WEBVTT - How Ramadan Works 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:02.840 Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 0:00:03.160 --> 0:00:07.360 It's ready. Are you welcome to you stuff you should 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:16.320 know from House Stuff Works dot Com. Hey, and welcome 0:00:16.320 --> 0:00:19.520 to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, There's Charles W. Chuck 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:24.560 Bryant and Chuck May. I say kulu uma unto be 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:28.800 care a salama they come to you, my friend? So, 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:34.239 um chu can I speaking Arabic to one another? Um, 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:36.720 what did you say? I said, May you be well 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:40.800 throughout the year. Okay, I should say that. I want 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:43.599 to qualify that by that's the translation presented in the 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:47.680 House to Folks article. It's not babel fish. I said 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:50.400 peace be with you, Peace be upon you. Thanks. That's 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:54.960 general greeting. Well, those are very nice greetings. They're particularly appropriate, 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:59.280 um to uh say to one another. The whole reason 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:01.800 we're speaking Arabic to one another right now is because 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:04.240 you may or may not know this. If you're one 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:09.480 of the um sixth of the world's population who practice Islam, 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:12.240 you're probably well aware of this. But for the other 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:16.959 five six Um it's Ramadan right now. That's right. It's 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:21.039 a big month, one point three billion. I'd like to 0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:25.160 say a sixth, second largest religion behind Christianity of course, 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:30.120 And uh, well are you sure Christianity really? Of course? 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.199 What are you talking about? I thought they are way 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:36.360 more Muslims than Christians. U, there's like over two billion Christians. 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:38.600 I did not know that. You thought that it was 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:44.399 the number one religion and that or maybe Buddhism Christianity. 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:48.600 Are you sure? Oh? Yeah, I do. Christianityes they're number one. 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:53.320 They've got that missionary outreach program. I guess it's been effective. 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:56.760 They got a downpat So July eighteen, I'm sorry, July 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:00.360 nine through August eighteenth this year, and we will explain 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.080 why it's this year because it falls at a different 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:05.800 time every year. Yeah, well we can explain why now 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:08.160 because they use a lunar calendar. We got smacked down 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:11.840 for this. Remember, No, in one of our shows a 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.480 year or two ago, we said something about Ramadan falls 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:17.800 on this and people write intersaid, actually it falls at 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.320 a different time every It was probably the fastening episode. Yeah, 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:22.640 I think that was. It would makes sense. Yeah, and 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:25.680 we were like, oh wow, we need to educate ourselves 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:27.799 and we did. Yeah, we spent the last year and 0:02:27.800 --> 0:02:31.000 a half studying. Uh, Islam. Yeah, this is the culmination 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:33.720 of a year and a half of Islamic studies that 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:36.880 you and I undertook to do the Ramadan episode. All right, 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:40.440 So lenar calendar, that's where it all starts. Okay, is 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:42.400 that where we're starting. Well, you already mentioned it, so 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.480 I'm just bringing it back, all right, Well, the luard. 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:46.880 You know, we're used to the solar calendar, the one 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:50.760 that UM is used in the West, the sixty five 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:54.480 day calendar based on the cycle of the sun. Yeah, 0:02:54.840 --> 0:03:00.680 a lunar calendar. UM breaks months down by when a 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:03.320 new moon is sighted and then the next time a 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:06.840 new moon is sighted. And there's a lot of UM 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:11.160 disagreement about what sighting a new moon means. But the 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:13.680 point is it's based on the cycle of the moon. 0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:19.800 In America, Muslims in America generally adhere to the Islamic 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:22.560 Society of North America, and when they get together and 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.400 they say, this is when Ramadan starts this year, right, 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:30.160 So Ramadan starts as the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:35.320 So it's the ninth new moon of the year. And 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:39.600 what it kicks off is the holiest, most joyful, most 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:47.840 introspective most um charitable month of the year for Muslims. 