual control.

You're training your higher consciousness to govern your basic impulses, strengthening what neuroscientists call "executive control".

This is taqwa in action, an internal muscle that constantly recalibrates your attention toward Allah.

Why Fasting Rewires Your Entire System

Have you ever wondered why fasting holds such a special place in all the faiths?

The answer lies in this concept of salience.

Hunger and thirst are our most primal biological drives, they're essentially the "gods" of our physical existence, the most urgent signals our body sends us.

When you fast for Allah's sake, you're making a profound statement to your neurological system: "Even my deepest biological urges do not take priority over my Lord."

You're reorganizing the most primitive neural circuits that form the core of your brain.

The Special Days of Dhul Hijjah

The Prophet ﷺ made it a point to fast during the ten blessed days of Dhul Ḥijjah, many narrations suggest he observed them all when he could.

Ibn Abbas (RA) explained when asked why companions would sometimes break their Ramadan fasts while traveling, but eagerly fast on Arafah:

"Allah says about Ramadan that whoever is traveling can make up those days later and not lose the reward. But there is no making up Arafah or Ashura, they are specific days with specific blessings."

Modern science continues to uncover the neurological and health benefits of fasting, improved insulin sensitivity, cellular repair mechanisms, and mental clarity, to name a few.

Yet, during these sacred days, science only tells part of the story.

Faith reveals that the spiritual, mental, and physical benefits of fasting in Dhul Ḥijjah are magnified beyond any clinical study.

The tranquility, heightened awareness of one’s soul, and closeness to Allāh that come from fasting are gifts you cannot truly appreciate until you experience them yourself.

If you haven’t yet fasted on some of these blessed days, choose a day and see how your body, mind, and heart respond.