In this installment I will turn my attention to Mr. Raihan’s challenges. I will address one of his challenges, that is, on fasting rituals before closing this wasteful engagement. 

As I was apprised by a couple of Bangladeshi authors of Islam-watch.org that Mr. Raihan, in a Bangla article (indeed Bangla-English mix), had thrown a challenge to the world that there is no concept of fasting in the Koran as the rituals of Ramadan being practiced by Muslims. In justifying his claim, he cited the verse: 

2.183: O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. 

Mr. Raihan teaches is that Fasting in this verse meant self-restraint. Then he goes on to throw his challenge: “I do challenge that the Traditional Fasting is not mentioned in the Koran. Where in the Koran it is said that one has to do fasting from dawn-to-dusk without eating anything” 

Before I go and show to Mr. Raihan about the prescription of day-to-dusk fasting in the Koran, let me investigate his analysis of this verse with a few example: 

1. Here is what my doctor advised me: “O Meher, take multivitamin every day, that ye may attain good health.” Here by multivitamin, my doctor meant good health. So I am an idiot that I do the unfailing ritual of taking a multivitamin capsule every morning. Where does the doctor say I have to take a vitamin tablet with water every morning? No where, I do challenge the world on this. He only talked about attaining good health.

2. My health advisor said, “O Meher, do some yoga and exercise every morning that ye can keep in good physical condition.” Taking his advice, I do spend 30-60 min every morning doing some yoga and other exercises. But where did my health expert told that I should do these rituals of yoga and exercise every morning. By yoga and exercise, he only meant good physical health. What an idiot I am that I engage in those rituals of yoga and exercise.

3. My teacher said, “O Meher, read more that ye can attain knowledge.” Taking his advice I borrowed and bought and continue to buy loads of books and read them whenever I got some time. But what an idiot I am! By reading, my teacher only meant knowledge. Where did my teacher say that I should engage in the rituals of buying and borrowing loads of books and spend precious time in reading them? No where! I do challenge. 

Finally I join voice with Mr. Raihan’s Lutherian appeal: “Now is the time, I, Mr. Meher learn to understand things and stop engaging in those mistaken rituals, there are evil. Now is time, I grow up….” 

I hope the readers now realize what fasting is meant for in verse Q 2.183 cited by Mr. Raihan. Let’s see whether we can find the prescription of dawn-to-dusk fasting ritual in the Koran. Once again I will take assistance from our Koran expert Robert Tarik [VM Post 9459]. 

Q2:184: (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later….

In this verse, fasting is prescribed for fixed number of days. Can Mr. Raihan tell us how to practice self-restraint (aka fasting) on fixed number of days? What should be the protocol? Why such self-restraint cannot be exercised when on a journey?

Q 2:185: Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an… So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later…

Can Mr. Raihan tell us what kind of self-restraint (=fasting) should be exercised in the month of Ramadan and not in other months? Why only for those staying home, not other who are traveling? How did prophet Muhammad might have performed this duty of fasting, I mean self-restraint?

Q 2:187: Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears.. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint. 

Let’s see what we have in this verse. During fasting days, mumin Muslims are allowed to have sex with their wives during the night. Eating and drinking are also allowed at night until one can distinguish between white and black thread in the early morning as the darkness clears away at dawn. Then they have to complete/keep fast until night appears before they can resume eating, drinking and sexing again. My question to Mr. Raihan and the readers is: How is the protocol of fasting so clearly mentioned in this verse is different from the way (rituals in Mr. Raihan’s language) is different? So Mr. Raihan, such is the level of your ignorance or inability to understand the simplest of language of the Koran. And yet, a simpleton like you keep throwing challenges and keep people reminding of your challenges, which are based on nothing but your dishonesty, ignorance or imbecile idiocy. 

I was asked a few Bangladeshi writers of my site not to engage with you to waste my time. And I realize now that it is truly a waste of time. Your challenges are so utterly substanceless that readers would be laughing at your clown-like behavior of throwing idiotic nonsense as challenges. The way you are trying to prove the 14+ centuries of solid research on Islam and to prove the array of stalwarts of Islamic scholars, including prophet Muhammad, wrong and stupid in your numerous posts and challenges, despite your so little knowledge and your utter inability to understand the Koranic reading, you are only proving yourself a simpleton of the highest degree. And here I rest my engagement on your nonsense.

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