How Ramadan Works

throughout the year. Okay, I should say that. I want to qualify that by that's the translation presented in the House to Folks article. It's not babel fish. I said peace be with you, Peace be upon you. Thanks. That's general greeting. Well, those are very nice greetings. They're particularly appropriate, um to uh say to one another. The whole reason we're speaking Arabic to one another right now is because

you may or may not know this. If you're one of the um sixth of the world's population who practice Islam, you're probably well aware of this. But for the other five six Um it's Ramadan right now. That's right. It's a big month, one point three billion. I'd like to say a sixth, second largest religion behind Christianity of course, And uh, well are you sure Christianity really? Of course? What are you talking about? I thought they are way

more Muslims than Christians. U, there's like over two billion Christians. I did not know that. You thought that it was the number one religion and that or maybe Buddhism Christianity. Are you sure? Oh? Yeah, I do. Christianityes they're number one. They've got that missionary outreach program. I guess it's been effective. They got a downpat So July eighteen, I'm sorry, July nine through August eighteenth this year, and we will explain why it's this year because it falls at a different

time every year. Yeah, well we can explain why now because they use a lunar calendar. We got smacked down for this. Remember, No, in one of our shows a year or two ago, we said something about Ramadan falls on this and people write intersaid, actually it falls at a different time every It was probably the fastening episode. Yeah, I think that was. It would makes sense. Yeah, and we were like, oh wow, we need to educate ourselves and we did. Yeah, we spent the last year and

a half studying. Uh, Islam. Yeah, this is the culmination of a year and a half of Islamic studies that you and I undertook to do the Ramadan episode. All right, So lenar calendar, that's where it all starts. Okay, is that where we're starting. Well, you already mentioned it, so I'm just bringing it back, all right, Well, the luard. You know, we're used to the solar calendar, the one that UM is used in the West, the sixty five day calendar based on the cycle of the sun. Yeah,

a lunar calendar. UM breaks months down by when a new moon is sighted and then the next time a new moon is sighted. And there's a lot of UM disagreement about what sighting a new moon means. But the point is it's based on the cycle of the moon. In America, Muslims in America generally adhere to the Islamic Society of North America, and when they get together and they say, this is when Ramadan starts this year, right, So Ramadan starts as the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.

So it's the ninth new moon of the year. And what it kicks off is the holiest, most joyful, most introspective most um charitable month of the year for Muslims. Basically Ramadan, it's the name of the month, but it's also the name of this month long celebration. Um is basically like the come back to Islam month for all you Muslims and those of you who aren't maybe coome get acquainted, but it is all about like getting back

to your religious roots as a Muslims. That's pretty much the point of Ramadan this right, and the ninth month you mentioned is significant because in a d that was a camel trader named Mohammed traveling through the desert and he had a vision from Saudi Arabia Modernday, Saudi Arabia outside Mecca, and he uh had a vision from an angel, the Angel Gabriel, and said basically, you are the chosen one, dude, and you will receive the word of God to dispense

to the people. And that was in the ninth month. So that's why Ramadan happens in the ninth month. Yeah, it's like the most blessed month because that was two Muslims, the most significant thing that's ever happened in the history of Earth, and the words that came through Mohammed was ended up being the Kuran. Yeah, I was transcribed. So as part of Ramadan, the entire Koran is reading, is

read out loud at mosques around the world. Um, and they read a little bit every night, and so about a thirty of the Koran is read, and over the course of the month the whole thing is read. Bam Koran read Ramadan dunne and the prayer where they read him it's called the Taawi. And I need to say a special thank you too. Uh Ki Deer Azali put out a call on Facebook. We got any Muslims out there, we need some help, or I guess I could have said Arabic speakers in general. Sure, but I wanted you know,

I wanted it from the horse's mouth. So key Deer emailed me and I had a list of words, and he gave me his best shot at phonetic pronunciations. And so thanks a lot man, Yeah, thanks a lot, Key Deer, big big help. I mean, that's a chuck's doing great because of you. Well, I just don't want to stumble through this and the thin people like we know. I'm with you. I think it was a good move. So the prayer that in which in the mosque that you were adding the Koran or the Koran, I guess that

is how I said. It is tara wheat, that's the prayer and you say that every night. That's right, that's the nightly prayer during Ramadan, right, Yeah, And I think it's not required this part, but it is highly encouraged that you do stuff like this. Well, yeah, it's the

it's the whole point. I think. Like also, I don't know, but I would guess that there's Um it's the same with like say Christmas time and when Christians there's people who like us the the Christmas season to reflect and to be charitable and to right or during Lent fasting. Does that equal like fastening every day or giving up chocolate or something like that for forty days. I think

