Ramadan lights

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On Monday 3 October, thousands turned their heads towards the daytime sky in an attempt to catch sight of the sun's annual, crescent-shaped, partial eclipse. At night, all eyes were again directed skywards, this time in search of the crescent moon heralding the beginning of Ramadan. But the transformation that takes place during Islam's holy month extends far beyond the physical, to encompass nearly every facet of daily life. While eating and sleeping habits certainly change, so do traffic patterns, entertainment, the marketplace, family ties and community interactions. Believers' expressions of faith also reach their zenith. Worshippers crowd mosques after sunset in special extra prayers, and everywhere you turn, the rich and the poor exercise unparalleled generosity, mercy and tolerance.

As the call for maghreb (sunset) prayer resonates across the country, "mercy banquets" provide food for those who can't afford a decent meal. Several hours later, and until the wee hours of the morning, places like Islamic Cairo (above) host sohour seekers, who sustain themselves with a meal in the last moments before the call for dawn prayer marks the beginning of a new day of fasting.

Al-Ahram Weekly's Ramadan coverage

photo: Sherif Sonbol