The Blessing is in the Struggle (From Times Series)

Ramadan - The holy month for Muslims

1:23am Tuesday 17th August 2010

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By Mohamed-Zain Dada »

Its a few days into the month of Ramadan and for Muslims this is the month of patience, self preservation and soul cleansing. The general assumption is that ‘fasting’ is abstaining from food or drink from before dusk to sunset but it includes a host of other things too. In fact the famous theologian Imam Al-Ghazali said: ‘The real fasting is not the fasting of the tongue and the stomach, but the fasting of the heart.’

Fasting in London does throw up its challenges though. For example going to work having not eaten since 2:45 am can be difficult if another colleague catches the breath coming out your lungs. As you know, if you don’t eat or drink for a while, your breath becomes dry which consequently means you’d need chewing gum. But of course in Ramadan you’re fasting so this becomes difficult. In an effort to protect your colleagues (or hurt them if you don’t like them) most Muslims will sort of cover their mouths when they speak (or breathe on their colleagues if you don’t like them.)

Personally, I have to face another problem each day. As I wake to eat before the early Morning Prayer at approximately 2:45 I struggle with something. It’s not the waking up that’s difficult per se (although I have walked into doors at that time) its something else.

Let me explain: my cousin runs a radio station specifically for Ramadan and it is aired in Milton Keynes, it’s called Ramadan Fm. My family regularly listen online to the early morning show which my cousin hosts. But every morning, in some sort hope for recognition I call in and sing. Yes, you heard that right, I sing. I cannot comprehend what drives me to call in every morning and sing renditions of backstreet boys but I do it. It could be because my mind is still dreaming and I feel I can embarrass myself on air akin to some sort of ‘Inception’ based ideology. Or that I use my below par singing as some sort of morning rehabilitation schedule to aid the fasting process. Either way, every morning I sing on a radio station in Milton Keynes in between bites of porridge and I do it during Ramadan only. To hear me sing, type: www.ramadanfm.com and click listen live at approximately 2:55 am.

In Ramadan, Muslims are generally expected to attend the night prayers too at your local mosque. After breaking your fast at around 8:30 and freshening up to make yourself smell and look good we head to Palmers Green Mosque. The prayers usually start at 10pm and end by midnight. Unfortunately the feeling of inner peace and utter solitude can be disturbed by the odd belch (which indicates to me what they ate when they broke their fast.)

There you have it, a quick breakdown of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims as well as the struggles that go with it. But the blessing is in the struggle!