[SR] Ramadan Challenge

[DV8]

Not quite as an elaborate question as the title might suggest, but does anyone have the capability - or patience, to figure out when Ramadan is in 2058, 2059, 2060? I've been trying to find a way to do it with a perpetual calendar, but I've come up siltch.

[DV8]

Never mind. Found something already.

[DV8]

Never mind. Found something already.

[DV8]

For those who are interested but lazy:

First day of Ramadhaan:

March 7th 2057
Febuary 24th 2058
Febuary 14th 2059
Febuary 4th 2060
January 23rd 2061
January 12th 2062
January 1st 2063
December 21st 2063
December 10th 2064
Novermber 29th 2065

[Ikarus7]

For those like me who don't know shit about religion?
What exactly is Ramadan?

[MooCow]

It's a Muslim holy time, lasting approximately one month. Fasting begins at sunrise and lasts until sunset. No food or water may be ingested, nor sexual intercourse engaged in. Some references I've found even state that women may not give birth or begin menstruation during this time. Doing so would be considered missing the day, and require them to make it up.

The idea of Fasting is to help purify the soul, and make it more receptive to hearing the words of Allah.

Yes, the Church is lenient towards the sick, elderly, pregnant, etc. These people are not required to Fast, and may eat with out fear of burning in hell.

No, if you live within the Artic circle, you are not required to go with out food and water for the entire month. Most Islamic churches officially establish what time Dawn and Dusk occur, those located in some unusual place take their times from the time in Mecca.

[MooCow]

Just a note, I used to have a boss/friend who was Muslim. We worked night shift, and we started about an hour before Dusk. Every day during Ramadan, we would eat his favorite foods right at the beginning of shift (well before he was allowed to eat). Also, we got little mini fans that helped blow the scent of our food over towards his cubical.

In retrospect, I'm amazed any of us are still alive.

[DV8]

It's a Muslim holy time, lasting approximately one month. Fasting begins at sunrise and lasts until sunset. No food or water may be ingested, nor sexual intercourse engaged in. Some references I've found even state that women may not give birth or begin menstruation during this time. Doing so would be considered missing the day, and require them to make it up.

Yes, for the most part, Moo is correct. Ramadan or Ramadhaan is the most holy of months in which Muslims commemorate the writing of the Qu'ran - which took the same length of time as the Ramadhaan - and cleanse themselves of their sins by fasting. It's one of the five primary pillars of the Islamic faith. From sun up to sun down you are not allowed to eat or drink, nor are you allowed to have sex. And those who are sick, old, menstruating or otherwise unable to perform this task during that time are excused, provided they make up for it at a time where they are capable.

Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, with a new month starting at the appearance of the new moon, the first day of Ramadhaan changes from year to year, sometimes falling twice in one year because a lunar cycle is shorter than one year.

[MooCow]

Yes, for the most part, Moo is correct. Ramadan or Ramadhaan is the most holy of months in which Muslims commemorate the writing of the Qu'ran - which took the same length of time as the Ramadhaan - and cleanse themselves of their sins by fasting. It's one of the five primary pillars of the Islamic faith. From sun up to sun down you are not allowed to eat or drink, nor are you allowed to have sex. And those who are sick, old, menstruating or otherwise unable to perform this task during that time are excused, provided they make up for it at a time where they are capable.

Thanks Deev. I was pulling that up from memory, so I missed a bunch of things. Deev is much more accurate then I was.

[FlakJacket]

Most Islamic churches officially establish what time Dawn and Dusk occur, those located in some unusual place take their times from the time in Mecca.

Technically, it's nighttime when you can't tell the difference between a black and a white thread. But with the amount of light pollution about nowadays, the mosque's basically say when it is.

[DV8]

Most Islamic churches officially establish what time Dawn and Dusk occur, those located in some unusual place take their times from the time in Mecca.

Technically, it's nighttime when you can't tell the difference between a black and a white thread. But with the amount of light pollution about nowadays, the mosque's basically say when it is.

Now that's fucking accuracy right there!

[Serious Paul]

Some sects are much stricter than others, so some Muslims can eat during the day-if it becomes necassary (Say in the case of children), and many end ramadan with a feast.

At the prison we have a number of Ramadan participants.

[DV8]

I'm a little confused, simply because I haven't heard that term before to describe the largest religion in the world; what do you mean by sects?

[Serious Paul]

It may be a Phenomena isolated to America, and more specifically American prisons-we have various "branches" of Islamic worship-Mulanics, NOI, Moorish Science Temple, and many more whole are all Islamic, but express it in a number of subtle and not subtle ways.

