—the passage will open, then we will be there…

A-Xian. You, me, and also A-Cheng, the three of us should always be together. We won’t ever be parted. 

Ramadan FAQ

Ramadan is from an estimated April 2 - May 2 this year, and since most of my following is non-Muslim, so…I put this together (because I’m always excited about Ramadan xD) As always, my inbox is open to questions or clarity!

What is Ramadan?

A month of fasting! It’s the ninth month in the Islamic (lunar) calendar, and is a time of worship and growing closer to Allah. Fasting, known as sawm, is one of the five pillars of Islam, and for everyone who is able to and is of age*, it is obligatory to fast all days.

*This means anyone who’s hit puberty and older!

What’s the significance?

Ramadan is the month that all of the scriptures in Islam are said to have been passed down to the prophets (peace be upon them). This includes the Scrolls of Abraham, the Tawrah (Torah), Zabur (Psalms), Injil (Gospel), and the Qur’an (which is the book Muslims follow today).

In this month, it is said that Shaytaan (Satan) is chained away for the entire month. This is said to signify that Shaytaan can’t push people in committing sin. It is also said that the gates of Heaven are opened, and the gates of hell are barred. 

Do you fast continuously for one month?

No, the fast starts at dawn (with the Fajr prayer) and ends at sunset (with the Maghrib prayer). Depending on where you are, this can go from anywhere between 11-22 hours of fasting (there’s various views here about the 22 hour fast, but for the sake of simplicity, I’m not elaborating). 

Can you eat or drink anything during the day?

Nope! You eat sehri, the morning meal (also known as suhoor), before dawn, and then nothing until iftar at sunset, when you can break your fast with dates and water.

Not even water?!

No, not even water xD

What’s the point? What do y’all do?

Ramadan is used by Muslims to grow closer to Allah, to strengthen their relationship with Islam. The barakat (blessings) and sawab (spiritual rewards) of this month are triple that of any other month, so we dedicate our time to prayers, reading the Qur’an, giving charity. We also dedicate time to breaking harmful habits, like smoking and drinking. Ramadan also helps Muslims realize compassion for those who have food insecurities, and cannot access a full meal. We’re encouraged to give as much as possible during this month.

In Ramadan, there are special prayers that most pray in a congregation, called Taraweeh. It is not a compulsory prayer, but it has a lot of reward so most people pray it.

Why aren’t the women fasting?

People who menstruate are excused from fasting during their period, just as they’re excused from prayer. This is because periods are physically taxing, and require a large amount of hydration and nutrition, and because they are already a source of discomfort. It is not because periods are “impure” (because they aren’t! That is a cultural misconception.) These missed fasts are to be made up at any time before next Ramadan. Most people do it during winter months, because the fasts are shorter then!

While menstruation means no prayer or fasting, it doesn’t stop other acts, so many people double down on using prayer beads, listening to Islamic lectures/recitations or other acts of worship on the days they can’t fast.

Are there any other reasons people won’t be fasting?

Yup! People who are elderly, pregnant*, breastfeeding, ill, diabetic (hence can’t go without food for that long), or travelling are excused from fasting. Out of these, travelling will require fasts to be made up. Additionally, some chronically ill people decide to continue fasting, but this is not mandatory, nor recommended! If fasting is hazardous to your health, you’re exempt.

*There’s some debate about whether to fast in pregnancy, as some do, but generally, fasting can negatively impact the unborn baby, and increase birth complications, especially during later stages. Most are recommended to follow the exemption and not fast!

(Also, if someone says they’re not fasting, it’s basic manners not to ask them why not.)

Why don’t you guys ever know when it starts?

Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. It goes by the phases of the moon, and only when the crescent is observed do the months start and end. There are a lot of ways to observe it now, but some places just go by what Makkah, Saudi Arabia declares, or what the surrounding countries/states say.

Are specific days better than others?

Some days are said to have greater reward because they’re the days one of the aforementioned scriptures were passed down. Fridays are always holy in Islam, but more so in Ramadan. The last 10 days are also of great importance, because it’s said that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received his first revelation of the Qu’ran (Surah Al-Alaq!) during one of the odd-number nights — 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29. That night is known as Laylat-ul-Qadar (Night of Destiny), but no one knows the actual date.

