Ramadan moon controversy

[Veiled Princess 1]

So will I fast this year ?

I really want to ... but who knows if I am going to be able to. If my morning sickness stays the same or gets worse I probably won't be able to It's gonna SUCK having to make those days up all by myself when I get better.

Please Allah give me the strength and help me fast Ramadan this year.

If it was me I'd probably try and fast as many days as possible for one because it's Ramadan and then so I'd have less days to make up later in the year.

If you're sick though it might not be good for you or the baby so please make sure with your doctor although if your doctor isn't muslim he/she may not fully understand the value we place on fasting during this month.

Good luck

fi aman Allah

[amal 4]

mine has decided to begin on the 23rd.. I told him I' ddo what I could to help him ... I'm not too sure what to do to help..I will definitely be doing some reading

[sarah and hicham 3]

Icey it seems like if you give blood and platlets regularly then you shouldn't stop for Ramadan... you ARE saving people's lives so I don't think you should stop doing it that would be selfish. I think that God would be happy to see you helping people in need even during Ramadan and even if you have a small meal before doing it. Keep up the good work and don't let anyone tell you what you have to do during Ramadan and what is ok to do and what is not... I appreciate what you do and I think it's great!

[Veiled Princess 1]

mine has decided to begin on the 23rd.. I told him I' ddo what I could to help him ... I'm not too sure what to do to help..I will definitely be doing some reading

Cook big delicious meals at night

[Bosco 1]

link to article

Confusion is holiday tradition for Muslims

Panel to no longer rely on moon sightings to set end of Ramandan fast and beginning of celebration

By Rachel Zoll

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kari Ansari recalls getting ready to celebrate one of the most important religious holidays of the year -- the end of the monthlong Ramadan fast.

She and her husband bought new clothes and gifts for their three children and planned a special family meal. But there was one obstacle to starting the celebration: Leaders of the two local mosques couldn't agree when the feast, called Eid al-Fitr, should begin.

"We would just be sitting up at night waiting to hear the decision," said Ansari, who lives in Herndon, Va., and is editor of America's Muslim Family magazine.

The Muslim practice of following a strict lunar calendar, requiring a naked-eye sighting of the new moon to start a holiday the next morning, has divided the Muslim community on its most sacred days. Now a scholarly panel that advises American Muslims on religious law is trying to end the confusion.

The Fiqh Council of North America announced last week that it would no longer rely on moon sightings to determine the start of holidays and would instead use astronomical calculations. The panel released an Islamic calendar that runs through 2011, hoping Muslims in the United States and Canada can be persuaded to trade the old way for the new.

The schedule problem is more than a minor inconvenience. School calendars and vacation time from work, for instance, depend on knowing dates in advance.

"There will be a lot of resentment at first," said Khalid Shaukat, an astronomer and research physicist with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who calculated the calendar for the Fiqh Council. "But I expect that as the time goes on and we educate them, people will see the benefit of this and understand that what may seem like a new approach to them is not against Islamic jurisprudence."

The date of the Eid is based on the Hadith, traditions taken from the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The prophet taught that the holiday marking the end of Ramadan comes the morning after a nighttime sighting of the new moon.

Kareem Irfan, of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, where an estimated 400,000 Muslims live, said the uncertainty of the old system has been costly.

Organizers of the massive community worship services that mark the holiday had to reserve convention halls for two different days, losing money on the double deposit, he said. Muslims who needed a day off from work or had to make plans for pulling their children out of school could not say when the celebration would be.

A patchwork of practices developed, even within the same town.

"It makes you feel sad," Ansari said, "because not everyone is doing the same thing."

The Fiqh Council has spent years trying to end the chaos.

The first test of the new North American system will come Sept. 23, when, according to the Fiqh Council's Islamic calendar, Ramadan begins.

"The American Muslims aren't going to resolve this problem for the whole Muslim world or even for themselves," said Sulayman Nyang, an expert on Islam at Howard University.

"But, gradually, I think science is going to prevail."

ONLINE

Khalid Shaukat's site on the Islamic calendar: www.moonsighting.com/

Islamic Society of North America: www.isna.net/

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Did I call it or what? I'm expecting some huge blow ups on community email lists coming up shortly. It just wouldn't be Ramadan without it.

My husband is firmly in the "Ramadan starts the same time as back home landia" camp this time around *pouts* I hope we start at the same time, since I'll probably start the 23rd. Our local jurisprudence counsel hasn't made any statement yet, nor has Zaytuna.

