We know that Ergun has committed a grave error by saying that the month of Ramadan consists of 40 days, which is of course, not the case. An explanation of this error can be found here.

Ergun has attempted to respond to the exposure of this error by publishing an article on his Facebook page.

Furthermore, he explained to a Facebooker that the reason he said Ramadan is 40 days is because there is a group called the Alawite who fast for 40 days.

He then went on to say that we must understand that he teaches global apologetics and that we will not be familiar with a lot of things he says. This is of course, total nonsense because we are aware of the differences with regards to religious matters. Ergun very well knows that he made a mistake and he refuses to admit that he is a liar.

If you actually see the clip where Ergun stated that Ramadan is 40 days, you will see he clearly says “40 days ON THE LUNAR CALENDAR”.

The question must be asked – which lunar month has 40 days? The answer is none!.

What he said had nothing to do with the “Alawites” at all, he is yet again lying to his own fans in order to cover up his error.

Besides, even if the “Alawites” fast for 40 days, that does not mean that Ramadan is a month consisting of 40 days, it simply means that this deviant group fast for 40 days, nothing more.

For Muslims, it is blatantly obvious that Ergun Caner is lying, why do his fans not see that he is a liar?

Shouldn't Ergun as an ex devout Sunni Muslim until the age of 18 understand how many days are in the month during which he fasted for 18 years?

ISLAM IS NOT MONOLITHIC
by Ergun Mehmet Caner

On occasion, we get questions from Muslims who wonder why we speak of various celebrations they do not practice, and include variables they do not follow.

For example- What about Ramadan?

ANSWER: Islam is NOT monolithic. In other words, there is not just ONE form of Islam, or one sect. There are many. Here are just a few:

Sunni
Shi'a
Sufi
Druze
Alawite

1. Some demand that when the New Moon is seen in the East, the Ramadan must be followed in the West, even though they do not yet have the new moon. That means they would follow Ramadan an extra day/pre-moon date.

2. Others say that each country must begin at its own New Moon.

3. Other groups, such as the Alawites, do not insist on the ascription to Ramadan, or incorporate Christian celebrations in their calendar.

Catholics follow Lent, a forty-day fast.
Some Alawites do the same, but not all.

Alawites also allow for the celebration of Christmas.

4. Further, the completion of the systematic reading of the Qur'an on the 40-days (citation below) is also in question, as others follow a thirty-day cycle, and still others specify reading ten verses of the Qur'an a day.

The simple point: Islam does not operate by one absolute set of calendar citations.

Christians cannot use this as an apologetic though. Remember, the Greek Orthodox operate on their own calendar, and have their own Easter date as well.

So, the short answer is-- the vast majority of Muslims celebrate Ramadan for thirty days, not all of them do. The variances are clear, and the various sects celebrate differently.
emc

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CITATION ON READING:

Well, some scholars – such as Imam Ahmad and Ishaq b. Rahuyah – have disliked for a person to not complete the Qur’an at least every 40 days, based on a hadith of `Abdullah b. `Amr in which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) instructed him to recite the Qur’an in forty days. Another narration gives the minimum as once a month. However, this should not be taken as something obligatory, particularly for those who are not in the habit of reading Qur’an at all, or are not proficient in reciting the Qur’an, such as new Muslims. For them to attempt, all at once, to start reading the entire Qur’an once a month would probably become a barrier to them reading the Qur’an at all.

I asked Sh. Ghassan al-Barqawi about this issue, and he reccomended that, as a bare minimum, one should study ten verses a day. He based this on the narration of ibn Mas’ud that the Companions used to learn the Qur’an ten verses at a time.

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CITATION: “(It is) the month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed as a guidance for mankind, clear proofs giving guidance, and the Criterion (for distinguishing right and wrong). So whoever of you witnesses this month, let him fast it.” [surah 2:185]

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CITATION ON NEW MOON:

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, adds:

This is an issue that must be decided by the collective body of scholars and leaders representing Muslims in this part of the world. Traditionally, in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) there are two valid interpretations on this issue: According to the first view, which has been considered as the most authentic and preferred view in the Hanafi school (as stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah), if the moon is sighted in the East, it is binding on the West, provided they can act on such information; the second view, however, states that each region should sight its own moon.

It is therefore up to the Muslims in this part of the world to choose any of the above views; they should do so based on the best interests of the Ummah in this part of the world.

Individuals, however, must never take this issue in their own hands; rather they must abide by the decisions of the collective leadership. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised us to follow the Jama`ah (Muslim community); so we must not divide Muslims on this issue based on our own individual preferences.

Ahhh...that didn't take long. For a moment I thought you were interested in speaking about doctrines and beliefs. I assume this means you are trapped and have no more answers on the issues of truth and Jesus Christ? For the last time:

1. Subsects of Alawite fast 40 days. Muslims.
2. Bahai use two fasts, 19 days and 40 days. Islamic offshoot.

Whether you prefer to count them as Muslim or not, I do not personally care. In world religions, they came from Islamic movements, and thus count as Islamic movements. Just like Sikhs.

So- the fasting is now answered.

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The problem we faced in this discussion is that they do not recognize Alawite as a Muslim sect. There are other groups that Sunni dispute: some do not believe Shia are real Muslims, or Alawite, or Druze.

I teach Global Apologetics. Even though I was Sunni, scholarship demands that I also present the beliefs of ALL Muslim sects and splinters. That includes the Sikh (Guru Nanak split off) and others.