Ramadan Mubarak

Jalaluddin Rumi thank you Sir for your poetry 🙂

Hang on! Pause the thread. 😯

So, at the end of Ramadan, if I pop down the mosque I’ll get tasty food treats handed to me? This I did not know. I’ll be all over that. I’ve embraced the other popular Abrahamic gluttony festivals, this sounds like a perfect placing for another one in between.

Unless they are actually standing in Mecca of course

It used to be an odeon cinema around here.

Would it not show more solidarity with the less fortunate to survive bread and water for a month?
To starve yourself then have a huge feast daily seems counterproductive.

Would it not show more solidarity with the less fortunate to survive bread and water for a month?

It’s not about showing solidarity with the less fortunate though is it?

“So the unusual cordiality extended to this religion-based thread is due to double standards or fear of violence?” Or because some one is being asked about a topical and unusual aspect of his faith that is of interest.

Any hotel room in the Middle East will have an arrow on the ceiling pointing to Mecca. By encouraging Muslims to attend Mosque for prayers the job of pointing to Mecca is taken care of. In any case basic celestial navigation will get you north, east or west very easily then provided you have a rough idea of the direction of mecca you are sorted.

Mecca is not always East of course, as Ernie’s picture shows it could be in any direction, depends where you are.

You asked if the cordiality was due to “fear of violence”.

Shrug.

People are generally cordial anyway, mostly. I think people think people who look and act like them should be like them. So the bolshy white atheists think that other white people shoul be like them, cos they know all about being white.

People assume muslims are brown so they are ‘other’ strange people so they let those funny foreigners do funny foreign things, I suppose.

In other words, people don’t think very carefully.

people don’t think very carefully.

Your incoherent post proves that.

So the bolshy white atheists …

The bolshy white atheists got modded out of this thread early doors, as did I (quite rightly) for stupidly rising to the bait.

the cordiality was due to “fear of violence”.

Don’t think so.
Well done to the mods for setting the tone at the outset and maintaining the level of cordiality.

Someone posts ‘I’m doing this on this day of the year’ and some people go all weird! No one is being forced to continue reading the thread or get involved with what the OP and others choose to do.

I don’t eat marmite, no one forces me to eat or buy marmite and the earth still turns.

Love that bit in ‘Four Lions’; the two lads have gone to Pakistan, and the dim one is arguing ‘Mecca’s that way bruv; it’s east!’. 😆

So in the fight against Daesh, and any other extremist group of Muslims, why don’t the western forces just wait until Ramadan and then launch a huge initiative to retake the land, against a tired opposition?

“As an atheist I do prefer religions who party and celebrate with fantastic food like mince pies or samosas!”

I’ve always found it’s the Muslims and Jews who do the best religion + food thing; the only connection Christians seem to have with food at religious festivals comes from local customs and/or pagan festivals where food was a central part. I’ve rarely eaten well at a Christian wedding (‘canapes’? WTF? I want some proper food!), yet at Jewish and Muslim ones, you’re practically forced to feast! 😀

I just read that in the Middle East Vimto has become a traditional Ramadam treat

Vimto derives its name the phrase vim and tonic…it was originally a tonic drink that was supposed to boost your vim and vigour. It later got shortened to vimto. I’m not sure if there is any science to back it up but its claimed that after a day of fasting having a glass of vimto is actually good for you. Vimto sales always increase during Ramadan especially in the Middle East and South East Asia markets.
A friend has just returned from Mecca after performing his mini pilgrimage (Ummrah) and he sent me a picture from one of the local supermarkets…there was a stack of shelves all full with bottles of Vimto but there were warning notices everywhere telling customers that they were restricted to 2 bottles each!!

My colleague at work is fasting and I’ve promised not to eat/bring food to my desk. Hard enough without water, smelling food would be awful.

Your colleague should be used to it. You shouldn’t feel guilty about eating in front of him. I would never dream of asking my colleagues to not eat or drink in my presence…I’m comfortable with it as it doesn’t bother me. The smell of food is no different from you colleague going home and preparing his evening meal and having to put up with the smells

He also had an app on his phone to show him what direction Mecca was when he had to pray while at work without going to a Mosque.

i have a similar app on my phone..it reminds me of when each of the prayers are, i can set the alarm for each prayer earlier so it gives me time to perform my ablution before praying and it also has a Qibla compass built in which tells me which way to pray.
of course in the era before smartphones..using a normal compass would have been ok. you can also get prayer mats that have a built in qibla compass.
in the uk its quite easy to get the general direction of Mecca. its south east and most sky dishes point in that direction

Ernie Lynch…ignore the enfht…he’s trolling and will get bored soon enough and go back under his bridge
i detest those clocks…they dont work most of the time and they look cheap and tacky. to me they are as much of a stereotypical symbol as the ornate gold tissue box on the parcel shelf of a car is.

thanks DeadlyDarcy for your comments!!