Yaaay, Ramadan in a little more than a month

Edited August 18, 2006 by rahma

[noura 0]

You know, I really want to try fasting this year, but I'm nervous that my life is not flexible enough. In Maroc, they can shift schedules somewhat to have more "nightlife" and sleep more in the day... I cannot, my life happens mostly during the day. I wake up hungry, drink water *all* day, and usually have to have frequent small meals to keep my energy up w/ the occasional anemia I have. I just worry that I'm a wimp and it will be too hard!!!

Any recommendations from your first years of fasting, anyone? I've been ok to kind of fast on retreat, but in day to day life, I've never succeeded w/ it - I get too weak.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Fasting isn't all that bad once you get used to it. This year, iftars (at sunset) will range from 7 pm at the beginning of the month down to 6 pm at the end, depending on where you are in the united states. That isn't that bad though. Look at it this way - you're just missing lunch.

It is very possible to fast in an american environment. In fact, I'd almost say that it's better to do it here then "back home." Sleeping during the day and staying up all night to party kinda defeats the purpose of fasting. If you're sleeping while you're "fasting," where is the hardship, the test in it?

To prep your body for it, first start by skipping lunch for a few days, eating breakfast early and dinner late. Gradually move the breakfast earlier and the dinner later. Cut down on the amount you eat and drink during the day. Don't gouge yourself at those two meals, because that will only make you hungrier. It's highly recommended to fast in the months prior to Ramadan. Give it a try one day, then give yourself a few days to recover. Then try it for 2 days, leaving yourself some time to recover. Eventually, your body will adjust and it will be so routine you won't even think about it.

There's a hadith of the Prophet (saws) that says something along the lines of fill your stomach 1/3 with food, 1/3 with drink and 1/3 with air. This really works! I've found that when I sit down and eat a traditional breakfast for suhor (the meal before fasting), with eggs, [turkey] bacon, waffles, etc, I'll get hungry by 10 am. But if I limit myself to a bagel and some dates with milk and water, I'm good to go. Same holds true for the iftar. It's a grand tradition in the muslim community to host massive iftar banquets where people will pile their plates high and stuff themselves until they can't move. That kinda defeats the purpose of fasting though. You're not taking in less food, you're just eating it at different times.

I've found that eating something light, a few dates, a small plate of food, at iftar time will satiate the hunger. Then, before I go to bed, I'll eat a little more, but not a ton.

I posted it earlier, but this article provides some excellent advice. For more health related advice, check out these articles.

If anyone does have medical issues, though, it would be best to discuss it with a dr. Let him/her know that you'd like to fast, here is how you'd like to fast, what medical recommendations does he have?

But remember, it's totally doable. People have been doing it for 1400 years in this manner and for thousands in other faith traditions as well. It can seem very overwhelming, but just take it in steps and you'll have it down in no time.

[noura 0]

thanks Rahma, I actually printed out the 1st article to peruse at my leisure, but I will do the same on this other article. We'll see if I can prep myself for it and give it a try... Thanks again for the tips!

[amal 4]

rahma, you give some of the best advice! What you have said has given me some faith that I will be able to do it this year with minimal problems!!! Thanks

amal

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I hope my experiences can help inshaAllah.

Seriously, I can't express how much Ramadan is my favorite time of year. Even thinking about it I get giddy. *weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

[amal 4]

i can't say that I'm feeling "giddy" hehe .. I'm actually a bit concerned how my husband will do since there's no mosque and no muslim population anywhere near my town... I hope he doesn't get too down-and-out.....

Edited August 18, 2006 by amal

[Together4ever 1]

I found Ramadan was a very beneficial and insightful inner journey. It was a time facing my inner struggles head on and realizing much of what I craved was more mental then physical and that I could do just fine with much less and valued what I did have much more. I realize this is part of its purpose but it really had an impact on how much I know myself.

[Bosco 1]

i can't say that I'm feeling "giddy" hehe .. I'm actually a bit concerned how my husband will do since there's no mosque and no muslim population anywhere near my town... I hope he doesn't get too down-and-out.....

Amal,

Not sure where you live, but sometimes you can find a small group of people that gets together in a home if there is no mosque.

If there is a University nearby, see if they have a Muslim Student Union. Try http://islamicfinder.com/ and see if any places come up or even a business. Try http://zabihah.com/ too. If there are businesses, make a friendly visit and ask where they gather. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Rebecca

[amal 4]

thanks for those links....this is definitely a learning experience for both my husband and myself....