Observing Ramadan at Unipart Logistics Burton
As we start our Eating Well campaign it's only right to understand that some of our colleagues are currently fasting. We asked Aftab Bashir, Team Leader in Burton for Unipart Logistics, to talk to us about Ramadan and how he has worked with his colleague Mohammed Khan to raise awareness, support colleagues who are fasting, and encourage colleagues to experience it for themselves:
"Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar based on the Lunar Calendar. It was the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The month consists of fasting from sunrise to sunset and lasts for around 29/30 days.
What is the purpose of Ramadan?
Whilst there are many benefits to fasting in the month of Ramadan from a dietary perspective, Ramadhan is a month for millions of Muslims for spiritual reflection and attaining God consciousness i.e taqwa. It is also the month in which Zakat, i.e. Charity, is given. This is based on 2.5% of a individuals savings which is given to the most needy.
No water?
A question asked regularly is ‘’Not even allowed to drink water?’’ but from the hours between sunrise to sunset, eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual activities are prohibited whilst fasting. The meal eaten in the morning is called ‘sehri’ before closing the fast. The meal had when breaking the fast is called ‘iftari’. This is normally opened together with family or at the Mosque with the rest of the community.
Eid Ul Fitr
The end of Ramadan is celebrated with Eid Ul Fitr, which is a three day Muslim festival to celebrate a successful fasting year. The three days consists of family gatherings, prayers, new clothes, presents, giving of money, and plenty of food!
Unipart Burton
At Unipart Burton this year, a few colleagues participated in fasting, which was a completely new experience for them. Below they share their thoughts on fasting:
‘’I chose to fast during the start of the Ramadan period because I have a number of staff working in my teams that would also be fasting. I have a good relationship with the staff and wanted to challenge myself and experience this time from their perspective and get an understanding of the effects on your physical and mental self. I initially found the experience very trying and quickly learned a few things about my habits, mainly my sugar intake. I would say this was the most challenging part of the time I spent fasting as I didn't realise how reliant I was on this to keep me alert and active through my evening shifts. I only spent the first 10 days fasting but this has helped me to realise the impact this has on the staff and how they are feeling through this period.’’
"For me fasting was a chance to step into the shoes of the Muslim community that work here and gain a deeper understanding of the trials they go through whilst fasting and working. What I took away from the experience is that it really shows you just how many unnecessary things we rely on to get through the day; from cigarettes to caffeine and sugar - there's countless unnecessary little things that become routine which you don't need to rely on."
"I wanted to do the fast to show a bit of solidarity with my team as I have a high percentage of Muslims within the team. I wanted to do the whole month but after one week I couldn't carry on. I found the experience very hard to do, whilst I was at work I had the support of the guys on the team but once I had left work I was alone in the fast and did not have the support making the weekends especially hard. I also found that the lack of water/drinking throughout the day was harder to take than the food and I found the more I thought about not having food/water made me crave it more. I hope to attempt the fast again next year but maybe start to prepare for the fast a little earlier.’’
It's great to see colleagues supporting each other and understanding through sharing the experience."
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April 21, 2023, 2:56 p.m. - Joanna Matson moderator ¶