Sudan celebrates its first Ramadan after the secession
Ramadan Reflections from Sudan
Maha El-Sanosi
2011-08-07 10:14:55
Ramadan Reflections from Sudan
Sudan celebrates its first Ramadan after the secession
By: Maha El-Sanosi*
The holy month of Ramadan is celebrated in a festive atmosphere across the states of Sudan; it is both an Islamic and a cultural event. Throughout the month of Ramadan, the Sudanese capital of Khartoum becomes a beacon of spirituality that is merged with rich culture and traditions.
Sudan celebrates its first post-split Ramadan
For the first time in history, Sudan celebrates Ramadan this year as half a country. Following South Sudan’s official secession on July 9th, 2011, North and South Sudan have since become two independent countries, with South Sudan becoming the world’s newest and 193rd nation.
Despite the issues subsequent to this split—including loss of diversity and resources—the peoples of these two countries are hopeful for the dawn of a new era that is filled with both peace and a better living.
In an attempt to overcome the agony of this historical decree, the people of Sudan are riding on the coat-tails of Ramadan, rejoicing the arrival of this month, and engaging in their customary Ramadan rituals and traditions.
For the minority of South Sudanese Muslims still living in Sudan, however, the case is a different one. This year, they spend their Ramadan nights supplicating to Allah that their lives do not get disrupted any further. Unidentified by both the North and the South, these minorities are caught in the middle of a dilemma, with one of the possible scenarios being their ultimate statelessness. Conversely, they attempt to lead a life as normal as possible, and they mark the month of Ramadan with abstinence, prayer and piety.
Fasting During the Day: A 30-day challenge
Located adjacent to the Sahara Desert, Sudan is known for its year-round warm and dry climate. The biggest challenge faced during a fasting day is bearing the sun’s incredible heat and battling with thirst.
With many citizens making a living on the road, such as amjaad (rental cab) drivers, sometimes the heat takes a toll on them. “I work fewer hours during the day in Ramadan, there is less work anyway,” remarked amjaad driver Khalifa while speaking to “Islam Online”. “I have no air conditioning in my car, and the traffic gets hectic during the day. That’s why I prefer to work at night, right after taraweeh prayer,” he added.
Charity Projects: Catering to the less privileged
Sudan boasts many charitable organizations that are active during this month. Usually run by volunteers, they target those who are unable to afford basic food products, particularly in light of the considerable increase in food prices that was mandated by the Sudanese government a few months ago.
“To Sudan with Love”, is one such organization. Started by a small group of friends in 2008, it has grown over the past three years and bridged good-willed people from around the world who share one aim—to give back to Sudan.
“If you look beyond the once biggest country in Africa’s fancy buildings and glistening lights, the less privileged are not hiding in dried up ditches or abandoned homes, they’re right in front of you and one cannot disregard what’s in sight,” said Enas Suleiman to “Islam Online”, an administrator and co-founder of “To Sudan with Love”.
“This year we are targeting needy families in various rural areas. These families will receive hampers consisting of food essentials like flour, sugar and dates. Should we surpass our target during this blessed month inshallah (God willing), our team and kind volunteers are ready to cover more ground for additional hamper distributions and deliver packaged iftars (breaking fast meals) to mosques, hospitals and other rural areas. We are grateful to Allah and are humbly hoping to be the centre that connects the right hand of the more privileged to the left hand of those who aren’t, especially during the month of giving,” she added.
On the other hand, other volunteer groups aim to focus on providing iftars for patients and family members who travel from rural areas to Khartoum in pursuit of medical treatment for their loved ones. Hospitals are usually packed with patients, family members and visitors who, amid the chaos and frustration of their situation, often forget to break their fast come Maghrib (sunset) time. In most cases, they can’t afford to leave the hospital and they have nowhere to go. Volunteers make it their task that each and every one of these people breaks their fast and gets a decent meal.
