‘Ramadan takes me closer to God and family’
With each passing Ramadan, Indian expat Safiya Benazir feels closer to God, her family and the community.
The time she devotes for prayers increases during Ramadan. She also gets involved in more charity activities, said Safiya, a former executive coordinator for a publishing company. Safiya became a homemaker after the birth of her second child.
As a young girl back home in Chennai, India, she would often attend community iftars in the park and enjoy the time with family and friends.
“Now it is more about being home with the family,” said Safiya. “During Ramadan, we spend more time in the kitchen preparing special dishes for suhour and iftar. Looking after the household and preparing children for school are also big responsibilities. So planning is important,” she said.
Shopping for groceries in bulk helps her save time. “Weekly menu planning helps us buy only the necessary items. You prepare dishes which everyone can eat so you avoid food wastage. It also reduces my time in the kitchen so I can spend more time on prayers,” said Safiya.
Depending on the number of dishes she plans to cook, Safiya starts her day between 4 and 5am.
Safiya prefers the Ramadan diet to include simple meals — not a feast. She tries to avoid food which contains lots of fats, salt and sugar and prefers to include plenty of fresh fruits and fresh juice.
“Rice and lentil porridge, a selection of vegetables and meat or chicken is a must for iftar. It is filling and healthy. I use only a little salt while cooking.”
Her husband Syed Mustafa, an HR manager with a hotel group, always extends help in the kitchen.
Her daughters Saniya, 12, and Raniya, 11, also help setting the table for iftar.
Looking after the household and preparing children for school are also big priorities, so planning is important.”
Safiya Benazir | Homemaker
No compromises
Safiya concurs that mothers have a more challenging time as they have to tend to needs of the whole family during Ramadan.
However, with planning it is easy to meet the challenges. Also, a spiritual bent of mind makes all the difference, she said.
“Once you are focused on your prayers, you tend to forget the challenges. And with family support you can overcome them easily. In a matter of a couple of days you will be used to the new routine and rhythm of Ramadan, which you deeply miss once the month is over,” she said.
Ultimately, there is no compromise about striving to achieve the goals of Ramadan — caring, sharing and developing a closer relationship with God, dedicating time to prayer, reading the Quran and donating to charity, said Safiya.