I Tried Ramadan For 7 Days (no food or water)

If you enjoyed this video, please consider giving to the fundraiser, 100% of which goes directly to the non-profit.

I have my monetization on for this video and will be donating the ad revenue to the fundraiser. Also, as I mentioned in the video, I will match the first $2,500 donated to the fundraiser, so you can double the impact of your giving. ;)

Also another way to help is to share this video! There were many misconceptions that I had about Islam before doing this and I found this experience quite eye-opening.

[JayPalfrey]

bro, thank you for not only highlighting the positivity of muslims, but ALSO for the highlighting the tragic events ongoing in Afghanistan - having seen first hand what Afghans go through every day, this video will do more than you can imagine for them!

[PickUpLimes]

This is such a beautiful video, Nathaniel - such a beautiful message. Your host family are all true gems, and the mom's words at the end are so touching. I appreciate that you not only tried fasting but also practiced zakat by donating and fundraising for those in need - you're amazing!

[shawdexter]

As a practicing Muslim, the experience is the opposite for me, During Ramadan while fasting I feel way more energetic than my normal days

[Beelzebub.]

Ramadan really made sense to me when I realized that it’s not about starving yourself but the idea of refusing to eat and drink for the sake of a cause that you believe in.
You ascend beyond being a mammal who lives to eat and drink, you become something more and I really like that

[jantheslovakmuslim]

As a technically still new Muslim (I converted last year) this video was really amazing. I've been watching you since I was a non-Muslim a few years ago and I'm happy that you showcased Islam in a positive light. I'm now in the middle of my second Ramadan and most non-Muslims focus on the fasting part of the month, but truly it's much more. It's a giant detox from this world and realizing our only purpose which is to worship God, so praying, giving charity, and remembering God, are key elements of Ramadan. Inshallah may Allah (God) guide you and open your heart to Islam. It's the best thing in this world!

[t.ghoush]

7 days in a raw for a non Muslim!
Respect Nathaniel!!
It was exiting seeing your perspective on ramadan

[mariamwakilzada]

as a muslim and as an Afghan, I’m so grateful for you shedding light on what Islam is about. We need more people like you as we often find ourselves being advocates for our religion due to wrong media perception.
Calling afghans your brothers and sisters is heartwarming.
God bless you!

[ayaelzakzouk]

this is maybe the best representation I've seen of Ramadan. He doesn't pretend it's easy and at the same time doesn't look at things from a "what is this weird practice?" type of mentality. I love the fact that he didn't just fast, he tried to get into the spirit of Ramadan and I believe, succeeded. Sending you love and blessings from Egypt, Thank you Nathaniel :)

[dreamontis]

"Is this the religion that so many people fear?"
This is absolutely amazing. I'm not a muslim, I actually don't know a single person that is, but thank you for doing this, I'm genuinely touched. Amazing work as always, Nathaniel.

[SuperSaf]

Dude, this was amazing. Thank you for sharing your experience and raising money for such a great cause ❤️

[solaris]

7:10 when he got all excited for iftaar and said "Bismillah" it was adorable!!

[MichaelBrown_]

I did a day of Ramadan with my friend group (two of the guys in the group practice Ramadan annually) and it was such an interesting and valuable experience. I was grateful to them for opening up this culture and religion to me and my friends as I personally have not had much knowledge of the Islamic Religion and the practices it entails.

[gentlewildflower]

''Is this really the religion that so many non-Muslims fear?''
this made me tear up. thank you for trying this, I appreciate your open minded approach towards the religion I was raised with. Ramadan Mubarak! ❤

[zahidibr]

Got so excited seeing the title! Thank you for making this video, Nathaniel.

[priscachendjou]

I am not Muslim and i have been doing Ramadan fasting for 3 years with my Muslim friends, it has been amazing so far and i will do it every years.

[MelodyVioline]

Muslim families usually encourage their children to fast for a few hours a day, and then half a day, and then longer until they can do it from sunrise to sunset. Kudos to you, Nathan, for being able to fast from sunrise to sunset on your first time! That's a big leap. And thank you for sharing your experience.

[matgonzalez]

I used to work in restaurants in NYC roughly five years ago. A decent chunk of our staff were Muslim, and every ramadan was a strangely happy time. I didn't know anything about Ramadan until then, and learning from others on staff that even if it wasn't a religious experience for us, they'd still share and openly discuss. I learned a lot about Islam from them, and found it's teachings to not be unlike other religions I've seen/experienced; bad actors produce bad ideas, but there is a beautiful spirit and belonging for those who mean well. one friend at the time, Rajib, taught me a lot about how similar our lives actually were. I miss those days a lot.

Whenever they would break fast, they'd have a ton of food they'd all brought from home (always more than enough to share). They would quickly eat and come back to work, and then they made me take a similar break (anyone working restaurants will tell you, breaks are NOT usual). They'd give us full plates of food their spouses prepared, or in some cases they themselves prepared. It was awesome, and hearing from them what a spiritual experience it was to abstain food, water, and watching your thoughts for a month, especially with how important the moon becomes at this time.

I miss working with them, but not working in restaurants lol..We even had this one guy, a lawyer that loved the food at the place we worked, who would bring us Halal food after the restaurant closed to take home. It was really inspiring and I vividly remember it as one of the happier periods of my life because of how diverse my day to day conversations and experiences were.

[eml]

Ramadan to me is like dopamine detox month, you stop doing anything that gives you dopamine (not only in food and water but in small details as well) in order to get back on track and find balance again, and get closer to Allah of course.
Also, seeing non-muslims discover what Islam really is, inspires me a ton and reminds me how blessed I am to be a Muslim. merci, Nathaniel!

[mbakdandel]

as a muslim i cant help to smile and appreciate how others tried to do fasting because its all about controlling, and its not easy especially for beginners. thank you for this ❤

[MHHIsmail]

I’m Muslim and I want to thank you for giving Ramadan a shot and for trying to experience, understand and explain what Islam truly is despite all the negativity and distortion that politics and media try hard to frame and convey.