Health Care Assistant shares her Ramadan experience at the Charity

• 13 March 2025

The Charity is always committed to inclusivity, respect, fairness, engagement and equality of opportunity for our patients and their families, our volunteers, supporters and staff.

Farah Mogul started working for the Charity in 2023, after talking to our CEO, Sharon Allen, OBE at an open day at the Cambridge Mosque. Supporting and working with our diverse community is one of the Charity’s values so it was no coincidence that Farah was attracted to work for the Charity.

She started working as a Health Care Assistant on the Inpatient Unit and now works in the Hospice at Home Team. One of the Charity’s goals, as set out in the five-year strategy, is to develop and retain engaged and motivated staff. With this in mind, we were pleased to hear how Farah, as a practicing Muslim, was supported working as a Health Care Assistant, at the Charity, during Ramadan. Farah shared her experience with us at the beginning of March 2025:

What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts for around 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon.

During this month, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset refraining from food and drink, basically not consuming anything including smoking during the fast. This is similar to some of my Christian colleagues who observe Lent.

We also pray at regular times throughout the day and night. The timing and dates of the fast and prayer all depends on the sunset.

It is also a time to give to charity and to help people who are in hardship and do not enjoy the same benefits as we do.

What does fasting entail?
We start our fast in the morning before the sun rises. Today I woke up at 4:15am just to eat a little bit. When I was younger, I used to eat a lot of things but now I eat a light breakfast of cereal and milk. After that we pray [with the Fajr prayer] and then I try to sleep if I can! Although when I am working I need to be awake from 6:30am if I need to travel to see a patient.

Today’s fasting will be open [break the fast] around 5:45pm, so before sunset. I keep some dried dates and a bottle of water in my car for that time.

How often do you pray?
We pray five times a day but the timings change every day because the days are getting a bit longer each day. The second prayer today will be at roughly 12:30pm.

Where and when do you pray?
Sometimes I pray when I’ve finished driving or in the Sanctuary at the Hospice, at the Mosque or when I get home. But before praying we do Wudu (Ablution) which is a way to cleanse ourselves physically and spiritually. It involves certain parts of your body in a specific order; washing my hands, rinsing the mouth, cleaning the nose, washing my face, washing my arms, wiping the head, wiping my ears and then last, washing my feet.

After performing my Wudu, I place a headscarf on my head as a sign of modesty and respect for prayer. Sometimes, if I have my Abaya [a simple overgarment], I wear it to fully cover myself before standing in prayer.

The Hospice has religious books and prayer mats in the cupboard, in the Sanctuary, for anyone to use to help them pray but if the floor is clean you can put any cloth down to pray. I carry a prayer mat in my car as well.

Muslim’s, who adhere to Islam, pray in the direction of the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. In the Sanctuary at the Hospice there is a wooden qibla which faces towards the Kaaba.

Do all Muslims take part in the fasting?
I started from a very young age. I used to watch my parents, my family, friends, everyone do it and so I felt like it was like a competition. I thought, “They’re doing it, I’m going to do it!”

Women don’t have to fast if they are menstruating, pregnant or just became a (breastfeeding) mother. Other exceptions are elderly and ill people who take a course of medicine through the day, people travelling through different time zones and of course younger children who have not reached the age of puberty.

How do you plan for Ramadan whilst working for the Charity?
When I worked in the Inpatient Unit I worked nights during Ramadan and went to the Sanctuary during my breaks to pray.

This year, I saved all my annual leave so I can take the last two weeks off. I won’t be at work during that time and can concentrate on Ramadan. So, it’s not a rush to get to the Mosque, and I can take things at my own pace. It can be tiring sometimes. I don’t feel that hungry but I want to avoid getting dehydrated so, I try to drink a lot of water in the morning. I usually like to go to the Mosque and open my fast there then pray and eat there as well. I am a volunteer at the Mosque and sometimes some of my friends also come and join. I like to have the last prayer of the night over there as well.

When do you sleep during Ramadan?
We sleep at the normal time and then wake up before dawn to open the fast and repeat this for 29 to 30 days (depends on the moon sighting.)

What happens at the end of Ramadan?
Around the 30th or 31st of March, we are going to have a celebration to mark the end of Ramadan. This is called Eid ul-Fitr. To give a Christian cultural reference, this is like after Lent you have Easter. In the morning, we all dress up in traditional clothes and attend Eid prayer in congregation. Afterwards, everyone gets together and have parties which includes a feast of food and drink. We also give gifts to our families and friends, like Christians do at Christmas time and wear our best clothes for the occasion.

What kind of food do you have at Eid al-Fitr?
All kinds of things. We usually have roast lamb or chicken and pilau rice, curries and savoury and sweet dishes. My mum used to cook everything herself but now I find it very hard. To make it easier for families, everyone brings one dish and meets at one house so they can get together and share the food. This is called a “one dish”. We divide the dishes into three: one you keep for yourself, one for your family and friends and one for someone in need.

We thank Farah for sharing her experience and look forward to Our Bistro serving dishes to recognise Eid al-Adha on Saturday 7 June.

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