Anonymous
Post 07/14/2014 15:02     Subject: Ramadan
Can I ask a quick question? My nanny is Muslim and I was wondering if it would be appropriate to give her a small bonus for Eid. She has done extra hours for us lately (and has been paid for it, of course) and this seems like a good time to recognize how important she is to us. Any thoughts?
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2014 14:48     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:Any other Muslims here feel like they are "wasting" Ramadan this year? I'm trying to use this time to pray, read the Quran etc. but I find myself so distracted and worried by day to day things (i.e. really need to find a job) that I don't find myself focusing as I want to.


Some Ramadans are more spiritual than others but you must try to make the best out of it. Set aside time, put it in your calendar or set your alarm to read Quran (even 1-2 pages a day) and do your daily prayers and stick with it. Ramadan only comes once a year, I am sure you can put away your worldly things for moments throughout the day for 30 days.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2014 11:30     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If Ramadan is in the summer, and its purpose is atonement, and Eid is the celebration at the end of the fast, also in the summer, then why was the media and the PC folks so strongly pushing "Happy Ramadan" during the Hannukah and Christmas holiday season?



probably for the same reason that I get wished "happy hannukkah" in mid to late december, even when Hanukkah has already occured (it can come as early as late November) the people you describe as PC (which I take it means "polite") are still not necessarily aware of the calendars and cultures of others.

Still they should be thanked and appreciated - it sure as hell beats being intolerant.


No, by PC I mean the actual PC movement.

It was in its heyday when I was in college. It is a real name for a real movement.

You must be young.


PC as in politically correct, was a term used by the Communist Party in discussing the validity of certain cultural products. You are either very old (as in you went to college in the 1930s) or you have swallowed the right wing usage, which used the term PC as a weapon to link feminists and others to the Communists.

It is not in fact a name for a "movement" A google search will show that to you pretty quickly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness#Early-to-mid_20th_century
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2014 00:23     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If Ramadan is in the summer, and its purpose is atonement, and Eid is the celebration at the end of the fast, also in the summer, then why was the media and the PC folks so strongly pushing "Happy Ramadan" during the Hannukah and Christmas holiday season?



probably for the same reason that I get wished "happy hannukkah" in mid to late december, even when Hanukkah has already occured (it can come as early as late November) the people you describe as PC (which I take it means "polite") are still not necessarily aware of the calendars and cultures of others.

Still they should be thanked and appreciated - it sure as hell beats being intolerant.


No, by PC I mean the actual PC movement.

It was in its heyday when I was in college. It is a real name for a real movement.

You must be young.
Anonymous
Post 07/14/2014 00:10     Subject: Ramadan
Any other Muslims here feel like they are "wasting" Ramadan this year? I'm trying to use this time to pray, read the Quran etc. but I find myself so distracted and worried by day to day things (i.e. really need to find a job) that I don't find myself focusing as I want to.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2014 21:40     Subject: Ramadan
Ok, so firstly Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar therefore every year the month of Ramadan is set back 10 days. Ramadan is not always in the winter. This year Ramadan is in the summer. This is the 2nd week of Ramadan. Ramadan lasts 30 days. Ramadan is considered the holiest's of months for Muslims which is why people greet each other with a Happy Ramadan. This is a spiritual month for Muslims in which they let go of all worldly things and focus on self improvement and detoxifying the body, mind and soul. It is a month in which people spend all their time worshipping God and giving charity as well.

So yes it is a very important month for Muslims which is why people it is completely appropriate to wish them Happy Ramadan or Ramadan Kareem (in Arabic).

Eid is the festival that marks the end of the Holy month and that days is spent with a morning prayer at the mosque and eating a lot and visiting family and friends and exchanging gifts.

Also, during Ramadan every night Muslim's have nightly prayers called "Taraweeh" at the mosques. Taraweeh prayers are spent reciting the Quran. By the end of Ramadan the congregation will complete the entire Quran. This is why you may see a lot of cars parked outside near the mosques. Every Friday afternoon (during the entire year and not just during Ramadan) Muslims congregate at the mosque for prayer which as someone mentioned above it similar to Sunday prayers at the church.

