As Ramadan begins, we’d like to share this message to Tooting from Arshad Daud, Assistant Secretary of the Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre.

Dearest Neighbour
As-salamu alaykum (peace be with you)

I’m sure you will have shared our horror at the senseless attack in Manchester earlier this week. Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The perpetrators of such callous and cowardly acts seek to divide society and sow mistrust and disunity.

The spirit of the British people has risen above this and it was so heart-warming to see all members of our diverse communities (including faith communities like our own) coming together to help others at this time of shared grief. The tragedy that unfolded in Manchester reinforced the value of life and I’m sure that you all – like us – held your loved ones closer to you that tragic night.

Such sad occasions are a time for reflection, and it is with this in mind that we write to you today. Ramadan will commence today and, as I’m sure you're aware, it is a blessed and spiritual month for 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. You may notice an increase in activity in your local mosque during this month and we’d like to let you know why.

Ramadan is a time when Muslims will fast from before dawn until dusk by foregoing food and drink. This is tough enough in winter but in peak summer this is really challenging! Why do we do this? The underlying principle is to inculcate within ourselves the spirit of God-consciousness and self-reflection. It helps us to empathise with those less fortunate than ourselves in this country and beyond. It helps us to be thankful for things that we take for granted: clean water, fresh food, our families etc.

Ramadan has physical benefits too – it helps us assess what foods are good for our bodies and provides an invaluable opportunity for a full detox (although some still indulge in the odd fried samosa!). It is no coincidence that Muslims are most charitable in the month of Ramadan as this self-reflection inspires us to help ourselves by helping others.

Islam does not burden its believers more than they can bear; there are therefore many dispensations for those who cannot fast, eg children, elderly, those who are ill, those travelling, pregnant and breastfeeding women etc.

Ramadan is also a time for prayer. You may therefore notice more people visiting the mosque in their quest for spiritual nourishment. In addition to the 5 daily prayers, there is a special optional late night prayer that lasts for about an hour and a half. In summer months this can begin as late as 10.30pm. We appreciate that many of our neighbours will be resting at this time and will be concerned about the noise and potential disturbance. We have therefore announced to the congregations at both Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre to respect our neighbours by parking legally and sensibly and keeping noise to a minimum. We will continue to remind our worshippers of their duty towards you – our neighbours – and look forward to working with you to overcome any challenges.

We’d also like to extend a sincere invitation to you and your family to visit our mosque and partake in a post-sunset meal and we’ll be posting more details of this soon. We look forward to working together for the betterment of our local and wider community.

Was-salam (with peace)