It's 3 am, and the alarm on my phone starts playing ‘HOTTOGO.’ I pick up my phone, rubbing my eyes and a message flashes on my screen.
"Happy Ramadan, Love Jenny xx"
It’s the first morning of Ramadan, and just when I’m struggling to get up and the caffeine withdrawal symptoms are kicking in, this is exactly the pick-me-up I need.
Ramadan is one of the most important months in the Islamic calendar, and it’s a time when we, as Muslims, give up food and drink between dawn and dusk for the month. And before you ask, yes, even water.
However, it’s about more than giving up food and water. It’s also a time for giving yourself a spiritual MOT, focusing on self-care, and being your best version of yourself, both for yourself as well as for the world around you. And let’s face it, how often do we get the opportunity to really focus on ourselves and our well-being?
So, while Ramadan may sound tough (I’ll be the first to admit the lack of sleep, especially when you can’t have coffee to stop you yawning), it's actually an uplifting experience in many ways.
It is also a time of self-reflection and for being grateful for what you've got. And every Ramadan, one of the biggest things I'm grateful for are my friends who go out of their way to support me during this month.
Ramadan is a time for self-care, and that's exactly how I view my beauty routine.
A big part of Ramadan is a sense of community and what community looks like to you and for me, that community is my friends of all faiths and belief systems and none at all.
“Ramadan is about connecting with family, friends and loved ones – going through something together, achieving something together, eating together,” said TV presenter Mehreen Baig, who shares her Ramadan experiences in ‘The Story of Ramadan’ on Disney Plus. “Because you are reconnecting with who you are as a person, that includes reconnecting with your friends and what friendship means to you.”
While obviously, my friendships are important all year round, during Ramadan, it takes it up to another level, which, for me, is an important part of my fasting journey.
Often, it's the small things that make the biggest difference, like when my mates organise going for a meal a bit later to accommodate when I am able to eat or buying me a chocolate muffin to save for later.
And guys, while we are here, just so you know, if you accidentally offer me a crisp or eat some chocolate in front of me, then feel like a contestant from The Traitors, I won't be offended, in fact I will love you more because I know it means you care.
Sometimes, when you are not familiar with navigating conversations around Ramadan. It's hard to get your head around, and the fact that you made an effort means a lot to me.
Having that sense of community around me gets me up in the mornings, in some cases literally (thanks, Jenny), because Ramadan can be a lonely time without friends to support you.
“Ramadan can be quite tough. I’ve struggled a lot with my faith since I was young, but my friends guide me, but not in a weird or rude way, not where I feel pressured in any way,” said Ayat Fatima, 20, a student from London.
“My friends are so important to me, but during Ramadan being able to fast together makes me feel like I’m in a community, even if it is just me and my three girls. The nicest thing I experienced is one of my non-Muslim friends actually fasts with us for a day. She will get up, send me a video to let me know she’s awake and what she’s eating. Ramadan feels like it’s our time.”
Ayat’s mate isn’t the only one. In fact, it's a trend which has gone viral on Tik Tok for the past couple of years, where non-Muslim friends have shared their experiences of fasting with their Muslim friends.
Among them is Ioana Griffin, 22, who decided to fast last year with her best friend, Iman, who is Muslim. “My bestie is Muslim and during Ramadan, I would sometimes go to her house and see the rituals like making food and stuff, and her mum would always give me stuff to take home,” said Ioana.
“There was a real sense of it being joyful. I wanted to see what it was like to fast and share the experience to support Iman. It was really hard. I smelt chicken and chips while walking past KFC and I could taste the smell. It really made me understand what it is like for people. But I could also see the good side of it, the way people come together.”
Whether it is messages like Jenny's and from my dozens of other friends wishing me Ramadan Mubarak (Ramadan blessings) or going for ‘non-coffees’ when we meet and hang out minus the caffeine, but with all the chat, they always make me feel loved.
Whether you wish me a Happy Ramadan or a 'you've got this,' my friends are my best reminders of what I have to be grateful for this month.
The small yet meaningful acts of support that matter.
