Fasting according to the Hebrew Scriptures and the Quran

According to the principal Hebrew term for fasting is the root ==> tzm ==< Notice this Hebrew word sounds similar to the Arabic word ==> saum <== The verb occurs twenty-one times in the Hebrew Scripture, all in the qal stem, and the noun twenty-six times in scattered references. The root form also appears in Arabic and Ethiopic as a religious technical term." Both the verb and noun forms refer exclusively to abstaining from food (and possibly drink), whether personal or corporate in nature, with the primary general occasions being mourning for the dead and service to Yahweh/Allah. Verbs of interest associated with the noun include , to call or to proclaim a fast (1 Kgs 21:9-12; Isa 58:5; Jer 36:9; Jon 3:5; Ezra 8:21; 2 Chr 20:3), , to sanctify a fast (Joel 1:14, 2:15), and the verb and noun together as , to keep a fast (or literally, to fast a fast, 2 Sam 12:16). The term belongs to the semantic field that also contains weep, mourn, wear sackcloth and ashes, deny oneself, and to do no work. The most important other term for this study in this semantic field is ones soul as in Lev 16:29;31. , to afflict

This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides in your midst, It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. It is a perpetual statute." Leviticus 16/29;31 It also means to humble ones soul or to deny oneself. Forms of this phrase are found in apposition to in Ps 35:13: " When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food." Psalms 35/13 "They lament, Why dont you notice when we fast? Why dont you pay attention when we humble ourselves? Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires,

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you oppress your workers." Isaiah 58/3 "Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to Yahweh? Isaiah 58/5 Besides these terms there are occasional references in narratives to persons who go without food or water (as in 1 Sam 28:20 and 30:12). Also what we have in the Hebrew is The Hebrew term /raeb means to hunger, and is used along with noun and adjective forms to describe the condition of hunger or famine. This descriptive term differs from fasting in that the condition typically is not intentionally self-imposed. , to thirst, along with its noun and adjective forms, functions in a similarly descriptive manner, although it shares an assonance of sound with . 1) to be hungry, be voracious a) (Qal) to be hungry b) (Hiphil) to allow one to be hungry, allow to hunger Hence we have in the general occasions for fasting in the Hebrew Scriptures as related to: mourning a death, making war, preparing or introducing oneself to certain experiences, accompanying prayer, expiating sins, accompanying other activities, and ritualizing days of remembrance. From the Hebrew Scriptures of the Prophets and writings into five positive categories: (1) fasting as a sign of grief or mourning, (2) as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sin, (3) as an aid in prayer, (4) as an experience of the presence of Yahweh that results in the endorsement of his messenger, and

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(5) as an act of ceremonial public service Fasting: Then Yahweh Elohim commanded the man, You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die. Gen 2/16-17 We don't even think about this but even in the Garden of Eden, a restriction on dietary behavior was imposed. According to the Tawrah, unrestricted freedom does not exist. Humanity is called upon by Yahweh/Allah to exercise restraint and self-discipline in the gratification of his appetite. This prohibition is the paradigm for the future Torah legislation relating to the dietary laws and it also correlates with the Qur'an.

According to the Hebrew Scriptures: 1) Fasting As an Aid in Prayer 2) Fasting as a Sign of Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness for Sin 3) Fasting as a Sign of Grief or Mourning 4) Fasting as an Experience of the Presence of Yahweh/Allah and Endorsement of His Messenger 5) Fasting as an Act of Ceremonial Public Service

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Fasting according to the Hebrew Scriptures and the Quran

Isaiah 58 and Zech 7:3-14 provide powerful examples of the Hebrew Prophets offering critiques of their religious fasting traditions. Even when the prophets offer their critiques of fasting, it is not the ceremony itself they attack, but merely the hypocritical spirit that accompanies it. The assumption is that the ceremony might have positive value if accompanied with righteousness. A couple of the most theologically important passages are worth citing with in more detail as examples of the role of ceremonial fasting in the prophetic tradition. These passages look forward to an eschatological realization of the underlying purposes of fasting, a day when mourning gives way to gladness and justice. Shout loudly! Dont be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; confront Jacobs family with their sin! 2 They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their Elohim. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near Elohim. 3 They lament, Why dont you notice when we fast? Why dont you pay attention when we humble ourselves? Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. 4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven. 5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to Yahweh? 6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Dont turn your back on your own flesh and blood! 8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and Yahwehs splendor will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call out, and Yahweh will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, Here I am. You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. 10 You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. 11 Yahweh will continually lead you; he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water. 12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; you will reestablish the ancient foundations. You will be called, The one who repairs broken walls, the one who makes the streets inhabitable again. 13 You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and

