What do you do if Ramadan occurs during the month of July and you're in Alaska?

Question

I learned in one of my classes that Ramadan is the period which Muslims fast. I was told that they fast during the daylight hours. My instructor brought up a question that he has yet to find out the answer to. What do you do if Ramadan occurs during the month of July and you're in Alaska? (Note: During July, Alaska experiences 24 hours of daylight.)

Would you starve or are there special exceptions?

Answer 1

I am a muslim. If I go to Alaska in July, I will act the same as if I was in my country Lebanon: I usually just don't fast! lol
Congrats...a very clever question!
in case you will receive the Makka thing...I have then another question: so y don't we as muslims fast and eat according to Makka's time wherever we are!

Answer 2

That's a really good question. From my understanding, in that case, a case where an area expierences 24 hours of daylight, they wouldbe exempt from fasting. The fast is supposed to be easy on the believers. You shouldn't do anything that'll be harmful to the body.

A group of men once came to Prophet Muhammed and they had each made vows to atone for some sins, and one of them had vowed to fast for some extremely long period, I forget how long; and Prophet Muhammed told the men "You are now like me...I fast, but I break my fast." Breaking the fast is a very important part of the fast, it is said that when the sun goes down, a fasting Muslim is to rush to break to break the fast. So in a sense where there will be sundown, then that will not be like the fast of Prophet Muhammed.

Still, during Ramadan one should always remember God, more than ever. And if one can't fast they should help feed poor people who are in need of food, if they're are capable of feeding.

The other issue that was raised about the prayers that are made during sundown (Fajr, Maghrib, Isha,) that's really interesting and I'd like to know what people know about that.

Anyway, I hope I helped answer your question. Peace.

Answer 3

There is exceptions but not for Alaska specially, which is that if you are there to travel, then it is mentioned in the holy quraan that you are allowed not to fast but to fast later on any time after Ramadan, the other exception will be if u were ill with a disease that cann't be cured then you should feed each day of Ramadan 2 persons for iftar, so maybe that case will help in such situation, as no one can fast for 24 hours

Answer 4

....Muslims don't "starve" when they fast... -_-



They would go by other another place in the same time zone, just not living where it's 24-hour-daylight.


Ramadan will soon head for summer-time. Every eyar it gets closer and closer. It will go back to winter as well. When my mother was young she had to fast during the summertime as well.

Answer 5

nothing 2 do wiv Mecca, its when you see da new moon and stuff
im Muslim so im explaining
okay, wot happens when us Muslims fast is we get up at the break of light ( sunrise) and eat and drink as much as we can, and then we say a special prayer, to say that Allah we are now starting our fast
when we have done this, the fast is now at its beginning, we then wait for when the sun is starting to go below the horizon, and the fast is now ready to be broken, which is broken with a special prayer just to say Allah, we have kept this fast in the name of you and Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon HIm)
The fast is then broken and we can eat again
and in Alaska, if a Muslim keeps a fast during July, they can drink as much as they posibly can when they keep the fast, so that they can keep going throughout the day
now do u undersatnd the principals of fasting
well how its done anyway

Answer 6

Hi there. This is a question that interest many and is simpler than you may think.
Polar regions like Norway, Finland, and Alaska have areas where the sun stays below horizon for several months in winter, and stays above horizon for several months in summer. However, there comes a time in every day when the sun is at its highset point (Noon) and at lowest point (Midnight). We can calculate those two points and determine Prayer times around those two known times every day. Having determined the prayer times, the fasting time is already set.

I hope this answer your question.

For more information in Polar regions read on: http://moonsighting.com/6monthdays.html

Take care

E. Moola

Answer 7

Thank you for asking this question, it is a good one. Along with using the sun's location as stated above, Islam provides relief in extreme cases for her expectations. If a person is ill or pregnant or too young or too old or even in an environment where eating regularly is crucial to health and survival then that person can eat as needed. Islam is a very "detailed" religion and tries to provide answers for every day of life in order to protect her people and keep them strong.

Answer 8

If you are living in an area where there is a significant portion of daylight (such as Canada or Iceland or Alaska) you would fast based on the sunrise/sunset in Mecca.

