A few questions regarding Islam

Originally posted by Jigtie
Why'd you have to go and post so fast? 😛

Good post.

Lol .. same to you ... gave you a rec for that.
I beat you by a couple minutes... no big deal.
That beer you were having slowed you down ... 😀

Originally posted by Wheely
My thoughts though are this. Fasting during the hours of daylight is specifically mentioned in the Islamic texts but there are no caveats for those times and places where daylight lasts for several months. Choosing to take the hours of a more convenient country has no basis in the religious texts as far as I know and can therefore only have been chosen as w ...[text shortened]... rst.

I find this an interesting problem as it is not one I have ever seen discussed anywhere.

an excellent point, The Koran is an Arabic book and therefore contains an Arabic vision, thus there is no provision for such a circumstance as prolonged daylight.

Originally posted by FabianFnas
I don't know much about it.

Most of moslems in Sweden are the usual ones, of course, but there are moslems who integreate the Swedish culture alongside with their muslem traditions. Some imams from arabic 'churches' complains that some (high) Swedish muslems are not 'real muslems' according to their view and standards.

Don't ask more, I don't know much.

Sufi Muslims are different tending towards more of a kind of mystical experience, with music and dance. check it out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7896943.stm

Originally posted by Rajk999
It is not possible for any religious book to answer every possible question that followers have, nor cater for every scenario. Although, I think part of the answer to this dilema is here :

Surah 2 : 183. O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint.

184. (Fasting) for a if you live in an area with significantly unequal days and nights is to fast for 12 hours.

Thanks for this.

My casual reading of this might lead to believe that fasting, though prescribed, is not an absolute requirement and therefore could be ignored under the understanding that you would be a worse person for it.

On the other hand, I might read that I can avoid the fasting and make up the days later which is problem really because of the definition of what a day is in this context. If a day is sunrise to sunset and that actually takes two months then you´ll suffer the same issues when you try and make up this time in the winter.

However, this somewhat reduces the problem to one of interpretation which is more in line with the more contentious issues that all religions find. My initial thought was that this fasting period was a more concrete contradiction than you usually find.

Originally posted by Jigtie
LOL! I guess you're making a good point about religious devotion here.
Do they stay true to the scripture or do they allow for some lee-way and
therefore risk the wrath of Allah?

From the Qur'an 2:185:

[quote][b]Al-Baqara
The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for
mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the C ...[text shortened]... o have a Muslim scholar on
board here, who could tell us all about these things? 🙂[/b]

Still seems to suggest that you really ought to do it though. However the bit about not suffering hardship seems to allow you to decide on your own interpretation of what hardship is.

Originally posted by Wheely
Thanks for this.

My casual reading of this might lead to believe that fasting, though prescribed, is not an absolute requirement and therefore could be ignored under the understanding that you would be a worse person for it.

On the other hand, I might read that I can avoid the fasting and make up the days later which is problem really because of the de ...[text shortened]... al thought was that this fasting period was a more concrete contradiction than you usually find.

I understand your point. I get the impression that fasting is required, but in situations where one cannot, then there are alternatives such as feeding the poor or giving an offering of some kind. But that does not deal with the sunrise/sunset issue. Hopefully an expert on Islamic customs can help.

Originally posted by Wheely
Still seems to suggest that you really ought to do it though. However the bit about not suffering hardship seems to allow you to decide on your own interpretation of what hardship is.

Yes, but the daylight issue is the part I was getting at. It may be flexible,
simply because it's not directly a part of the Qur'an (as far as I can find).

Originally posted by Rajk999
If a muslim is a muslim because of peer pressure then he CHOOSES to bow to peer pressure. Its a choice he makes.
If a muslim is a muslim because his parents are muslims then he CHOOSES to please his parents. Its a conscious choice.

You chose to be Christian? I don't believe you.

Originally posted by twhitehead
You chose to be Christian? I don't believe you.

I chose to remain in Christianity.
I can leave if I wish.

Originally posted by Jigtie
Yes, but the daylight issue is the part I was getting at. It may be flexible,
simply because it's not directly a part of the Qur'an (as far as I can find).

Whats the interpretation of this passage :

Surah 2: 187. Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments. And ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are limits (set by) Allah; approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His signs to men, that they may learn self-restraint.

Sounds like its saying to end the fast when the night appears and eat until dawn.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Whats the interpretation of this passage :

Surah 2: 187. Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments. And ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah hath ordained for you, a ...[text shortened]... aint.

Sounds like its saying to end the fast when the night appears and eat until dawn.

Good job. Thank you. And only two verses below 185. I might do good read
a little more thoroughly next time, instead of searching the Qur'an for:
"ramadan+fast+day".

Ah, but if only time was found in abundance, eh?