Muslims can’t attain this intimacy with God and discipline by giving up food and drinking from sunrise to sunset. They also need to give up gossiping, swearing and sexual activity. You can also give Zakat or help the poor. It is important to make better decisions and to tune out the noise in order to find space for spirituality.
Participants in the fast should take the time to look within and see if they are being the best friend, spouse or child they can be.
Don’t worry about your Muslim friends and their inability to eat and drink. It’s possible that their energy levels may not be the same but it’s all for good and it is not easy. It’s a spiritual intermittent fast, or detox.
Not even water
“Not even water is the most frequent question I get,” said Mohamed Labib, 29. !'” said Mohamed Labib, 29.
Labib isn’t the only one who asks this question — many Muslims claim it is the most common question they receive each year from non-Muslim friends.
Let’s settle this once and for all: Not even water. There is no gum. Your Muslim friends want you to know that your Muslim friends can still brush their teeth, shower, and maintain good hygiene — it is an integral part Islam.
It is acceptable to eat and drink before Muslims who observe the fast
Tarek Halabi, a 30-year-old Tarek Halabi who began fasting when he was 14 years old, said that while many people avoid eating or drinking in front fasting individuals out of respect, some take it to the next level. They’d be concerned if they ate and drank, even if it was an error, as if one of them would be hurt.
While fasting Muslims may be able to appreciate the thoughtfulness of this practice, one of its main purposes is to improve discipline, particularly in the face any temptations.
It could be watching someone sip their coffee at work, or watching a friend eat a donut.
Workers fry vermicelli, a special delicacy prepared for Ramadan, in Karachi, Pakistan.
Rizwan Tabassum / AFP – Getty Images
Some people are exempted from the fast
Do not be alarmed if your friend, who observes Ramadan every other year, does not observe the fast for a few or all of Ramadan.
Maysa Mustafa (24), said that she feels like most non-Muslims do not know that women need to take a break during their periods. Fasting is generally for healthy and able-bodied people.
The fast is not allowed to be taken by anyone who is unable to do so in a safe and healthy manner. This applies to anyone who is sick, long-term or short-term, as well as children under puberty, those who are pregnant, nursing, and anyone who is taking medication.
Mustafa stated that the fast is not meant to be a punishment.
Don’t tell a Muslim friend if they aren’t participating in the fast. You don’t have to explain your spirituality to them.
Ramadan’s start date varies each year. It can also vary among Muslims.
Ramadan is not always on the same day every year as it used to. This is due to a few factors: the Islamic calendar, sightings of the crescent moon locally and globally, and calculations according to the Islamic Center of New York University.
The lunar phases of the moon are the basis for the Islamic calendar. A new moon signals the beginning of a new lunar month. Muslims, however, will wait until the crescent moon is complete before they begin their fast. It is 12 months long, but only 354 days shorter than the standard Gregorian Calendar. Ramadan’s start day moves up approximately 11 days per year. Muslims will find Ramadan’s start date often just a few days ahead of it.
You may also have noticed that your Muslim friends often fast on different days.
A man observes the moon through a telescope Tuesday next to the Dome of Rock Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Mahmoud Illean / AP
While some Muslims will use technology to calculate when the crescent moon will be visible, others will wait until they (or Islamic scholars) see it in person.
“Muslims are not homogeneous, just like any other religion,” Sheikh Faiyaz Jaffer, of the Islamic Center, NYU, says. “There are many schools of thought, fiqh or jurisprudence within Islam.
No matter what day Muslims begin Ramadan on, they all end it with the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, which is the festival of breaking the fast.
Eid-al-Fitr, which is as important and joyful to Muslims and Christians as Christmas is for Christians, is celebrated with new clothes, family time, friends, money, and food.
