Ramadan is not just a month of fasting. The fourth pillar of the Islamic religion is a period of reflection, prayer, solidarity and forgiveness. It is a time to strengthen the bond with the community and family, to improve as a Muslim and to try to be the best version of each one. This is what many young Muslims who live in Spain claim and who, during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, follow their religion to the letter to the extent that their obligations allow.
Some of these young people, like 20-year-old Moroccan Mohamed Ben Abbas, admit that during the year they do not attend the mosque weekly, but, instead, during this month they try. Even many Muslims, during these 30 days, intend to read the Koran and spend more time reflecting and connecting with their religion.
In Spain, unlike years ago, “Ramadan is quite visible and generally people respect and understand it,” explains another young Moroccan woman. Despite this, some Muslims consider that it is still difficult to combine prayer or meal times with their daily lives, even outside of Ramadan, in a country where this is not the majority religion. “Sometimes you find yourself in the situation of being alone breaking your fast on public transport or at work, which is not the most pleasant thing,” explains Mansoor Muhammad, a 20-year-old Pakistani student.
Although Ramadan is something that is done “by religion” and not by culture, since it is an obligation dictated by the Koran, it goes beyond not eating during sunny hours. It is a way to recover the feeling of community that is experienced in Muslim countries. “The atmosphere generated is very similar to the one I experienced in Morocco when I traveled there one summer during Ramadan,” explains Ben Abbas. In the same way, another young Moroccan woman explains that her favorite moment these days is praying at night and seeing how “a single mosque unites them all.”
Another of the most prominent pillars of Ramadan is solidarity. As Ben Abbas explains, it is also about helping those most in need and inviting them to eat with the family, symbolizing losing hunger and thirst with people who experience these sensations daily. However, this is more common outside of Spain, where there are not as many organizations and soup kitchens that provide help.
For example, in the Associació de Dones Marroquines a Catalunya, during this month all routine activities are paralyzed to dedicate themselves to preparing food for the homeless once the sun has set. This is because, in many cases, the hours of the soup kitchens do not coincide with that of breaking the fast.
Likewise, according to the organization Islamic Relief Spain, in the case of skipping fast intentionally or without any valid reason, “you must fast for 60 continuous days or feed 60 needy people with an amount of €5 per day per person ”. Thus, once again it is demonstrated that during this month we seek to help and improve community life.
However, there are situations such as menstruation days, a specific illness or a trip that must be made up with the same number of days that have been lost once the month of fasting has ended. Children, the elderly or those with a chronic illness are exempt from fasting without the need for recovery or payments.
Ramadan arouses interest even among people who do not practice the Islamic religion, as is the case of Irene Toma. This young Romanian woman is sharing on TikTok her experience fasting for the first time with her partner Mohamed Sandali, who is Muslim. In the profile @mohamdh.9 they show what they eat each day of this month and, especially Irene, tells their opinions and feelings. She states that, in addition to the benefits of fasting such as regulating hunger and improving mood and sleep, Ramadan “improves your discipline and increases your willpower.”
As Ramadan ends (it ends on April 9), Muslim communities are already preparing for the holiday of breaking the fast, known as Eid al-Fitr. This celebration, which lasts three days, begins with prayers at dawn and continues with large meals, prayers and gift exchanges, among others.
As Toma and Sandali indicate, “normally, for cultural and not religious reasons, women are in charge of cooking,” although several of the young people who have participated in this report affirm that the children of the family are also interested in helping and connecting. with its roots through gastronomy.
As for food, the dishes prepared are adapted according to the country of origin and personal circumstances, maintaining tradition, but with the emergence of more Western dishes such as pizza or hamburgers on the tables. Even so, the fast is always broken at the so-called Iftar with dates, it is accompanied with water, juices and fruit, and in most cases some of the dishes that we present below are served.
