A-Siyaam

It's a lazy day. I'm sitting in my room trying not to use up too much energy or get too hot, since it is the first day of Ramadan and I'm fasting in solidarity with my friends here. I have not been forced or encouraged to fast. It's a personal thing and no one expects foreigners to do it, but I have fasted Ramadan before and I know it tends to bring people together, so I'm giving it a shot again at least for the first day. I like the way fasting forces your mind to transcend your body. I don't like the way your mouth feels like it's full of sand after 17 hours without water.

For those of you who don't know, Ramadan is a month of daily fasting to commemorate the month that the Quran was revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The word for fasting in Arabic (Siyaam) comes from the root that means to "refrain," and it is a fast that involves your entire body, mind and spirit. Not only do you refrain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset, but you must also refrain from all impurities and temptations. You are supposed to refrain from even hearing negative talk, insults and gossip, let alone producing them. It is a time of daily purification and intensive prayer which will last until weeks after I have left Egypt. 

Last night, a group from our program did as many locals do and stayed in a restaurant  until about 2 AM to eat a last meal before the Fagr, or dawn prayer. The fast lasts every day from the Fagr until the Maghreb, the evening prayer at sunset. August is a rough month for Ramadan because the days are at their longest, so there is a long, roasting wait before the Iftar meal that breaks the fast. Fast is always broken by eating a date and then some simple food or tea before a larger meal later in the evening. Ok, I need to stop talking about Iftar now because my transcended mind is starting to sink back down into my stomach, which is starting to notice my neglect.

It is interesting how Ramadan changes the rhythm of life here. Everyone who is Muslim is fasting, even kids who are old enough (around 10 and up). The only people who aren't are little kids, people who are sick or traveling, and women experiencing their monthly cycle (though they have to make up those days after Ramadan has finished). The fact that so many people are doing it means that things won't get effectively done between certain rough, hot hours of the day. People sleep late and conserve their energy, so the hours of most businesses change so that they can remain open late into the night when workers have more energy. There are decorations everywhere and lights hanging from houses. People in Egypt hang lanterns everywhere. Some of them sing little songs about Ramadan and Allah as they light up the nights in which families come together for Iftar. 

It is a beautiful holiday that I deeply respect, and I am lucky to have had the chance to be a part of it in Mali, Senegal, and now Egypt. I hope that some of you get the chance someday to see what I am talking about. 

I will write again very shortly, since I am trying to catch up and write entries about all of the things that have happened since I arrived.