When does it end?

On the first of Shawwal, which is the next month! When the crescent is spotted again, it marks the end of Ramadan, and the start of the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. If the moon is not sighted, most people take a default thirty days for Ramadan, and that makes the end of the month.

Are there any specific traditions?

Everybody is different! My family loves making at least one fresh dish for iftar. We also fill trays with food to give to the masjids (mosques) because many people break their fasts at the mosque itself. It’s almost like a huge potluck every night, which is great for people who can’t afford a meal, because they won’t have to go hungry at the end of a long day of fasting. Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi feeds 20,000-30,000 people a night, without question of who they are or where they’re from.

I personally set a few goals during Ramadan for myself, including finishing the whole Qur’an during Ramadan, spending time with my family, giving more charity and learning more about Islam. Everyone’s goals are different, and some don’t have any, which is completely okay! There’s no “right” way to do it.

What can non-Muslims do to support Muslims during this month?

Keeping an open mind is the biggest thing, I think. I remember that I used to get a lot of “but that’s so cruel!” comments in school because eating or drinking wasn’t allowed, and then made fun of because I’d take ten minutes from class to offer prayers. “You must lose a lot of weight” was also another really, really annoying one, and also…“not even water” asked every single year endlessly (we get it, but please stop asking).

Most people don’t care if you eat in front of them but be respectful of them fasting and don’t be obnoxious about your own food. Don’t come up with plans that are physically taxing, and try to look out for your Muslims friends. Don’t point out if someone who’s fasting has bad breath because that’s what you get from not eating or drinking all day. Try to be understanding if your Muslim friends can’t schedule things at certain times, or if they don’t want to participate in something because it goes against something they’re trying to accomplish. 

If you work with Muslims who will be fasting, just know that it can be very physically taxing, especially if you work a job where you’re on your feet a lot. Try to accommodate that. Also, if an employee requests different hours, it’s usually so we can go home and open our fast with our families.

This is honestly a very small guide to Ramadan. There are countless other things that could be included in this list, but I hope this is a start! May Allah accept all our fasts, our prayers and may He make the month easy for us, and especially for our community in tragedy-stricken places, Ameen!

Ramadan Mubarak! <3

— Ken Liu, “Translator’s Postscript” to The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin

“Xuē Chéngměi.”

Xuē Yáng froze hearing his name on Lán Wangi’s lips.

“My name’s Bái Xiǎoměi. I don’t know any Chéngměi,” Xuē Yáng bit out, refusing to turn and face him.

“Mn. He and I seek the same sorts of hunts. At times, I’ve arrived hours after he left, met the people he has helped. He has a good reputation among the outer villages,” Lán Wàngjī said.

“I said I don’t know him.”

Red Azalea- Ch 64.

I really couldn't stop myself from drawing out a scene from the latest chapter of @cenedrariva's fic Red Azalea. If you're into SongXueXiao, meditations on what it means to do good in the world, and XY not being easily let off for his crimes: I'd recommend giving it a go. It's really well written, updated weekly, and is the highlight of my Tuesdays.

Yi City Disaster Crew as Text Posts Part 5 | Part 4 | Part 3 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Part 6

Tag your favourite

Mine is I’m so small and bitter I’m like a human espresso

Yi City Disaster Crew (and Jiggy) as Text Posts Part 4 | Part 3 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Part 5 | Part 6

For the umpteenth time, I don’t hate Song Lan

Put your favourite in the tags

Mine is have your ever seen someone’s face and just wanted to look at them forever

If you can’t read the first 3 gifs they say:

1st gif:

Have you ever seen someone’s face and just wanted to look at them forever.

2nd gif:

I would follow you to the ends of the earth with only mild complaining.

3rd gif:

Me: I’m not a jealous person I just want my friends to be happy

Friend: *has a friend that’s not me*

Me: *chewing on glass* im no t a jeal ou s p er son i ju st...

Tumblr massacred the quality and for that I am sorry but mostly annoyed

this is simply the greatest video i have ever seen

I'm going to reblog this a million times so be it

#i love how they give up on the dumb gimmick and just make her do increasingly inane trick shots

Reminded of that time the xkcd guy was trying to research what sports equipment would be most effective for destroying enemy drones in flight and he looked up a bunch of stats about pro tennis player accuracy against stationary targets like 40 feet away, and figured that a really high level tennis pro might be able to hit the drone in 5-7 shots if they had the time and even then probably wouldn’t do enough damage to disrupt it more than momentarily.