So the bolshy white atheists …
The bolshy white atheists got modded out of this thread early doors, as did I (quite rightly) for stupidly rising to the bait.

the cordiality was due to “fear of violence”.
Don’t think so.
Well done to the mods for setting the tone at the outset and maintaining the level of cordiality.

i wasnt aware that the Mods had removed any comments from this thread. TBH i think it would have been interesting to see what some of these comments were and the opinions of their authors. its not always about getting all shouty and argumentative, but more about educating and informing people about islam.

It’s always a problem trying to explain the inexplicable to someone who demands an explanation but isn’t prepared to listen to it.

It often seems to get shouty and argumentative.

more about educating and informing people about islam.

Good job thus far. Keep it up.

Why do aethists feel like they have to push their agenda onto someones beliefs? Bizarre and sort of has a feeling of irony.

Faith is a beautiful thing. Live and let live

Would it not show more solidarity with the less fortunate to survive bread and water for a month?
To starve yourself then have a huge feast daily seems counterproductive.

hopefully you’ll find the answer to your question in here…

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. Fasting is obligatory for adult Muslims.
While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations; in some interpretations they also refrain from swearing.
Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam. The fast (sawm) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, Muslims also increase restraint, such as abstaining from sexual relations and generally sinful speech and behaviour.
The act of fasting is to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Ramadan also teaches Muslims how to better practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity.
It becomes compulsory for Muslims to start fasting when they reach puberty, so long as they are healthy, sane and have no disabilities or illnesses. Many children endeavour to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life.
Exemptions to fasting are travel, menstruation, severe illness, pregnancy, and breast-feeding. However, many Muslims with medical conditions insist on fasting to satisfy their spiritual needs, although it’s not recommended by the hadith. Those who are unable to fast still must make up the days missed later.
Charity is very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadan. Zak?t, often translated as “the poor-rate”, is obligatory as one of the pillars of Islam; a fixed percentage is required to be given to the poor of the person’s savings. Sadaqah is voluntary charity in given above and beyond what is required from the obligation of Zak?t. In Islam all good deeds are more handsomely rewarded in Ramadan than in any other month of the year. Consequently, many will choose this time to give a larger portion, if not all, of the Zak?t for which they are obligated to give. In addition, many will also use this time to give a larger portion of Sadaqah in order to maximize the reward that will await them at the Last Judgment.

In many Muslim countries, it is a common sight to see people giving more food to the poor and the homeless, and even to see large public areas for the poor to come and break their fast.

Of course as the month progresses it becomes tougher physically and mentally but like many other Muslims, I’ve been conditioned from a young age to be able to do this…but what I tell myself is this…there are many people around the world for whom a typical day during Ramadan is an everyday occurrence…the hardship I suffer is nothing compared to what they go through…at least I have the benefit of a nice meal at the end of the day to look forward to…this is where the charity bit comes in as we are encouraged to do more for the less fortunate, the increased prayers during Ramadan also contribute towards this as we ask god for his forgiveness for any sins we have committed and for the suffering of the less fortunate are eased….this compassion is not just for other Muslims but for all people…you have to remember that Muslims are regarded as people of the book in the same way as Jews and Christians…we are taught to treat each human being as a fellow human and nothing less.

Would it not show more solidarity with the less fortunate to survive bread and water for a month?

I was going to say – rather than gestures, Muslims are obliged to actually help out in practical terms as gonzy said most excellently.

I was thinking about this in relation to exams. What do young Muslims do when Ramadan coincides with gcse or a-levels like they do this year? Do the put it off until a later date?

So the unusual cordiality extended to this religion-based thread is due to double standards or fear of violence?

It does seem to be quite comically right on.

It has inspired me though.
I’m going to celebrate Ramadram and make sure malt whisky is taken daily for the next month 🙂

Why do aethists feel like they have to push their agenda onto someones beliefs?

