“Ramadan is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar and is a very joyous time for Muslims all over the world,” explains Bachir. “The calendar is lunar and so months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. This means the Islamic year is shorter than the solar year and so Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons. This year, Ramadan is due to begin on either 22nd or 23rd March.”
“A key part to Ramadan is Sawm – or fasting – which is one of the five pillars of Islam,” continues Rahma. “Fasting is an act that is mandatory for all able Muslims and is a universal way to make those who are better off and those less so equal in terms of asking for forgiveness for their past sins. It is important to note that this is mandatory for all able Muslims; if you are sick, pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating, for example, you are exempt.”
A day in the life during Ramadan
Bachir and Rahma highlight how the day of a Muslim person during Ramadan changes slightly compared to the usual days of the year, since sleeping patterns alter and prayer times increase.
“In addition to fasting, having time to pray throughout the month is extremely important for those observing Ramadan,” says Bachir. “The last ten days are the most precious and many Muslims stay up late at night offering extra prayers. This means a Muslim might be more tired the next day.
“This will be my third Ramadan as a Leonardo employee and my experiences so far have been positive. I have always felt able to perform the essential aspects of Ramadan while also completing my various tasks at work. The available prayer facilities allow me to conduct all my prayers on time and take the time for reflection where needed.
“Our custom working policy also provides that additional supporting parameters for me if I need to adapt my working day in any way. This helps to reduce any stress around work, as I am able to manage my time accordingly with confidence.”
This experience is something shared by Rahma who works at our Yeovil site, the Home of British Helicopters. “We are given the flexibility we need to work through the month by adapting the working hours to our needs. For example, if someone is working shifts, these would be adapted to avoid overlapping with times of breaking the fast. We were able to discuss this with managers of different departments to facilitate this. We are also encouraged to take as many breaks as we need during the day, especially in more physically straining activities.”
A time for reflection
While fasting in Islam is generally interpreted as the refraining from eating or drinking from dawn until dusk, in reality, it is so much more.
“Ramadan is a time for heightened devotion, reflection, self-improvement and worship,” says Rahma. “It is a time when Muslims can learn so much about themselves and about what is truly important. It has therefore been fantastic that we have been able talk to the company about available prayer facilities and suggest how these can be adapted to perform prayers throughout the month.”
“Fasting during Ramadan helps Muslims to focus on our thoughts and actions, and to refrain from things such as cursing, fighting and arguing – any of which would invalidate that day’s fast in the same way as drinking and eating,” adds Bachir.
“Sawm provides a real impetus for enhancing our relationships and connections with family, as well as providing benefits for our physical health and overall mental health and wellbeing.”
Bachir and Rahma form part of the Leonardo Ethnicity Inclusion Network Group, one of seven employee-led groups driving Inclusion and Diversity across the company. The Ethnicity Inclusion Network Group recognises that there is often a strong link between ethnicity, culture and faith. The network therefore provides an umbrella to explore these linkages through the raising of awareness and promotion of dialogue with the company.
As part of their involvement with the network group, Bachir, Rahma and other members of the group have had the opportunity to present the importance of Ramadan to different groups of people across the company including our trainees and training managers, our HR team and our Senior Leadership team.
“This is great,” says Rahma “as we feel that by reaching out to many people, this increases awareness across the company and lets any employee observing Ramadan know that they have the support they need.”
Bachir agrees that this is an important opportunity: “I have had the opportunity to share my story through the Inclusion and Diversity section of our intranet and now, as a committee member of the Ethnicity Network Group, I have a platform to raise any concerns and support other colleagues with a point of contact if they have issues or questions.”
Festival of Breaking Fast
The month of Ramadan ends with a community celebration known as Eid ul-Fitr (Festival of Breaking fast). However, before performing the Eid prayer, Muslims undertake an act of charity where money (Zakat-ul-Fitr) is given to the poor.
“This is not just for those within the Muslim community,” says Bachir. “During Ramadan, my local mosque has previously given the money directly to charity organisations to help and support Muslims abroad in Africa and Asia, as well as using donated money to provide clothing and free hot meals to families within our local community which has included people from a wide range of cultures, religions and backgrounds.”
Eid is marked by great feasts, giving of gifts to children and spending time with family. “It is a time of celebration when we wish our friends and family a very joyful and peaceful Eid,” explains Rahma. “‘Eid Mubarak’ literally means ‘Blessed feast/festival’, and we look forward to sharing this celebration with our colleagues across Leonardo next month!”