Portraying Twelver Shia Ramadan in London

Pakistani Shias praying at the Pakistani Mosque in London.

I asked Zainab Chagani, an 18-year-old Khoja, what du`aa’s (supplications) she reads in Ramadan:

There are several du`aa’s, ones for sahur2and iftar3, one for sighting the moon in Ramadan, but the main one in Ramadan is du`aa’ al-iftitah, which we recite at the mosque after we have finished Qur’an khaani 4. It was taught to the Shias by the 12th imam (peace and blessings be upon him) for them to recite every night during the month of Ramadan. It talks about the wretchedness of the human being and the grace of Allah (Majestic in His praise). The first section talks about the qualities of Allah and His graciousness and love for the human being.

The second section sends blessings on the 14 ma`sumeen5(peace and blessings be upon them) and discusses the role of the 12th imam6. Before reciting du`aa’ al-iftitah, we recite short du`aa’s which talk about the excellence of Ramadan; pray for those who are suffering, pray for the opportunity to do Hajj, and for the forgiveness of sins. There is also a short du`aa’ for each day in the month of Ramadan.

Huda Al-Jafari from Iraq says that the short du`aa’s recited in Ramadan can be found in a book entitled Mafatih Al-Jinan (Keys of the Heavens). Most of the du`aa’s are recited on the nights of 19, 21, and 23, which are the main Qadr7nights in Shia Islam.

On the night of Laylat Al-Qadr, Fatema Mawji, a 19-year-old Khoja, goes to the mosque for a`maal8. She says that these include, “Two prayer units, special tasbih9 and du`aa’s. I also try to do du`aa’ jawshan kabir and, in sha’ Allah, stay up during the night to complete 100 rak`ahs.”10

Zainab Chagani adds:

There is a series of a`maal. First is a ghusl11 before sunset, then two prayer units in which Surat Al-Ikhlas [112] is recited seven times after Surat Al-Hamd [Al-Fatihah]. After Prayer, we say: “Astaghfirullah wa atubu’ ilayh”1270 times. Then open the holy Qur’an and recite a du`aa’. Then we place the holy Qur‘an on our heads and recite two du`aa’s. We recite three other du`aa’s and do ziyarat al-Imam Husayn13(peace and blessings be upon him). We also recite the Surahs Al-`Ankabut [29], Ar-Rum [30], and Ad-Dukhan [44]. We try to recite Surat Al-Qadr [97] one thousand times, then the du`aa’ of the 12th imam, du`aa’ al-tawbah, du`aa’ al-makharim al-akhlaq and munajat al-Imam `Ali (peace and blessings be upon him).

These a`maal were advised by Imam Ja`afar As-Sadiq14(peace and blessings be upon him).

Special Food in Ramadan

I asked the sisters what special food they eat in Ramadan. Some of them said that they don’t eat any particular food, apart from, of course, dates. Sahur, the meal before fasting, which is known as sahar in Farsi and seheri in Gujurati, might be just a cereal and dates. I visited the Islamic Centre in Maida Vale for Laylat Al-Qadr. This center is funded by the Iranian government and is decorated inside in the traditional Iranian style. When they served sahur, it was a kind of porridge, which one can have with salt or sugar, and, of course, black tea was also on offer.

Zainab Al-Hilli from Iraq says that for iftar, her family has lentil soup after they break their fast with dates, “which is very mustahhab [recommended],” she adds. Then they eat traditional food such as rice and Iraqi curries:

The variety of Iraqi curries is endless. Their main ingredients are water, tomato paste, potatoes, mince meat, or other meats or chicken, different vegetables depending on the type of curry, lemon, salt and pepper, and spices, but they are hardly ever hot! Another example of a popular dish is called timen bagilla or bean rice. It’s basically rice that is mixed with dill weed and green beans and served with chicken. There is also a popular spinach soup with crushed rice. It’s so nice!

Martyrdom of Imam `Ali

One very important day in Ramadan is that of the martyrdom of Imam `Ali. Imam `Ali was martyred on Ramadan 21, and this day is remembered with lectures about his life given in different Islamic centers. Zainab Chagani says, “On the 19th and 21st of Ramadan we wear black to express our grief and also mourn through majlis15, tears and ma’tam16. We do Qur’an khaani and du`aa’ al-iftitah as usual, but we also try to refrain from laughter.” Huda Al-Jafari gives an outline of the types of majlis that are given during this period:

On the date of Imam `Ali’s death, we attend programs that remind us of him as a person, a leader, and an imam. We remember what he stood for and why he was killed and-most importantly-we discuss how to be better Muslims in order to continue his path towards guiding people to Islam and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

I have seen ma’tam at the Islamic Centre. Brothers and sisters gather separately to hear recitations and expressions of grief and they lightly tap their chests with their right hands, but none of the blades or whips which people commonly associate with ma’tam-thanks, as usual, to the media. The death of the Prophet is also remembered in the Shia Islamic calendar.

