jorgelito

Happy Ramadan people! Stay safe and healthy especially during this month which has longer daylight hours. I remember last year was particularly challenging (at least in the Northwestern hemisphere).

Peace be with you.

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Charlatan

Happy Ramadan, there's only a 28 days left until Hari Raya Adilfitri!

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dlish

i was thinking about starting this exact thread as soon as i got home. looks like you beat me to it jorge!

Day 2 today. we are 1/15th of the way through...

yesterday i found it ok..today a little harder.... luckily i work in an air conditioned office.

not sure if anyone else here observes Ramadan, but Ramadan Kareem to everyone!

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Baraka_Guru

Ramadan mubarak!

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ColonelSpecial

If this is inappropriate, please delete it. I was looking online about the Islamic calendar and found that it is 11 days shorter than a Gregorian calendar. In the Islamic calendar, are the holy days on the same date each year and it is only when you compare it to the Gregorian calendar that it looks like it changes?

Happy Ramadan.

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dlish

i dont think your question unappropriate at all.

the gregorian calender works on solar days whilst the islamic calender works on lunar days.

there are 354 lunar days in a year, and no the dates of islamic festivals are not set at gregorian calender dates.

hence you have festivities 'creep' forward 11 days every year. for example this year ramadan started on september 1st, whereas last year it started on 12th of september if i recall correctly.

the islamic year starts at 'Hijra' which is the emigration of the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622AD. since then 1429 years have passed in the islamic calender.

so theoretically the islamic calender will catch up to the gregorian calender in the year in the year 20874 (yes thats the year twenty thousand eight hundred and seventy four). this is because for every 33 or so years the islamic calender catches up to the gregorian calender by 1 year.

sorry for the trivia. good for someone to notice though.

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Ayashe

Happy Ramadan, enjoy your holidays. (I am unsure of the appropriate way to express this)

dlish

well Ramadan isnt really a holiday...but thats ok.. you were close.

its a holy month in the muslim calender. it consists of a month long fasting - refraining from food drink sex and smoking during daylight hours. this is coupled with additional religious duties including increased sacrifice, charity and prayers.

at the end of ramadan there is a holiday/festivities called Eid al Fitr that range between 1-5 days depending on where you are in the world commemorating the end of the holy month.

just a question to see if anyone here has any muslim friends neighbours or relatives?

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Ayashe

I have a large number of muslim patients, one of the interpreters actually gave me a very short debriefing on Ramadan once. Hard to squeeze that in between patients and take in very much. I am always willing to learn, I feel it helps me to better understand my patients. I have had an occasion or two where it has made things a little tricky in doing my job. Understanding always helps. Anyway, enjoy.

dlish

kat - i know that you're in the medical field.. but what do you do exactly??

and what do you do to take into consideration cultural norms and customs in your job??

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biznatch

I have a few muslim friends, and I'm always curious about Islam, and religion in general, since I don't follow one.
I didn't know Ramadan included (or forbade) smoking and sex. Always cool to learn new things.
So, happy Ramadan.

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Ayashe

I work as a nurse in a multi-specialty clinic. Well for one a certain level of understanding with females from certain areas and helping them find female physicians and specialists that would allow them to be more comfortable. Another would be in medical treatment some population groups will not accept some treatments, such as blood transfusions. Recognizing that during Ramadan patients would fast and it would create some challenges with certain testing. Tests that would need to be scheduled rather early in the day or late so to not break the fast. To name a few.. CT scans, certain MRI's, Helicobacter testing would have to be adjusted, and glucose tolerance tests. Recognizing the level of modesty is different for certain cultures. Another example would be a simple flu vaccine clinic, most of the Muslim females would be required to be pulled off into a room away from the crowd where the standard is to just roll up a sleeve and stand in line. We have several Buddhist monks as well that I know that I cannot touch. Just a few examples from the top of my head.

Where I work we see a large number of cultural groups, we have a few doctors who have made it a subspecialty to work with immigrants getting them through the necessary medical documentation that they need. It is a fairly large clinic, in a fairly large medical group, with a very diverse population.

jorgelito

I have a number of Muslim friends and associates.

