Ramadan Kareem

Here's a picture of the sun setting, as we're going to the family house for iftar [if-tar] {see wgaw archive: IFTAR}.  Iftar is the meal which is eaten to break the day-long fast during Ramadan {see wgaw archives: RAMADAN}.

Legimart

I first had legimart [legg-ee-maart] several years ago whilst driving through a village, two weeks before RAMADAN [ram-a-dan]. 

It was Nasfat Shaaban [nass-fat sha'AH baan] (direct translation: middle of month eight) and villagers lined the middle of the road, all holding the most enormous oblong plates covered with what looked like doughnut holes. All drivers were being stopped and asked to wind down their windows so the occupants could be given one of these little round balls,

I put one in my mouth and was blown away by the taste. It was the first time I'd ever had date syrup and here it was hot, covering deep-fried, doughy bits. Divine.  We drove along slowly through the village and by the time we'd gotten to the end of the village I was asking my husband to return to the village for more.   

I've been buying date syrup ever since and now use it with all sorts of food: salad dressings, ice cream toppings, in cakes instead of black treacle, on pancakes, etc. etc.

Kamaradeen & Apricots

Apricots [mish-mish] are a classic Middle Eastern taste and packets of dried apricots are sold like this,





Kamaradine [cam-a-rra-deen]
Another way of eating apricots is is an apricot juice drunk in Ramadan. Around Ramadan time you’ll see bright orange flat packets with pictures of apricots on the front in supermarkets. This is how you buy kamaradine. Once you get the paste home you break of a piece and put it in hot water so it dilutes with the water. Once it has collapsed it is mixed with your hands until the liquid is smooth. Kamaradine is only drunk in Ramadan, although you can buy the pulp in supermarkets throughout the year and is delicious eaten raw, as a sweet.

I make this recipe with apricots and then add it to plain yogurt or breakfast cereal:

250g dried apricots
2 cups peach juice, or cocktail juice
6 cardamoms
4 pieces of cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
6-8 cloves
4 stamens of saffron


All items are put into a saucepan and cooked on a very low heat for one or two hours, or until the dried apricots are softened. Remove from the heat, put in a container and add to dishes as you wish.

Eid al Fitr & Eid Mubrak

Eid al Fitr [‘eed ul fit-terr] is the name of the holiday which follows the month of fasting during Ramadan; the first day for a month where you can eat and drink during daylight hours. It's also the first day of the 10th lunar month of the Arabic calendar.

The word 'Eid' means happiness/ festivity whilst F’tr means 'to break'. For me Eid at F’tr is unique among festivals world wide, I can't think of another one which appears to be purely about personal achievement. It's also a time to be with the family.

Arabs will greet each other with the words Eid Mubarak [‘eed moo-ba-rrak] or, 'holiday congratulations'.

In Saudi Arabia a nine day national holiday always occurs at Eid al f’tr, which translates into two weeks off work.  In the rest of the Gulf, three days is the norm.

Ramadan day 29 - Laylat Jaiza

Laylat Jizra/ Lailatul Jaiza [lay-lat jiz-rra] or the 'Night before Eid' is known in English as the 'Night of Reward'. 

The following example of writing, which explains the meaning of this particular night, has been endlessly copied throughout the blogging world and the websphere.  I'm doing the same for this particular post; copy and paste but have removed some parts with the aim of making it easier to understand for non-Muslims:


“It had been the practice of the Prophet that he would not sleep in the night preceding the day of Eid-ul-fitr. This night has been named as the Night of Reward. Almighty bestows his rewards on those who have spent the month of Ramadan abiding by the dictates of Shari'ah, and all their prayers in this night are accepted.

The Prophet is reported to have said:
Whoever stands up (in worship) in the nights preceding the two Eids expecting rewards from his Lord, his heart will not die when the other hearts will die. (Ibn Majah)


To benefit from this opportunity one should perform as much worship in this night as he can, and should pray for all his needs and desires."

Ramadan day 27 - Laylat al Qadr

Laylat al Qadr [lay-lat al kaa-der] or, the 'Night of Power', 'Night of Decree' or 'Night of Measures' is the night on which the Koran or Qur'an is said to have first been revealed to the Prophet Mohammed, in a cave near Mecca and where the Qur'an describes itself as,  "better than a thousand months."

Image taken from:  www.muftisays.com


It is thought the night occured on the 27th night of the month of Ramadan, but no one is quite sure and in general it's thought it fell during the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan. 

