The blessed month we've been waiting for all year is finally here! From dragging your friends to every single mosque in sight for a night of taraweeh, paying alms to just taking a moment to reflect after prayers, there's no denying the feeling of peacefulness this holy month brings to Muslims everywhere ?
Ah, but wait... With Ramadan also comes certain things that all of us can relate to. Here are 10 things every Muslim goes through during Ramadan that'll make you go 'THIS IS ME' ?
1. When it's only sahur and you're already thinking of iftar
During sahur, you're half awake and absent-mindlessly shoving food into your mouth..
But internally you're somehow already planning about what to eat for iftar and thinking of every type of food imaginable ?
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2. When the start-of-Ramadan adrenaline wears off
The first few days? Easy peasy! You can barely feel the hunger pangs, your energy is at an all-time high and you think you're off to a good, strong start...
Buuuut, two weeks in and you're like:
Ah, yes.. the mid-Ramadan energy slump. We've all been there?
3. Your stomach growling THE. ENTIRE. DAY.
"Do you hear that?" "What's that noise?" "Is it just me or is someone really hungry?"
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"It's not my stomach... if that's what you're asking..."
4. When all that you see online is just food and nothing else
It seems like everything and anything you scroll through online is about food, and oh my, it's so hard to resist thinking about what to eat for iftar later.
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But nope, you don't scroll past them. You still stop to stare at the food.
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5. Trying not to sleep at work/school
We've all been here before! It's already hard enough to concentrate on a usual day at work or school sometimes but without your morning coffee fix in Ramadan, you're probably looking like this...
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Your eyes feel heavy and your head starts bobbing down but before you fall into a deep sleep, you jolt yourself awake and pray none of your colleagues saw that ?
Our advice - take a power nap! If it doesn't work, try washing your face or chat with your colleagues. If all else fails, keep and calm and make du'a.
6. Those "Wait, not even water?!" comments
Cue the internal eye roll..
We’re all too familiar with the facepalm expression we give after the "Are you sure?" comment!
And the sarcastic "I've never been more sure about something in my life." ?
7. The dreaded food coma
The 3 stages when you're breaking fast:
Stage 1 - That first bite euphoria✨
Oh food, how I've missed you?
Stage 2 - You eat EVERYTHING and ANYTHING in sight!
Sorry can't talk, too busy eating ?
Stage 3 - You regret everything
A nap sounds good right now...?
8. Covering your mouth so that people can't smell your breath?
Come on, we're all guilty of this ? An entire day of not eating or drinking is good for the soul of course, but it may leave your breath smelling a little funky?
But you justify it by saying,
To be honest, you would do anything for a mint right now.
9. Counting down the hours to iftar
T-6 hours to iftar; you try to distract yourself as much as possible but catch yourself staring at the clock multiple times during the day?
T-3 hours; IT'S ONLY 4PM?!!!
1 minute before the azan starts and you're almost hyperventilating ?
10. Knowing the exact time for iftar
Yup, this pretty much sums it up ?
11. When you go to the mosque for Taraweeh and your shoes are lost forever
A familiar sight at every entrance to the mosque, you know NEVER to wear your favourite shoes to Taraweeh because the chances of you ever seeing it again? Pretty slim.
Well, you know what they say, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all ?
12. During Taraweeh, you can't help but hope the imam doesn't read too long surahs
It's a constant internal struggle you go through - wanting to immerse yourself in prayer yet hoping the Taraweeh prayer would not take too long.
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But then you remember how blessed you are to meet the month of Ramadan, and you press on nonetheless ?
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As challenging (and hilarious?) as some of these experiences may be, nothing beats the peace and serenity this holy month brings you! Ramadan Mubarak, everyone! Here's to another fruitful, amazing Ramadan✨