large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_12_mitchell_64kb_54
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_12_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
The fast was established at a time when Ramzan fell in winter, and the change of season was probably not foreseen by the Prophet. But the result is one which, under some conditions of time and place, involves the greatest hardship. THE FAST WAS ESTABLISHED AT A TIME WHEN RAMSAN FELL IN WINTER AND THE CHANGE OF SEASON WAS PROBABLY NOT FORESEEN BY THE PROPHET BUT THE RESULTY IS ONE WHICH UNDER SOME CONDITIONS OF TIME AND PLACE INVOLVES THE GREATEST HARDSHIP
l worship, but unmeaning and impracticable when required of a world-wide religion. The same may be said of the fast of Ramzan. It is prescribed in the Koran to be observed by all with undeviating strictness during the whole day, from earliest dawn till sunset throughout the month, with specified exemptions for the sick and penalties for every occasion on which it is broken. The command, imposed thus with an iron rule on male and female, young and old, operates with excessive inequality in different seasons, lands, and climates. However suitable to countries near the equator, where the variations of day and night are immaterial, the fast becomes intolerable to those who are far removed either toward the north or the south; and still closer to the poles, where night merges into day and day into night, impracticable. Again, with the lunar year (itself an institution divinely imposed), the month of Ramzan travels in the third of a century from month to month over the whole cycle of a year. ELLIGIBLE ENOUGH IN A LOCAL WORSHIP BUT UNMEANING AND IMPRACTICABLE WHEN REQUIRED OF A WORLD WIDE RELIGION THE SAME MAY BE SAID OF THE FAST OF RUMSAN IT IS PRESCRIBED IN THE KORAN TO BE OBSERVED BY ALL WITH UNDEVIATING STRICTNESS DURING THE WHOLE DAY FROM EARLIEST DAWN TILL SUNSET THROUGHOUT THE MONTH WITH SPECIFIED EXEMPTIONS FOR THE SICK AND FINALTIES OF EVERY OCCASION ON WHICH IT IS BROKEN THE COMMAND IMPOSTERS WITH AN IRON RULE ON MALE AND FEMALE YOUNG AND OLD OPERATES WITH EXCESSIVE INEQUALITY IN DIFFERENT SEASONS LANDS AND CLIMATES HOWEVER SUITABLE TO COUNTRIES NEAR THE EQUATOR WHERE THE VARIATIONS OF DAY AND NIGHT ARE IMMATERIAL THE FAST BECOMES INTOLERABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE FAR REMOVED EITHER TOWARD THE NORTH OR THE SOUTH AND STILL CLOSER TO THE POLES WHERE NIGHT MERGES INTO DAY AND DAY INTO NIGHT IMPRACTICABLE AGAIN WITH THE LUNAR EAR ITSELF AN INSTITUTION DIVINELY IMPOSED THE MONTH OF RAMSAN TRAVELS IN THE THIRD OF A A CENTURY FROM MONTH TO MONTH OVER THE WHOLE CYCLE OF A YEAR
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