A few questions regarding Islam

I am a generally tolerant kind of person and have respect for those who follow a religion though I do not follow any myself. There are many questions raised by religious texts that seem, to me at least, difficult to relate to the modern world.

With this in mind I have a few specific questions relating to Islam that I was hoping someone may be able to answer.

Firstly, is Eid observed at the same time all around the world? My understanding that it is based on the lunar calendar but may be wrong. Secondly, do Islamic scriptures insist on fasting during Eid or is it just recommended. My understanding is that fasting is one of the pilars of Islam but again I may be wrong. Lastly, am I right in my understanding that fasting during Eid means that you can not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset?

If anybody can clarify this I´d be grateful.

Regards

Originally posted by Wheely
I am a generally tolerant kind of person and have respect for those who follow a religion though I do not follow any myself. There are many questions raised by religious texts that seem, to me at least, difficult to relate to the modern world.

With this in mind I have a few specific questions relating to Islam that I was hoping someone may be able to answ ...[text shortened]... or drink between sunrise and sunset?

If anybody can clarify this I´d be grateful.

Regards

there are two eids, buchra eid ( in respect of Abraham when a goat is sacrificed) and i cannot remember the other choti eid or something, , yes its roughly around the same time and is dependent on the lunar calendar, fasting is practiced for a month and yes you cannot eat between sunrise and sunset, which is ok if it happens to fall in winter, because you can get up early and eat and also sunrise is about 4 oclock when it gets dark, in the UK anyway

i apologize for the lack of detail but it confirms some of your own thoughts - perhaps some of the Muslims may help you more.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
there are two eids, buchra eid ( in respect of Abraham when a goat is sacrificed) and i cannot remember the other choti eid or something, , yes its roughly around the same time and is dependent on the lunar calendar, fasting is practiced for a month and yes you cannot eat between sunrise and sunset, which is ok if it happens to fall in winter, becaus ...[text shortened]... etail but it confirms some of your own thoughts - perhaps some of the Muslims may help you more.

The month of Ramadan is never in winter. I think in most years it falls close to the Sept equinox in which days and nights are almost equal throughout the world. So its not like muslims in the UK have more time to eat that muslims in Australia.

Originally posted by Wheely
I am a generally tolerant kind of person and have respect for those who follow a religion though I do not follow any myself. There are many questions raised by religious texts that seem, to me at least, difficult to relate to the modern world.

With this in mind I have a few specific questions relating to Islam that I was hoping someone may be able to answ ...[text shortened]... or drink between sunrise and sunset?

If anybody can clarify this I´d be grateful.

Regards

Firstly, is Eid observed at the same time all around the world? My understanding that it is based on the lunar calendar but may be wrong.

Yes , all Muslims observe Eid all over the world, and yes it is based on the lunar calendar.

Secondly, do Islamic scriptures insist on fasting during Eid or is it just recommended. My understanding is that fasting is one of the pilars of Islam but again I may be wrong.

I think you are confusing Eid with Ramadan. The lunar calendar contains 12 months one of them is Ramadan which Muslims fast. It is a pillar of Islam to fast each day of this month.

Fasting the Eid (feast) day itself is not allowed. There are to feasts, the first one marks the end of Ramada. So it is the first day of the Month of Shaban.

The second Eid is the 10th day of Zul Heja, which as stated before is the day of the story of Abraham and his son.

In general a Muslim is allowed to fast any day of the year except these two days, but he must fast the month of Ramadan.

Lastly, am I right in my understanding that fasting during Eid means that you can not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset?

Yes you are right. And as lunar Calendar moves 11 days every year, then the month of Ramdan moves from winter to summer every 33 years almost.

Originally posted by Wheely
I am a generally tolerant kind of person and have respect for those who follow a religion though I do not follow any myself. There are many questions raised by religious texts that seem, to me at least, difficult to relate to the modern world.

With this in mind I have a few specific questions relating to Islam that I was hoping someone may be able to answ ...[text shortened]... or drink between sunrise and sunset?

If anybody can clarify this I´d be grateful.

Regards

You're not supposed to eat or drink during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (the 9th month) while the sun is up.

Originally posted by Rajk999
The month of Ramadan is never in winter. I think in most years it falls close to the Sept equinox in which days and nights are almost equal throughout the world. So its not like muslims in the UK have more time to eat that muslims in Australia.

The month of ramadan is constantly occurring earlier on the Gregorian
calender due to the Islamic calender having less days (the lunar
calender has 354 days). Last year it began on September 1st. This year
it will begin on August 21st. Eventually, it will again occur in the middle of
winter as it has done before.