Religious ceremonies will take place at Mosques (for Sunnis) and Matams (for shias).

Ramadan Driving

The trauma of driving on the roads in Ramadan has to be experienced to be believed.

The Middle East already has one of the highest death rates in the world for driving {see wgaw: CAR ACCIDENTS}  but during Ramadan, at the hour before breaking fast, the traffic goes wild. I used to think it was me being paranoid but newspaper articles started to appear about it during 2004 and Arab friends who live in Kuwait now refuse to drive in the half hour before sunset.




Taken from YouTube, music by Amr Diab




Examples 
Here's an article from a local UAE newspaper ARAB NEWS which attempts to explain Ramadan driving:

“People behave like animals. There is nothing that we can do to control traffic before iftar,” said a local police officer in despair. Shaking his head, he summed up the driving in the half hour before iftar.

“In the whole year I have not had a single accident. In Ramadan and particularly before iftar, I had seven accidents in one month last year alone, and one accident so far this Ramadan,” said Rami Abdulaziz, a Lebanese resident. He believed that more were coming. Two days ago, Rami Abdulaziz, a Lebanese resident, saw an old man hit by a speeding car because the driver was in a hurry to get home. The driver, instead of slowing down, accelerated and sounded his horn to clear the way.
“The man saw him too late and there was an accident. It is ridiculous that a man is killed just so the driver can reach the dinner table on time.”

Ramadan Tents - Gabgah

Image Taken from: Ghabga press-release

Years ago a group of friends, say 20 or so people, were likely to arrange to eat together for the month of Ramadan. To prevent one person taking responsiblity for all the buying, cooking and cleaning the group would spend each night in a different house.  Iftar {wgaw blog archive: iftar} would be eaten, then the prayer would be completed and then it would be time to go visiting family and friends. At the time just before sunrise, sahoor (the meal eaten before the fast re-starts), the group of friends would return to the house for

eating.

Today this doesn't happen in quite the same way, today families tend to eat together. However, the idea of eating in a group with friends started a trend; at some point during Ramadan a group of friends will meet with a group of friends in a tent [kay-mah]or go to a hotel to break fast.

  

Ramadan day 19 - Marrat Iman Ali

Marrat Iman Ali is not a night for celebration, but a night of remembrance.

It was on this night in AD 663 Imam Ali bin Abi Talib was murdered with a strike to the head by a poisonous sword in Kufa, Iraq.   He died two days later.

Imam Ali is a very important figure in the Shi’ite/ Shia religion for the following reasons:

1. he was the fourth Islamic Caliph
2. he was a son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed
3. he was the only person to have been born inside the Ka’aba in Mecca.



The Kaa'ba.  Image taken from: http://cache.virtualtourist.com/3240436-the_kaaba-Mecca.jpg




The inside of the Kaa'ba.  Image taken from:  http://z.about.com/d/atheism/1/0/M/f/KaabaInterior.jpg  


On this day Shi'ites will hold remembrance services and/or processions marking his death.

Ramadan Hours

During Ramadan life changes completely, night becomes day and day becomes night, or so it feels.  In reality many Muslims in the GCC will switch round their daily timetable and follow times similar to the ones shown below:



Ramadan Hours, an Example

03:00am

Sahour/ sahoor/ suhoor [ass-sa-hoorr] last meal before day's fast

03:30       

Pray

04:00       

Sleep

06:30 

Wake up for work

08:00 

Go to work

14:30 

Come home

15:00

Pray

15:30

Sleep

17:55       

Wake up

18:00 

Break fast – eat iftar [if-tarr] meal and pray, or pray and then break fast.  Shiites break fast 10 minutes later than Sunnis

19:00

Visit Mosque, or pray at home

20:00

Eat meal, visit friends, go shopping

24:00 - 02:00

Return home, Pray, Sleep

Prayer Times
With Muslims praying five times a day and the timings being different depending on your location in the world, many people refer to printed documents for the exact timings for prayer:  to find out the time in your location, click here

Interesting to note if you're living in Christchurch in New Zealand and Ramadan is in December (your summer), you'd be expected to fast from 02:00 - 23:00. Alternatively, if you live in the town of  Yellowknife, Canada and Ramadan falls in June, (again the height of your summer) you'd be expected to fast from 02:00 - 01:00 each day.









Working Hours
Working hour change for Ramadan to ensure no one works at the time of breaking fast.  Each company will decide upon the working hours which suit them and their business best and consequently every business is likely to have different working hours from other businessess (except in shopping centres where working hours for the year 2009 are approximately, 10:00 - 14:00 and then 19:00 - 02:00).


