Princess Sultana's Circle

trays heavy with dishes. While
waiting to be served, Sara and I sipped hot, sugary tea and
discussed the school plans of our children. Once the servants set
the table and filled our plates, we talked and laughed while we ate
our way through a feast of salads, meatballs cooked in sour cream,
and roast chicken stuffed with boiled eggs and rice.
    I remembered Sara’s words
about the approach of Ramadan. With that thought in mind, I took
second servings of many dishes, knowing that during Ramadan I must
endeavor to abstain from food between the daylight hours of dawn
and sunset.
    As I savored the food
before me, my thoughts drifted to what lay ahead for me during this
time of sacrifice. Muslims throughout the world would soon begin to
search the skies for the new moon. Once that sighting occurred, the
time for fasting would have arrived.
    My burning desire was that,
for the first time in my life, I would be able to fulfill my Muslim
oath.
     

Chapter Four
    Chaining the
Devil
    Ramadan is one of the five
pillars of Islam and it is obligatory that every adult Muslim
observe its customs. The Koran says: “O ye who believe! Fasting is
prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you
may (learn) self restraint and remain conscious of God…”
(2:183)
    Although I breathe somewhat
easier knowing that during this special month, the doors of heaven
are open and the doors of hell are closed, with the devil chained
and unable to create mischief, a strict dedication to Ramadan has
never suited my particular character.
    I’ve always been possessed
with a great longing to be as pious as my mother and sisters, but I
must admit that I have not been flawless in my devotions. Even as a
child, when I first learned of the rituals of Ramadan, I knew that
my failure to conform was inevitable. For instance, I was told to
impose silence on my tongue and avoid lying, obscene language,
laughing, and backbiting. My ears were to be closed to anything
offensive. My hands should not reach out for evil; as my feet
should be curbed from pursuing wickedness. If I inadvertently
allowed heavy dust or thick smoke to enter my throat, my fast would
be considered invalid! Not only was I not to eat or drink during
the hours between dawn and sundown, but even when rinsing my mouth,
I was warned to guard that I not accidentally swallow a single drop
of water! Most important of all, I was to fast from my heart,
meaning that all worldly concerns should be discarded, and only
thoughts of Allah should enter my mind. Lastly, I must atone for
any thought or action that might distract me from remembering
Allah.
    From the time I began
fasting at adolescence, I was often forced to atone for my failure
to achieve full compliance. The Koran says that, “Allah will not
take you to task for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but
He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest.
The expiation therefore is the feeding of ten of the needy with the
average of that you feed your own, or the clothing of them, or the
liberation of a slave…” (5:89)
    Since the time of our
marriage, Kareem and I had lost count of the number of needy
persons that my failure to keep my Ramadan vows had fed and
clothed.
    As I savored my second
serving of honeyed dessert, I silently vowed that, this year, I
would astonish my family with my faithful adherence to
Ramadan.
    After Sara left to return
to her own palace, I busied myself devoutly studying the Koran, in
a effort for the spiritual month ahead.
    Ten nights later, an
enthusiastic announcement resonated from the neighborhood mosque,
informing believers that the holy month of Ramadan was upon us. The
new moon had been first sighted by a group of trustworthy Muslims
in a small Egyptian village. I knew that the same happy message was
being heard at every corner of the world where Muslims reside. The
time had come for all Muslims to strive to move toward a state of
perfection.
    We were six days into
Ramadan when Kareem returned to Riyadh to join his family in
keeping the important rituals.
    When Amani assured her
Auntie Sara that she would not reveal my drinking to Kareem, I made
a vow that never again would I supply my God-fearing daughter with
such a noose to dangle before my eyes.
    I felt a glimmer of hope
that all would now be well.
    During the month of
Ramadan, every routine of our normal life is altered. We rise at
least an hour before dawn. Ablutions are made, verses of the Koran
are recited,