Ramadan is rather intense. Fasting for a month from sun up to sun down including drinks. Because of the lunar year cycle, the creep in recent years has come closer to summer thereby extending the fasting hours. Throw in daylight savings then Ramadan becomes quite challenging. Some of my buddies typically lose around 15 lbs (7-8kg). I have heard the fasting produces intense feelings including the sensation of becoming close to God. I see a certain beauty to it personally.

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snowy

Not at the moment, as they've all graduated and moved on to other places, but when I lived in the dorms on an all-girls wing, one of my floormates was a Muslim. Our wing had a tradition of going to eat dinner together every night, so for Ramadan, we pushed our dinners back just for her (not a hardship in the slightest, really). It was quite an educational experience! The other Muslims in the dormitory often joined us at our group of tables for dinner during that month.

There are a number of Muslims in our community, so observance of Ramadan isn't unheard of. Seeing women in hijab isn't uncommon either. We even have a mosque here in our town of 50,000.

Happy Ramadan to everyone.

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BadNick

I have a question about Muslim views of Ramadan, hopefully some of you might know this. I wonder if Muslims would say something like "happy Ramadan"? Given the fasting and prayer and inner-reflection, it sort of seems similar to saying "happy Lent" to a Christian, which doesn't seem accurate to me either.

I found this summary (below) that I think reflects how Muslims approach Ramadan...and it supports my understanding that "happy Ramadan" is not an accurate sentiment to Muslims. Maybe "have a productive Ramadan" or "have a fullfilling Ramadan"...What do you think?


Through fasting, a Muslim experiences hunger and thirst, and sympathizes with those in the world who have little to eat every day.

Through increased devotion, Muslims feel closer to their Creator, and recognize that everything good we have in this life is a blessing from Him.

Through increased charity, Muslims develop feelings of generosity and good-will toward others. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said, "A man's wealth is never diminished by charity."

Through self-control, a Muslim practices good manners, good speech, and good habits.

Through family and community gatherings, Muslims strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, in their own communities and throughout the world.

paparora

"I have heard the fasting produces intense feelings including the sensation of becoming close to God." yeah cuz they are dying from starvation lolll so what they think is God is really just hunger and weakness producing hallucinations.

You should look into some fasts that Hindu's do. Those are intense!!

Yes, Muslims do say Happy Ramadan. I believe its Ramadan Mubarak.
Muslims in general can never have sex. I mean they are not allowed to have sex before marriage (which in todays world generally means till 28), and then they have month long events where they cant have sex, and then they cant physically have sex.

I have quite a few friends who are muslim, its a great time for them. They def get closer to each other...not sure about God too much lol.

Baraka_Guru

Actually, this may not be true. Once the body hits ketosis, it taps into fat stores. Hunger often subsides by this time, and the body is running efficiently, liver included, as it preserves energy where possible in the absence of food.

Spiritually, many people fast as a way to experience the transcendence of the physical realm into the spiritual. Once we experience a state where we don't "need" food (at least for the time being), our spiritual focus increases and we feel closer to God. Our dependence on our physical bodies limits us spiritually if we are distracted by their physical manifestations. The physical often distracts us from the spiritual, which is why people perform fasts--it reminds us of our faith and why we wish to do good.

Even atheists can benefit from fasting. It can put one's ignorance of physical existence into enlightening perspectives.

I'm not, however, speaking from experience. The longest I've fasted is a day, though I'd be open to much longer fasts if I were prepared to experience the benefits.

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Willravel

I was hanging out with a friend today who's devout Muslim, and I didn't eat in front of him out of guilt. Maybe if I just ate pork?

