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Working through Ramadan

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Re: Working through Ramadan

#51

Post by 8611m »

I have fasted for the past 20 years during the month of Ramadan. It is the most revered month for all Muslim friends and family that I know. If you think Ramadan is restricted to just not eating, you need to learn more about why Muslims are advised to fast. Not eating during fast is the least of my concern as most days I am on an intermittent fast which lasts for 16 hours as well. Personally, I have rarely experienced any decline in performance, or asked for any exceptions or exemptions from work duties. It becomes challenging waking up in the middle of the night, 3 AM, to eat and drink and go back to sleep. This year’s timings are roughly from 330 AM to 830 PM in New England area. These timings change depending on your location. I make up for this lost sleep at lunch break around noon by taking a 30 minute nap. I come back to work after a nap with increased freshness of mind.

It has been a great month to inculcate new habits. I also seem to have have more time than my colleagues and get done with more work than usual days. I wouldn’t do it for the whole year as I love food too much.

My charity spending also spikes in this month and this is usual for most practicing Muslims. I calculate how much money I would have spent on food on my lunch in a normal month and give that money away to someone in need. This is besides the increased almsgiving that most observant Muslims would experience.

If you are sick, young, elderly, pregnant or have any health concerns you are exempt from fasting. You fast only if you are capable.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#52

Post by amasad »

back_beyond wrote: post #50
amasad wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience growing in a muslim country -- most moderates understand this and imply it without explicitly saying it. And most of the education and the scholarship happening in Islam focuses on the Madhab, fatwa, hadeeth, and interpretation. All of which is merely people using their best judgement to supplement and evolve religion. Of course, fundamentalists -- as apparent from the name -- read things very litera…

I appreciate the civil discussion and insight. What is prayer if not speaking directly to a deity?

I can only speak for moderate sunni islam -- a lot of it is meditation and not very different from how yoga is practiced in the west. People gathered together in a room doing repetitive movements and sounds. The only bit of talking to God is when people "ask" for things. And It's not as prevalent in islam to ask for things as it is I think in christianity.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#53

Post by back_beyond »

amasad wrote: post #52
back_beyond wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate the civil discussion and insight. What is prayer if not speaking directly to a deity?

I can only speak for moderate sunni islam -- a lot of it is meditation and not very different from how yoga is practiced in the west. People gathered together in a room doing repetitive movements and sounds. The only bit of talking to God is when people "ask" for things. And It's not as prevalent in islam to ask for things as it is I think in christianity.

As an atheist, and someone critical of religion and its practices elsewhere in this thread, your faith seems quite reasonable. The notion of "ignorance breeds fear" is at play somewhere here.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#54

Post by dang »

back_beyond wrote: post #2

>> 2. If you accidentally fall asleep in your office cubicle, people won’t judge you because you are fasting. Oh, yes, please don't judge me while I underperform this entire month because I feel compelled to follow some ancient superstition.

Religious flamewars are not allowed on Hacker News. We ban users who do this, so please don't do it again.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#55

Post by redrummr »

suprgeek wrote: post #19

While it may be manageable for most, I wonder at what point it becomes downright dangerous for people in critical jobs. It would be interesting to do an analysis of say Muslim Surgeons observing Ramadan fasts and the numbers and types medical errors during the fasting vs non-fasting periods. Or the Pilots on Fast and Long Haul flights who have been fasting daily for a month....

Fasting != intermittent fasting. You're not abstaining for weeks.

A meal can take take 24 hours or longer to digest (especially when it's a 'feast').

It's not unusual for people to gain weight during Ramadan (they don't break their' fast' with green pea soup).

If it's your first day (of your life) adjusting your food intake pattern, maybe there is a performance hit.

I'm not Muslim but I fast for fitness reasons much of the year. More focus, more strength, euphoria.

Eating takes a lot of energy. I now work for myself but when I was at a multinational finance company, I could see the post-lunch drain bring down 90% of people on my floor.

I would be worried about the pilot that ate three slices of pizza before getting on the plane!