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treat Yahwehs holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. 14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to Yahweh, and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob. Know for certain that Yahweh has spoken. Isaiah 58/1-14 Hence, that true fasting should be accompanied by sharing with those who have nothing to eat. Isaiah 58: True Fasting Must Include Justice. The prophet Isaiah gives an extended example of alternative fasting attitudes in the Hebrew Scripture. No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Dont turn your back on your own flesh and blood! The chapter begins with Yahweh urging the Prophet to expose the sins of his people Isaiah 58/1 by raising his voice. Although the people appear to be acting in sincere desire ( ) for Yahwehs favor 2), they feel that they have not been answered in their fasting, that Yahweh has not noticed 3) Yahweh responds that this is because they are actually seeking after their own desire ( '), and exploiting workers 3) Such fasting does not merit Yahwehs attention. Yahweh has not chosen fasting to be a day for merely humbling oneself outwardly, as shown by the bending of the head and lying in sackcloth and ashes. Such displays seem to not even merit the title of fast, as the concluding question of Isaiah 58:5 suggests: Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to Yahweh? Instead, Yahweh has chosen a fast in which one will make restitution for injustice, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke 6) Additionally, it is a day for sharing food with the hungry and clothing the naked 7). Isaiah 58 is not rejecting fasting but emphasizing that unless accompanied by actions of love of neighbor it is an empty ritual. As noted earlier, for the Israelites fasting was meant to be a sign of repentance, of turning back to Yahweh. A distinctive mark of Israelite (i.e., covenant) deen was that turning to Yahweh was inseparable from turning in love to ones neighbor. This is why Isaiah 58 uses dialectic negation to emphasize the fact that a sign of repentance means nothing if the neighbor is unaffected by it.
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When one makes oneself hungry by fasting, perhaps the plight of those who suffer hunger involuntarily will be more personalized, prompting sharing in Isaiah 58/7, 10. By humbling or afflicting ones own soul, one will enter vicariously into the suffering of those who are oppressed ( ) , helping their needs to be satisfied (58:10). This will demonstrate a true righteousness, and result in Yahweh answering the peoples cry. The reference to water on scorched land (58:11) may suggest that these fasts were linked to. The ones who bow themselves low will ultimately ride on the heights of the earth (58:13), and the one who has fasted and kept the sabbath for Yahwehs delight will be fed on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob, apparently a reference to the covenanted blessings of Israel. Fasting in Isaiah 58, then, is intended to be more than ritual. It is to be a true humbling of the heart that results not only in humility, but in actual identification with those who are lowlythe hungry and oppressed The Fasting of Zechariah: In King Darius fourth year, on the fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month, the word of Yaheh came to Zechariah. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and RegemMelech and their companions to seek Yahwehs favor 3 by asking both the priests of the temple of Yahweh who rules over all and the prophets, Should we weep in the fifth month, fasting as we have done over the years? 4 The word of Yahweh who rules over all then came to me, 5 Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me for me, indeed? 6 And now when you eat and drink, are you not doing so for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words that Yahweh cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah were also populated? 8 Again the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah: 9 Yahweh who rules over all said, Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other. 10 You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being. 11 But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear. 12 Indeed, they made their heart as hard as diamond, so that they could not obey the Tawrah and the other words Yahweh who rules over all had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, Yahweh who rules over all had poured out great wrath. 13 It then came about that just as I cried out, but they would not obey, so they will cry out, but I will not listen, Yahweh, Yahweh who rules over all had

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said. 14 Rather, I will sweep them away in a storm into all the nations they are not familiar with. Thus the land had become desolate because of them, with no one crossing through or returning, for they had made the fruitful land a waste. 8:1 Then the word of Yahweh who rules over all came to me as follows: 2 Yahweh who rules over all says, I am very much concerned for Zion; indeed, I am so concerned for her that my rage will fall on those who hurt her. 3 Yahweh says, I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem will be called truthful city, mountain of Yahweh who rules over all, holy mountain. 4 Moreover, Yahweh who rules over all says, Old men and women will once more live in the plazas of Jerusalem, each one leaning on a cane because of advanced age. 5 And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing. 6 And, says Yahweh who rules over all, though such a thing may seem to be difficult in the opinion of the small community of those days, will it also appear difficult to me? asks Yahweh who rules over all. 7 Yahweh who rules over all asserts, I am about to save my people from the lands of the east and the west. 8 And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their Elohim, in truth and righteousness. 9 Yahweh who rules over all also says, Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of Yahweh who rules over all, so that the temple might be built. 10 Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody each one against everyone else. 11 But I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days, says Yahweh who rules over all, 12 for there will be a peaceful time of sowing, the vine will produce its fruit and the ground its yield, and the skies will rain down dew. Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things. 13 And it will come about that just as you (both Judah and Israel) were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, be strong! 14 For Yahweh who rules over all says, As I had planned to hurt you when your fathers made me angry, says Yahweh who rules over all, and I was not sorry, 15 so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah do not fear! 16 These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts. 17 Do not plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath these are all things that I hate, says Yahweh. 18 The word of Yahweh who rules over all came to me as follows: 19 Yahweh who rules over all says, The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joyful and happy, pleasant feasts for the house of Judah, so love truth and peace. 20 Yahweh who rules over all says, It will someday come to pass that people residents of many cities will come. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, Lets go up at once to ask

