Ramadan Mubarak

I would like to wish all the Muslims Ramadan Mubarak and I hope you all have a blessed month, this is the time to think and reflect.

Here are the number of hours that Muslims would be fasting around the world

[image: i61.tinypic.com]

and finally this is the first time that all the different sect would be fasting on the same day.

to all the non-Muslim would you try and fast for one day? want to take up the challenge?


do the Jews fast?


There are six fast days in the Jewish calendar, two days that are considered more serious than the other four. Yom Kippur and Tisha B'av. The four "lighter fasts" begin at sunrise and last to nightfall. All food and drink are forbidden, but no other prohibitions exists. Anyone who doesn't feel well is not compelled to fact and may break their fast whenever they wish.
Tisha B'av marks the day both the first and second temples were destroyed, this is a fast of bereavement. The three weeks leading up to this day are marked by increased mourning behavior. The fast begins at sundown and ends at nightfall the next day. Besides eating and drinking it is forbidden to wash, wear leather shoes, as well having sexual relations.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.This is the Day of Judgment, when God judges all of mankind, the people of Israel, and every individual. The Torah commands every Jew to observe this day by fasting, refraining from washing, wearing leather shoes, and sexual relations. This is a solemn day of prayer and atonement. Only a physician and a rabbi can determine whether a person is exempt from the fast. And indeed many ill people insists on fasting despite their illness.
All Jews who have reached legal age (13 for men and 12 for women) must fast. Children are not encouraged to fast, although on Tish B'av and Yom kippur many children will build up their stamina by fasting for a few hours.
Fasting as a means for prayer and atonement in special circumstances is quite common in Judaism. Even the Bible mentions several cases of people fasting in order to atone for their sins (the people of Nineveh for instance).
Some Jews fast voluntary fasts on Mondays and Thursdays, many fast on the eve of a new month.
Especially during hard times, a drought, a famine, a war, a plague and so on.
There is an entire tractite of the Talmud dedicated to fasting.


do the Christians fast?

The traditional time for Christians is in Lent, a period of forty days before Easter.Some fast during that time every Friday, as this was the day Jesus died for us, and especially on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent.

Some Christians fast every Friday. Fasting does not mean only having nothing to eat all day. It can mean giving up something we enjoy such as watching TV or some other pleasures.

please do not go round spouting crap and trying to derail the thread as you would be reported.

Enjoy and lets all try and get along for once[:smiley:]

[image: i57.tinypic.com]

Staff edit: No.

It's that time of year again.

Wishing you all the best brother

The longest ramadan in the UK for 33 years, 18 hours :o

I've done 48 hours without eating food for charity before. Literally just drank water for two days. Felt like shit by the end of it. Nothing religious, however, I just wanted to challenge myself and raise money to help people.

I wouldn't fast for religious purposes, I don't really understand the reason behind it to tell the truth. It's interesting that people do.

Happy Ramadan for those who celebrate! Have a great time.

CatHead [1581564]I've done 48 hours without eating food for charity before. Literally just drank water for two days. Felt like shit by the end of it. Nothing religious, however, I just wanted to challenge myself and raise money to help people.

I wouldn't fast for religious purposes, I don't really understand the reason behind it to tell the truth. It's interesting that people do.

Happy Ramadan for those who celebrate! Have a great time.

Same here, I don't see how starving yourself can be viewed as a form of worship in any religion not just the OP's but then again I use to be Anorexic so who am I to judge, happy Ramadan and remember to starve yourself responsibly (if that's not a contradiction in terms)

Happy Ramadan everyone!!! :) Hope you're not in a timezone with super long days (been there, it was awful lol)

If you don't like or understand it, just don't do it, but don't spoil it for those for whom it means something. It doesn't hurt anyone and is a personal choice and task.

It is also a time for peace and forgiveness as well as humility/humbleness.

MadameButterfly [1035358]

CatHead [1581564]I've done 48 hours without eating food for charity before. Literally just drank water for two days. Felt like shit by the end of it. Nothing religious, however, I just wanted to challenge myself and raise money to help people.

I wouldn't fast for religious purposes, I don't really understand the reason behind it to tell the truth. It's interesting that people do.

Happy Ramadan for those who celebrate! Have a great time.

