I learned about Purpose of Fasting Ramadan while I was growing up in Yemen, where all families urge their children to fast. At my home, my parents offered me the choice to stop eating and drinking at seven. We had to get up at 6 a.m. to eat a meal called “suhoor.” This is an Arabic term that implies the meal is served at dawn. We will have a dinner with a lot of protein since we are about to start an epic voyage of self-control in which we won’t eat or drink anything. We commonly eat rice with fish, chicken, or lamb for meat. Then, about 8 p.m., we break our fast with a meal called “futoor,” which is an Arabic term that means “breaking the fast.”
On my first day of fasting, I stayed up all night, which is a customary thing for Arab and Muslim people to do during Ramadan, so I could sleep all day. The idea worked until I woke up in the afternoon. I lived in the south of Yemen, where it gets hot in the afternoons. I didn’t go outdoors since it makes me thirsty, but I had to go out to meet pals. Being in the heat made me quite thirsty, so I had to break my fast. My initial effort to fast didn’t go as planned. At least, I thought, I received half a grade.
The final 10 days of March 2023 will be the first 10 days of Ramadan, a period when Muslims dedicate their time, attention, and energy to worshiping God. There are three parts to Ramadan: the personal, the societal, and the spiritual.
Muslims want to be different after Ramadan. Observant Muslims can’t eat, drink, or have sex from dawn to sunset, so they have to think about themselves and be observant in their everyday lives. Each year, the abstinence is done at the will of and as a service to God for a whole calendar month.
Even while Ramadan is a time for people to think on themselves, it is also a time to remind Muslims of those who live in constant poverty. During Ramadan, all practicing Muslims share a common experience as they make big changes to their everyday lives. Ramadan is a spiritual month when Muslims get back in touch with God and rest their souls. Reading the Quran, which is the sacred book of Islam, is the most important thing to do throughout Ramadan. Muslims believe that fasting helps you to be more compassionate and self-disciplined. It also makes you feel sorry for the poor, who often go hungry.
In Yemen, where I grew up, the way people feel changes a lot throughout Ramadan. Instead of getting together during the day, people get together at night. The mosques are filled, just how a lot of people in the United States watch the Super Bowl together. During Ramadan, those who don’t usually go to the mosque turn up. But since the COVID-19 outbreak started, the social side of Ramadan has been harmed. Since COVID-19, Muslims couldn’t worship together or hang together in groups. Ramadan is no longer a time for people to get together. But when we progressively go back to normal, it’s possible that this Ramadan may be different.
How may those who are not Muslim help Muslims during Ramadan?
Don’t just assume that your Muslim coworkers are fasting. Muslims are a varied population with a wide range of beliefs and customs, from liberal to conservative to secular. If you see a Muslim coworker eating throughout the day, don’t say anything. Fasting might be skipped for either personal or health reasons. People who are sick or traveling have good reasons to not pray.
Make sure that Muslims’ requirements are met throughout Ramadan.
Some people, like myself, may find it hard to fast since we can’t eat or drink for 12 hours straight, generally from dawn (about 6 a.m.) to sunset (6 p.m.). (around 8 p.m.). Help your Muslim coworkers by letting them work from home or giving them time off so they may take part in the religious rituals of Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak is a good thing to say to your Muslim pals.
Muslims say “Ramadan Mubarak” to each other when they meet. This means “I hope you have a blessed month of Ramadan.” It’s like “Merry Christmas,” which means “I hope you have a happy Christmas.” You don’t have to be Christian to say “Merry Christmas,” and you don’t have to be Muslim to say “Happy Ramadan” to someone who is.
