The Seasonal Problem and the Solution
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Currently, it is Ramadan according to traditional sources, and I live in the rather northern area of Michigan. Since Ramadan is on the summer of this year, I'm having problems living my normal life and spending time with my friends due to my out-of-sync sleeping schedule and the tiredness that I get from fasting for excessive amounts of time within the day.
And, this is just from Michigan, imagine what folks from Scotland or Scandinavia would be forced to deal with if we continue to insist on a traditional Ramadan. It just doesn't make sense for a god to make commands that not only unreasonable and unhealthy but even are inequitable and downright unjust. And, I know that fasting during the winter is easy. But, this just makes the inequalities more temporal in nature as people who were teenagers during the years of Summer Ramadan are forced to face tougher first-time fasting than their counterparts who were teens during the years of winter Ramadans.
Meanwhile, the folks at Mecca enjoy much more shorter fasting times. For example, you can still reasonably call eating at 700 PM a traditional western dinner as opposed to eating at 900 PM. Sure, there still has to be some effort when it comes to fasting, but you can not deny that the Meccan is better off than the Detrioter when it comes to fasting during the summer and the vice versa happens when Ramadan occurs in the winter.
And, this creates a problem when God advocates for equity amongst human-kind while this great inequity occurs amongst us due to his order.
So far, the only idea that I personally have to solving this problem is to simply adopt the fasting times of Mecca worldwide and adjust to the timezone that the muslim who is fasting lives in.
So, what is your opinion of this?
(Also, I posted this while I was tired and fasting, so sorry if I accidentally got some facts wrong about the seasons or the nature of Ramadan in this post. That is either due to my ignorance on the matter or my hunger/fatigue.)
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So, what is your opinion of this?
Salaamun alayka and welcome to the forum handshake
My opinion is that most of us are trying to force an understanding.
This means we work backwards to get the answers we already have fixed for ourselves.
I believe the correct way is to work forwards and wait for Allah to clarify every matter for us.Salaam,
Bender -
Salaam.
Let's make prayer everybody! Ask God what are the the real fastings during Ramadan. Ask God to clarify it but we also still have to search the truth. After the du'a, please don't mention the Egyptian "God" Amen/Ameen. It has nothing to do with Islam.
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peace DE,
I'm not sure if your thinking on equity is quite right because Quran clearly states each person will be judged according to how they conducted themselves with what they have been given , so there will be differences. Based on the recurrent theme of equivalence in Quran, if one were to fast in place X and it was tougher to do than in place Y then each will be requited accordingly.
Even if we were to leave aside the fasting thing, different temperatures/climates/difficulties exist worldwide, so doing the exact same act in place X and place Y may differ in difficulty. For example, I know digging/building a well is easier (less costly) in certain countries than others (e.g. Bangladesh). So, let's assume person A built a well in a more difficult/costly country compared to person B, and each benefited the same number of people - will they be rewarded the same? Perhaps, but I think each is requited accordingly.
So far, the only idea that I personally have to solving this problem is to simply adopt the fasting times of Mecca worldwide and adjust to the timezone that the muslim who is fasting lives in.
So, what is your opinion of this?
I think 2184 may help with your question
http//quranix.net/
2184 during a certain number of days. But whoever of you is ill, or on a journey, number of other days; and it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to make sacrifice by feeding a needy person. And whoever does more good than he is bound to do does good unto himself thereby; for to fast is to do good unto yourselves - if you but knew it.
What's your thoughts?
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peace DE,
I'm not sure if your thinking on equity is quite right because Quran clearly states each person will be judged according to how they conducted themselves with what they have been given , so there will be differences. Based on the recurrent theme of equivalence in Quran, if one were to fast in place X and it was tougher to do than in place Y then each will be requited accordingly.
Even if we were to leave aside the fasting thing, different temperatures/climates/difficulties exist worldwide, so doing the exact same act in place X and place Y may differ in difficulty. For example, I know digging/building a well is easier (less costly) in certain countries than others (e.g. Bangladesh). So, let's assume person A built a well in a more difficult/costly country compared to person B, and each benefited the same number of people - will they be rewarded the same? Perhaps, but I think each is requited accordingly.
I think 2184 may help with your question
http//quranix.net/
2184 during a certain number of days. But whoever of you is ill, or on a journey, number of other days; and it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to make sacrifice by feeding a needy person. And whoever does more good than he is bound to do does good unto himself thereby; for to fast is to do good unto yourselves - if you but knew it.
What's your thoughts?
I think that I need to clarify that I did not mean that God guarantees complete equity amongst the people of the world. After all, this would mean that the Earth would just be a giant space-station. It is quite clear that God has left to the world, meaning the universe, to its devices and freedom with only religious writings to help guide us to the true path. Thus, there would be natural inequalities due to the variety that this freedom can provide. For example, it is harder to find food in a desert as opposed to a forest.
As for that particular verse (6165), it seems to just simply say that people are judged differently in heaven. It could be based on merit as opposed to birth. And, this merit can be through good deeds.
The problem comes when the inequities based on location/birth are created arbitrarily. It is through the words of the Quran that God himself calls for fasting within the month of Ramadan. (I know about other interpretation of the fasting being only 10 days. But, lets focus on the traditional interpretation.) And thus, we have this completely arbitrary inequity between the people of the extreme latitudes and those of the equatorial latitudes, almost as if God was either ignorant of the effects of the seasons on the length of daytime or he has some sort of deeply rooted hatred for the Global North (And the far-south with places such as South Africa and southern Argentina). Obviously, I think God is neither of these. So, the only two possibilities worth considering now is that people who fast at extreme latitudes get more merit or that maybe God left the specifics of Ramadan vague on purpose so that we can adapt to this. The former possibility wouldn't actually solve the fundamental problem. People have lives with specific schedules. The typical working schedule would be near-suicide for the fasting muslim in the more extreme latitudes during the summer. Basically, people in the far-north and far-south still are inconvenienced, while the people of the equatorial latitudes get a free-pass when it comes to fasting, with all other factors being removed. And, Ramadan is not optional as far as I know. It is not something you do to show your extra devotion to god. Instead, it is something that all muslims have to do, unless I'm wrong on that of course. You can build wells out of your own free-will, but it seems that fasting is obligatory. And, this leads to my idea of standardized fasting times based on Mecca's for everyone in the world. It would be easy, especially in the Information Age where information on the fasting times of say Mecca can be distributed world-wide. And, it would just throw the whole issue out of the window. People would still have to fast for a good part of the day, but not enough to force them to become nocturnal.
I'm planning on trying it myself actually. Though, I am a bit hesitant. I'm wondering if there are any Quranic verses that prohibit this?
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I'm planning on trying it myself actually. Though, I am a bit hesitant. I'm wondering if there are any Quranic verses that prohibit this?
2184,
(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more of his own free-willit is better for him, and it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.
The above verse has left us with options in order to make it easier for us. No need to modify the GOD PRESCRIBED ritual. In your case, if you go through hardship, I believe you can wait till the days become shorter, then do your fasting for the same number of days you owe.
Peace,
Khalil -
I think that I need to clarify that I did not mean that God guarantees complete equity amongst the people of the world. After all, this would mean that the Earth would just be a giant space-station. It is quite clear that God has left to the world, meaning the universe, to its devices and freedom with only religious writings to help guide us to the true path. Thus, there would be natural inequalities due to the variety that this freedom can provide. For example, it is harder to find food in a desert as opposed to a forest.
I know you did not mean that, but I was alluding to location, i.e. where we are born, which we have no control over. This is a difference we all have to deal with.
