Supporting your Muslim colleagues through Ramadan

Ramadan is one of the most important periods in the Muslim calendar. During Ramadan, from sunrise until sunset, Muslims are obliged to abstain from all forms of food, drink (including water) and smoking. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, so as you can imagine, it’s incredibly important to us.

The purpose of Ramadan is to gain Taqwa (which means to gain piety or God consciousness). This is achieved through an increase in prayers, reading the Qur’an, self-reflection and self-discipline – hence fasting. So as well as offering the five daily prayers, many Muslims spend extra time in worship during Ramadan, which may include the following:

• Taraweeh prayers: The person leading the prayer (imam) in the mosque each evening will recite the entire Qur’an from memory over the month – these sessions last around two hours.
• Itikhaf: When someone decides to enter Itikhaf, they live in the mosque for the last 10 nights of Ramadan with the aim of increasing their worship to God in a focused way devoid of any distraction.
• Laylat-ul-Qadr: On this, the most holy night for Muslims, we’re encouraged to increase the time we spend in worship, and some may do so throughout the night.

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, so you may well have somebody in your team who is observing Ramadan. Whether you’re a manager or a colleague, here are some tips to help you support them

1. Talk to team members to let them know that you are aware that Ramadan is approaching and are sensitive to the obligations it presents for some staff. This will encourage people to come to you if they need an adjustment to their normal working pattern or need any other support.
2. Not all Muslims will fast and some people who may not be observant during the rest of the year may observe Ramadan. This could be due to sickness or ill health and others for personal reasons. Be respectful and don't make assumptions or ask people why they are, or are not, fasting.
3. Work with staff to accommodate flexible working arrangements during this period, such as allowing Muslim staff to start work early or late if it is feasible.
4. Take Ramadan into consideration when scheduling team events or meetings, particularly over lunch, because staff may be fasting or completing prayers.
5. People may wish to complete prayers that fall during the working day at work. Prayers should normally take no more than 15 minutes on average, although this can vary slightly - be flexible and work out a way that your team member can make up the time. During Ramadan, Friday prayers (known as Jum’a) are of particular importance. Muslims are required by their faith to pray at this time. This will normally occur around 1pm and last for approximately 45 minutes, so lunch break is a good way to cover this prayer.
6. Some staff may wish to take holidays at the end of Ramadan for Eid-ul-Fitr (this is comparable to the Christmas within the Christian Calendar). Note that such requests may be presented with little advance notice since the actual day that Eid falls on will depend on when the new moon is sighted.