Taking a break together

As the sun starts to set, Muslims observing Ramadan prepare to break their fast.

When it is time for the maghrib (sunset) prayer, which also marks the end of the day's fast, the call to prayer can be heard coming from mosques as well as on the radio.

At the Angullia Mosque on Serangoon Road, the prayer hall is filled with people sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor.

Together, congregants hold up their hands in prayer, giving thanks before consuming the porridge and bandung (rose syrup with milk) drink prepared by the mosque workers and volunteers.

In the kitchen area, Mr Daud Rawther, 42, is seen breaking fast with 39-year-old Mohd Shamim, a Bangladeshi who has been in Singapore for 10 years. Both men are volunteers at the mosque.

But not all Muslims here get to break fast with their families at home or in a mosque.

Spotted on the pavement of Muscat Street near Sultan Mosque, Miss Zahratonnisak Amyadi, 20, and her friends prepare for a quick meal of drinks and kebabs bought from the nearby Arab Street bazaar.

Miss Zahratonnisak, who works at I Am... Cafe, says: "We were walking around the area and decided to find a place to break fast before further exploring the bazaar."

Meanwhile, four of her colleagues get comfortable by the entrance of their cafe off Haji Lane, sharing packs of food and bottles of water while seated on a green mat.

For Mr Muhammad Fahim Mohd Ibrahim, 24, his job leaves him with little time to have a proper break-fast meal.

CALL OF DUTY

"I usually have a quick drink to break my fast before resuming my work," says the barber with Hounds Of The Baskervilles on Bali Lane.

He sits in one of the empty barber chairs and opens a can of coconut juice. After his quick drink, Mr Fahim continues tending to his clients.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The last day of fasting for Muslims in Singapore this year will be on July 16 - the eve of Hari Raya.

This article was first published on July 05, 2015.
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