Ramadan Kareem

Well, friends, I'm here in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia--the city where I made most of my childhood memories. It is a unique, bewildering, bewitching nation of paradoxes, ruled by the arbitrary.

It's currently 113 degrees and blindingly sunny, and our three-room "house" feels stuffy and crowded. Our overworked air-conditioning faithfully cranks in each room, blowing out semi-stale air in an attempt to keep us cool. 

It's Friday afternoon, and, having finished with the noon prayers (Friday is the Muslim holy day, equivalent to Sunday in America) the whole city lies still. Normally, now would be the time for families to gather to eat a large, late lunch, followed by more sleeping or football-watching. Most people don't stir outside their homes until after sundown. 

This is the seventh day of Ramadan, however, which means even more napping and less activity during the day--everyone is hungry, thirsty, and tired, and few businesses will even open before 9 p.m. 

Ramadan is a holy, month-long time of fasting in Islam--something very culturally and spiritually significant to many. I observed Ramadan for the first time when I was 9, and it has become something I greatly value and enjoy as part of my Arab heritage. 

The fast begins at the Fajr prayer, which this year is around 4:45 am. Families will rise around 4:00 for the sahoor meal, which traditionally consists of foods like goat cheese, watermelon, eggs, and bread. These foods were meant to provide nutrients necessary for enduring long days in the desert--i.e., salt, water, sugar, protein, etc. After prayers, many will return to bed for a few hours, while others will stay awake in prayer or meditation before starting the day. 

Muslims will abstain from all food, drink, smoking, and sex for the duration of the day, only breaking the fast at the sounding of the maghrib prayer at sunset, which this year is approximately 6:45 pm. Upon hearing the adhan--call to prayer--we will usually break fast with a date and some water. Prayers follow, then the iftar meal. The evening will be spent in visiting relatives or friends, enjoying tea and delicacies, and, for many, late night shopping. The city really leaps to life after the Isha prayers, around 8 pm, and some don't return home until 4 am, in order to have sahoor and begin again. Many other faithfuls will spend the evenings in the mosque, listening to the  Qu'ran read aloud over loudspeakers. 

The city is famous for having a mosque at every street corner, so the booming voices of the imams, chanting the Holy Book, will often be heard above the street noise. It's surreal. 

Participating in Ramadan as a Christian is a unique and deeply meaningful experience for me. I enjoy the challenge and the spiritual reward of the fast, but, more than anything, the chance to be a part of this culture is precious to me. Islam is a beautiful religion, and the sense of unity and devotion I sense in Muslim relatives, friends, and strangers is inspiring and unique. Indeed, I really feel more warmth and sincerity in many Muslims than in much of the "church" I've encountered in the States. Here, the spiritual is interwoven unapologeticly into every aspect of life--TV programs are interrupted by "Ramadan Kareem" messages, people greet each other with "Peace to you, and many mercies from God!", and believers drop everything five times a day to retreat for prayer. 

These are my father's people.