it probably depends on the depth of your adherents. But the point is Ramadan is there so that you can come back and just kind of get back in touch with Islam and yourself too, because the main component, aside from the nightly um, the nightly prayers and the reading of the Kuran and its entirety during that month is fasting, which is the big the big part. Yeah, so um, Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. There's fasting,

there's alms giving um, there is daily prayer uh. And then there's a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime if you're able to. Yeah, they give you a break if you know you can't afford it or you're you know, like infirmed or something, right, um. And then there's Shahadah, which is um the the I guess the first pillar probably basically the belief in the creed of Islam, which is that Allah is God and Mohammed's

his prophet. So you've got those five pillars. So if if the belief in God and fasting are on the same level, that's a big deal. And so this is the month that you really do it, and there's specific guidelines laid out for how you fast and in you fast right. Yeah. You start at the age of twelve, which is um in Islam. Is I don't know if that's when they consider you an adult, but that's when most of the that's when you get involved in Islam.

As you know, as far as fasting and stuff like that goes, you're I guess you're no longer considered like a child. So at twelve years old you can start fasting. And Um. One of the big parts about the fast is not just that you say, you know what, I'm not going to eat during the daytime from sun up to sundown. I'm just not gonna eat. I could lose a few pounds, and you know, it can kill two

birds with one stone. The really important part and the really the only way for the fast account is uh has to do with a word called nia and I y y a h and that literally means intention. And what I gather from this is that if like the fastest to truly come from your heart for the sole purpose of praising Allah. Right, it's not like you said, like you want to lose a little weight, or you know you're um, you're an ira, a prisoner or something

like that for political reasons. It's like you're doing it to be closer to God or to be a good Muslim. Yeah, and if you don't. In the scripture, it says quote whoever does not make nia before dawn would not have fasted. So unless you've really feel it in your heart, then it doesn't count. So make it count. But everything counts like a little more during Ramadan apparently, so this is

a very special month. Um. During this month, according to the Koran, the gates of heaven are open, so angels are coming freely down to Earth to help out, but the gates of Hell are locked and all the demons within are chained. So you are basically the path is cleared for you to really just kind of shed all of your baggage from the year. Your prayers that are done it every night are a way to um, basically

clear off, clear your conscience of any wrongdoing you've done. Yeah, they should make the demons locked away like twelve months out of the year. No, well, here's here's here's the thing. There's there's an answer to that. If you if the demons were locked up twelve months a year, then um, it would be all on you. That's the point during Ramadan. If you do wrongdoing or evil, that is all you. I can take that. I can take that pressure, can you sure? Why not? Uh? And not to make light

of it, I'm just choking around you know. Um. So the actual practice of of fasting, what happens is you wake up early, you know, before dawn if you want to have anything to eat, and you eat a meal called sahure and that gets you going through the day. Sun comes up, then you can't eat at all, right, or drink water yea, yeah, yeah, it's gotta be like nothing. That's a good point. Um. Then when the sun sets, you break the fast, which with the meal called if tar,

not to be confused with ishtar, No confuse anything. And this is your meal after the sun sets to kind of replenish your body. So you probably start off eating like some sweet drinking some sweet drinks, and dates, eating, yeah, eating dates, and basically that you want to like give some energy to your body to get it going again.

And I was reading an article on the BBC about Ramadan and it was written by a Muslim scholar um and he was basically kind of chastising people who stock up as he put it, for ramadon which it's like, Okay, we didn't eat all days. We're gonna eat like two days worth of food at night. And he was like, that's not the point. You can't do that. So well, it says you can. Now, it says you can eat whatever you how however much you want, right, you can. But this guy he's saying like, yes you can. He's

a purist. He was being a purist, gotcha. He was saying, that's not the point, all right, Well so sissy, Um, the it's a rich meal because it's gotta tie you over, obviously, unless you're just picking out on McDonald's two in the morning. And um, it includes a dessert called a kanafa or a kata if. And the kata if looks sort of like an impanada from what I can tell. And the kanafa is a cake made of wheat, sugar, honey and raisins and nuts, and it looks sort of like just

a sheet cake, like a single layer sheet cake. And they both look quite delicious. I would like to try each. If there's other ones too, like baklava is one. That's a good one. Classic. Yeah, um, so chuck, you've got your uh ista iftar. Yeah, I actually did confuse the istar. That's the nighttime meal, right, Yeah, that's the nighttime meal. You go to bed, you wake up, you have a saher, and then the the day begins where you're fasting. If you are sick um, if you are chronically or acutely

ill um. The Koran specifically exempts you from fasting during Ramadan. It basically says like, all I want you to be well, and you need food and water during this time, so

