When I Fasted For Ramadan - A True Story

When I first moved to Bahrain, everything was new and exciting - the classic first stage as someone enters a new culture.  I loved the food, the music, went to various events, had a great time with my students and couldn't get enough of Bahrain.  (I still like all those things, but its just... different, now).

So when Ramadan came around in November, I decided to participate.  I got up before the first call to prayer (4:30am or so) to eat some breakfast, and then went the rest of the day without eating, until about 5:30 or so when the sun sets.  The call to prayer was the signal that the fasting ended, and since there are mosques literally on every corner, it is easy to know when you can begin eating.




For the most part, I broke the fast in the evenings by myself, but a couple of times I broke the fast with a couple of Muslim colleagues from work, called iftar.  When I arrived at their apartment, the TV was tuned to a channel that showed how much time was left before iftar.  It must have been later in the month, because they (and probably I, too) were anxious for iftar to come.  They usually broke the fast with something light - yoghurt and dates - and then ate a larger meal after that.  There are lots of things that go on during Ramadan, which I'll talk about in a later post.

So what was fasting like?  Its been almost five years since I fasted, but here is what I remember:

• The first week I felt good.  Like when I first moved to Bahrain, it was new and exciting.  I was engaging the culture.  I was spending time praying instead of eating.  I was hungry, but it was good. 
• The second week was difficult.  Not eating during just the day sounds like its not a big deal, but doing it day in and day out is no easy task. 
• The third week I hit a 'stride' of sorts.  I felt like I had gotten used to it (sort of) and didn't have the hunger pangs like the second week.  It was still difficult, but not quite like the second week. 
• The fourth week I took a dive.  Every day was a struggle.  I was tired of getting up at 4am for breakfast.  I was tired of waiting until 5:30 to eat.  ugh.  Part of it was probably the anticipation that it would all be over. 

Ramadan ends with Eid al Fitr, a three day holiday.  Most people have off from work, and schools usually have a week long break (This year, Eid al Fitr ends before school starts, so for the first time since I've lived in Bahrain, we don't have a Ramadhan holiday). 

So what did I learn during my month of fasting?

1. Even though it is only fasting during the day (as opposed to typical christian fasting which lasts 24-48 hours), it is still difficult to do over a month. 
2. I realized that I didn't understand very much about Christian fasting?  Besides being commanded to do it, why are Christians supposed to fast?  How are Christians supposed to fast? 

Over the next month I hope to answer those questions and discuss more about Ramadan and why it is important to Muslims.