DIO Faith & Belief Forum reflects on the month of Ramadan

Tofazzal Rashid, G7 within DIO Technical Services and member of the DIO Faith & Belief Forum reflects on the month of Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan is fast approaching – an incredibly important time for Muslims around the world. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which this year is likely to begin on 11 Mar 24. (subject to lunar variation). It commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

Practising and observing Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. During this month, Muslims fast – meaning no consumption of food or water, from before sunrise until sunset.  However, it’s also a time for increased prayer, recitation of the Quran, self-reflection and strengthening family and community bonds through shared meals, charity and acts of kindness.

The many benefits of observing this month include spiritual growth, increased self-discipline, and greater empathy for the less fortunate.

Colleagues throughout defence will be observing Ramadan this year. For myself, this usually means earlier starts and finishes as I’m awake for a pre-sunrise breakfast, and sometimes tired by mid-afternoon. During work, I like to make sure I have breaks between meetings to rest and will ask hosts for hourly breaks in longer meetings.

After a working day – it’s still a couple of hours before sunset, when we break our fast. This time is usually spent (alongside daily chores) with prayer, charity, or recitation of the Quran. As Muslims, we believe our rewards for good actions during this month are multiplied – so it’s essential to make good use of time.

Then, it’s time to break fast. It’s important to eat in moderation, even after fasting all day, but this is sometimes easier said than done. For myself, I like to keep it simple with a dish of rice porridge (called ‘Jau’ or ‘Kisuri’) with a chickpeas curry.

Soon after, it’s time for late night prayers in my local mosque. This involves prayer in congregation and can last up to an hour and a half. This year, I’ll also be training for Newport Marathon which is just after Ramadan. This means either late night or very early morning runs.

It can take some time to adjust to the routine – and I do like to take a few days of annual leave during the month. Fortunately, there’s a lot of support available with ongoing schemes, like the flexible working policy. There is also more guidance, put together by the Civil Service Muslim Network.

Ramadan for me, is a wonderful opportunity to increase my spiritual, physical, and mental health. The keys to having a successful month, are, like all things in planning and preparation. I wish everyone reading, whether observing or not, a successful month. Ramadan Mubarak!