Ramadan Primer: What do Muslims do during Ramadan and what should I do as a non-Muslim manager or colleague?

Today marks the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan for the vast majority of Muslims across the world, so I thought I’d put together a basic primer for anyone who wants an introduction to this month and explain what Muslims do and how it may (or may not) affect them at work.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan (also spelt “Ramadaan”, which is closer to the correct pronunciation of the Arabic word) is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic year.

There are many historical incidents of religious significance that have taken place during the month of Ramadan throughout the years; the most significant of these, in the Islamic tradition, is the first stage of the revelation of the Qur’an (Islam’s Holy Book which contains nothing other than God’s words).

According to the majority opinion in Islamic scholarship, it is during the month of Ramadan that the Archangel Jibreel (Gabriel) descended from the highest heaven to the lowest with the entire Qur’an, on the “Night of Power” (see below). The Qur’an was then slowly revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over the course of 23 years. Ramadan is often referred to as the “Month of the Qur’an”.

What do Muslims do during Ramadan and why?

Muslims are instructed by God, in the Qur’an, to fast during the month of Ramadan, as a continuation of the tradition of fasting that God had ordained for other nations in the past:

“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it had been prescribed for people before you, that you might attain Taqwa.” [2:183]

Although there is a growing body of evidence regarding the health benefits of fasting, the primary aim is to attain “taqwa”, which is often defined as piety that results from being conscious of God (and thus refraining from bad/evil deeds).

During Ramadan, religiously observant Muslims will refrain from eating and drinking anything throughout the day, essentially from dawn till dusk (before sunrise to shortly after sunset). At the current time of year (April 2020) in Britain, this equates to fasting from around 4am to 8pm and, as the month progresses and the days get longer, this will change until we fast from around 3am to 9pm.

Fasting is a religious obligation for Muslim adults and children over the age of puberty, who are fit and able. There are exceptions, including for those who cannot fast due to illness, those who are travelling (over a specified distance) and other instances where fasting would cause undue hardship.

Muslims will increase the number and duration of their prayers during this month and many would, ordinarily, attend their local mosque for the special Ramadan evening prayers, called “Taraweeh”. Although mosques throughout the world are currently closed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Muslims will undertake these prayers, and other devotions, at home.

The Taraweeh prayers begin approximately 1.5hrs after the fast has been broken – and they are quite long, as the intention is to complete one entire recital of the Qur’an over the month. The duration of the prayers varies from mosque to mosque depending on the speed of the recital but, on average, typically last between 1-2 hours. If you’ve ever seen the Muslim prayer, you’ll understand that this involves a lot of standing, bowing and prostrating, so overeating when breaking the fast is definitely not recommended!

If you start putting the pieces together, then you’ll note that (at the current time of year), Muslims will begin fasting around 4am, break their fast at around 8pm, (ordinarily) head to the mosque around 9.30pm and get home around 11.30ish. Most will then get a few hours' sleep, before waking up for a quick meal (called “Suhoor”) and the dawn prayers. Those who are particularly observant will have spent an additional portion of the night in prayer or reading the Qur’an. I’ve often found that the cumulative effect of reduced sleep can be the hardest aspect of fasting to deal with (during the summer months at least), moreso than the restricted intake of food & drink.

Inevitably, fasting makes one significantly more cognisant of, and empathetic towards, those around the world who are in a perpetual state of hunger and thirst.

Muslims will increase their levels of charity throughout this month, motivated by the promise of additional rewards from God during the holy month; according to the Charity Commission, British Muslim charities raise ￡100m of additional income during the month of Ramadan alone. The true figure of overall donations to charity is undoubtedly higher than this, as many Muslim families from migrant backgrounds will send donations directly to their home countries during this time, to support poorer family members and other locals, as well as donating to other local causes.

In addition to the physical aspects of fasting (i.e. refraining from food & drink), observant Muslims will seek to simultaneously undertake a ‘spiritual fast’, refraining from any actions that would be considered religiously undesirable. Many will also make a more concerted effort to observe their five daily prayers regularly and in a timely manner.

The last 10 days of Ramadan are particularly auspicious as Muslims believe that the Night of Power (“Laylat Al-Qadr” in Arabic) falls on one of the odd nights of the last 10 days of the month, with an increased probability of it being on the night of the 27th of Ramadan. The Qur’an describes the Night of Power as follows:

“Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Power. And what will make you know what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the Angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) by Allah’s permission with all Decrees. (All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.” [Surah Al-Qadr]

Muslims will increase their religious devotions during the last 10 nights, especially on the odd nights and particularly on the night of the 27th of Ramadan where it is common for people to stay awake the whole night until dawn.

When does Ramadan Start/Finish?

Ah, the million-dollar question! The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and, unlike the Gregorian calendar, is subject to the phases of the moon with a new moon signifying the start of a month.