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:50.840 Basically Ramadan, it's the name of the month, but it's 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.320 also the name of this month long celebration. Um is 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:59.280 basically like the come back to Islam month for all 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:02.760 you Muslims and those of you who aren't maybe coome 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:06.120 get acquainted, but it is all about like getting back 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:09.200 to your religious roots as a Muslims. That's pretty much 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:11.560 the point of Ramadan this right, and the ninth month 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:16.359 you mentioned is significant because in a d that was 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:21.800 a camel trader named Mohammed traveling through the desert and 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:25.600 he had a vision from Saudi Arabia Modernday, Saudi Arabia 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:29.119 outside Mecca, and he uh had a vision from an angel, 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:34.000 the Angel Gabriel, and said basically, you are the chosen one, dude, 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:37.320 and you will receive the word of God to dispense 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:39.800 to the people. And that was in the ninth month. 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:42.800 So that's why Ramadan happens in the ninth month. Yeah, 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:46.480 it's like the most blessed month because that was two Muslims, 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:49.159 the most significant thing that's ever happened in the history 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:53.520 of Earth, and the words that came through Mohammed was 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:57.039 ended up being the Kuran. Yeah, I was transcribed. So 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:01.640 as part of Ramadan, the entire Koran is reading, is 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:05.760 read out loud at mosques around the world. Um, and 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:09.120 they read a little bit every night, and so about 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.680 a thirty of the Koran is read, and over the 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.200 course of the month the whole thing is read. Bam 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:18.640 Koran read Ramadan dunne and the prayer where they read 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:22.720 him it's called the Taawi. And I need to say 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:26.440 a special thank you too. Uh Ki Deer Azali put 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.040 out a call on Facebook. We got any Muslims out there, 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:31.240 we need some help, or I guess I could have 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:34.240 said Arabic speakers in general. Sure, but I wanted you know, 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:37.360 I wanted it from the horse's mouth. So key Deer 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:39.880 emailed me and I had a list of words, and 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:44.200 he gave me his best shot at phonetic pronunciations. And 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:46.760 so thanks a lot man, Yeah, thanks a lot, Key Deer, 0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:49.679 big big help. I mean, that's a chuck's doing great 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:52.440 because of you. Well, I just don't want to stumble 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:54.360 through this and the thin people like we know. I'm 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.120 with you. I think it was a good move. So 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:59.359 the prayer that in which in the mosque that you 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.040 were adding the Koran or the Koran, I guess that 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:05.919 is how I said. It is tara wheat, that's the 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.279 prayer and you say that every night. That's right, that's 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:10.920 the nightly prayer during Ramadan, right, Yeah, And I think 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:15.760 it's not required this part, but it is highly encouraged 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:18.040 that you do stuff like this. Well, yeah, it's the 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:21.400 it's the whole point. I think. Like also, I don't know, 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:23.960 but I would guess that there's Um it's the same 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:26.679 with like say Christmas time and when Christians there's people 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:32.640 who like us the the Christmas season to reflect and 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:38.200 to be charitable and to right or during Lent fasting. 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:42.920 Does that equal like fastening every day or giving up 0:06:43.040 --> 0:06:45.880 chocolate or something like that for forty days. I think 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:48.520 it probably depends on the depth of your adherents. But 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:51.839 the point is Ramadan is there so that you can 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.400 come back and just kind of get back in touch 0:06:54.760 --> 0:07:00.000 with Islam and yourself too, because the main component, aside 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:04.560 from the nightly um, the nightly prayers and the reading 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:07.800 of the Kuran and its entirety during that month is fasting, 0:07:08.480 --> 0:07:11.800 which is the big the big part. Yeah, so um, 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.960 Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. There's fasting, 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:19.720 there's alms giving um, there is daily prayer uh. And 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:21.960 then there's a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:25.760 your lifetime if you're able to. Yeah, they give you 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.680 a break if you know you can't afford it or 0:07:28.720 --> 0:07:32.160 you're you know, like infirmed or something, right, um. And 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:36.040 then there's Shahadah, which is um the the I guess 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:40.040 the first pillar probably basically the belief in the creed 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.560 of Islam, which is that Allah is God and Mohammed's 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:47.640 his prophet. So you've got those five pillars. So if 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:50.880 if the belief in God and fasting are on the 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:54.320 same level, that's a big deal. And so this is 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:56.920 the month that you really do it, and there's specific 0:07:57.200 --> 0:08:00.200 guidelines laid out for how you fast and in you 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:02.640 fast right. Yeah. You start at the age of twelve, 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:06.320 which is um in Islam. Is I don't know if 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:08.120 that's when they consider you an adult, but that's when 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:12.640 most of the that's when you get involved in Islam. 