Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting and prayer... a time to focus on Allah and self-denial, "making up" for the the bad they have done through out the year. Muslims here generally fast all food and water (some refraining from swallowing their saliva) from just before sunrise to sunset. After which the family and extended family and friends join together for Fatuur (break-fast). Just prior to the Fatuur they pray and then break their fast by eating a date. Fatuur is generally a large shared meal. After Fatuuring, they then pray again and retire with family for the evening. They usually eat at least once more before sunrise in the morning as well. It's believed that one night during this month of fasting is the "Night of Power". On this night if one stays up praying and fasting all night, he will be granted automatic access into heaven. The only trick is that this night is not known this side of death-- one can guess and carry out the fasting and praying, but if performed on the wrong night, it does not "count".
Pretty much everything stops around 5:00 pm here; Businesses, in general, close even earlier, around 3:00pm, in preparation for fatuur. If caught without a ride around 5-6pm, good luck! The streets are empty, shops are closed; everyone is fatuuring! Everything then re-opens after fatuur around 8-9:00 pm.
Since the start of Ramadan we have been unable to teach English club, as their requested class time would be around 9:30 pm to 11:00 pm. While we love to teach and thoroughly enjoy the discussions that arise, going to sleep around midnight when we have get up around 5 am would be brutal! We explained our dilemma and are searching for someone else to pick up the slack in our absense.
Jess' Visa Update: Still MIA; although it was seen by Eddy at the visa office with a plethora of other US passports. They keep telling us to come back tomorrow... Eddy is not amused.Housing Update: We're still on the hunt, as our little house will be receving its normal tenants back from the states here in a few weeks. We sure have loved this place- great area, nice size, wonderful little hosch (patio)...
Photos: Jess by the Nile, a short walk during fatuur time... The Nile swells and receeds a lot during this time, with heavy rains in the south... The market area- you can pay a boy about $1-2 to cart around your goods as you shop (a great way to support industry and hard work!)... Eddy sweeping after a Haboob(dust storm)- it's nice having a hosch, except during haboob season, where we will sweep up a pile like this every couple of days... argh!
1 comment:
Thanks for filling us in on this part of their belief. We were just talking about this the other day and suggested our girls ask you. As part of our homeschool we have been studying some different religions. Many of the books we have been reading to go with the time period of history we are studying have had Muslim characters. It is great opportunity to teach our girls and contrast the various beliefs with what we put our faith in.
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