The Ramadan Pole Paradox - Revision history

Lightyears at 02:03, 8 December 2025

2025-12-08T02:03:02Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:03, 8 December 2025
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	'''Differences across regions'''		'''Differences across regions'''

	~~There are also vastly different fasting~~ windows depending on which country a person is in. For example, in 2023, as [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world an Al-Jazeera article] explained, '<nowiki/>''Muslims living in the world’s southernmost countries, such as Chile or New Zealand, will fast for an average of 12 hours while those living in northernmost countries, such as Iceland or Greenland, will have 17-plus hours fasts''<nowiki/>'.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world Ramadan 2023: Fasting hours and iftar times around the world] - al Jazeera 20 March 2023</ref> That article assumes those above 18 hours will follow a fatwa to fast according to timings in Mecca, or the nearest Muslim country. Ramadan in 2023 began just after the spring equinox. At the two equinoxes the least extreme range of fasting periods occur. When Ramadan coincides with the summer or winter solstice, the most extreme range is found, as illustrated in the table of examples from June 2014 provided above.		Fasting windows differ considerably depending on which country a person is in. For example, in 2023, as [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world an Al-Jazeera article] explained, '<nowiki/>''Muslims living in the world’s southernmost countries, such as Chile or New Zealand, will fast for an average of 12 hours while those living in northernmost countries, such as Iceland or Greenland, will have 17-plus hours fasts''<nowiki/>'.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world Ramadan 2023: Fasting hours and iftar times around the world] - al Jazeera 20 March 2023</ref> That article assumes those above 18 hours will follow a fatwa to fast according to timings in Mecca, or the nearest Muslim country. Ramadan in 2023 began just after the spring equinox. At the two equinoxes the least extreme range of fasting periods occur. When Ramadan coincides with the summer or winter solstice, the most extreme range is found, as illustrated in the table of examples from June 2014 provided above.

	Ramadan is a fast of both food and water, as well as sexual intercourse during fasting hours:		Ramadan is a fast of both food and water, as well as sexual intercourse during fasting hours:

Lightyears: Removed further material repeated elsewhere in the article/non-relevant

2025-12-08T00:22:57Z

Removed further material repeated elsewhere in the article/non-relevant

Show changes

Lightyears: Language improvements, removed some repetitive/not very relevant points. Exmuslims often find this page useful, sometimes citing it as their key breakthrough..

2025-12-07T23:22:12Z

Language improvements, removed some repetitive/not very relevant points. Exmuslims often find this page useful, sometimes citing it as their key breakthrough..

Show changes

CPO675: /* Extreme fasting windows */ Have moved this counter argument to here from the already very long 'Shape of the Earth' page as I believe it's much more relevant and fitting here

2025-09-30T10:52:19Z

Extreme fasting windows: Have moved this counter argument to here from the already very long 'Shape of the Earth' page as I believe it's much more relevant and fitting here

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:52, 30 September 2025
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	{{Quote\|{{Quran\|17\|78}}\|Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed.}}This is made even more challenging with the often ignored commandment of nightly prayer vigils.{{Quote\|{{Quran\|11\|114}}\|Establish worship at the two ends of the day <b>and in some watches of the night.</b> Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.}}		{{Quote\|{{Quran\|17\|78}}\|Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed.}}This is made even more challenging with the often ignored commandment of nightly prayer vigils.{{Quote\|{{Quran\|11\|114}}\|Establish worship at the two ends of the day <b>and in some watches of the night.</b> Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.}}
			====Hadith allowing an estimate for prayer times====
			Appeal is sometimes made to a lengthy hadith in which Muhammad instructs Muslims to make an estimate of prayer times in the last days when the Dajjal comes and when one day will be like a year, then like a month, and then like a week. It is argued on this basis that Muhammad provided a principle by which people at extreme latitudes should fast and pray.{{Quote\|{{Muslim\|41\|7015}}\|An-Nawwas b. Sam`an reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) made a mention of the Dajjal one day in the morning.<BR />
			[...]<BR />
			We said: Allah's Messenger, how long would he stay on the earth? He (ﷺ) said: For forty days, one day like a year and one day like a month and one day like a week and the rest of the days would be like your days. We said: Allah's Messenger, would one day's prayer suffice for the prayers of day equal to one year? Thereupon he (ﷺ) said: No, but you must make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer).<BR />
			[...]}}Critics note a number of shortcomings with this argument: Firstly, this hadith contains only an instruction for the end of time and when the whole world will have some very long days. The question remains why there are not specific instructions for praying (not to mention fasting) near the polar regions on our round planet. While a stretched analogy can be made with polar regions where the sun cannot be seen rising or setting at all for months at a time, places such as the north of Scotland in the example above still have very short nights in summer yet maintain a 24 hour day-night cycle all year round. This is not like the month or year long days affecting the world in the hadith. A further problem is that the hadith does not explain how an estimate is to be made. The assumption must be that in the last days scenario, people can use the intervals they had been used to in normal times and that this is possible all over the world (which therefore must also be flat). However, on our round earth, people in the polar regions cannot in any sense "estimate" what their prayer (and fasting) intervals would normally be when the sun no longer rises or no longer sets each day. Instead, typically they have to chose the times pertaining at the nearest lower latitude, or if possible, to pray (and fast) at the prescribed times if there is still some brief period of daytime (or night).

