Muslims Who Fast: Harry, Ilyas, and Junaid show us what iftar away from home looks like

By now you probably know that during Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, and daily vices such as gossiping and general negativity.

In the last ten days of the holy month, the efforts are amped. During the last full week of Ramadan, our mini-series Muslims Who Fast is prying into the lives of those enjoying their iftar, whether at home or away.

While most iftars are great family feasts, it’s not possible for Muslims who live away from home. This week, we speak to Harry Shotton, from Manchester, who lives in London with his two mates Ilyas and Junaid.

The trio has been living together for a year and sorts out all the iftar duties among themselves.

Harry has spent Ramadans in India, Morocco, Egypt and the UK and though each place is different, he says the community spirit is alive in each place in the same way.

Let’s see what he and his friends had for iftar:

Tell us about yourself

I’m a proud Mancunian currently exiled to London for work. I’m a civil servant working on international policy having worked in politics for a few years.

Outside of work I enjoy reading, cooking (my favourite dish is probably grilled chicken) and video games (currently playing this incredible Spiderman game on PlayStation).

Nice. What did you prepare for iftar today?

I prepared a red lentil daal which I’ve cooked in a big batch, a classic chicken curry, a mixed salad dressed in mint and yoghurt, and served with some sweet potatoes and Mama Nagdee’s homemade pastries.

What’s different about iftar at home and away?

It can be difficult doing Ramadan away from home because you miss your parents and them not letting you get lazy when you’re tired, as well as the quality family time while waiting up for suhoor (pre-dawn meal) together.

When you’re away, there’s greater flexibility in picking what to have for iftar! Whether it’s a lazy pizza takeaway or cooking something you’ve been craving all day.

What’s an iftar must-have for you?

A Ramadan staple for me is probably dates and water. I try to always open and close my fast with dates and water, aiming to drink about three litres a night. Watermelons always remind me of Ramadan too.

Same. What does Ramadan mean to you?

Ramadan is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the night prayers (Taraweeh) at the mosque and bumping into old friends and catching up over a cup of coffee and a cheeky scoop of gelato (or two).

It’s an incredibly blessed month which offers me the chance to refresh and renew my relationship with God.

Above all Ramadan means thankfulness to me: I’m thankful for everything and everyone I have in my life, it gives me time to reflect over all the privileges I take for granted.

Any particularly fond memories?

I’ve spent time in India, Morocco and Egypt during Ramadan and the community feeling is incredible. To see families out taking late night strolls or the way people share food at iftar time is lovely.

Also, my mum waking me up before Fajr (dawn prayers) to tell me she’d made some suhoor for me was always amazing. Bless our mothers.

How old were you when you first started fasting?

I probably fasted for the first time when I was about 16. Some of my friends encouraged me to try it and it was a really good experience. I properly started doing it four years ago now.

Are there any things you crave when you fast?

Sounds sad but the biggest thing I miss is drinking water first thing when I wake up. Oh and brunch. I love brunch. I end up making brunch at suhoor time.

So this week I’ve been having daal and scrambled egg on toast or sometimes I’ll make huevos rancheros which is a Mexican dish.

Fancy. What’s difficult about Ramadan?

The difficult thing is definitely working, and having to be up early and in the office for a whole day while struggling to concentrate and running on very little sleep.

I’m lucky that my work is quite flexible so I can work from home some days because Underground commutes in the summer heat and trying to focus on complex bits of policy work after 4pm is quite a struggle.

But at the end of the day, the spiritual enrichment is so incredibly worth the struggle.