Ramadan

I want to congratulate all Muslims at this forum with our holiday or better say holy month Ramadan. Eid Mubarak brothers and sisters (if there are).

I also congratulate to Ramadan
Happy Ramadan!

Fasting at 36°C in Turkey, i think this will be hard.

Why are you so happy about this? You can't eat between sunrise and sunset, which is an especially long time in summer. I'll congratulate you when it's over.

We are happy because this month is holly for us, and all sins will be forgiven, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever fasts during Ramadan
with faith and seeking his reward
from Allah will have his past sins
forgiven. Whoever prays during
the nights in Ramadan with faith
and seeking his reward from
Allah will have his past sins
forgiven. And he who passes
Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith
and seeking his reward from
Allah will have his past sins
forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim).

Fasting isn't a problem, it was prescribed for all of us. We are happy to fast. And there is Eidul-Fitr holiday at the end of this month, so you'll be able to congratulate us with it as well Lukas

Alibaba, it's about 45 and upper is my place, 35 - 39 in shadow InshaAllah, our fasting will be recieved.

Inshallah
I think 3run explained pretty much everything

So you are happy because you will be rewarded? In that case, it still sounds strange to me. It's like you have to work and celebrate when work begins, instead of when you get your salary.

Of couse there is also joy in the salary but there are several situations where I'm happy when the work starts.
Ramadan isn't all 365 days of the year, but an event that occurs once per year so there is a reason to be happy when it starts. It something special and its another way to show that you love Allah.

At least thats how I view the things, which is probably a wrong view because I'm not a muslim. Anyway, congratulations @ 3run, alibaba and every other muslim here on the forum!

I see two ways in which I don't think this lines up with Muslim thinking:
1. They're not happy just because one day they'll be rewarded. Their sins are forgiven. This is a big deal.
2. Islam is not about being rewarded. It's about bringing due glory to Allah. Fasting is a great way to keep oneself thinking about the reason they're fasting. If you're fasting throughout Ramadan, you'd be hard pressed not to think about Ramadan and what it means to you.

At least, this is how I see it from a Christian perspective. I rarely fast, but find that it can be useful for making me more conscious of my relationship with God and the hunger serves as a constant reminder to spend more time in my Bible, pray, and so on.

Jibb

Lukas, salary you get for your work isn't comparable with reward you get from Allah, since you can simply go and waste your salary
This month is holly for all Muslim, we aren't taking fasting as a hard work to get salary after it, this is fiesta for all of us

JustSid, your view isn't wrong, it's quit clear and right. Thank you

Jibb, I agree with you as well

Wow, didn´t knew that you are linguistically talented
You both are right.
Ramadan is once a year and it´s so special because here you have the chance that Allah removes you sins. It´s also special because you see how much time you actually have a day and how much you are wasting. It also prevents you from doing bad thing in that time. Besides you get a view how poor people feel.
You see, there are a lot of thing to be happy about

Each time I compare something religious to something else, religious people tell me you can't compare that. It seems religion is uncomparable.

I would be happy AFTER Allah removed my sins. I guess I can undestand that you look forward to the removal of your sins, but before that, you have to do your duty - fast.

Why isn't removal of sins a reward?

I can't see how it would prevent you from doing bad things, it that supposed to mean you are too hungry to rob a bank? Or you can't lure on people in the night, because you are busy eating?


I can see the point about getting a view how poor people feel, but I wouldn't look forward to that.

Maybe you have to be a muslim to understand...

According to my understanding they have to fast to have their sins removed, so I agree that they are "working" for their "salary" of having their sins forgiven.

The Christian approach is different. Forgive the comparison but to me the Muslim faith looks more like a part time job than anything else. Christianity is about dedication, a lot like a marriage. It's something you're supposed to think about daily. To that end I agree with Jibb's view on fasting; that is, I see fasting as a way to spend quality time with God than working time.

I'm not very religious to be honest, but I try to understand them at least to some degree and truth is: You can't compare religion. Its a complete block for its own as its not an "weltliches Konzept" (I'm really really sorry, but I don't know any appropriate translation for this)


You don't have to be a muslim to understand that, lets say there is a big event upcoming which you just want to attend no matter what happens. Then you are happy when said event starts no matter what the result of the event is, being it that you are free of your sins or that the world goes down.

Plus Ramandan gives you the chance to view the world from a different perspective like already mentioned, some people look forward to these kind of things and are happy for it.

@Lukas
Try it yourself. Somehow if you´re hungry, then you can´t do bad things. I don´t know why.

Cannibalism?