			The hadith further demonstrates a flat earth and pre-scientific worldview. On a round earth, there would equally be a long night for the other half of the world. Crops would soon fail on both the daylit and night sides of the earth during the day lasting a year and the day lasting a month. The world would starve before the other events could unfold.
	==Criticisms==		==Criticisms==
	[[Image:Arctic Ocean.png\|thumb\|upright=1.6\|The North Pole.]]Some have asked, if one is to follow the timings of their home city, what is to be the practice of a permanent Muslim resident or even community in near-polar regions. Additionally, when it comes to regions where the day extends to be weeks or even months, the time-window of fasting for the "closest country" where the fasting window is under a day, the time frame usually still ends up being near 24-hours.		[[Image:Arctic Ocean.png\|thumb\|upright=1.6\|The North Pole.]]Some have asked, if one is to follow the timings of their home city, what is to be the practice of a permanent Muslim resident or even community in near-polar regions. Additionally, when it comes to regions where the day extends to be weeks or even months, the time-window of fasting for the "closest country" where the fasting window is under a day, the time frame usually still ends up being near 24-hours.

CPO675: /* Extreme fasting windows */ Highlighted the point that alongside extreme day windows nightly prayers are also encouraged in the Qur'an, making it even more challenging for sleep.

2024-11-04T00:06:29Z

Extreme fasting windows: Highlighted the point that alongside extreme day windows nightly prayers are also encouraged in the Qur'an, making it even more challenging for sleep.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:06, 4 November 2024
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	These issues also affect prayer times that are supposed to be carried out at sunrise and sunset the same way, which can heavily disrupt sleep for those living high in the northern hemisphere.		These issues also affect prayer times that are supposed to be carried out at sunrise and sunset the same way, which can heavily disrupt sleep for those living high in the northern hemisphere.

	{{Quote\|{{Quran\|17\|78}}\|Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed.}}{{Quote\|{{Quran\|11\|114}}\|Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.}}		{{Quote\|{{Quran\|17\|78}}\|Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed.}}This is made even more challenging with the often ignored commandment of nightly prayer vigils.{{Quote\|{{Quran\|11\|114}}\|Establish worship at the two ends of the day <b>and in some watches of the night.</b> Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.}}

	==Criticisms==		==Criticisms==
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	As explored in the main article, according to traditions the key way the start and end of the fasting period is determined is by the sighting of 'the new moon'.<ref>AStudyofQuran.com Home » The Islamic tradition of moonsighting and its implications » ''[https://astudyofquran.org/wp/the-islamic-tradition-of-moonsighting-and-its-implications/new-moon-islamic-definition/ 6. New moon (Islamic definition)]''</ref> The new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude.<ref>Meeus, Jean (1991). [https://archive.org/details/astronomicalalgorithmsjeanmeeus1991/page/n323/mode/2up ''Astronomical Algorithms.''] p. 319. <nowiki>ISBN 978-0-943396-35-4</nowiki>.		As explored in the main article, according to traditions the key way the start and end of the fasting period is determined is by the sighting of 'the new moon'.<ref>AStudyofQuran.com Home » The Islamic tradition of moonsighting and its implications » ''[https://astudyofquran.org/wp/the-islamic-tradition-of-moonsighting-and-its-implications/new-moon-islamic-definition/ 6. New moon (Islamic definition)]''</ref> The new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude.<ref>Meeus, Jean (1991). [https://archive.org/details/astronomicalalgorithmsjeanmeeus1991/page/n323/mode/2up ''Astronomical Algorithms.''] p. 319. <nowiki>ISBN 978-0-943396-35-4</nowiki>.

