Observation Unveiled

Reporting to you live...

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR-qlUaWsKE

Research from: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawm

http://www.thekitchn.com/ramadan-when-its-ok-to-eat-and-94989

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/sawm.shtml

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Healthyramadan/Pages/fastingdietplan.aspx

http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/Islam/five_pillars_of_Islam.aspx

Experiment Phase 8

Followed by excitement was the most anticipated event of all: Eid-ul-Fitr, beginning at the first sight of the new moon. This is when the month of Ramadan came to a close. It lasted a total of three days and was most definitely my favorite part. It was celebrated with an extravagant feast in the middle of the day as the final breaking of the fast. The holiday was filled with family and friend reunions, new clothing, and gifts for the children. Everyone's homes were decorated and there were all kinds of festivities in the streets. I dressed in my best clothes in those special days, spent time at the mosque for prayer, and thanked the Lord for giving me the strength to survive my first Ramadan, with a newfound sense of self-control that never would have been discovered without living this experience.

Photo Source: http://muslimvillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Eid-kids-600x399.jpg

Photo Source: http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/424575-image-1345451400-879-640x480.jpg

Photo Source: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-120818-eid-cannon-05.photoblog900.jpg

Photo Source: http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/files/2011/08/tahrir-eid.jpg

http://lailatours.com/home/images/muslim-calendar/Eid_al-Fitr.jpg

Photo Source: http://cdn.theweek.co.uk/sites/theweek/files/styles/theweek_article_main_image/public/eid_al-fitr.jpg?itok=72SALv2r

Experiment Phase 7

The days felt longer, but I was getting used to the whole cycle. The time gave me a chance to reflect on why I was doing what I was doing and form a more personal and intimate relationship to God, also known as Allah, who was new to me. I was able to demonstrate love and faith in Him and show my dedication by abstaining from all that is taken for granted (food, drink, sex, speech, action). It gave me the opportunity to learn about the laws of the Quran that people abide by and concentrate on the four other pillars of Islam (Faith - Shahada, Prayer - Salat, Charity - Zakat, Pilgrimage to Mecca - Hajj).

Photo Source: http://ymaonline.org/sites/default/files/pictures/ramadan-in-quran.jpg

Although I am not truly Muslim, I treated the holy book and religious tradition as if it were my own and held it close to my heart, praying seriously as everyone else did. By obeying, I was forced to control my desires, and devote every part of myself to God. If I could describe it in one phrase, I would say it felt like a purification period or a cleansing of all sins, like a baptism. It is a simple sacrifice to help earn a place in paradise, similar to a rite of passage. It taught me the definition of belief, discipline, benevolence, appreciation, patience, and wellbeing.

Photo Source: http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/ramadan081712/s_r01_RTR35A9L.jpg

Experiment Phase 6

The happiness surrounding me kept rising as the weeks neared an end. I could not help but wonder, though, what would happen if someone knowingly broke the fast. The thought occurred to me, and the next day I witnessed it happen before my own eyes. A defiant man was punished, just as any other Muslim would be during Ramadan, no matter the country. He had to pay either by freeing a slave, fasting for two consecutive lunar months, or feeding and/or clothing 60 people in need. I guess he had to learn his lesson somehow. It was unfortunate because of how close he was to finishing, but hopefully he felt rewarded after giving back to a charitable cause. Surprisingly, if a Muslim accidentally broke the fast, the individual was supposed to continue as if nothing had ever happened. This reminds me of the exceptions to committing a single sin.

Photo Source: http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs085/1101587312955/img/25.jpg?a=1110743029745

Experiment Phase 5

After the sweet, succulent snack, I was satisfied for the time being. I participated in the evening prayer, or Salat-ul Maghrib, which is the fourth of five prayers performed daily by Muslims.

Photo Source: http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/11/10/ansari_zoom.jpg

Then I performed an additional night worship especially for Ramadan called tarawih, after which I could look forward to a wholesome and proper meal. In the streets the Muslims were in uplifted spirits, and it seemed like together as a community, they were joyful. Later on came the much appreciated third meal of the day, which was an occasion for family and friends to get together. I relished in the classic foods of Afghanistan: kebabs, manto (meat wrapped in pasta), kabuli palaw (rice with lentils, raisins, carrots, and lamb), and bolani (flat bread filled with vegetables). 

Photo Source: http://www.al-muslim.fr/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tarawih.jpg

Experiment Phase 4

The pangs of hunger hit suddenly after a few hours. I became weak and empty as I expected, but only temporarily until those feelings subsided and almost faded because the discomfort became a part of me. The thirst, the dehydration and dry mouth came later as if all the liquid, all the water in my body, was absorbed.

In that moment of helplessness, I pondered. I was the one choosing to put myself through this agony as a test, while the Muslims were bound to it as a religious practice, but we had the ability to stop or back out at any time. I began to feel pity for the poor who had no choice but to suffer, starve and become parched. Then I figured it out...that was the point, or at least part of it.

It made me forget about my own complaints and aware that others had no control over the resources that were available to them, which put things into perspective. So what was left of the first day was by no means difficult to endure. I broke the fast at sunset with a special meal known as iftar made up of dates and water, which is said to follow the steps of the holy Prophet Muhammed, who is God's messenger.

Photo Source: http://images.inmagine.com/400nwm/iris/grapheastrm-002/ptg00793597.jpg

Experiment Phase 3

I took part with the rest in eating a large meal, also called suhur, just before dawn. I had to be as prepared as I could be for the long hours of daylight ahead of me. It wasn't necessary, but for a first timer like me, I saw it as an opportunity I was not willing to pass up. I needed something filling, long-lasting, nutritious and healthy, even if it was not normal for me to feast that early, before the sunrise hit.

So I indulged in a traditional Suhur cuisine...

Photo Source: http://www.piuculture.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Suhur.jpg

And it was like nothing else I had ever had. I would compare it to the equivalent of the American breakfast, except better; it is a meal I would never want to miss or skip. Might I add there were no restrictions aside from the normal limitations of a Muslim's diet. I drank several glasses of water, and had dates, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, cereal, cheese, and toast, which were all customary to Islam. I also tried a Konafah phyllo pastry, special to the Middle East tradition, which was cheesy, dough-like, and delicious.

Afterwards I had to recite the pre-dawn call to prayer, or azaan-ul-Fajr. 

Photo Source: http://tubbyz.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/islam_prayer.jpg