and hm. having read the comments above, it would appear some basic facts need to be pointed out: - people with medically valid reasons (diabetes, pregnancy, sickness, etc.) are not required to fast. instead, they’re asked to donate charity. and in fact, charity is what closes the month of ramadan. before the celebration of Eid, Muslims (who aren’t in debt) are required to donate a certain percentage of their income to charity. people who aren’t fasting and who aren’t in need are expected to donate more, in proportion to the days they fast. - the argument that ramadan is about the awareness of global starvation, while true, is understood to be the shallowest understanding of the month. for me, ramadan is about a movement inwards, a return to a sense of my physical self as a collection of everyday miracles. for others, it is about the sense of community, the sense that millions of people around the world are willingly foregoing food and drink. - and i won’t deny that some people get short-tempered when fasting, but there are many who don’t. in any case, fasting is all about patience – over gluttony, over our tempers, our tongues, etc. - Muslims do fast outside the month of ramadan. what makes ramadan special is that is one of the few times in the year when we fast collectively. which is to say, while fasting is about abstinence, ramadan is about much, much more than that.

thanks for emphasising my situation, camille but, yes, those groups that you mentioned (maybe not mine, though) are all exempt.

Some do… most of my ABMuslim friends lose weight because they say that, in fasting, they also lose their appetite (i.e. it shrinks). Even if they wanted to gorge themselves they can’t do so without getting ill.

nala, as #18 (muslim) mentioned, I’m pretty sure you’re not to fast if it poses a health or medical risk. E.g. if you were pregnant, or diabetic, or frail and elderly, or “weak constitutioned” like ak.

it’s actually not a healthy thing, because of your blood sugar and metabolism. for one thing, your blood sugar should generally be even for the whole day, which in the normal course it is, since we have three meals and snacks throughout the day. but if you are spending about ten hours without food, your blood sugar dips super low and then is jolted back with that one huge meal at the end of the deal (i think seheri is supposed to be light, so it’s more helpful than hurtful for the blood sugar). also, as far as metabolism goes, once you stop feeding your body for a certain period of time. it kicks into starvation mode and starts to store fat because it thinks it needs to save up all calories it can within the body. so any meal you have after a period of starvation will be used to store fat (and i think to really lose weight from starvation, there would have to be no huge meals over a much longer period).

anyway, it’s not good for people of a ‘weak constitution’ like me – i fasted for several days with a friends, and by the end, i was wiped out. but i suppose ramzan has served its purpose if people become aware of the starvation in the world and are more appreciative of their food. hopefully this incites them to do something to actually help those in need of food – i think the requirement of those who don’t fast to feed those who need food would be a good idea for everyody, no?

what part do they cut off?

I’ve heard some of the theory behind Ramadan, that it’s supposed to encourage similar behavior outside a “the month”, how many people who practice can corroborate this?

My hubby doesnt eat before sunrise, he prefers to get a good sleep instead- he as it is faces such irratic timings because of work. His mum though would have this irritating habit of ringing early in the morning around 4am to wake him up (she doesnt live with is) indirectly to ensure that he fasts. Intially we would just mute the phone, and later on waking up find like around 12-14 missed calls! Finally he told her politely not to, as it was his choice whether he would or would not fast and how he would get through it if he chose to. I dont think she was very happy- but then forcing someone to fast defeats the very purpose of fasting I think. I just fast on the first and last day.

Some do. They eat a ton at night to make up for not eating during the entire day, hence the weight gain. Kinda defeats the purpose of fasting. My weight just stays the same.