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AS THE MONTH OF FASTING IS SET TO BEGIN, HERE IS A PRIMER ON ITS MANY FACETS AND HOW IT IS TO BE OBSERVED

Ramadan is here again ushering in a month of changed routine for Muslims across the world, including in the UAE, as they undertake fasting as a spiritual ritual. During this period, dawn will mark the start of the day’s fast, and dusk will bring its conclusion. This cycle will repeat for the next 29 or 30 days, depending on when the next crescent moon is sighted, which will mean the end of Ramadan.

But Ramadan is not just about fasting, it’s about the hard-earned discipline that comes with the act of foregoing food for a specified time period. It is the discipline for adapting to change – a change in behaviour and in daily life that involves a different physical, mental, emotional and spiritual outlook.

Breakfast will become ‘start-fast’, as worshippers rise before dawn to have the suhour meal that will carry them through hunger and thirst through the day.

Many offices will follow working hours that begin a little than usual and end earlier, shortening the business day by around two hours in most cases.

People will head home for iftar, the sunset meal that draws the fast to a close. Many will visit mosques, where anonymous donors and well-known establishments sponsor huge community iftar meals. No money is taken from guests, and all are welcome.

At night, long voluntary prayers, called Taraweeh prayers, will be held in mosques across the UAE, amplified by loudspeakers on minarets.

For some people, this draws the day to a close as they prepare for the next. For others, the hours after iftar could be the most active as they spend the time socialising and shopping, having fasted and conserved energy during the day.

Perhaps the biggest change in Ramadan is the change from within, a cleansing of the soul.