Each lunar month, including Ramadan, has either 29 or 30 days and the beginning of a month is subject to the sighting of the moon, with most Muslims waiting for an announcement from one of the local or international religious councils regarding the start/end of Ramadan (or 500 simultaneous WhatsApp messages from friends & family!). Given the various factors involved in moon-sighting (visibility, location, time zones, etc.), it’s not uncommon for some Muslims to start/end Ramadan on different days.

Ramadan starts earlier in the Gregorian calendar every year; interestingly it takes 33 years for the lunar calendar to come back to the same point (i.e. it will be another 33 years before Ramadan starts at this exact time of year again).

The end of Ramadan brings with it the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which takes place on the 1st of Shawwal (the month after Ramadan). Lots of food, family & fun – for those of us who are blessed to have food and family.

What does all this mean for non-Muslim managers/colleagues?

If you care about your colleagues and like to have a happy workforce, just take everything above into consideration and empathise.

Ramadan affects different people in different ways. I’ve been blessed to work with wonderful non-Muslim colleagues who would go out of their way to not eat or drink in front of their Muslim colleagues during Ramadan. I’d always tell them that their eating/drinking didn’t bother me personally (it’s true!), but I appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. However, others might really be struggling with hunger pangs and watching someone devouring a delicious meal might not help - although it would definitely test their fortitude!

Sleep deprivation when you are fasting during the summer months is difficult and it can be hard to drag yourself out of bed. The alternative, which some people adopt, is to stay awake from dawn, but then you do miss out on a few hours of precious sleep. Basically, it’s hard to sync your sleep cycles to your work schedule during Ramadan, so do forgive your Muslim colleagues if they look/act a little worse for wear! A later start/finish time might be appreciated by some, if feasible.

As many Muslims will seek to be more observant about their five daily prayers, having a dedicated prayer space (or just a quiet corner somewhere) for your colleagues to pray would be appreciated. Flexibility around attending a local mosque for prayers would also go down well, although you'd probably want to be clear about any rules regarding breaks and making up missed time.

If you’re a line manager, you’ll likely receive leave requests around this time, particularly for periods during the last 10 days of Ramadan and almost definitely for the day of Eid al-Fitr. The latter is a very awkward request to make/receive: “Boss, can I please have the day off for Eid? The problem is, I’m not sure exactly when it will be, and I won’t know until the night before...”. Sorry – we don’t mean to make things awkward! If a significant proportion of your team is Muslim then this can cause an issue, so it's good to plan ahead and to be transparent about business needs and the decision-making process.

None of this is rocket science… It’s just about trying to be helpful - where practicable. And now that you have a bit of an insight into what it’s like to be a Muslim during Ramadan you’ll be able to figure out for yourself how best to deal with the various situations that might arise.

Although we all appreciate it when our colleagues and managers take the effort to understand what we’re going through and endeavour to accommodate us as best they can, the world doesn’t grind to a halt during Ramadan - nor was it ever intended to. The world keeps turning and those of us blessed to have jobs keep working, including Muslims observing the month of Ramadan. Some of us just might be a bit more tired/"hangry" than usual!

(Personally, I find that fasting actually gives me an energy boost (a phenomenon that has been reported by others, including intermittent fasters), particularly if I drink plenty of water and eat the right foods during the non-fasting hours, although it’s natural to flag at the end of a long day. The lack of sleep is what gets most people during the lengthier days, including yours truly!)

The reality is that most Muslims who are fasting won't need/want any special treatment, but the fact that you've made the effort to find out about something that matters to them and asked them how they're getting on will mean a great deal.

Finally, your Muslims colleagues should really be endeavouring to be even nicer to you and everyone else during this month! If you happen to work with a Muslim colleague who ordinarily has a dour or downright miserable disposition, feel free to remind them that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known for his pleasant character and informed us that smiling is a form of charity - and it’s Ramadan now so they’ll get even more reward for smiling! One of two things might happen: you’ll either get a scowl or an attempt at a smile that is Joker-esque and scarier than their scowl, but at least it’s a start – they just need a bit more practice as those particular facial muscles are probably atrophied from underuse!

What a wonderful world we’d live in if we all smiled at each other a bit more :)

Useful Ramadan glossary:

Eid al-Fitr: The day of celebration that marks the end of Ramadan (there is another Eid, “Eid al-Adha”, which takes place later in the year)

"Eid Mubarak": Term used to celebrate the arrival of the day of Eid

Iftar: The meal eaten to break the fast

Laylat al-Qadr: The Night of Power, the most auspicious night of the year in the Islamic tradition and the night during which the Qur’an was sent down

Qur’an: The Islamic holy text, believed to be the speech of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) via the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel)

Sehri: The time around dawn when fasting begins

Suhoor: The meal eaten before fasting begins

Taqwa: Often defined as piety that results from being conscious of God

Taraweeh: The special evening prayer during the month of Ramadan

"Ramadan Mubarak" / "Ramadan Kareem": Terms used to celebrate the arrival of the month of Ramadan (akin to the usage of terms such as “Merry Christmas”).

Ramadan/Ramadaan: Holiest month of the Islamic calendar and the month of fasting for Muslims