In the bathroom, during Ramadan

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m not sure where to ask this, and I’m sure this will come across as insensitive to some people.

One time, about 10 years ago, we were invited to dinner at a colleague’s apartment, during Ramadan. This colleague (call him S) and another guy were the only Muslims there. S’s girlfriend wasn’t Muslim but had been with him for a long time, had visited his family in Morocco, etc., so of course she had much better understanding of observances than we did. We didn’t have dinner until sunset, that was no surprise.

But at one point, while we were chatting and the sun was still up, S mumbled something we didn’t quite catch (but the others did), went into the bathroom with an empty drinking glass, closed the door and stayed there for a several minutes. Then he came back out with the empty glass.

Did he drink water when he wasn’t supposed to? If so, what was the point of doing it in the bathroom with the door closed, if it was so obvious that even we noticed it? Or is there some other aspect we didn’t get?

2

Why don’t you ask him?

3

It didn’t seem polite/appropriate to ask when it happened. We lost touch with S after my hubby changed jobs a year later.

4

Maybe he peed in the glass? There could be medical reasons for doing so.

5

Maybe he had medicine that he needed to take with water, and needed to take at that time. I’m certainly not an expert on Ramadan rules; but that might well be considered a legitimate exception.

6

There were two Muslims at the dinner. If it was still pre-sunset, it would be very offensive to imbibe anything in front of another believer. If it was dark, then I got nuthin’.

7

My guess (grew up in a very Muslim-heavy region of Michigan, but am by no means an expert in Islamic traditions and customs) is that he needed water as a medical necessity (for taking medicine, for instance), but as Chefguy noted, didn’t want to do it in front of others.

8

Life-saving medicines are allowed. “Comfort” medicines are usually not allowed, but there’s often some leeway.

A bit of a long shot, but did he pray soon after emerging from the bathroom ? If yes, he may have performed ritual ablutions although I imagine the apartment had running water, making the use of a glass unnecessary.

9

There was no prayer that I saw, and yes the bathroom was an ordinary Montréal bathroom in a nice apartment, running water and all.

I think the medication / not consuming water in front of others explanation is the likeliest. Thanks all!

10

Depending on how you were raised, you learned to clean your parts, after peeing and defecating, with water instead of toilet paper. Many of those raised that way prefer it, and so the glass is filled with warm water from the tap and then the water is poured over the part that needs cleaning. Think of it as similar to a bidet.

11

This is what i did during Yom Kippur, when i was pregnant or nursing (ate or drank enough for safety, out of sight of other Jews.) But i would have guessed he was making ritual ablutions. Except the other Muslim didn’t.

12

Perhaps he didn’t need to, i.e. he hadn’t done anything that made him ritually unclean.

13

But wouldn’t people who do that likely keep a glass in the bathroom for that purpose?

14

Not all Muslims are strict about Ramadan or other observances, just like all Jews aren’t kosher nor go along with extreme observance like Hasidics do.

15

At one time I had both a Muslim and a Morman drinking buddies. They informed me that some people had more religion than others.

16

Maybe he was only doing it because there was another Muslim there. Who knows?

17

As Og is my witness, I thought the title was a Star Trek Next Generation reference.

18

My thought was a lota, but it was in his own home.

19

…at Tanagra!

Just after I finished writing the title, I thought of Col. Mustard, in the library, with the candlestick.