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the favor of Yahweh, to seek Yahweh who rules over all. Indeed, Ill go with you. 22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek Yahweh who rules over all and to ask his favor. 23 Yahweh who rules over all says, In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of indeed, grab the robe of one Hebrew and say, Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you. Zechariah 7:1-23 Prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold. For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies. (Tob 12:8-10) Here is an elaboration of the theme of Isaiah 58, that true fasting should be accompanied by sharing with those who have nothing to eat. However, the raising of this kind of righteousness to the status of purging sins seems to relocate the forgiveness in the action itself, something not stated explicitly in the biblical passages. In Jdt 8:6, Judith is described as a woman who fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the day before the sabbath and the sabbath itself, the day before the new moon and the day of the new moon, and the festivals and days of rejoicing of the house of Israel The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs contains several references to fasting. The Testament of Simeon 3:4 has Simeon say, Two years therefore I afflicted my soul with fasting in the fear of Yahweh, which he describes as fleeing to Elohim in order to finally overcome the vice of envy. Joseph says that he fasted in those seven years (T. Jos. 3:4) when he was tempted by the Egyptian woman, giving his bread to the poor. Afterward, he appeared to the Egyptians as one living delicately, for they that fast for Yahwehs sake receive beauty of face (T. Jos. 3:4). Joseph even fasted in prison (9:2), and he attributes his accomplishments to prayer and fasting: Ye see, therefore, my children, how great things patience worketh, and prayer with fasting (10:2). Rachel is said to have prayed and fasted while barren, with the result that Benjamin was born (T. Ben. 1:4).

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Fasting while continuing in sin is condemned as hypocrisy in T. Ash. 2:8, in a manner reminiscent of prophetic themes: Another committeth adultery and fornication, and abstaineth from meats, and when he fasteth he doeth evil. Reuben is said to have abstained from meat and wine in penance for seven years for his sin of fornication (T. Reu. 1:10), as did Judah until his old age (T. Jud. 15:4). These frequent references to fasting in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Twelve Patriarchs evidence an escalation in the attention being paid to the virtues of fasting, since the original biblical materials describing these figures never mention it. 1 Enoch 108:7-9 describes the humble as longing more for Elohim than earthly food, which sounds ascetical in tone. Psalms of Solomon 3:8 suggests that involuntary sins may be atoned through fasting, which may be an extension of the concept of fasting on the Day of Atonement: [The righteous] maketh atonement for (sins of) ignorance by fasting and afflicting his soul, and Yahweh counteth guiltless every pious man and his house. As previously mentioned, in the Life of Adam and Eve 6:1, Adam fasted forty days, and the Slavonic version adds Eve fasting forty-four days, as penance. So now in which ayats in Quran Allah do mentions about Saum (Fasting): Allah says: "O ye who believe! iymu (Fasting) kutiba (is prescribed) to you as it kutiba (was prescribed) to those before you, that ye may tattaqna (become righteous). ayyman (Fasting for days) maddtin (numbered); but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew. Shahr (Full Moon) Ramadan (of scorching heat) is when the reading was descended as guidance for people and clarifications from the guidance and the criterion, so whomever witnesses "al-shahr (the Full Moon)", let him abstain it. And whomever was sick or traveling so a count of other days. Allah wants to facilitate and not make it hard on you. And so complete the count and magnify Allah for what He guided you and perhaps you would be thankful." Sura 2/183-185

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When does scorching heat begin to take place? The time of scorching heat starts after the summer solstice. This is the time when the sun is at its highest point and hence the shadow is smallest. "It is made lawful to you to go into your wives on the night of the iymi (fast); they are an apparel for you and you are an apparel for them; Allah knew that you acted unfaithfully to yourselves, so He has turned to you (mercifully) and removed from you (this burden); so now be in contact with them and seek what Allah has ordained for you, wakul (and eat) wa-ish'rab (and drink) until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night, and have not contact with them while you keep to the mosques; these are the limits of Allah, so do not go near them. Thus does Allah make clear His communications for men that they may guard (against evil)." Sura 2/187 In Sura 25/45 Allah speaks about the indicative relationship between the sun and the shadow. Have you not considered your Lord - how He extends the shadow, and if He willed, He could have made it stationary? Then We made the sun for it an indication. Sura 25/45 It is after the summer solstice that the weather starts to become hot. Ramadhan well the Arabic root from Ramadan is Ramidha which means: 1) To be burning, heat, be blasted by the sun Ramadha means: 1) To sharpen (a spear) between stones, roast, pasture on a burning ground, burn. Ramdha means: scorching heat; Burning hot (ground) Interestingly, the full-moon around the summer solstice is special because it follows a lower path across the sky compared to the rest of the year's full moons and for some reason our brains are wired to perceive such full-moons as larger than normal. In fact, not only will the full-moon seem bigger than normal, but the low-hanging full moon takes on an orange hue as a result of scattered moonlight in Earth's dusty atmosphere.
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For the same reason that warning lights are orange, this orange hue creates a strong visual response, preserves the observer's night vision, and allows him/her to better see

