Ramadan Is A Respite From Capitalim, Says Gen-Z

It begins with the moon. 

Looking eagerly to the night sky, searching for confirmation that Ramadan, indeed, has returned. Billions of people all over the planet, then, fall into the rhythm of the brightest star in the sky, as they endeavor to cut out the noise of the demanding world inside and reckon with the chaos of their inner selves. 

What happens when you do not allow yourself to ply every ounce of discomfort with distractions?  Younger generations are finding their own way of answering that question, along with their own way of moving through the holy month. 

By Saher Azmi

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Despite my own amorphous relationship with faith - hard to define, confusing to explain - I can say that there is absolutely something special about the month of Ramadan. Is it the way the community comes together to enliven the nights? Is it the shared rituals that we get to share with each other these precious 30 days? Is it the sincerity of effort people put in to become more balanced individuals? Likely, it is all of these, and more. 

I decide I would benefit from the perspectives of a few friends, those I deem to be ‘better’ at Ramadan than I am, and what they tell me drastically shifts my outlook.

“For a lot of people, Ramadan is about peace. Nobody is waiting for Eid to come. We are all waiting to get in that zone, to focus on doing better. Ramadan has become a judgement free month over the years. You aren’t judged based on how you’re doing, but rather if you show up and try.”

If you show up and try. I turn the words over in my mind. 

Perfectionism has never been something I am keen on, but when it comes to my faith, I feel that unless I fit exactly into this box with fixed dimensions and prescribed rules, I am utterly failing at it.

We, often, take on the burden of the world without even being asked to do it, which has become somewhat of a characterizing trait of our generation. Ramadan is a reminder of the collective, of the ease to be found in the midst of community. And it is so much more than that. It is an exercise of empathy and awareness. We, voluntarily, give up the simplest pleasures – your daily morning coffee, your breezy lunch with a friend. You feel the hunger cues in your body, you know you can satisfy them, and you choose not to. If desire is the root of all suffering, you have curbed your desire. You are content in this knowledge. 

You reflect on the fact that there are millions out there who are living in poverty and destitution, in countries ravaged by war, in a constant state of panic. In the welcoming solitude of Ramadan, you can appreciate how truly lucky you are; you can begin to detach from the fleeting materialism that is so encoded into our everyday lives under capitalism.

You can begin to imagine a different way of life.

Living in a country like the UAE, we are afforded the unique privilege of experiencing what life is like when the system bends to the demands of Ramadan. When work hours are shorter, and we spend more time at home, more time with our families, our communities, yet the world continues to go on as before – what does that tell us? 

“People talk about capitalist realism in their books and theories, yet none of them have managed to produce a reality which shows there is an alternate way to live.” says a friend. “It doesn’t always have to be the routine we’re made to believe is inherent.” 

Ramadan feels like a lifeline – there is no denying that. 

It always seems to come when we need it most. The chance to retreat – to simplicity of mind and body, to discipline governed by nature and not office hours, to a desire to simply be better as a person, to a dedication towards cultivating a kinder society – is invaluable. 

I can understand, then, why people look forward to Ramadan the way they do, why they wait for that first moon. However brief, this month gives us a chance to slow down, to be still, to retreat and restore ourselves. When we break bread at Iftar with our beloveds, the respite from hunger comes gently, and we can soothe ourselves with the knowledge that there will always be this. There will always be Ramadan.