As you may or may not know, dear reader, this is a very special time for my sister Wardah and I... and millions of others. Muslims are currently observing the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar.
Ramadan is a month in which Muslims from every corner of the world fast. We fast because we are obligated to by our religion. Fasting teaches Muslims patience, obedience, moderation, and empathy towards our less-fortunate brothers and sisters who do not have enough to eat on a regular basis.
Fasting means no eating or drinking at all from dawn to sunset. Then, at sunset, Muslims eat a special meal called iftar, which often includes dates and milk. As an American-Pakistani, I sometimes eat items such as
pakoras and
samosas for iftar, while on other days, I might break my fast with pizza and frozen yogurt.
This Ramadan, my family and I wanted to share our iftar meal with our neighbors. We live in a neighborhood where Muslims are a minority. So we thought that if we share our iftar with our neighbors, they could learn a little something new about Muslims.
A couple hours before sunset, we began preparing platters of dates and traditional foods that Pakistani people break their fast with. This iftar included a fruit salad known as a
fruit chaat,
pakoras,
samosas,
kabobs, puff pastries stuffed with seasoned meat, and a chickpea salad known as
cholay. My siblings and I prepared the food with my mother's expert help, then we formed an assembly line to dish out the different foods on the platters. The entire time, we were wading through amazing aromas. As everyone was fasting, this was an extreme lesson in self-control :)
I also baked chocolate chip cookies for the occasion. You can't have a meal without having dessert!
We even prepared a refreshing drink called Rooh Afza, which is popular at Pakistani iftars.
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My family and I really enjoyed making iftar for our neighbors. Hopefully they learned something about Ramadan from us, and we learned to be more giving.
Mehwish
