Ramadhaan South African Style.

So the blessed month of Ramadhaan is just a stone’s throw away and whilst many in the Arab world would be rejoicing and waiting anxiously for the month of the Quraan to set in, South African aunties are in panic mode making one savoury after the other, literally stocking up the freezer to feed an entire army. But what really fascinates me the most is the huge transformation of South African Muslims during the fasting month. Even the bushcrooks turn into buzrooks....lol..
For a start the television is turned off in every home for the entire duration of the month. Abaya shops are shockingly busy. Even Tassy and Naz who are frequent club goers have joined in the whole spirit of Ramadhaan. On every other day, they parade the shopping centres wearing boob popping tops coupled with a mini skirt and high heels. But for the month of Ramadhaan out comes the Swarovski bejewelled abayas with matching headscarves. No more pouty red lips, false nails and fake eye lashes lol. The neighbourhood suddenly comes to life once again as the neighbours kids quite excitedly visits your home to drop off a platter of savouries. Who’s son are you poppy? I haven’t seen your mummy and daddy the whole year....
Zaks who usually sports a funky hair cut and tries to emulate his favourite soccer star has suddenly grown a tiny beard. The funky branded clothing he usually wears has suddenly been replaced by a designer label thobe. Zaks makes sure he is in the first saf in the masjid at the time of fatoor.
For the entire fasting month, everyone tries their best to be perfect in every single way, until the day of Eid. Tassy, Naz and Zaks get into their luxury vehicles and make their way to the zoo lake to show off their new designer label outfits. Both ladies visited the dress designer three times to get the perfect fit they so desired. Tassy sports a sleeveless long dress with high slits whilst Naz wears a boob tube outfit. I guess if you have the assets why not flaunt it right lol....And whilst Tassy and Naz try to attract the singletons in the crowd, Zaks is trying to impress a young 17 year old lassie, Lemme show you how to groove baby at the club on Saturday night. You so hot, you make the sun feel shy.”

Meanwhile in the magical Kingdom Ramadhaan is special, a feeling that I will never ever be able to explain to anyone. Ramadhaan in the Kingdom is all about family. The entire country is on vacation and whilst everyone relaxes during the day after sunset at the time of breaking fast, the country comes to life. If you in the holy city of Makkah and Medina you will break your fast with millions of people simultaneously. Young Arab children will pull your hand and beg you to join their family for fatoor. There is a spirit of sharing, caring and giving. You become so overwhelmed with joy that tears automatically flow down your cheeks. Ramadhaan in the Kingdom is fun. There is an equal balance between prayer and engaging in fun activities with family and friends. How I long to be in the land of shifting sands for the month of Ramadhaan. But I guess this year I just have to contend with Ramadhaan South African style!

Why Savouries???

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A good facebook friend has left me in stitches of laughter after reading his inbox messages. He asked me when am I writing an article titled "From laban and khubz to samoosas and death bringing savories....the transition of fasting from makkah to Jozi" lol....He goes on to say," I miss laban and dates....the steamy combo yields such interesting effects.....have u ever wondered why many Arab women fill the Gynae clinic 9 months post Ramadaan?? Well its all thanks to the Badam (almonds) and dates acting up on Saudi men like a clinical trial of some sort lol".....Whilst chatting to my brother Aadil yesterday, both of us couldn't comprehend the big hype and fuss about savouries that most of the South African Indian women panic to prepare from months ahead. In our house mom makes savouries throughout the year so by the time Ramadhaan approaches the novelty and hype has actually worn out. Savouries in Ramadhaan is actually very unhealthy and fattening. In our house we generally prefer a normal cooked meal. Either a rice dish or a meal that will be accompanied with roti. Shourba addas (Lentil soup) and Tamar Hindi (Tamarind drink) are specially prepared during the month of Ramadhaan in the Middle East. Tamarind acts as a mild laxative and is also used to treat bile disorders in addition to promoting a healthy heart and lowering cholesterol levels. The Arabs in general eat all the right foods that assist their bodies with the detoxification process during the month of Ramadhaan. Laban cools the stomach down and of course dates and zamzam water replenishes the body with all the vital vitamins and minerals that the body requires.It is strange that when you in Makkah and Medina, there is so much of barkat in the food that a little bit of food goes such a long way. Remember that the fasting month is a month where we should be empathizing with those who are less fortunate than we are. Having lavish parties and do's along with fancy foods defeats the purpose and objective of the month. Rather stick to the basic simple foods and eat less. Whilst visiting a Saudi family in Medina last year, I loved the fact that their entire family ate together for the whole month of Ramadhaan and at every fatoor they would prepare one dish that the Prophet Muhammed (saw) loved eating.I wonder who came up with this silly concept that we need to eat savouries during the month of Ramadhaan.....If you do know, please let me know...:))))))...This person needs to be clobbered lololol....