43-year-old Bakhita Ahmed has come all the way from Al-Damazin, the capital city of Blue Nile State with her 5-year-old son. In Khartoum, her son was diagnosed with a heart disease. Since then, she has been sleeping in the hospital because she doesn’t want to leave him by himself.
“Being here in Ramadan is a struggle. I want to be with my children and husband making them the food they like and going to the mosque to pray taraweeh,” said Bakhita.
Instead, she is sprawling to feel the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan at the rundown children’s hospital in downtown Khartoum. Nonetheless, Bakhita is grateful for these volunteers who change the mood at the hospital by their selfless kindness.
In addition to such numerous volunteer organizations, the Sudanese streets witness the unlimited kindness of strangers who generously give out food and drinks to passers-by during azaan (prayer call) time. Those returning home from their jobs close to Maghrib time are often met by strangers who offer them drinks and dates to break their fast. In return, the volunteers hope for nothing more than the ajr (Godly reward) that results from quenching the thirst of someone who’s fasting.
Experiencing Ramadan: Between religion and culture
Cultural practices mark the practices of this month in many ways. Mass iftars are a common tradition held in copious regions around Sudanese states and cities, such as houses, mosques, workplaces and even streets.
A standard iftar meal features Sudanese soul food and Sudanese cuisine, ranging from aseeda, mulaah, while succulent home-made beverages exist in assorted types, such as the conventional karkadai, abrai, and helo murr.
Furthermore, taraweeh prayer is embedded in tradition to the extent that many men, women and even children make sure to attend it on a daily basis. The elders skirmish with their medical problems, joint pains and health issues and sit through eight to ten raka’as of taraweeh prayer and beautiful Quran recital.
| Ramadan in Sudan: A religious event with social implication Sunday August 07, 2011 03:46:30 PM, Fikriya Aba Yazid | |||
Khartoum: Ramadan is considered by Muslims as one of the greatest months of the year in which the soul is sublimed and looks forward to gratification of the Greatest and Almighty God. It is a season opulence, forgiveness, graciousness and emancipation from Hell. It is a month of faith and piety and distancing from sins and devotion to worshipping (fasting, night worshipping, reciting the Koran, seclusion to worship) for which the souls are willing. It is a month of solidarity and consolation to the poor, of exchanging gifts and visits; it is also a month of holy fighting, jihad and victory (Prophet Mohammad-led Battle of Badr- Ramadan 17).
The Sudanese people have long been known for loving and celebrating the month of Ramadan which has a special taste and flavor for them and they prepare themselves to welcome it as of Rajab, two months ahead of its advent.
As of early Rajab, people busy themselves going to the markets which by that time become full of Ramadan commodities, while the women are particularly busy renewing their kitchen utensils, just to celebrate Ramadan, by buying new sets of dinner, tea, coffee, trays and juices. Houses are decorated and repainted also in preparation for the holy month, displaying love by all of the Sudanese people of Ramadan.
Society and religious customs in Sudan Manifestations of the social and religious celebrations in the Sudan are varied. Villagers working in different Sudanese towns and abroad voluntarily return in great numbers to their villages ahead of Ramadan. Those include employees, workers and students who participate in all sports and cultural activities in the village which turns into a bee-hive shelf throughout Ramadan. The youths prepare the clubs, grounds and worshipping houses in the village which takes a brilliant appearance with its son who arrive from different places; the mosques are crowded with worshippers at night and are busy with programmes of religious throughout the day, including Koran recitations between midday and afternoon prayers.
Exhibitions of religious books are also displayed within the mosque courtyard. Men and women throng apart to perform the Taraweeh, the nightly prayers, which are performed only during Ramadan. During the Taraweeh, one chapter of the 30 chapters is recited; winding up the whole holy book by the end of Ramadan, and each Taraweeh is concluded with invocations and poems on Mohammad the Prophet. The worshippers intensify their worshipping activities; remain in the mosque till dawn, in the hope of witnessing Laylat al-Qadr (the night during which God bestows fortune to lucky worshippers).