Here's a copy of a internal circular announcing Ramadan working hours:

"The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is expected to start the day after tomorrow.  In due course, the government announcement will confirm the date.

During Ramadan all Muslim staff will work a total of six hours per day as under:
Saturday to Wednesday 7:30 am to 13:30pm
Thursday 7:30am to 12:30 pm

Non-Muslim staff working hours during Ramadan will be:
Saturday to Wednesday 7:30 – 14:30pm
Thursday 7:30 – 13:00pm

The above working hours will not apply to those departments/staff who are under shift or special working hours. Those staff will be informed about their working hours directly by their respective managers. All non-Muslim staff should avoid taking refreshments/smoking in public, or at work premises.

The management takes the opportunity to extend their greeting to all the staff and their families on the occasion of Ramadan."

Ramadan Day 14 - Gargoan

Gargoan also spelt Gaagowan/ Gagowaan/ Garrgawan/ Gagoon/ Garrgowaan/ Qarqowan/ Qarkaan, etc., but all said in the same manner [garr-gaow-wann] occurs half way through the month of Ramadan, on the 14th night when the moon is full.

It's a tradition very similar to the Halloween 'Trick or Treat' and pre-pubescent children dress up in traditional Arabic costumes and go from door to door asking for sweets and nuts from their neighbours. Sometimes they will be given money, but usually they will return home with a mixture of wrapped sweets, dried figs and peanuts.



Image taken from: www.mepeace.org


Supermarkets sell mixed bags in their fruit and veg section for adults to decant into smaller bags for the young visitors. All children taking part in gargaon will carry a bag in which to put the treats they will be given. It is very similar system to Halloween.

One tradition that the children carry out is that they sing the following song at each door:

Arabic
Gar-go-an Gar-go-an
Aa’raa-dat ar-lee-kom ya al sigh-yim
Sa-laam wa el-de-hom yah-allah
Wa-khl-la lan-ma ya-allah
Ay-yet al maa-kee-dah ya-allah 
Ya sh-fee-agh aa-lee-ma

English
Gargoan, Gargoan
Give us what God gave you,
God bless you,
to God’s house may you go,
and may poverty never know its way to your door




Image taken from: Loredana Mantello


Here's what one of the Saudi Newspapers Wrote about Qarkaan
“During the afternoon hours children go out with their bag, skipping from house to house, through the alleys and neighborhoods collecting all sorts of treats like money, sweets and nuts as they sing traditional songs. Families prepare their streets for the festive occasion with decorations and by hanging lights on their houses.  Streets, patios and neighborhood squares fill with people.

In Qatif young men hang palm tree leaves and bows of colored lights and other decorations over the street furniture. They stop passing cars to sprinkle their drivers and passengers with rose water, wafting them with incense and offering them sweets and cold drinks. Car drivers find themselves delayed by barriers of festive crowds and barrages of loudspeakers calling to the merrymakers and welcoming them.”

Taken from: arabnews.com

Ramadan Television

In the northern hemisphere the sun sets at a different time each day, either later each day (if it’s between December 21st and 21st June), or earlier (if it’s between June 21st and December 21st).

This means the timing for breaking the fast changes each day.

To ensure the fast is broken at the correct time each day most families tune in to a Gulf TV station - all of them have special graphics to let you know the fast is over.  Most stations have a cannon being fired {see wgaw blog archive: Ramadan Cannon} followed by Quranic recitations or something similar.

During the month of Ramadan all Gulf TV stations air special Ramadan series and 'Tash ma Tash' [tash ma tash] from Kuwait is probally the most famous and irreverant.  Very addictive when you watch each and every evening:





Here's another short You Tube from Tash ma Tash with far easier Arabic:

Ramadan Iftar

The desert/sweet/cake section at a 5 start hotel Iftaar buffet

Food in Ramadan takes on a special significance and Iftar [if-tarr] is the meal in which those who have fasted from sunrise to sunset eat again - the breaking of the fast at sunset.

Because of the reasons behind not fasting {see wgaw blog post: 5 Pillars of Islam} and the length of time without consuming either liquid or food families always break fast together.  



Homemade vegetable samoosas [sam-moo-sas]  and kebabs or Bajee [baa-jee]

Consequently family houses are full of guests throughout the month of Ramadan and often 20 or more people will eat together each night. So, the food section is large because after a day of non-consumption it's a great relief to be sitting down to a meal with loved ones and counting your blessings.