The Magical Month in the Islamic World

Ramadhaan is undoubtedly the magical month in the Islamic world. For Muslims around the globe it is a time of sharing and giving, a time where great efforts are made to be in the rememberance of God Almighty and to thank Him for all that He has given us. It is also said to be the 'spring season' in the Islamic calendar. However, there is no other country in the world except Saudi Arabia, the birth place of Islam where the Ramadhaan atmosphere is totally electrifying. As I sit here in my  office typing away, my mind wanders to the land of shifting sands, a land of culture and tradition, a land I called home. Whilst my body is here physically in South Africa, my heart will always remain in the magical Kingdom. Ramadhaan in the Middle East is welcomed with great cheer and festivities. I recall my patients coming to the hospital personally or calling me to wish me well over the fasting month. Arabs usually greet each other with the words' Kullu 3am wa antum bekhair" which means,
 " May you be well for the whole year". The streets are decorated with lights and and restaurants and hotels are all decorated with trimmings. Most hotels and restaurants would offer special fatoor (iftaar) buffets. My dear and best friends Abdullah and Faraz along with Brother Hassan and his family would always invite me to one of the hotels to break fast. During the month we would frequent different restaurants and buffets sampling a variety of cuisines from all over the world. In general we would arrive a few minutes earlier at the hotel or restaurant, break our fast, perform our Maghrib prayers and then indulge in a spread of fine cuisine including an assortment of desserts. Thereafter we would head off to the local masjid for the taraweeh prayers. Whilst I enjoyed having my meals in a posh hotel type setting I was also equally disappointed at the amount of wastage that does occur at many of these five star hotels. Most of the left over foods are simply thrown away in a dustbin instead of being distributed to the poor. When I enquired about this at one hotel, I was told that the food needed to be thrown away for health and hygiene purposes. Frankly speaking this did not make any sense to me. During the fasting month in the Kingdom, the night becomes day and the day becomes night. After the night prayers everyone hits down town to the various shopping malls where various activities are arranged especially for the kids.Naturally the traffic is horrendous. Men and women scamper down to the tailoring shops for custom made abayas and thobes to be worn during the fasting month and of course a special one is made for the day of Eid. Restaurants and fast food outlets are busy until the early hours of the morning. After the morning prayers the city becomes dead once again as everyone retires to bed. It is also during the month of Ramadhaan that the famous television program 'Tash Ma Tash' is aired. This program is well received by all Saudi citizens as satire and humour is used to ridicule and mock at some of the happenings within Saudi society. Controversial issues like polygamy is tackled in a fun and humorous manner. Whilst the entire Middle East is in complete celebration due to this magical month, for many of the western expats it is usually the worst month of the year. Many of them would complain about the fact that the shops are closed during the day or many would be livid about the fact that they are unable to eat in public. Well I say when you in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you can't respect and abide to the laws of the country, leave. It's that simple. 

Ramadhaan is also known as the "month of the Quraan". It is during this month that the divine verses of the holy Quraan was revealed to our beloved Prophet Muhammed (saw). Hence it is for this reason that thousands of Muslims travel far and wide to the Holy cities of Makkah and Medina to perform umra, a mini pilgrimage that is given the same reward as one haj and of course to listen to the beautiful verses of the Quraan rendered by  the highly respected Imaams of the Haram. The first time I performed Umrah during the month of Ramadhaan was a few years ago and I could not comprehend or believe what I seen before me especially in both the cities of Makkah and Medina. Prior to breaking the fast thousands of people would gather in the haram area. Some are praying, some are watching the people go by whilst others are distributing dates, cakes, qahwa, laban, bagels and other goodies to those around them. No one leaves the haram area hungry or without food. Every one eats to their hearts content. It is the most amazing feeling in the whole world. It is interesting to note that in the Prophet's (saw) city, the inhabitants of Medina have taken it upon themselves to feed all the pilgrims at the time of fatoor. Many families have upheld this tradition for generations. Each family would come to the haram area an hour or two prior to the time of breaking the fast. They would lay rows and rows of tables on the floor and serve dates, zam zam water and a variety of other foods to the pilgrims present. Very often they would send their kids to pull the pilgrims passing by asking them to be a guest at their table. I have never seen such hospitality and generosity any where else in the world. There is such a powerful sense of sharing and caring that there are times when your tears would just automatically flow for no real reason. Perhaps it flows out of joy, contentment and happiness.

