Indian Muslims break their fast during the month of Ramadan at a mosque in the old part of the city New Delhi India iStock com BDphoto
Introduction Saskatchewan wheat fields iStock com 4loops I remember my first Ramadan as clearly as if it were yesterday And by this I mean the first time I kept a fast during Ramadan the holy month of fasting for Muslims I was 9 years old and I lived in Prince Albert Saskatchewan a beautiful city on the prairies with long hot very dry summers The summer of the first Ramadan I fasted the sun was setting at around 9 30 pm When the sun rises or sets is very important to a kid who is fasting The fast begins at dawn and ends at sunset So on a typical Ramadan summer day you could begin fasting around four o’clock in the morning and break your fast at nine thirty at night This means you wouldn’t have anything to eat or drink for fifteen hours or
more which can sound a little like you’re a prisoner in a very unpleasant jail cell But in my case I was free I was freely choosing to fast and I was so excited to join the grown-ups in observing a tradition that seemed thrillingly mysterious and important I was going to be part of an exclusive club and I remember feeling incredibly proud of myself My older sister was also fasting and her example inspired me to fast Only things didn’t go exactly as planned My mom woke me up early in the morning when it was still dark outside I was bleary-eyed and cranky but then I remembered I had begged her to wake me up so I wouldn’t miss my first fast She fried homemade donuts and made peanut-butter sandwiches for us to eat with glasses of cold milk The kitchen was filled with the sweet Ayesha and Ausma Khan with their mother Nasima Khan wearing Eid ghararas Dr Zehanat Ali Khan ausma zehanat khan
introduction smell of donuts I didn’t want any milk just the donuts but my mother assured me I would thank her for making me both eat and drink so early in the morning When we finished our early breakfast my sister and I brushed our teeth and made the intention to fast a simple prayer that amounts to saying I intend to fast this day in Ramadan We stumbled through the morning prayer and fell back into bed The next time I woke up I remembered another reason why the day of my first fast was so important I’d been looking forward to going over to my friend’s house all week Sara lived on the other side of the city and our parents were also friends so our two families had planned to spend the day together What I forgot was that my friend was Hindu not Muslim so she wouldn’t be observing Ramadan with me She’d planned for us to spend the afternoon at the park near her house This was a special treat because the park had a huge jungle gym a merry-go-round loads of swings and a splash pad I was still very full from my donut and peanut butter breakfast so it was easy for me to join in the fun We ran around the park for hours swinging climbing chasing each other playing tag But a few hours later it hit me The sun was beating down on my head I was boiling hot and I felt exhausted Sara and I flopped down on the grass just as an ice-cream cart rolled by Sara offered to buy me an orange Popsicle my favorite flavor Right away I said yes Then I remembered my fast and regretfully changed my mind There was a golden retriever lolling on the grass in front of us his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth He was panting in the heat which was exactly Some people may get dehydrated when fasting or experience headaches or increased stress For Muslims who fast during Ramadan it's important to drink plenty of fluids during suhoor and iftar Doctors don’t recommend fasting for people who suffer from eating disorders or as a solution for weight loss in general