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:14.840 As you know, as far as fasting and stuff like 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:17.240 that goes, you're I guess you're no longer considered like 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:20.720 a child. So at twelve years old you can start fasting. 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:24.880 And Um. One of the big parts about the fast 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:28.520 is not just that you say, you know what, I'm 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:30.720 not going to eat during the daytime from sun up 0:08:30.760 --> 0:08:32.719 to sundown. I'm just not gonna eat. I could lose 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:35.800 a few pounds, and you know, it can kill two 0:08:35.880 --> 0:08:39.560 birds with one stone. The really important part and the 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:43.040 really the only way for the fast account is uh 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:46.360 has to do with a word called nia and I 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:50.480 y y a h and that literally means intention. And 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:52.760 what I gather from this is that if like the 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:56.360 fastest to truly come from your heart for the sole 0:08:56.440 --> 0:08:59.760 purpose of praising Allah. Right, it's not like you said, 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:02.360 like you want to lose a little weight, or you 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:06.080 know you're um, you're an ira, a prisoner or something 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:09.079 like that for political reasons. It's like you're doing it 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:13.160 to be closer to God or to be a good Muslim. Yeah, 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:15.640 and if you don't. In the scripture, it says quote 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:19.360 whoever does not make nia before dawn would not have fasted. 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:22.320 So unless you've really feel it in your heart, then 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:27.960 it doesn't count. So make it count. But everything counts 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:30.240 like a little more during Ramadan apparently, so this is 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:36.040 a very special month. Um. During this month, according to 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:40.560 the Koran, the gates of heaven are open, so angels 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.760 are coming freely down to Earth to help out, but 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.960 the gates of Hell are locked and all the demons 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:52.880 within are chained. So you are basically the path is 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:56.440 cleared for you to really just kind of shed all 0:09:56.480 --> 0:10:01.520 of your baggage from the year. Your prayers that are 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:05.080 done it every night are a way to um, basically 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:10.640 clear off, clear your conscience of any wrongdoing you've done. Yeah, 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.840 they should make the demons locked away like twelve months 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:17.000 out of the year. No, well, here's here's here's the thing. 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:20.360 There's there's an answer to that. If you if the 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:23.280 demons were locked up twelve months a year, then um, 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:27.600 it would be all on you. That's the point during Ramadan. 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:30.960 If you do wrongdoing or evil, that is all you. 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:34.199 I can take that. I can take that pressure, can 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:38.280 you sure? Why not? Uh? And not to make light 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:41.880 of it, I'm just choking around you know. Um. So 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.360 the actual practice of of fasting, what happens is you 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.199 wake up early, you know, before dawn if you want 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:51.120 to have anything to eat, and you eat a meal 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:55.679 called sahure and that gets you going through the day. 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:58.080 Sun comes up, then you can't eat at all, right, 0:10:58.240 --> 0:11:01.480 or drink water yea, yeah, yeah, it's gotta be like nothing. 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:04.920 That's a good point. Um. Then when the sun sets, 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:08.000 you break the fast, which with the meal called if tar, 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:13.800 not to be confused with ishtar, No confuse anything. And 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:17.360 this is your meal after the sun sets to kind 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.839 of replenish your body. So you probably start off eating 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:24.200 like some sweet drinking some sweet drinks, and dates, eating, yeah, 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:27.600 eating dates, and basically that you want to like give 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:29.640 some energy to your body to get it going again. 