Ramadan

[tensen]

Has anyone looked closely at the Muslim faith before?

I noticed after a ton of Muslim books came into our library as gifts (Trying to promote a positive aspect)... that they are following a Lunar calendar. And that the holiday is the ninth month... when Muhammad sat alone in a cave, and was given the whole of the Qu'ran (or Koran depending on your spelling.)

The holiday is always started on a new moon.

[Jenne]

Hi tensen--my hubby is former Muslim, and his fam is now fasting for Ramadan. They get up about an hour before dawn to chow down and pray, and then they fast (meaning no food OR drink--or sex, or entertainment, esp no alcohol, etc. which is already prohibited!) all day, then at twilight, they pray and break their fast. Then about an hour later, a HUGE feast is eaten. They then have a dessert or another little meal before bed, and then the whole thing starts again.

Winter Ramadan is MUCH easier than the Summer one. The day is shorter during the Winter, and the days are not scorchingly hot, making you thirst while drink is prohibited while the sun is out. Summer Ramadan makes people ill and sometimes die I've heard. Major sacrifice for the hard-working too. But I hear there are many ways you can get around it; if you are sick, menstruating, travelling, etc., you can mitigate the fasting. Also, children and the very old are exempt.

Anyway, these are just my own and my husband's experiences.

[tensen]

A fast and then gorging yourself on food every day for a month doesn't sound too healthy. I wonder why it was originally done.

[hedgecub]

Hi

I'm Pagan, but I fast through Ramadan because I feel that I've been called to do so. I don't gorge myself on food when the fast ends - in fact, since my body has become accustomed to not being able to eat during the daytime, I feel full on less food.

I have to admit that I don't know the exact reasons why Muslims have been called to fast, other than the fact that Allah has prescribed the fast for them, but I've found that fasting helps me to be more aware of my words and actions, and helps me to be more disciplined.

Just my 0,02