What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims. It brings a complete change to their daily routine, which includes fasting in daylight hours.
“Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and during this month, Muslims believe the Muslim holy book, the Koran, was revealed,” says Dr Ali Selim, spokesman for the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh.
“Allah, or God – both names are okay with us – has made fasting in the month of Ramadan an incumbent duty on every Muslim,” says Dr Selim. There are exemptions from fasting for pregnant and nursing mothers and those who are unwell.
Some 44,000 Irish citizens are Muslim, according to CSO figures. Ramadan is the holiest month in their faith.
“Muslims refrain from all food and drinks from dawn until sunset, which means they take two meals a day – one is after sunset and the other is before dawn. It’s a change to our eating and to our sleeping as well, because we have to wake up before dawn to prepare and eat food and this takes from our sleeping time.”
When is Ramadan?
Ramadan began on March 11th and runs until April 9th. Gathering together with family and friends every evening for iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset to break their fast, makes it a sociable time. It’s also a time for giving.
“We have to pay charity to the poor during the month,” says Dr Selim. “The whole experience of hunger and thirst that we go through is meant to create and maintain a more charitable character. You have an experience of what the poor feel. You should be in a better position to understand how they are suffering.”
How can I show support during Ramadan?
If you are not Muslim, you can still show support for Muslim friends and colleagues by being mindful when arranging working lunches or meet-ups over food.
“We definitely understand that it’s only Muslims that are fasting and others are not, but this shows a gesture of respect,” says Dr Selim.
Muslims break their fast at about 6.20pm in the evening. You can support a Muslim colleague by facilitating them to head home a bit earlier, avoiding rush-hour traffic, so that they can break fast with family.
“It’s just like the Christmas dinner you have: it’s a family business. It’s not just eating – it’s preparing the food together, sitting around the table and eating together.”
Is it okay to ask questions about it?
Fasting during daylight hours for a whole month sounds hard. It’s no wonder people have lots of questions about it – and it’s okay to be curious.
“When people ask questions, we find it’s a good opportunity to talk about our religion. We like that, because for Muslims, we take our religion very seriously,” says Dr Selim.
Can I invite a Muslim friend for iftar?
Yes, you can certainly invite a Muslim friend around for iftar.
“If they invite us, we will go,” says Dr Selim.
“We break our fast by eating a couple of dates and some milk. Then we do a short prayer and after that, we eat our meal – meat, vegetables and rice followed by dessert, so it’s a really big meal,” says Dr Selim.
If your workplace has many Muslim colleagues, you could organise a public iftar.
“All of the company could have iftar together, Muslims and non-Muslims. That might be good,” says Dr Selim.
Is there a special greeting I can use during Ramadan?
Just like you might wish a Christian “Happy Christmas”, Muslims have a greeting during Ramadan.
“When Ramadan starts, we usually say ‘Ramadan Mubarak’, says Dr Selim. It means, ‘blessed Ramadan’.”