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
Healthy iftar snacks at a Ramadan iftar party Noor Shaikh what I felt like doing panting But I couldn’t break my fast in front of anyone I told Sara I had to use the washroom so I ran back to her house while she waited All the parents were in the backyard so no one knew I had come back to the house I made sure no one was looking and then I poured myself a glass of cold water from the tap It was so good that I immediately drank a second one Then I washed the glass and hid it away and ran all the way back to the park I had just done something terrible I had intentionally broken my fast because I couldn’t keep it any longer I had been fasting for about eight hours and that was as long as I could last Of course I didn’t eat anything or drink again until sunset Those two glasses of water had transformed me first with energy then with a heavy load of guilt It would have been so much better if I’d just waited to fast instead of making a promise I couldn’t keep But I was 10
introduction 9 years old so it didn’t take me long to throw myself back into the excitement of playing with Sara at the park I broke fast with everyone else that night and accepted everyone’s praise and good wishes with a wide smile and happy self-congratulations as if I’d actually kept my fast I was feeling pretty good until I was alone in my room at night Then the guilt really hit me I’d begun the most important religious tradition my family observed with a half-truth all for a glass of water I’ve learned a lot of lessons since then including the purpose behind the month of fasting The holy month of Ramadan isn’t meant to be a punishment Muslims see it as a blessing I know now there would have been no harm in confessing the truth or admitting I didn’t feel well or waiting until I was older to fast No one would have been angry with me or disappointed They would have encouraged encouraged me to try again This is the first time I’ve told the story of the 9-year-old who couldn’t keep her fast The secret is out at last To give you a sense of what Muslim kids think about fasting for a whole month I asked a few of them to tell me what Ramadan means to them You’ll find their answers in each chapter of this book Ramadan is a humbling experience that allows us to empathize with others and reminds us to be thankful for the life we live and to go on living with an open mind with love in our hearts and peace emanating from within Zahra age 17 Fig and date cookies on Eid morning Summer Shaikh Sweets on Eid morning savaiyaan and mitai are traditional Pakistani Eid offerings Summer Shaikh 11
