Winter v Summer fasting

[Roshan]

Peace:

I just wanted to clarify something for my own knowledge. There are those who believe fasting is in the summertime in the northern hemisphere. This is based on a meaning of ramadan as 'heat'.

However, there are also those who believe that fasting is during the winter. Is this not based on:

1) An assumption that laylat al Qadr is the longest night of the calendar (not mentioned in the Quran) and is thus the winter solstice?

I don't want to offend, but I need to cut through the issue at hand.

Roshan

[ayman]

Peace Roshan,

I just wanted to clarify something for my own knowledge. There are those who believe fasting is in the summertime in the northern hemisphere. This is based on a meaning of ramadan as 'heat'.
However, there are also those who believe that fasting is during the winter. Is this not based on:
1) An assumption that laylat al Qadr is the longest night of the calendar (not mentioned in the Quran) and is thus the winter solstice?
I don't want to offend, but I need to cut through the issue at hand.

You are correct. Those who believe "ramadan" is in the winter in the northern hemisphere assume that when the god used the word that means "scorching heat" he really meant "cold". They also assume that quantity or the longest night is what matters and not quality. Ironically, this focus on quantity is negated by the very same passage where "laylat al-qadr" (the night of measure) is mentioned, where it is said that this 1 night is better than a 1000 full-moons.

Peace,

Ayman

[Roshan]

Peace Roshan,

You are correct. Those who believe "ramadan" is in the winter in the northern hemisphere assume that when the god used the word that means "scorching heat" he really meant "cold". They also assume that quantity or the longest night is what matters and not quality. Ironically, this focus on quantity is negated by the very same passage where "laylat al-qadr" (the night of measure) is mentioned, where it is said that this 1 night is better than a 1000 full-moons.

Peace,

Ayman

Peace:

I managed to speak to some of the authors of TNR and actually, there is more to it than that.

1) Ramadan has more meanings than heat.
2) The ruh that descends on laylat al qadr and only on LAQ has been described as descending into the soul of Jesus when he was conceived. So these people calculate back from an assumed birth of Jesus till conception which also gives a winter date.


Any progressions?

Roshan

[ayman]

Peace Roshan,

I managed to speak to some of the authors of TNR and actually, there is more to it than that.
1) Ramadan has more meanings than heat.

All the meanings have to do with heat. None of the meanings point to cold.

2) The ruh that descends on laylat al qadr and only on LAQ has been described as descending into the soul of Jesus when he was conceived. So these people calculate back from an assumed birth of Jesus till conception which also gives a winter date.
Any progressions?

This is based on an uncertain calculation of when dates mature. Various species of dates (there are thousands) mature at different times within the span of a few months. Also, there is no indication that the spirit and controllers ("malaika") are only sent during the time of the night of measure. Remember that the spirit was sent to Maryam, it was not descended to Maryam. See for example the same wording used with the messengers sent to the people of Lot.

Peace,

Ayman

[Ilyusha]

Salaam.
I also happen to be one of those who are yet unclear between winter and summer Ramadan. I find arguments for winter fasting (those in TNR) more convincing relative to the summer fasting argument, but the other one has also some weight, especially as regards the lexical meaning of the word  ... and this is very surprising also that there is this ambiguity about Ramadan here... I am also doubtful whether God really wants us to so definitely stick to a certain cumbersome formula for establishing Ramadan timings. After all, did God clearly explain Ramadan timings in the Quran? After reading brother Layth and Ayman's highly intricate methods, I start to doubt that.....

[savage_carrot]

If it was up to personal choice, I'd have to say winter.

[kgwithnob]

http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9602533.msg280437#msg280437

http://www.masjidtucson.org/submission/practices/ramadan/index.html

Peace,
Khalil

[SEid]

Peace,

2) The ruh that descends on laylat al qadr and only on LAQ has been described as descending into the soul of Jesus when he was conceived. So these people calculate back from an assumed birth of Jesus till conception which also gives a winter date.

It is continuous ... 70:1-4
Asked a questioner about a punishment bound to happen to the disbelievers not of it any preventer from Allah Owner the ways of ascent. Ascend the malāikatu and the rūḥu to Him in a time is its measure fifty thousand snh 70:5 So be patient...

[Roshan]

If it was up to personal choice, I'd have to say winter.

Peace:

But how can you say such a thing in a hemispheric world?

Roshan