Long days, short nights, shared Iftar: My Ramadan experience in Beijing

On a sunny Sunday evening, the eve of Ramadan, I was standing on the balcony of my living room on the 13th floor at the Jianguomenwai Diplomatic Residence in Beijing, looking towards the east with the hope of sighting the Ramadan new moon. In China, Muslim communities rely on astronomical calculations, which had predicted that […]

On a sunny Sunday evening, the eve of Ramadan, I was standing on the balcony of my living room on the 13th floor at the Jianguomenwai Diplomatic Residence in Beijing, looking towards the east with the hope of sighting the Ramadan new moon.

In China, Muslim communities rely on astronomical calculations, which had predicted that Ramadan’s crescent would be born on May 4 at 22:47 GMT, but it might not be visible.

By Sunday evening, calculations by astronomers had said the new moon should be visible to the naked eye, though the actual visibility depends on factors such as atmospheric conditions and cloudiness.

But the possibility of sighting a new crescent in China is very slim due to the absence of sparkling blue skies occasioned by household and industrial emissions. By the time I was looking for the Ramadan moon, a grey haze had blanketed the atmosphere, dashing any hope of seeing the crescent with naked eyes.

Amid thought of how to get information about the commencement of Ramadan in China, I quickly realized that my search for the crescent was unnecessary as Sunday, May 5, was the last day of Sha’ban. So, the next day is automatically the first of Ramadan.

Fasting in a non-Muslim country is quite different from Ramadan in Muslim regions where one could feel the atmosphere of joy, with exchange of greetings like ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ and ‘Ramadan Kareem’.

Despite having an estimated 23 million Muslim population, 250,000 of whom are in the capital city, the atmosphere in Beijing was not Ramadanic save the frontage of the nearby NanXiapo Mosque that was decorated with colourful, including Chinese, flags.

Before Isha’i prayer, the mosque was packed with faithful, both men and women, who had thronged the place of worship to refresh their knowledge on the etiquettes of Ramadan. The sincerity of their devotion was most moving.

One of the Imams sermonised the congregation briefly on Ramadan’s dos and don’ts. The first Taraaweeh prayer was 20 rakaats with short chapters of the Glorious Qur’an.

Ramadan requires Muslims to fast between dawn and sunset, which varies according to region. In Polar Regions, for example, the period may exceed 22 hours in summer.

In Beijing, the fasting period is approximately 17 hours because Ramadan falls in the summer solstice, when the days are longest and the nights shortest. Fasting starts as early as 3.20am and we break around 7.30pm. This is almost three hours longer than in Nigeria.

After Taraaweeh prayer, which ends at about quarter to 10.00pm, I would eat before going to bed. And before I could fall asleep, it’s almost time to get up for Sahur.

But as a Muslim who has fasted during Ramadan for as long as I can remember, I quickly fell into a daily routine of waking at 02:00 for Sahur, pray tahajjud, read the Qur’an and go back to bed after Sub’hi prayer at 04:15.

Little things like having family around or having the food you want to eat at Iftar are easily taken for granted. I was lucky to see professional colleagues from different countries become family.

We often have shared Iftar in a family setting. At exactly 7.30pm on the first day of Ramadan, eager hands reached for dates brought by a Somali colleague, Muhammad Usman, to break fast. Afterward, we surrounded a buffet-style table and shared a dinner of assorted fruits, chicken, vegetables and juices.

My Ramadan experience in Beijing has deepened my understanding and allowed me to see Ramadan through the eyes of others, especially those living in a non-Muslim country. Before the commencement of Ramadan, many of my Muslim colleagues, who are also experiencing their first Ramadan in China, had expressed mixed feelings.

“This is my first Ramadan in a foreign country and it is one experience I never imagined,” said Mubarak Mugabo from Uganda.

“In my country – Uganda, when it is Ramadan, it’s so special that everyone talks it, mosques get to full capacity, and businesses get to depression.

“This is not the case in China; I’m surprised it’s business as usual and I’m like in my own world. It’s however good so far, the first day is a blessing for me because I have seen the other side of the world in Ramadan.”

For Fathimath Sara, from Maldives, the Adhan (call to prayer) blaring across the city was what she missed the most.

“For me, Ramadan is certainly different here in Beijing where I never hear the sound of prayer call from mosques. I mention this because this is one thing I miss the most.

“The meal times back home during Ramadan is lively, here it gets a bit lonely but I have friends from around the world to make me feel better,” she said.

Ramadan is a time for connection, seeking nearness to Allah and practicing self-restrain. This includes connecting even further with the faithful.

During shared Iftar, I speak regularly with Muslim colleagues, including non-Muslims, about Ramadan and Islam. The discourse is, indeed, worthwhile as it helps those with little or no knowledge about Islam gain a better understanding of the religion.

After an insightful exchange, a Namibian colleague, Elvis Muraranganda said, “observing the Iftar with my Muslim brothers was a soul-moving experience.

“As a non-Muslim, I had varied perceptions about Islam and the Muslim community. A lot of it was based on the notion that Muslims are simply people who cannot co-exist with others and on a world domination mission.

“Terrorism was the first word that came to mind when I heard Islam. However, experiencing the Iftar with people I have gotten to know and love as friends and seeing them in this setup of worship was a lovely and touching moment for me.

“These are the same people I ride the bus with, eat with, laugh with and have intellectual conversations with. In fact, they have protected me and helped me when I needed.

“The conversation we had after Iftar was another eye-opener as my perceptions about Islam was completely changed.

“All these led to deeper introspection about myself as a human and my interaction with others, but predominantly to the understanding that there need not be barriers or animosity between people because of religion or towards Islam.”

The gathering is a powerful sight and a testament to the efforts of those encouraging communities to learn from each other.

Despite all these pleasant moments, I still miss home.

Ramadan Kareem!