The Bangladeshi community is one of the largest in Madina whose customs in Ramadan show their solidarity. The members of the community find Ramadan an opportunity to fulfill their need for religious information and strengthen their relations. Their daily program in Ramadan starts with a gathering for Asr (noon) prayer at the mosque, after which, one of them with knowledge in religion lectures the others on the way to perform good deeds and to stay away from bidah (innovation in religion). Muhammad Sayedi meets his community members and advises them and answers questions on religion. “I do this for the sake of Allah because I see some mistakes in the community that need to be corrected as we were told by Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).” “I don't give fatwa, I only talk about general things known to all Muslims,” he said. “Sometimes I realize that I do not know the answer to certain questions. In this case, I ask for some time and consult a scholar.” The community members mostly gather at the neighborhood's mosque for Ramadan breakfast. Moments before the call for prayer (time to break the fast), they start praying loudly and thanking Allah for his bounties and asking him to accept their fast. “Besides dates and water, our breakfast consists of sambusa, lentils, white rice cooked with onions and a lot of pepper, in addition to juice,” said Jalal Mumtaz. Sometimes we add one thing or two, like soups or dessert. It depends on our financial ability.” After breakfast, everyone leaves to meet again the next day. Abdulmomen Shalam said they felt the spiritual atmosphere here in Madina more than in their own country but “the heat is the same.” “Our relatives and friends in Bangladesh are calling on us to pray for them because we are in the blessed area of Madina.” Some Bangladeshi workers find Ramadan an opportunity to take a holiday and seclude themselves in Makkah's Grand Mosque or even in the district's mosque during the last ten days of the month. Fellow community members provide clothes, food and drink they need.
