What Ramadan Means To Us

With Ramadan approaching, we wanted to share a brief overview to help raise awareness and understanding.

Ramadan is considered the holiest month for Muslims. It commemorates the revelation of the Qur’an (Islam’s holy book) and is observed as a time of spiritual reflection, self-discipline, and personal growth. Many Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food and drink. However, Ramadan is about much more than fasting, it is a month focused on:

·      Self-discipline and mindfulness

·      Patience and emotional control

·      Charity and generosity

·      Reflection and strengthening character

What does a “normal” Ramadan day look like? 🌅Early morning (before sunrise)

·      Muslims wake up very early for a pre-dawn meal called Suhoor

·      Followed by Fajr prayer (pre-dawn / morning prayer)

🕘 Daytime

·      Work and daily life continue as normal, just without any kind of food and water

·      People may conserve energy and take things a little slower where possible

·      Followed by Zuhur prayer (Mid-day prayer)

·      Another prayer called Asar is also performed (Mid-afternoon prayer) 🌇 Sunset

·      The fast is broken at sunset with Iftar (breaking the fast meal)

·      This is usually the “main meal” of the day after the pre-dawn meal 🍕🍔🥗🍝

·      Followed by Maghrib prayer (Sunset prayer) 🌙 Late evening

·      Isha prayer (Night prayer)

·      Muslims also attend Taraweeh, a special congregational prayer held at night during Ramadan. (This is one reason Ramadan evenings can run quite late!)

😴 Sleep

·      Sleep is often split into chunks (because the day starts early and ends late).

So, if someone seems slightly more tired than usual… they probably are.

How to acknowledge Ramadan

Simple gestures are warmly welcomed, such as:

·      “Ramadan Mubarak” (Blessed Ramadan)

·      “Ramadan Kareem” (Generous Ramadan)

And what happens at the end? E I D! 🎉