Ramadan's Journal #19

There are some things I haven't seen during Ramadan - talking here about things I read I would see:

- Because it's a month, you should be more generous and give more generously, it is expected an increase of beggars in the streets. But probably because economy is going bad, it's been the same for me: a lot of people sleeping in the streets and lots of beggars everywhere (so sad there are things like these in any part of the world...). 

- Also in the name of generosity, rich people and big companies would cater Iftar for the poor. I haven't seen any of this - it doesn't mean there isn't any, of course. 

I have seen and heard about that for the services where people will keep working even before, during or after Iftar, they gather together to celebrate in the workplace. Like people in the supermarket around the corner, or the fakakhani (fruit vendor) and his staff (including a child who shouldn't be working, but...);

Taxi drivers aren't more generous. As in everywhere in the world, they keep trying to cheat you, Ramadan or not. =P 

Ramadan's Journal #18

I guess I'm tired and in need of a good laugh.

Ramadan's Journal #17

Someone asked me if I was going to have special working hours during Ramadan.

"Oh, yes, I replied, I'll start working full time". =P

No joke! But here I found one:

Tariq was travelling down a path in Bahawalpur, Pakistan when he saw a large group of people outside a house.

It was in the middle of the day during Ramadan, so he stopped and asked Asif why such a large crowd of men was gathered there at this time.

Asif replied, 'Saleem's camel kicked his mother-in-law and she died.' 
'Well,' replied the man, 'She must have had a lot of friends.'

'Nope,' said Asif.' We all just want to buy his camel.'

Source: http://www.guy-sports.com/humor/saints/ramadan_humour.htm (with lots of other jokes).

Ramadan's Journal #16

Another thing that also changes in Ramadan is opening hours. Shops won't open in the morning, sometimes not also in the afternoon. I live in a 24/7 metropolis, but it is unbelievable how nights become even more kindled with joy, conversations, people in the streets, horns and... music. I live in a quiet neighbourhood (quiet for local patterns), but one of the neighbours always leave to the street in the middle of the night playing his tambourine. Of course, with such a liveliness in the evening, why bother with business during the day? 

Well, that is for Ramadan today. But a friend asked in the national version of the blog about Muslims being allowed to smoke and I promised her an answer. So, here goes a quick answer by an outsider (if you are looking for an extensive research about the theme, google it, read a book or talk to a scholar). 

* * * 

Tobacco has been used in the Americas (the continent) for years before the Europeans' arrival, but  its further dissemination and commercialization as cigarettes started only in the 16th century, after their presence. Therefore, like other Sacred Books, Koran does not rule specifically about it, because it was written in the 7th century and believers should look for principles that guide them concerning the matter. 

The theme is obviously very controversial: the ones who are con, will say it's prohibited because it harms your health, does no good to yourself and to others, is a signal of moral decadence etc. The ones who are pro will say there's nothing clear about it in Koran and that the addiction would be the sin, not smoking itself. There is actually a fatwa (new legal rulings made by Islamic scholars), which prohibits the use of tobacco. 

However, the fact is that, prohibited or not, people do smoke a lot here. ;-) 

I couldn't write this all by my own knowledge, of course. Besides Wikipedia, here are the sources: 

• The evils of smoking: for inside opinion; 
• Smoking Fatwa: for legal resource. 

Ramadan's Journal #15

Today, another underground chronicle.

I was coming back home after a lunch and a walk with a friend, the feeling that I just had a perfect Friday/weekend. I was thirsty, but we were in public spaces and the metro is certainly not the place to eat or drink. I knew, however, that soon it would be time for fasting breaking. Somehow, the anticipation of being able to drink the water that was inside my bag was getting very irritating. My throat burning; my head light.

Suddenly the women sit besides me offers me Fanta. I gaze willingly the fresh orange drink and politely  refuse. She insists, I vehemently say no - was it too much obvious that I needed to drink something? Or was just temptation? Around the wagon, people start moving. Some open snacks. A woman comes offering dates to everybody. A girl passes to her mother a packaged meal. Oh, it's time for Iftar.

I accept a date and drink all my water at once. Just feel like I'm part of the scenario somehow. With dates and water, just like the tradition. The angels should have been all over. =) 

Ramadan's Journal #14

I'm trying not to complain about traffic again... This time, after Iftar, when everybody seems to go into streets to do whatever.

Instead I will talk about Ramadan during the different seasons.

I have never seen dawn here. But I know that everyday, about 5 o'clock in the morning, the rays of sun comes through the windows' slots and gently wake me up. The apartment is all drowned in light in the very early morning. Then, about 19:00 the sun sets. It doesn't get dark before 20:00, tho. 


So, you eat the suhur before dawn - the first large meal. Then, when daylight is over, they'll break the fast with dates or water, before Iftar. With 40ºC during the day. 


Ramadan during Summer is hard. 


But I still have one question: if during one month, Muslims should fast from dawn to sunset, how they do if they're living on Finland or Sweden, where, for some days, the sun doesn't set?

Ramadan's Journal #13

Today's story was told by a friend, who has just arrived - by plane. At 2:00 in the morning.

She explained that three planes had landed at similar times and, therefore, the immigration queue was long. Very long. Now, it's not a normal immigration situation. It's a queue of people who has until 3 in the morning to eat their last meal (the vast majority of them, at least), which is the time of the first prayer, during Ramadan's month.

I suppose the whole thing gets a new scope because immigration officers are probably in the same situation of the travellers - and want to finish their job as soon as possible. My friend said they were working as fast as she never saw before.

Honestly, I wonder why the West still believes in secularism. In this part of the world, it seems but a faint trace of another dimension.