Ramadan fasting on other planets


Algiark's avatar
A quote from WikiIslam page:

"Why do you think Islam did not take into consideration Muslim astronauts and Muslims living near the Poles?"
We can understand some 7th century desert dwellers not knowing about the poles or believing that Muslims would someday end up in space, but an omniscient being should have known better. Whoever made these rules either believed that the Earth is flat or the Earth is in a perfect perpendicular tilt relative to the Sun.

Known things:
>Fasting is from sunrise to sundown.
>Sunrise and sundown time are local.
>Some planets have days that last Earth months.
>The "use country of origin's timezone" exception does not apply if you're a citizen of that planet.

Question: how do you fast on other planets?

Fun speculation: Ramadan fasting, and Islamic fasting in particular, will be an Earth-bound event; you have to come to Earth if you want to do it.

:D (Big Grin) 
Comments52
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Lanca226's avatar
You either re-establish the definition of "sunrise to sundown" or you stay committed.
Jafar-AsSaleem's avatar
You go according to the nearest town with a sunrise/sunset. Near the poles some place set 6 months of sunlight and 6 months of darkness. The Ulema have stated that you go according to the nearest town. It is the same for prayers also.
Algiark's avatar
No, I said on other planets.
Jafar-AsSaleem's avatar
It would still apply. Planets have distance from one another, so it would be based on the nearest town on earth.
Algiark's avatar
Which means it will always be equator towns, the ones with the shortest day duration. Sweet.
amiablez's avatar
Well there are some exceptions in which a Muslim can skip fasts and can later fast when the conditions are better and those exceptions are if they're sick (not well physically) or when they are travelling... Your case shows travelling (of course one cannot willingly live on other planet forever) so a person CAN fast after he reaches home or some stable region on earth even after Ramadan to fulfill or say compensating the fasts that he skipped. :)
Algiark's avatar
Actually, my scenario is a permanent settlement. We WILL do it someday. You need to read more science fiction.
UsagiToxic's avatar
Ah, so that's why some Muslims were SO MUCH against that expedition to Mars.
Algiark's avatar
Is it?? How did you know some Muslims were against expedition to Mars?
Algiark's avatar
How are they against it? What reasons do they give? Do they, like, openly object NASA going to Mars?
UsagiToxic's avatar
...I am from Kazakhstan, so it's not difficult to figure out, how.
Ragerancher's avatar
Fasting isn't a set rule that MUST be done, there are exceptions to it. It's more about the process than strictly adhering to the timing and purpose. If they are in a situation where it is not practical to apply the standard Islamic rules then imporvisation is allowed as long as it is followed in spirit.
Saeter's avatar
They already make exceptions for this in other matters such as with soldiers at war and athletes. There was a story about ramadan and the world cup.
Algiark's avatar
Yes, but all those exceptions are temporary. We're talking about something permanent here.
Saeter's avatar
The colonization of space would be a serious exception.
maejonin's avatar
Astronauts and living near the poles are not permanent. Its only dark half of the year, and astronauts have to come down from space sometime.

Im sure if Astronauts are smart enough to calculate math, they would of found a way to make exceptions.
Algiark's avatar
Not astronauts, but settlers. As in, they stay on other planets for good.
Algiark's avatar
And after that?
maejonin's avatar
You already said sunrise to sundown is local. Why not make it local on their planet?

Or if we are already that far enough in the future to settle on the planet, Nasa would be smart enough to somehow figure out something like sundomes, or base the sun on their planet and doesn't matter whether or not its earth months.  A permanenet settlement would be even not likely as it cost billions of dollars to first go up to space, and then you need more billions to make a dome and retain a dome.

Or like I said, do the math and use watches and use more digital stuff.

Or that Islamic people are forgivable and understand they need a better system then to only base on the sun on that planet.
Algiark's avatar
Great idea - when global warming goes full swing and we have to move to the poles, we'll use sun domes to simulate sun on the equator!
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SwordOfScotland's avatar
There would be years to train any settlers.
maddmatt's avatar
Also in places where the sun does not set or rise for long periods of summer/winter.
Lytrigian's avatar
There are always ways of adjusting these rules. Muslim astronauts will obtain a reasonable fatwa to accommodate their conditions, and that will be that.

What may be a bit more of a puzzle is how to set the qibla. As Islam spread on earth, Muslim mathematicians (specifically al-Jayyani) had to invent spherical geometry to solve this problem.
Algiark's avatar
Astronauts are an exception because their condition is temporary. We're talking about permanent settlement here.

Qibla, I think, will be a bit easier. Just look for Earth in the sky, and pray towards that general direction. And when we left the solar system, look for Sol and pray towards that general direction. The real problem is determining praying times.

Suddenly 'praying to the stars' takes a new meaning...