L-R:  Homemade dhal/lentil soup,  threed [tH-reed] (bread, lamb, potatoes + one other veggie) and at the bottom:  saloona [sa-loo-na] a thin gravy with lamb or beef, similar to an Indian curry, but with a lighter sauce and less spices.


With that number of people it’s difficult to fit around a table, so the table itself becomes a plastic sheet on the floor and the family sits around it. 

The main dish of the evening is usually put on three plates; one large one in the middle and two smaller ones at each end. All the other food will be put on to at least two separate dishes, one on each half of the plastic sheet. This system ensures dishes don’t have to be passed along a chain of people.




Food Eaten
Traditionally the fast was broken with dates and a yogurt-like substance called laban (see below for more details), although these days families will often sit down to a full meal. The first thing most people want is a drink, this is then followed by some food.

As an outsider iftarin Bahrain  seems to consist mainly of carbohydrates and fat although in Saudi it will often only consist of dates and yogurt. Once these have been eaten the worshiper will pray, either in the house (if she’s a woman) or at the mosque (if he’s a man) and only after this prayer will more food be consumed.


The Sun Sets
Over the years, as I was racing against the sun to reach the family house to be on time for the start of iftar, I've become quite accurat at telling the time by the location of the sun in the sky. A reasonably easy thing to do, you just check how far away it is from the horizon and from there you have an idea of how many minutes are left until its disappear and dusk arrives.

In the Gulf, because of the nearness to the equator, the sun sinks fast and there is very little time between sunset and darkness.

Ramadan Laterns

http://samah007.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/ramadan-mubarak-egypt.jpg


The lanterns [faa-nooh] which have filled Egypt every Ramadan for hundreds of years are so pretty they're slowly being introduced into the GCC and we're seeing them in hotel lobbies and hanging outside house or flat windows.



http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/ramadan-lantern.jpg


The lamps are cube-shaped and hollow, with a frame made from thin strips of tin and small pieces of hand-colored glass.

Apparently in Egypt names given to the different types and sizes:
large ones could be called ‘Bride of the Nile’ or ‘Musa’ [moo-sa], Moses whilst the smaller ones have names such as ‘Shaqqat Battikhah Kabirah’ [sha-khat bat-tee-car cab-bree-ah], a big piece of watermelon) and ‘Najmat al-Bahr’ [najj-mat al ba-harr], the star of the sea).

Ramadan Cannons

For many years, during the month of Ramadan, cannons have been fired to indicate the sun has set. Hearing the cannon fire signals the day's fasting is complete and eating may begin.  
  

Fasting

It's not easy to fast from sunrise to sunset, but it is possible and millions of people will choose to fast during daylight hours for the entire month of Ramadan.

According to friends who fast [sigh-yim] there are two aspects to fasting: the first is the physical, or dealing with your thirst and hunger and the second is the mental aspect, or your intention [knee-yaH] and dealing with the reasons behind why you are fasting.

Some Muslims of the Shi’ite/Shia faith {see wgaw blogspot: Creeds of Islam} choose to fast for an additional two months preceding the Holy Month of Ramadan. I’ve only ever come across men choosing to do this.  When asked why they would spend so much time choosing not to eat, they've all answered they believe they'll gain extra points when it comes to entering heaven.

In addition to the Ramadan fast, some Muslims will fast every Monday and Thursday, throughout their adult lives, but I’ve only ever come across women doing this. When asked why they fast during the week, their answer is the same as in the previous example, to get extra points when entering heaven.


Who Should not fast During Ramadan?
Everyone is expected to fast in Ramadan, but there are some people who are not allowed to fast: the old, the young and the sick. The Qur'an states for those people who are sick, or can not endure it, “There is a ransom: the feeding of a poor man.”

People who should not fast include:
1. Non-Muslims
2. Children below the age of puberty
3. The old and infirm. However they must pay compensation in the form of Fidyah [fee-dee-yah]. That is, they must give a sum of money equal to the cost of feeding one poor person, for each day they are unable to fast.
4. The sick, if fasting will cause harm. Those who are sick and able to fast must do so.
5. The mentally ill

There are three additional reasons for missing a day's fasting during Ramadan:

1. women who are menstruating or have postpartum bleeding are forbidden to fast. However they must make up the missed days later
2. Pregnant, or nursing women may stop fasting and make up the missed days later
3. Travellers who are intending to travel should not fast on that day. Again they should make up the missed day/s at a later time. The Qur'an states, “He who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on”

The Ramadan Moon

In a few days time Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, will start. In 2009 it is thought to start around Sunday 23rd August.  It started on Saturday 22nd August.

