Ramadan

That fine and mysterious Muslim month of Ramadan is upon us. I very rarely claim to be an expert on anything, and Muslim holidays are no exception. I have not read any books about this special month but have discussed it with the Arabs that I work with. 

For this turn of the moon, as the Muslim calender is based on the moon, the followers of Allah must fast while the sun is showing. This means no eating, drinking, smoking, or pretty much anything else you can think of. Shops and restaurants are closed all day and I am told that the streets look like a ghost town while there is light out. They claim the purpose of this is to show every person the suffering of those that are doing without, so they can better understand the difficulties of the needy and be appreciative of what they have. 

This all sounds very nice and I approve, but there have been some doubts raised in my mind the past few days as we have prepared for this month. I have learned that the restaurants and shops change their hours to be open at night. The citizens feast as soon as the sun disappears under the horizon and go to cafes to smoke and converse, and companies change their work hours so the employees can sleep during the day. 

Sunset over Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Photo by Traveler/Photographer M. Davis Clarke

Now it is true that my worries may be unfounded or incorrect but this sounds a bit like just changing everything 12 hours and becoming nocturnal. Sleeping during the day and doing all manner of normal human activity at night might not make for a fast or sacrifice. I have never tried it and can not say exactly how much of a sacrifice it is. I leave it for the reader to decide.