So the ending of May is the start of the Holy month of Ramadan this year. As excited as I am for this, there are a couple things that I'm tired of hearing and I am sure I am not the only one. This is just a couple of questions I either get asked a lot, or just that are bizarre.

Now before I start my list I want to say that I am happy to talk about Islam with anyone who is curious and I understand non-Muslims do not know much about Ramadan (which is sort of weird spelling it out that way because I pronounce it as "Ramzan") and this article may sound like the opposite of that but that is definitely not the case. By all means, ask!!

1. "Woah, you're fasting! Does that mean you can't eat for a whole month???"

Yes, I am fasting. No, that does not mean I don't eat for a month... that would be cruel and I'd die of malnutrition. We fast from sun up to sun down. So, yes it does mean that some days (meaning the months Ramadan Lands in the summer) fasts are longer.

2. "I could never do that!"

Now I know this is meant to be a compliment. But the number of times I hear this- just becomes redundant. All I think is... well, no one asked you to. I am sure if you had to, you would be able to fast, it is not a super human ability.

3. "But you can drink water right???" or "It can't be that hard, I mean you can still drink water and eat fruits right?"

No, I cannot drink water or eat fruits. Yes, it is hard but after the first few days, I get used to it. It honestly is not that bad.

4. "I thought Ramadan happens *insert some random date* " or "Well my friends Muslim and he/she started fasting *insert a day off from you* "

To clear things up, because I realize to someone not Muslim this is a bit confusing but Ramadan happens about 10-ish days before the previous year. This is because it follows the Islamic calendar and not the Gregorian calendar. Basically, the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle while the Gregorian follows the solar cycle. Because of this, the Islamic calendar is 354 days instead of 365 days (like the Gregorian calendar).

Now since the Islamic Calendar follows the Lunar cycle, the mosque looks out for the new moon which signals the start of the month. Depending on where you are in the world the moon cycle may be a day off. So that is the reason why some people start (and end) on different days.

5. "Are you even alive??"

No, you're just talking to a zombie right now. Joke's on you. The cat's out of the bag. Of course, I am alive. It is perfectly safe for you to fast and if for some reason you are medically not fit to fast, Allah pardons you.

6. "Even children have to fast? Isn't that child starvation??"

No. According to Islamic faith once you are at the age of 12 (which is usually around the age in religions that children grow up) an individual has to start fasting. It is not starvation because before the fast starts you wake up and you eat and then at sundown you break the fast... and eat. One does not starve to death because they decide to fast.

7. "Do you guys fast because you want to feel the pain that poor people get when they do not have food or water?"

While that is a very well educated guess on the reasoning behind fasting, that is not exactly it. Before Allah had said that everyone must fast every single day of the year and our prophet negotiated that down to one month. We also celebrate it because it is said that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to our prophet in this month. Other than fasting we try to abstain from any sins and try to be a better person in general. We try to calm our tempers and give to charity and have a "fast in a spiritual way".

In the end, I would like to say that Ramadan is so much more than fasting. It is a time to become a better person. It is a time to be closer to Allah. The feeling after a hard day of fasting has to be one of the most rewarding things to me. I started fasting when I was 12 and every year since then. Before that, I would not fast every day or I would fast "half days." I do not fast because anyone is forcing me to. But rather I am doing it for my relationship with Allah. Now as comedic this article was, I again want to say this wasn't to stop anyone from asking me about Ramadan or Islam. I want to thank everyone actually, I love it when people want to know more about Islam because I like to hear about other religions myself.

Love,

Your neighborhood Humaniod