He was explaining to me that even water is off limits, which to be honest I can't understand. I could go 24 hours without food, but even 7 hours without water and I'd be messed up. I now understand why there are no Muslim marathons during Ramadan.

paparora

yeah I was jokin around but thats cool. i didnt know that!

dlish

i think i just read a post with a whole lot of crap spinkled with facts for good measure.

with regards to halucinations - you would be surprised to know that throughout my years i have never had a hallucination. neiether have i heard or seen anone in our community have one due to fasting. in fact you would be surprised to see what the human body can achieve without food.

but

if it does come down to it and you do not feel well ie. you feel lik you are too weak, you feel ill, you are pregnant, have medical issues, need to take medication etc etc then there is no obligation in fasting. if you cant make up the days that you missed at a later date, then the norm is to give money/food to charity for every day that you missed.

so going back to your hallucination comment, i find that your comments are very much a lack of understanding about ramadan itself as well as a lack undestanding about the human body.


ramadan mubarak means 'have a blessed ramadan'. we also say ramadan kareem which means 'have a generous ramadan'.

blessed - in terms of religious actions -ie praying , reciting, connecting with god, contemplating etc, refraining from bad things like swearing etc.

kareem - in terms of giving to the poor, increasing your charity etc

your whole comment about sex is garbled -

yes sex outside of marriage is forbidden. but who says 28 is the age to get married? how me some studies or stats that says that in todays day and age muslims get married at 28...in fact you would find that the average age for marriage in the islamic world would be lower than in the western world. i was married at 23...and no it wasnt an arranged marriage just in case you were wondering.

you are also incorrect in saying that we have month long events that
dont allow sex. sex is allowed at times when you are not fasting (between sunset and sunrise). and yes that includes self pleasure too.

the islamic emphasis on brotherhood and sistehood is an important one. you will find that muslims in general will become closer to each other, as well as to god. i know i do.

hope this clears up a few things. its not a personal attack paparora. so dont take it personally...

will reply to other posts later..im late for work

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jorgelito

I actually find the whole ritual of fasting for Ramadan to be quite beautiful. Baraka made a nice post about fasting. In my opinion, the whole idea of fasting is in line with "total submission to God" which I find to be both intense and transcendent. Deprivation of the body is good for the soul. The discipline and sacrifice required is admirable and respectable. I love the sacrifice and devotion required to complete a month of fasting. To go without food and water from sunrise to sunset is no easy task. The act of faith is very beautiful in my eyes. The first week is the most difficult. As your body adjusts and your mind is tested your spirit then takes over. The amount of mental focus and spiritual reckoning evolves over the next few weeks creating quite the experience.

Hakeem Olajuwon observed Ramadan during his time in the NBA which caused his coaches and trainers a bit of anxiety and concern (understandably). I'm with you Will, not so sure I can do it. Though every year I am tempted to try. Last year I would waft my lunch aroma towards my Muslim buddy every now and then in jest. In my circle of friends, I have to pull kosher and halal duty all the time, especially in this day and age of fusion cuisines and the status of certain dishes or foods is not obvious. Will, what people like us can do is join our friends for a day or two or even a week of fasting to share the experience.

Some strict "orthodox" Muslims may observe some sort of limited sex restrictions but so do Christians, Buddhists, and Jews too for that matter. I have Muslim friends who drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes too. I'm sure Muslims have no trouble in the sex department.

Happy Ramadan may seem a bit odd to say, but I meant it sincerely and wholeheartedly which I'm sure Dlish and others understood it to be.

So...

Happy Ramadan everyone!!

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ColonelSpecial

This thread has piqued my interest in Muslim holy practices. I was reading about halal and haraam and wondered if there were specific rules/guidelines as to what is allowed to be eaten from sunset to sunrise. Since this is a holy time of reflection and self sacrifice, is the food allowed more somber than non holy times?

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Charlatan

From what I see around town in and Malaysia, the food is a bit more celebratory if anything. In fact, there is a rise in eating out.

In KL there are food stalls that are only in operation during the month of Ramadan. People look forward to Ramadan so they can eat these special hawker's food.

On Hari Raya Adilfitri, the celebration that comes after Ramadan, people here travel from house to house (each house is open to friends and neighbours) eating treats and meals. It's sort of like a Thanksgiving meal except that as the neighbours keep arriving people end up eating in shifts.

I was invited to at least three Hari Raya feasts last year. The food ranged from OK to simply amazing.