Didn´t meant that

Fasting isn't going to prevent you from robbing the bank there is no such a magic... The thing is that in Ramadan Muslims need to do good things as much as possible. Why do we fast? We cause our God tell us to, same as He told us to pray, to help people which are in need of food. Not only because we want our sins to be forgiven. The main idea is to do what our God tell us to, if you are interested, read Quran or ask me, it's hard for me to explain everything in English since it's not my mother language... You can also go and ask questions which you want to be answered in mosque. And the main reward is Heaven. I hope now you can see that salary after one month of work isn't compareable with that reward. This why I can't agree with you Redemeer, there is no "part time job", we not thinking like "today I'll fast and tomorrow I'll go to rob a bank". The main meaning of the Muslim is to listen to Allah, and if you'll do that InshaAllah you'll be in heaven. Lets say death is a kind of trip to another life... When you are moving away from your house for a long time or even forever, you will take some stuff with yourself, right? Some kind of baggage. So good things you've done in your current life, praying, helping people which are in need, fasting - this all are you baggage to your next life... And no, you can't compare religion.

You don't need to be Muslim to understand, this isn't kind of rocket science or math to be so hard to understand. And please, don't reduce this to the absurdity, with such things like canibalism...

Oh, you misunderstand me. I wasn't comparing Islam to cannibalism, I just found alibaba's statement amusing. I don't believe you are any less prone to sin when you are hungry, just as you said.

Sorry I didn't meant to be harsh, this is the language barrier I think.

@Redeemer: I'm under the impression that in islam you actually dedicate more than in christianity. They have rules of how often to wash themselves and pray daily. In islamic countries they have breaks from work just so they can pray. It's not a part-time job.

So did I understand it correctly now, that not doing evil is not caused by fasting, but because in Ramadan you have to be extraordinarily good? Then it makes sense.


You don't want me to compare religion to anything else, but I hope you will allow me to compare religions among each other.
When I was a child, when parents took the christian lent seriously, all I thought was that it sucked. Sure, my parents told me stuff about that god will reward me and I knew at the end there is easter, but I still hated it. I looked forward to the end, not to the beginning (I mean ash wednesday, not carnival).

So my point is, what you are happy about, is at the end, not at the beginning. Not being allowed to eat during daylight, well... sucks.

Christianity lacks the rites and the rituals but definitely not the dedication. I've always thought that James 1:26-27 sums up this idea nicely.

Christianity teaches that it's not the rituals and the sacrifices that please God, but the daily love that we exhibit in emulation of his Son.

So you way of dedication is... daily love?
I am an atheist, and I have love. I also have morals and stuff. So what makes you different that you can say you dedicate and I don't?
Muslims do daily rituals that always remind them that they are muslims. For me that is dedication.

I'm not a good example of a Christian, to my own shame - I falter often in my conduct. The prime Christian dedicates himself constantly to the virtues of love.

As I've said before, Christians believe that humanity is naturally evil. By becoming a Christian you admit this and ask God for forgiveness, which He gives freely. At the same time, He also empowers us so that we do not have to sin again (although we typically do so anyway, to our shame). He begins to help us through various means in our daily struggle of dedication through love.

This God-given growth separates us from others... and He does not help others simply because they do not want it.

Guys, I appreciate it, but don't you think that you are going offtopic too much?
This thread wasn't made to compare Islam with Christians, so please, make another thread for that

Lukas@ you got the point about being extraordinarily good
And the answer for your question about why we like it at the beginning is very simple, we love this fiesta and we love to fast during it.
As you said about yourself, how you used to hate easter and everything related to religion, which your parents told you about.
You looked forward to the end, not to the beginning, simply cause you didn't like it, and even hated it.
See we love this fiesta and everything related to it, so that's why we are happy from the very beginning tilt the end of it.

You're right, 3run. This thread is not for Christianity. Apologies for going off-topic.

Have a nice Ramadan.

So you love it for the fiesta? Hmm, alright...

I didn't say I hated easter. I hated lent and easter was the end of it, so I looked forward to easter. At easter we got many eggs to eat and some smaller presents (not as big as on christmas). And I didn't hate everything related to religion. I also liked (and still like) christmas.

I think everyone likes Christmas.

Thank you Redemeer.
Lukas, OK, now I got you point, and yes I probably got you wrong first time.

Main point here is, fasting is not only not eating anything. It's also committing as little sin as possible.

Some people see it also as a way of improving their personality.
Want to quit smoking? Ramadan is your one chance.
Masturbate too much, and want to stop that? It's your one chance.
Eating too much, can't keep a regular diet? Your chance.

Quad, why aren't you congratulating us?

Congrats, mate. Congrats to everyone.

thank you

Edit: thank you mods, I appreciate it.

Gratz for the end of the Ramadan! Or the last day, dunno if it really ends today or tomorrow.

Thank you Lukas! It ends tomorrow.

ramadan will end ... i'm sad

Eid Mubarak my brothers!

It can give you some really deep insights and if you´re open for them it doesn´t really suck at all.

Shalom!