And then Serena volunteered to test this theory and just, killed it instantly.

i see people saying shit like “she’s the best woman player” nah fam she’s the best one out there

fan fiction is SO addicting to people with ADHD because our brains aren't innattentive, they're just constantly searching out sources of dopamine because we don't produce enough on our own. fan fiction supplies us with an endless archive of free stories - long and short - containing characters we already love and we can just devour story after story after story one after another and it feels SO GOOD.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEANU REEVES!

(September 2nd, 1964)

only one person can be valid at at time it turns out. validity is passed around like the olympic torch

Mom said its my turn on the valid

Because I condone murder and cannabalism

This is such an interesting addition to Xue Yang’s character. Because if three years of domesticity with Xue Xingchen and A-Qing isn’t boredom, then what is?

And it’s not like it was the most comfortable domesticity either. They stumble their way into an abandoned house that’s in dire need of repairs, where A-Qing isn’t even able to sleep in a proper bed, she sleeps in a coffin. They’re getting by, but they’re not prosperous. It isn’t like their particular domesticity was like the other major characters we see. They didn’t get to lounge around Lotus Pier or Koi Tower, at the top of the pecking order. They’re past the point where A-Qing is when we meet her, getting by as a beggar/scam artist, but not by much.

But Xue Yang did three years of that, and he didn’t choose to abandon it, he was backed into a corner by Song Lan’s arrival. And then, even though he fell into old murdery habits, he took action to preserve the quiet domestic life he had. If it wasn’t for A-Qing, he seemed like he would have just stepped right back into the old, comfortable routine without any fuss at all. He wasn’t itching for a chance to shake things up and make things interesting again. He killed Song Lan and went straight to grumbling about who was going to run dull errands (and putting up hardly any resistance before agreeing to run the errands himself).

So if three years of quiet, poor domesticity isn’t boredom, then what is? I could see him making a private joke out of playing at living that life, like it’s a game where he’s tricking everyone. But then it lasted for three years. Winters can’t have been pleasant in a house like the one they were living in, and he went through three. 

There’s a lot to be said about the degree he found Xiao Xingchen fascinating, of course. And for things to last so long and get so affectionate, it was a lot more complicated and wanting than ‘oh, this is my nemesis, i’m going to break his spirit eventually or something.’ But I’ve already talked a decent amount about how he felt about Xiao Xingchen, and this line about boredom in particular is interesting to me.

Xue Yang rejects the idea of boredom, until he embraces it later. Given the way he starts tossing fuel on the fire when Xiao Xingchen realizes what’s happening, I think he’s aware that by his old standards, the life he’s been choosing to live is boring.

Xue Yang had a childhood with “no parents or money.” The incident where he’s exploited with promises of sweets and eventually gets his hand crushed and loses a finger is incredibly formative. Everything he chooses to share from that history is incredibly formative, honestly. So I think that his definition of ‘boredom’ is tied right into that childhood.

When he rejects boredom, I think he’s taking his own background into account. He’s got no family. He’s got no money. He’s got nothing to do. He’d rather die than go back to living that sort of life.

Now, he settles down with Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing. They still don’t have much in the way of money. He doesn’t have anything to do, other than tag along when Xiao Xingchen goes night-hunting. So what’s the factor that’s changed?

He’s got someone who loves him and wants to take care of him. From the moment he’s awake enough to know Xiao Xingchen is there, Xiao Xingchen is caring for his wounds and helping him and isn’t asking anything in return, not even his name. And having someone who treats him this way? Having someone who values and wants him? That makes the difference between ‘I don’t fear death, I fear boredom,’ and ‘Actually, I really like this flavor of boredom and I will kill to hold onto it.’ 

This was your fault, ever since the beginning.

was it fun? yes. of course it was fun.

XueXiao

*dry food crunches* Ridiculously small kitten: “Myam myam myam. Njam njam njam njam njam njam njam! Myam myam myam nyam nyam myam. Mmmam. Mrrrrram. Meep!”

Oh here it is again. The best video ever