just go ahead and take care of yourself. Apparently, a lot of Muslims still who are sick fast during Ramadan, so um Muslim doctors are doctors in the Muslim world have had to kind of think on their feet a little more to figure out how to take care of these patients who are like, I'm not putting anything in my mouth the whole time I'm open, so uh that they use like time release capsules, um transdermal patches, that kind of stuff, because you can't take a pill that's

breaking your fast, but they don't consider that breaking the fast. I guess as long as it doesn't into your mouth, that's that's how I took it. It's called the workaround in the modern world, but that's that's pretty devout, Umpandon. Apparently the it's most dangerous of all two um diabetics who are must lament trying to fast, and it's like you can give it a shot, but if your blood sugar goes low, like you need to break your fast immediately, so you can't even take like an insulin shot or

you can. You could take an insulin shop. But I think, like that's right, you want to try to keep your blood sugar up naturally. First, well, I'm glad they at least, you know, take care of the sick. Well it's specifically exempted. Well, I guess like the pilgrimage too, if you're able to write like, we don't want you to break your back or if you can't afford it, you can't go. Uh. So fasting is is a big deal and it's not it's symbolic a UM. It means that you're not paying

attention to your earthly needs. Um that opens you up to be more inviting for Allah to you know, to have that personal connection with Allah frees you up, which is a big deal. And it's also um a one too punch because you are supposed to feel hungry and know what it's like for those who maybe can't afford food. So like a big part of it is the connection with the needy and those who might be going hungry

because they can't help it. Right, because again it's one of the more charitable times of the year when it's you know, kind of everybody gives that little extra sure um. And then also check it also practices self control, which is a good one. Yeah, cleansing. Yeah, so you you've

got there. You're going through Ramadan, You're you're going along at a pretty steady clip, and in the last ten days um you enter this time where it becomes basically the holy of the holies as far as the year is concerned, as far as the Muslim calendar is concerned, there's this night called lilttle cutter. Did he give you the pronunciation for that one? No, I didn't. I don't know anything about that. I think I got that one. I'm hoping. So that was the night that Mohammed first

started reciting the Koran. As far as I could tell, it wasn't the night. I don't think it was the night that the archangel Gabriel came down and said, hey, man, prepare for transmission, because you're about to get the holy word of allah Um. I think it was the night that he did start saying the Koran and what was eventually transcribed into the Koran. Okay, it's a very holy night. The thing was, it was not recorded the date, so no one knows when it was. They just know that

it was in the last ten days of Ramadan. Traditionally, it's celebrated on the twenty seven day of Ramadan. And this is the day where you do your prayers. What are the prayers called during Ramadan? The tarawi Um. You do your nightly prayer on this night. They say that it is has the um, it has It's worth more than a thousand months of worship. Like if you do, if you praying like you're a good devout Muslim on this one night, like it just takes care of everything. Wow. Yeah.

And then after that, Um, You've got a couple more days of Ramadan, and then the end a big party. Yeah, you fasted that long. It's time to celebrate. When you break the fast, you say, talk beer, which talk beer. The literal translation is Um, Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest. There is no deity worth worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is greatest. Allah is the greatest, and all praise is due to Allah. And this can

be said. There's a variety of moments uh in a Muslim's life on a monthly basis that they will say this. You know, It's not just at the end of Ramanan. Could be battle cry, it could be in times of need. Basically it's just an expression that nothing is greater than Allah. And when you have completed this really important task at the end of Ramedan, this is what they say. Men are supposed to say it out loud, women are supposed to just think it. No comment on that. But basically

that's the end of Ramadan. And then it's time for the celebration the d al faittier, right, which is you know, it's kind of a party, and everybody says D mobarik, which means a blessed D. That's right. Yeah, D means festivity. The tier means breaking the fast, yea. So this is the party where you break the fast and everybody gets gustied up and dressed to the nine and they go seek out the poor. They chase them down in the streets and then give them money and food. They light

up their houses the what with lanterns and stuff. Yeah, yeah, it's very beautiful. It's not Muslim Christmas. I know. People in the Western world always like to like say, well, this is like Easter. This is like, you know, fourth of July is the Sinco de Mayo in Mexico. It's like, none of this is true. That was a good thing to point out, Chuck, I'm glad you did that. Um. And so what else happens after that? With adolph A Tier I didn't get from this UM article how long

it lasts? Like is it a one night is it like a week long? Thing? Does depend on how the economy is doing that year, that's a good question. I didn't get to that either. Well, I'm sure someone will inform us. But it is a big party and UM lots of generosity and gratitude among each other, and like you said, towards the poor, which is pretty great. Uh So in the end, um Ramadan accomplishes a bunch of things that's gonna strengthen your relationship with Allah, very important.

