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Why does Ramadan seem to move from year to year? I would guess it would be to do with differences between calendars, but I wouldn't have thought that would allow for more than a few weeks variation.
What brings this up is that I'm sure it was in November one year (I was working with a Muslim at the time. Which was a little wierd, feeling guilty having my dinner when he didn't), but now I see its in September.
One thing that I would also like to know is how strict this is? The lad I was working with, an apprentice electrician, told me that a fellow sparky, who was also a muslim, wouldn't drink water, and would also spit out his own saliva rather than swallow it. Thing is, I work in the building trade, so theres plenty of physical labour, and you sweat a lot, and I imagine this would be worse in somewhere a bit hotter than North Yorkshire, such as Egypt :) Isn't there a danger of dehydration, or was the other muslim taking an extreme view?
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Hi Arclight...
The muslim calendar is based on 12 lunar months which is 11 days short of the xian calendar. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) mentioned this in the Quran several years before the muslim calendar came into being, dated from the Prophet's migration (hijarah) to Madina;
<b>18:25 Some say they stayed in their cave three hundred years and some add another nine.</b>
When I first converted to Islam I thought the same as you...nil by mouth from dawn til dusk...<i>impossible!</i>
My first Ramadan was months away so I attempted the sunnah fasts of Mondays and Thursdays for practice. In the beginning I used to vomit before noon...without fail and my last "practice" I managed to survive until 4pm before I gave up. So I entered my first Ramadan with a scoresheet of <i>zero</i> fullfilled fasts. A 100% failure rating.
Then there it was...Ramadan. The nights before I prayed to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) to make it easy for me.
Alhamdulillah...30 days of Ramadan went like a breeze. No thirst, no hunger. And it's been the same every Ramadan since and insha allah (God willing) in the future too.
An extreme view...No!!!! It's compulsory. And easy.
<i><b>The very best time of the year.</b> </i>
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Bismillah,
The Islamic calendar is based on the moon, not on the sun. This is why it differs greatly. Think about how Easter falls on diffrent days. This is because it falls on the full moon. Chinese follow the lunar calendar as well.
In regards to Ramadan, I haven't heard of a person fainting because of it. If you are sick you don't fast. But before the sun rises in Ramadan. I would have breakfast. I would eat toast, drink milk and lots of water then pray. Then when the sun set I would break my fast and had dinner and drink lots of water. really I am only missing out on lunch. Really there is about a 15 hr break before I eat again. But I drunk my eight glasses of water at break fast and when I broke my fast. Which I usually drink in the day. So you really not going to faint cause u make up for it.
Wasalam
Alliex
P.S I don't spit out my saliva. I think that is a bit extreme, since it is a natural body function and it keeps your mouth moist.
