Litte bit about Ramadan The 9th month of the Islamic calendar, lasting usually 29 to 30 days, the month of mercy and forgiving, reminds Muslims about love, patience, humility and spirituality. Muslims are fasting for the sake of Allah, offering prayers more than usual. eating, drinking and sinning ( even minor) is diminished It all starts with lighting a fanoos... Before sunset all farmers go home with their animals at the same time; Ramadan is family time - they are is sitting together, reading from Quran, waiting for the time to pass till Iftar ( the first meal) - the breaking of the fast at sunset.....while the Mother is cooking konafa and qatayef, our special Ramadan sweets Praying time can be heard all over Cairo...by the azan, the call for prayers...in the mosque and in our homes. In the traffic jam of Cairo, people still manage to smile and be grateful... Finally Iftar....all the country is eating now, and watching the same soap operas , many produced especially for Ramadan; Sohour ( the second meal) can be delayed just before dawn Its a time for people to be generous; Many are donating food, there are public Iftars for the poor in Cairo. But Ramadan is also a time to go out, meet friends, socializing, eat at night, go to music concerts, smoke shisha (water pipe), drink tea and eat sweets. Khan Al Kalili, Cairo’s biggest bazaar area, is packed with people every night; restaurants offer special Iftar and Sohour treats ;) In the morning after the last day of Ramadan everybody goes praying at sunrise. Women are gathering and waiting for the call to prayer...men pray separately Most markets close down during evening prayers and the Iftar meal, but then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. However, if they try to attend their business as usual, it can become a time of personal trials, fasting without coffee or water. Ramadan, is that it can open a long way of knowing your own limits; self preservation, good will and forgiving, praying and hoping, as well as the feeling of living with an empty stomach, which unfortunately its a general state for some less fortunate; concentrate on my own believes, be patient and generous; Fast for Allah, and for yourself!
Posted on: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 15:20:11 +0000