Your Article 'Fasting During the Long Summer Days in Some Western Countries'
Question:
Assalaualaikum
I've read your article "Fasting during the long summer days in some western counties" and although I agree with the arguments presented in support of the 'Less dominant view' just one question comes to mind and I'd like your further explanation please.
Entire argument presented in favor of the 'Less dominant view' is based on the level of difficulty faced by those adhering to the dominant view. The assumption is drawn that parts of the world where length of day approaches almost 23 hours (eg; Sweden/Norway) Muslims experience greater difficulty in keeping fast than Muslims in parts of the world where length of day is more reasonable/normal, ie closer to 12 hours (eg; Mecca).
Isn't this true that length of the day is not the only factor that makes it more or less difficult to fast. Other factor such as climate of the country can make fasting equally as hard as the length of the day can. Therefore since it appears the places of the world where the fasting day is very long are colder and places where fasting day is more reasonable 12 hour are much hotter suggests that the level of difficulty posed by the long day is eased by the cold climate. And similarly the difficulty posed by the searing hot day's fast is eased by the relatively much shorter day's fast. Therefore the scale of 'difficulty' by which the issue is measured, seems to me have balanced the equation out for people on both ends of the scale making it eaqually easy of difficult for all. (This is of course based on my personal expereince and a large dominant view that fasting in hotter climate is much harder due to feeling very thristy from very earlier part of the day and fasting in colder climate is much easier since you dont feel much thirst and feeling hungy is much easier to cope with).
I'd highly appreciate your further explanation please.
Thanks
Answer:
Assalamu Alaykum,
Before sharing my understanding with you on this issue I would like to emphasize that this whole subject (fasting during long summer days in some western countries) is an Ijtihadi subject, meaning, in the absence of any explicit rule of Shari'ah about this issue, it is up to the individuals to decide, based on their honest understanding, that what the best sort of action is.
The implication of the above is that while we share our understanding with each other and make sure we are clear in this, there is no point in trying to convince each other about our understanding. The person who is in agreement with what you wrote above certainly will have no excuse to adopt the timing of other countries when fasting during long summer days in a western country.
To my understanding, your argument is not fully relevant, neither it is necessarily valid. I explain:
- Your argument is not fully relevant because, as I wrote in my article, I do not think that the length of fasting is the only problem with the long summer fasting in Western European countries. In fact one of the reasons that I wrote the following in my article was to answer the potential questions like yours:
Assalaualaikum
I've read your article "Fasting during the long summer days in some western counties" and although I agree with the arguments presented in support of the 'Less dominant view' just one question comes to mind and I'd like your further explanation please.
Entire argument presented in favor of the 'Less dominant view' is based on the level of difficulty faced by those adhering to the dominant view. The assumption is drawn that parts of the world where length of day approaches almost 23 hours (eg; Sweden/Norway) Muslims experience greater difficulty in keeping fast than Muslims in parts of the world where length of day is more reasonable/normal, ie closer to 12 hours (eg; Mecca).
Isn't this true that length of the day is not the only factor that makes it more or less difficult to fast. Other factor such as climate of the country can make fasting equally as hard as the length of the day can. Therefore since it appears the places of the world where the fasting day is very long are colder and places where fasting day is more reasonable 12 hour are much hotter suggests that the level of difficulty posed by the long day is eased by the cold climate. And similarly the difficulty posed by the searing hot day's fast is eased by the relatively much shorter day's fast. Therefore the scale of 'difficulty' by which the issue is measured, seems to me have balanced the equation out for people on both ends of the scale making it eaqually easy of difficult for all. (This is of course based on my personal expereince and a large dominant view that fasting in hotter climate is much harder due to feeling very thristy from very earlier part of the day and fasting in colder climate is much easier since you dont feel much thirst and feeling hungy is much easier to cope with).
I'd highly appreciate your further explanation please.
Thanks
Answer:
Assalamu Alaykum,
Before sharing my understanding with you on this issue I would like to emphasize that this whole subject (fasting during long summer days in some western countries) is an Ijtihadi subject, meaning, in the absence of any explicit rule of Shari'ah about this issue, it is up to the individuals to decide, based on their honest understanding, that what the best sort of action is.