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A Ramadhaan in the holy city of Makkah would not be complete without hearing the sound of the cannon at the time of breaking fast. According to the Saudi Gazette, during the past 50 years, Makkah residents have been hearing the booming sound of the city’s Ramadan cannon. They have become so accustomed to hearing the sound of the cannon that many residents, young and old, do not break their fast until they hear the boom of the cannon, which was used in the past as a sign to break the fast at dusk or begin the fast at dawn. The cannon also heralds the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. This was before the appearance of loudspeakers during a time when mosques did not have electricity and the call to prayer was difficult to hear for people outside its immediate vicinity. The mountain on which the Ramadan cannon is located has been named by Makkah residents as Cannon Mountain (Jabal Al-Midfa). The cannon’s blank shots are prepared for the entire month beforehand. It fires one shot at the time for breaking the fast at dusk (Iftar time), one shot at the time for the last meal (Suhoor) and two shots when it is time to stop eating and drinking (Imsaak time). That brings the total number of shots fired in Ramadan to about 120. In its 50-year life span, the Ramadan cannon has fired about 6,000 shots.

The best fatoor experience I ever had was breaking fast on the beach in Jeddah last year with my family. Brother Mefarrah who resides in Makkatul Mukarramah drove us to Jeddah after the Asr prayers. He brought qahma, chaai sulaimani and an assortment of dates along with him. There were many Saudi families gathered on the beach front with their picnic baskets. It was such a wonderful sight to see. As we all watched the sun go down it was finally time to break fast. I noticed a few Arab men giving out water and dates to a line of people who had gathered outside the floating masjid. Naturally after breaking our fast we all headed off to the masjid for prayers. It was such a lovely experience. Here in South Africa I find the Ramadhaan to be boring and somber. I'm pretty sure breaking fast on the beach would be considered wrong and immoral in this part of the world and yet in the magical Kingdom I found that along with all the praying and fasting, families still had time to enjoy themselves and have fun. On that note, I would now like to take this opportunity in wishing all my friends and family across the globe a wonderful Ramadhaan Kareem!!!May the Almighty accept your fast and prayers during this blessed month and may it also be a time for reflecting on our inner selves.Let this month be a month where we can all achieve and attain high levels of spirituality. Let this be a month of sharing, giving and a start towards bettering ourselves in every way. Let us all try making a concerted effort towards doing good, helping others and staying away from all activities that goes against Gods will!!!

FATOOR I PREPARED FOR MY COLLEAGUES

Ramadhaan Buffet at the Grand Mena Hotel Khaldia

So finally Mr. F spills the beans. He is leaving for vacation in a few days time to Hyderabad to spend the Eid vacations with his family. Of course his mom and siblings are really looking forward to having him home again.Naturally men are not that clued up into doing shopping for a woman or at least very few men have this capability. I know my dad definitely doesn't have a flair to do shopping for women at all. On one of his solo trips he returned with the most old fashioned hand bags for mom and I and bought mom a bracelet that just didn't have any character.I guess its the thought that counts though. Any way to cut a long story short Mr. F asked me to do some shopping for his mom. I always do this for him prior to his vacations and this time he wanted me to purchase an abaya. So we decided that we will do fatoor first and then head off to Deira Soukh where there are many abaya shops.I will tell you more about Deira soukh in another article that I will post soon on this blog.
Our favourite place is usually the Red Onion Restaurant situated opposite the computer market in Olaya. This time Mr. F surprised me though.We took a right turn coming out of the hospital and made our way towards Batha." Where are we going?" I asked him. So he mumbles away that we going to a Kerala restaurant to eat south Indian food. Now, no offence to any South Indians but my idea of a meal is not one that is served on banana leaves and is soaked in coconut milk and coconut oil. It is not cuisine that I have been exposed to or grew up with. I was brought up with typical North Indian Gujurati style food.

