Page:Thomas Patrick Hughes - Notes on Muhammadanism - 2ed. (1877).djvu/145

 124 Jewish fast of the Tenth, which coincides with the Muhammadan day ʾAshura, being regarded as the day of creation. Moreover, the Jewish ʾAsur and the Muslim ʾAshura are both fasts and days of affliction. It is far more probable that Muhammad got his idea of a thirty days' fast from the Christian Lent. The observance of Lent in the Eastern Church was exceedingly strict both with regard to the nights as well as the days of that season of abstinence; but Muhammad entirely relaxed the rules with regard to the night, and from sunset till the dawn of day the Muslim is permitted to indulge in any lawful pleasures and to feast with his friends; consequently large evening dinner-parties are usual in the nights of the Ramazán amongst the better classes. This would be what Muhammad meant when he said, "God would make the fast an ease and not a difficulty," for notwithstanding its rigour in the day-time, it must be an easier observance than the strict fast observed during Lent by the Eastern Christians of Muhammad's day.