Fasting for 20 hours, Muslims in Scotland prepare for sahur immediately after tarawih

Going to the Ramadan bazaar, performing tarawih in the evening as well as getting the Hari Raya Aidilfitri loot from the popular night market in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, seem to be a normal cycle for most Muslims in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, sahur the meal consumed just before dawn is normally taken as late as possible followed by the break of fast (buka puasa) during Maghrib prayers.

Fasting abroad seems another challenge on its own. Some Malaysians share their experiences fasting abroad.

Aberdeen, Scotland

“In Aberdeen, Scotland fasting period is about 20 hours. The break of dawn or Subuh is at 2am and Maghrib is at 10pm. Aberdeen is in the far north and the cold weather is a non-issue for us to fast for long hours.

“Although it’s summer, the weather is still cold and sometimes the temperature would drop below 10-degrees. Cooking is a must for us as there is no Ramadan bazaar here, right? Our break of fast sessions are very festive as there would be plenty of food to be shared among us."

United Kingdom

"We fast for about 19 hours and the greatest challenge is the short period of time between iftar and sahur. The breaking of fast is at 9.45pm, tarawih prayers about 12.15am and sahur at 2am.

“Understandably. the Ramadan vibe here is not as merry here compared to Malaysia. Every day, we long for Malaysian food so we make it a point to cook our own dishes. Most restaurants here are open as usual and seeing locals dining during the day is also a challenge for us to control our appetite."

“Celebrating Ramadan in Mekah is indescribable but the weather was the biggest challenge for us'. When we were out performing the 'tawaf wida', we would moisten the whole body with zamzam water. Normally, after we have completed our tawaf, our clothes would have already dried due to the heat.

"MasyaAllah, we believe there is a great reward in return after the hardship we endured. We hope to have more opportunities to return here during the month of Ramadan."

Canterbury, Kent

"Ramadan was quite challenging because it is summer here. We are required to fast for nearly 18 hours starting at 3.30am. Ramadan is becoming more challenging as some of us are working part-time at the university.

"The size of the Muslim community in Canterbury is relatively small compared to other parts of the country. Although the Ramadan ambient here is not imminent we have agreed to take turns cooking and break fast together as a big family."

"There were times when I called my mother and aunt asking for recipes of Malaysian popular dishes. Then, we would try out to recipes together." Stockholm, Sweden

“Fasting period in the City of Örebro is about 20 hours 22 minutes. This year, Ramadan falls at the height of summer or dubbed as Midsommardagen.

"The gap from Maghrib to Subuh is less than five hours. So we would break our fast, perform our tarawih followed by sahur and these are normally done within a short period of time.

"The first day of Ramadan right up until the fifth has been the hardest for most of us. After that, we would normally get the hang of it fasting for long hours. The biggest obstacle is not hunger or thirst but the psychological pressure. Muslims are minority in Sweden so, the feel of Ramadan here is close to none."

"This is the second year fasting for 19 hours in Nottingham. Break fast at 9.30 pm, Isyak and tarawih prayers finished at around midnight. After we take a short respite, we would immediately have sahur as imsak falls around 2.30am.

"While there is no bazaar like in Malaysia but the excitement of Ramadan and fasting is still observed here due to the large Muslim community.”

“I celebrate Eid Mubarak in Melbourne, Australia last year.

“Fasting is not really difficult here compared to Malaysia as the temperature here is between 10 Celcius and 15 Celcius. And we would fast for nine hours.

“When Syawal comes, beef rendang is certainly a dish of choice.