0:11:29.760 --> 0:11:32.240 And I was reading an article on the BBC about 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:36.800 Ramadan and it was written by a Muslim scholar um 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:40.160 and he was basically kind of chastising people who stock 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:43.480 up as he put it, for ramadon which it's like, Okay, 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:45.360 we didn't eat all days. We're gonna eat like two 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.640 days worth of food at night. And he was like, 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:49.880 that's not the point. You can't do that. So well, 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:51.640 it says you can. Now, it says you can eat 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:53.800 whatever you how however much you want, right, you can. 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:56.640 But this guy he's saying like, yes you can. He's 0:11:56.679 --> 0:11:59.320 a purist. He was being a purist, gotcha. He was saying, 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:04.400 that's not the point, all right, Well so sissy, Um, 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:08.160 the it's a rich meal because it's gotta tie you over, obviously, 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.880 unless you're just picking out on McDonald's two in the morning. 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:16.760 And um, it includes a dessert called a kanafa or 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:21.680 a kata if. And the kata if looks sort of 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:25.400 like an impanada from what I can tell. And the 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.400 kanafa is a cake made of wheat, sugar, honey and 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:30.679 raisins and nuts, and it looks sort of like just 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:34.080 a sheet cake, like a single layer sheet cake. And 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:36.240 they both look quite delicious. I would like to try each. 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:39.440 If there's other ones too, like baklava is one. That's 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:45.080 a good one. Classic. Yeah, um, so chuck, you've got 0:12:45.120 --> 0:12:52.319 your uh ista iftar. Yeah, I actually did confuse the istar. 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.600 That's the nighttime meal, right, Yeah, that's the nighttime meal. 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.040 You go to bed, you wake up, you have a saher, 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:02.760 and then the the day begins where you're fasting. If 0:13:02.800 --> 0:13:06.360 you are sick um, if you are chronically or acutely 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:12.120 ill um. The Koran specifically exempts you from fasting during Ramadan. 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:16.400 It basically says like, all I want you to be well, 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:18.880 and you need food and water during this time, so 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:22.000 just go ahead and take care of yourself. Apparently, a 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:25.560 lot of Muslims still who are sick fast during Ramadan, 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.560 so um Muslim doctors are doctors in the Muslim world 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:31.040 have had to kind of think on their feet a 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:33.480 little more to figure out how to take care of 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:36.720 these patients who are like, I'm not putting anything in 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:39.400 my mouth the whole time I'm open, so uh that 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:44.720 they use like time release capsules, um transdermal patches, that 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:47.680 kind of stuff, because you can't take a pill that's 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:50.839 breaking your fast, but they don't consider that breaking the fast. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:52.560 I guess as long as it doesn't into your mouth, 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:56.040 that's that's how I took it. It's called the workaround 0:13:57.160 --> 0:14:01.040 in the modern world, but that's that's pretty devout, Umpandon. 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:04.520 Apparently the it's most dangerous of all two um diabetics 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:06.800 who are must lament trying to fast, and it's like 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:08.760 you can give it a shot, but if your blood 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:12.680 sugar goes low, like you need to break your fast immediately, 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:15.080 so you can't even take like an insulin shot or 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:17.880 you can. You could take an insulin shop. But I think, 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:21.120 like that's right, you want to try to keep your 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:25.200 blood sugar up naturally. First, well, I'm glad they at least, 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:29.520 you know, take care of the sick. Well it's specifically exempted. Well, 0:14:29.520 --> 0:14:31.400 I guess like the pilgrimage too, if you're able to 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:33.600 write like, we don't want you to break your back 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:37.479 or if you can't afford it, you can't go. Uh. 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:39.960 So fasting is is a big deal and it's not 0:14:40.440 --> 0:14:45.200 it's symbolic a UM. It means that you're not paying 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:49.600 attention to your earthly needs. Um that opens you up 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:53.800 to be more inviting for Allah to you know, to 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:57.040 have that personal connection with Allah frees you up, which 0:14:57.080 --> 0:14:59.920 is a big deal. And it's also um a one 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:05.960 too punch because you are supposed to feel hungry and 0:15:06.200 --> 0:15:08.960 know what it's like for those who maybe can't afford food. 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:10.920 So like a big part of it is the connection 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:14.360 with the needy and those who might be going hungry 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:16.760 because they can't help it. Right, because again it's one 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:21.880 of the more charitable times of the year when it's 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:27.160 you know, kind of everybody gives that little extra sure um. 