Ramadan

Alright so the first thing to bear in mind is that this is not a faithfully informing report on what Islam or Ramadan is. Quite simply it is what I have come to understand so far and have come to experience about both. If there's something here you don't like or think is inaccurate, don't be offended (it's not my intention in any moment), it's just how it has come through to me. Want to add, correct, suggest, critique, hate-mail me? I'd love to get it all (just send it as a message and not as a comment).


     So when I got to Turkey my friends reminded me that the month of Ramadan was coming up and therefor some of them would fast for that entire month. Now I don't know about you reader (depends which reader you are I guess) but to me Ramadan always sounded like that exotic thing Muslims do every year and that excuses them from joining in on pic-nics and hikes. Of course after a good deal of traveling and 5 months living in a 96% Muslim country (Kosovo) I had become slightly more informed than that. And now I was in an officially Muslim place where everyone (not really everyone, specially not in the touristy Sultanahmet area of Istanbul where I was living, but a good deal of the Muslim population) was going to observe it and what it demanded and what it encouraged.

     In an attempt to better understand Muslim culture, Islam and what it really feels like being a Muslim during this month I decided also to fast for the whole 30 days. Of which I kinda cheated because I'm not a Muslim and therefore did not follow absolutely everything demanded or suggested by Islam of course (I mean if I'm not a Muslim it won't be the same). But I tried my best to the delight of my Muslim friends and the frustration of those non-Muslims around me.

So a little background info is due:

     If you like you can go ahead and google Ramadan, Ramadhan or Ramazan and get the wiki explanation but I'm trying not to read it so I give a full, personal and unmarred-by-correctness opinion. So yeah, googleing it might be useful.

     Ramadan is the month in the Islamic calendar in which Mohammed [(Peace be upon him) I won't repeat it every time but you can if you want] received the revelations of God also known as the Quran. So it says:

     The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran; a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you; and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful.

Quran 2:185

     So fasting this month means that if you take those words to heart or in many cases if you are simply born into a Muslim tradition, you abstain from eating, having sex or drinking anything at all while the sun is up. That means about 16 hours of no food, no sex and no liquids whatsoever. In addition Islam does not condone drinking (although it says nothing specific of smoking) even though many Muslims do drink. During Ramadan many that otherwise do, refrain from drinking alcohol or smoking (mostly the no smoking only lasts until the end f the day). All of this is done not only to burn your sins away as the name implies but also to remind you of those who have nothing and should be shown compassion. That's why during the month of Ramadan, Muslims should give more money to those in need (Zakat), curse less, do good deeds, pray and recite the Quran more (the Quran should be recited completely by the end of the 30 days).

     To me the spiritual part (sins, prayer and recitation) has no effect but the idea of making yourself feel physically what people who do not have food or drink available to them is a remarkably selfless and noble thing that really pushes you to compassion towards those in need as well as strengthening the bond of brotherhood between human beings. It is something I would recommend anyone doing as it also teaches you how we take so many things for granted.

     In a sense this type of abstention is something I have practiced towards money during my travels without cash, plan or readily available food, but this is more organized and widely supported.

     Anyway, you wake up and go by your day normally, of course trying not to look at people eating and not pushing yourself too hard because your body is weaker. There are 5 daily prayers which you should attend either at the mosque or at home and so the day goes by until it's around 8:30 PM and with the call to prayer from the nearest mosque, Muslims are allowed to break the fast (Iftar). It takes place at home, on the floor in the mosque, in restaurants, in parks or anywhere you can (although it should be in the company of family or friends).
     In Turkey it is broken with dates or olives and water, followed by a light soup a main course and quite often a dessert and black tea. This of course is how it is served in restaurants (and encourages over-eating). In some homes it is served much lighter, sometimes having no meat or the main course being quite light. As I've been told Mohammed simply broke his fast with 3 dates and water, prayed the sunset prayer and only then ate a proper meal (but try having 3 dates and then stop and concentrate on doing anything else, it's really tough). So if you can do it like Mohammed, that's more points for you, but it's ok if you don't. The main idea is simply that you don't eat as much as you would during the last 16 hours in 1, that kinda defies the point of fasting.

     Today Iftar has become more a time of being with your family and sharing with each other as well as cooking for one another. I wasn't able to do this but it was still possible to sit in the company of good friends and break the fast together.

     From that point on Muslims pray as much as they can/want before going to sleep again or just stying up until it's time to have Suhur around 4:00 AM, the last meal you'll have until the next Sunset.

Note that I say "around 4:00 AM" because they change everyday according to the astronomical position of the earth in relation to the sun and not the handles on the clock.

     On a more personal account, Ramadan was pretty tough but I fasted for nearly all of the 30 days. I was sick for 2 of them (I don't think related to not eating though) and broke the fast. I guess it might be easier to do it when you get to that point of the first day when you just can't stand the hunger, thirst, dehydration and headaches that feel exactly like being on a hangover, if you are Muslim because you don't need to feel stupid when you ask yourself why your putting yourself through it.

     Although after that first day the headaches cease and your body gets used to the rhythm of eating less at fewer times of the day. Working at the hostel and making breakfast in the morning was a bit tough to endure though, specially not being able to lick your fingers when you got jam on them. But on I went fasting and also occasionally going to the mosque, washing up and praying in congregation as well as by myself (I had to get the full experience).

     Ramadan 2012 started on the 20th of July and the last day of fasting was the 20th of August, which was followed by three days of celebration, visiting elders and eating sweets (Bayram). And after all of it I feel quite good, clean, haven't had a drop of alcohol since July and I think I might even have gained 1.5 Kg, as is the result for many who overdue their Iftars a bit. Also going through with it made me a lot more curious and understanding of Islam and Muslims as well as gaining me a lot of points with Muslims who, knowing that I fasted, opened up more easily to me.

     There's so much more I've learned and that I'd like to say, but right now I'm close to Bursa at my friends' place (Daniel, Priscila and Oliver) where I came from Istanbul and in a few hours I should wake up and start hitch-hiking down to Pamukkale, Hierapolis and the ruins of Aphrodisias. It will be about 435 Km and I now have a fellow bearded hippie camping no-cash no-planes couch-surfing buddy from Italy which I'll be hitching part of the way with. I hope to have internet access soon and post some of those adventures here. See you all soon!