It's gonna enforce patients and determination. I imagine going through a month long sun up to sundown fast. We'll do that. Yeah, I mean there's gotta be times during that month where you're like, I'm having a really bad day and I want cheeseburger. Yeah. Sure. Uh promotes the principles of sincerity by making a shy away from arrogance and showing off. That's kind of cool. Like I like all these tenants.

Promotes good character and truthfulness, which is a good one, UM encourage you to do with way with bad habits. I guess if you've got some bad habits, Ramadan would be a good time to watch those away because the whole thirty days theory of you know, starting a new habit, plus your practicing self restrain already anyway, exactly enhance his generosity and hospitality, reinforces the commonality and the feeling of

brotherhood with other Muslims, which is a big deal. UM observance of the value of time, which makes sense because you know, if it were me, I'd be watching that that sun go down each night. And well plus also you're not just wandering around looking for food and stuffing your face. You have more time, so do something with it. Yeah, it makes you value time, I guess. And UM teaches children, uh to perform acts of like servitude and obedience, be

kind of the poor, that kind of thing. Yeah. Basically, get your life back in balance, get your spiritual life back in balance. A good Muslim, that's what it's saying. That's right. So this year, UM, since it's a lunar calendar, it falls on at different times of the year every year, and not even like different like oh this this is just this year it's July one, and the next year it's gonna be like July five or something. It's like in five or six years or something like that, it

will be in like November. Yeah, it's like it's all over the the twelve month map, right right, So, um, this year, if you're in the United States, Uh, the um North the Islamic Society of North America, you said, um. They they said, okay, the new moon sided on July and then is astronomical calculations. And there's a big debate over you know, whether um, that's okay, and they're saying, yes, of course, it's okay. We're we're it's actually more precise.

You don't have to see it. There's nothing in the Koran that says you have to see it. Other people say no, in the Koran, it's when the new moon is cited. You can't sight it with astronomical calculations, have to use your peoper. So there's a debate apparently all this Yeah, but apparently all this goes away like during like once Ramadan started service, Like okay, whatever, qu um. But there's two arguments on whether to like, if you're

in North America, that's not Mecca. So there's different arguments. In One argument for using a local sighting is, well, these are the people that you're celebrating Ramadan with your community. What's one of the reasons for it is to be part of the local community. Another But then the other argument um to use like say the Mecca sighting, where you know when the New Moon of peers over Mecca, is that it unites Muslims around the world in this in their Muslim nous at the center of it. Those

are both good points, but neither one settled. I mean, in the US they still use the Islamic Society of North America mainly. So is it a hot debate or is it I don't think. I think it's an ongoing debate. But again I think what's Ramadan starts? It's like, which is the important thing? Is that we're all together exactly? Yeah, I love it. Pretty interesting stuff and I didn't know much about it. I knew those fasting but it's good to you know, I've always said one of the coolest

classes I took in college at Georgia was my religion class. Yeah, very interesting stuff. I think it's good to open yourself up to learn about stuff, whether or not you subscribe to any of it. Knowledge you know, and just listening to this podcast is a good start, agreed um. And if August nine he comes around and you have a Muslim friend, make sure to wish them. Uh, I'd move bark because that's all fatier this year August in North America.

That's right. Uh, okay, that's it for Ramadan. If you want to learn more about it, you can type that into the search bar at how stuff works dot com. R A M A D A n uh. And I said search bar, which means time for a listener, Mael. Now it's not, Josh, it is time for So this is gonna span a couple of shows because it's pretty long. We've had an ongoing list are actually, and that's just the ones you've compiled so far. I still have like

a backlog myself. So let me give you this page, and I'll take this one and just sort of mark where you left off and we'll we'll finish up. There's like three pages, all right. So first of all, Bobby Duke, my man, the wood carver, awesome, awesome stuff he carved us, this handmade stuff. He you nothing I've promoted before it's on our TV show and it's like, it's really awesome. And if you're into woodcarving, you want to support Bobby

um Duke. Wood Carving dot com is where you can go. Yeah. Um, okay, I got one for you with the dot com. Dan of Sharp Sugar dot com. S A J A R P, S H I R T e R. Send us some great awesome T shirts of a man punching a bear. That's pretty cool, giving a bear of Haymaker. I believe. I love that. We've got stickers of that too. Um. You can find him also at um the Eastern Market in d C. That's right, Bailey Denmark, you sent us dark chocolate in bacon cookies, which means that you know

us and you love us. Uh and they were delicious and good. Lucky graduate School, Bailey, Um, Jenny and Brian sent us some spam flavored macadamia nuts from Hawaii. Grassius. Mine are still sitting up there. I know I'm waiting for like just the right moment. Well, I hope I'm around. Okay, I didn't get any You didn't know that you have the you been keeping him hostage. Well we'll we'll split him,

