This month, over a billion Muslims will fast during daylight hours as part of Ramadan. Stylist’s events director Mariam Ahmed, 32, explains what it means to choose to go hungry in the food-obsessed West

Photography: Sarah Brimley

It’s lunchtime and my colleague Fiona is eating a bag of Wotsits at the desk next to me. I’m trying not to stare. I love Wotsits. My tummy rumbles, but my watch tells me it’s been 10 hours since I last ate anything and I’ve got another eight hours to go.

I’m fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, which sees the 1.6 billion practising Muslims across the world forgo all food and drink each day from the first ray of dawn until the last streak of sunset. It sounds extreme but most Muslims have been practising Ramadan since they were teenagers and it is supposed to be a test. It’s a time for self reflection and spiritual growth. It’s meant to remind us how lucky we are to have food while thousands of people living in poverty don’t.

Giving up food is only part of the process, though: during the 30-day fast, we also stop swearing and moaning, give to charity and complete at least five sets of prayers throughout the day. The lack of food numbs your desires and as a result you become more aware of yourself and mindful towards others. Ramadan is a fast of the tongue as well as a fast of the body. I’m not a particularly philosophical person, but during Ramadan, I do become more introspective and less superficial.

Nevertheless, in a food obsessed country like ours, fasting is still the aspect that fascinates most non-Muslims, so my friends are always amazed to learn that we can’t chew gum or smoke and all medication has to be taken after dark. My husband is addicted to coffee so a couple of weeks before Ramadan he’ll start cutting back and friends who smoke have it doubly hard, as you can’t use nicotine patches. I know it must sound full-on to non-Muslims, but as one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith (along with declaring your faith, compulsory giving, obligatory prayer and taking a pilgrimage to Mecca), you just get on with it. I don’t mind people asking me about Ramadan, but sometimes I wish I could wander around in a T-shirt that says ‘No, not even a glass of water’, because that is a question that comes up all the time. But it’s a fast – no food, no drink. And no, I’ve never ‘cheated’ by eating something during the day. In fact, I don’t know anyone who has. I was introduced to the concept of fasting from a young age and as it’s always been such an integral part of my life it’s never difficult to be around food or the only person fasting in the office. I feel my body naturally adapts to going without, so I’ve never suffered any ill effects or passed out due to lack of food or drink.

The only tricky part comes is making sure I know when the start of Ramadan falls as the dates move every year. I’ve often ended up planning a huge blow-out ‘final meal’ with all my friends only to check my mosque’s website to discover we’ve still got another day to go. Still, once Ramadan starts, it’s easy to anticipate most things.

Fast talk

During Ramadan there’s a whole range of apps I can use to tell me what time sunrise is going to start (usually around 2.30am). So I’ll set my alarm for 30 minutes before that. My husband and I will wake up, sleepily make some porridge, down a couple of glasses of water and complete our morning prayers before going back to sleep. This year, I’ll be coming into work slightly later than normal to make up for all of the broken sleep, which affects me more than the hunger.

How does it feel to abstain from food, drink (and sex) during daylight hours for Ramadan?