I prayed the Eid prayer at 7 a.m. this morning alongside a few thousand people at the Hassan II mosque in Saidia, Morocco. The above photo shows Eid prayers at a slightly more famous Hassan II mosque, the one in Marrakesh. Below is the even more famous Hassan II mosque in Casablanca.
Eid al-Fitr brings a return to material, carnal life after the otherworldly month of fasting. We appreciate what we have when it’s gone, whether temporarily or permanently, and a month without daytime food and drink, caffeine, and regular sleep helps you appreciate those things. This Eid I’m appreciating them more than ever, since Ramadan was a bit more difficult than last year’s. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever experienced a Ramadan being harder than the previous one. Past Ramadans had always gotten easier, in part because I’ve grown increasingly accustomed to the abrupt change of routine and the rigors of fasting and sleep deprivation. And last year’s Ramadan here in Morocco was easier than American ones thanks to the social support of being in a country where everyone’s fasting.
But this year it was hard to keep a serene disposition. The Zionist genocide in Palestine, and the Judeo-Nazi annulment of the First Amendment, kept making me angry. And anger, past a certain point, breaks your fast.
I tried to maintain perspective by comparing my own ridiculously minor hardships to what the people in Gaza were going through, and to draw inspiration from their heroism. But that mostly just accentuated my anti-Zionist fury.
I also experienced more sleep deprivation than last year. Caffeine withdrawal, combined with low blood sugar from fasting, made it hard to focus and get things done. And my sore ankle bothered me while standing during Tarawih prayer.
A young man who looked to be in his mid-20s showed up at Tarawih prayer several times wearing a shirt with a legend on the back that read: “I’M TOO OLD FOR THIS.” I kept thinking, if he’s too old, what does that make me?
The lesson, I suppose, is that you’re entering a new phase of your life cycle when Ramadan starts getting harder rather than easier. The upside is that Eid is that much more joyful. To celebrate, I’m having tea in the morning, a big meal with family followed by coffee in the afternoon…and before the meal, some beach-running and body surfing.
So…Happy Eid, and blessings to all of my readers.
