Hi everybody:
It is noontime. The month of Ramadan is here. I am not fasting. I am at the office and I have to find somewhere to eat my lunch. Eating should be done in hiding these days. Living in a muslim country like that of mine is full of suspense. If you are caught, you are finished. Your head will be chopped off - I am joking. Thanks
P.S. My congradulations to those who are fasting and celebrating the coming month of Ramadan, especially to those who are a Sciforumist. thanks

why aren't you fasting?

Originally posted by Morteza Olangui
I am hungry!

FASTING (SIYAAM)
Fasting, or siyaam, has two meanings. Generally, siyaam or sawm, is derived from the root sama, to restrain from normal things, such as eating, drinking, and talking. If an individual refrains from these things, he is considered saaim, the observer of fast. Al-Qur'an uses the word generally when it revealed the conversation between the angel and Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the angel instructed her: "...And if you do see any man, say, 'I have vowed to remain silent for Allah.'" (Al-Qur'an 19:26)

The phrase "to remain silent" is the interpretation of the Arabic word, "sawm." The reason for this interpretation is that "sawm" cannot mean fast, i.e. restraint from food, because Mary had just been told to eat from the palm tree. This general meaning is common in the Arabic language.

In the Shari'ah, Islamic law, the word "sawm" means and implies a specific act, that, is, "to worship Allah, abstaining, with intention to please Him from fast breakers, such as physical nourishment, food, drink, and sexual intercourse or a lustful discharge of semen from the period between the break of dawn until sundown.

As this definition implies, the Islamic fasting is total abstinence from any food particles passing through the mouth or nose, as well as drinks of any kind - water, milk, juices, etc. - along with abstinence from sexual association during the day that commences from the break of dawn till sunset.

Although the definition indicates restraining the stomach and private parts, the tongue, eyes, ears and other limbs are equally obligated to be restrained if the faster wants to gain the total rewards of fasting. This is why the Messenger of Allah (saas) has been reported as saying in a hadith by Abu Hurairah:

"He who does not desist from obscene language and acting obscenely (during the period of fasting), Allah has no need that he did not eat or drink." (Bukhari Muslim)

In another hadith by Abu Hurairah (raa), the Prophet (saas) said: "Fasting is not only to restrain from food and drink, fasting is to refrain from obscene (acts). If someone verbally abuses you or acts ignorantly towards you, say (to them) 'I am fasting; I am fasting.'" (Ibn Khuzaimah)

Indeed, these two reports imply fasting will not be complete until one observes three elements:

1. Restraining the stomach and the private parts from the breakers of the fast - food and drink,

2. restraining the jawarih, the other body parts, which may render the fast worthless despite the main factors of hunger and thirst; so the tongue, for instance, must avoid backbiting, slander, and lies; the eyes should avoid looking into things considered by the Lawgiver as unlawful; the ears must stop from listening to conversations, words, songs, and lyrics that spoil the spirit of fasting; and,

3. restraining of the heart and mind from indulging themselves in other things besides dhikir Allah (remembrance of Allah.


The key paragraph is to me this one which says after sundown you can eat or do anything that you wish.

"In the Shari'ah, Islamic law, the word "sawm" means and implies a specific act, that, is, "to worship Allah, abstaining, with intention to please Him from fast breakers, such as physical nourishment, food, drink, and sexual intercourse or a lustful discharge of semen from the period between the break of dawn until sundown."

Originally posted by Wraith
why aren't you fasting?
Hi:
Just for the simple reason that I am a free man and I do not believe in Islam, although I respect Mohammad - God bless him- very much. Thanks

....it's a great way to detox, and loose a few pounds at the same time;)

Originally posted by Wraith
....it's a great way to detox, and loose a few pounds at the same time;)

I actually really like fasting. I look forward to it and even when I have my period, I still fast. I know that it won't be accepted, but the alternative is to tell my father that I'm menstruating, so I just fast infront of at least family.

Morteza Olangui, if you have real guts, go and eat and don't worry about what others will tell you. They should be minding their own business and concentrating on their own fast. Ramadan is about self control, and you are not doing that by letting people make you lie. I work in an office that doesn't have any muslims in it. Right outside my office is the microwave. I don't tell people to fast nor do I even tell them to move the microwave. Everyday I pass by food and get invited to eat with someone and all I have to say is, thank you, but I don't want to eat at the moment or i had a huge breakfast, which I really did. Very few people know that I'm fasting and that makes me feel so happy.

It's mine damn it.

I'm fasting until I can afford some food.

Originally posted by Flores
Morteza Olangui, if you have real guts, go and eat and don't worry about what others will tell you. They should be minding their own business and concentrating on their own fast. Ramadan is about self control, and you are not doing that by letting people make you lie.
Hi:
I clicked on your user name to look for where you live. A failure.
So I do not know which counrty you live. But I live in Iran. Here You have to avoid eating in public according to the law.
According to this law _ sharia or whatever - if you are caught eating in public, you will be fined or slashed.
I have my own ideas, and every body around me knows that I am not fasting. I annouce it somehow. But the problem is not me alone. It is the whole country. Why should I, who do not believe in fasting, be obliged not to eat because this is the month of Ramadan and the majority are fasting or pretend they are doing so?
Living in Iran and having independent thinking needs a lot of guts and I do have it. Thanks for your advice.:)

The problem of living inside a moslem-fanatic area (maybe that's too harsh for them, but hey, they make themselves look that way). In my homecountry, or to be exact in the province I lived, eating in public during Ramadhan is not that prohibited, though of course it's not disclosed so grandly, so for example glass-closed restaurants. But in another province, they don't want to see somebody eating, period. REstaurants may still serve food, but no eating may be visible from the outside.

According to this law _ sharia or whatever - if you are caught eating in public, you will be fined or slashed.

No.

This is not Sharia. It is Iran's own law, packaged as Sharia to stop anyone arguing with them.

Saudi, Iran etc impose Law X, doesn't make X = Sharia, no matter how much they huff and puff.

Wraith,
Would that you mentioned be just some unjust insanity or extreme fanaticism?

Difficult to say. Each of these regimes has their own justificaton for the way they implement/perceive Sharia law.

Don't worry,...America will come soon, and free you from this terrorising regime,...LOL

regime,..whaaahahaa get it regime?! ROFLOL

they'll install fast food chains across you country in no time,...obestias will be the future plague