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the shape and details of the moon than the normal white moon light while driving, we all experienced how looking into white headlights degrades those abilities. Have you ever wondered why the moon is more orange or yellow in color when it first rises at night. This effect is caused by the atmosphere of the earth. The reason for the orange color is due to the scattering of light by the atmosphere. When the moon is near the horizon, the moonlight must pass through much more atmosphere than when the moon is directly overhead. By the time the moonlight reaches your eyes, the blue, green, and purple pieces of visible light have been scattered away by air molecules. That's why you only see yellow, orange, or red. The moon can have an orange color at any time of the year. Sometimes the moon appears orange even when it's directly overhead. This occurs when there's a lot of dust, smoke, or pollution in the atmosphere.

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Looking at the white moon directly overhead we can see the red part of the arrow pointing to the white moon. This red part of the arrow shows the part of the atmosphere we are looking through to see the moon. Now look at the orange moon just rising in the east. Look at the blue portion of the arrow pointing to the orange moon. See how much longer the blue line is than the red line. This shows that we are looking through about three times as much atmosphere at a rising or setting moon. At times the moon might look red, orange or even blue.

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The moon appears to be certain colors during certain times of the year. For instance, the Harvest moon during the fall appears very large and orange. There are two reasons for this, the moon's path across the sky, and the climate of earth. During certain times of the year, the moon will rise and set at different angles. Sometimes the moon stays really low in the sky and never reaches an overhead position. The earth's atmosphere also goes through certain changes at certain times of the year. In some months, the atmosphere has more dust particles than usual; in other months, the atmosphere contains a lot more cloud particles than usual. Extra particles in the atmosphere mean more scattering of light. In the fall, many farmers are harvesting their crops. Lots of dust from the soil of the crops gets disturbed. The dust floats into the atmosphere. At the same time, the moon is lower in the sky during the fall season. So if there's more dust in the sky and the moon is closer to the horizon, then what color will the moon be? Orange! That's where "Harvest Moon" gets its name. 1 It is He who made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a light and made it stages; so that you might know the number of years and the calculation. Allah didn't create this except with the truth, He explains His signs to people who know. Sura 10/5 According to the Quran in S ura 10/5, it can be seen that the learning of the number of years and calculation are helped by either or both the sun and the moon. Yet, there is no mention of a specific stage of the moon. Another sign that makes it absolutely clear that the year is solar is in Sura 17/12, Allah says: wajaaln (And We have made) al-layla (the night) wal-nahra (and the day) yatayni (as two signs): famaawn (Then We erased) yata (the sign) al-layli (of the night) wajaaln (and We made) yata (the sign) of the day wajaaln (we have made) mub'iratan (visible) so that you may seek favors from your Lord, walitalam (and so that you may know) adada (the number) sinna (of years) wal-isba (and the calculation), and We have explained all things in detail. Sura 17/12 In the Quran Allah says that night and day is certainly determined by the sun and not the moon, the sign in Sura 17/12 leaves absolutely no doubt that the year is solar. Another ayat that confirms that it is definitely a solar year is confirmed in Sura 12/47-49 that talk about Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) and the "year" because of reference to agricultural cycles and planning of crops that would have to be done according to seasons that don't change from one year to the next:

http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonorange/

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Allah says: [He said], "Joseph, O man of truth, explain to us about seven fat cows eaten by seven [that were] lean, and seven green spikes [of grain] and others [that were] dry - that I may return to the people; perhaps they will know [about you]." [Joseph] said, "You will plant for seven years consecutively; and what you harvest leave in its spikes, except a little from which you will eat. Then will come after that seven difficult [years] which will consume what you saved for them, except a little from which you will store. Then will come after that a year in which the people will be given rain and in which they will press [olives and grapes]." Sura 12/47-49 A verse that is often mistranslated and hence confused is 2:189. Here is the mistranslation of Yusuf Ali: They ask thee concerning ahilati (the New Moons). Say: They mawqtu (are but signs to mark fixed periods) of time in (the affairs of) men, and for Pilgrimage. It is no virtue if ye enter your houses from the back: It is virtue if ye fear Allah. Enter houses through the proper doors: And fear Allah: That ye may prosper. Sura 2/189 Now if we study the Quran more carefully you will see that Yusuf Ali and most other translators translate "ahila(t)" (the plural of ) as new moons. On the other hand, the meaning given for "hilal" by Arabic lexicons such as Al-Moit, Al-Wasit, and Lisan Al-arab is different. The lexicons say that the "hilal" is the moon in both its beginning and its end. Yet for some reason, most translators ignored this fact and instead claim that "hilal"/"ahila(t)" means only the new moon. A better translation would be: They ask you regarding ahilati (the crescent moons), Say: "They are timings for the people as well as for the debate." And piety is not that you would enter a home from its back, but piety is whomever is righteous and come to the homes from their main doors. And be aware of Allah that you may succeed. Sura 2/189 According to the Quran and given the ayat a better translation, crescent moons in general in regards to both the thinning crescent and the widening crescent can serve as timing devices.

