Since Ramadan started a few days ago, I thought it would be appropriate to say a few words about what it’s like to be in
The most obvious thing that changes is the opening times of shops and restaurants. Normally, shops open at 8 or 9 p.m. and stay open its time for the noon prayer. They re-open at 4 p.m. and stay open until 10 p.m., apart from two 30 minute breaks for prayer.
The weekend here is Thursday and Friday. I well remember going to the downtown shops one Thursday afternoon, shortly after I'd arrived, and finding them all closed! This is like the shops back home being closed on Saturday afternoon!
Well, you get used to this and then comes Ramadan. During your first Ramadan, you may drive to the shops in time for them to open at 4 p.m., only to find that they have just closed! In Ramadan, shops will open at about 10 a.m. and close at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. They will re-open at 8 p.m. and stay open until midnight or even later. Restaurants may stay open all night!
Just to keep you on your toes, the last prayer is now two hours after sunset instead of 90 minutes after sunset. Did I mention that all shops are required by law to close at prayer time? This would be tolerable if the prayer times were fixed, but they are not. Since the prayer times are related to the Sun, they move about with the seasons. The last two prayer times, for instance, are at sunset and 90 minutes after sunset. At certain times of the year these prayer times can change by several minutes a day, so it’s easy to loose track. The annoyance of driving to a shop or supermarket and finding that it has just closed for prayer is something that you just have to get used to.
It is easier to understand what's going on in Ramadan if you know what the locals are doing. They are abstaining from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk, as are all the non-Saudi Muslims. In fact, it is against the law here for anyone to eat, drink or smoke in a public place - that includes offices – during the hours of daylight. You can be arrested and will probably be deported if you are caught breaking this law.
It used to be that companies had a special "Ramadan room" where non-muslims could eat and drink out of sight of the fasting Muslims. With increased Saudization this practice seems to have disappeared. Fortunately,I live near enough to where I work to be able to go home for lunch.
Another feature of Ramadan I want to mention is due to the Hijra calendar. The Hijra year is about 11 days shorter that the solar year. Ramadan, and all other Islamic festivals, thus occurs approximately 11 days earlier every year. Over the past few years Ramadan has fallen during either the winter or late autumn. However, this year it has started during September when temperatures still reach over 40C. In the next few years Ramadan will move progressively into the hotter months of summer.
Many manual workers who work outdoors in Saudi are recruited from the Indian subcontinent. The hardships for anyone working outside during these months and who is forbidden to eat or drink, hardly needs to be stated.
Having fasted all day, the Saudis and the other Muslims may have a small snack at sunset just before performing their prayers. They then have a special meal called "Iftar" (literally "breakfast"). This is often a huge banquet shared with friends and family. Most companies will arrange an Iftar for employees and clients at least once during Ramadan - a bit like
Another thing you become aware of during Ramadan is how dangerous it is to be on the roads just before sunset. Anyone who isn't already home is hurrying to get there in time for Iftar. You can imagine that many drivers, having fasted all day, are beginning to feel a bit light headed. Coupled with the urgency to get home and a growing disregard for traffic signals as sunset approaches, this makes the roads extremely dangerous.
It is understandable, given the heat of the day, that many Saudi tend to shop and socialize during the evening hours. This tendency is enhanced during Ramadan when wives and children will sleep as much as possible during the day. They then stay up most of the night, shopping, eating and socializing with friends and family. This, however, is tough on those who have to go to work or school the next day. Offices, shops and other workplaces will start work later (9 or 10 a.m. instead of 7 or 8 a.m.) and will close earlier. Nevertheless, it is noticeable that the efficiency of any Saudi worker gradually decreases during Ramadan until, by the end, he's almost a zombie.
How much this affects the Saudi economy can hardly be guessed at. And how much a Saudi child learns at school during Ramadan is also very questionable.
Finally, I want to mention that Islam has many exemptions to the rules of fasting, e.g. children, nursing mothers and the sick. They are, however, applied far more liberally in other Muslim countries, or so I am told. Also, much more consideration is given to non-Muslims in countries such as Egypt. where you will find some restaurants open during the day so that non-Muslims can eat.
No comments:
Post a Comment