The appearance of the crescent moon in the sky this week marks the beginning of one of the most significant celebrations in Islamic culture: Ramadan. For more than 640,000 Muslims in Catalonia, and more than two million throughout Spain, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is the holiest of all. It is a period of deep reflection and spirituality, where the main purpose is to cultivate personal awareness and strengthen the bond we have with God.
The origin of the word “Ramadan” is derived from the Arabic term ar-ramad, which means scorching heat. This concept must be associated with the symbolic burning of sins and with the act of purification of the soul. According to Islamic tradition, during this period of time, in the year 610 AD, the angel Gabriel manifested himself before the prophet Muhammad, revealing to him the Quran, the sacred book of Islam. That is why in commemoration of this event, believers fast daily throughout the month.
The fundamental practice that followers of Islam carry out throughout this month is fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims cannot drink or eat any food or liquid.
One of the many meanings of fasting is to have empathy with those people in the world who, unfortunately, live in conditions of poverty, in which they are not even lucky enough to have three meals a day. According to Sheikh Ahmed Bermejo, imam, lecturer and disseminator of Islam, “suffering hunger in oneself, in one’s own flesh, reminds the faithful how lucky they are and helps them become aware of all those things that we do not usually value because we have them.” always at our fingertips.” That is why Ramadan is also known as the month of generosity, as it emphasizes the values ??of being humble and grateful.
Now, fasting is not the only obligation that Muslims must fulfill this month. At night, followers of Allah have a special prayer, tarawih, which involves a complete recitation of the Quran. This prayer is usually performed in congregation and lasts approximately an hour or an hour and a half. The purpose is to preserve that spirituality that has been maintained throughout the day while fasting and not to give free rein to an uncontrolled appetite.
Although over time the body ends up adapting to this total abstention from any food or drink for several hours, this type of eating regimen is still an additional effort for the body. Therefore, it is important not to skip suhoor (the meal before dawn) or iftar (dinner after dark). Now, the meal schedule cannot be established at an exact time, and it depends on the position of the sun. Logically, depending on the month in which Ramadan falls, the sun will set at one time or another.
It is also not easy to determine which are the most typical dishes that Muslims eat in Ramadan, and it depends a lot on each culture. And, as Bermejo recalls, “we tend to culturalize Islam a lot, but it is not really a culture, but is adopted by every form of culture and life.” Therefore, there are numerous traditional dishes during these holidays, according to the customs of each country.
When it comes to gastronomy, the only dish that unites the entire community are dates. Every Muslim, wherever they are from, takes them. “That is because it is a practice that the Prophet Muhammad used to do,” the imam emphasizes. Before starting the meal itself, tradition dictates that about three dates be taken accompanied by a little milk or water. This food also has the advantage that it allows you to break your fast lightly, since it is not good to go 12 or 14 hours without eating and then suddenly gorge on food, which is what could happen.
To give an example of this culinary diversity, Bermejo says that in the Maghreb area it is very typical to eat a soup called harira that has meat, chickpeas and noodles, and is very nutritious. As an anecdote, Bermejo emphasizes that he likes to break his fast with a potato omelet or gazpacho, which confirms that there is no written rule about what to eat during the month of fasting.
Although fasting is obligatory for all Muslims, regardless of whether they are men or women, as in any rule, there are some exceptions. Those boys and girls who have not yet reached puberty, people who are traveling, elderly or sick people and, lastly, those who are pregnant or who are in the period of menstruation, abstain from this duty.
The beginning of Ramadan is marked by the lunar months and, therefore, these begin with the birth of the moon. It is for this reason that there is often uncertainty regarding what day the new month will begin. Generally, it’s not until the night before that you can know for sure. And Ramadan, like the rest of the lunar months, begins with the visualization of the birth of the moon.
As a consequence, this generates differences of opinion regarding when this festival begins. Some say that the beginning is marked by the contemplation of the moon in each country and, therefore, the beginning of Ramadan is different in each region. On the other hand, in the last century the tradition has spread, especially in the West, that it is Saudi Arabia that declares the contemplation of the moon and, consequently, the birth of the month. Likewise, the end of Ramadan is also decreed by the birth and contemplation of the new moon, but of the following month.
