For a Muslim who is new to the faith, embracing a new identity and way of life poses some difficult questions, the most important being, “Am I ready?” While many of the obligations of Islam are comparatively easier to adapt to, fasting is a more severe test. To go without food or drink for more than 15 hours can be unnerving, but with temperatures close to 50 degrees Celsius this summer it’s a daunting task. But there is more to fasting than bodily deprivation.
“Being Chinese I did not have a decisive religion of my own,” says Aisha (formerly known as Yuanxin Ci), 36, a new Muslim experiencing Ramadan for the first time. “When I came to the UAE four years ago I was fascinated by Islam and embraced it. “I found it quite tedious to fast and work simultaneously. I run my own business so my days are always hectic. I was quite all right on the first two days but by the third my energy levels slumped.
“However, there is a miracle in prayers. I reminded myself who this act of worship is for and generally willed myself on. Ramadan and fasting ground you in the reality of life, it instils a sense of appreciation for all the things we otherwise take for granted.”
Fasting is not new for Filipina Hameda (Glenda Gerlen), 36, as she had done it before. “To forgo food, drink and all temptations of the body was an experience I had educated myself about but could not imagine,” she says.
Her journey into Islam came from respect and curiosity about the way the faith treats its women and how people are so obedient to the call for prayer. “It isn’t easy to take on a new way of life but I did because I felt peace in this journey and learning,” says Hameda. “No class or lecture could prepare me for the fast because that is a personal experience. On the first day I had cramps and felt weak but I prayed for strength and guidance. I overcame [my difficulties] and trust that the remaining month will just get easier.”
Keeping strong in the face of temptation is not easy. A lot depends on the company you keep and your lifestyle. If it weren’t for his Muslim friends, Mohammad (Fuakanji Menkoh), 33, from Cameroon would not be marking his first Ramadan as a Muslim this year. “My roommates and colleagues are mostly Muslims,” he says. “I would see them pray, fast and practise their religion. I was drawn by the simplicity of their lifestyle and realised I was missing something in my own religion and accepted Islam.
“Fasting is not difficult for me as I have been respecting the abstinence with my friends for the past two years. But to fast and feel spiritual upliftment is altogether rewarding. It takes proper preparation at both a mental and physical level to change one’s religion and participate in its clauses of conduct."
“Islam is a lifestyle,” says Bilal (Kiran Kumar Gajula), 31, from India. “Most often people are attracted to understand it and know more because they see good practices by Muslims. I had close family friends who were Muslim and from a young age I felt a sense of serenity with them. As a Hindu, when I moved to the UAE from my home town in Andhra Pradesh I was further exposed to Islamic culture. From there on my quest began and I reverted. Fasting gives a sense of bliss and humility to the mercies we have.”
Hayat Tkachuk, 26, from the Ukraine seconds his opinion. “When you embrace a religion you must be an embodiment of it,” she says. “Becoming a Muslim was a life-changing decision for me. My family said I [would be] sinning if I changed my religion. But I made an informed decision and decided to stand true to the rules of Islam. "Fasting during Ramadan is one of its important pillars. All else becomes trivial when the voice in your heart says you have to do this for Allah. That gives you a power that is so unique and rewarding.”
Looking back at the first fast of Ramadan, Mariam (Maris Cofino), 27, from the Philippines smiles when she says, “I was travelling that day and could have easily skipped the fast but that would have made me a weak Muslim. I was on a flight and they were serving delicious food. It was tough resisting it, but I reminded myself of my intention to fast. I stayed strong and made it through. I think once we pass that first step, the rest is easy.”
