“No not event water”

As a fasting Muslim the most common question myself and fellow Muslims get asked (with a horrified look) is, “you can’t even have water?!” It makes me smile every time – even though I’m probably dying of thirst as they ask me (I’m kidding).

But, no, not even water…

Ramadan shifts approximately 11 days earlier each year so Muslims experience it in different seasons throughout the course of their lives. Personally, I prefer fasting in December months where it can be an easy 10 hour fast as opposed to fasting in summer which can last up to 20 hours in the heat. And yep, still ‘not even water’.

But I survive each time and live to tell the tale (a few stones lighter mind), so I would like to share what Ramadan means to me. Hold on tight…it’s a long one.

For me, Ramadan reinforces the need to be thankful. It reminds me and makes me more appreciative of the food and drink I have available as opposed to the less fortunate – it has completely changed my mindset. I’m thankful to God to be lucky enough to have food on the table – something we may take for granted.

Fasting is completed to remind Muslims of those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It allows us to break bad habits and encourages us to be a model human being with the intention that good behaviours will become habits for life. It’s a month to help purify your mind, body and soul and a time to ask God for forgiveness, repent, and increase charity donations.

In other months I will usually have breakfast, lunch, dinner etc as a normal routine without stopping and thinking about it. Ramadan changes this thought process. Little changes from even finishing the last bit of food on your plate! I also increase my charity provision in this month as the rewards from God are 70 times increased, so just like everyone else, I’ll definitely have a cut of that! The odds of 70 to 1 definitely are quids in!

A key thing for me and how I see Ramadan is that it’s a hard reset. You know when your PC, laptop, or phone gets sluggish and keeps glitching out and your apps are crashing in the middle of something important, your forced to do a hard reset. After that reset things run smooth again and all your apps work fine and load quickly – that’s exactly how Ramadan feels for me.

It resets me mentally, physically, and spiritually.

You may be wondering, how. Mentally and spiritually, I learn to appreciate the things I have taken for granted. It reminds me of the Almighty God and it has a spiritual vibe where I focus on trying to increase reading the Quran which teaches me to be kind and help others. A lot of it is positive, which unfortunately is incorrectly portrayed in the media.

Physically my body is repairing and I feel so much better in myself. Even though I am starvin marvin near the opening time of the fast I struggle to eat the large portion of food in front of me which I would usually eat. The saying ‘your eyes are bigger than your belly’ always comes to mind in the first few fasts when I make a table full of food!

Of course, a change of dynamics for a month of fasting does have some initial teething problems. Some days I feel more tired than others but other days, whilst fasting, I feel more energetic. Waking up to eat for the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) can be especially hard as I love my sleep and trying to eat at that time isn’t easy…even for a foodie like me.

You would usually see me with a cuppa and breakfast at 9am but instead I feel my stomach and head start to go – I get the dreaded (but expected) headache, stomach rumbles, and sluggishness. Luckily these feelings start to fade after a week, and I start feeling full of energy.

The final 10 days of Ramadan are generally where prayers and remembering God is usually increased. Myself and fellow Muslims prefer to book these days off as annual leave to be able to fully immerse ourselves in spirituality and prayers and reap the 70 to 1 rewards before the blessed month is over for another year.

End of Ramadan

The end of Ramadan marks the celebration of the festival Eid. The best way to describe Eid celebrations is ‘It’s Christmaaaas!’. There are two separate Eid days in Islam – Yep, I get two Christmas’ 😊

On Eid I try to visit the mosque for Eid prayer then visit family and friends for a meal. Sometimes we will have traditional Pakistani food; Samosas, Seekh kebabs, curry, Biriyani…I have to stop typing as it’s making my mouth water, but the list goes on. Other times we will have a roast chicken with potatoes, gravy and all the trimmings. The evening ends with exchanging gifts and money, playing board games and just enjoying the day together.

Ramadan and policing

I can honestly say, working within West Merica Police, the force and line managers have all been supportive.

There are many things you can do to help ease your journey through Ramadan and still be able to perform your duty. I usually put a request for some shift changes to be slightly earlier or later to coincide with Suhoor and Iftar times (opening and closing of fast). I also usually try and take some time off particularly in the final week to be able to increase prayers etc for Eid. I wasn’t aware of this when I joined the Police Service but my best friend once told me ‘If you don’t ask you don’t get’.

So, if you’re preparing to fast for Ramadan, speak to your line manager – don’t be scared to have that discussion. You’ll be able to come to an arrangement that can work for both your shift and for you. Maybe give your line manager a copy of the Ramadan timetable so they are aware of timings and things are clear and transparent. It’s about working together to meet everyone’s objectives.

To line managers and Chief Officers, firstly, thank you for helping my Ramadan experience within the police service be smooth. I’m grateful for accommodating my annual leave during this time and allowing shift changes to fit in with Suhoor and Iftar.

My advice to you is to be aware if a member of your team is fasting. They may seem tired or lethargic and just not as productive or unusually quiet. Consider what jobs you allocate, but most importantly have that conversation and discuss your needs and their needs and find a way to assist. You can work together and find a solution that helps everyone!

Thank you so much for taking time out to read my experience. There is also guidance on the College of Policing website if you would like more information https://www.college.police.uk/article/ramadan-guidance-released-support-police-forces

PC San RAHIM West Mercia Police