Ramadan 2024 Wk1

The first week of Ramadan 2024 is nearly done. My days have been pretty hectic with very little downtime. I start the morning at 4am to eat breakfast (Sehri) before first light. Usually, breakfast consists of a few dates (Palestinian Medjoul are my current go to dates), a cinnamon bagel and a cup of coffee. Then its off to brush my teeth and perform the ablution (wudhu). The morning prayer (fajr) at the local mosque is 20 minutes after the start of the fast. I live in North West England, so this time of the year its usually pouring down with rain and there is a slight chill in the air.

Prayers last about 10 minutes and then its back home again. I change into pyjamas again and prepare to do battle with sleep for a couple of hours before its time to get up again. Get dressed for work, brush my teeth with a miswak (the root of a mustard tree), wash my face and then hit the morning traffic to work. Fast, slow, fast, slow, fast, slow. A couple of temporary road works that have been around for a few weeks make the commute even more of a drag.

I teach for a living and my work day consists mostly of back to back classes. Lunch and break times are awkward because there are about 5000 people in my College eating and drinking. The smell of coffee is the biggest test whilst making my way to my next class. The college prayer room is a small island of calm as I go there to pray my afternoon prayer (Zohar). I enjoy teaching adults so its not a drag, but as the day goes on, I can feel myself slowing down. Batteries are running low.

The commute home is more of the same. People are in less of rush in the homebound commute, but just as angry as they are in the workbound commute. I look over to the Strawberry/Peach flavoured mints tin sitting in my ashtray. They normally get me through the commute, but not this day. Not for another 25 days.

Home. I change into my Asian clothing (loose, comfortable, and socially expected). I pray the mid-afternoon prayer (Asar) at home as I have missed the congregational prayer. I rest for half-an-hour and then its time to read the Holy Qur’an. I like to spend at least an hour each day during Ramadan reading the Qur’an. Then its time to grab whatever delicious finger food my wife has fried up to take to the mosque.

The breaking of the fast, or iftar, is a communal thing for men. We share the snacks and the dates around. This year we have a few refugees that have made their way to our town. My brothers and I are anxious to make sure that they are getting something to eat, so we encourage them to join us at the mosque. My nephew finally arrives with the pink milk (semi-skimmed milk mixed with a traditional rose cordial). Everyone wants a cup or two of that. I say the prayer for opening the fast aloud after checking my phone to indicate that the fast has opened and reach for a nice, fat, juicy Palestinian medjoul (usually Sofra or Yaffa brand). Everyone else seems to be diving in for the fried stuff. I sneak one of those in too. No pink milk for me, water is my go to drink for the opening of the fast. Before we know it, my youngest brother is doing the call to prayer (Adhan) for the sunset prayer (Maghrib). Everyone starts to rush down to wash their hands, rinse their mouths and to line up for the prayer. I spend a couple of minutes cleaning up the waste before I run down to join them.

The prayer isn’t long. Ten minutes later, we’re all heading back home to eat with our families. There is usually a plate of fruit waiting that gets my immediate attention. Our stomachs fill up way too quickly, even as our eyes continue to linger on the different items of food that still cover the food mat (dastarkhwan). This is tempered with guilty thoughts about the Palestinians in Gaza that are dying of starvation. Ramadan isn’t just about fasting. Its about social conciousness and sympathy with those that don’t have a choice in going hungry. Its about increasing ones empathy for their fellow humans, developing the qulities of selflessness, generosity and reflection. Generally, Muslims increase in the giving of charitable donations in this month. These donations allow for the redistribution of wealth and tackling the disparities of the North/South divide in the world. The purpose of going hungry and giving donations is to develop a sense of consientiousness that will enable us to continue experiencing that sense of responsibility and to develop good practices to build on throughout the year. If only this money was getting the much needed aid to the Palestinians.

After iftar, we have about half an hour to relax. I finally get my hands on a hot cup of coffee. Then its time to go to the toilet and do fresh wudhu. Isha, the night prayer, is upon us and with it the Taraweeh prayer, a marathon prayer session that takes place every night of Ramadan. The objective is to complete the 30 sections of the Holy Qur’an in prayer before the end of the lunar month. The prayer is broken in to 20 parts, with a short break after every two parts. The older worshippers look with annoyance at the crackling of plastic bottles as teenagers dramatically drink water and lay about the floor as if they are running an actual marathon. Later, the younger worshippers are looking in annoyance at the older one’s who refuse to open the windows despite the smell and heat of a hundred men packed into the small mosque.

The prayer takes about an hour and a half. When its over, we head back home. There is a bit of time for a bottle of water and then time to brush teeth, change into pyjamas and head to bed. Sehri time is only 5 and half hours away. Thank you God Almighty for giving us a safe, warm bed, with no fear of bombs dropping on us. Thank you for the knowledge that food is only a few steps away. Please have mercy for those who lack those basic needs. Please let their oppression end and get them the food and safety that the rest of us are taking for granted. Ameen.