My
friend ML will be observing Ramadan at sunset tonight. According to Wikipedia, “Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide…to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.” The annual
observance lasts for thirty days and consists of fasting from sunrise until
sunset every day. So, during the
daylight hours, “Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids,
smoking, and engaging in sexual relations.”
That’s right, no nothing while the sun is in the sky!
So,
this led me to wonder what Muslims in Alaska do when they get a time of
midnight sun, when the day can last for 24 hours. That is a long time to go without sexual
relations…I mean, eating. Funny enough,
I’m not the first person to ask this question.
Rules have actually been established for Muslims living in areas of the
midnight sun. They can either follow the
timetable of Mecca and observe a “day” based on hours rather than the sun in
the sky, or they can follow the day/night cycle of the closest country to them.
