So, I’m back to blogging again.. won’t board you with the details why I toke a (mandatory) break from blogging, or actually, maybe I will some time soon!
Well, it’s this time of year (lunar year that is) again, where people here call it Ramadan, and I call it the-I-can’t-smoke/eat/drink water (or cheap colored/flavored drink) in a hot summer day-in-public-month, yeah I know it’s a long name.. that’s why I start calling it Ramadan like every body else.
The main idea now behind this month of fasting – and for those who are not familiar with Islamic fasting it’s to abstain from food, drinks, smoke, sex (including French kissing, licking, and other forms of foreplays if I can still remember the rules right) – is to feel empathy for poor people who can’t afford to eat well, and the sex part is probably supposed to clear your mind from you earthy pleasures and put you in a heavenly/closer to God state of minded.. until sunset that is, where you can return to fucking (or making love if you prefer that term) and eating like a starving pig.
OK NOW, that’s the theory (doesn’t every thing look amazing in theory (I do use parentheses a lot don’t I!)), but as every thing else in religion, reality is a totally different issue. The fact is, that in Ramadan, as every person living in Islamic community (even though not religious) knows, people become more tempered, performance decreases at work and schools, more car accidents (especially when it’s near Iftar time – which is sunset), a lot of executives don’t answer phone calls and tend to delay every thing till after Eid, and people spend more time then ever on the idiot box watching stupid Arabic TV drama.
Even not that long time ago, some Islamic countries (such as Saudi Arabia) used to give students and public sector workers the whole month off! a whole month of not doing any thing but sleeping and watching TV until it time to eat more then your body can handle.. plus, I don’t get how you should feel any kind empathy to poor people since you know that the fasting thing is temporary until the sun goes down where you can eat like a king.
The funny thing (not the only funny thing really, just the funniest), is how most (or a lot in worst cases) people don’t have anything to do with religion in their daily non-Ramadan life, they don’t pray (which is by Islam, way much greater to abandon then fasting), some of them even are used to call God’s name in vain on a daily basis; once it’s Ramadan, they suddenly start fasting, and sometimes praying. As expected, once God’s month is over, it’s party time again.. priceless.
These are not isolated cases as religious people always say without having the courage to admit that this is theory in practice. Times are changing (it actually changed long time ago), and community is becoming more diverse.. and it’s time for this Ramadan thing to be canceled.
* I didn’t translate Emad Hajjaj cartoon btw, I found it that way.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
ya man ///// walahee this is what i was thinking about ….what can i say … same nightmare every year ….o hala 3amee
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
May Allah bless you to be able to fast in the month of Ramadhan. This is something you have to experience. It cannot contain in a theory. First of all, what is the purpose of life? To wake up, eat, go work for someone or be self-employed for 8,10,12 hours? Be part of the rat race? Better car, better house, more money in the account? Keep running after material things all your life and then die and leave all that for others to enjoy? If your answer is yes, then this response is not going to help you. Allah says in Qur’an, which roughly translates into, I created Jins and Human beings only to worship me. The only reason we are created is to worship Allah, in the process of living we work for our necessities.
Ramadhan is the most blessed month of the year for Muslims. In this month, Muslims discipline them self by staying away from things that are lawful to them i.e. eating, drinking, making love to their wives. Even though physical body is hungry but the spiritual self is being fed. Also imagine the people who smoke like chimney all day, who cannot stay away from cigarette for more than an hour, stay away from the cigarette more than 12 hours a day. The ones who smoked a pack day, guess how much will they be able to smoke now. The same way, people start going to pray more in this month. Even the people who have a bad habit of overeating, they don’t eat at all for over 12 hours. Guess what happens to their apatite. Muslims mostly pay their Zakah in this month. Zakah is to pay two and half percent of someone’s savings to deserving and needy people. Muslims give more charity in this month than ever. There is an extra congregational salah at night that lasts from and hour to hour and half. Just imagine, standing, bending prostrating for an hour to hour and a half. What happens to your body. Not only the overeating you did at iftar time gets digested, you get physically fit at the same time. Salah works every party of your body. It takes only three weeks to make something your habit. Now Imagine, doing good and staying bad for four full weeks. What is going to happen to you. You will loose weight, you will physically fit, you will praying more, you will be more generous, you will be more patients towards food, drinks, you will be able to get rid of bad habits like smoking and your spiritual self will be much stronger in result as well.
Allah says in Qur’an which roughly means, when you come to Allah, come running, when you go to the world, take it easy and relax. In this month, Muslims try to relax from worldly responsibilities and attend to Allah. They take a break from work and try to spend as much time in Mosque reading Qur’an and praying slah and try to get as much reward possible for after life, since the rewards are many times multiplied in this month. Fasting has also been scientifically proven to be healthy for human body as well.
In this short amount of time, it is impossible to go over the benefits of month of Ramadhan. If you have any questions, you can email me at muddassar_a_raja@hotmail.com. RAMADHAN KAREEN !