Re: Working through Ramadan

#56

Post by iofj »

8611m wrote: post #51

I have fasted for the past 20 years during the month of Ramadan. It is the most revered month for all Muslim friends and family that I know. If you think Ramadan is restricted to just not eating, you need to learn more about why Muslims are advised to fast. Not eating during fast is the least of my concern as most days I am on an intermittent fast which lasts for 16 hours as well. Personally, I have rarely experience…

Sounds like it's pretty much the same as the 4 weeks of fasting into Easter, Lent, which is also based on the lunar calendar. I guess that's where ramadom comes from too, and I hear that one comes from the jewish religion, to remember the flight out of Egypt, away from their religion and slavery. So maybe your prophet got it from the jews. Basically when I was a kid the family would spend pretty much the entire afternoon being together, working on the food for the evening, which was usually delicious because of that. Many days there was church, and church activities. The school would help out with the fast.

I don't agree with you at all that it increases your energy. And yeah it came with lots of completely ridiculous rules, like anything religious. If I was a muslim, with that many rules that onerous, I'd refuse to do it just for that reason alone. Such rules only serve to prove someone else's power over you and nothing more. There is no use or purpose other than that. At one point I actually thought different, and so I simply tested it. Nothing, of course, as there is no God that is so extremely petty and meddling as that.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#57

Post by EugeneOZ »

machinelearning wrote: post #22
EugeneOZ wrote: post #16

It's funny to observe how people think that fasting or any other ancient rite will make their faith more valid. "If I'll eat this sandwich it will be huge sin and God will judge me".

Not a muslim myself, but its pretty apparent you haven't the faintest clue about the reasons behind the fasting. If you actually read even a little of the article, you will notice that there is no reference to "making one's faith more valid", but rather more practical values like self-discipline, self-control, patience etc.

I born in orthodox Russia, this branch still have tradition of fasting 40 days each year, so your "pretty apparent" is pretty funny. I know a lot of people who each year follow this fasting rite but never donate to poor, they don't even think about it.

1 visit to Orphanage will give lesson much more effective than this ancient spectacle. I know what I'm talking about.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#58

Post by EugeneOZ »

Cyph0n wrote: post #40
EugeneOZ wrote: post #16

It's funny to observe how people think that fasting or any other ancient rite will make their faith more valid. "If I'll eat this sandwich it will be huge sin and God will judge me".

Nah, it's not about that at all. Fasting is about learning to deal with hardship, and appreciating what less fortunate people have to go through every day of the year. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to donate to charity. It becomes much easier after you've felt a bit of what it's like to be poor for a month.

Yeah, but not in other 11 months, lol. When charity is forced by tradition - it's not charity, it's just rite.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#59

Post by Cyph0n »

EugeneOZ wrote: post #58
Cyph0n wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, it's not about that at all. Fasting is about learning to deal with hardship, and appreciating what less fortunate people have to go through every day of the year. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to donate to charity. It becomes much easier after you've felt a bit of what it's like to be poor for a month.

Yeah, but not in other 11 months, lol. When charity is forced by tradition - it's not charity, it's just rite.

Does the money given help the poor? Yes? Then it's charity. Why it's given is irrelevant.

As for your other comment, there's nothing stopping a Muslim from donating to charity during the rest of the year. Also, there's another important act of giving called zakat which depends on your current assets - usually 2.5% every year.

Re: Working through Ramadan

#60

Post by gameofcode »

iofj wrote: post #56
8611m wrote: post #51

I have fasted for the past 20 years during the month of Ramadan. It is the most revered month for all Muslim friends and family that I know. If you think Ramadan is restricted to just not eating, you need to learn more about why Muslims are advised to fast. Not eating during fast is the least of my concern as most days I am on an intermittent fast which lasts for 16 hours as well. Personally, I have rarely experience…

Sounds like it's pretty much the same as the 4 weeks of fasting into Easter, Lent, which is also based on the lunar calendar. I guess that's where ramadom comes from too, and I hear that one comes from the jewish religion, to remember the flight out of Egypt, away from their religion and slavery. So maybe your prophet got it from the jews. Basically when I was a kid the family would spend pretty much the entire after…

Fasted last 15 years. In my experience, the first couple of days are tough (mainly due to the body adjusting to different sleeping patterns and the lack of coffee), but after getting over that my energy levels come back. My output as a developer increases because my concentration levels are higher. This continues to increase right through the month. While I'm fasting, I feel like "I" have complete power/purity over my body. Fasting is not only to remember the people in poverty, it is to learn self restraint. The week after Ramadhan I begin to regret going back to old habits (5 cups of coffee a day, thinking about food/snacking during the day etc).

The problem I've found people who test it have, is they try the first day and say it's too hard (it is). You only really experience the benefits after a couple of days.

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