‘For me, Ramadan is a time to slow down and reconnect with my own humanity’

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar.. It is a spiritually significant month in the religion of Islam not only because of the fasting aspect of it but it is also the month during which the Angel Gabriel brought the first bit of revelation of the Qur’an from God to the Prophet Muhammed over 1,400 years ago.

Ramadan typically lasts for 29 or 30 days during which time Muslims will fast from dawn until sunset (basically the daylight hours), abstaining from consuming any food or drink and even marital relations. Only adults and those considered mature enough are expected to fast. Children don’t have to fast. Other exemptions can include those who are ill or have other long term health problems or pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ramadan is a spiritually significant month in the Islamic Calendar. In this regard for many Muslims Ramadan is a time for self-reflection, self-development and strengthening of one’s connection with God through increasing one’s God consciousness.

This is in part done by more prayer, studying of the Qur’an and doing more good deeds in general. Doing good can include being socially more proactive and benefitting those around you and society in general. It could also include feeding of the poor and needy, giving in charity, donating your time. It can even be changing yourself for the better.

Often people focus on the physical aspects of the fast, of which there are numerous physiological benefits, in terms of deprivation of food and water. But fasting is a holistic experience which brings both physical and spiritual benefits.

During Ramadan you’re not just fasting with your stomach but also with your senses, so you take extra care about what you look at, listen to and speak. In Islamic theology how we use these senses is considered to have a direct impact on our hearts and spiritual selves.

In short, you spend the month shedding yourself of bad habits you may have picked up throughout the year and developing yourself into a much better person by the end of Ramadan. Another way you could look at it is that you are in essence doing a soft reboot of yourself and coming out with a better ‘you’ at the end of it, a ‘version 2.0’ if you will.

Fasting also helps to develop a very deep sense of empathy towards the poor and needy. After a long day of fasting, I can assure you that the water you drink takes on a whole other level of appreciation.

Rizwan Ahmed is part of Bristol Muslim Cultural Society. Photo: Bristol24/7

At the risk of sounding like Nigella Lawson during one her cooking programmes, at the time of breaking your fast and drinking water you feel every trickle of water as it hits your lips and then journeys down your throat quenching your thirst.

That feeling of the first sip of water after fasting is something you look forward to every day during Ramadan. Water is the source of life for a reason and those first few gulps of water start to reenergise your body in the same way rain brings the desert back to life.

And this is where that empathy towards the poor and needy is developed. As someone living in a first world country, I know during the day that at some point I will get to have some water to drink when I break my fast. But there are sadly those around the world who are perpetually fasting because of poverty.

There is also a strong social and community aspect to Ramadan. During Ramadan at the time of breaking the fast the Muslim community here in the UK and around the world will be abuzz with activity with people preparing meals and eagerly waiting for the sound of the call to prayer for the sunset prayer indicating it is now time to break the fast and pray.

Most British Muslims will break the fast at home or with families or invite friends and relatives to break the fast with them. Others will go to their local Mosque to break the fast there with others from the community. Just like Mosques overseas they also becoming a hive of activity at sunset.

Worshippers will bring food to the Mosque to share with others or some will donate food for those in the Mosque to break their fast. But just as in Muslim countries the worshippers will sit there patiently, in eager anticipation of the call to prayer indicating it is time to break the fast.

Of course, during the pandemic this dynamic has changed. During Ramadan 2020, because of restrictions, you couldn’t invite friends and family around to break the fast with you or break it with others in the Mosque. There were no Taraweeh prayers held either. This had a big impact on the social and community side of Ramadan.

The pandemic drastically changed Ramadan in 2020. Photo: Ellie Pipe

To compensate some made the best of technology by breaking the fast with others over video calls. Some Mosques had a lone Imam in the Mosque conducting Taraweeh prayers by themselves for others to listen to at home over streaming platforms like Facebook or YouTube.

But of course, in both cases it just wasn’t the same rich social and bonding experience as doing them in person. This year as things ease in terms of Covid-19 restrictions being lifted a smaller aspect of the social side will return and be very welcome.

Eventually of course all things come to an end. As weird as it may sound as Ramadan approaches its end and as much as you look forward to going back to a normal routine you also don’t want Ramadan to end. Once you are in full fasting or Ramadan mode and benefitting from the positive changes in you as a person plus the increased spirituality you almost don’t want Ramadan to come to a close.

It’s akin to seeing an old friend after a long time who always brings out the best in you, catching up and bonding with them again and then feeling sad at having to say goodbye to them knowing you won’t see them again for a year.

But in the sad departure of Ramadan there is also then the good news of celebrating the end of Ramadan with the festival of Eid al Fitr. Eid being a time of celebration with family and friends, lots of nice food of course but still not forgetting and carrying forward the lessons we have learnt from Ramadan.

Ordinarily, a Grand Iftar takes place on St Mark’s Road. Photo: Bristol24/7

Finally, as to what Ramadan means for me it is a time to reflect. Also, to remember those less fortunate. A time to remember my social responsibility to those not only less well off in society but those unable to help themselves. To try to better the lives of others if only in a small way. To try to make our city a better place to live in. Again, if only in small way.

Even if I can only make a micro change and we all collectively make micro changes eventually they add up to macro changes that makes things better for everyone. As I like to remind myself and sometimes volunteers, I work with – it’s not the size of the steps we take that matters but that we are taking the right steps together in the right direction.

In short, in an age where we are distracted by the digital world and don’t often have time to think about ourselves let alone others, Ramadan for me is a time to slow down and also reconnect with my own humanity.

Rizwan Ahmed is a part of Bristol Muslim Cultural Society.

Main photo: Bristol24/7

Read more: ‘What I think as a British Muslim’