Hope this helps and sorry for the awful grammar as I was typing very quickly
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2014 17:25     Subject: Ramadan
^Not the quoted PP, but thanks for sharing! That's really interesting.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2014 15:35     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:[quote=AnonymousThis is not true. While I'm no longer practicing, Islamic restrictions are very accommodating to health issues - if you need to take a medicine during the day, you are allowed to take it, and your fast is still valid. Or if you can't fast due to health concerns. If you need to use alcohol or pig-products (a gelatin coated pill, for example) those are also allowed.



The Jewish law on fasting and medicine, and on dietary laws and medicine is IDENTICAL! Only question is did the sharia influence the halacha, or vice versa? Not that it matters. Shalom/salaam!


pp here. Salaam/Shalom!

I've always thought that Judaism and Islam were extremely similar. In a way, Christianity seemed kind of like the black sheep middle child of the family

Obviously Judaism is older, so a lot of Islamic thought was influenced by it, but in both of their development later on, cultural climates probably encouraged a lot of sibling sharing



saalam.shalom, I am the jewish PP.

While Judaism is older and appears to have strongly influenced the Koran, the full post talmudic development of Jewish law dates to after the founding of Islam, and was largely done in the geonic period (600 to 900 CE or so) in the yeshivas in mesopotamia, in proximity to islamic civ - leading, IIUC many scholars to see much of Jewish halacha as influenced by sharia - both as to content and as to legal logic. One example as to content - the ban on idolatry apparently did not orignally ban all images in synagogues - there are synagogues from the first few centuries CE that have images in mosaic - the stricter approach to images seems to follow the encounter with Islam.

Note the parallels are stronger when you look at more traditional halachic Judaism (orthodox and consevative) - its harder to see looking Reform
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2014 07:44     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:[quote=AnonymousThis is not true. While I'm no longer practicing, Islamic restrictions are very accommodating to health issues - if you need to take a medicine during the day, you are allowed to take it, and your fast is still valid. Or if you can't fast due to health concerns. If you need to use alcohol or pig-products (a gelatin coated pill, for example) those are also allowed.



The Jewish law on fasting and medicine, and on dietary laws and medicine is IDENTICAL! Only question is did the sharia influence the halacha, or vice versa? Not that it matters. Shalom/salaam!


pp here. Salaam/Shalom!

I've always thought that Judaism and Islam were extremely similar. In a way, Christianity seemed kind of like the black sheep middle child of the family

Obviously Judaism is older, so a lot of Islamic thought was influenced by it, but in both of their development later on, cultural climates probably encouraged a lot of sibling sharing

Anonymous
Post 06/27/2014 19:15     Subject: Ramadan
Ramadan is Here! Song by DC group Native Deen.

Ramadan Karim to all who celebrate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7VezcjXNec&sns=em


Anonymous
Post 06/27/2014 16:06     Subject: Ramadan
So nice to have a civil discussion about what Ramadan means and how to observe it and making comparisons with other religious traditions.
Anonymous
Post 06/27/2014 14:53     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:[quote=AnonymousThis is not true. While I'm no longer practicing, Islamic restrictions are very accommodating to health issues - if you need to take a medicine during the day, you are allowed to take it, and your fast is still valid. Or if you can't fast due to health concerns. If you need to use alcohol or pig-products (a gelatin coated pill, for example) those are also allowed.



The Jewish law on fasting and medicine, and on dietary laws and medicine is IDENTICAL! Only question is did the sharia influence the halacha, or vice versa? Not that it matters. Shalom/salaam!
Anonymous
Post 06/27/2014 14:50     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If Ramadan is in the summer, and its purpose is atonement, and Eid is the celebration at the end of the fast, also in the summer, then why was the media and the PC folks so strongly pushing "Happy Ramadan" during the Hannukah and Christmas holiday season?



probably for the same reason that I get wished "happy hannukkah" in mid to late december, even when Hanukkah has already occured (it can come as early as late November) the people you describe as PC (which I take it means "polite") are still not necessarily aware of the calendars and cultures of others.

