Saturday, June 28, 2014

Pre Fasting

!مرحبا ( Hello in Arabic)


I saw this video yesterday and what a heartwarming way to kick off the month. 
The purpose of this blog may be varied day to day from things to do in Ramadan to what to eat in Ramadan to praying in Ramadan and finishing the Quran in Ramadan.

YAYAYA who's excited?! I am! 
Also I can't promise that I won't spam you occasionally with pictures and stories of my life. If you've read my other blog Let's Talk with Sara, you'll know that I'm using the same template to set out my blog; The hello in different languages a video and a whole bunch of writing. 

So whats fasting? Basically and really vaguely, its a month where Muslims all over the globe give up food and water from sunrise to sunset. It is a good time to reflect on people less fortunate then you who have 1 or maybe no meals each day. It is a time to be grateful and it is a time to concentrate on your relationship with God. Its a time to give to the less fortunate and truly be selfless in doing so. In a nutshell you learn to be patient, selfless and faithful.

Growing up in Australia and moving from one place to the next nearly every year, very rarely did I have a Muslim friend. One of my primary schools (lets call this school #1) I had 1 Muslim friend whom I was so excited to fast with... until half way through I had to move to school #2. At school #2, which was a rural school, fasting was like being Houdini  as in it was impossibly stupid. I was flooded with comments like "Why would you not eat?!" and "So you can't eat for a whole month straight!" I had a Christian girl in my grade say she was fasting with me and I was so happy. Here's how the conversation went. 

Her: OMG Sara! I'm gonna fast with you tomorrow okay?
Me: oh really! Cool! But I don't see you after lunch, so you'll have to do it on your own.
Her: Yeah yeah alright see you tomorrow
*Tomorrow afternoon
Me: So how was fasting yesterday?
Her: OMG it was sooo hard! I didn't eat anything from morning till lunch!
Me: Till.. sorry what?
Her: I was so hungry so I had to eat at lunch but I fasted how cool is that!
I give her credit for trying. 

Then came high school. Gosh I thought the comments would decrease a bit or even make more sense since my high school was so multi cultural and half of the students were Muslim. But no. I had soooooooo many people say 
"Sara, just have some of my lunch, no one will know." or "That's so mean, why are your parents making you not eat OR drink water?" or "NO SARA! YOU'RE NOT FAT!"
Sweet people don't get me wrong.

Then came my graduating high school. I met not a Muslim, not a Christian but a Bhudist Australian who was so keen to fast, she even fasted when she didn't have to and sometimes would wait half an hour after sunset "just to make sure". How cool is that? 

But what really does my head in is when lovely, lovely people think that if they starve themselves, or not eat in front of me, I will somehow not be hungry and survive the rest of the day with no temptations. Please guys, don't stop eating just because I'm not eating. I'll eat twice what you eat in a week tonight no worries habib. 

I wish you all a happy Ramadan and lets wake up before 12 noon people. 
To the 3amo and khalw (uncles) and the shisha filling our homes
To the khalat and 3ama (aunties) and the meals that they prepare day after day from morning till dawn with a new bottle of oil every day.
To the jidw and bebes (grandparents) and the stories of the Quran that are always remembered long after "happily ever after"
To the kids who brighten the house when we feel we don't feel like smiling. 
To everyone else in between respect if you don't fast, stay dedicated if you do and remember this month should focus on the relationship between you and God and no one else. 

Credits for the video at the top






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