To determine the official beginning and end of Ramadan in the Gulf States, a moon sighting committee composed of Sunni religious men sits in Jeddah, on the east coast of Saudi Arabia.

The committe meets each evening and waits for the moon's appearance, as well as receiving moon sighting messages. Consequently, no one is quite sure of the exact starting date of Ramadan and in reality it only starts when the committee is convinced the moon has been sighted.



Image taken from: www.latimesblogs.latimes.com


In the Middle East the moon sits at a different angle to that seen in Europe, America and Australia; here the moon lays as if being cradled. On the first day of Ramadan the moon can only be seen at dusk, very low in the sky for a maximum of five minutes.



Image taken from: http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/09/15/15_old_pics_ramadan_1_5.jpg

Notices that Ramadan or Eid has started are put in the newspapers and announcements are made on the radio, but most people will find out Ramadan has started through a phone call from one of their family members, a work colleague, or a friend.

The entire Gulf workforce follows the committee's directive and working hours change. Offically Muslims work just six hours a day during Ramadan (two less than normal).

However, at home Shi'ites/Shias will start and end Ramadan one day later than the Sunni decrees.

Ramadan is an obligation, or one of the five pillars of Islam {see wgaw blog archive: 5 pillars of Islam} and all Muslims are expected to fast [sigh-yim].

Fasting in reality means nothing is passed between the lips between sunrise and sunset for one lunar month each year, except for those travelling, the sick, those who have not yet reached puberty and all menstrating women.  In addition, sexual acts should not take place between sunrise and sunset.  For each day's missed fasting Muslims are expected to 'pay back' before the next Ramadan starts.

Fasting is said to teach patience, humility and an understanding of what it is like to be poor and hungry.

The 5 Pillars of Islam

Most nationals within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are Muslim (I'm guessing 98%) and Islam is the national religion of choice for all six governments (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE).

Although Islam affects every aspect of life here, we'll start with contemplating the fundamentals: in this case the 5 Pillars of Islam, the obligatory devotional-rites or duties which must be carried out by every Muslim.

1 - Shahadah [shar-haa-dah]
Every Muslim must, at least once in their lifetime, profess their faith using the following words, “La ilaha illa Llah, Muhammadun rasul Allah” or the Shahadah (literally: ‘witnessing’) and which translates as, "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Prophet of God". In reality it means total surrender to the one and only God, Allah. Hence the term, ‘Muslim’, to surrender.

When a non-Muslim decides to embrace Islam they will recite the Shahadah, in the presence of another person; a very exciting time for many people.

2 - Salah [saa-lah]
Salah is the word given to the Muslim act of praying, that is speaking the words and moving the body. Every Muslim is expected to pray five times a day, every day, whilst facing towards Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

In hotels throughout the Gulf and the Muslim world you will usually see a compass printed and then stuck to the ceiling, always pointing in the direction of Mecca.

3 - Zakat [zaa-cat]
Zakat, literally ‘purity’ or ‘sweetening’, is a system of taxation on personal unused wealth. At the end of each Islamic year individuals will give 2% or 2.5% of their unused assets to the poor. This includes all assets not used during the previous 12 months, for example, unworn gold jewellery and/or savings.

4 - Sawm [sai-yim]
Sawn is the term given to the fast which takes place during the hours of daylight (or sunrise to sunset), during the Holy Month of Ramadan. During daylight hours, Muslims who are fasting will neither drink, nor eat; nothing at all will be consumed until the call from the Mosque says the fast can be broken with the Iftar [if-tarr] meal.

The start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the moon and the hours of fasting are determined by the ability to see the difference between a black and white thread, using only your eyes (no electric or battery lights should be used).

5 – Hajj [ha-J]
Hajj is the name given to the pilgrimage to Mecca. A journey every able Muslim is obliged to go on, at least once in their lifetime. The Hajj consists of eight different ceremonies, each of which symbolises an essential concept of Islam and/or the difficulties faced by the prophet Abraham and his family.

The Hajj takes place once a year during the first 10 days of Dhul al-Hijja [d-hul al-hij-jah], the twelfth month of the Islamic year. In 2008 the Hajj should take place from 6 - 9th December.