Celebrating Ramadan: Malak's story

By Malak Outaleb Serarfi, Client Solutions Executive

​Our Client Solutions Executive, Malak Outaleb Serarfi, who has been with Guidant for five years, shares what Ramadan really means to her and fellow Muslims, and also discusses the challenges presented during the holy month.

Ramadan is a sacred month within the Muslim community as it’s one of the five pillars of Islam
Ramadan is a time to feel spiritually closer to God and spend more time with friends and family, as we tend to break the fast all together.

We fast from sunrise to sunset which can be tough, but it makes us realise how lucky we are to have food on our plate – which we can sometimes take for granted. After a long day of fasting, we are compassionate towards others and grateful to be able to eat.

Fasting has been easier this year as compared to previous years
The sun sets closer to 8pm which makes it manageable. When I lived in France, I had to break the fast at 10pm – and that was very challenging!

Hybrid and flexible working has also helped with fasting because it means I do not commute as much, making it easier. However, going to the office and meeting colleagues can make fasting days go by quicker!

Challenges during Ramadan
For me, the biggest challenge is definitely not being able to drink water and coffee. After a back-to-back meeting day, I could certainly do with a big glass of water!

It is much easier to fast now without COVID-19 restrictions as it means I am not stuck at home all day. During the pandemic, it made fasting days feel so much longer.

Receiving support from Guidant
I am very lucky to be working for a flexible company which supports and accommodates me and my fellow Muslim colleagues as best as they can. Also, please don’t apologise for eating and drinking in front of me – it’s absolutely fine!

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