Still they should be thanked and appreciated - it sure as hell beats being intolerant.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2014 20:53     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I never hear "Happy Ramadan" during the December holiday season. Perhaps you're thinking of Diwali?


No.

When I was in college and as a young adult and the whole PC movement was setting in there was a whole movement of either not wishing Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah without including Happy Ramadan. I remember lots of discussion about this.

Perhaps since Ramadan moves that time just happened to have Ramadan falling around those other holidays.

It was around the time of the Seinfeld Festivus for the Restuvus episode

This was mine and many others first introduction to Ramadan, and until I moved to this area I had no idea it did jot occur in the middle of the Christmas/Hannukah season.

I bet if you took a survey there is a significant number of people in my age group who did not grow up around muslims who do indeed believe that Ramadan is a holiday that buts upto Christmas. I can't tell you how many people who have come up to me after moving to this area and said "Huh. Who knew? Ramadan is in the summer."

I would also bet there is a very large number about 10-25 years older than me who will argue until their faces turn blue that Ramadan is a winter holiday.


PP, I think you are probably the same age as I am... when I was in college, Ramadan fell right around Christmas. I remember this because my friends of all different faiths came over to my house and we made "Christmas/Hannukah/Ramadan" cookies and even mailed some of them to her family.
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2014 11:02     Subject: Ramadan
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have an extended family member who's a practicing Muslim though she doesn't wear the hijab (headscarf). Anyone who is in good health (and not pregnant) fasts from sun up to sun down-only water I believe. After sunset you eat a big meal and she says it would often (in her home country) be sort if fun...they'd all get together, conquered the days fasting requirement, and eat delicious food. During Ramadan she prays and she thinks about God/life/how to be the best person. At the end of Ramadan is Eid. It's normally a huge meal/celebration and the children receive gifts.

No food, no water. Anything swallowed, including medicine, invalidates the fast and you have to make up that day.


This is not true. While I'm no longer practicing, Islamic restrictions are very accommodating to health issues - if you need to take a medicine during the day, you are allowed to take it, and your fast is still valid. Or if you can't fast due to health concerns. If you need to use alcohol or pig-products (a gelatin coated pill, for example) those are also allowed.

Ramadan isn't about not swallowing stuff - it's meant mainly to keep you humble, but having empathy for those that go without or struggle with certain needs and luxuries and life, and to help direct your mind focused towards god/faith, instead of being distracted by life's little pleasures during the day. It's not meant to make you suffer, and it's really not about "don't swallow stuff."

I think it depends on the scholar you prefer to follow. In my Gulfie circle, people who have to take daily medication (such as insulin) do not fast. My husband will not fast if he has to take medication. You can use alcohol or pig products for medical purposes year-round, it has nothing to do with Ramadan.

I agree that Ramadan isn't about swallowing but let's not pretend that Islam does not have a definition of fast. After all, if you keep yourself humble and full of empathy for those less fortunate with three squares a day, you can't really say you're fasting, can you.


Sure, but fasting is the means - not the end goal. The fasting is supposed to be a tool to help keep you humble and empathetic. Like if you're fasting but cranky and snapping at people all the time, fasting is sort of ridiculous, and one can lose sight of the point, and fasting is just one facet of Ramadan. But I agree, it probably depends a lot on the ideology one grew up with. I was raised that medical exceptions are always allowed in Islam. Neglecting your health/medications for the sake of fasting is akin to taking your body (and your gift of life) for granted. Sometimes it feels sort of like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. People can get wrapped up into stepping up their attitude on special days (or month), and neglect the mindfulness the rest of the year. Not everyone of course, but we all probably know a few people that fit this mold.

But as mentioned, I'm not religious anymore, and I no longer fast during Ramadan. I'm also a better person to be around, and feel like I can better help my fellow humankind when I have a little food in my belly and water on my lips