MUSLIMS usually live a completely different lifestyle in Ramadan -- the difference goes beyond the times they eat and drink, it also affects the way they spend their time during the holy month, which is very different from ordinary days. These lifestyle changes have taken place over a period of time, especially in the last three decades due to many reasons, mainly modernization and the discovery of oil in the region. Many people think that Ramadan used to be purer and more spiritual in the past. For example, thirty years ago, Ramadan wasn't known for new TV shows and serials since there were no satellite dishes on rooftops to open a new world in every home. People used to take Ramadan as a chance to pray more than usual and read the Holy Qur'an more often, but now the case is quite different. “In my time, people didn't stay up all night in Ramadan,” says Mosfer Ali, a 50-year-old Jeddah resident. “Ramadan was simple, people used think of Ramadan as a period of worshipping and reading the Holy Qur'an. What we see now is a far cry from the past. The month has become a season for indulging in food and everyone's favorite TV shows.” Many people spend a lot of time towards the end of Ramadan buying new clothes and other essentials for Eid, resulting in huge crowds in malls and traffic snarls towards the last ten days of the month. “I usually spend my nights taking the family out shopping,” said Ali Abdur-Rahman, a 26-year-old Saudi. “It is such a headache, when Ramadan is supposed to be the month of reading the Qur'an and performing extra prayers, one finds oneself in the middle of malls and supermarkets almost every night.” This year Ramadan has come during summer, during school vacations. This has also affected some people's schedules. “As a teacher, I used to spend my nights in Ramadan preparing for the next day's lessons,” said Kholood Al-Ali, a high school teacher. “Now that it's vacation time I can sleep undisturbed till Suhoor.” “I either sleep till ‘Suhoor' or watch some TV shows because college is out and there is no homework to keep me busy,” says Abdul-Rahman Mohammed, a 23-year-old college student. Usman Manzour, an 18-year-old, A-Levels student says he has to limit his activities in Ramadan. “Me and my friends go to Game Stations, Billiards clubs and now and then to Sheesha clubs, but now that it's Ramadan we have stopped doing all this because of lack of time. We just go for Sheesha occasionally since it helps in digesting food.” Manzour is not alone in believing that smoking Sheesha in Ramadan does not conflict with the spirit of the month. “We can see that even casinos aren't empty in Ramadan. Yes, I am concerned about the spiritual aspects of this holy month, but I don't think smoking Sheesha is bad after the fast.” In Ramadan, as always, it's different strokes for different folks! __