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The Tawrah also expands on this: "And Elohim said: me'orot (Let there be lights) birkia' (in the expanse) made in the firmament of heaven, lehavdil (to divide/separate) haiyovm (the day) hallayelah (and the night), le'otot (and let them be for signs), ulemov'adim (and for seasons), uleyamim (and for days) veshanim (and years)." Genesis 1/14 Without a doubt every nation living on the earth has looked toward the heavens to help organize events on Earth. Without a precise calendar based on the annual motion of the sun through the stars, we would not know when to plant and when to harvest, and civilization's chance of survival would be at risk. The annual calendar is further divided into months, recognizing the 29.5-day period of the moon's phases. And finally, the days of our lives are marked by the daily rising and setting of the sun. Also we learned to navigate this sphere we call Earth, it became necessary to divide the day into 24 hours so that ships at sea could determine the relative local solar time and longitude from that of their home port. Sundials are primitive clocks that help us to determine the approximate hours of the day while the sun is above the horizon. How can we count on nature to help us determine the approximate hour during the nighttime? We use the light of the moon! In the Hebrew Scripture, the word translated into English as month or new moon is the Hebrew pronounced hdsh. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) tell us this word means new moon, month, mating season. This word comes from the Hebrew root vd;x which means renew, make anew, repair. Thus the Hebrew word for new can also mean new month, or just month. Though the Hebrew Scriptures speaks of the new month or new moon, it does not explicitly tell us how the new moon is determined. It is easy to identify a full moon. Just look in the sky and when the moon is a full circle, its "full"! But, for some reason, there are several different opinions regarding when the new moon and the new month begins. This "astronomical new moon" is also known as the "darkened moon" or the "unilluminated moon." It occurs at its conjunction with the sun as seen from earth. At this time, the darkened side of the moon faces earth, so the moon cannot be seen from earth. The astronomical new moon is considered the "new moon" on most English calendars and the Chinese calendar.2 When is the Beginning of the New Year according to the Hebrew Scripture?
2

http://www.bibletruth.cc/Body_HebrewCalendar.htm#The_New_Moon_Controversy

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Now that we know that any month begins with the sighted first sliver of the moon following its phase of darkness, we can move on to the question of when the beginning of the new year is. We will do this by first examining what the Scriptures have to say about this important topic, then we will proceed to answer objections and apparent "problems" the scriptural method of determining a new year presents. Getting the beginning of the year identified correctly is of paramount importance. Since Elohim has given us specific days on the Hebrew calendar that are designated as setapart for his appointments with us, appointments to accomplish the redemption, and since we do not want to miss any of these appointments by even one day, then we must begin the new year precisely at the right time as identified in his Instructions. The Tawrah of Elohim does present a very clear word regarding the beginning of the year and the Hebrew calendar. For those who hold the Hebrew Scripture as being the sure and faithful word of Elohim to mankind, there can be no other criteria for determining the first month of the new year than those which the Scriptures themselves reveal. In the account of the ten plagues, simple and clear revelation was given to Mosheh (Moses): Yahuwah said to Mosheh and Aaron in Mitzrayim, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Yisrael that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household." Shemot/Exodus 12/1-3 The month in which the Pesach was slaughtered and eaten and in which the sons of Yisrael left Mitzrayim - that month is the first month of the year. So which month was that? The Tawrah identifies precisely what month this was: Then Mosheh (Moses) said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Mitzrayim, out of the land of slavery, because Yahuwah brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. Today, in the month of the Aviv you are leaving. Shemot/Exodus 13/3-4

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The month in which Yisrael left Mitzrayim is called "the month of the Aviv." In fact, the Tawrah tells us in four different places that the month of the Aviv is the same