After passing the ministry of the Interior and heading straight towards the Deira off ramp we took a left turn at the intersection making our way down a road that I was quite familiar with as the street is lined with numerous material shops that have mannequins in the window draped with stunning fabrics ranging from silk, to satin and of course beaded fabrics that will satisfy the desire of any woman. So many colours and types of fabrics to choose from, it is enough to leave a woman's head spinning in confusion.What I find really fascinating  is the art, skill and effort that is placed in draping each mannequin to produce a beautiful dress design or ballroom outfit all kept together with pins around the mannequin.
 So finally after driving down the narrow crowded road with just 6 minutes to spare before the breaking of the fast, Mr. F applies breaks at  the turnoff to the Grand Mena Khaldia hotel situated on Khazan street, Riyadh. This hotel is situated close to Al Musmak Fortress, National Museum of Saudi Arabia, and King Abdul Aziz Library.

The foyer of the hotel was spacious, warm and luxurious. The staff at the entrance were welcoming and friendly. We made our way to the first floor up a flight of granite steps that I thought were scary as they were shining,smooth and possibly slippery.Take note that I had  on my trade mark high heeled shoes and was not in the mood to make a complete fool out of myself by taking a tumble down the stair case. Nonetheless it was a smooth ascent towards the restaurant where the buffet was being served.
The only small hiccup we had was that despite reservations being made telephonically two days in advance it was not registered on the guest list and hence after speaking to the manager and discussing the situation it was all sorted out in an amicable manner.The general manager of the hotel Mr. Mazen Mirie was quite a friendly bubbly personality who welcomed us and showed us the way  to our dinner table. The restaurant was elegantly decorated in shades of red, blue and brown with long carefully crafted glass crystals hanging from the ceiling. There was a very relaxed atmosphere in the hotel. There was no strict segregation of the sexes and everyone enjoyed the buffet and interacted in a harmonious manner.The buffet tables were laid out to perfection. Starters included cheese and vegetarian samboosas as well as freshly fried spring rolls. The main course undoubtedly satisfied the taste buds of all present. Some of the dishes prepared were Chinese fried rice, Kebaab, Penne Arabiatta, Mash potato casserole, baked fish topped with a tantalizing white sauce and the highlight for me was freshly baked pizza served from the oven on to the table.
Saudi's are generally noted for their delicious desserts which included cream kanafa, baklava, fruit salad and cream and of course my favourite was a pancake that was stuffed with fresh cream and pistachio.
The chefs were delighted when we complimented them on the lovely food and even accepted being photographed. The price for the ramadhaan buffet fatoor package is SR120 per person which I thought was well worth it for the quality and standard of the food served. The customer service was just fantastic and at the end of the day that is simply all that a consumer looks forward to and wants.

If you wish to try the Ramadhaan buffet at the GRAND MENA HOTEL KHALDIA contact Mr. Mazen Mirie at
01 268-2222
You can also visit the following two websites for more information.
www.mena-hotels.com
www.mena-grandkhaldia.com
Take note that reservation  is a must on most days especially during  the holy month of Ramadhaan.

So after indulging in a sumptuous meal which certainly made me put on the pounds, we headed off for the night prayers(taraweeh salaah) before making our way to the Soukh. Mr. F decides to drop me off at the Soukh and then make his way to meeting his friends for an evening of Sheesha. Like a typical male he just can not tolerate the whole shopping aspect of browsing from one shop to the other as most women do. For him the idea of shopping is going into the nearest shop you see, grab the item and then leave. So after I spent two hours at the Soukh doing some of my shopping as well I finally hopped onto the hospital shopping bus and made my way back home. What a fun filled eventful night it was. Need to do this more often!!!!

