Getting ready for Ramadan: questions and answers

Today is Ramadan!

Here’s an opportunity for non-Muslims to try to better understand the practices of their “different” compatriots;

The questions non-Muslims ask themselves are:

Is all sexual activity forbidden during the day? (“all”, because this activity takes many forms) Must nighttime activity that has begun before sunrise be stopped immediately at sunrise? If so, does such an interruption of sexual intercourse risk causing a serious injury?

Interrupted intercourse, as a means of contraception, was strongly recommended by the Prophet Muhammad. This method of contraception is called âazl or i’zal (I don’t remember).
So any interrupted intercourse undertaken, and any trauma one experiences, is compensated by a Hassanat.

If everything is calm during the day, is it compensated by increased activity at night?

It is during the day that tempers flare. In the Souk (square), in buses, an average of three fights per 10 square meters per hour are recorded (from 13:00). Insults and swearing exchanged without coming to blows are not counted.

The night is calm. Family visits, soirées Kalb ellouz (almond pâté in honey), domino evenings, lotto, poker, card games … full people are more docile, wandering around the streets and paths, strolling from shop to shop in search of sweets. At 3 am, everyone goes back to have supper, and then sleep until noon.
At 1pm, it’s time to get to the souks, shop, insult and beat each other. The wisest only insult the merchants and denounce the high prices.

Sexual activity decreases, day and night.

During Ramadan, do they conceive more or less than during the rest of the year?

No statistics are published for the ninth month after the month of Ramadan. If it is revealed to Muslims that their fertility rate is zero during the holy month, it can cause riots.

Children conceived during this period are they different? (Physically, intellectually)

It seems that the few children conceived during the month of Ramadan are not born Muslim. It’s just a rumor, but the Ministry of Religious Affairs has never confirmed or denied it.

Do you gain weight during Ramadan?

Of course you gain weight! You eat all night and sleep most of the day. The fathers sleep until 1pm because they are going to the Souk (market). Single carefully calculates the time it would take to put on their clothes, wash their hands and reach the kitchen, on average 3mn is enough. Then they get up on average three minutes before the cacophony of the muezzin.

Is there more or less crime and violence than usual during this period?

There are more fraud cases during this month. If selling donkey meat as if it is high-quality veal is fraud, then of course there is more fraud during Ramadan. One also registers more violence (concentrated in bazaars and public transportation), more marital quarreling (about 1 hour before the shouts of the muezzin). The percentage of violence against women increases slightly due to food not prepared in time, too salty, too little salt, too hot, not strong enough… It seems that this increases only by 5%. The increase is almost negligible. So Ramadan is good for women because they don’t really get beaten significantly more than usual.
The theft of shoes in mosques increases during Ramadan. But don’t rely on the number of shoes stolen. In fact, the percentage of stolen shoes remains the same, because in the month of Ramadan there are 4-5 times more people praying and 10-20 times more believers going to the mosque.

In prisons, the dinner time is moved to satisfy Ramadan requirements ? the same question at breakfast

Of course!
A prisoner remains a Muslim. If prisons could exempt people from being Muslim, I know of thousands who would apply to be imprisoned 12 months a year!

Swallowing a fly or other insect during the day, is that a serious offense?

Random swallowing of a fly is not serious. The believers can validate their day of Ramadan, but under certain conditions. Believers must not think that a fly contains proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, etc…If one swallows a fly to get nourishment, the day’s fast is not validated.

Some FOUQAHA simplified the fly story using the direction and movement of the fly. If it flies away from that person and that person manages to swallow it, the fast is invalid. If the fly flies in the direction of that person, we distinguish between three cases:

The person saw the fly and opened their mouth: the fast is invalidated.

The person did not see the fly, but has heard it and opened his mouth. In this case if he swallows it, the fast is invalidated.

The person did not see the fly, did not hear it, but opened his mouth to yawn or scream for his Fatma (common thing during Ramadan). In this case, if the fly is swallowed, the fast is valid.

Ramadan weighs heavily on the family budget, are there specific forms of Ramadan credit in Muslim countries?

Nothing is to be found in sharia. Even without interest. According to tradition, the true believers should be satisfied with three dates and half a bowl of camel milk. The kernels of the dates must be given to the camel.
Those who can afford it can go up to 5 dates, 7, 9, 11 or 13 dates. Note that it must remain in odd numbers, as recommended by the prophet.

If I am wrong somewhere, the scholars can correct me.