Fasting according to the Hebrew Scriptures and the Quran

month that Yahuwah delivered Yisrael from Mitzrayim. The second passage where Mosheh is told this is here: Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of the Aviv, for in that month you came out of Mitzrayim. Shemot/Exodus 23/15 Again, for a third time, Mosheh (Moses) is told which month is the month of the Aviv: Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of the Aviv, for in the month of the Aviv you came out of Mitzrayim. Shemot/Exodus 34/18 And finally, for the fourth time, Mosheh is told that the month of the Aviv is when Yahuwah brought the sons of Yisrael up out of Mitzrayim: Observe the month of the Aviv and celebrate the Pesach of Yahuwah your Elohim, because in the month of the Aviv he brought you out of Mitzrayim by night. Devarim /Deuteronomy 16/1 It couldn't be clearer that the first month of the year is the month of the Aviv. Next, we need to overstand what the Aviv is. The BDB identifies the Hebrew byIba' (pronounced aviv) as: 1. fresh, young ears of barley; 2. month of ear-forming, or of growing green, Abib, month of Exodus & passover. TWOT translates our word as barley, and has this to say about it: Barley. This noun refers to barley that is already ripe, but still soft, the grains of which are eaten either rubbed or roasted... Abib was also the early name (later, Nisan) of the first month of the Jewish calendar (the month of Passover). In that month the barley came to ear. And the HALOT says aviv is to be identified with: 1. ears (of corn) already ripe, but still soft, to be eaten either crushed or roasted (Dalman Arbeit 2:245, 305), Ex 9:31 Lv 2:14;
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2. bbaa'h' vd,xo month of the ears of corn, March-April;

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These lexicons of ancient Hebrew are in agreement that aviv has to do with the state of ripeness of the barley ears. Wikipedia summarizes the meaning of aviv: Aviv (Hebrew: )has several related meanings in Hebrew:

According to the Torah, Aviv is the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Historically, aviv literally meant the stage in the growth of grain when the seeds have reached full size and are filling with starch, but have not dried yet. During the plague of hail (Exodus 9/31), the barley was aviv and the flax was giv`ol. "Aviv" accordingly also means spring, one of the four seasons. Thus the major modern Israeli city of Tel Aviv means "Spring Hill". The month in the Hebrew calendar when the barley has reached or passed this stage (Exodus 13/4; 23/15) is called Aviv, or the "month of the aviv": the seventh of the Jewish civil year, and the first of the Biblical ecclesiastical year. It begins about the time of the vernal equinox (March 21). Since the Babylonian captivity, it has also been called Nisan (Neh 2:1). On the sixteenth day of the month, harvest was begun by gathering a sheaf of barley, which was offered as a sacrifice to Elohim (Lev 23/4-11) when the Temple existed.

Even though the Wikipedia definition of Aviv has been presented, we must understand that Aviv as meaning spring is a modern definition, not the ancient Hebrew definition. The word spring is not what the word aviv meant when Tawrah was written. The word aviv as used in Scripture refers to the ripening ears of barley. In summary of the meaning of aviv, all sources are in agreement that aviv has to do with the stage of ripeness of grain. All but one of these sources specifically identifies the barley as that ripened grain. This is because the first grain crop of the year in Yisrael is the barley harvest. As such, the crescent moon when the barley has become nearly ripe, that is, has green ears and is soft, is also called the month of the Aviv. And because this month of the aviv is near the time of the beginning of spring, although it has no explicit connection (biblically) to the vernal equinox, the word aviv later became associated with the word spring. Keep in mind that aviv does not mean spring, it means green ears of barley, but the barley becomes aviv at the time when the warmer spring season is dawning.

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Next, let's examine the usage of aviv in the Tawrah. The Hebrew word occurs eight times in all of the Tanach, all of which are found in the Tawrah. Six of those times have been already cited above. These are those passages which identify the month of the Aviv as that same month in which the sons of Yisrael departed from Mitzrayim. The other two places where this noun occurs are these: The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed (literally, the barley was aviv) and the flax was in bloom. Shemot/Exodus 9/31 If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to Yahuwah, offer crushed heads of aviv (new grain) roasted in the fire. Vayiqra/Leviticus 2/14 Now the Shemot/Exodus 9/31 occurrence of aviv is its first usage in the Bible. Mosheh (Moses) had just delivered his request to Pharaoh and then pronounced the seventh plague to fall upon Mitzrayim - the plague of lightening and hail. So, we're told that the flax and the barley were destroyed because the barley was aviv (ripe) and the flax was in bloom (although not yet ripe). Of course, the remaining three plagues took place immediately after the seventh, the tenth occurring just two weeks or more afterwards. And the Vayiqra passage speaks in general about offerings of aviv or new grain. But it makes no explicit reference to barley. It applies to any grain offered to Yahuwah as a firstfruits offering. It is to be roasted in the fire. With the accumulation of the data from the biblical record regarding the beginning of the year, we can make several definitive conclusions. According to the instruction of Elohim's Word, the first month of the Hebrew Israelite calendar is the month of the aviv, the same month the sons of Yisrael exited Egypt. The month of the aviv begins with the crescent moon when the barley in the field has green ears. It is at the time of the year, after the cold months, when the weather is beginning to warm and the crops are coming to ripeness. The Hebrew Scripture says nothing about the springtime and autumn equinox, nor the winter and summer solstice. Although there is an obvious correlation between the earth's position with reference to the sun and our weather, these alignments are not even mentioned by the Bible for any purpose. The new year, according the Hebrew Scriptures, begins on the day when the first sliver of the new moon is seen and the barley is visibly aviv in the field. Now according to the Quran another ayat that talks about timing/"myqat" is in Sura 7/142 where Musa is described as completing the "myqat"/timing.

