In today’s Muslims Who Fast, we speak to Almass Badat, an artist who works across film, music and the arts.
Almass is spending Ramadan with her mum Safirah, two brothers Junaed and Aamir, their guardian Martin, and Musu, her newlywed sister-in-law.
Together they enjoy cross-cultural iftars, inspired by their Indian and Sierra Leonean heritages.
As the month is a great time for reflection and charity, the family is also sending out Ramadan care packages to the community while maintaining social distancing rules.
Almass says she’s had a fluctuating relationship with religion but is once again embracing her faith.
While Ramadan under a lockdown has been an unprecedented time for Muslims around the world, many have enjoyed the opportunity for extra worship.
Almass and her family say the holy month has been beneficial for their spirituality and connection to God.
Let’s find out more from the family and see what they had to eat.
What are you having for iftar?
Today we are having dates and water to break fast with, chicken samosas and potato pakoras (like fritters) to start, rainbow salad, and fruit to help with hydration, biriyani (chicken and veggie options) with raita (yoghurt, cucumber and masala dip) on the side.
To end, we’re having a solid falooda – a creamy caramel pudding with hints of rose and cardamom. As you can imagine, it’ll all be polished off in no time!
How are you spending this Ramadan?
We are excited this Ramadan as my brother Junaed got married to Musu in February and there’s a massive learning of cultures, which means new conversations and traditions, open attitudes, and gorgeous food!
Do you have any particular rituals?
While we’ve been in lockdown, mum and I heard about Instagram’s #monthofgood challenge, so we handmade and delivered (with social distancing!) Ramadan care packages as a nice gesture to our close friends and family.
The #monthofgood challenge is a small act of kindness or way to care for your community online or in real life, and seeing our family’s faces as we delivered dates, Zam Zam water (holy water), handmade cards and Ramadan journals was totally worth it!
What has Ramadan under lockdown been like?
I welcome the time for reflection as being in a global pandemic is scary.
It is quite a challenge to be Muslim in this day. I feel reservations with expressing this side of me because many people are not kind to Muslim people, and so this Ramadan has been a massive step in being vulnerable through openness.
In many ways, Ramadan has been easier as we’re winding down and taking everything slower.
Being in our living spaces has invited challenging conversations and opportunities for getting to know new versions of each other. Our day-to-day calendars are pretty in sync now so we can break fast together, which has helped strengthen our family unit.
What are typical Ramadan staples for you?
Aamir: Sharing meals together! I love it. Going to the mosque with my brother and visiting the cemetery to see my granddad.
Musu: My family is Sierra-Leonean and in the spirit of sharing food and caring for our community, we partake in a tradition called Sunnah Kati. Sunnah means ‘the way of the prophet’ and the term points to the kind ways of Prophet Muhammed.
I love the exchange of food because the gesture is an affectionate sign of growth and respect and makes me feel acknowledged as a Muslim.
Are there any things you miss during the month?
Almass: I don’t tend to miss much. Everything that I abstain from feels like a healthy choice for my wellbeing, and I end up discovering new parts of myself! This time around, I am so proud of myself for being consistent with fasting.
Musu: I don’t really miss anything. I’m happier during Ramadan in general and I think it’s because I feel peaceful, everyone is more mindful and we’re focused on family time, which I love because I’m around people I’m comfortable with!
Any fond memories of previous Ramadans?
Almass: As a child I definitely snuck in the odd biscuit during the day when I was fasting!
If we wanted to fast when we were little, mum encouraged us to do half days. I always enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day!
As I got older, fasting felt like a right of passage into adulthood.
I stopped fasting for a while because I didn’t feel connected to myself, my identity and my religion, but over the years I’ve found new ways to approach the month and welcome different elements like health benefits, opportunities for stillness and moments where I can extend my kindness even further.
One of my favourite memories is experiencing Ramadan in San Francisco, during a time when I felt I could only be Muslim in one way.
I met a dear friend who is queer and was fasting. It was at that moment that I thought ‘of course you can practice your religion if you want to, you just have to love yourself first and then accept exactly who you are’.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/15/muslims-who-fast-artist-sends-ramadan-care-packages-multicultural-family-12699073/
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