	</ref> At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye (except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse) - which gives it the outline 'crescent'.<ref>''[https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/how-sight-new-crescent-moon How to sight the new crescent Moon.]'' Royal Museums Greenwich.</ref>		</ref> At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye (except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse) - which gives it the outline 'crescent'.<ref>''[https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/how-sight-new-crescent-moon How to sight the new crescent Moon.]'' Royal Museums Greenwich.</ref>

CPO675: /* Criticisms */ I have added another section on Ramadan issues that come from using outdated calendars and moonsighting methods, suggesting limited human instructions over an all-knowing God.

2024-04-13T13:03:00Z

Criticisms: I have added another section on Ramadan issues that come from using outdated calendars and moonsighting methods, suggesting limited human instructions over an all-knowing God.

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 Considering Muhammad and his 7th century companions, living in the Arabian desert, [[Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth|likely did not know]] about the earth having poles and being spherical, the shortcomings of Islamic law in these regards are generally found to be unsurprising.
 ==See Also==
 {{Hub4|Fasting|Fasting}}

Lightyears at 00:35, 14 October 2023

2023-10-14T00:35:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:35, 14 October 2023
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	'''Differences across regions'''		'''Differences across regions'''

	There are also vastly different fasting windows depending on which country you are in. For example, in 2023, as this Al-Jazeera [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world article] explains '''Muslims living in the world’s southernmost countries, such as Chile or New Zealand, will fast for an average of 12 hours while those living in northernmost countries, such as Iceland or Greenland, will have 17-plus hours fasts''<nowiki/>'.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world Ramadan 2023: Fasting hours and iftar times around the world] - al Jazeera 20 March 2023</ref> ~~(This~~ article assumes those above 18 hours will follow a fatwa to fast according to timings in Mecca, or the nearest Muslim country).		There are also vastly different fasting windows depending on which country you are in. For example, in 2023, as this Al-Jazeera [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world article] explains '''Muslims living in the world’s southernmost countries, such as Chile or New Zealand, will fast for an average of 12 hours while those living in northernmost countries, such as Iceland or Greenland, will have 17-plus hours fasts''<nowiki/>'.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world Ramadan 2023: Fasting hours and iftar times around the world] - al Jazeera 20 March 2023</ref> That article assumes those above 18 hours will follow a fatwa to fast according to timings in Mecca, or the nearest Muslim country. Ramadan in 2023 began just after the spring equinox. At the two equinoxes the least extreme range of fasting periods occur. When Ramadan coincides with the summer or winter solstice, the most extreme range is found, as illustrated in the table of examples from June 2014 provided above.

	Ramadan is a fast of both food and water, as well as sexual intercourse:		Ramadan is a fast of both food and water, as well as sexual intercourse:

Lightyears: Apostrophies are not used for plurals, nor for the possessive form of "it" (i.e. "I found its lid", and "I found the cat's bowl" are both correct, as is the non-possessive "It's very good"). As mentioned before, please provide a display text ref urls, not just a bare link. In visual editor, a link within a citation is given display text by clicking citation, typing some text, highlighting the part that should become a link, then clicking the link button.to add the url for that text.

2023-10-09T11:47:43Z

Apostrophies are not used for plurals, nor for the possessive form of "it" (i.e. "I found its lid", and "I found the cat's bowl" are both correct, as is the non-possessive "It's very good"). As mentioned before, please provide a display text ref urls, not just a bare link. In visual editor, a link within a citation is given display text by clicking citation, typing some text, highlighting the part that should become a link, then clicking the link button.to add the url for that text.