THE GREAT PURI DISASTER

During the month of Ramadhaan my colleagues Mishal and various others would take turns to bring sahoor or fatoor (break fast meal) for the skeleton staff on duty even though meals are usually provided from the Royal Kitchen. Mishal is a Saudi but he loves Indian food. Now for lesson number one don't ever ask the question "What do you wish to eat?"..You will be encountered with a long list of items to make...Any way one of the items  Mishal wanted to eat was Kebaab and Puri(fried Indian bread).Now I can do the kebaab bit but Puri absolutely no. I tried the Puri recipe a month ago and it turned out to be a complete disaster. I have made it many times before in South Africa under moms supervision and it came out perfectly. I think she cast her magic wand. But trying it on my own was a true calamity in the making.Any way I did not want to tell Mishal that I can not make it. He would tell me oh my God you Indian and you do not know how to make your own traditional dish. So I came home yesterday and after taking a morning nap I woke up feeling up beat and positive. I took out moms recipe book and I told myself I will try it again.
So happily I take out the ingredients. Mind you its just 5 ingredients but of course the trick is in the softness of the dough and simply getting the right texture.So I get down to business..I follow the instructions, mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough. I rolled out the dough, cut it into fours whilst the oil was getting hot. So oil is hot and we ready to fry. On your marks, get set, go. I placed the dough in the oil and to my horror the dough didn't even rise.It sank to the bottom of the pot like the heavy mass of an anchor thrown from aboard a ship. I tried another piece. This time it rose beautifully but was soaked in oil like a dish cloth soaked with water.I didn't bother continuing any further. I felt rather guilty with famine and hunger occurring across the globe but I took the dough and dumped it in the garbage bag. Suddenly moms voice started ringing in my ears."Sumayya I told you how important it is for a woman to know how to cook.You should have learned everything by now.Learning how to cook is for your own benefit.".We can dispute this fact but mothers somehow are always right.Then another voice came into my head and said,"Don't give up, try again. Failure is a stepping stone to success".With that thought in my head I decided to start off again.And after one hour of concentration I made the perfect puris.

I come from a home of very good cooks. Mom, her sisters, my grandmother and great grand mother all have a flair for cooking and baking.Mom even has a small catering business that she runs from home. She can make any meal and it comes out perfectly.
Now call me a spoiled brat but I never really fancied the kitchen.I think the only time I enjoyed the kitchen was when I was a kid, maybe 5 or six years old and I would wear my apron and imitate mom in the kitchen. She would give me my own small rolling pin and board and I would merrily "LOLL AND LOLL the dough"..(baby language for roll and roll the dough)..I'm sure that mom must have been happy that her only daughter is following her footsteps and that too at a pretty young age. It was too good to be true.

As I got older hitting the teenage years,I always found kitchen work mundane or boring.Luckily mom dearest was always there to cook and in her absence our house maid Sarah was well trained to take care of the kitchen affairs.There was a few times when mom was away either for a vacation or a medical urgency and Sarah dearest handled all household chores brilliantly whilst we all continued with our busy lives at work or school. Dad use to try helping by making breakfast which use to turn out to be quite a shocking experience  in itself. The kitchen use to look as though a tornado hit the place. Dads eggs had the texture of rubber and almost 99 % of the time he food burn the toast.Dads idea of a breakfast use to be Burnt toast with rubber eggs. I should get a restaurant to incorporate this meal in their menu..It would only be a matter of days before the restaurant would close down.

During my teenage years mom would lecture me on the importance of knowing how to cook.It was like a long sermon that would be repeated endlessly.The famous line would be one day you would get married and have to run your own home. You would still have to cook for your family despite being a professional person. There were times when dad would step in and say that if I got married he would send me off with a cook. He always said this jokingly but this one statement would be enough to trigger mom.I would be let off the hook and dad would be the next target of moms sermon on how he loves spoiling the kids. Dad is a big built burly man with a long beard. He looks a lot like one of the members of the Saudi religious police.No offense dad. He looks cheeky, strict and temperamental but far from it.He always threatened to give us a "shot' or two for misbehaving as kids but it was merely am idle threat. Mom on the other hand was the strict disciplinarian.I guess one parent has to take on that role other wise you would have a bunch of hooligans in society. Unfortunately in today's times the kids are disciplining the parents.Parents have to jump to the tunes of their kids in many instances in order to keep the peace and sanctity of  the home.