Same here, I don't see how starving yourself can be viewed as a form of worship in any religion not just the OP's but then again I use to be Anorexic so who am I to judge, happy Ramadan and remember to starve yourself responsibly (if that's not a contradiction in terms)

It's an act of mindfulness and awareness. I've fasted for non-religious as well as religious reasons, and there is a lot to be gained personally if done right. Anything that requires discipline, sacrifice and focus really. Like the army lol ;)

daphne [14757]

MadameButterfly [1035358]

CatHead [1581564]I've done 48 hours without eating food for charity before. Literally just drank water for two days. Felt like shit by the end of it. Nothing religious, however, I just wanted to challenge myself and raise money to help people.

I wouldn't fast for religious purposes, I don't really understand the reason behind it to tell the truth. It's interesting that people do.

Happy Ramadan for those who celebrate! Have a great time.

Same here, I don't see how starving yourself can be viewed as a form of worship in any religion not just the OP's but then again I use to be Anorexic so who am I to judge, happy Ramadan and remember to starve yourself responsibly (if that's not a contradiction in terms)

It's an act of mindfulness and awareness. I've fasted for non-religious as well as religious reasons, and there is a lot to be gained personally if done right. Anything that requires discipline, sacrifice and focus really. Like the army lol ;)

How does not eating for 18 hours require focus?

Surely being really hungry would distract you from prayer... Or is that kind of the point, to overcome that feeling of 'I really want a burger'?

Having stable blood sugar makes the mind very clear. You also realise your "addictions". You don't feel "really hungry", it's a much more stable state after a while. Prayer and mindful acts help. And praying really isn't that hard, you don't need to eat a burger to be able to do it hehe ;)

At the end of the day, if people diss islam for terrorism, suppression, etc, that's fine, but picking on it because of fasting...that's just a prejudice seeking further avenues to attack.

Just re read your bit about your water fast. Yeah, with anything you do mindset is extremely important. Just like in fitness, you can lift way more and run way further if your mind is aligned with what you're doing. And so the mind part of it.

daphne [14757]Having stable blood sugar makes the mind very clear. You also realise your "addictions". You don't feel "really hungry", it's a much more stable state after a while. Prayer and mindful acts help. And praying really isn't that hard, you don't need to eat a burger to be able to do it hehe ;)

At the end of the day, if people diss islam for terrorism, suppression, etc, that's fine, but picking on it because of fasting...that's just a prejudice seeking further avenues to attack.

Just re read your bit about your water fast. Yeah, with anything you do mindset is extremely important. Just like in fitness, you can lift way more and run way further if your mind is aligned with what you're doing. And so the mind part of it.

I hope you don't misunderstand, I'm certainly not trying to pick on Islam. I just don't get how not eating helps anything...

From what you've said, I think it's probably a spiritual thing and fasting helps with something that I'll never come to understand. People think it helps them and I think that's great, more power to them. I just wanted to discuss what it was that they achieved by refraining from eating leg o' lamb for lunch. When I said I don't understand it, it's because I don't and now I suspect that I never will.

CatHead [1581564]

daphne [14757]Having stable blood sugar makes the mind very clear. You also realise your "addictions". You don't feel "really hungry", it's a much more stable state after a while. Prayer and mindful acts help. And praying really isn't that hard, you don't need to eat a burger to be able to do it hehe ;)

At the end of the day, if people diss islam for terrorism, suppression, etc, that's fine, but picking on it because of fasting...that's just a prejudice seeking further avenues to attack.

Just re read your bit about your water fast. Yeah, with anything you do mindset is extremely important. Just like in fitness, you can lift way more and run way further if your mind is aligned with what you're doing. And so the mind part of it.

I hope you don't misunderstand, I'm certainly not trying to pick on Islam. I just don't get how not eating helps anything...

From what you've said, I think it's probably a spiritual thing and fasting helps with something that I'll never come to understand. People think it helps them and I think that's great, more power to them. I just wanted to discuss what it was that they achieved by refraining from eating leg o' lamb for lunch. When I said I don't understand it, it's because I don't and now I suspect that I never will.

Oh haha, yes I did misunderstand slightly. I guess in that regard it's hard to say. In my environment I've noticed most people fast very differently and some use it as a spiritual act, whereas for others it's simply a must and they just wanna get through it as quickly as possible cause they have to, and regardless of what the religion says about this, many also misuse it and hope to lose weight, or act with pride, forget the other aspects beyond the food fast and other nonsense. Not sure that helps anyone really and would then fall under being victim of some religious rule and not an internal spiritual act at all. Indeed. My bad, didn't mean to misjudge you. Lamb is delicious.