We'll get Jerry One and will E the rest. Uh. We got a book from Samuel Samuel Little called gold Star, and we certainly appreciate that I have not ready yet, but it's on the shelf. Thanks sam Um. I wanna put in a special shout out to our buddies Glen and Sonja for the bottle of champagne that they sent us. Of course, Um for reaching the million dollar loanedmark on Kiva and they sent me and you me a bottle of champagne to congratulate us for our wedding. What did

they have a champagne factory or something? Bought it all themselves. Pillow mob. Everyone you have seen the Chuck pillow. There was a Josh pillow it you haven't really I keep the thing in hiding. When I opened the box and I saw that it activated the part of my brain that would be activated if it had been a human head. Like that's what was activated when I looked in the box.

It's scared well. I love my Chuck pillow. It's made appearances all over my house to freak out Emily, like in the microwave because I know she could have put her coffee and there each morning and sometimes I'll put it in bed and when I go out of town and stuff like that. Anyway, pillow Mob is I think they're out of Seattle and they're pretty funny gifts. Yeah, they're awesome. What's do you get one for somebody? What's their website pillow mob dot com. I'm not sure, but

it's pretty easy to find search pillow mob lazy. I've got one. Illustrator Kevin Cornell sent it's his book Sixpenny Anthems Volume two. Uh. He's specifically asked not to be plugged because he didn't want the gift to be disingenuous. Well t s for you. Um. It's a really good compilation on the comics he's worked on, and you can find it at bear skin Rug dot c O dot uk. Kevin Cornell, heck of a guy, awesome comics. Yeah, a Man of Leisure sent from Missoula, Montanas and as moonshine. Yeah,

like four jars and you tried it. I tried it at work at my desk. I know I watched to do it. It was delicious because I wouldn't touch mine until you drank here. Yeah, I tried the cinnamon. Um. Yeah. Josh was like try it, try it. I want to see if you drop dead. And I tried the centnamon and man it was hot and delicious. I've got the citrus one and is just right. Have you tried it? Yeah? Okay, Um, let's see. We got a postcard from the Spam muse Museum,

the Spam Museum from Julie G and Austin, Texas. Thank you. We got a book called Swing from Alan Girl and he is a dude who found out that his birth father was Louis Prima. Cool, so he says, yeah, pretty amazing. Uh, Jennifer sent us a cat ball. Those are my to you because I don't have cats. I use it all the time. Yeah, cat ball dot com. Yeah it's basically you know, I'm sorry d cat ball dot com th G C A T B A L L dot com. Yeah. It's a big hollow open on two sides, sort of

fabricy ball that the cats can climb inside. And uh, my cat's just laying it. But otherways probably play more active cats play Liz at Little Bit Sweets as always. Uh, you're candy and is delicious and your chocolate is delicious, and we have an invite went next time where in New York to come by and learn how to make chocolate.

And supposedly they're coming by on their book tour. Oh yeah, So go to a little Bit l I D D A B I T Sweets and support them because they're like handmaking these delicious things and by their book which I don't on the name in front of me, but I'm sure they have the information at the Little Bit Sweets website. I would imagine, Um, Claire from Summit, New Jersey s it's a very nice handwritten lighter. Thank you very much for that, Claire. That's um, that's a dying art.

It is, uh And I got one more and then I feel like we should probably continue this another time. Yeah. Maya from the Brooklyn Brewery. Remember they sent us a big box of stuff including beach towels and stickers and couzies and books including the brew Masters Table and Beer School. So I've been drinking Brooklyn Brewery for a long time since I lived in New Jersey many years ago. And this delicious stuff, it is great stuff from that area. I'm sure you know it well, but not to seek

it out. Thanks guys, Thanks to all of you, guys. Yeah, more to come. I guess next time if you want to. If you send us something and you weren't included, you better listen to the next few podcasts. That's right, Um, If you want to send us something, We're always happy when something comes for us, always, especially if it's not a severed head and it just turns out to be a pillow mom. Um. You can get us. You can get our address by tweeting to us at s y

s K podcast. You can ask us on Facebook dot com slash stuff you should Know, and you can send us an email saying hey, where do I send you cool stuff? To stuff Podcasts at Discovery dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff works dot com. M brought to you by the reinvented two thousand and twelve Camry. It's ready. Are you