Ramadan

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. (2:183)

The Holy month of Ramadan is going to start from the 2nd of September in most parts of the world. All adult Muslims are required to observe this month unless they're on a journey, they're sick or unless they're too weak to fast. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.

How does one fast? It's simple - no food or water is consumed from the first light of dawn until the sun is set. However, the aim is not to starve. While fasting, one cannot commit any sin (unto oneself or unto others), one cannot have sexual relations and one must abstain from anger or other flared-up emotions. Doing so would nullify the fast. Regarding this, Prophet Mohammad (sw) said:

Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefulness.



Aim of Fasting:

So what's fasting all about? What's the point? The core concept of fasting is to seek forgiveness. Patience, self-respect, dignity, togetherness, a feeling of what the poor go through all their lives, etc are only bi-products of fasting - the main aim of fasting is to sincerely seek forgiveness for one's past sins and then deciding not to repeat them. The Friday khutbas (lectures) during Ramadan focus almost entirely on this. Prophet Mohammad (sw) said:

When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.


And:


Whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.


The Food!

Each culture has given rise to new sorts of dishes that are present at the time families gather to break their fasts. Over here in Pakistan, an Iftar (when everyone gathers to eat at sunset) tables has anywhere from 5 to 10 dishes. Of course, Ramadan gives rise to a different sort of cuisine unto itself - a mix between an evening snack and fried goodies. We have samosas, pakoras, cholay, jalebi, fruit salad, lemonade, among other things, on a regular Iftar. This sort of food is consistent in Pakistan and India during Ramadan and has similarities in almost all the Muslim world but each culture has its own take on this. Perhaps the only real common thing is a dish made with dates. Thinking about this only reminds me of the feeling one has while sitting with a days' worth of hunger at an Iftar table!

Apart from that, we have all-you-can-eats (from sunset until a couple more hours) at some the major fast food joints (KFC, Papa John's, Pizza Hut, etc) while others have special Seri as well as Iftar deals.

Yes, some people actually end up gaining a lot of weight in Ramadan because of bad eating habits.

[Theseus1234]

Yes, some people actually end up gaining a lot of weight in Ramadan because of bad eating habits.

well starving yourself is the worst way to lose weight, so i'm not surprised

thanks for the information on ramadan. it gives me greater insight into the islamic religion. also, i thought ramadan was to simulate the situation of the poor, and make someone to easily see why they need to help those in need

[Gauvin]

I thought ramadan was to simulate the situation of the poor, and make someone to easily see why they need to help those in need

By binging every night when the sun goes down?

The whole 24 hour famine thing is ridiculous as well, raise money and food for them instead of fasting. I've always thought that the poor don't appreciate it at all when people who can eat deny themselves food for their sake, i'm pretty sure if you asked the starving they would tell you to eat. Either way, people who fast for that reason know when they're going to eat again, poor people don't, also, those who fast know they can break their fast whenever they want, and they usually conclude their fast by ordering 10 XL pizzas.

Anyway, happy Ramadan.

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

By binging every night when the sun goes down?

The whole 24 hour famine thing is ridiculous as well, raise money and food for them instead of fasting. I've always thought that the poor don't appreciate it at all when people who can eat deny themselves food for their sake, i'm pretty sure if you asked the starving they would tell you to eat. Either way, people who fast for that reason know when they're going to eat again, poor people don't, also, those who fast know they can break their fast whenever they want, and they usually conclude their fast by ordering 10 XL pizzas.

Anyway, happy Ramadan.

Aww man, that's just priceless, especially since it's supposedly coming from a "former Muslim"!

Yeah well, anyway, we "current Muslims" fast for 12 hours tops and thanks for your concern for our poor but Zakat just also happens to be collected for the poor during Ramadan. Perhaps if you lived in a Muslim country, you'd see the charity work that happens during Ramadan. But I'm touched because of your heart-felt concern for the Muslim poor.

Lastly, in Ramadan, you have breakfast, you skip lunch and you have an early dinner. You should probably readjust your eating habits because that doesn't constitute "starvation" for me.

