Opinion – Fatima Haffejee, Pic: muslimmedianetwork.com – July 30, 2012

Mere speculation has left me feeling as if though this ‘ramadhaan’ had simply materialized out of the air fryer.

There I was abiding to my every day routine as per norm. Breakfast, lunch and supper in its usual time and place. No major adjustments made to my social calendar. I didn’t have to forego brushing my teeth 5 times a day as is ritual (I have OCD when it comes to teeth-brushing).

Then, like popcorn in a bag apprehended by the laser beams of the microwave, I was jilted to find that my BBM was being accosted with Ramadhaan based messages. ‘Where had the time gone?’ I wondered aloud.

Bygone were the April holiday’s with its festivities. The Rand Show, the Sultan Bahu fete, the Hartley Road Fair and the final sequel to our glorious summer.

The June holidays flew by as rapidly as it approached. My only recollection in relation to the ‘Durban July’ was being asked: ‘Where is the Durban July?.’ I kid you not. Winter came by in a temperamental mood. Clearly he wasn’t adjusting well to Global warming. Temperatures shifting from cold, to warm, to freezing cold, to mild. Weather reporters were probably not amused.

Then, as my younger brother put it: ‘Ramadan came in such a shock. I’m still in shock’. Ramadan had silently crept up on us.

In an attempt to organize ourselves, we scurried in search for scarves that would match each one of our many outfits. Fervently phoning around placing our pre-Ramadan orders (‘Ramadhaan without samoosa’s and pies? Can you imagine!’) and then finally we made last minute house calls to friends and family to observe the perfunctory ritual of seeking forgiveness and requesting duas.

When the fasting commenced we spent more time in the kitchen than professional chefs do, meticulously planning menu’s that would impress even the ‘Master Chef’ judges. In the process we lost track of the functional purpose of Ramadan.

A week after Eid festivities we marvel at how rapidly the month had elapsed and then continue onwards with our lives as is conventional. No major adjustments to our spiritual self. Apathetic to reformation. What has changed?

By the time we eventually adapt Ramadan into our routine, it’ll have absconded. Leaving us with nothing but the sticky paste of dough on our hands and a meager prayer on our lips. As an afterthought.