Committing to our religious teachings, we have to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. God has prescribed fasting during Ramadan for various reasons. Ramadan is the perfect month to establish the mind-body-soul connection and to rectify the sins of our Nafs (Desires). The holy month of Ramadan is a spiritual course that prepares us for heaven.
Ramadan revisits us every year, bringing its unique habits and activities. There are also some misconceptions about Ramadan that many people carry in their minds every time Ramadan comes.
In this article, we will explore the most common Ramadan myths and misconceptions.
Visit our Ramadan 2024 page for more Ramadan and Eid content!
A short answer is NO!
The holy month of Ramadan encourages people not only to get closer to God but also to quit bad habits and try to become a better version of themselves. That’s why habits like smoking, gossiping, cursing, and other bad habits (and addictions) are to be abstained from during fasting time.
Food addiction, which can cause weight, might also be considered a bad habit. Although genetic factors play a role in predisposing people to be on the heavier side, sometimes food addiction might be the cause. Losing weight during Ramadan rarely happens. Sometimes the opposite happens because people tend to take more calories during the nights of Ramadan than they used to do during an entire regular day. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t lose weight during Ramadan if you had a good plan.
It depends on what you mean by intimate. Emotional and spiritual intimacy with your spouse is something that should be fostered all the time, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
But when it comes to physical intimacy, namely having sex. It's forbidden during fasting time. After Iftar, you’re allowed to be as intimate as you want with your spouse.
Cuddling and kissing are in a grey area; they're kind of allowed, but they shouldn't escalate, as they can easily stir desire.
Fasting is obligatory for everyone who is medically fit and has reached the age of maturity.
Ill people (physically and mentally), pregnant or breastfeeding women, and young children are all allowed to forgo fasting during Ramadan.
If the illness is short-term, the patient has to resume fasting the days they've missed after Ramadan to make up for them. However, when a person is suffering from a chronic disease (that either won't allow them to fast or requires taking medicine during the day), they can make up for fasting by performing the fidyah — which is a small donation to the poor that must be paid for each unintentionally missed day in Ramadan.
If the person intentionally misses a day in Ramadan, they have to perform the Kaffarah, which is fasting for 60 days in a row or feeding 60 poor people. Kaffarah is also performed when breaking an oath or a promise.
This is one of the most recurring Ramadan misconceptions. In this case, we have to invoke the act of wudhu (ablution). While performing wudhu, you have to wash your mouth three times without swallowing. The same goes for brushing your teeth and tasting food. As long as you’re not swallowing anything to the stomach, other than saliva, your fast isn’t broken.
As for eating by mistake, if it genuinely happened to you, you must stop as soon as you realize it and wash your mouth of the food. It’s something that typically happens during the first days of Ramadan when people haven’t gotten used to fasting yet.
Here's a funny Moroccan joke about Ramadan and Wudu:
A niece asks her old grandpa on a hot Ramadan day: How are you dealing with fasting and Ramadan?
The grandpa answers her: Oh my dear! If it weren’t for the THREE sips of water of wudhu, you'll find me dead by now.
Among the things that Muslims try to foster during Ramadan is self-control. Therefore, it’s not rude to eat in front of a Muslim because controlling our Nafs (Desires) is what Ramadan is all about. However, everyone would agree that trying to convince a Muslim to eat during Ramadan is utterly inappropriate and rude.
On the contrary, plenty of research suggests that fasting is quite healthy sometimes. While non-Muslims might do it differently, fasting in its many forms is something that anyone needs to do from time to time to detox and balance their hormones. Luckily for Muslims, God has prescribed fasting for a whole month as one of the pillars of his religion.
Make sure to learn the true essence of Ramadan through the various spiritual and communal acts that accompany this holy month.
Check out the HalalTrip blog for more information about Ramadan.
If you’re looking for nearby Halal Restaurants where you can enjoy Iftar with your loved ones, check out the HalalTrip app. The app will also give you directions to the nearby mosques, prayer time, the qibla direction, dua for traveling, and plenty of other things you'll surely appreciate.
Cover Image Credit: Kel Avelino on Unsplash
