Celebrating Ramadan at TeacherActive

Every year, Muslims fast as part of their celebration of Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic calendar. Fasting during this time means consuming no food, water or medicine from when the sun rises. Once the sun sets the fast is broken with Iftar, which includes a celebratory meal with friends and family.

Our diversity and inclusion committee, Empower, runs dozens of events throughout the year, championing the differences in our race, sexualities, religions, gender identities, and cultures. Along with Empower Champion Ayla Ata, a Resourcer from our Birmingham office, Empower hosted a fast-a-day challenge for the team to understand and reflect with their Muslim colleagues. We spoke to Ayla and members of the team about the importance of fasting for Ramadan and how they found the experience.

Why do Muslims fast?

Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which lay the basis for how Muslims are required to live their lives.

The other pillars are the profession of faith, prayer five times a day, zakat - a form of charity, and making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca once in their lifetime. Fasting during Ramadan is meant to encourage spiritual reflection.

Muslims have an early morning meal before dawn, known as suhoor or sehri.

During the day, they are not supposed to eat or drink anything - including water - until after sunset, when they break their fast with an evening meal, called iftar or fitoor.

Some Muslims are however exempt from fasting. They include children who have not reached puberty, pregnant or breastfeeding women, menstruating women, those who are ill or whose health could be affected by fasting and those who are travelling.

What is the fast-a-day challenge?

On Tuesday 18th March, we asked our teams to join in a day of fasting and document their experiences. They ate a large meal between 4:00 and 4:30 am, stopped eating at 5 am and then fasted until sunset at 6:18 pm.

Fasting misconceptions

There are many fasting misconceptions as Ayla explained, the first being how long people fast: “People think we fast for 30 days straight which is not correct, we fast from sunrise to sunset consecutively for 30 days. Most people don't realise you can't even have water during this time! You also can't smoke, vape, ingest any oral medication or have anything consumed or going past the throat. Ramadan is not just to do with hunger, it is about being forgiving and kind and focusing on mindfulness. We break our fast with dates, they provide instant energy, contain anti-inflammatory products and promote digestive health.”

“Once you have fasted, you will become grateful for the small things we take for granted, like having a cup of tea/coffee in the morning. You will become more mindful of the less fortunate who do not have a lot to eat and drink throughout the day. Plus, when you eventually eat at the end of the day, you will have forgotten you even fasted!”

The fast-a-day challenge feedback

Over 30 members of the team who do not normally fast took part in the challenge, not eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset. Here’s what they thought:

“Our day of fasting brought renewed respect for those doing it for 30 times longer! Spent the day very, very thirsty, that was the most challenging bit.” – Richard Taylor, Chief Operating Officer.

“I managed to stock up well on food for the morning, however, really struggled throughout the day without water, but mostly caffeine. The withdrawal headache kicked in too soon in the day, which has made me reflect on the amount of caffeine I consume.” Mia Jones, Risk and Compliance Manager

 “I had so many conversations on Tuesday about how this experience made us feel - and the top answer was 'grateful.' It was so lovely to reflect on the things that we take for granted and separate ourselves from the trivial inconveniences of day-to-day life.” Emily Johns, HR Administrator

“Throughout the day, I was conscious of others in the office drinking water, and it gave me a small appreciation of how that must feel to those who fast for weeks, not just a day. Those who fast for religious reasons do so quietly, yet many of us who tried it for only a day were very vocal about how hard it was. Ayla, thank you for giving us a very small insight into how it feels to observe Ramadan.” Audrey Lucy, Chief People Officer

“As someone who fasts in Ramadan, it was nice to see other people take part in the challenge... it shows how supportive people can be of each other religions/cultures. I know it's hard abstaining from food and drink for a whole day, so I have huge respect for everyone who fasted.” Nasir Uddin, Recruitment Consultant


 

“I’d like to extend my utmost admiration for everyone who fasts for the entire month because it isn’t easy! The main thing that I found challenging was waking up to eat/drink before the sun came up. I struggled to get enough sleep in pre/post wake up for the day ahead which in turn made not eating even tricker! It was a very enjoyable experience, I’m glad I took part.” Ben Frankland, Recruitment Consultant

“For me, the day of fasting was about more than just refraining from food. It was a great mental challenge that pushed me to remind myself, "I can do this." Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it! I have so much respect for those who fast for 30 days, especially when the days are longer. Thank you for helping me see things differently and become more grateful for what we have. What we often take for granted is a luxury for others.” Heniya Azzerghni, Resourcer

“I opted to eat more than I would the evening before and to then wake at 4 am for water only.  I think this worked for me as I woke and felt fine but wanted some more water… As the morning progressed, I did have to consciously not get a drink, but this urge faded through the day. I also started to get a dry mouth in the middle of the day and that followed me through to the end which reminded me what I was doing.” David Freeth, Chief Financial Officer

“It’s not something I’ve ever done before, and I had no appreciation for how it would feel. I found the morning challenging and by 2 pm my concentration was impacted. After 2 pm things got a little easier, but I was glad when 6:20 came around and the date and glass of water felt like the best meal I’d ever had… I now feel like I have much better insight and empathy for those who fast regularly.” Robin Browett, Chief Financial Officer

“This was tough, as someone who has never fasted before I didn’t quite know what to expect and I underestimated it from the get-go. The biggest challenge I faced was just not drinking anything through the day, it involved a level of willpower I didn’t think I had but I’m proud I saw it through to the bitter end!” Josh Watton, Recruitment Consultant

“Firstly, I commend anyone who chooses to fast, if the 4 am alarm was not an eye opener the 3 pm headache from dehydration certainly was. It made me have a firsthand experience of what employees may be feeling during these 30 days and think of ways I could better support them whilst at work. Thank you to Ayla for organising and giving words of encouragement throughout the day.” Fran Heath, Compliance Team Leader

To find out more about our diversity and inclusion team, our events or anything in between, email [email protected]