In London: What is the difference?

Finally, I asked the sisters how Ramadan in London differs from Ramadan in Muslim countries. Huda gave an insightful reply:

Generally speaking, our Ramadan differs in the sense that most Muslims in the West are alone when they fast. In Muslim countries everyone is fasting at the same time and you can notice many differences: The restaurants and most shops are closed during fasting hours and there are more people in the mosques. In some countries, the timetable changes completely; schools and work start after people break their fast! On `Eid, Muslims gather for Prayer with relatives, friends, and family. Many Muslims in the West will have to go to work on `Eid and they don't have that many relatives.

Zainab Al-Hilli has experienced Ramadan in Syria and she looks forward to spending it in Iraq, where the rest of her family are:

Ramadan in an Arabic and Muslim country is something else; you feel more spiritual and more involved with Ramadan, not to mention that you can feel its atmosphere, in which all Muslims unite. Also in Iraq we are with our families more often and we are able to visit our imams’ shrines throughout the holy month.

Aisha R. Masterton holds a BA in Japanese language and literature and an MA in comparative East Asian and African literature from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, UK. She also holds a PhD in Islamic mystical and philosophical influences in West African literature. You can contact her at ahabrasul@yahoo.co.uk.

[1]Twelver Shias acknowledge the spiritual authority of twelve imams after the Prophet, beginning with `Ali. Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim include reports in which the Prophet refers to twelve leaders from the Quraysh who would come after him.

[2]Sahur, sahar, or sehri is the light breakfast that Muslims eat before dawn. Sahar literally means “the time before daybreak.” The Prophet strongly recommended that Muslims eat something before the fast begins.

[3]Iftar is the meal that Muslims eat when they break their fast.

[4]Zainab says that “Qur’an khaani is when everyone sits around in a circle and reads some Qur’an each in order to finish one unit of the holy Qur’an every night, and they correct each other’s mistakes in the recitation.”

[5]Ma`sum means “protected.” In the Islamic sense, it means to be protected from committing sins. Al-Bukhari has a report in which the Prophet said, in reference to certain leaders: “Al-Ma`sum is the one whom Allah protects.” The fourteen ma`sumin include the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his daughter Fatimah (peace and blessings be upon her) and the twelve imams (peace and blessings be upon them).

[6]Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan (peace and blessings be upon him) is the name of the twelfth imam. He went into occultation at the age of five, so he was no longer visible to the people, but he continued to give guidance through four chosen representatives for another 64 years. He is the Mahdi, the leader who will return at the end of time to spread peace and justice.

[7]Laylat Al-Qadr means “the Night of Power” in which the Qur’an was revealed. It could be any of the last ten odd-numbered nights of Ramadan.

[8]A`maal are religion actions, such as praying and making du`aa’.

[9]Tasbih means “glorification of Allah.” A tasbih is made up of a short phrase, such as “subhan Allah” (glory to Allah) repeated 100 or 1,000 times.

[10]A rak`ah is a unit of the ritual Prayer, consisting of reciting certain parts of the Qur’an, bowing, and prostrating.

[11]Ghusl is a ritual shower of purification in which a special intention for purification is made, and then the head, the right side, and left side of the body are washed thoroughly.

[12]“I ask forgiveness of Allah and I repent to Him.”

[13]This is the ritual greeting given to Imam Husayn (peace and blessings be upon him) when Muslims make a visit (ziyara) to his grave. The ritual greeting is recited in Ramadan.

[14]He is the sixth imam. The Sunni imam, Abu Hanifa, studied under him. He consolidated Shia teachings into a school of thought.

[15]A majlis is a meeting of a large group who listen to a lecture and discuss religious issues.

[16]Ma’tam is the ritual expression of grief that Shias carry out on the anniversaries of the deaths of important figures. Some have gone so far as to hit themselves with blades tied on strings, but the more common practice is to tap the chest with the right hand.