CPO675: /* Extreme fasting windows */ I have added in more context of the polar/spherical earth effect causing difficulties/impossibilities in following Ramadam instructions. And added a section showing the unfairness across the globe that this causes, which wouldn't be apparent if there was a flat earth. And thirdly some notes on prayers having similar issues

2023-10-08T21:45:14Z

Extreme fasting windows: I have added in more context of the polar/spherical earth effect causing difficulties/impossibilities in following Ramadam instructions. And added a section showing the unfairness across the globe that this causes, which wouldn't be apparent if there was a flat earth. And thirdly some notes on prayers having similar issues

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 |}
-A Muslim was fasting in Iceland, according to some scholars, would have to fast for nearly the entire day.
+A Muslim fasting in Iceland, according to some scholars, would have to fast for nearly the entire day.
 ==Criticisms==
 [[Image:Arctic Ocean.png|thumb|upright=1.6|The North Pole.]]Some have asked, if one is to follow the timings of their home city, what is to be the practice of a permanent Muslim resident or even community in near-polar regions. Additionally, when it comes to regions where the day extends to be weeks or even months, the time-window of fasting for the "closest country" where the fasting window is under a day, the time frame usually still ends up being near 24-hours.
 Classical and conciliatory modern perspectives likewise appear unable to comfortably deal with the case of Astronauts, and eventually persons settling on extra-terrestrial bodies (moons, other planets, spacecraft, etc.). There is also the question of facing the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], a city on earth, whilst not on earth. As there have been Muslim astronauts (e.g. Anousheh Ansari<ref>Behrouz Saba - [http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=894da88516d540eef2d9b4b388da8c8e First Female Muslim Astronaut Could Help Bridge U.S.-Iran Gap] - New America Media, September 20, 2006</ref>) some scholars have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Muszaphar_Shukor#Spaceflight_and_religion created] guidelines for these cases (one scholar wrote a handbook called ''[[w:Sheikh_Muszaphar_Shukor#Spaceflight_and_religion|Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites (Ibadah) at the International Space Station]]'').

Lightyears: /* External Links */

2023-09-28T23:13:06Z

External Links

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:13, 28 September 2023
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	==External Links==		==External Links==

	*[~~{{Reference archive\|1=~~http://www.emirates247.com/arctic-muslims-unique-dilemma-in-ramadan-the-sun-never-sets-here-2012-07-24-1.468650~~\|2=2012-08-07}}~~ Arctic Muslims' unique dilemma in Ramadan: The Sun never sets here]		*[http://www.emirates247.com/arctic-muslims-unique-dilemma-in-ramadan-the-sun-never-sets-here-2012-07-24-1.468650 Arctic Muslims' unique dilemma in Ramadan: The Sun never sets here]
	*[http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=5842&ln=eng How to pray and fast in countries where the day or night is continuous] ''- Fatwa response from the Islam Q&A team''		*[http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=5842&ln=eng How to pray and fast in countries where the day or night is continuous] ''- Fatwa response from the Islam Q&A team''
	*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ_f6cPCrXY islamwhattheydonttellyou164 - Practical Issues Affecting Fasting] - ''YouTube video''		*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ_f6cPCrXY islamwhattheydonttellyou164 - Practical Issues Affecting Fasting] - ''YouTube video''

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:47, 9 October 2023
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	{{QualityScore\|Lead=1\|Structure=1\|Content=2\|Language=2\|References=2}}		{{QualityScore\|Lead=3\|Structure=3\|Content=3\|Language=3\|References=3}}
	[[Image:Geographic Southpole.jpg\|200px\|The Geographic South Pole\|thumb\|right]]		[[Image:Geographic Southpole.jpg\|200px\|The Geographic South Pole\|thumb\|right]]

	According to [[Islamic Law\|Islamic laws]] set out in the [[Qur'an]] and [[hadith]], the keeping and breaking of a [[Fasting\|fast]] and the times of [[prayer]], among other things, are related to times of sunrise and sunset. ~~As one gets~~ closer to the North or South Pole, the ~~day~~ or ~~night can extend to up to several~~ months each~~. At~~ the North ~~Pole itself, daylight~~ and ~~darkness lasts for more than 6 months at a time~~. ~~Extending~~ the ~~five daily prayers~~ of ~~a period of several months appears to undermine~~ the ~~Islamic ritual, however, and fasting for such a period is evidently impossible~~.		According to [[Islamic Law\|Islamic laws]] set out in the [[Qur'an]] and [[hadith]], the keeping and breaking of a [[Fasting\|fast]] and the times of [[prayer]], among other things, are related to times of sunrise and sunset. This is unproblematic from [[Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth\|the flat Earth perspective]] found in those scriptures and accepted by 7th century Arabs. However, at higher latitudes on our spherical planet days can become very short in winter and very long in summertime. Above a certain latitude closer to the North or South Pole, the sun is no longer seen to rise or set for weeks or months each (six months at the actual North and South poles). Critics argue that such impracticalities and impossibly lengthy periods result from the very limited geographical knowledge available to the author of the Quran.

