Malak Alzahrani

JEDDAH: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijra calendar and fasting Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are known to fast from sunrise to sunset, ‘saum,’ without eating or drinking.

Apart from abstaining from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset, the month of Ramadan is also about challenging oneself to become a better version of themselves.

For example, it includes not only fasting from food and drink, but also abstaining from swearing, lying, quarreling, lust, and sexual activities. It is a month of self-discipline, self-purification and spiritual improvement. During Ramadan, people are encouraged to donate to the needy and feed the poor.

Just like New Year’s in Japan, families often get together and watch variety shows on TV while eating. For example, in Saudi Arabia, people watch Ramadan’s special edition TV series, programs that educate viewers about Islam culture, and entertaining programs and sitcoms.

Shinozaki Yuki, a Muslim Japanese student residing in Jeddah, spoke to Arab News Japan about her experience of Ramadan.

She is a postgraduate student at King Abdulaziz University’s geography faculty in Jeddah. Yuki said she spends her Ramadan alone this year.

‘’When I first fasted during Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, the most difficult thing was the influence of COVID-19. My university studies were online classes, but my laptop’s signal was bad. Although there was someone to help me with my classes, I felt alone,” Yuki explained.

“I always eat Samboosa and dates when eating iftar,” she said. “I also tried eating traditional homemade food when I travelled to my Saudi friends who live in AlHufuf and Hafr AlBaten.”