Most Americans would be unaware that Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, begins on Thursday. Many would only be casually aware that this is one of the five pillars of Islam, its date changing each year due to the lunar calendar. Faithful adherents fast from dawn to dusk until the month concludes with the Feast of Eid.
Having studied Islam, we were familiar with this expression of piety, but learned much more during the years we lived in a Muslim country—the largest Muslim country in the world, Indonesia. In more observant places, fasting is compulsory, though allowances are made for foreigners and non-Muslims. All do without food, but more devout Muslims refuse to drink water, and some don’t even swallow their saliva.
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