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So "myqat"/"mawaqit" can signify timing/timings for completion of something. And We appointed for Moussa thalthna laylatan (thirty nights), and We completed biashrin (with ten): thus was completed mqtu (the timing) of his Lord, arbana laylatan (forty nights). Sura 7/142 Hence, the full-moon after the summer solstice is easier to witness. Moreover, because this orange moon appears while the days are longest, at the time of its appearance it is still daylight and it is still hot outside. All these signs are certainly not coincidental. We also hear about 10 nights in Sura 89/2. By the dawn ashrin walaylin (and ten nights) Sura 89/1-2 Interestingly, 10 nights is exactly how long it takes for the full-moon to reach the crescent stage. Note the relationship between the 10 extra nights in 7:142 and the 10 days of "hajj"/debate in Sura 2/196. "And complete the Hajj or 'umra in the service of Allah. But if ye are prevented (From completing it), send an offering for sacrifice, such as ye may find, and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches the place of sacrifice. And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp, (Necessitating shaving), (He should) in compensation either iymin (fast), or feed the poor, or offer sacrifice; and when ye are in peaceful conditions (again), if any one wishes to continue the 'umra on to the hajj, He must make an offering, such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, faiymu (then a fast) of three days during the hajj and seven days on his return, Making asharatun (ten days) in all. This is for those whose household is not in the Sacred Mosque. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is strict in punishment. Sura 2/196 So we have the first full-moon after the summer solstice and this is when the fullmoon of "ramadan" is the first restricted full-moon. Hence, counting four full-moons beginning with the first full-moon after the summer solstice would give us the restricted four full-moons and as usual, the crescent times the end of the period which would be a period about 90+10 100 days in total. The solstice happens towards the later part of June 22 etc The full-moon of scorching heat would be 0-30 days after that. Thus, the start of the restricted full-moons would be on average around the beginning of the second week of July and would end around the third week in October this is average but it could be sooner or as late as end of October depending on when the full-

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moon occurred after the summer solstice. So the restriction full-moons cover the time from about mid-summer to mid fall. The timing of the restriction is significant, especially given that the restriction is on hunting wild-life. Interestingly, the restriction doesn't cover domesticated livestock animals. O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts. Lawful for you are the animals of grazing livestock except for that which is recited to you, hunting not being permitted while you are in the state of iram. Indeed, Allah ordains what He intends. Sura 5/1 So now we have to ask the question, why or what are the reasons for the restriction? Could it be because the summer is the time when most wild animals and even wild birds give birth? Hence, killing a wild female animal, this would be not just killing the wild female animal but would also be inadvertently killing all its new-born off-spring who cannot feed and fend for themselves. Also, finding the new-born animals gives the hunter an unfair advantage because the mother is sometimes reluctant to leave them or the hunter can just wait close by until the mother comes back for them and easily bring her down.3 On the other hand, when a mother of a domesticated livestock animal is killed, her newborn can be easily cared for by people and they will survive fine. Of course, this analysis indicates that the restriction period would be different between the southern and the northern hemisphere. There is nothing in the Quran that indicates that they should be the same for people all over the world. We should orient our direction to the truth from our Lord wherever we are, whether in the Southern or Northern hemisphere. So from wherever you go out turn your face toward al- Masjid al-haram, and indeed, it is the truth from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Sura 2/149 Allah instructs us afterwards to fast during daylight hours and the length of the fast which basically means to complete a count of a few days. So the initial information about " Shahr (Full Moon) Ramadan (of scorching heat) " is simply the marker and not a command to fast an entire lunar month which is commonly believed and accepted by the masses that believes that we are supposed to fast 30 or 29 days and nights, otherwise the information about when and how many days to fast would be redundant or contradicting this command.
3