	==Concessions and fatwas==		==Concessions and fatwas==
	Islamic scholars have thus issued [[fatwa\|fatwas]] instructing Muslims to follow the schedule of their original country or the schedule of the closest country with a distinguishable day and night. However, many Islamic scholars have declared that Muslims must fast for periods of up to and even beyond 20 hours.<ref>"Indeed, the fasts may be twenty hours long, but this is something one will have to adhere to." [http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=1947&CATE=6 Fasting in extreme latitudes] - Sunnipath.com Q&A</ref>		Islamic scholars have thus issued [[fatwa\|fatwas]] instructing Muslims at higher latitudes to follow the schedule of their original country or the schedule of the closest country with a distinguishable day and night. However, many Islamic scholars have declared that Muslims must fast for periods of up to and even beyond 20 hours.<ref>"Indeed, the fasts may be twenty hours long, but this is something one will have to adhere to." [http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=1947&CATE=6 Fasting in extreme latitudes] - Sunnipath.com Q&A</ref>

	==Extreme fasting windows==		==Extreme fasting windows==
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	'''Differences across regions'''		'''Differences across regions'''

	There are also vastly different fasting windows depending on which country you are in. For example, in 2023, as this Al-Jazeera [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world article] explains '''Muslims living in the world’s southernmost countries, such as Chile or New Zealand, will fast for an average of 12 hours while those living in northernmost countries, such as Iceland or Greenland, will have 17-plus hours fasts''<nowiki/>'.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world~~#:~:text=The%20pre%2Dsunrise%20to%20sunset,in%20the%20world%20you%20are.&text=The%20Muslim%20holy%20month%20of,you%20are%20in%20the%20world. https~~:~~//www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-~~hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world~~#:~:text=The%20pre%2Dsunrise%20to%20sunset,in%20the%20world%20you%20are.&text=The%20Muslim%20holy%20month%20of,you%20are%20in%20the%20world.~~]~~</ref><ref>https://blog.wego.com/longest~~-~~and-shortest-ramadan-fasting-hours/~~</ref> (This article assumes those above 18 hours will follow a fatwa to fast according to timings in Mecca, or the nearest Muslim country).		There are also vastly different fasting windows depending on which country you are in. For example, in 2023, as this Al-Jazeera [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world article] explains '''Muslims living in the world’s southernmost countries, such as Chile or New Zealand, will fast for an average of 12 hours while those living in northernmost countries, such as Iceland or Greenland, will have 17-plus hours fasts''<nowiki/>'.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/ramadan-2023-fasting-hours-and-iftar-times-around-the-world Ramadan 2023: Fasting hours and iftar times around the world] - al Jazeera 20 March 2023</ref> (This article assumes those above 18 hours will follow a fatwa to fast according to timings in Mecca, or the nearest Muslim country).

	Ramadan is a fast of both food and water, as well as sexual intercourse:		Ramadan is a fast of both food and water, as well as sexual intercourse:
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	This arguably makes it one of the most physically and mentally challenging aspects of the religion to follow. Due to the Polar effect of our spherical Earth, making sunrise and sunset appear at different times across the planet, the difficulty of following the religious rules are therefore dependent on where one is born/lives rather than a similar universal challenge applied equally to all Muslims.		This arguably makes it one of the most physically and mentally challenging aspects of the religion to follow. Due to the Polar effect of our spherical Earth, making sunrise and sunset appear at different times across the planet, the difficulty of following the religious rules are therefore dependent on where one is born/lives rather than a similar universal challenge applied equally to all Muslims.

	These ~~issue's~~ also affect prayer times that are supposed to be carried out at sunrise and sunset the same way, which can heavily disrupt sleep for those living high in the northern hemisphere.		These issues also affect prayer times that are supposed to be carried out at sunrise and sunset the same way, which can heavily disrupt sleep for those living high in the northern hemisphere.

