Ramazan in the Maldives

13 September 2007
Report: Jaxly

Muslims all over the world greet the Holy month of Ramazan with great joy for the wonderful gifts of blessings it brings. Ramazan is unique in many ways, first it is a month of special significance for the revelation of the Holy Quran, a time when Muslims fast from daybreak to sunset for the entire month. Muslims feel overjoyed during Ramazan for the many opportunities it provides for spiritual fulfillment and purification. Fasting offers immeasurable benefits and blessings both in spiritual and physical terms.

Maldives, being a hundred percent Muslim country, has cherished a rich tradition and culture during the month of Ramazan. These traditions have changed over the years, but much of these still remain. Foremost, we look forward to welcome the month to submit ourselves to the special performance of fasting. We share a special feeling of happiness and fulfillment when we start the fasting month. We start making preparations for Ramazan including buying a good stock of staple food and other needs. We clean and reorganize the whole house and get new furniture and kitchen ware and get the entire house white washed and painted.

In the earlier days when we were not introduced to modern living with convenient appliances and house ware, every household make a picnic to a nearby island to collect their total requirement of fire wood and white sand. During those days every house had a large courtyard and white sand was spread all over to make it gleaming and clean. Stocks of rice are also cleaned and stored. Sighting of the crescent moon is also marked with some pageantry.

Today with contemporary living most houses have more modern facilities but the spirit of these traditions lives in the same manner. We have just seen few weeks of Ramazan sales and buying. White washing and painting has just been completed; new crockery, kitchen ware, new fridges, tvs and even furniture have decorated many houses. The garbage filling land in Male' has large number of usable good fridges cookers and several such items. Often we wonder whether this is the way we can get the blessings of the Holy month. Surely Islam discourages wasteful ways and extravagance, but with modernization and prosperity this has become a fashion and a tradition not to disregard the good virtues of Islam and the very purpose and objective of fasting and submitting to a month long series of prayers and purification. But this is something we must try to reform ourselves, whether we can afford changing our kitchens and entire house ware every year or some of us are doing it through borrowed money.

Coming back to the lifestyle in Ramazan, in recent times sighting of the moon is established by the Supreme Council of Islam in a special function on the 29th day of lunar month before Ramazan. Then fasting month begins with the usual traditions of buying a good stock of food items. We see packed supermarkets and shops. New stocks of dates fruits, cakes, ice cream, eggs, vegetables, meats, chicken and a lot of things to name are stocked in the house to facilitate the kitchen. The first special meal of Ramazan is Sahar or haaru, which is the meal we take in the midnight or early morning. More people prefer to take this meal after midnight in order to get a good sleep. But many others have this meal as late as possible nearing the time we have to stop eating or drinking. It is between 3 30 am and 4 am so that dawn prayers can be performed just after the meal. Many people wake up much earlier to do their midnight prayers before Sahar meal. It is said midnight prayers are rewarded with great blessings.

Most people sleep after dawn prayers and work starts one and half hours late and finishes one hour earlier in Ramazan. This makes it possible for most people to engage in recitation of Holy Quran and performing prayers. Personal marketing is also a tradition in Ramazan. Most people visit the local market to buy water melons and other fruits and fish from the fish market. Thoddoo water melon is the most favourite fruit in Ramazan and no table is complete without water melon juice. Dates are also a must for Ramazan. Ramazan is most special for fasting and special prayers in the month. Mosques are full with people of all ages who want to dedicate to long prayers and recitation of Quran. Religious sermons are also delivered regularly in many mosques, and large number of people attend these meetings.

As part of the lifestyle in Ramazan, many people enjoy going for drives. Roads in Male' are full of cars and motorcycles in the evenings of Ramazan where lots of people spend the last minutes before sunset in fun rides. Ramazan evenings are enjoyed by many in various games and sports. Kite flying is very popular among children and young people. TV Maldives and Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu and the new DhiFM also have interesting religious, educational, entertainment, children, fun and quiz programmes. The tele-drama on the story of Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH is the most popular tv programme, while the life story of Holy Prophet on Adu is also equally popular. Some tele-dramas and entertainment programmes on TVM are among favourite Ramazan past time for many homes.

Food in Ramazan is an important part of the traditions. Every house will prepare the best and variety of foods for the meal to break fast at sunset. Breakfast meal which is called roadha veellun or ifthar is a complete big meal. There will be rice porridge, huiymaskaashi, fish sambal, roti, rice, curry, juices, tea, variety of short eats, cakes and puddings. Some people take a big meal while others prefer a lighter meal and have a light dinner after prayers. Many people choose to do prayers in mosques and have their meals after prayers. Donors and well wishers send juices and dates to mosques for those praying there, to break fast. In recent years this has become a popular tradition. There is a series of religious sermons held in the Islamic Centre on the nights of Sundays and Thursdays. Leading religious scholars from abroad and Maldives address these meetings on important religious issues. Friday prayers are one of the biggest congregations seen in Ramazan. All mosques are full both inside and outside during Friday prayers.

Ramazan is a month of more giving, sharing, loving, caring and helping one another. It is a month of kindness and thankfulness, meeting and hosting relatives and friends. Breakfast is a favourite meal where family members relatives and friends are invited either at home or in hotels and restaurants. Tharavees which is a light meal with traditional short eats, puddings, juices, and drinks taken in the night is popular among family members and friends. Tharaavees is also held at home and restaurants. Ramazan breakfast and Tharaavees have become a social event among employees in both public and private sectors. Famous restaurants in Male' would now be heavily booked for these two meals.

Holy month of Ramazan is here with us. Almighty Allah has showered on us so much blessings and fulfillment in this special period. It is a gift we receive once a year. Refraining from food and drinks in our fasting is a test on us. We can get much benefit and blessings through our piety prayers and good deeds both to our spiritual mental and physical wellbeing. In fasting, we experience the sufferings of the poor when they have no food to eat, we also feel the wellness of our systems when we fast and eat in moderation. Apart from the spiritual bliss, there are many lessons we learn from fasting and piety which help to shape our true destiny.

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