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Muddassar, what you’re saying is totally true, but the thing is that most people don’t do what you said, they don’t spend their time praying, the spend it sleeping and watching movies and series like G. said.
Anyway, ramadan kareem! =)
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:09 am
Thank you Muddassar, jazak allah khairan
you said it all, I wish Allah yehdeek ya ghassan and your friend Samer, we can’t relate every bad behavior of a Muslim to Islam, it’s just some Muslims are really far away from Islam.
Ramadan kareem
September 7th, 2008 at 11:32 am
i personally have no problem if someone wants to fast, that’s their choice and nobody’s business..
MY problem is when people keep asking you “are you fasting, are you fasting??” I finally had to tell people at work, “look, save your breath, I DON’T fast, so no need to ask every day” SHOCKED looks all around but they got over it..
I mean fasting, like all religious rituals is supposed to be between you and god - why do you have to advertise your “holiness”?
And finally, I agree with earlier comments about the WAY people break their fast - eating like there’s no tomorrow..do the poor have that luxury? Ya3ni people feel hungry for a day but then stuff themselves until they need hospitalization? Isn’t it bizarre? I don’t think that’s what god intended at all!
I think the money spent on all these lavish iftars should be used to feed those less fortunate (the hotels say ramadan is the month of most WASTED food!) THAT is 7aram if anything!
September 17th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
the thing i cannot understand and amazes me every time is the anger. what is with all this anger? so someone is eating, so someone is gay, so someone is drinking, so what? if you are fasting and praying and on your way to a glorious heaven, if you are satisfied, why do you not leave everyone else alone and enjoy the choices you have made?
September 24th, 2008 at 3:55 am
First of all I want to thank Ghassan who gave me this opportunity to share about Islam and Ramadan by challenging the existence of Ramadan.
Secondly, Ghassan is not a Muslim, so I was not surprised when he spoke negatively about Muslims and Ramadan, but I am disappointed at some Muslims who are making negative comments about Ramadan, instead of defending Ramadan.
Well Muslim means “To Submit to Allah”. Submitting to Allah means to submit to orders of Allah. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, Taweed, Salah, Zakah, Fasting in Ramadan, Hajj. If someone denies any of the pillars of Islam, I don’t know how much they are submitting to Allah.
Some of the Muslims in the world, try to follow the West, try to talk like them, dress like them act like them. They party at night clubs, drink alcohol, commit zinah and think this is cool. These are same Muslims who don’t know much about Islam, thus they cannot practice true Islam and people think these are the people who represent Islam. But this is not true only for Islam, this is true for every religion. I live in U.S. and it is full of Christains, I don’t go around making fun of Christianity even though Christians are involved in murders, cheating, drugs, raping little girls, boys, even the leaders of churches (priests) are involved in child pornography and child rape. But they don’t represent Christianity, they are individuals. Their action does not give me right to criticize their religion and tell them what to practice or not. What my right is to correct my self, enjoin others to do good and forbid the evil. Just as all Human Beings should do.
As far as how Muslims act, during fasting or at iftar time or after fasting is an individual act of each Muslim. That differs from Muslim to Muslim. Everyone is an individual and their knowledge and understanding of Islam is different, so their actions and practices are of different level but the only people who fully represent Islam are the people who completely follow Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Whatever I have said, if it has offended anyone, please forgive me. That is not my intention. I pray to Allah that we can continue to learn from each other and keep an open mind, instead of stereotyping and promoting negative images of other people.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Muddassar:
1. Your comments are most welcome on this blog, even if you disagree with me.
2. “Ghassan is not a Muslim, so .. Ramadan”, why is that! do you expect that every non-Muslim to speck against Islam.. I speck against what I think wrong, no matter what it is.
3. I agree with you, if you’re truly Muslim you should follow every thing Islam says, that’s why I’m an Atheist.
4. Not every Muslim represent Islam, I agree with that, but the fact on the ground is, this is how Ramadan is.. even (or even worse) in Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia.
Once again, your most welcome to post you opinions, it’s all about the freedom of speech.. even if you’re against me.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:21 am
I apologize for not responding sooner. I was busy enjoying the last 10 blessed days of Ramadan and the rewarding Eid day.
Ghassan, you asked me if I expect every non-Muslim to talk against Islam, the answer is, No. But I was talking to my Muslims brothers and sisters who are making negative comments about Ramadan. There are non-Muslims everywhere making negative comments about Islam and I expect it from them but expect Muslims to get together and educate others about Islam.
I did not know you were Atheist. The good news is you are very close to Islam. For example, Muslims believes “There is no God, but Allah” and you believe, “There is no God”, the only thing we need to add to your belief is only to words, “but Allah”. So there my friend, I invite you to become Muslim by adding the above two words in your belief. If you have any questions, please ask. May Allah bless you.