The Difficulties of Fasting in a Non-Islamic Country
This week I have watched a very influential video about fasting in Ramadan as an American. This video helped me understand more about the hardships people go through while fasting in a non-Islamic country. It also helped me think more about why exactly, as a Muslim, do I fast in this particular month. It also shows the great importance in coming together as a family to break the fast together. Ramadan teaches us as Muslims why we fast exactly and what its significance towards Allah.
There are many hardships a Muslim can go through in a non-Islamic country just like America. First, for people in this country it is hard for them to get the concept about us not eating from sunrise to sunset without eating or drinking. For them fasting is not like this, it is rather different. For example, there fast iz like only eating simple foods and drinking water, for us we are not allowed to put a single thing in our mouths or then the fast does not count towards Allah. In the video it showed a girl that was in college still going through ...
Shabana Mir authored the book “Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity” in The University of North Carolina Press in the year 2014. In her book, Shabana explains how Muslim American college students face difficulties in there colligate career. She provides examples of what actions she had to do when she was in college and what other Muslim Americans are doing right now in college. She claims that Muslim Americans that live on college campuses have to hide their culture and true identities to fit in with the “regular” Americans. Also, she says that Muslim Americans have some “Painful” maturing to do as they live and interact with a diverse group of people in college. And lastly, she explains how Muslim Americans
Watching “30 Days Living as A Muslim” really did not teach me anything, but surely made me angrier. First of all I found it very offensive for someone to attempt to make most of the ignorant people in this world to comprehend what Islam, which is receiving such hatred and insult, and Muslims who are going through too many victimization just to survive and be treated equally as other followers of God’s guidance within 45 minutes. I felt ashamed and disgusting. What does it mean? If it is more than an hour, won’t people watch it? Is it too long for us to be exposed and thought about our people who are not treated fairly as human right in front of our eyes? The worse part is Dave, the man who was chose to live as an Muslim for only 30 days did not prove to us that he learned anything, did he? Dave had
Things are as bad as the Muslims say they are -- in fact, they are worse. . . . There ...
Others fast as a means of spiritual discipline. Daniel’s fast was a result of an intense burden. He was mourning for me. He was so burdened in his spirit, so spiritually in need of God’s help, that he ate no pleasant bread or flesh (meat) and drank no wine. For three weeks, he lived on plain bread and water while he waited to hear from heaven.
First of all, I would like to say that the video was very enlightening and also a reminder
Many of them did come to American for a better life, yet they did keep their religious practices with them. Of course there were some immigrants who chose not to practice their religious beliefs since America does offer the freedom of religion. Some were less religion in the new land but most become even more connected to their faith when they came to the United States. They wanted to have a piece of their lives that was familiar to them on their new journey. They organized familiar rituals and spent their time at the mosque. As many immigrants that came to America the Muslim people needed to establish a base to rely on. On September 11, 2001 things took a turn for the worst.
Muslims are said to be the nightmare of America, but just like any other human being they are pure and carry stories of discrimination just like Dalia Mogahed says “I’m completely ordinary, I’m not an exception. My story is not unusual, I’m as ordinary as they come”(Dalia). She explains that her story of being discriminated for being muslim is not unusual. There are thousands of Muslims who carry on this story just like Dalia Mogahed. She explains that she was just a normal citizen just like any other but it all when downhill when the attack of the twin towers occurred on September 11, 2001. From that day forward there was days where it was required that she stay home and was life threatening to attend their church hours.
The holidays celebrated by Lebanese Americans can vary depending on their religious views. Many Lebanese Christians celebrate the feast days of saints, Christmas and Easter. “Muslims celebrate three major holidays: Ramadan (the 30-day period of daytime fasting); 'Eid al Fitr, a five-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan; and 'Eid al-Adha, the "Feast of the Sacrifice," which commemorates Abraham's agreement with God that he would sacrifice his son Ishmael” (Hajar & Jones, n.d.). The holidays celebrated can affect the food choices of this culture during the celebration period.
17 Dugan, Kathleen M. “Fasting For Life: The Place of Fasting in the Christian Tradition.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Vol. 63 Issue 3 (Fall 1995): 547
Many people believe that fasting is not recommended. That is a false notion to many because they believe that fasting will affect the concentration of a person when one is hungry. This might be true at the beginning but in long run it does not. It has been proven that those people who adopt a serious program of fasting improve their attention, concentration span, focusness and alertness.
Pinelli, N.R. & Jaber, L.A. (2011). Practices of Arab American patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus during Ramadan. Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 24(2), 211-215.
Oftentimes, westerners will see women wearing a headscarf and automatically assume that they are being forced to do so. However, this is often not true. Even though it is part of the religion, it is a personal choice for women to wear the scarf and can opt out at any time. According to Laila Alawa, “I am greeted on a daily basis with passerby who tell me that i no longer need wear the headscarf because I am in America. In this exact statement supposedly freeing Muslim women from the clothes they seem ‘forced’ to don, there is a level of oppression being oppression being expressed, as though there is only way to be ‘free’”
Some students need to rethink the concept of studying and working during the blessed month of Ramadan. Many students worry during their day as when to find time for spiritual activities during their busy class schedules and other activities, while waiting the whole day to get back home or to visit the mosque. What students should take into consideration is that these spiritual activities are not limited to vising sacred places where they can be close to god, but they should make their lives sacred by their intentions and actions.
Ramazan is fast approaching, evoking excitement and anticipation in people of all ages. The very thought of it conjures up images of a splendid month of fasting and the general spirit of well-wishing and generosity.
The benefits of fasting. In particular during Ramadan, Muslims are required to perform fasting in accordance with Islamic law. The benefits of fasting is very much to the health of the body. This is because fasting is associated with the process of detoxification or removal of toxic substances from the body. Especially if the Ramadan fasting is done for 1 full month that can make the body become healthier. Here are the benefits of fasting for health.