A woman in front of me took out all her goods from the grocery stroller at the checkout counter. Watching her unload large amounts of wheat flour, onions, vegetables, breads, fruits, sugar, I wondered to myself aren’t we cutting out lunch? So technically we should be buying less food. No?
I asked to a helper who had ever worked in Arab families about their practices during Ramadan. Why do they spend so much? Here was the answer, Arab families have a tradition to invite close family to break the fast together, particularly in the first days of Ramadan. So if a family has 4 married children, they might alternate to be host during iftar. For example, the first day of Ramadan they go to parent’s house, day-2 in the eldest child’s, the 3rd day in the second child’s and so on until they all get turn. They also like to provide so many varieties of main course, sweets, snacks, coffee. Dates and Laban (sour milk) are they must have appetizers to break the fast. Since Rasulullah SAW break the fast with dates and water.
However, there are also Arab families who cook a lot of food then donate it in the mosque nearby. So that people who stop and spend Maghreb in congregation in the mosque would be guaranteed not to starve. Subhanallah. As noted in a hadith,
Abdullah bin Amr said that a man asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah, What is the best practice in Islam?”
“You feed other people and you say salam to someone you do not know or who you know.” (Hadith narrated by Bukhori Muslim).
What other things that generally they do here beside spiritual and physical preparations? Generally Arab families like to replace all their furniture such as guest chairs, tables, cabinets, beds, curtains, decorations until kitchen utensils are exchanged with new one in the month of Ramadan. Most of old furniture are sold or donate every year. Perhaps they want to change the atmosphere of their houses so as to enjoy this blessed month with something different. Each country may do different custom or tradition during Ramadan.
In Saudi all restaurants will be closed during the day and will be open just before Maghreb time (some food sellers start to display their food at about 5 pm) until dawn time. Non-Muslims or people who do not fast do not have a chance to eat and drink in a restaurant or café at the day time. Supermarkets, cloth shops, bookstores, pharmacy, mall, and so on are still open during the day. However, as usual, each day will be closed at times of prayer and after dhuhur time (around 12.30 pm) until asr time (4 pm) most shops are closed. Recently the Saudi Government set the weekend to Friday Saturday. Previously was on Thursday and Friday. So the time hour may change.
Schools especially local schools during the month of Ramadan are holiday. International school may have day off if Ramadan coincides with their summer break (July-August).
Office hours (especially government offices) are usually shorter than regular days. This is to give opportunity for Muslims if they want to do more du’a, read Qur’an, perform prayer, go to Mekkah or Madinah, or i’tikaf in their nearby mosque.
Month of Ramadan this year falls in summer, so the dawn time is about 4:23 am and break time at around 7.15 pm so it’s about 10 hours fasting. Take advantage of ten hours every day to beg for forgiveness to Allah SWT and pray as much as possible, through prayers of fasting person is not rejected until he break the fast.
Ramadan Kareem