During this holy month, the sufis intensify their religious rites of invocations and special verses of the Holy Koran in addition to intensified religious classes before sunset prayers and after having the sunset breakfast
Religious Vocalization Sessions Those sessions, in which vocalists repeatedly invoke God’s name in the company of drums, are organized after the Taraweeh prayers.
The Programme of Khalwah (a room where students are secluded to memorize the Holy Koran) is run throughout the year, including the fasting month of Ramadan, except that, during Ramadan, the Koran students are distributed in groups to families of the village to share the sunset breakfast. The Sufi sects observe certain occasions during Ramadan such as Badr Battle (Ramadan 17) and the conquest of Mecca. Celebrating such occasions, they begin with speeches commemorating the occasion and then they start singing religious poems.
The sheikh (Sufi sect leader) every year chooses the most outstanding disciple to travel to the Holy Lands in Saudi Arabia to perform pilgrimage as a reward.
The Sufis lay the Rahman (Gracious) tables for both Muslims and non-Muslim, even animists, to have collective sunset breakfast during Ramadan. A Sufi is said to survive only on Guarad, a fruit of acacia trees, a very bitter small one, which he soaks and drink its water to show that he is disinterested even in ordinary food. The Sufis believe that a Sufi who can live only on Guarad for the whole day is honest, while the other who cannot afford this is of a weak faith. They also believe that Guarad is disinfectant.
Sudanese Good habits during Ramadan: Drinking the Water This phrase is used by the Sudanese to refer to Ramadan breakfast which has peculiar practices in the Sudan distinguished from other Muslim communities. A remarkable habit in the Sudanese villages during Ramadan is that people get together in large numbers on the main streets for the sunset breakfast; a group of the elders stand at the cross-roads to insistently invite passersby to join in and they never allow anybody to pass by without accepting the invitation to share the breakfast. They even force the drivers to stop by placing stones on the road minutes before the breakfast time and thus the drivers will have no alternative other than park and get down for the breakfast.
Men and boys of neighboring houses usually have the sunset breakfast together and the young men of the neighborhood prepare a sufficient space of land in the open to make room for the neighborhood residents and their likely guests. In the well-off neighborhoods, such spaces are paved with white sand and prayed with water. Carpets and prayer rugs are stretched for people to have breakfast and perform prayers on after the meal. Usually, those carpets are kept in a certain house and are taken out only during Ramadan.
Well before the Azan (call for prayers) the men sit down on the carpets while the young men bring in from the houses trays full of a variety of delicious foods and juices and immediately after the Azan, every one sits down to eat and drink, starting with a date as a must like what Mohammad the Prophet used to do, from the nearest tray, not necessarily the one brought from his house, signifying solidarity and equality between the poor and rich.
Ramadan Tray Ramadan tray contains genuine Sudanese foods and drinks, particularly aseedah (porridge made from sorghum), hilu-mur (sweet-bitter, a drink made from sorghum and all kinds of spices) and kerkede drink, lemon and various kinds of meat, fruit and juices.
In addition to hilu-mur and kerkede, other drinks of peculiarity in Ramadan include aradaib and tabalde, both bitter acacia fruits. After eating dates and drinking pure water, all worshippers line up behind the imam to say sunset prayers and immediately after that they all assault the trays to squash thirst and defeat hunger.
Ramadan Food Ramadan is regarded a return to the original Sudanese kitchen and housewives call in their long experience and prepare genuine delicious Sudanese dishes and foods, including kisra, which is made from sorghum accompanied by a thick powdered okra and dried beef, gurrasah which is made from wheat flour, salads and other kinds of highly nutrient foods. In the past, each region and each tribe of the Sudan used to be famous for a specific kind of food or drink but now that people migrated from one region to another in the Sudan, diet cultures have also migrated across the country. |
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