>> 2. If you accidentally fall asleep in your office cubicle, people won’t judge you because you are fasting.
Oh, yes, please don't judge me while I underperform this entire month because I feel compelled to follow some ancient superstition.
Oh, yes, please don't judge me while I underperform this entire month because I feel compelled to follow some ancient superstition.
Among other things, that means not flaming people with beliefs you don't share, not litigating the truth or falsehood of all religion (a tedious generic topic about which if anything new can be said, it won't be on an internet forum), and restraining zeal.
If you're falling asleep while fasting, isn't that a sign of going too far with it? Seems intuitively unhealthy.
I have a lot of questions about Ramadan and the Muslim faith. I thought the topic was very good but I feel like this article article didn't really do a good job of providing insight into the struggles and spiritual journey involved in Ramadan.
>is there some sort of Ramadan exception for those involved in physically intensive work?
In the Muslim world government jobs working hours is usually adjusted from 8 hours to 5. Although I'm not aware of any laws that makes the private sector adjust it's hours, they usually do. I'm not aware of any special treatment for physically intensive work but there is a general sense of compassion in the month so I wouldn't be surprised if they were cut a lot of slack.
>What about for diabetics?
If your sick you're not expected to fast.
>Do people struggling through Ramadan experience some sort of closeness with God or spiritual feelings of joy?
Yes but this is not specific to Muslims. Many faiths has some sort of fasting practice. I'm not very religious but I do feel a heightened sense of spirituality and mindfulness while fasting.
For your questions, as usual Wikipedia has the basics:
However, elderly who are capable do fast. Athletes do fast. Even children do fast. Most people want to participate because it's a community celebration. I grew up in a Muslim country, and Ramadan is a month I've always enjoyed. Friends, neighbours, and family visit each other. Everyday we receive food parcels from half the neighbourhood, and we send out an equivalent amount. Halfway through the month we have Nasfa, which is basically Halloween but we wear traditional clothes and go house to house collecting candy. This is then followed up with Eid 2 weeks later, which is a 3 day non-stop celebration. It's the most commercial month of the year. Restaurants are packed. Every TV channel comes out with dozens of 30-day series. People stay out till dawn. It's also the month when the most charity is given in the Muslim world and a lot of volunteering also occurs during this month.
It's also a very spiritual time. I still fast, despite my lack of belief, like I've done since I was a child. I feel calmer, and more meditative in my everyday life. I use this month to cut out most of my bad habits and vices, which ultimately is harder than depriving yourself of food. It's a time when you spend more time thinking about the struggle of the less fortunate. The feeling of deprivation from food, water, sex, and many comforts of the world really incentivizes you to give more. It motivates you to be a better person continuing throughout the year. When I was religious, I used to spend my time quite similarly: participating in prayer, study, and recitation.
Of course there's also drawbacks: I tend to lose a lot of weight this month due to only eating a single meal most days. My appetite noticeably shrinks, and I feel more sluggish. I'm healthy and I'm still able to perform my job fully, go for walks, and participate in activities, albeit more sluggishly. I've studied this a bit by using my completion velocity for tasks when I'm fasting versus when I'm not and haven't found conclusive results yet. Last year, I underperformed my normal velocity by 5%. This year I outpaced it by 3-4%. I believe the difference this year is better meal planning.
Towards the end of the day, I'd get cranky due to dehydration and lack of sugar. Oddly enough, a lot of people go the other way and gain weight by binging after sunset. It's quickly becoming a very commercial season, where all consumption and materialism are kicked into overdrive.
In many cases the lost month leads to them not graduating (MS or PhD) on time.
Personally, it's made me more aware of what a brain that's low on glucose acts like.
Sincerely, Someone typing this well after midnight
I know you don't buy it, judging from the wording. But that is why everyone is so laser-focused at this time. The Quran specficially outlines this, believe it or not.
I swear, when docker and lxc turn ten, I will uninstall them and never look back.