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The Ramadan Pole Paradox: Difference between revisions
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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. 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. | ||
== 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 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== | ||
See the following list. Fasting begins at Dawn and ends at Sunset. | See the following list. Fasting begins at Dawn and ends at Sunset. | ||
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A Muslim was fasting in Iceland, according to some scholars, would have to fast for nearly the entire day. | A Muslim was fasting in Iceland, according to some scholars, would have to fast for nearly the entire day. | ||
== 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. | ||
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]]''). | ||
Considering Muhammad and his 7th century companions, living in the Arabian desert, [[Did Muhammad and the early Muslims know that the Earth is round|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. | Considering Muhammad and his 7th century companions, living in the Arabian desert, [[Did Muhammad and the early Muslims know that the Earth is round|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== | ==See Also== | ||
{{Hub4|Fasting|Fasting}} | {{Hub4|Fasting|Fasting}} | ||