Moslems fast from sunrise to sunset in the month of Ramadan?

Question

What if they were above the Arctic circle in Northern summer when Ramadan occurred.
The sun doesn't set for 6/8 weeks
That would mean they couldn't eat or drink for 28/9 days.
We are told that the message has been sent everywhere and those that don't believe will go to hell.
Maybe the Inuit and Laps would rather burn than starve or thirst.

UmmAbdel and Chintot::
Thank you for your answers.
My question was a wind-up in that religions pose answers to universal questions, but the human "prophets" didn't even know all of the earth, never mind the universe.

Do you believe the story of Noah that he collected one pair of each living animal before the flood?

He went to the north and south poles for polar bears and penguins, then kept them with tropical animals in the ark? How did he stop the cats from eating the mice?
The old answer is "If you don't believe then you're stupid!"
OK! Your Allah gave me a brain to think and if I don't use it then I'm stupid.

If you fasted according to the nearest region where the sun did rise and set then you could add minutes each day (but either starve or feast) or why not go for Meccan time.
In which case, if you lived in Australia or New Zealand you could do the fast in your sleep!
Problem solved

Answer 1

i was gonna ask the same question too.but i guess the islamic ruling on this situation will be, if anyone is in that part of the world during ramadan,he/she has to take vacation for 1 month and move to some place where the sun sets every day!

Answer 2

But they only fast between the first prayer of the day and the fourth. They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day is due.

Dates and timing are based on the lunar cycle (when a new moon is first sighted, so as long as the moon is in Earth’s orbit they could work out when they had to fast and when they could eat.

Just as there is a central authority that decides the dates for Easter in the Christian calendar there also are international timetables worked out for Ramadan so everyone celebrates at the same time.

So Arctic Circle, not an insurmountable problem.

As for Inuit and Laps, those that aren’t Christian will follow old traditional spiritual practices. What we would call pagan or shamanistic. The religion you follow largely depends on the culture you were born into.

Answer 3

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim - In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Hello. If I were living in an area where the sun does not set, I would fast according to the schedule of the closest location south where the sun does set and follow them for beginning and breaking my fast. Allah wishes us to use our common sense for such things and not either abandon the fast or kill ourselves trying to follow the letter of the law. Islam IS a Message for all people and all places.

May Allah guide you to the best in this world and the next. Ameen.

Fi Aman Allah,

Nancy Umm Abdel Hamid

Answer 4

You are wrong understood in Islamic law. It doesn't mean they couldn't eat or drink for 28/29 days, Islam never makes any difficulties for it's followers to obey the order. Exple, for muslim who was being sick when the days of month of Ramadhan he allowed not to fast indeed he has to fast in other days out of Ramadhan, when he get healthy.
Back to your question, if they were there for limited time they allowed not to fast, indeed they have to fast when they turn back at normal places. If they were there for unlimited time (forever) they allowed to fast, for how many hours some one else fast in the nearest normal places by them, and like those they allowed to eat.

NOTE : If there was some difficulties, there was some easies bisides.

Answer 5

Moslems what is that? Oh you mean Muslims, I see.
The prophet David peace to him was the best of festers.
He fasted one day and broke fast the next.

Study David and you will see it was done before the final prophet PBUH. There is many hadith and ayats that describe the pious person and their practises. It would bore many for me to post them all.

Answer 6

usually prayer times and fast closing and opening times are according to the position of the sun in the sky. this is to regulate prayer at set times of the day, not simply in order to ritually follow the cycles of the sun. the theme is regularity and discipline.

people who live in lands where the sun never sets or does not rise still have their daily routines. they need to eat, sleep, etc etc at regular times in order to function. Islam is a universal religion - not just for a particular race or tribe of people. In such instances Islam teaches that Muslims in those areas should pray and keep their fasts according to and around their normal activity times during the day.

For example, in the land that the sun never sets, a Muslim may still rise at 7am, eat breakfast at 7.30, lunch at 1pm and dinner at 8pm, and then retire at 10pm. They would therefore set their 5 daily prayers between those times and perhaps close their fast at 7.30 and open it at 8pm. They are still able to practise their faith. Islam means submission of one's personal ego to the will of God and to enjoin peace within oneself and greater society.

Not all Muslims follow this, but then not all people of any faith necessarily even practise their own religion. Religion has often been misused as a rallying cry for political reasons . However that is an abuse of the faith and peace behind any religion from God.

Peace Out.

Edit: okay I get the wind-up about universality but maintain that Islam is a universal religion. The prophets may or may not have known about what lay beyond their lands but God revealed to the Holy Prophet (saw) about the future as well as the past and present. It is this revelation which turned his hair white when he found out how Muslims would abuse the peace of what he had been sent to teach.

Also the facts of the universe were indeed revealed to this Prophet (saw) because they are still contained in the Quran.

Regarding Noah (on whom be peace), the statement that he took 2 of every kind of animal in the whole world is exaggerated - of course he was only able to take those from his area of the whole world. Also the WHOLE globe was not covered with the flood. It was the whole area of the world where Noah (on whom be peace) lived i.e. his whole world that was covered in flood.

Just because you question something does not mean you are stupid. If you are genuinely seeking the truth I pray that you find it. Of course, my truth may not be yours and vice versa and that is where we should exercise our tolerance rather than just levelling accusations of stupidity at each other.

Lastly regarding your solution for fasting whilst sleeping, well that defeats the purpose of fasting doesn't it? Fasting is first and foremost done to obey God's will. It involves sacrifice and self-discipline and eventually increased compassion for others who endure hunger and thirst regularly. If you fast whilst sleeping you won't benefit from any of these elements. But hey, it's each person's free will to do what they want, just as long as they remember they will be judged by God for what they chose to do.

Again, Peace Out

Answer 7

actually, the sun does set..it just comes right back up in a mater of minutes. That way you know what time to fast or break fast.

Answer 8

Dont know, but all the people who starved in the wars and lived after, lived to a ripe old age as they were not to fat and over nourished. its the practise that enables longer life not the belief.

Answer 9

Its strange question and it hasn't happened. If it did happen they would use the nearest countires time period of a normal day.

Answer 10

1st of all its spelled muslims and yes they fast from sunrise to sunset.Some people are starting to do that because its really good for your organs and health. Try it.