Happy Ramadan from Precise Consultants!

“Some countries can be particularly difficult to work in during Ramadan. In the middle of summer, I was once working in Norway, where the day is almost 20 hours long. I tried to fast, but it didn’t work very well!”

This is a glimpse into the life of one of our freelancers who is currently observing the holiest month in the Muslim calendar – Ramadan. As we operate in an international environment, meeting people from all walks of life with different beliefs and interests, we want to bring you an understanding of the challenges and commitments some of your colleagues are experiencing. 

It also shines a light onto some challenges our Muslim colleagues face and suggests ways they can be better supported.

We spoke to Amr Essa, Baher Shata, Amr Elgoarany and Karim Elzayaty to learn more about Ramadan and what it means to fast for a month.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan remembers the month the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. For more than 14 centuries, Muslims have commemorated this revelation by fasting from dawn to dusk for the whole month.

Setting Intentions

The point of this act, Baher Shata explains, is not simply to stop eating. Muslims will also give up other things as well such as smoking, drinking and having sex. “The main idea is to train ourselves to have more control over our behaviour and desires. It’s a kind of meditation and self-improvement.”

Intentions are fundamental in Islam to ensure that activities are not just actions but also commitments and beliefs. As a result, the impact of observing Ramadan extends beyond the individuals, helping to connect people with others through both shared practice and developing greater empathy. As Amr Elgoarany explains, “Fasting develops patience, selflessness and willpower.”

What happens during Ramadan?

As each day ends with the breaking of the fast, Ramadan can be a very social event with large gatherings of family and friends, particularly at weekends when people come together for iftar (breakfast) or suhoor (dinner). As such, there’s a whole business involved in preparation for Ramadan.

“In Egypt,” says Baher, “We have a lot of traditions – people buy a lot of Ramadan – related lighting and decorations, similar to what people do for Christmas in Europe. Fanous Ramadan is the main decoration or toy for kids during Ramadan. It’s a kind of light that used candles in the old days but now uses batteries.”

The month is a time of spiritual discipline and contemplation. Karim says, “Muslims focus on prayers, good deeds like charity and donations and refrain from quarrels”, and Amr Essa highlights how there’s increased charity and generosity, with many charities collecting donations during the month.

During the month, there’s a strong sense of community. Amr Essa says people look out for each other. “Some people stay in the streets at sunset giving drinks and dates to people walking and driving at sunset times who cannot get food at home, and many places are temporarily built to serve food to people around sunset. Also, big mosques open extra areas in the streets for additional prayers to the five regular prayer times.”

At the end of this month, there’s a big celebration called Eid, and the build-up to it has an impact on observers. Baher says that “For the last ten days of Ramadan, most Muslims will try even harder to be better than at the beginning of Ramadan by praying more and finishing reading the whole Quran. After Ramadan ends, we have a big feast called Eid al-Fitr, a three-day celebration of breaking the fast.”

The Offshore Challenges

As daily fasting ends when the sun sets, it can be incredibly difficult to observe Ramadan in a traditional sense.

Karim Elzayaty has spent many seasons working offshore and says it’s hardest to observe the holy month when you’re stationed in the north. “It’s because the sun sets around 10–11 pm, and dawn is 2–3 am. That’s almost 20hrs without food or water. This is especially hard if I am working a day shift. A night shift is easier since the window in which I am allowed to eat is at night.”

There are accommodations for travelling Muslims, which can make life easier. Baher is the freelancer who worked in Norway, where fasting in the summer months – when the sun barely sets – was too difficult. But he says people like him are able to observe it when the environment is not so hostile. “Often, it can be hard for Muslims to plan a whole month off, meaning I have had to continue working and travelling. The good thing is we are exempt from fasting if travelling, so we can choose to fast if we feel capable, but if not, we can wait until we return home and fast then instead.”

It’s common for many non-offshore workplaces to make accommodations for colleagues who are practising Ramadan – things like flexible working hours, free food to take home for dinner and space for praying. It was clear from our conversations with our freelancers that offshore working has a way to go to support Muslims during Ramadan, with some choosing to simply not work at all. “As a seafarer,” says Amr Elgoarany, “Sometimes it’s hard to get a proper quality main meal around sunset. There are usually limited options, pork, or low-quality seafood, making adapting during Ramadan quite hard. Also, the limited space onboard makes it harder to pray. That’s why as a freelancer, I have the options to accept or refuse working offshore during Ramadan.”

What Can Be Done?

The group suggested easy and practical steps that offshore companies should consider during Ramadan:

• Extend the time that food is available in the galley
• Provide good options for food around sunset
• Create a 1 x 2m clean space for Fajr prayer around dawn
• In hot countries, allow the hot work to be done at night where possible
• Give night shifts to those who are fasting

Ramadan Mubarak!