Were Teachers Right to Ban Non-Muslim Kids From Drinking Water During Ramadan?
Does the Quran actually command people to not drink water during the Ramadan fast? Maybe not.
There’s been an outcry after 10-year-old non-Muslim kids were denied water in a German classroom because a few Muslim kids were fasting for Ramadan.
First of all, I hope we can all agree that forcing religious practices on schoolkids, no matter what the religion, is wrong. The teachers also apparently didn’t know that children aren’t supposed to fast for Ramadan regardless (the starting age is 14). Furthermore, menstruating females are also not supposed to fast during Ramadan no matter what the age.
In fact, any Muslim can opt out of Ramadan fasting if they aren’t up to it for whatever the reason, especially for those who are sick or weak. The alternative is to pay some zakat (donations) to feed the poor.
But I wanted to speak to this greater issue of the water ban during Ramadan. While many argue that the Ramadan fasting in general actually has health benefits, we’re talking about the food portion of the ban. The water ban during the daylight hours of Ramadan has negative health consequences and has literally led to the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of people.
For example, in 2015, more than 650 died in Karachi during a Ramadan fast due to a massive heatwave:
The health dangers are further exacerbated by the demands of the annual Ramadan fast, when most Muslims abstain from eating or drinking water during daylight hours.
For most people, that means about 15 hours with no source of hydration — a factor that has particularly affected manual laborers and street vendors, who work outside under the sun.
Dr. Seemin Jamali, head of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center emergency wing, said 272 people had died there from heat-related conditions, including dehydration. The smaller Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said 56 bodies had been brought in since Monday night.
Officials said a majority of the victims were men over the age of 50, especially day laborers from lower-income groups.
Ramadan is a month to celebrate the creation of the Quran, and the recommendation for fasting, to celebrate the creation of the Quran, is also outlined in the Quran.
Does the Quran actually command people to not drink water during the Ramadan fast?
Here’s where the fasting edict comes from. The specific guidance can be found in Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2), verses 183-185. The relevant verses state:
Verse 183: "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -"
Verse 184: "[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew."
Verse 185: "The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful."
Water isn’t actually mentioned here. So is it banned explicitly? In Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2), verse 187, it provides instructions on the timings of fasting from dawn to sunset:
"It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are a garment for you and you are a garment for them. Allah knoweth that ye defraud yourselves therein, so He turneth unto you and forgiveth you. So now associate with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not but be at your devotions in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by Allah, so approach them not. Thus Allah expoundeth His revelations to mankind that they may ward off (evil)."
Here's where it says don’t eat and “drink.” Or rather, it says do eat and drink until dawn. But does this verse actually mean don’t drink water during the fast? The word for “to drink” used in the Quran is “wa-ish'rabu,” which comes from the root sharab/shariba (to drink). I asked GPT about this:
The word for "drink" in Arabic is "شرب" (pronounced "sharab"). In its root form, it primarily means to drink, but like many Arabic words, its meaning can extend to various contexts depending on usage. The root ش ر ب (sh-r-b) can be associated with different concepts related to drinking or liquids. Here are some potential meanings and uses:
Literal Drinking: The most direct meaning is the act of consuming liquids.
Drinking of Non-Water Liquids: It can be used to refer to drinking things other than water, like milk, juice, or even alcoholic beverages.
Absorption or Taking In: Metaphorically, it can imply absorbing or taking something in, not just physically but also in terms of ideas, knowledge, etc.
Quenching Thirst: The concept of quenching or satisfying thirst, not only in the literal sense but also possibly in a figurative sense, like "thirst" for knowledge or experience.
Arabic is a rich and context-dependent language, with many words having multiple layers of meaning that can vary significantly based on context, usage, and the specific form of the word (as Arabic words are derived from root letters that can be formed into many related words through patterns that impart different meanings).
Well there you have it. Literally the word “drink” in Arabic can mean drinking of non-water liquids. Just like “drink” in English can refer to alcohol.
What else might people have been drinking around the time of the Quran?
During the time the Quran was revealed (7th century Arabia), the types of drinks available would have included water, milk (from camels, goats, and cows), and perhaps date wine (fermented date juice) among others. Date wine or other fermented drinks might have been known and consumed in the Arabian Peninsula, although alcohol consumption is prohibited in Islam.
