Shahr Ramadhan: Month of Fasting or Feasting?

by Shahista Asharia


The Month of Ramadhan is supposed to be about learning
self-restraint and to remember those that do not
have food throughout the year, yet it is increasingly
becoming more about preparing throughout the day for
a huge evening feast. Is this Holy Month becoming more
about feasting than fasting?

According to Gulfnews, the Middle-Eastern food company
Co-op Al Islami has an increase of 75% in food
sales during the month of Ramadhan. In Saudi Arabia,
stores boast that their sales increase by 25% during the
month, and a study in the Kingdom highlighted that
consumers spend two to three times their usual
monthly expenditure during the month of Ramadhan.
Surprising, one might say, in a month in which there is
no eating in daylight hours.

Also surprising, considering narrations tell us that the
Prophet Muhammad (saaw) used to break his fast with
nothing but milk and dates. A far cry from the mitumbua
and dhokras that still struggle to satisfy our taste
buds today.

The famous narration about the family of Syeda Fatima
(as) fasting for three days and giving their iftar to the
poor, the orphan and the captive, after which Sura Insaan
(Dahr) was revealed in honour of their kind gesture,
states that they gave away all they had to eat,
which was one loaf of bread each. Today we would
laugh at the thought of breaking our fast with a loaf of
bread. Give us some oily chicken curry to go with it and
we still wouldn’t be happy.

Of course, many people overstock for the month of
Ramadhan, and others invite family and friends over for
Iftar, which is great, but if one really cares about those
guests they wouldn’t feed them so much that they have
to loosen a notch on their belt by the time they leave!
A true host should be more concerned about feeding
their guest healthy food than pleasing them with fatty
delicacies.

So this month of Ramadhan, let’s decide to end the
customs of eating a full day’s food in half an hour, and
rather to fill ourselves only to the extent which is necessary.
You’ll save time cooking, money shopping, and
will feel much better about yourself at the end of the
month!