COLUMN: The Magic of Ramadan - Hassan Riaz

The beginning of April marked the commencement of Ramadan. For those who are unaware, it’s the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims abstain from all food and drink, even water, from dawn till dusk.

In Calderdale, the average fast will be around 18 hours a day this year. It’s a magical month, full of worship, contemplation, charity and gratitude. You’re probably wondering, is magical really the correct choice of adjective? But Ramadan is exactly that. The days of Ramadan are spent in fasting, and its nights in prayer, the atmosphere, togetherness and sense of community is incredible.

But it’s also a time where we experience the pangs of hunger many across the world endure on a daily basis. This feeling is now sadly all the more common, in towns and cities up and down the country.

The cost of living crisis is making it extremely difficult for ordinary families, leaving them with the option of food or heating their homes. Pensioners, single mothers and children have borne the brunt of the crisis. Ramadan gives us all an inkling into this feeling, of having no food and drink. We learn to be thankful of what we have, to not be wasteful, and to share our food and resources with those in need.

Each year in Ramadan, as Muslims we increase in our acts of charity. The community fridge at Madni Mosque remains open every-single day of the year, including Ramadan, feeding needy families all across Calderdale. Each year, we also work alongside local restaurant Sheesh Mahal. By the end of Ramadan, Sheesh Mahal will have cooked and donated over 600 individual meals for Iftaar. Iftaar is the meal at sunset, and denotes when Muslims open their fast. These meals will have reached the most vulnerable people in our community who were struggling to fast due to a lack of food.

Many Muslims, also give their Zakah in this month. Zakah is an obligatory charity that requires Muslims of a certain income level to donate 2.5 per cent of their savings each year to charitable purposes, most notably to support the poor or needy.

Muslims collectively pay about $600 billion in Zakat every year. That’s more than the net worth of the richest person in the world! Assuming that most Muslims give this charity in the month of Ramadan, it could come as a timely boost to the global economy. It makes Zakah an economic lifeline for billions of people across the globe, helping save some of the worst-affected regions from humanitarian catastrophe.

As a local example, in the year 2021 we facilitated the distribution of over £20,000 to local families in Calderdale living in poverty. Zakah had incredible impacts on local families - we were able to right-off debts, help single mothers establish businesses from their homes, and support teenagers who were abandoned by their families.

Whilst the majority of people choose to give their Zakah abroad to war-torn countries engulfed in poverty, we’re trying to increase awareness and the importance of supporting local people, and redistributing Zakah locally back into Calderdale.

If anything, the health benefits of fasting are well-known. Intermittent fasting alongside the 5:2 diet can aid in glycaemic control, cellular repair, disease protection, and support weight loss. Why not give it a try this Ramadan? Join your friends and work colleagues in fasting a Monday or Thursday for example.