Its Ramadan time!

[kim and khalid 0]

I'm looking forward to spending this ramadan with my husband, all of us reading the quran together and just making this a very special time.

Hope this won't be overshaddowed by me being grumpy for not eating .

I HAVE NEVER PRACTICED RAMADAN I AM NERVOUSE BC I HAVE READ ALOT ABOUT IT

DO YOU THINK AS A CHRISTIAN STILL I SHOULD OBSERVE RAMANDAN WITH HIM I AM HERE IN THE US AND IM NOT SURE OF WHAT EXACTLY I SHOULD DO

[amal 4]

I'm looking forward to spending this ramadan with my husband, all of us reading the quran together and just making this a very special time.

Hope this won't be overshaddowed by me being grumpy for not eating .

I HAVE NEVER PRACTICED RAMADAN I AM NERVOUSE BC I HAVE READ ALOT ABOUT IT

DO YOU THINK AS A CHRISTIAN STILL I SHOULD OBSERVE RAMANDAN WITH HIM I AM HERE IN THE US AND IM NOT SURE OF WHAT EXACTLY I SHOULD DO

nothing wrong with observing it with him but since you aren't muslim you are not "required" to do it. If you decide not to, at least try to respect what he is going through and try not to eat or drink around him while he is fasting. It is so hard when others don't understand. If you're home before he gets home from work in the evening, have a good meal prepared when it is time to break the fast coz he will definitely be ready to eat. Good luck on whatever you choose.

[Carolyn 1]

I read somewhere (maybe here on VJ) that people in way northern areas (alaska, finland, arctic circle, etc.) can't fast according to daylight hours when Ramadan falls in the summer months, so they follow fasting times in Saudi Arabia...

[coolred38 0]

As a former Christian I find that the month of Ramadan is similar to the lead up to Christmas....everyone strives to be more friendly, helpful, polite....we watch what we say, see or do more carefully and its generally just a really pleasant time.....i think thats why we all miss Ramadan so much when its gone....for some Muslims it means they "dont have to behave anymore"....very sad. Anyhow, my favorite thing is sitting in the mosque waiting for the taraweea prayers to start....its peaceful and everyone is reading the Quran or doing dhikr or praying....I feel really spiritual in the mosque and it quiets the restless feeling I always have in my heart, my mind....helps me relax and think about nothing except my deen and my future(and the past year...sigh).

I pray that everyone here has a pleasant and productive Ramadan....that you accomplish your fasting with a good spirit and plenty of patience and that you come out the other side of the month with a feeling of cleanliness and renewed vigor for your deen. Insh Allah.

[mybackpages 0]

Jenn- are you observing Ramadan again this year?! Brave!!!

I am looking forward to the first day because I plan on doing a lot of cooking for the first night. I for one do not fast during Ramadan and I am not Muslim, but it sure seems like the next few years are going to be tough ones during the summer/fall months.

Yup, I am!

Wadi suggested we move to Alaska so that the next few years of Ramadan won't be so bad.

hahaha you can just take a Ramadan vacation every year to Alaska!

Good idea. Although on second thought, aren't the days really long during Alaskan summers? Maybe we'd be better off in Australia. We're gonna have to give this some more thought.

good idea, just needs more thought. I spent the summer in Helsinki once. The sun didn't set til 2 am and then it was dawn at 5am. Let's head for Buenos Aires!

What do all the Muslims on the North Pole do when Ramadan falls during the summer - not eat for a month?

I know...this post of your triggered a discussion before bed last night.....Idir says they probably follow the scheduleof some other country. I sad there has to be a reason its between dawn and sunset and you just can't go aroundmaking up rules because God knows about time differences.

[doodlebug 3]

when do we set the clocks back?

[monnik 0]

Doodle, in Egypt, the time has already been set back one hour. For now, there's only a 6 hour time difference between Egypt and the US east coast.

I believe in the US, it will happen on the first Sunday in November (which is Nov 4 this year) at 2am EST.

Edited September 10, 2007 by monnik

[jade2004 0]

I have decided to participate in the Ramadan fast this year (my first time)...actually my first time EVER fasting so I am really nervous about it. I am not Muslim, but decided to at least give it a shot.

[ya falaha! 0]

If you're Christian it's not necessary to fast just because your SO fasts. If I were Christian...hell noes would I fast. The only reason I fast now is because I fear I will burst into flames if I don't. Seriously, I do get a little excited for it in the beginning but that doesn't last. About a week or so into it I get really irritated and pissed off. I don't like the restrictiveness (not sure if that's an actual word) of it.

