What Ramadan means to me
The month of Ramadan is due to start on the evening of Saturday 2 April and as we approach this very special time, our Muslim Chaplain Sadaf Solangi shares what it means to her and why fasting is so important:
I’m delighted Ramadan is upon us and excited that our Muslim staff will be fasting from dawn to dusk and will enrich the atmosphere with their discipline, resilience and diversity. They will have joy with challenges, faith with festivity and become refreshed in mind, body, and soul by the end of Ramadan, which is when Eid is celebrated.
For those who may not understand why Muslims fast during Ramadan, I’d like to share a quote from the Holy Book of Muslims.
“O you who believe. Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn God-consciousness”
(Quran 2:183)
Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam and is prescribed for Muslims, to help them get closer to God. It was also the month in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Whilst fasting, Muslims observe complete abstention from food, drink, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk.
There are fasting exemptions, including those who are ill or pregnant, which means inpatients and outpatients at our hospitals do not need to fast.
For Muslims, the four weeks of Ramadan are a sacred time for worshipping God. They offer an opportunity for devotion, reflection and celebration of the mercy and love of Allaah (God).
As the Islamic calendar is based around the lunar cycle, the Holy month rotates by approximately ten days each year. Muslims are altruistic during Ramadan and intensify in worship and giving charity in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
For me, Ramadan is a time of introspection, repentance, and deep spirituality. It’s a crucial time to count my blessings over the year and feel empathy for those less fortunate.
I feel Ramadan cleanses me physically, spiritually, and emotionally, and after a day of fasting, I look forward to the delicious food I will enjoy at sunset. The supplication, wish or prayer murmured at the time of breaking the fast has a high chance of being accepted, so please make the most of that opportunity!
Of course, the pandemic has meant Ramadan was different over the last couple of years. We lost loved ones, we were unable to worship in our mosques and had our Iftar (meal served when breaking our fast) at home.
While restrictions have been lifted this year, Covid-19 cases are rising and it is still important that we observe Ramadan safely.
I am based at our Trust a couple of days a week and while there will be times when I’m thirsty, my thoughts during Ramadan will be with my colleagues who are finding it hard to fast at work. They may need flexibility to take breaks and have conversations with managers to discuss reasonable adjustments such as a later start time in the morning.
I’m looking forward to the challenge of fasting while serving our patients and workforce, and I wish my Muslim colleagues an amazing four weeks of enlightenment.
Ramadan Mubarak!
Sadaf Solangi
If you are observing or would like to find out more about Ramadan, our colleagues at Barts Health NHS Trust have prepared useful information, including health and nutritional advice, as well as a ‘Demystifying Ramadan’ webinar.
Nutrition advice during Ramadan