Reporter Joe Buncle finds out what it's like to fast for a day during Ramadan in Portsmouth
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00:00 Every year, almost 2 billion Muslims around the world take part in Ramadan.
00:06 Part of this holy month involves fasting between sunrise and sunset.
00:11 To get an insight into this practice, I decided to have a go myself.
00:16 The night before my first experience with fasting, I ate a big meal, drank a lot of water,
00:22 and then woke up early the next day to do the same.
00:24 A Muslim friend advised me to make sure that my first meal of the day involved a lot of protein.
00:30 So, eggs at the ready. Let's see how it goes.
00:34 It's shortly after 5am.
00:39 Suhoor time this morning was actually supposed to be 4.20am, so I'm a little bit late, but the sun still is not up yet.
00:46 This is what I've managed to come up with for my first meal of the day.
00:50 I've been given some advice that I need lots of protein, so I've got some nuts there with some dried mango,
00:58 eggs on toast, an orange, and some water. That's the part I'm worried about.
01:05 I've squeezed some lime into it. I was told that lemon in water will help me feel more hydrated.
01:11 So, this is going to be my last gulp of water until the sun goes down, and then I'm fasting until my iftar meal this evening,
01:22 when I'm going to a mosque for the first time and going to be given a traditional iftar meal.
01:28 So, I'm looking forward to that. But let's see how it goes in the meantime.
01:32 So, it's now about half past two. I'm working on a later shift today, so I've been working since 11am.
01:39 I'm on my lunch break, and obviously today there's no lunch, so I'm just chilling really.
01:45 I'm obviously feeling quite hungry at this point, but I've skipped meals before.
01:50 At the moment, I really, really, really would just like a sip of water.
01:56 So, that first sip this evening is going to taste amazing, I think.
02:00 So, the sun is about to set, which I'm very pleased about, because I'm getting quite hungry now.
02:05 But obviously today for me has just been a challenge in terms of fasting.
02:09 I'm not religious myself, so I'm going to meet some people here in the mosque to tell me a little bit more about the importance of Ramadan and what it means to them.
02:18 - Ati. - Ati. I'm Joe, nice to meet you.
02:21 - My hands are a bit wet, that's why. - Oh, that's fine.
02:24 So, just for the video, would you be able to tell us what is this meal that we're all about to eat?
02:30 This is called iftad. In Arabic it's called iftad. It means breaking the fast.
02:36 So, basically after the end of the day, when it's time for the sunset, you'll hear the adhan very shortly.
02:45 The adhan is the call to prayer.
02:47 So, the muazzin, the person who calls to prayer, will make the announcement and everybody you will see will break their fast.
02:55 They will usually start with a date and then maybe some water and then they will eat.
03:02 So, I've seen that before. Why do people start with a date to break their fast?
03:07 It's part of the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, what we call the sunnah of the Prophet.
03:13 So, we try and emulate everything he does.
03:16 And one of the things he used to do is to break his fast with a date.
03:20 So, really following in the tradition of the Prophet.
03:23 Got it. OK.
03:25 It's not a must, it's not a compulsory, but it's highly recommended to follow his sunnah.
03:32 And fasting actually is nothing new in the religion of Islam.
03:36 Actually, all faiths before that used to fast because God said in the Quran,
03:43 "Fasting is prescribed upon you like it was prescribed to those before you."
03:49 Meaning the religions before, Christianity, Judaism, they all encompass fasting in some form.
03:57 Can we eat now? Yes.
04:01 Stone. Stone.
04:05 How did you feel all day then?
04:11 This is your first fast, yeah?
04:13 Yeah, I think it was harder than the beginning.
04:16 I had a bit of a headache, I think, because also I usually drink quite a lot of coffee during the day.
04:21 But, yeah.
04:23 But later in the day, I felt a bit hungry, but the main thing was the water, I think.
04:32 That was a bit different.
04:34 So, I've just broken my fast here at the mosque.
04:38 We had a meal called iftar, and it was rice with pizza and some spices and things like that.
04:47 Very tasty and obviously well-needed after a day of not eating, and the water went down a treat as well.
04:52 Can you explain a little bit about the importance of fasting during Ramadan?
04:57 The purpose of fasting is to learn how to self-control myself.
05:04 Food is one part.
05:06 The main part of the food is not the main part of the fasting.
05:10 The main part of fasting is self-discipline, self-learning.
05:15 You control your anger, you control your own wrong behaviour in this month.
05:21 But, any time, even 18 hours in this country, we have to fast.
05:27 That does not make us, well, excuse.
05:30 That gives us more strength. Do you know why?
05:33 If we fast longer days, we'll get more reward.
05:36 We'll get more strength mentally.
05:40 You will get more sort of time to do good things.
05:43 This is what we see the positive ways.
05:46 We never get frustrated.
05:47 You will never find a complaint that, well, fasting for the Muslims is difficult.
05:51 No Muslim will complain this.
05:53 this.
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