Those that break their fast with a feast have lived up to Mohammad (sw)'s prophecy that there will be those who will get nothing but thirst and hunger from their fasts. Hence, they'd break their fasts with excessive eating and drinking. That would just defeat the entire purpose - which is patience and self-respect.

Anyway, happy Ramadan to you, too.

[Gauvin]

Aww man, that's just priceless, especially since it's supposedly coming from a "former Muslim"!

Yeah well, anyway, we "current Muslims" fast for 12 hours tops and thanks for your concern for our poor but Zakat just also happens to be collected for the poor during Ramadan. Perhaps if you lived in a Muslim country, you'd see the charity work that happens during Ramadan. But I'm touched because of your heart-felt concern for the Muslim poor.

Lastly, in Ramadan, you have breakfast, you skip lunch and you have an early dinner. You should probably readjust your eating habits because that doesn't constitute "starvation" for me.

Those that break their fast with a feast have lived up to Mohammad (sw)'s prophecy that there will be those who will get nothing but thirst and hunger from their fasts. Hence, they'd break their fasts with excessive eating and drinking. That would just defeat the entire purpose - which is patience and self-respect.

Anyway, happy Ramadan to you, too.

I was talking about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Vision_Famine_events

Sorry, I was hoping you'd be familiar with it, they do this every year, I remember they used to do it at my high school. But, yes, they don't do it in Muslim countries, that's probably why you haven't hear of it.

And I gave a sincere happy Ramadan, I support festivals that promote charity.

Did you know the USA is the most charitable country in the world? Twice as charitable as the second most charitable country: the United Kingdom.

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

I support festivals that promote charity.

Did you know the USA is the most charitable country in the world? Twice as charitable as the second most charitable country: the United Kingdom.

In 2005, US foreign aid stood at US$122 billion (out of which US$95 billion were private donations). This is according to the US Government.

America's total GDP at that time stood at roughly US$13 trillion (American trillions).

Do the math and all US foreign aid stood at roughly 0.9% of it's GDP.

Saudi Arabia spent US$30 billion on foreign aid, which is a whopping 5.5% of it's GNP.

Moreover, according to the US Government, the official aid was only as much as the Saudis', which make only a fraction of what the superpower makes every year.

Kuwait gives the largest chunk out of its GDP for foreign aid in the world. More than 5.5%.

But yeah, Americans are still generous people - they can always give the world more, kill a little less... but then again, that's how empires function..

[Adhamh Ashashi]

Very good post. Here in Ireland our national dishes don't quite agree with my faith but we usually have Libyan soup, fried cauliflower, potatoe and beef burger things and Libyan bread. Sometimes pasta as well. Italians never get a miss in my household.


All I eat before sunrise are 2 cereal bars and 2 Yops. I am never hungry in the morning.

[attilavolciak07]

Ah, Ramadan. In Doha I loved Ramadan. I'm not Muslim but I participate in the fasting, I eat too much.

[The Cobra]

Ramadan is coming.

[Burnum]

+rep, good Article.

Chinese Muslim food is pretty tasty.

[Heinz Guderian]

Would it be bad to say i dislike ramadan?

[Adhamh Ashashi]

Would it be bad to say i dislike ramadan?

Why is that? I amn't flaming just interested to know.

[Megas12345]

Wow.. gotta respect people able to control themselves that much.. also interesting, never heard of Ramadan

[Cluny the Scourge]

Food makes God angry.

[cenkiss]

Food makes God angry.

[sephodwyrm]

Food makes God angry.

But it makes me happy. =)
Ramadhan is simply:
Not eating when the sun's up. But awesome when it ends. And free, too. It's encouraged for people to give out free food after the sun goes down.

[sephodwyrm]

I amn't flaming just interested to know.

Because Muslim terrorists would also be fasting and be generally too tired in the day to carry out exciting activities.

[Atlassmurf]

"This time I will not put sandwiches in front of muslims"

But eh, do Imams say that it is ok to use those pills so you can substain hunger better?
Thought I heard something about it.

[Heinz Guderian]

"This time I will not put sandwiches in front of muslims"

But eh, do Imams say that it is ok to use those pills so you can substain hunger better?
Thought I heard something about it.

Do you mean cocaine? If so, yes.

[Atlassmurf]

Nah, just.. pills.