Ramadan is the best time to notice these differences for me, since thats when we pay much more attention to them than we normally do. (And should since all of these groups are as bad if not worse than your average street gang.)

[DV8]

Ah, I see. Friendly bit of advice; don't let your prison experience with Muslims rule your view on all Muslims, because I don't know any Muslim that's in a "sect" and I know quite a few.

[Jeff Hauze]

Ah, I see. Friendly bit of advice; don't let your prison experience with Muslims rule your view on all Muslims, because I don't know any Muslim that's in a "sect" and I know quite a few.

Actually, I'm a little confused by your statement there Deev. When I worked at the County offices, we had quite a few practicing Muslims there. Between the four I knew rather well, there were three different sects between those four folks with some fairly distinctive differences between them. Is it that odd of a term? I've heard the term sect used in reference to various different styles of Islam over a number of years here on this side of the Pond. Two of the three I encountered Paul has already mentioned, and for the life of me, I'm drawing a blank on the third's name right now, but I'll try and dig it up.

[DV8]

No need. You're right, sect is - technically - a proper word to use, however, we don't refer to Catholicism as a Christian sect, nor do we see Protestantism as a sect, or the Luthern church, while, technically, they are. We extend them some sort of amnesty from a term which is usually, I think, used to refer to, well, David Koresh and Jonestown type of groups.

[Jeff Hauze]

No need. You're right, sect is - technically - a proper word to use, however, we don't refer to Catholicism as a Christian sect, nor do we see Protestantism as a sect, or the Luthern church, while, technically, they are. We extend them some sort of amnesty from a term which is usually, I think, used to refer to, well, David Koresh and Jonestown type of groups.

Now see, that's funny. I hear the word used frequently to describe any division with a particular religion. I think it may just be a difference in word usage. When talking about Jonestown type groups, I just tend to go for fucking nutto cultists. It's so much more descriptive.

[MooCow]

No need. You're right, sect is - technically - a proper word to use, however, we don't refer to Catholicism as a Christian sect, nor do we see Protestantism as a sect, or the Luthern church, while, technically, they are. We extend them some sort of amnesty from a term which is usually, I think, used to refer to, well, David Koresh and Jonestown type of groups.

No. In the US at least, "Sect" is used both by common people and professional religious people (Scholars, priests, etc) to denote a different branch of the religion.

As Jeff said, for WACO type groups, we just call them cults.

[DV8]

Alright. I just can't say I have ever hear anyone refer to Catholicism or any other flavour of predominantly Western religion as a sect before, is all. My apologies for the misuse of the word.

[MooCow]

Alright. I just can't say I have ever hear anyone refer to Catholicism or any other flavour of predominantly Western religion as a sect before, is all. My apologies for the misuse of the word.

Not terribly surprising. While it is /used/, it's only used when neccesary. Example: I'm talking to someone about Calvinism. They say, "What's Calvinism?". I'd respond with "It's a sect of Christianity." I would probably never use the word again with that person in relation to Calvinism.

Also, Sect and Branch tend to be pretty much synonymous here in the States.

Clear as mud?

[Jeff Hauze]

Alright. I just can't say I have ever hear anyone refer to Catholicism or any other flavour of predominantly Western religion as a sect before, is all. My apologies for the misuse of the word.

It's not really a misuse. And in regards to Christianity, you are probably right. I can't say I've ever heard it used in reference to that particular religion. Though I suspect that is because most of the various sects are well recognized in this country by their individual names. (Lutheran, UCC, Catholic, Church of Latter Day Saints/Mormon, etc.) With Christian sects being the larger makeup of religions in this country, and it being very Christian-centric, we know those names as commonplace names. Not so with Muslim sects, so they are simply sects. So we're ignant. Sue me.

[MooCow]

Jeff I think it hit it on the head. People don't think of the different Sects of Christianity or Judaism as having "sects" because we are so familiar with them. However, as stated, if you take a comparitive religions class, they will refer to the different branchs as being sects. They will also refer to all religions as "Myths", because the academic use of the word is different from the common or connotative.

[Jestyr]

I've usually heard different flavours of Christianity referred to as "denominations". But, certainly, "sect" is a perfectly valid and non-offensive* word that's commonly used here, as well, for different branches of other religions.

* - I can only assume it's non-offensive; the PC police have winnowed through every other grain of public speech, so I can't see why that would have escaped.