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:31.760 And then also check it also practices self control, which 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:35.760 is a good one. Yeah, cleansing. Yeah, so you you've 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:39.920 got there. You're going through Ramadan, You're you're going along 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:43.120 at a pretty steady clip, and in the last ten 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:48.840 days um you enter this time where it becomes basically 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:52.160 the holy of the holies as far as the year 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:55.920 is concerned, as far as the Muslim calendar is concerned, 0:15:56.320 --> 0:16:00.960 there's this night called lilttle cutter. Did he give you 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.800 the pronunciation for that one? No, I didn't. I don't 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:05.400 know anything about that. I think I got that one. 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:09.720 I'm hoping. So that was the night that Mohammed first 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:13.400 started reciting the Koran. As far as I could tell, 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.000 it wasn't the night. I don't think it was the 0:16:16.120 --> 0:16:19.200 night that the archangel Gabriel came down and said, hey, man, 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:23.200 prepare for transmission, because you're about to get the holy 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:26.640 word of allah Um. I think it was the night 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:31.120 that he did start saying the Koran and what was 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:34.640 eventually transcribed into the Koran. Okay, it's a very holy night. 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.480 The thing was, it was not recorded the date, so 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:40.520 no one knows when it was. They just know that 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:43.400 it was in the last ten days of Ramadan. Traditionally, 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:46.520 it's celebrated on the twenty seven day of Ramadan. And 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:49.520 this is the day where you do your prayers. What 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:53.320 are the prayers called during Ramadan? The tarawi Um. You 0:16:53.640 --> 0:16:56.960 do your nightly prayer on this night. They say that 0:16:57.080 --> 0:17:02.400 it is has the um, it has It's worth more 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:05.199 than a thousand months of worship. Like if you do, 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:08.280 if you praying like you're a good devout Muslim on 0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:12.800 this one night, like it just takes care of everything. Wow. Yeah. 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:15.639 And then after that, Um, You've got a couple more 0:17:15.760 --> 0:17:22.960 days of Ramadan, and then the end a big party. Yeah, 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:26.480 you fasted that long. It's time to celebrate. When you 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:31.640 break the fast, you say, talk beer, which talk beer. 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:36.679 The literal translation is Um, Allah is the greatest. Allah 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.399 is the greatest. There is no deity worth worthy of 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:42.960 worship but Allah, and Allah is greatest. Allah is the greatest, 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:46.959 and all praise is due to Allah. And this can 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:51.480 be said. There's a variety of moments uh in a 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:55.439 Muslim's life on a monthly basis that they will say this. 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:57.600 You know, It's not just at the end of Ramanan. 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:02.440 Could be battle cry, it could be in times of need. 0:18:03.200 --> 0:18:08.200 Basically it's just an expression that nothing is greater than Allah. 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:11.159 And when you have completed this really important task at 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:13.720 the end of Ramedan, this is what they say. Men 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:15.879 are supposed to say it out loud, women are supposed 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:22.400 to just think it. No comment on that. But basically 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:25.359 that's the end of Ramadan. And then it's time for 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:30.159 the celebration the d al faittier, right, which is you know, 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:34.840 it's kind of a party, and everybody says D mobarik, 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:39.200 which means a blessed D. That's right. Yeah, D means festivity. 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:43.239 The tier means breaking the fast, yea. So this is 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.560 the party where you break the fast and everybody gets 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:48.520 gustied up and dressed to the nine and they go 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.359 seek out the poor. They chase them down in the 0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:54.280 streets and then give them money and food. They light 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:58.280 up their houses the what with lanterns and stuff. Yeah, yeah, 0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:02.880 it's very beautiful. It's not Muslim Christmas. I know. People 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:05.080 in the Western world always like to like say, well, 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:08.200 this is like Easter. This is like, you know, fourth 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:12.359 of July is the Sinco de Mayo in Mexico. It's like, 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:15.080 none of this is true. That was a good thing 0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:18.320 to point out, Chuck, I'm glad you did that. Um. 