CatHead [1581564]

daphne [14757]Having stable blood sugar makes the mind very clear. You also realise your "addictions". You don't feel "really hungry", it's a much more stable state after a while. Prayer and mindful acts help. And praying really isn't that hard, you don't need to eat a burger to be able to do it hehe ;)

At the end of the day, if people diss islam for terrorism, suppression, etc, that's fine, but picking on it because of fasting...that's just a prejudice seeking further avenues to attack.

Just re read your bit about your water fast. Yeah, with anything you do mindset is extremely important. Just like in fitness, you can lift way more and run way further if your mind is aligned with what you're doing. And so the mind part of it.

I hope you don't misunderstand, I'm certainly not trying to pick on Islam. I just don't get how not eating helps anything...

From what you've said, I think it's probably a spiritual thing and fasting helps with something that I'll never come to understand. People think it helps them and I think that's great, more power to them. I just wanted to discuss what it was that they achieved by refraining from eating leg o' lamb for lunch. When I said I don't understand it, it's because I don't and now I suspect that I never will.

Let's put it this way , how you done the fast with only drinking water and your only aim was for a noble cause aka to help a charity and after you finished the fast you must have felt relief and some sort of joy that you had done it , you can look at that perspective us Muslim's fast in order to please God and each fast that we complete is like a plus point and we feel how you must have felt joy and etc.

I smoke a lot and the whole day that I have been fasting I've not been craving for a smoke, it has a lot of benifits to it ill post a pic up of explaining the benifits when I get home after work or tomorrow

To me..and others its like being a Jedi follower and only eating star wars food for a month or some voodoo guy killing chickens for a month.

It makes no odds to me its done by millions or a well known,historic 'thing' done by the religious.

For some very very strange reason,certain religions or practices are held in more regard than other 'religious practices'

(If YOU dont recognize some some things as proper religions then your the same as me here...i just recognize them as basically the same but varying in madness)

PopadaPill [900338]To me..and others its like being a Jedi follower and only eating star wars food for a month or some voodoo guy killing chickens for a month.

It makes no odds to me its done by millions or a well known,historic 'thing' done by the religious.

For some very very strange reason,certain religions or practices are held in more regard than other 'religious practices'

(If YOU dont recognize some some things as proper religions then your the same as me here...i just recognize them as basically the same but varying in madness)

Well it depends on which act you see as more religious then other acts

E14-SOLIDER [430960]

PopadaPill [900338]To me..and others its like being a Jedi follower and only eating star wars food for a month or some voodoo guy killing chickens for a month.

It makes no odds to me its done by millions or a well known,historic 'thing' done by the religious.

For some very very strange reason,certain religions or practices are held in more regard than other 'religious practices'

(If YOU dont recognize some some things as proper religions then your the same as me here...i just recognize them as basically the same but varying in madness)

Well it depends on which act you see as more religious then other acts

Not really, since everyone sees their own religious acts as the correct ones they are either all right or none of them are, people like myself and PopadaPill can dismiss them all as pointless ritual (not that we are, just saying we can) because we don't engage in any religious practice but you can't because you engage in ritual yourself so to call other peoples rituals wrong would be hypocritical.

MadameButterfly [1035358]

E14-SOLIDER [430960]

PopadaPill [900338]To me..and others its like being a Jedi follower and only eating star wars food for a month or some voodoo guy killing chickens for a month.

It makes no odds to me its done by millions or a well known,historic 'thing' done by the religious.

For some very very strange reason,certain religions or practices are held in more regard than other 'religious practices'

(If YOU dont recognize some some things as proper religions then your the same as me here...i just recognize them as basically the same but varying in madness)

Well it depends on which act you see as more religious then other acts

Not really, since everyone sees their own religious acts as the correct ones they are either all right or none of them are, people like myself and PopadaPill can dismiss them all as pointless ritual (not that we are, just saying we can) because we don't engage in any religious practice but you can't because you engage in ritual yourself so to call other peoples rituals wrong would be hypocritical.

Well then again it depends on the person and what kind of ritual they are doing , I thought he meant certain religious act in Islam but I cannot comment on other religion

What I mean is that religion doesn't come in grades or levels, whether it be Islam or any other religion any act/ritual done in the name of a deity is no more or less religious than any other act/ritual done on the name of the same or a different deity. Voodoo guy killing chickens for a month in worship of his deity is no less religious than Ramadan in Islam or Lent in Christianity so to imply that some acts/rituals are less religious is incorrect.