This is why Muslims living up here in the north have to change the rules
a little to suite their most basic requirements for food intake. They
simply take the daylight hours of their origin country, or use the daylight
hours of the Arab world as measurement, hence they can eat during
ramadan in the summertime even though the sun hardly ever sets here
at that time of year.

Originally posted by Wheely
I am a generally tolerant kind of person and have respect for those who follow a religion though I do not follow any myself. There are many questions raised by religious texts that seem, to me at least, difficult to relate to the modern world.

With this in mind I have a few specific questions relating to Islam that I was hoping someone may be able to answ ...[text shortened]... or drink between sunrise and sunset?

If anybody can clarify this I´d be grateful.

Regards

Eid al-Fitr is after the final day of the fast of ramadan. It is a celebration
where Muslims dress up, eat good food and are encouraged to share food
with the poor. Ramadan is the month when the Qur'an was supposedly
revealed to Muhammed. For this reason, it is expected (or encouraged)
that during this month of fasting (where they're supposed to get in closer
touch with their spiritual selves) they read the entire Qur'an.

Originally posted by Wheely
I am a generally tolerant kind of person and have respect for those who follow a religion though I do not follow any myself. There are many questions raised by religious texts that seem, to me at least, difficult to relate to the modern world.

With this in mind I have a few specific questions relating to Islam that I was hoping someone may be able to answ ...[text shortened]... or drink between sunrise and sunset?

If anybody can clarify this I´d be grateful.

Regards

Here in Cape Town there is a dispute about the exact day for Eid (the feast day celebrating the end of Ramadan). I was told by a Muslim friend that there are two possible days for Eid and this causes a split amongst the Muslims here.

During Ramadan you shouldn't eat or drink while the sun is up. Of course in a country where there are both Muslims and non-muslims this can be a little unfair on the Muslims as they have to watch other people eating and drinking.

Thanks everyone for the information. I appreciate all the replies.

Regards

Originally posted by Jigtie
This is why Muslims living up here in the north have to change the rules
a little to suite their most basic requirements for food intake. They
simply take the daylight hours of their origin country, or use the daylight
hours of the Arab world as measurement, hence they can eat during
ramadan in the summertime even though the sun hardly ever sets here
at that time of year.

This bit interests me and to be honest, prompted my question.

I have always been interested in religions themselves. Their history, practices, message etc and was wondering about fasting for Muslims living north of the arctic circle where the sun doesn't actually set at all in the summer. Even as far south as I am, the sun doesn't set until around midnight in the summer and is back up again by 4:30 in the morning or so.

I wondered if this issue is dealt with at all in the Islamic texts at all and if so where. To be completely honest it seems a bit of a loophole to me so would be interested to see how Muslims see this fitting into the scheme of things.

Regards

Originally posted by Wheely
This bit interests me and to be honest, prompted my question.

I have always been interested in religions themselves. Their history, practices, message etc and was wondering about fasting for Muslims living north of the arctic circle where the sun doesn't actually set at all in the summer. Even as far south as I am, the sun doesn't set until around midni ...[text shortened]... would be interested to see how Muslims see this fitting into the scheme of things.

Regards

The Muslims I have talked to do not take these things too literally. ie it more important for them to look at why they fast and not get too bogged down in the details and technicalities. They do take fasting and many of their other practices very seriously but they don't all go overboard.
I remember hearing that some Jews have a rule that you cannot move a chair with three rungs on its back on a Sunday as it might be a ladder and therefore moving it is work. That is going overboard.

The same applies to other things like eating only halaal food. I asked about that and was told that a Muslim should do everything reasonable to ensure that their food is halaal, but they don't necessarily loose sleep over cases where they make a mistake or where there is really no other option.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
... and yes you cannot eat between sunrise and sunset, which is ok if it happens to fall in winter,

What about if you are such up north around the summer solstice so you have midnight sun, and the sun never sets? Is that why there are no muslem Greenlander? Or Sami Moslems in Sweden?

Originally posted by FabianFnas
What about if you are such up north around the summer solstice so you have midnight sun, and the sun never sets? Is that why there are no muslem Greenlander? Or Sami Moslems in Sweden?

Like I said, they use daylight hours from their own home countries, or the
arab world.

Originally posted by Jigtie
Like I said, they use daylight hours from their own home countries, or the
arab world.

So a family of Swedes north of Kiruna cannot be moslems, because (if)their home country is in fact Sweden? They starve to death during the month of ramadan if it happens around summer solstice?

But, yes, in Sweden there is a special kind of Islam (no kidding).

Originally posted by FabianFnas
So a family of Swedes north of Kiruna cannot be moslems, because (if)their home country is in fact Sweden? They starve to death during the month of ramadan if it happens around summer solstice?

But, yes, in Sweden there is a special kind of Islam (no kidding).

"...they use daylight hours from their own home countries, or the
arab world."