9 simple questions about Ramadan

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Is it rude to eat in front of those who fast? What do most people get wrong about Ramadan?   Simple questions about Ramadan, answered …

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00:00Ayy, it's Ramadan and I'm chillin' with my mom

00:02Can't do nothing haram so we readin' the Quran

00:05Read it!

00:05It's Ramadan

00:06Yay!

00:07Ramadan

00:08Ramadan

00:09Yes!

00:09It's Ramadan

00:14Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims where Muslims fast from dawn until sunset

00:19The fasting is from intercourse, food, and drink

00:22The point of this fast is to clean us physically as well as spiritually

00:30We learn self-control and discipline through resisting from food and drink and intercourse

00:35which are the basic human desires

00:36The goal of fasting is to help us gain closeness or taqwa to God

00:41Taqwa in Arabic means God-consciousness and knowing that God is watching us and acting upon that

00:46Another condition is to know what we are speaking, who we are talking to, when we are saying it

00:52This is to help us know that we're going to be accountable for what we say on the Day of Judgment

00:56So fasting also has a spiritual concept that we have to watch what we're saying while we fast

01:06So a lot of times when people hear us say that we're fasting for 30 days

01:10it means that for 30 straight days we're not eating or drinking water

01:13We can eat and drink throughout the entire night

01:15but when dawn comes we stop eating, we stop drinking

01:18It's not for the whole 30 days, it's just for about 15 to 20 hours

01:23maybe less, maybe more depending on where you're from

01:29Generally speaking, Muslims don't really mind, they're patient

01:32and that's the prophetic character to be patient

01:34and not just complain rapidly or scream publicly when someone is sipping a coke

01:40So generally it's okay, we're not going to freak out

01:42However, taunting or mocking would be unappreciated

01:49When women are on their monthly cycle, they do not have to fast

01:54but they have to make up those days after Ramadan

01:57Another case would be if you are traveling

01:59Travelers do not have to fast but they have to make up that fast

02:02And a third case, these are the three most common ones

02:04The third one is when someone is facing an illness, is sick

02:08then they do not have to fast but they have to make up that fast later

02:11Another common question people have is does masturbation break your fast

02:19because intercourse and masturbation are a little different

02:21Now, they both break your fast but if you forget that you're fasting

02:27then none of them break your fast

02:28If I forget that I'm fasting and I eat, drink, have intercourse, whatever I do

02:32my fast is good, it's still valid

02:34If I know I'm fasting and I intentionally masturbate

02:37this does invalidate my fast and it also requires me to make up that fast

02:47It follows the lunar calendar

02:49This means that every year if we were to go by the same date

02:52it would be two weeks ahead every single year

02:55That's why we cite the moon to know that Ramadan is here

02:59and that changes by about two weeks every year in terms of the lunar calendar

03:07So, a good way for non-Muslims to help Muslims or support them when they're fasting

03:16is to simply congratulate Ramadan Kareem, Ramadan Mubarak

03:19which means have a blessed Ramadan or have a happy good Ramadan

03:24Now, that doesn't mean you have to join us or anything

03:27However, I know some people who also try to join me when I'm fasting

03:31and this makes me really smile, this makes me happy

03:34so this is also a way to appreciate me

03:36But again, don't feel bad if you don't do that

03:38And if you're an employer who happens to have a Muslim employee

03:42it's very important for that Muslim employee

03:43especially when they're fasting to eat right at sunset

03:46because it's a very strictly prophetic tradition to eat as soon as sunset time comes

03:56Another aspect is generosity

03:58It's narrated in an authentic transmission of narrators

04:01that the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him

04:04he would be most generous in Ramadan

04:06That's why we have a lot of Ramadan campaigns to help raise money

04:10This is the month where we should be the most generous

04:13and we should raise the most money for the needy

04:15It doesn't just have to be Muslims

04:17It can be Muslims, non-Muslims, our community, worldwide, whatever it is

04:21We have to be generous to the needy

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