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dlish

we have unwritten laws here in the UAE that there is no public eating or drinking in view of everybody else. any restaurants that open during the day provide for the non muslim population and will have curtains that are drawn.

on the topic of friends - a work colleague of mine in solidarity with his mainly indian crew of carpenters, many of whom happen to be muslim, decided to try and fast today.

he got up for the customery 'suhoor' or breakfast at 4am. i called him at 10am to check up on him and see how he is going. he failed dismally, said he couldnt take it and lasted till 9.30am before he had to have something to eat.

he rekons hes trying again in a few days time...ill keep you posted on how he goes.

charl - being in that part of the world, have you ever tried ramadan or at least been tempted to try it? i know a few expats that have tried everything from 1 day to 15 days with varying success.


colonel - traditionally food is meant to be simple in line with the humble nature of the month as well as in solidarity with those less fortunate.

howver these days things seem to go to excesses and many of the iftars (the breaking of the fast) that people attend tend to have wayyyy too much food. you also have to remember though is that fasting people will cook when they are hungry and will usually cook depending on their appetites, which is usually way too much.

jorge - no offense with the happy ramadan comment. i get it all the time. its not traditional, but its more than acceptable.

there are many sportsmen in the world that train through ramadan. hakeem is only one example. my boxing buddies would switch their nights and days. sleep during the day and train through the nights so that they can prepare for their respective titles.

if memry serves me correctly mahmoud abdul rauf from the denver nuggets also went through ramadan in the NBA.

baraka - i cant even think of putting it better myself - all i can think of is -- what baraka said! well put.

snowy - did she share any of her experiences on fasting with you guys?

katyanna - wow.. its not easy doing what you do. shelish had to deal with a lot of that in public hospitals in sydney too. she learnt a lot about different people and cultures through work and university including the whole kosher kitchen concept which she found fascinating

just another t

hing i remembered this morning - ramadan isnt just about food and water. its also about self clensing of the soul. impure thoughts and actions, foul language, anger, and general bad manners are frowned upon. good thoughts generosity, good manners and general acts of kindness are the order of the day.

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Charlatan

Hey Dlish... No, I haven't tried to follow the fasting regimen since I've been here. I've hung out with people who are fasting and have been to a few Hari Raya meals (the food!).

Last year a group of us (mostly teachers from my wife's school) took a weekend trip to an island on the east cost of Malaysia. Our mini bus stopped en route to let us stretch our legs and use the toilets. We stopped at an al fresco roadside restaurant. It was right at sunset. It was very odd to see all of the tables filled with people. The table laden with food. Nobody was eating. I noticed it right off and knew what was happening. I had to explain it to the rest of the group, some of whom where a bit uncomfortable.

While we were standing there, the call to prayer commenced and so did the eating...

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dlish

So yesterday was Eid al Fitr. The festival following the end of Ramadan.

i can say that ive become more reflective over the past few weeks, and it is all for the better!

id like to share with you a few pics from last nights festivities.

coincidentally the Jewish New Year fell on the same day as Eid al Fitr, so id like to wish those members of the Jewish faith a happy new year also.

as they say here - Kul aam wa inta bi khair ( may every year come and you are in good health)


charlatan - how were the festivities down your end?


just chillin


a me right effin now pic last night


fireworks display last night





notice burj dubai in the background?



















and my personal favourite

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abaya

We've been invited to an Eid dinner tonight with a Muslim couple that are good friends of ours, here in Iceland... pretty excited to eat lots of good food!!!

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Charlatan

(as they say it in this neck of the woods)


Selemat Hari Raya Adil Fitri!

We had the day off work today and I spent it with my wife and kids just hanging out. On Saturday we have been invited to a Hari Raya drop in at the home of one of my colleagues. On of the things that happens here (and in Malaysia) is that during the period after Ramadan, people open their homes to their friends and family to drop by to share in food and festive greetings. I have been to a few of these in the past and the food is always outstanding (one of the places I wend was in the home of a someone that was not wealthy but they still managed to put on a very nice spread - it is truly a time of sharing). Some people's invites have the time you are to show up. There are so many people invited or expected to drop by that you have to eat in shifts.

There weren't any fireworks here but I am swimming in kueh (another word for cakes or treats)... and this coming on the heels of mid autumn festival mooncakes (we just ate the last of those in the office last week).

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