I'm looking forward to spending this ramadan with my husband, all of us reading the quran together and just making this a very special time.

Hope this won't be overshaddowed by me being grumpy for not eating .

I HAVE NEVER PRACTICED RAMADAN I AM NERVOUSE BC I HAVE READ ALOT ABOUT IT

DO YOU THINK AS A CHRISTIAN STILL I SHOULD OBSERVE RAMANDAN WITH HIM I AM HERE IN THE US AND IM NOT SURE OF WHAT EXACTLY I SHOULD DO

[sara535 15]

I am not Muslim and I dont fast although I DO try to be considerate and not eat in front of my husband and try to have a traditional type dinner in the evening, lots of harrira and other moroccan foods. By the same token, my husband is not Christian but he certainly participates in the Christmas celebrations. of course, his favorite part is the gift exchange!

[Caladan 19]

Jenn- are you observing Ramadan again this year?! Brave!!!

I am looking forward to the first day because I plan on doing a lot of cooking for the first night. I for one do not fast during Ramadan and I am not Muslim, but it sure seems like the next few years are going to be tough ones during the summer/fall months.

Yup, I am!

Wadi suggested we move to Alaska so that the next few years of Ramadan won't be so bad.

hahaha you can just take a Ramadan vacation every year to Alaska!

Good idea. Although on second thought, aren't the days really long during Alaskan summers? Maybe we'd be better off in Australia. We're gonna have to give this some more thought.

You'd be fasting 20 hours a day! And it would be light out the whole time! It's like God throws a dimmer switch around 11pm set to lighten at 2am.

[Jenn! 918]

I don't think that anyone should feel obligated to observe Ramadan if they are not Muslim. The first two Ramadans that Wadi and I were together, I did not observe, the third he was in Morocco and I was here, so I didn't observe then either. This will be the second year that I'm going to fast with him. I enjoyed doing it last year, not because I love fasting, but because I liked being included in the experience. Last year we'd have lots of people over often to break fast, and it was nice to be a part of it. I don't think it would have felt the same if I had just done the cooking and not the fasting as well. I know if our positions were reversed, I would definitely appreciate Wadi doing the same for me, which is why I like to do it.

Jenn- are you observing Ramadan again this year?! Brave!!!

I am looking forward to the first day because I plan on doing a lot of cooking for the first night. I for one do not fast during Ramadan and I am not Muslim, but it sure seems like the next few years are going to be tough ones during the summer/fall months.

Yup, I am!

Wadi suggested we move to Alaska so that the next few years of Ramadan won't be so bad.

hahaha you can just take a Ramadan vacation every year to Alaska!

Good idea. Although on second thought, aren't the days really long during Alaskan summers? Maybe we'd be better off in Australia. We're gonna have to give this some more thought.

You'd be fasting 20 hours a day! And it would be light out the whole time! It's like God throws a dimmer switch around 11pm set to lighten at 2am.

Yeah, but no sweating.

[Caladan 19]

A prof of mine at undergrad married a Muslim girl from India, and he reported that she remarked that it wasn't hard to observe Ramadan in a community where every evening someone would be hosting the food. It felt like cheating to go to the party but not fast.

[Jenn! 918]

A prof of mine at undergrad married a Muslim girl from India, and he reported that she remarked that it wasn't hard to observe Ramadan in a community where every evening someone would be hosting the food. It felt like cheating to go to the party but not fast.

One Ramadan, we were visiting Wadi's aunt and uncle in France, and I was not fasting. I remember that feeling of participating in the celebration without having "earned it". I felt like a doofus.

[amal 4]

I'm officially in preparation for Ramadan now. I am starting slowly with just cutting the food until supper. I'm allowing myself to chew gum and to drink though. The food is the hardest to give up an I'm in a totally rotten mood today coz due to promising myself to not eat, I really want some chocolate brownies . I have to start now and wean myself so as not to fast cold turkey (haha no pun intended). I also had 2 days to make up from last year so hopefully I can do it full force tomorrow enshAllah. I intend on a full meal 2nite. I want spaghetti but hubster won't eat it SOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'll prolly make that for me and chicken w/rice for him with salad, fruit, veggies, labneh, bread, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm can u tell I'm already starving???!!!???!!!

I agree with moody, If I weren't Muslim, I would absolutely NOT observe. The whole going down in flames (literally) just doesn't sound good to me. I know that a week or so into it, my body will adjust and I'll be just fine (at least that is how it was last year). I am definitely going to need some support this year. Maybe I'll make a "Ramadan inspiration" thread/? What do you all think???

amal