http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603044.0

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As a side note, there is also additional info in Classical Arabic dictionaries that link "ramadan" specifically to hunting. This is significant given the fact that the restricted period is about hunting. This inhumane way of hunting would have a significant negative impact on the preservation of wild life and would very quickly decimate it. Apparently, the Arabs were using this inhumane way of hunting during this period of hunting restriction. Allah says: "O ye who believe! Allah doth but make a trial of you in a little matter aydi (of game) tanluhu aydkum (well within reach of your hands) warimukum (and your spears), that He may test who fear Him unseen: any who transgress thereafter, will have a grievous penalty." Sura 5/94 Here we have in Sura 5/94 Allah says "aydi (of game) tanluhu aydkum (well within reach of your hands)" would reach the wild game. This means that it was an easy catch and the only time a prey/animals is normally such an easy catch is when the animal is exhausted and especially when it is young. This is far more likely to happen during the time of extreme heat when young animals who have recently been born are already suffering from the heat. We have man made calendars that can be used as a guide, tooletc. However, Allah doesn't give us calendars or prohibit us from using any calendars at all. Allah in fact does gives us NATURE to look at that conveys to us on a consistent basis a cosmic phenomenon for the purpose of timing the fast and the restriction on hunting wild life. Thus, Ahlul Kitab, Bani Israel as we know timed the major festivals according to the full moon. This further points to the full-moon being the original marker as confirmed in the Qur'an. The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, which typically falls in March or April of the Gregorian calendar. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan begins on the night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox.[citation needed] To ensure that Passover did not start before spring, the tradition in ancient Israel held that the first day of Nisan would not start until the barley was ripe, being the test for the onset of spring.4
4

The barley had to be "eared` out" (ripe) in order to have a wave-sheaf offering of the first fruits according to the Law. Jones, Stephen (1996). Secrets of Time. This also presupposes that the cycle is based on the northern hemisphere seasons.

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If the barley was not ripe, or various other phenomena[11] indicated that spring was not yet imminent, an intercalary month (Adar II) would be added. However, since at least the 4th century, the date has been fixed mathematically. Called the "festival [of] the matzos" (Hebrew: hag hamatzot) in the Hebrew Scripture, the commandment to keep Passover is recorded in the Book of Leviticus: In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month between ha'arbayim (at twilight/the two evenings) is Yahwehs Passover. Leviticus 23/5 Blow up the trumpet vachodesh (at the new moon), ibakkeshe (at the full moon), on our feast day. Psalm 81/3 ibakkeshe /kese or keseh means: time appointed or keceh {keh'-seh}; apparently from kacah; properly, fullness or the full moon, i.e. Its festival -- (time) appointed. The first part of (spring) festival cycle (Pesach, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost) is geared to the first full moon of spring (Friday night) (Ex. 12:1) And the second part of the (fall) festival cycle is geared to the first full moon of fall (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkoth). Both Passover and Sukkoth begin at the full moon and last seven days until the 2nd last or third phase of the moon. They are times of fullness and joy. Even in pagan religions the full moon (Harvest moon) was a time for celebrating, where people could celebrate at night by the greater light. In Judaism, the relationship of the moon to the sun has been likened to our relationship with Yahweh. While we can never have His glory, we are constantly called to recall or to reflect His glory and to understand that He is Yahweh of time we are called to measure or to mark time daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. That is why we celebrate Yahwehs Table at the new moon. The Hebrew calendar is solar lunar and the year begins and ends according to the cycles of the moon and 7 times every 19 years another month is added so that the festivals stay aligned to the moon and the year stays aligned to the sun. The new moon is a solemn time when Hebrew Israelites think of new birth, of the coming redemption of the growing light which will one day deliver us from darkness. Once a month, the old moon, in a single night, shifts into the new moon and the light which was waning begins to wax. Thus we should understand that if our lives are aligned with the purposes of Yahweh it does not matter whether our fortunes wax or

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wane, they will continue to be regenerated and renewed by Yahweh/Allah. The full moon is a time of celebration The full moon is the beginning of the two greatest times of rejoicing in the festivals of Yahweh (Passover/Unleavened Bread and Sukkoth/Simchat Tawrah) . It was a time when the festivities would last into the night and the full moon light would guarantee both that people could see as they celebrated and also that they could find their way home, because we know that light overcomes darkness. In Medieval folklore, witches and warlocks were more active at the full moon. This may have been due to the fact that many pagan religions of Europe held their wildest festivals at the full moon (and felt that it was a time when their darkest magic powers were at their height. It may also be because that was when the Hebrew Israelites, twice a year, were celebrating and meeting after dark (long into the night) and celebrating and seemed to be singing songs to the moon (Kiddush Levanah). There is also the question of the effect of the moon on mankind. Both the monthly cycle of women and the conduct of the mentally unbalanced were thought to be affected by the moon (hence the word lunatic). Pagan peoples feared the full moon because they feel that when it is dark the powers of evil are greater and more active. We know the moon reflects the light of the sun and shines in the darkness to guide us through the dark. It is not affected by the dark, but overcomes the dark and we should do the same For us, the moon is one of two heavenly bodies Yahweh/Allah set in place to demonstrate His power over the light of day and the darkness of night and that His universe is full of order and precision, no matter what else is going on, Yahweh/Allah is in full and final control over all that is in the heavens and all that on earth.

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