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:21.280 And so what else happens after that? With adolph A 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.400 Tier I didn't get from this UM article how long 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.240 it lasts? Like is it a one night is it 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:29.600 like a week long? Thing? Does depend on how the 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:32.320 economy is doing that year, that's a good question. I 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:35.080 didn't get to that either. Well, I'm sure someone will 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:39.000 inform us. But it is a big party and UM 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:43.159 lots of generosity and gratitude among each other, and like 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:47.280 you said, towards the poor, which is pretty great. Uh 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:50.879 So in the end, um Ramadan accomplishes a bunch of 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.960 things that's gonna strengthen your relationship with Allah, very important. 0:19:55.680 --> 0:19:59.159 It's gonna enforce patients and determination. I imagine going through 0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:02.240 a month long sun up to sundown fast. We'll do that. Yeah, 0:20:02.320 --> 0:20:04.240 I mean there's gotta be times during that month where 0:20:04.240 --> 0:20:06.040 you're like, I'm having a really bad day and I 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:12.159 want cheeseburger. Yeah. Sure. Uh promotes the principles of sincerity 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:16.400 by making a shy away from arrogance and showing off. 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:19.040 That's kind of cool. Like I like all these tenants. 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:23.640 Promotes good character and truthfulness, which is a good one, 0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:26.760 UM encourage you to do with way with bad habits. 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:29.440 I guess if you've got some bad habits, Ramadan would 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:31.919 be a good time to watch those away because the 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:35.399 whole thirty days theory of you know, starting a new habit, 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:40.000 plus your practicing self restrain already anyway, exactly enhance his 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:45.040 generosity and hospitality, reinforces the commonality and the feeling of 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:48.400 brotherhood with other Muslims, which is a big deal. UM 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:53.439 observance of the value of time, which makes sense because 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:55.679 you know, if it were me, I'd be watching that 0:20:55.680 --> 0:20:59.320 that sun go down each night. And well plus also 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:02.000 you're not just wandering around looking for food and stuffing 0:21:02.040 --> 0:21:05.400 your face. You have more time, so do something with it. Yeah, 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:09.159 it makes you value time, I guess. And UM teaches children, 0:21:09.800 --> 0:21:13.639 uh to perform acts of like servitude and obedience, be 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:15.960 kind of the poor, that kind of thing. Yeah. Basically, 0:21:16.359 --> 0:21:19.320 get your life back in balance, get your spiritual life 0:21:19.320 --> 0:21:22.000 back in balance. A good Muslim, that's what it's saying. 0:21:22.119 --> 0:21:25.320 That's right. So this year, UM, since it's a lunar calendar, 0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:27.640 it falls on at different times of the year every year, 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:31.040 and not even like different like oh this this is 0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:33.280 just this year it's July one, and the next year 0:21:33.280 --> 0:21:35.359 it's gonna be like July five or something. It's like 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:38.639 in five or six years or something like that, it 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:41.040 will be in like November. Yeah, it's like it's all 0:21:41.040 --> 0:21:45.000 over the the twelve month map, right right, So, um, 0:21:45.040 --> 0:21:48.720 this year, if you're in the United States, Uh, the 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:53.600 um North the Islamic Society of North America, you said, um. 0:21:53.720 --> 0:21:58.720 They they said, okay, the new moon sided on July 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:02.399 and then is astronomical calculations. And there's a big debate 0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:07.720 over you know, whether um, that's okay, and they're saying, yes, 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:10.840 of course, it's okay. We're we're it's actually more precise. 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:12.440 You don't have to see it. There's nothing in the 0:22:12.520 --> 0:22:15.080 Koran that says you have to see it. Other people 0:22:15.080 --> 0:22:16.800 say no, in the Koran, it's when the new moon 0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:21.280 is cited. You can't sight it with astronomical calculations, have 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:23.919 to use your peoper. So there's a debate apparently all 0:22:23.960 --> 0:22:28.439 this Yeah, but apparently all this goes away like during 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:33.280 like once Ramadan started service, Like okay, whatever, qu um. 0:22:33.320 --> 0:22:37.520 But there's two arguments on whether to like, if you're 0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:43.000 in North America, that's not Mecca. So there's different arguments. 0:22:43.000 --> 0:22:46.480 In One argument for using a local sighting is, well, 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:49.320 these are the people that you're celebrating Ramadan with your community. 0:22:49.400 --> 0:22:51.240 What's one of the reasons for it is to be 0:22:51.880 --> 0:22:55.160 part of the local community. Another But then the other 0:22:55.280 --> 0:22:58.800 argument um to use like say the Mecca sighting, where 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:00.840 you know when the New Moon of peers over Mecca, 0:23:01.880 --> 0:23:05.119 is that it unites Muslims around the world in this 0:23:05.560 --> 0:23:09.680 in their Muslim nous at the center of it. Those 0:23:09.680 --> 0:23:12.160 are both good points, but neither one settled. I mean, 0:23:12.240 --> 0:23:15.240 in the US they still use the Islamic Society of 0:23:15.240 --> 0:23:17.879 North America mainly. So is it a hot debate or 0:23:17.960 --> 0:23:20.679 is it I don't think. I think it's an ongoing debate. 0:23:21.480 --> 0:23:24.120 But again I think what's Ramadan starts? It's like, which 0:23:24.280 --> 0:23:27.280 is the important thing? Is that we're all together exactly? Yeah, 0:23:27.359 --> 0:23:30.960 I love it. Pretty interesting stuff and I didn't know 0:23:31.040 --> 0:23:33.200 much about it. I knew those fasting but it's good 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:36.280