Ramadans of the Past & Present
I have been writing this since the beginning of Ramadan. I keep coming back to it, but I only finished it today.
Today is the 13th day of Ramadan. I’ve been busy and honesty stuck in a writing rut.
I was thinking about my past Ramadans and how different they were from today. In the US, I hadn’t started fasting yet because I hadn’t turned 10 yet and my parents worried that the long days were too much for me. What made Ramadan special for me back then; was going to the mosque and having break-fast (Futoor) with the Muslim community. Everyone would bring a dish or whatever they were able (it wasn’t mandatory) Some of the families volunteered and organized the main dishes. Then, we would sit together and eat and as one big happy family. We would pray together and go home later than our usual bed time.
When we came back to Saudi Arabia, Ramadan seemed much more special, the atmosphere changed, as if there was something in the air. Everyone was fasting, everyone you saw, at school, at the supermarket, on the street would greet you with “Ramadan Mubarak”. All of a sudden, our small Muslim community in the US became an entire country. I’ve spoken about how if you live in a Muslim community you will notice the difference in the general atmosphere during the month of Ramadan. I think it increases when the country is a muslim country. something you will notice is, it doesn’t matter weather you are Muslim or not, you are welcome to all the ramadan tents, with free meals, you are welcome to the tables that are set in front of the mosques. Ramadan is a month of generosity and love and it includes everyone.
When we first came back, you could hear a canon shot at sunset at the army base next door. It was an old tradition to let everyone near and far know that it a time to breakfast. This was way back before microphones were invented. Now you can hear the call for prayer (athan) from the microphones all over the city. We went to school during Ramadan but we started a little later and came home a little early. I’d help my mom with the food preparation. We would occasionally have Futoor with my uncle who lived nearby in UPM. Before the end of Ramadan, we would get the last few days of Ramadan off. My family always went to Taif to spend the rest of the month and celebrate Eid with family. We would stay at my grandfather’s house (May God have mercy on his soul) We would sometimes spend the night at my grandmother’s (May God have mercy on her soul) and on occasion we (the kids) would stay at my oldest uncle’s house with our cousins. I have so many great memories spending our vacations in Taif. Especially during Ramadan. My aunts would encourage us to read Quran, we would pray together as a family at home sometimes. My uncles, would light fire crackers and give us sparklers to hold. We’d wake up before day break to have a light meal and drink water before we started fasting for the day.
The adults would go to Mecca for Umrah and when we were older we would go too. I think that is my favorite part about Ramadan. Experiencing the unity in Mecca, while breaking fast, everyone shares with their neighbors on the tablecloths the mosque workers lay on the floor, the mosque gives out dates and water. Everything is distributed and collected in such a smooth effortless way, so that we can immediately pray Maghreb and continue our Umrah. Praying taraweeh there is just amazing, you feel like you are in Gods hands, the spiritual connection there is like no other. Except maybe in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
I remember my aunt gathering all the grandchildren in front of the tv to listen to the Imam in Mecca finish reciting the Quran, then he says a special prayer for this occasion. It’s usually on the 29th of Ramadan, because depending on the crescent moon, Ramadan may be only 29 days. I remember how emotional she would get praying with the Imam, I understand now that I’m older. It is such a special time and you pray feeling so vulnerable with so much hope and faith that God will answer your prayers. I like to open the tv and sit with my kids for this prayer. I try to keep some of the old traditions and make my own. I try to sit with them everyday, we read some versus of Quran and read the meaning of these versus. I sit with them individually to recite some versus from memory. I’m lenient and encouraging. I want them to memorize the Quran out of love. It has to be something they want with an open heart. Then it becomes easy.
As a kid I was always excited about Eid and we would wait until they announced if they had seen the crescent moon (which means the next day is Eid and Ramadan has come to an end. Now that I’m older, I always hope for 30 days of Ramadan. That one day does make a difference, one more day of fasting, praying and reading Quran.
I see in my kids that they have found the joy that Ramadan brings, as they grow they understand the spiritual aspect of it more. I look forward to many Ramadans with them and hopefully with their children too.