1st week of Ramadan

Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and prayer in the Islamic faith. Every year Muslims across the world engage in a dry fast and also proceed to do good works and charity. Read for yourself. Since I was a teenager I would hear people speaking about Ramadan and understood only that it was a month of fasting. In my mind it seemed to be a month of not eating a single thing and doing nothing wrong, not even killing an irritating fly. I also came to learn about lent which is a 40 day fast, in some Christian denominations, or  giving up of certain luxuries. This period runs from Ash Wednesday till the eve of Easter. Read for yourself. Still even knowing all of this I had never engaged in any of these fasting periods in my life. I am a Christian and from time to time I do fast but had never prepared myself nor have I made an attempt to fast for longer than a week.

At the beginning of the year I made a decision to engage in Ramadan. I prepared my mind by telling it that this year is the year in which I do it and no matter what I will do it. I told the people close to me that yes I am doing Ramadan this year. I gathered information about it the calendar, the times and the protocol. Since I am not a Muslim I will fast and pray in the way that I know.

The first seven days.

I will be honest the first day of Ramadan was quite unbearable. I would look at the time and had the urge to rush it forward so that I could break the fast and eat something before my stomach’s grumble blows the building. While running a few errands, I walked past many fast food restaurants that all had promotions on their lunch time specials. I met an acquaintance who politely invited me for a chat and some coffee.  It seemed like torture in an open chamber where the captured can roam as he wills but not permitted to eat as he wanted to. As the day progressed I would pray that I should not be tempted to eat the next little piece of bread that came to sight. On the other hand I realised that during the time of fast my mind was already tuned into not-eating and hence it had enough capacity to focus on the daily tasks at hand. I became more productive as the week went by and put more ideas into action than I did in the last month. My acceptance towards people became better and I found it easier to converse with people.

The first seven days of Ramadan were possible not only due to my mind being in a good place and the spirit of God spurring me onward and forward but also due to the support of those close to me and those who accepted that I am fasting. Point of clarity: many people believed (and some still do) that I am a Muslim or am converting to the Islamic faith. Well... I am not. However I am fasting and praying to God who is in heaven. Then the question begs why you are fasting in the month of the Muslims and to Allah. The simple response: I believe there is only one God, though there are many religions, and this time of fast is my journey in the path of spiritual enlightenment and getting closer to Him. I digress. The next 3 weeks will be challenging and also filled with many temptations. I am optimistic that at the end of Ramadan all will be well, Inshallah as the Muslims would say meaning as God wills it.