Its been a nice thread lets leave it that way

Why do aethists feel like they have to push their agenda onto someones beliefs?

because we are angry that belief in a bunch of fairy stories has so much influence on the world, and indeed the lack of such belief offers mortal danger in many parts of the world :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_against_atheists

On LBC a while ago an ex-labour councillor was saying that when she went round canvassing and visited a muslim household she often had to sit in another room from the men folk even though they were in discussion.

That is outrageous in this country in my view, especially as 42% percent of people in this country say they have no religion.

anyway – Day 1 report:
didnt go too bad. i didnt feel hungry but i did feel absolutely shattered.
the lack of sleep at the weekend.
the number of times i had to stop myself from falling asleep at my desk was unbelievable.
i drive into work after i have done the school run, the wife then takes the car off me when she finishes in the afternoon and i then catch the bus home. last nights journey home was like sitting in a mobile convection oven for an hour
managed to get some sleep when i got home but not that much.
hopefully today will be better

Sadly no trolling here. Christians posting on stw are regularly torn a new bumhole for their efforts so am intrigued with this thread and one possible reason is the elephant in the room which is sadly the reality.

Christians quite rightly get a hard time in my opinion, but being critical of Muslims is, for some reason, classed as racism. Although if someone can explain to me how a group of people who CHOOSE to believe in a load of ridiculous stories makes them a race then I’m all ears.

Now, this militant atheist is off to take out Father Christmas…

Sadly no trolling here. Christians posting on stw are regularly torn a new bumhole for their efforts so am intrigued with this thread and one possible reason is the elephant in the room which is sadly the reality.

So you finally want to openly air your views on race relations in the UK rather than let it remain the “elephant in the room” – go one I need a laugh and I am sure you can do it without a ban

Shall we start with your views of the Irish and work our way out across the globe or do you want to just go straight for the dark skinned folk?

The reason this happens is I am personally more respectful of other cultures than I am off my own.

For example I would stand for any national anthem but my own
In the same way a black person can say the n word and you cannot – well not on here anyway

It’s almost like we are all different, with different beliefs and opinions, how has this been allowed to happen?!!

Really enlightening and educational thread, thank you Gonzy et al.

I found the thread interesting, thanks for posting up some of the detail about what happens and why.

In the same way a black person can say the n word and you cannot – well not on here anyway

and why is that – surely that is just as racist? If the N word is sayable, than anyone can say it otherwise it is discriminatory.

Its 2016 and still some people need this stuff explaining to them.

Christians posting on stw are regularly torn a new bumhole for their efforts so am intrigued with this thread and one possible reason is the elephant in the room which is sadly the reality.

If that elephant was real, instead of a figment of your imagination, how come Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson are still alive?

Surely if Muslims really are that touchy and violent that people on a MTB website are being careful, then those two would’ve been murdered years ago.

Its 2016 and still some people need this stuff explaining to them.

This, this is what continues to amaze and disturb me about STW these last few years

and why is that – surely that is just as racist? If the N word is sayable, than anyone can say it otherwise it is discriminatory.

I stand with you, brother – white people are being dreadfully oppressed by not being allowed to use a derogatory term for black people without being called racist.

Its 2016 and still some people need this stuff explaining to them.

explain what?

If everyone is treated equally then no-one has any extra rights over anyone else to do anything, or are you recommending positive discrimination?

Why not start a new thread to discuss. This one is a very nice thread in which the OP can tell us about his experience

and why is that – surely that is just as racist? If the N word is sayable, than anyone can say it otherwise it is discriminatory.

Only women can go into womens toilets so that is sexist
SO what you need to do is reclaim that space for oppressed men as and you can shout the n word as you do this.
I am certain everyone will understand why you did it and get who the racists and sexists ones are

I stand with you, brother – white people are being dreadfully oppressed by not being allowed to use a derogatory term for black people without being called racist.

so why are black people allowed to use a derogatory word for black people?

So if I heard someone say it I would have to conciously recognise their color/race before determining whether it was racist or not?

Whereas before I was happily going along treating everyone the same and not worrying about or making any judgements about where they were from or the color of their skin. I have been forced to become racist.

This one is a very nice thread in which the OP can tell us about his experience

Yes, and very welcome it is too. Cycling is quite male and WASP, this forum even more so.