20 Jun I Did Ramadan for a Day and It Was Almost Impossible

I’ve heard people explain that they only go to the gym so that they can eat unhealthily. This seems fairly innocuous, but it’s literally burning calories so as to consume more. This becomes even more curious when you consider that, with scores of people physically exerting themselves, gyms use electricity rather than create it. But whether it’s nights out, restaurant meals, gym memberships or retail therapy, it can all be covered with one theme – consumption.

The idea of self-denial is something of an alien concept in the West. In a world where food porn is offset by gym selfies, the theme of consumption is stronger than ever. However, every summer, millions of people go through four weeks of self-denial as part of a holy month.

Fasting (known as Sawm) is only one part of Ramadan, but it characterises this Islamic period of worship. Not eating or drinking water in sunlight hours during one of the warmest months of the year certainly sounds challenging. So I met up with a Muslim friend to see how far I’d get.

Our first stop was an exhibition. I assumed that the somewhat sterile environment of an art gallery wouldn’t help distract me from my thirst but I was able to forget about it. That said, looking at Hokusai’s The Great Wave, I was somehow reminded of my desire for water.

Later, at a cash machine, I heard someone in the queue behind me state that they were “actually starving”. One key purpose of Ramadan is to put yourself in the shoes of someone who doesn’t have access to food or water and inspire generosity towards those less fortunate than you. Needless to say, it made me think of the inappropriateness of both words in that context.

The most testing activity was definitely cycling. My friend said that he and his mates often play football during Ramadan as a way to forget about food and water. However, as expected, the first sniff of physical activity had me gasping for a drink. (All the more so, of course, because I knew I couldn’t one.)

Iftar is the breaking of the fast, which happens at sundown. When 21.16 finally rolled around, we were strategically situated in a restaurant, having already ordered. But it wasn’t food I was yearning for. Excitedly spilling water all over the table, I poured myself a glass and drank up. Call me beige. Call me vanilla. But I steadfastly believe that water is the world’s best drink and this experience reinforced that belief. The food was certainly a welcome treat, though nowhere near as welcome as good old H2O.

What struck me more than anything is how reliant we are on alcohol for socialising. When you’re not drinking, you have to find things to fill the day. In our case this included cycling, walking, bowling, pool, table football… However, Western society – with its bars, binge drinking and night time economy – has adopted alcoholism as a cornerstone of its culture. And when you’re drinking, time simply elapses.

In a world so obsessed with consumption, a little self-denial certainly isn’t a bad thing. Of course, there are many other religious periods – such as Lent in the Christian calendar – which encourage restraint. But Ramadan is rightly revered as one of the most testing. A statement to which I can now attest.

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