Fasting in Sweden
Mu' meneen Brothers
and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa
Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be
upon all of you)
One of our
brothers/sisters has asked this question:
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh; Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 187:You are permitted to eat and drink during the night until you can discern the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from the black. Then complete your fast until nightfall If this is the case then can you please explain to me (preferably from Holy
Quran) how could people in north pole fast where it is night for 6 months and day for another 6 months ( or so I was told). Even if that is not the case in north pole, I know for a fact that in countries like Sweden during summer there are days that sun sets at 12 o'clock at night and rises after half an hour. So if Ramadan is in the summer, then people leaving in these countries only have half an hour to break the fast pray for magreb, ashaa
and sahar then start fasting again. How could they do this. Thanks.
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Answer:
Fasting in Sweden
In the name of Allah, We praise
Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none
can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright.
We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet,
no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Allah is Merciful towards His
slaves and has not declared any hardships in the deen of Islam. Thus
if muslims are inhabited in places where there are six months of light or
darkness at a stretch, the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that the
muslims there should either follow the timings of Makkah, or the timings of the
closest country where the sunrise and sunset is normal.
And Allah Alone Knows Best and
He is the Only Source of Strength.
Whatever written of Truth and
benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error
is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He
is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in
Islam,
Burhan