Islamic views on fasting in the polar regions

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This is a sub-article of Fasting in Islam and Islam in the Arctic.

Map showing the dates of midnight sun at various latitudes (left) and the total number of nights.

Nothing was said directly about the polar region and fasting in islam. But there is Hadith about Al-Masih ad-Dajjal that proves that fast as prayers have to be estimated and done every 24 hours, this is the opinion of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

These concerns are because at polar latitudes, summer solstices feature the midnight sun and winter solstices have polar night. These natural phenomena occur because the earth's axis tilts toward the sun in summer and away from the sun in winter, causing the poles to be exposed to the sun's rays for six months each, non-stop. The reason most of the earliest Muslims did not experience these phenomena during Islam's early days is because they did not live in polar regions, but in the Subtropics, where the Sun can be directly overhead and does set at night.

Controversy

According to the critics of the Quran, the Quran is a book written in Arabic is only for the people of Arabia for the seventh century. Critics of Quran, which claims that the Quran has came for people all over the world, say that if the Quran claims to be obedient to people all over the world, then there should be no provision that’s not observed at all.

According to the rules of Islam, believers in Islam have to pray five times a day. This five prayers are very important in Islam. Denying it expels a person from Islam. The same is true of fasting. The instructions on which part of the day to perform and when to pray are specifically mentioned in various verses of Quran and Hadiths. Needless to say, these times are based on the relative positions of sun at different times of the day. For example, the duration of the Fajr (morning prayer) is before sunrise and the time of Maghreb (evening prayer) starts after sunset.

Geographically, there are six month-long days in North Pole for half a year. At this time the night stays at the other pole for six consecutive months. Again, for the remaining half of the year, there are six month-long nights in North Pole and six month-long days in the opposite South pole. Therefore, the time cannot be determine the relative positions of sun at different times of the day for twenty-four hours. Therefore, it’s impossible to determine the time of performing prayers and fasting in those places.

The Quran was spread in the Middle East. People there were not aware of this long day and long nights in the North and South Poles. Therefore, the Quran commands conflicting worships that are impossible for any inhabitant of the poler region to perform.

It's possible to observe fasting in different countries of the world including the Middle East. But in countries like Norway, where fasting lasts for a long time, fasting is extremely difficult but not impossible or risky.

But fasting in the month of Ramadan in the North and South Poles is a matter of impossibility. Because,

a) It's impossible to calculate the number of months according to the rules of the Islamic calendar as six months of day and six months of night exist simultaneously in the polar region. Therefore, it's impossible to calculate the month of Ramadan.

b) As there are six days in the North Pole and South Pole at the same time, the fasting people of this region should abstain from food and drink for six consecutive months. Undoubtedly this worship will be the cause of his death. However, the Quran claims that the provision of fasting will be beneficial for human beings.

Critics have commented that the Quran contains such inconsistent provisions, largely due to ignorance of the North and South Poles.

Islamic law

In order to resolve this complication in the North and South Poles, Muslim scholars have given proper provisions in the views of the Quran and Hadith, according to which no resident of the region will fall into doubt even if he observes fasting. Therefore, Muslim commentators claim that the above allegations are baseless.

Muslim scholars have given their clear research and fatwas to resolve the complexities created in the North Pole and the South Pole. All these researches and fatwas are taken from the essence of Quran and Hadith. The scholars have solved the problem of how to determine the time of prayers in the North Pole and the South Pole through 'Ijtihad'. Therefore, Muslim commentators have refuted the statement that it's impossible to perform prayers at the right time in the North and South Poles.

Besides, it's impossible for a person to fast for six consecutive months. And the basic principle of the Quran is that Allah does not force anyone to do anything beyond his means. In Tafsir Ma'arif Al-Quran, it's said that the Quran states that-

"[During Ramadan,] eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread......God does not burden anyone with anything beyond his means, he receives what he earns, and therefore he is responsible for what he does."

Therefore, considering that aspect, Islamic scholars say that the Quran has given the person the opportunity to relax in fasting. They said that no unscientific or erroneous or incomplete provision has been issued in the Quran as a whole.

This results that fasting is a duty for Muslims only when days and nights are producing otherwise fasting is not necessary. So the Muslims of Svalbard (as an example of Muslim community in the Arctic) have to fast only when days and nights are prominent by the sun. If Ramadan comes in June/December (when days and nights are not prominent by the sun in Svalbard, Norway) they may leave fasting and then complete their fasting in March/September (when days and nights are prominent by the sun in Svalbard, Norway). In Islamic law it is called "Qadha". God says in the Quran:

"God intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. [He wants you] to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you shall be grateful."

See also

• Islam in the Arctic
• Fasting during Ramadan

References

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