Why Should Women Delay Their Periods To Observe Fasting During Ramzan?

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 20 March 2024 Salaudeen Abdulkadir, the chief missioner of the Igbomina-Ekiti Muslim Forum, says Muslim women who do not want to miss their fasting can medically delay the menstrual cycle. The chief missioner emphasised that as long as the process did not endanger the women’s lives, they could alter their cycle to fast the complete month of Ramzan. Why should women tinker with their bodies by delaying their periods just to observe fasting and please a fastidious Allah? And why can't a menstruating woman observe fasting during Ramzan? Menstruation, the most natural, biological and reproductive process in a female body, is abhorred by all man-made faiths. Read my article in The Deccan Herald that appeared on February 25, 2020: Why All Faiths Abhor Menstruating Women If menstruation impures and defiles a woman, why on earth did your god, Allah, Bhagwan and Prabhu singe, nay scorch, all women with this 'curse'? All patriarchal religions have a serious problem with a female body and all faiths have reservations about certain bodily functions during specifically 'sacred' periods and months. Hindus (ostensibly) abstain from having sex during Navratri. They also don't consume onion and garlic during that Ati Pavitra Kaal Khand (Very sacred period). Christians are advised to abstain from physical intimacy during Lent (40-day season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday). Muslims shun mating and also avoid carnal thoughts during Ramzan. Why this unnecessary regimentation? Does one have to renounce sex, food, water to show one's servile devotion to a concocted Supreme Being? Even if it exists, does it want such slavish and strict prostration from its terrified followers? Well, devotees will say that they do it of their own accord. But who decided and formulated these oppressive religious practices? Our bronze-age ancestors started doing all this mumbo-jumbo and we've been following them blindly. Coming back to menstruating women and fasting, it's up to them whether to fast or not. Disturbing biological functions to please a draconian Allah makes no sense. Muslim women all over the world should wake up. But then, they themselves love to stay enslaved and frightened. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/women-periods-observe-fasting-ramzan/d/131957 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism