As East Lancashire’s Muslim community observes Ramadhan, ANNA MANSELL spoke to a mum combining the challenges of day-to-day life with those of fasting for the religious celebration.

FOR Aisha Hussain, life is busy enough at the best of times; combining a career in law with being a wife and mum of four.

But for 30 days each year, as Ramadhan is marked, everyday challenges become enhanced as she balances the religious principles of contemplation and being more civil with the natural challenges of maintaining normal service while not eating or drinking for up to 19 hours at a time.

With Ramadhan — a period of prayer, fasting, charity and self-accountability — falling in the height of summer, the difficulties of fasting from dawn to dusk are harder with daylight hours lasting from around 2.30am until 9.30pm.

It’s been about 20 years since such a long fasting day — compared to the relative ease of winter fasts which can be as short as 5.30am to 4pm.

“This year saw the children break up for the summer holidays and Ramadhan start on the same day,” Aisha said.

“My children aren't babies, in that you always need to be there for them, but balancing work and home is difficult at this time.

“Whereas normally you wind down after work, now it's all geared to opening the fast. The night is all about preparing for the next fast and you are in a constant cycle.”

After work, having last eaten before sunrise, Aisha, 38 and a consultant solicitor at AMT Lawyers, Blackburn, comes home to prepare the evening meal —known as iftaar — while her children are at the mosque.

“It has to be something extra special with the family having been fasting, and you tend to prepare the meal with some extra effort,” she said.

“On a normal day, after mosque it would be time for homework for the children but now it's prayer time, meditation or reflection and then for the hour before we open the fast at around 9.20pm you put the final touches to the food.”

Pastries are prepared in advance — when they can be tasted — and frozen, with families often gathering to share the work and the treats.

With Islamic nasheeds — similar to psalms or hymns — playing in the background, the TV stays off to keep family members focused for a final 10 minutes of deep prayer.

“We believe those last moments are very precious as God is listening. If you have been a good person, and you're waiting for a call to prayer to indicate the fast has opened, then you have to control everyone as they go for the food.”

Aisha’s youngest children, aged seven and nine, are exempt from the fast until they reach puberty, but many try practise fasts for shorter periods of time. And they get the benefit of eating regular meals as well as joining to open the fast. Also exempt from fasting are pregnant women, although Aisha chose to observe the tradition after taking advice from her doctor.

After breaking the fast, often by eating dates, the men of the house return to the mosque for further prayers.

“I tend to stay at home for prayer. With children at home it's not so practical to go to the mosque. And I would rather slob on the sofa after the big meal, especially as we are back up at 2am to prepare, and as it's midnight by the time final prayers are over.

“A lot of people don't sleep those couple of hours, as everything good you do during this month is paid back seven or 12 fold in rewards so people want all the time possible to do extra.

“Everyone is in a different state of mind; naturally trying to be more civil, shouting less and being the epitome of how you should be all the time.”

After a further meal, known as suhoor, at around 2.30am, the family goes to bed until it’s time for work: “At the weekend, we’ll sleep in until about 9am or 10am to get a more normal night's sleep, which you do look forward to.

“But Monday to Friday, I'm up for work and I am a bit slow when fasting but life goes on; I still have to go to court or meet clients. You might be able to leave early but in the actual job there's not much you can change to make up for the fast — all you are not doing is eating.

“For the first couple of days, the broken sleep was a bit of a problem — we were zombies at work.

“About two thirds of staff at the practice are Muslim, so I can share the experience and people do understand.”

 

Mariyah Mahmud, a pupil at Pleckgate High School, Blackburn, shared her Ramadhan 2012 experience

  • As school came to a close, Ramadhan began. The holy month is a time when Muslims do not eat nor drink from dawn to dusk in order to empathise with those who go days with minimal food.
  • I had expected fasting to be very difficult this time due to the long hours. However, my first week went pretty well as I tried to keep myself occupied.
  • Ramadhan is a time when Muslims pray more frequently due to its spiritual nature. I have used the occasion to worship since I would not normally get as much time with other responsibilities like school.
  • Iftaar is the time at which we break our fasts and most mothers I know make a lot of food — most of which goes straight into the bin. This is not only a waste of food but it also defeats the purpose of fasting.
  • On the other hand, Iftaar gives families an excuse to meet up and eat together, making it a good time to socialise.
  • Ramadhan is the most important time of the year for Muslims and, despite it being difficult at times, the achievement one feels on completing 30 fasts is immense.
  • The month allows us to reflect on our lives and we realise how grateful we should be for the blessings we have received.