Welcome to Somalia, the only country on earth where time itself has been federalized, fragmented, and thoroughly humiliated.
Here, clocks are decorative items, calendars are opinion pieces, and Friday—the holiest day in Islam—has been stretched, bent, sliced, and redistributed like a contested aid package. Ask ten Somalis when Friday night begins, and you will receive ten answers, all delivered with absolute confidence and theological authority.
Is Thursday evening Friday?
Is it Saturday on Friday evening?
And most importantly: is a Somali day still 24 hours, or has it been downsized like a donor budget?
No one knows. And worse—no one agrees.
A Day That Begins Yesterday Evening and Ends Tomorrow Evening?
In today’s Somalia, a “day” is no longer a fixed unit of time. It is a political and cultural negotiation.
Friday begins when someone decides it begins. It ends when someone else says it ends. In between, weddings are scheduled, shops are closed, prayers are announced, and public debates erupt—often heated, sometimes violent—over whether now is still Friday or already Saturday.
We have managed to turn timekeeping, one of humanity’s earliest scientific achievements, into a clan-based interpretive exercise.
This is not astronomy.
This is not jurisprudence.
This is chronological anarchy.
Importing Confusion by the Container Load
Where did this madness come from?
Some blame it on “Arab ways of counting time”—the idea that a day begins at sunset, creating a Frankenstein creature made of two halves of two different days. Others point fingers at poorly translated religious traditions, half-learned fiqh lessons, and WhatsApp sheikhs who discovered theology on YouTube last week.
But let us be honest: Somalia did not just import this confusion—it weaponized it.
We imported clocks from Europe, prayers from Arabia, lunar calendars from scholars, solar calendars from colonial offices, and then never bothered to reconcile any of them. The result? A nation where Thursday night can legally, spiritually, and socially be Friday, depending on who is speaking—and where.
Federalism, But Make It Temporal
Naturally, Somalia being Somalia, even time could not escape federalism.
In one town, Friday night starts at sunset Thursday.
In another, it begins at midnight.
In a third, it starts when the mosque loudspeaker says so.
In a fourth, it starts when the wedding hall lights turn on.
We now live under Multiple Time Zones Without Borders.
GMT? Forget it.
EAT? Optional.
Somali Time? Negotiable.
This is federalism taken to its logical extreme: every community is its own time authority.
When Religion Becomes Casual and Science Optional
Ironically, this chaos is defended in the name of religion—yet it violates both religious discipline and scientific reason.
Islam is precise. Astronomy is precise. Prayer times are calculated to the minute. Yet in Somalia, we treat time like a rumor: flexible, adjustable, and open to reinterpretation after dinner.
We argue passionately about when Friday starts, but show little concern for when honesty starts, when accountability starts, or when governance starts.
Apparently, God demands accuracy in prayer times—but not in clocks.
A Nation That Lost Its Watch—and Its Way
This confusion over days is not a small issue. It is a symbol.
A country that cannot agree on when a day begins will struggle to agree on:
when elections should be held
when mandates expire
when contracts start and end
when responsibility begins
When time itself is blurred, accountability evaporates.
Missed a deadline?
“It was still Friday night.”
Extended your term?
“Friday hasn’t ended yet.”
Delayed salaries?
“Time is relative.”
Conclusion: Reset the Clock, Reset the Mind
Somalia does not need new clocks. It needs clarity of thought.
A day is 24 hours.
Friday is Friday.
Night is night.
Religion does not fear precision.
Culture does not require confusion.
And identity is not threatened by a clock that actually works.
Until Somalia makes peace with time, time will continue to mock Somalia.
And somewhere, in the middle of Thursday-Friday-Saturday, a Somali will confidently announce:
“Relax. It’s still Friday night.” The day starts from one morning until the next morning.
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