The implication of the above is that while we share our understanding with each other and make sure we are clear in this, there is no point in trying to convince each other about our understanding. The person who is in agreement with what you wrote above certainly will have no excuse to adopt the timing of other countries when fasting during long summer days in a western country.
To my understanding, your argument is not fully relevant, neither it is necessarily valid. I explain:
- Your argument is not fully relevant because, as I wrote in my article, I do not think that the length of fasting is the only problem with the long summer fasting in Western European countries. In fact one of the reasons that I wrote the following in my article was to answer the potential questions like yours:
Other than the length of the fast during summer in these countries, it needs to be appreciated that the issue is not just the difficulty due to the length of the fasting period in these countries. Some physically strong Muslims may feel that this is not difficult. Another aspect of the above is (whether long fasting hours are tolerable or not) it certainly does not integrate with typical daily schedules of people. Looking at the start and the end of fasting during the winter and summer in the Arabian Peninsula reveals that fasting time was set in a way that it would nicely fit in with the typical daily schedules of people. People start fasting shortly before the start of their daily work and they end the fast around or close to the time when they are resting after a day of working. This is not the same when people have to break the fast a couple of hours before the midnight and to start it after having Suhur a couple of hours passed the midnight.
Therefore according to the Less Dominant View the fact that people “can survive” when fasting very long hours is not relevant. The simple fact according to this view is that the fasting time practically meant to be just above half of the 24 hours for Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula. Fasting for as long as 20 to 23 hours (that is just short of the whole 24 hours) is in a totally different level of practice and changes the whole mood and the idea behind the act of worship that is fasting. The Less Dominant View simply refuses to accept that, by default, the religious duty of people in certain areas of the Earth (who all happen to be minority Muslims) is to fast more than 80% of the full day. ...
(Fasting During the Long Summer Days in Some Western Countries By: Farhad Shafti)
- Your argument is not necessarily valid because as you wrote yourself the assumption that fasting for longer time in a colder weather balances out with fasting for shorter time in a hotter weather is simply your personal observation. In my observation this is not the case. People who have the same observation as mine may argue back by saying that first, summer is summer, the sun is up and during many days in the month of Ramadhan, even in a rainy country like some western European countries people do become very thirsty and need water. Second, many people find that fasting for (say) more than 20 hours during a month even in a very cold weather is much more difficult than fasting for 14 hours during a month in a hot weather. Third, colder weather does not change the fact that one has only a very short time to break his fast and then resume it during the long summer hours in these countries. Forth, what makes fasting for longer hours much more difficult in western European countries is the fact that Muslims in these countries are in minority. Fasting for long hours in a place that there is no appreciation and sympathy for your fasting (in terms of the expectation at work, educational institutes, etc.) is much more difficult than fasting in a Muslim country where normally there is a sympathy and there are lots of exceptional treatments and facilities at work and education , etc. to support you.
If you object that what I have written in the above paragraph is not at all academic and is based on a very personal observation I have to agree with you. However it is exactly due to this nature of the discussion on this issue that I wrote your argument on this is not necessarily valid.
**********
So to summarize,on this Ijtihadi subject (that is based on personal opinions) I do not agree with your argument. First, I do not consider the length of fasting to be the only problem with fasting during long summer times in some western European countries. On this basis I do not see your argument to be fully relevant. Second, I do not agree that for every one, fasting for a longer time in a colder weather balances out with fasting for a shorter time in a hotter weather. On this basis I do not see your argument to be necessarily valid.
I hope I have clarified myself.
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Related Topics:
- Fasting During the Long Summer Days in Some Western Countries
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June 2013
If you object that what I have written in the above paragraph is not at all academic and is based on a very personal observation I have to agree with you. However it is exactly due to this nature of the discussion on this issue that I wrote your argument on this is not necessarily valid.
**********
So to summarize,on this Ijtihadi subject (that is based on personal opinions) I do not agree with your argument. First, I do not consider the length of fasting to be the only problem with fasting during long summer times in some western European countries. On this basis I do not see your argument to be fully relevant. Second, I do not agree that for every one, fasting for a longer time in a colder weather balances out with fasting for a shorter time in a hotter weather. On this basis I do not see your argument to be necessarily valid.
I hope I have clarified myself.
------------
Related Topics:
- Fasting During the Long Summer Days in Some Western Countries
-------------
June 2013