Traditionally the mother is usually the cook of the home. As I went through the disastrous process yesterday I stopped to ponder at how most of us take our moms for granted. Cooking is definitely an art. Its a skill like any other profession be it a pharmacist or a physician or an engineer.I now know what mom means when she says that the work that goes into making a dish is extensive and you will never know how much of effort is placed in to it , but eating the food is one, two, three.
Thanks to skype and other technological advancements the world has undoubtedly become a really small place.Whenever I'm stuck whilst making a meal I simply skype call mom and she appears like a genie in the box. Yesterday though I was thinking that what if mom is not around.We all have to leave the world one day.I then told myself that during my next vacation God willing I will spend more time with mom in the kitchen perfecting the art of cooking.I have come a long way though. I'm not the queen of the kitchen but I'm certainly getting there. After all practice makes perfect.Three years ago when I came to the Kingdom I didn't know anything about cooking let alone all the complicated Indian spices. Mom sent me off with recipe books but I just didn't know where to start. So four months down the line on my arrival in the Middle east mom comes by to visit me in what I called OPERATION KITCHEN. We went out Indian grocery shopping and mom packed everything in my kitchen in a neat systematic order. It was then really easy to follow all her recipes and as I started making different dishes that came out successful I was actually enjoying the idea of cooking.I always had plan B if all recipes failed. Plan B was designed by dad. If in the event the meal does not come out as expected just simply order your meals from a nearby restaurant and get them to deliver or find a nice Indian woman who would cook your meals and drop it off at your home.I'm glad to say that I hardly ever used Plan B.

Anyway, time to go into the kitchen and prepare for sahoor(morning meal before the commencement of the fast).Omelette with mushrooms, onion, tomato,chilli and a dash of cheese.The next time you rush into the kitchen after smelling the tempting aromas making its way around the house from your moms kitchen, go up to your mom and give her a certificate on being the best cook in the whole world. I personally think that a housewife has much more responsibilities and chores throughout the whole day compared to a career woman...Everyday should be mothers day.Appreciate your moms cooking and let her know that you are grateful for her presence. Often we only appreciate people when they leave the world.That's when we have feelings of regret and hopelessness.There is no need to be feeling this way. Start today and appreciate the people around you from your mom, dad, the cleaner, the house maid, any one that has made a difference to your life.....

Oh and one last bit, the pictures are not from Flickr or Photobucket. It is pictures that I had taken of the successful batch which I sent to mom via Blackberry messenger..Yes, Yes I know.. I had a brief  moment of feeling like a child who had performed her task diligently and is now awaiting her reward...LOL!!!!
If you wish to make Puris (A fried Indian bread), please feel free to visit the Kitchen section of this blog.

The Magical Month in the Kingdom

The month of Ramadhaan is said to be the "spring season" of the Islamic calendar for over one billion Muslims across the globe. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. It is a month marked by blessings, fasting and charity.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. The others are: belief & testimony in The One God and that the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) is the servant and final messenger of God (Shahaadah); prayer (Salah) - five times a day at its appointed times; alms -giving (Zakaat) – approx. 2.5% of fixed assets annually; and pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah tul mukarrama at least once in a lifetime if you can afford it.

Ramadhaan has many benefits. Among  these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Ramadhaan is also a time for giving charity, purifying one's behavior,doing good deeds, reciting excessive quraan and being engrossed in the worship of God Almighty.

Fasting is also a way of sympathizing with the poor and those who are less fortunate than we are. It conditions us to be thankful and to appreciate all the numerous bounties and blessings that God Almighty has bestowed upon us.Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

When the fast ends (the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar –Shawwal) it is celebrated for three days in a holiday called 'Eid-ul-Fitr (the Feast of Fast Breaking). Gifts are exchanged. Friends and family gather to pray in congregation and also to partake in a variety of meals.

Whilst voluntary fasting is recommended for Muslims throughout the year, during Ramadhaan fasting becomes obligatory. Sick people, travelers, pregnant and menstruating women are exempted from fasting but are required to fast at a later stage when they are able to do so, health permitting of course.

The start of the month is based on a combination of physical sightings of the moon and astronomical calculations. The practice varies from place to place, some places relying heavily on sighting reports and others totally on calculations. In Saudi Arabia and South Africa, all muslim  communities follow the decision of the local Islamic organizations, which accepts bonafide sightings of the new moon anywhere within the country as the start of the new month. The end of the month, marked by the celebration of 'Eid-ul-Fitr  is similarly determined.

