​#TeamGuidant celebrates Ramadan: Saima's story

By Saima Khan, HR Business Partner

With Ramadan coming to an end this week, #TeamGuidant’s HR Business Partner, Saima Khan, shares how she coped with her first Ramadan in lockdown last year, and her experience of what it feels like to fast and work.

Ramadan began during lockdown last year towards the end of April.
It was really difficult as it was the first time we couldn’t share the experience with friends and family. Normally, we would break fast in each other’s homes, and visit the mosque together for night prayers.

It was a lonely time, as Ramadan is something I have always observed with my parents and siblings growing up. While we are fortunate enough to live in the same town, kicking the urge to see them made it even harder because we had to stay at home last year.

Last year was the first time my son was trying to fast.
While lockdown made it hard for us to share his experience with family and friends, we tried to make it special by sending food and gifts to each other’s houses. My brother even sent over a few Ramadan “advent” calendars for the kids!

As schools were shut, my 10-year old son was able to keep to over half of the fast, which was incredibly admirable. It would have been much more difficult for him to fast at school.

It was hard not seeing anyone, but it was also a great time to focus on our prayers and spiritual side because we didn’t have to worry about entertaining guests, cooking large feasts or travelling about to meet family and friends. Not being in the office also helped me perform my prayers more regularly.

Managing the tiredness and lack of sleep is harder than not being able to eat and drink.
Getting up early to start your fast and pray is part and parcel of Ramadan. Last year, I was getting up around 2:30 in the morning to eat, drink, pray and read the Quran. I have tried going back to sleep to catch a few more hours of rest before the day begins, but really struggled to do so.

Summertime fasts are more challenging since daylight hours are much longer. In the past, we have fasted up to 18 hours a day. Being at home has made it easier as I would have a little longer to sleep in since there is no commute to the office.

Even though the UK is slowly coming out of lockdown, be organised and plan ahead!
I’ve printed out a timetable of the fasting hours and prayer times so the entire family knows what each day looks like. I will be organising a food shop over the weekend to plan for recipes I want to make.

My line managers at Guidant have been supportive and I’ve been able to talk to them openly about my adjustments for Ramadan. I have needed flexibility with my working hours, to which they have been accommodating of and understand why I take more annual leave during this period.

Back when we were in the office before the pandemic, the best way colleagues have supported me…
…Is by not eating or talking about food when they’re around me. Even though I have mentioned that I don’t mind, the smells during lunch time makes my stomach grumble.

Colleagues who have taken an interest in my faith have a better understanding as to why I observe Ramadan, which in turns makes me feel comfortable talking about it more openly too. Even though many of us will still be working from home during Ramadan, it really helps if your colleagues can appreciate the willpower it takes to fast and work (and in my case, parent!).

On the bright side, Ramadan in the UK this year is lockdown-free.
Now that restrictions are easing, we’ll be planning to throw small garden iftar (breaking of the fast) gatherings with family and friends. I’ve also been on a health kick over the last year where I had limited fried and sugary food, so Ramadan feasts will be a real treat!

With every passing Ramadan, we feel blessed to have made to the next, so we devote this holy month to really focus on God. No one knows if you will be around for the next one, so it’s all about mentally preparing yourself to get as much as you can out of the present one by doing good deeds, praying, asking for forgiveness and helping the less fortunate.

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From all of us at #TeamGuidant, we wish you a very Happy Ramadan! Ramadan Kareem!