Every year, social media is taken over by Muslims posting fasting memes, talking about what they ate at 5am, and those adorable Ramadan cats. But we understand that, in our multi-religious society, some people might not fully understand what’s going on, so we’ll do our best to help with the most commonly asked questions: No, not even water. Your boyfriend isn’t texting you back while fasting because he’s not supposed to be dating you in the first place. Nobody forces their pets or babies to fast.
Here are more questions from non-Nuslims in our community.
1. “Why can’t they smoke weed after breaking?” (weed)
Whether during Ramadan or not, Islam & weed don’t really mesh. Even when fasting hours are over, you can’t (or shouldn’t) immediately go back to your usual ways. The month is about increasing discipline.
2. “Is it like Muslim Christmas?”
Nah. Eid al-Fitr, which happens at the end, is the celebration (P.S., THIS IS NOT THE ONE WITH MEAT). Ramadan itself is more like a month-long spiritual “boot camp”, more comparable to Catholic Lent, JUST STRICTER.
3. “Why do you wake up at 4:00 AM to eat?” and “Chop for early momo, chop for evening; where’s the fasting???”
We eat any time before sunrise (suhoor) and after sunset (iftar). This means from dawn to sunset, no food, water or anything else, for about 14 hours in Nigeria and as much as 18 hours in other countries. Trust me, you will feel it by late morning. There’s nothing you’ll eat at 5am that will possibly stay in your tummy that long, except maybe cement.
4. “If a full moon appears this night, what’s gonna happen?”
Islam follows a lunar calendar, so the sighting of the (crescent) moon determines when a month, like Ramadan, starts and ends. The cycle lasts 29-30 days, so it’s not like you’ll just see it on one random day.
5. “Why are market prices higher during Ramadan?”
People cook more intentionally and host more during the month, especially for iftar, so demand rises. When demand goes up for whatever reason, prices usually follow. Inflation doesn’t fear God.
6. “What if you forget and eat?”
This is the “Get Out of Jail Free” card. In Islam, if you honestly, genuinely, truthfully forget and eat or drink while fasting, it’s considered a gift from God. You just stop as soon as you realise, spit it out if it’s still in your mouth, and keep fasting. But don’t try to forget on purpose sha, do you think you can outsmart Allah?
7. “So because my friend is fasting, I also can’t eat when they’re around?”
Nah, Muslims don’t expect others not to eat in front of them. You can just eat normally without being disrespectful; there’s no need to be apologetic. Just don’t continually offer them food after they’ve told you they’re fasting.
8. “Is it true women don’t fast on their period because they’re considered dirty?”
No. It’s not about being “dirty.” In Islam, bodily discharges affect ritual purity for everyone. Some, like farts or pee, require ablution before the next prayer, while others, like sexual emissions, require a full bath.
Menstruation and post-childbirth bleeding are continuous states of discharge, so certain acts of worship are paused during that time. Women make up for the missed fasts later.
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