Fasting commences at the break of dawn and ceases at sun set. During the day, Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sexual relations. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post/break-fast meal (fatoor) after sunset. 
Islam follows a lunar calendar which means that the months of the year are measured according to the revolutions of the moon around the earth (each month begins with the sighting of the new moon).

Because the Islamic lunar calendar (hijri) is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar or Gregorian calendar, Islamic holidays "move" each year.
This lunar calendar gives every month an opportunity of rotating through every season completing a cycle in which every month does not exceed 29 or 30 days.

Thus, since Ramadhaan begins on August 1st or 2nd this  year, the next year it will begin around July 20th and so forth. The entire cycle takes around 35 years. In this way, the length of the day, and thus the fasting period, varies in length from place to place over the years. Every Muslim, no matter where he or she lives, will see an average Ramadhan day of approximately 13.5 hours.

One may eat and drink at any time during the night "until you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the daylight: then keep the fast until night." [2:187]

The good that is acquired through the fast can be destroyed by five things –the telling of a lie, slander, denouncing someone behind their back, a false oath, greed or covetousness.

These are considered offensive at all times, but are most offensive during the Fast of Ramadhan.

All Muslims try getting closer to God Almighty during the last ten days of Ramadhaan by engaging in good deeds as these ten days are considered to be a period and a time of tremendous spiritual power.The night on which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (saw), known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The Qur'an states that this night is better than a thousand months. Therefore many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer or engaging in the recitation of the holy Quraan.

Ramadhaan is also known as the 'month of the Quraan', as it is during this month that the Holy Quraan was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (saw).During this month Huffath (Muslims who have memorized the entire Holy Quraan) recite chapters of the Quraan, on a daily basis during the taraweeh prayers which usually occurs after the compulsory Esha prayers, which is approximately an hour and a half after sunset, for the duration of the month (approx. 30 consecutive days), until they have completed the Quraan in its entirety.Muslims believe this is one of the ways in which the Quraan has remained intact since revelation more than 1400 years ago.

It is a common practice for Muslims to break their fast at sunset with dates and water, following the custom of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This is followed by the sunset prayer, which is followed by fatoor. Since Ramadhaan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats iftar at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to partake in the Ramadhaan evening meal. Some Muslims find that they eat less when breaking their fast during Ramadhaan than at other times due to stomach contraction. Since Ramadhaan is considered to be an auspicious month in the Islamic  calendar, special meals and savouries are also prepared during this month like Samboosas coupled with an assortment of home made beverages and desserts.

Muslims use many phrases in various languages to congratulate one another for the completion of the obligation of fasting and the 'Eid-ul-Fitr festival. Here is a sampling of them:
"Kullu aam wa antum bi-khair insha Allah" (May you be well throughout the year God willing) - Arabic
"Elveda, ey Ramazan" (Farewell, O Ramadhan) - Turkish
"'Eid mubarak (A Blessed 'Eid)" - universal

On a more personal note, the best Ramadhaan that I have ever experienced was certainly here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Two years ago my family and I spent a total of five weeks between the cities of Makkah and Medina during the holy month of Ramadhaan. It was definitely a dream come true.

Thousands of Muslims breaking their fast together, little children pulling you by the hand to join their families in breaking the fast and partaking in their meals and almost more than a million people praying together in unison submitting to One Divine God was simply a moment that I will never forget. The atmosphere here in the Kingdom during the month of Ramadhaan is electrifying.Usually all Muslim staff only work for 6 hours each day. During the day you wouldn't really find people outside. Most people are indoors sleeping and just simply staying out of the scorching heat. Temperatures here can soar as high as 50 degrees during peak summer.As the sun sets and its time to break the fast the city comes alive again. Many Arab families would prefer breaking their fast in a restaurant or hotel that offers a special Ramadhaan buffet menu. I must say its quite fun sampling different cuisines especially when you in the company of really good friends and family.

I would now like to take this opportunity in wishing all my friends and family across the globe a wonderful Ramadhaan Kareem!!!May the Almighty accept your fast and prayers during this blessed month and may it also be a time for reflecting on our inner selves.Let this month be a month where we can all achieve and attain high levels of spirituality. Let this be a month of sharing, giving and a start towards bettering ourselves in every way. Let us all try making a concerted effort towards doing good, helping others and staying away from all activities that goes against Gods will.!!!

 

 

Source:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/97460400/Rama-Dhan