	{{Quote\|{{Quran\|17\|78}}\|Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed.}}{{Quote\|{{Quran\|11\|114}}\|Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.}}		{{Quote\|{{Quran\|17\|78}}\|Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed.}}{{Quote\|{{Quran\|11\|114}}\|Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.}}
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	[[Image:Arctic Ocean.png\|thumb\|upright=1.6\|The North Pole.]]Some have asked, if one is to follow the timings of their home city, what is to be the practice of a permanent Muslim resident or even community in near-polar regions. Additionally, when it comes to regions where the day extends to be weeks or even months, the time-window of fasting for the "closest country" where the fasting window is under a day, the time frame usually still ends up being near 24-hours.		[[Image:Arctic Ocean.png\|thumb\|upright=1.6\|The North Pole.]]Some have asked, if one is to follow the timings of their home city, what is to be the practice of a permanent Muslim resident or even community in near-polar regions. Additionally, when it comes to regions where the day extends to be weeks or even months, the time-window of fasting for the "closest country" where the fasting window is under a day, the time frame usually still ends up being near 24-hours.

	As mentioned in the opening paragraphs many ~~sheiks~~ have understood the extreme difficulty of undertaking this fast, and so various conflicting ~~fatwa's~~ have been issued on the subject,<ref>https://aboutislam.net/shariah/shariah-and-humanity/shariah-and-life/muslims-north-fast-23-hours-day/3/</ref> with some simply stating to follow to Qur'an, making it near impossible and unfair for those living there compared to other countries with much shorter fasting periods. While others recognising the problem, have created man-made laws that directly contradict the Qur'an's instruction on this matter - usually to fast along with the nearest Muslim country or Meccan times, regardless of the actual sunrise and sunset of the local area.		As mentioned in the opening paragraphs many sheikhs have understood the extreme difficulty of undertaking this fast, and so various conflicting fatwas have been issued on the subject,<ref>[https://aboutislam.net/shariah/shariah-and-humanity/shariah-and-life/muslims-north-fast-23-hours-day/3/ Should Muslims in the North Fast 20 Hours a Day?]</ref> with some simply stating to follow to Qur'an, making it near impossible and unfair for those living there compared to other countries with much shorter fasting periods. While others recognising the problem, have created man-made laws that directly contradict the Qur'an's instruction on this matter - usually to fast along with the nearest Muslim country or Meccan times, regardless of the actual sunrise and sunset of the local area.

	This (polar) effect also means a serious 'unfairness' across the globe during Ramadan, with vastly different time windows to carry out fasting, making ~~it's~~ difficulty and relevant ease dependent on the 'luck' of where one happens to be living.		This (polar) effect also means a serious 'unfairness' across the globe during Ramadan, with vastly different time windows to carry out fasting, making its difficulty and relevant ease dependent on the 'luck' of where one happens to be living.

	Classical and conciliatory modern perspectives likewise appear unable to comfortably deal with the case of Astronauts, and eventually persons settling on extra-terrestrial bodies (moons, other planets, spacecraft, etc.). There is also the question of facing the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], a city on earth, whilst not on earth. As there have been Muslim astronauts (e.g. Anousheh Ansari<ref>Behrouz Saba - [http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=894da88516d540eef2d9b4b388da8c8e First Female Muslim Astronaut Could Help Bridge U.S.-Iran Gap] - New America Media, September 20, 2006</ref>) some scholars have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Muszaphar_Shukor#Spaceflight_and_religion created] guidelines for these cases (one scholar wrote a handbook called ''[[w:Sheikh_Muszaphar_Shukor#Spaceflight_and_religion\|Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites (Ibadah) at the International Space Station]]'').		Classical and conciliatory modern perspectives likewise appear unable to comfortably deal with the case of Astronauts, and eventually persons settling on extra-terrestrial bodies (moons, other planets, spacecraft, etc.). There is also the question of facing the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], a city on earth, whilst not on earth. As there have been Muslim astronauts (e.g. Anousheh Ansari<ref>Behrouz Saba - [http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=894da88516d540eef2d9b4b388da8c8e First Female Muslim Astronaut Could Help Bridge U.S.-Iran Gap] - New America Media, September 20, 2006</ref>) some scholars have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Muszaphar_Shukor#Spaceflight_and_religion created] guidelines for these cases (one scholar wrote a handbook called ''[[w:Sheikh_Muszaphar_Shukor#Spaceflight_and_religion\|Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites (Ibadah) at the International Space Station]]'').