I’ve been reading about the rise of Islam in Larry Gonick’s The Cartoon History of the Universe III: From the Rise of Arabia to the Renaissance. Gonick points out that non-Muslims in Arabia proposed changing the purely lunar calendar to a solar one based on the seasonal year, but
In 631, the prophet had a revelation that the old calendar was sacred and must never be changed — so the Islamic calendar stayed lunar and has never been adjusted to this day.
Gonick’s next panel is
I had never thought of that, and I laughed out loud at the thought. Then, being curious, I checked to see how many Muslims do live north of the Arctic circle. According to this article, last year there were about 900 living in Tromsø, Norway, and Ramadan is indeed a problem for them. As I understand it the matter hasn’t been completely resolved, but for now Muslims observing Ramadan in areas with more than 20 hours of daylight are allowed to go by the sunrise and sunset in Mecca instead.
We humans do have our problems.
June 7, 2015
This is remarkable! I am sharing this on my facebook page for all my Muslim friends.
I must say I would never have thought of it. Do your Muslim friends ever have any trouble with praying interfering with their work schedules?
such complications men make for themselves. in everything it would seem!
am playing catch up with a few posts i’ve missed.
and … you asked if we misbehave at all?
was also like cindi was as a child. i always compliant.
not much choice with a disciplinarian father. but not any more.
eventually your true nature must come out! LOLOL.
i love a little misbehavior now! it’s good for you.
I agree about misbehaving — under the right circumstances, as long as it’s done playfully.
My Muslim friends do not have any problems with anything secular in India. During Ramzan some of them have problems avoiding their own families who fast!
I feel so lucky
That I have no demands on me
As far as praying
I feel lucky too!
i have no such demands on me either – too each there own
I agree, to each their own — as long as they don’t force me to go along with them.