Answer 9

umm i don;t think any muslims live in alaska...but if they do the will probably follow time in mecca.. i mean the whole experience for ramadan is to feel how the peolpe without food sometime are for DAYS, so you give them (zakat) which is money for them and it's like a test so Allah sees if you can pass it AND its like a break for your body so you will improve your health life

Answer 10

u dont starve all daylight. sumtimes u can go on the internet and find local timings 4 ur area. if that dosnt work, take a vacation to the untited states:). altho, i highly doubt its in july. Its almost always in november. plus, eid has past.

Answer 11

There is exceptions but not for Alaska specially, which is that if you are there to travel, then it is mentioned in the holy quraan that you are allowed not to fast but to fast later on any time after Ramadan, the other exception will be if u were ill with a disease that cann't be cured then you should feed each day of Ramadan 2 persons for iftar, so maybe that case will help in such situation, as no one can fast for 24 hours

I am a muslim. If I go to Alaska in July, I will act the same as if I was in my country Lebanon: I usually just don't fast! lol
Congrats...a very clever question!
in case you will receive the Makka thing...I have then another question: so y don't we as muslims fast and eat according to Makka's time wherever we are.

nothing 2 do wiv Mecca, its when you see da new moon and stuff
im Muslim so im explaining
okay, wot happens when us Muslims fast is we get up at the break of light ( sunrise) and eat and drink as much as we can, and then we say a special prayer, to say that Allah we are now starting our fast
when we have done this, the fast is now at its beginning, we then wait for when the sun is starting to go below the horizon, and the fast is now ready to be broken, which is broken with a special prayer just to say Allah, we have kept this fast in the name of you and Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon HIm)
The fast is then broken and we can eat again
and in Alaska, if a Muslim keeps a fast during July, they can drink as much as they posibly can when they keep the fast, so that they can keep going throughout the day
now do u undersatnd the principals of fasting
well how its done anyway

You need to understand the true meaning of Ramadhan. Muslims emphasise what people in the poor world are going thought. Even thought they are 100 times hungrier than us they can’t just have a bath because we have everything.

However if you have a valid excuse to not fasting then you dont need to fast in the month but you still have to make up for the fast when you physical or mental state allows you to.

You need to study and understand Ramadhan and then you will understand.

Please visit this website for more information:

http://www.yanabi.com/forum/categories.c...

Source(s):

member of www.yanabi.com
http://www.yanabi.com/forum/categories.c...

Thank you for asking this question, it is a good one. Along with using the sun's location as stated above, Islam provides relief in extreme cases for her expectations. If a person is ill or pregnant or too young or too old or even in an environment where eating regularly is crucial to health and survival then that person can eat as needed. Islam is a very "detailed" religion and tries to provide answers for every day of life in order to protect her people and keep them strong.
Muslims don't "starve" when they fast... -_-



They would go by other another place in the same time zone, just not living where it's 24-hour-daylight.


Ramadan will soon head for summer-time. Every eyar it gets closer and closer. It will go back to winter as well. When my mother was young she had to fast during the summertime as well.

Hi there. This is a question that interest many and is simpler than you may think.
Polar regions like Norway, Finland, and Alaska have areas where the sun stays below horizon for several months in winter, and stays above horizon for several months in summer. However, there comes a time in every day when the sun is at its highset point (Noon) and at lowest point (Midnight). We can calculate those two points and determine Prayer times around those two known times every day. Having determined the prayer times, the fasting time is already set.

I hope this answer your question.

For more information in Polar regions read on: http://moonsighting.com/6monthdays.html...

Take care

E. Moola

Very interesting question. I am confused as in CT we follow CT's timmings for dawn and dusk, not Mecca's. I guess since it is a belief set so to follow Mecca's timmings in this specific scenario would not be a bad idea.

I have been trying to figure this one out for a LONG time! I also wonder how they would pray, because we pray Fajr before sunrise and Maghrib after sunset... so.... I really don't know! I guess they go by timings and not the sun.

If you are living in an area where there is a significant portion of daylight (such as Canada or Iceland or Alaska) you would fast based on the sunrise/sunset in Mecca.

I would think they would go by the same hours used in Mecca? Even if the sun is still up they can honor the intention of their beliefs.