Ramadan in War Zones
While Muslims
in Arab and Islamic countries welcome the blessed month of Ramadan with joy and
celebration, millions of Muslims in conflict zones and war-torn regions receive
the holy month in an entirely different manner.
In stable
countries, people prepare for Ramadan materially by
decorating streets, purchasing supplies for iftar tables, and arranging
invitations for relatives and friends to share family meals. They also prepare
spiritually, setting their hearts and minds to devote themselves to
worship—prayer, fasting, and recitation of the Quran—as well as socially, by
increasing acts of charity and solidarity.
In contrast, in
areas of conflict and war, Ramadan arrives laden with anxiety and pain. The
usual manifestations of joy recede before a harsh daily reality imposed by war,
siege, and displacement. The scent of death lingers everywhere, turning the
days of Ramadan into a bitter test of patience and endurance.
Ramadan
and the Early Wars
Although
fasting was not prescribed until the second year after the Hijrah, the early
Muslims experienced Ramadan while enduring hunger and persecution even before
migration, when the polytheists besieged them for nearly three years in the
Valley of Abu Talib. Despite their suffering, they insisted on upholding the
rites of Allah—prayer and recitation of the Quran—and some of them even
observed voluntary fasting.
After Allah
prescribed fasting in Ramadan, as stated in the verse: “O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for
those before you1—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.” (Al-Baqarah 2:183)
the Muslims’
observance of the month did not prevent them from continuing to call to Allah
and striving in His cause. They participated in battles led by the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him), including the Battle of Badr, which took
place on the 17th of Ramadan in 2 AH, and the Conquest of Makkah in Ramadan 8
AH, in addition to various expeditions he dispatched to different regions.
The point is
that Ramadan—and the fasting prescribed within it, along with the Quranic and
Prophetic encouragement to intensify worship during it—was never a barrier
between Muslims and striving in the cause of Allah. Jihad itself was regarded
as one of the highest forms of devotion and nearness to Allah. Thus, Ramadan
under such circumstances became a distinctive test of the fighters’ patience
and faith: the fasting believer would fight, fast, and establish prayer,
challenging hunger and danger in order to remain steadfast upon the faith and
its message.
Meanwhile,
those who were unable to fight, along with the rest of the Muslim community,
formed a crucial support system for the fighters. Despite scarcity of food and
resources, they did not abandon prayer, remembrance, charity according to their
means, and sincere supplication for victory. This, in turn, granted the
fighters moral strength to continue their mission.
Ramadan
and Contemporary Conflicts
The condition
of Muslims suffering from wars and conflicts today may differ from that of
Muslims during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or during the early
battles. In most cases then, Muslims fought in defense of their creed or to
uphold the banner of Islam against disbelievers and polytheists; thus, those
wars were clear in objective and limited in scope.
By contrast,
most of the wars and conflicts affecting Muslims today—apart from the war in
Gaza—are complex and ambiguous, where truth and falsehood are not easily
distinguished. They are also often wide in scale, exposing civilians to severe
living conditions and compounded psychological and social crises due to the
excessive use of modern weaponry. In such circumstances, Ramadan becomes a
month marked by dual endurance: patience in the face of hardship alongside
steadfast commitment to worship and spirituality.
Under this
turbulent reality, Ramadan is no longer merely a season of worship, as it may
be in stable countries. Rather, it becomes a month where emotions intertwine
and priorities collide. Hunger is not simply an act of devotional choice but an
imposed reality caused by siege, rising prices, and scarcity of resources. Fear
is not a fleeting concern but a constant companion—from the search for iftar
provisions to the anxious wait for survival with each new night.
Many familiar
features of the blessed month—such as performing Taraweeh prayers in mosques or
gathering for communal iftar meals—disappear. Family or neighborhood gatherings
for iftar or suhoor may become an impossible dream, an incomplete attempt, or a
meeting fraught with danger. The emotions of Ramadan in such places are a
painful blend of attachment to worship and hope in Allah’s mercy, coupled with
a constant sense of loss, anxiety, and heartbreak. The call to prayer mingles
with the sounds of shelling, and the moment of breaking the fast coincides with
news of another casualty, a demolished home, or a newly displaced family.
The
humanitarian scenes witnessed by the world in recent years in countries such as
Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Sudan reveal the depth of suffering their
peoples have endured—some of which continues—during Ramadan. For them, the
month has not been an occasion of abundance or lavish tables, but a test of
life itself, a measure of human resilience, and an ongoing challenge against
the brutality of war.
In Gaza, for
many, the dream is a piece of bread and a little water—items that even these
are beyond reach for many. If some lentils or beans accompany them, it is a
luxury attained by only a few. Often, the only light in a room is that of a
mobile phone—if available—amid continuous power outages.
In Yemen,
fasting unfolds against chronic hunger, shortages of fuel and water, and
diseases that afflict children, women, and the elderly. Iftar and suhoor often
consist of very simple meals, largely dependent on regional and international
relief organizations, especially after the situation there was classified as
one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The situation
was not much different in Syria, where refugees in camps endured the hardship
of material hunger coupled with exile from their homeland and the loss of
family and loved ones.
Compassion
and Turning to Allah
Despite all
this, Ramadan in war zones has not entirely lost its spirit. Rather, it has
become an opportunity to reveal the reality of faith in Allah, a test of
patience in the face of trial, and a motivation to seek nearness to Him through
prayer and supplication. It has also brought forth values of solidarity,
compassion, and selflessness in confronting painful realities.
Amid war and
the collapse of daily life’s foundations, many find true security only in
returning to Allah and drawing near to Him. Some turn to mosques—where they
still stand—while others create a personal spiritual retreat with their Lord,
for the essence of the month remains obedience and worship.
In many cases,
Taraweeh prayer transforms from a seasonal ritual into a collective declaration
of clinging to life and an inner refusal to surrender, no matter how severe the
tragedy.
On the social
level, selfishness fades and former disputes shrink into insignificance. A
piece of bread that once could not satisfy a single individual becomes an iftar
meal divided among several households.
Read Also:
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Third Ramadan Amidst the Rubble in Gaza
-
The Impact of War on Ramadan Goods in Darfur
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