Therefore, an alternative interpretation of the Ramadan fasting command would be to not drink anything but water during fasting hours. Which makes a heck of a lot more sense, especially for people living in a desert.
Ramadan Fasting and Sufism
So now let’s get to the issue of Ramadan fasting and Sufism. If you are interested in becoming a Sufi, do you need to fast?
The short answer is, no. Though it depends on what kind of Sufi you want to be. There are Universal Sufis and Islamic Sufis. The Universal Sufis (primarily in the lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan) don’t tend to fast as a group, though individuals may fast if they wish. Islamic Sufis will fast during Ramadan if they can. However, if you join an Islamic Sufi group, no-one will force you to fast.
Now I’ve joined three Sufi organizations over my lifetime, two Islamic and one Universal. But I am not a Muslim and don’t intend to convert. I do not fast during Ramadan. As a Christian mystic and Sufi, I prefer to honor the fast of Lent, by giving up something of my choosing during that time. Sometimes, I will give myself a task during Lent. This Lent, I am learning the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic. Thus, your fasting practice in Sufism can be personal to you.
Be careful about Sufi “gurus” that guilt you into Ramadan fasting by suggesting it is some sort of curse if you break the fast.
The first Sufi organization I joined was kind of a mess after the death of the founding Middle Eastern Shaykh, and without a clear successor, one of the American leaders had taken it upon himself to act like a Shaykh even though he hadn’t been given the green light by his deceased teacher. Because the American didn’t have the title of Shaykh, he gave himself a long string of Arabic words as alternative title, which was designed to make him sound more important than he actually was. I won’t say who this is because I don’t relish being sued, but...
Sufficed to say, I ultimately came to the conclusion that the American teacher was...well...charlatan is a strong word...but we can say he was full of it. He presented himself as this great clairvoyant, which in retrospect should have been my first clue he wasn’t a genuine Sufi teacher...genuine Sufi teachers are modest and put the focus on God, not themselves and their supposed “spiritual powers.”
At any rate, one day during Ramadan, this self-appointed guru was teaching a class and told us that he had accidentally overslept his alarm a little bit that morning. When he woke up, he had a bit of a frog in his throat. Because he needed to teach class, he took a sip of water to clear his throat. Then, he realized his “big mistake”: he had just overstepped the start of that day’s Ramadan fast by about a minute. He told us something like the following in an ominous voice:
“The minute I took that sip of water I felt all the light of Ramadan leave me. Allah took his grace away from me in that moment.”
Well, at the time I thought this was absolutely ridiculous and I still do. Allah does not pull light away from people who genuinely need a sip of water so they can speak clearly!
This teacher was prone to making fantastical statements, supposedly showing his great psychic powers and ability to see the “light,” but he actually used his alleged clairvoyant powers to manipulate his students. Be very wary of teachers like this.
While it is certainly not a mainstream belief, I absolutely feel there is a great argument to be made that it is non-water drinks that are to be abstained from during Ramadan, and that it is perfectly fine to drink water during your fast.
I am not a fan of rigid rules in religion. It is one of the reasons why I am not a fan of mainstream religions. I can hope that someday the water ban in Ramadan is reconsidered as being dangerous and not actually the intent of the “law.”
Being a Muslim, I know for a fact that many Muslims don't fast in Ramazan. Does that make them less Muslim? I don't know. Similarly, many Muslims don't observe the Namaz. Namaz, fasting, or other practises are to firm one's belief in One God and to practise humanity. I think no one has the right to stop non- muslim children from drinking water.
I would like to correct a few things here. First of all, a Muslim cannot opt out of fasting "for whatever reason". Yes, there are some circumstances and conditions for which you can be excused from fasting but you can't abstain from fasting without a valid reason.
Secondly, just because the Quran doesn't explicitly ban drinking water doesn't mean that it is permissible. Islamic law is taken from both the Quran and the Sunnah, which is the way of the prophet (may peace be upon him) and includes everything that he said and did. And according to the Sunnah, drinking does break your fast.
I hope this clears things up.