The Ramadan Traditions of Sudan

The mosques are illuminated, the streets are decorated, and the holy month of Ramadan approaches, filling Muslims around the world with anticipation for what the month may bring. It is a time for fasting, prayer, and reflection. In Sudan, the marriage of religion and culture breeds a unique Ramadan experience centred in devotion, community, and generosity.

There are numerous Ramadan rituals that have been cultivated through generations in Sudan. They have become timeless traditions that Sudanese families share, exhibited through culinary, social, and spiritual practices beginning in the weeks leading up to Ramadan and lasting until the end of the holy month.

Ramadan brings people together. Families gather for iftar or fatoor, as the Sudanese call the breakfast meal that signifies the breaking of the fast. Family gatherings are less common for suhoor, the last meal before fasting begins which occurs in the early hours of the morning. This is commonly because energies are low, and most people prefer having a quick bite, praying fajr, one of the mandatory five daily Islamic prayers, and going back to sleep for work, school, or any other commitments the day awaits. 

A typical Sudanese iftar meal would comprise mulah, foul, ta’amiya, salad  and savoury white cheese. Mulah can be served with aseeda, which is a dome-shaped jelly-like dough, gurrasa, a form of thick savoury pancake, or kisra, which is thin sheets of bread made from sorghum flour. Juices such as hilo mur/abrei (sweet and sour), aradeeb (tamarind), and karkade (hibiscus) juice, are commonly served alongside iftar. 

The spirit of Ramadan ensues well before the holy month begins, with preparations being underway weeks before the first day of fasting. Families refresh their kitchens, buying new utensils or bringing special ones out of storage. Many elements for every iftar meal are readied in advance, and effort goes into every plate before the month even begins.

The basis of almost every mulah, a Sudanese stew that can be made in different ways, is sun-dried meat, dried okra, and dried onion powder. Before the month begins, it is traditional that the womenfolk of the household prepare the ingredients for mulah and store them for use throughout Ramadan. 

Mulah is a staple in Sudanese iftar and every ingredient is designed to add a unique touch. For instance, onions are traditionally chopped and sun-dried, after which they are crushed or ground to create a powder used to enhance flavour. Okra follows a similar process, where it is allowed to sun dry and is later ground to create waika powder, which is used as a thickening agent for mulah. Lastly, meat, typically lamb or beef, is used in the making of sharmoot, which is sun-dried beef that is used to add richness and texture. 

Other food like foul, fava beans, and ta’amiya, Sudanese falafel, are also considered staples in Ramadan. Like mulah’s ingredients, the preparation of foul and ta’amiya is also initiated ahead of time. Large quantities of fava beans are cooked in a pressure cooker, refrigerated and later reheated and seasoned for possibly every iftar. Chickpeas, the base for ta’amiya recipes, are minced in bulk and frozen, ready to be thawed, seasoned and fried as flavourful fritters.

Suhoor meals are customarily lighter, with people generally opting for small portions of leftovers. For a classic Sudanese suhoor, the go-to is rugag, which is also prepared in advance. It is essentially crepe-like dough that is dried, broken into smaller flakes, and stored. When serving, milk is added to soften the flakes, and sugar is sprinkled to taste. The light meal is filling, and provides sustained energy and hydration throughout the fast. 

Ramadan in Sudan is characterised by a greater sense of community, sharing, and hospitality. In Sudan and other Muslim countries, there is a practice where people walk in neighbourhoods with instruments to wake people for suhoor. In Sudan, it is called el mesaharaty, which is commonly a few young boys drumming on buckets and calling out, ‘ya sayem, goom itsahar,‘ which translates to ‘fasters, wake up and have suhoor’, urging people to wake up to nourish themselves before their fast begins. 

One of the most popular and essential Sudanese beverages during Ramadan is hilo mur, which is also known as abrei, a sweet, spice-infused drink that quenches thirst and aids in digestion after iftar. It is made from dried sorghum dough, which is prepared in advance. It is a mixture of sorghum flour, water, and spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and fenugreek. The dough is fermented for one to two days, cooked, and spread out into thin sheets that are allowed to dry over time. The drink is made by breaking flakes of the dry sheets, diluting with water, straining, and sweetening.

As preparations continue and the holy month inches closer, excitement courses through the community. The night before Ramadan begins, families typically head to the neighbourhood mosque for the first taraweeh, a voluntary evening prayer performed after isha, one of the mandatory five daily Islamic prayers, during the holy month, and when they head back, kitchens start bustling in preparation for the first suhoor of the month.

While Ramadan in Sudan means family gatherings, giving back, and connecting with others, religious practices remain the biggest priority of the holy month. In addition to the five daily prayers, the taraweeh prayer keeps the mosque doors open during the evenings of the month. In the last 10 days of Ramadan, liveliness rings through the mosques in the night, bringing people together during the most spiritual part of the day, which is when the tahajjud prayer takes place, a voluntary prayer that is performed during the last third of the night. 

Generosity is a gift that keeps giving in Sudanese communities, and it is beautifully exhibited in the streets of Sudan during Ramadan, where members of voluntary organisations distribute dates and bottles of water to pedestrians and drivers still caught in traffic at the time of maghrib prayer, one of the mandatory five daily Islamic prayers. The practice of giving back is in the nature of Sudanese people, and this is enhanced during the holy month, inspiring the community to give back to those less fortunate, from donations to charity ventures like feeding the homeless at the time of iftar.

In Sudan, curbside iftar for men is a popular tradition. This reflects a sense of sharing and hospitality, as women would typically prepare food and drinks, ensuring a surplus of everything, so that portions may be sent outside for others, including strangers or passersby, to join. The men would typically gather in the corners of streets or in front of neighbourhood mosques and break their fast together before praying maghrib, the sunset prayer that signifies the breaking of the fast, in the mosque or on large mats on the street. Regardless of the war, this practice can be seen in Port Sudan and other safe zones in the country. Due to the ongoing war that has displaced more than 11.5 mn people – 3 mn of whom fled to neighbouring countries and other parts of the world – the practice also takes place where the Sudanese diaspora is large in countries such as Egypt, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and more.

These rituals of the holy month remain alive even as the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues. While some aspects of the Sudanese Ramadan culture, such as curbside iftars, have been interrupted, the spirit of the holy month continues to burn bright among the scattered Sudanese population.

Sudanese communities around the globe continue to enrich the spirit of Ramadan by keeping these traditions alive, recreating quintessential recipes, preserving cultural practices, and curating family gatherings even in the face of displacement. Resilience fills the people of Sudan, and hope burns bright that one day, the road to home will clear and Ramadan will bring its joy back to the streets of Sudan.

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Samar Bengawi is a medical student by day, and a literature and music enthusiast by night. She was born and raised in the UAE and is now based in Georgia. She is never without a cup of coffee in hand, and is always “on the go,” chasing after one hobby or another. Passion in Sudanese politics runs in her blood and she considers herself a patriot who hopes to leave a memorable mark in the world.

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