In this UNLAWYERLY Ramadan special, Ramin discusses how to navigate practicing Ramadan in the corporate workplace.
In this UNLAWYERLY Ramadan special, Ramin discusses how to navigate practicing Ramadan in the corporate workplace.
Speaker 1 00:00
So Ramadan is
Speaker 2 00:03
Coming up very quickly.
Speaker 3 00:05
And for those of you who are living in the west are, i guess in any places that isn't necessarily a
Speaker 4 00:11
Muslim country or predominantly muslim country, in which
Speaker 3 00:14
You may have already set accommodations from your place of employment. I think it's important for us to talk about,
Speaker 4 00:21
You know, things that you can do now to prepare yourself in an environment. It works setting in which you may be the only muslim who is fasting during the month of
Speaker 1 00:33
Ramadan or in an environment in which Your colleagues and co-workers while they mean? Well, may
Speaker 4 00:39
Not necessarily know how To. Interact or what they need to do, or what they need to know from the perspective of fasting during Ramadan. And also preface this any of the things that i say in this? Uh, brief talk. That may be seen as Legal information. I'm not providing any legal advice. And so i i do give that caveat at the very forefront.
Speaker 1 01:05
I'll share something with you all in the time that i was in the corporate world and i started right after I had graduated. With, with my masters, i i started working in
Speaker 2 01:23
That
Speaker 1 01:24
I would ask, especially if it's a place that i knew i wanted to, i could see myself being there.
Speaker 3 01:30
Uh, was the importance of being able to take time off and or
Speaker 1 01:35
A break for something like friday prayer? And so during the course of our interview, one of the things
Speaker 3 01:42
That i would just bring up to them and say look on fridays. I do go to friday prayer. And,
Speaker 1 01:50
You know, i need some time to be able to attend prayer and then come back. And on top of that, i do pray five times a day. And so, Uh being able to just have that time and in the beginning of my career, you know, i would At that point i didn't know much either. I would just go to my car and pray and
Speaker 3 02:08
You know i would still get the prayers in but It wasn't anything that i had asked for an accommodation.
Speaker 4 02:14
A place where, like, a room that i could pray. Now, some of you
Speaker 1 02:17
May be like, well, if i bring that up, During the course of my interview, they may not even hire me and That shouldn't and can't be the basis for why they don't hire you. The other thing you could do is, you know, once you're secure
Speaker 4 02:30
The job and you're talking with your respective person that's in charge of you, you let them know. Look on
Speaker 3 02:36
Fridays, i
Speaker 1 02:38
Pray or during the month of around a fast or whatever the case may be. The reason
Speaker 3 02:43
Why that is important is my own belief has always been one. Our risk is tied. In
Speaker 1 02:50
Provided by a law spontal. It's not a human being, it's not a corporation, it's not an entity. The one above has already calculated what our risk and for the most risk can be anything from well-being to monetary the way that most of us, see it, it's already tied in the power of dwar, of course, changes it. So, when i look at it, i was like, look, this person that i'm interviewing with or my the person that's in charge of me, the money's not going to come from them. The money is going to come from the man upstairs from the big guy and so, you know, he's the one that i should be afraid of when it comes to asking he we all know Most merciful most loving god.
Speaker 4 03:25
There's nothing to to be afraid of when you are following Uh, his
Speaker 1 03:30
My opinion, very simple things. But with that being said, that that's one of the ways that i got past this whole idea of being shy to ask or to tell them, you know, i'm gonna take a break for this prayer. I'll make up the time. The work will get done etc. Um, All of our things are already tied up when it comes to the risk and it doesn't come from a human being.
Speaker 2 03:53
So,
Speaker 3 03:54
That gets to the very first things that you need to do when it comes to preparing for Ramadan and also just a
Speaker 1 04:00
Practicing muslim and a work environment, especially in the western culture. It's open communication.
Speaker 3 04:07
I think that is extremely important because the colleagues and people that you work with
Speaker 4 04:12
Do mean, well often but they just need to know what's going on. And so often when i would interview
Speaker 1 04:18
People and this even if they were most of them are not muslim but people coming out of college, one of the advice that i would give them on the other side is
Speaker 3 04:26
Learn to set your boundaries, the things that are important for you should not be compromised regardless of the
Speaker 1 04:32
Level that you come in so open, communication. Is a way to go. You need to ask your person in charge or hr whoever A i have. So and so thing that's important for me. And this particular case, for example, during the month of Ramadan, i will be fasting. You know, 30 days. Now they some people will think you're going to be fasting the entire 30 month straight? No eating, no drinking. So it's important to
Speaker 3 04:58
Let them know during the month of Ramadan. You don't have to give them the whole dissertation of islam and ramadan. I fast from
Speaker 1 05:04
Sunrise to sunset, which means, i don't eat or drink. And, As i'm sure those of you who see my instagram posts, i consider that the lower fast compared
Speaker 3 05:15
To the bigger and harder fast, which is, you know, the fasting, the mind tongue eyes ears,
Speaker 4 05:21
Temper, etc. I think that's the harder fast becoming a better person, but you let them know. Look, i'm fasting from sunrise to sunset. And so, The reason why i'm bringing that up is one if you haven't already told them. I need to make sure i'm making my prayers on time and
Speaker 3 05:39
Often when you tell hr that they will find a room for you and if they don't you could ask You know is there a
Speaker 4 05:45
Room or building or a place that's not being used that i may be able to use you know a couple times a day to pray. Um, and it's not a hard ask. Trust me hr will will accommodate special if, you know, if they, if you
Speaker 2 05:57
Tell them for
Speaker 4 05:58
Some reason, if they don't, you know, they should make it easy for you to be able to meet those obligations. Uh, and
Speaker 3 06:04
Two. You know, when you're when you're telling them about this just let them know that when you have to
Speaker 4 06:10
Break fast and of course it depends on the timing of the year because words is ours is based on a lunar calendar. It does
Speaker 3 06:16
Change right now it's going to be coming in around the time of March. So we still in like daylight savings time. Uh sunsets going to be a little bit earlier. So one of the other things that you need to bring up
Speaker 1 06:28
Is the need for you to cut your work day. Uh, so that you can accommodate breaking your fast. Now, some of you are like remain, you're out of your mind. How's that going to work? How are they gonna say yes to that? I'll tell you this. Look, i worked in big four accounting. Where we had busy seasons? I've worked in the government. I have worked at a university. I have worked in big law. All very high stress high demand areas, where there is no nine to five. That's nine two, it's wake up in the morning, start working until you go to sleep. Type work. And
Speaker 4 07:07
So i came up with a plan of action. So point number one was open, communication point. Number two is, make sure you do have
Speaker 1 07:13
A plan of action already in place before you go to point number one, and have that open communication? I would tell them this
Speaker 4 07:19
Happened more in big law. Before Ramadan happened about two weeks beforehand. I would send an email to the
Speaker 1 07:25
People that i was working for the partners. I'd let them know. Ramadan is expected to
Speaker 3 07:29
Start on x date and it's going to go for 30 days until why date during that time? What
Speaker 1 07:36
I plan to do. Is since i'll be waking up earlier in the morning for starting my fast, i'll start my work at that point and then Of course, i'll come to work, do what i need to do but then i i need to leave This particular time so i can go home break my fast and then You know, especially for those of you who title we have prayers, which of course aren't far as it's not required. Um, they're highly suggested, but i will also let them know. Look, i'm also going to go to Tuttle, we pray. So after this particular point in time, i'm not going to be available via email. But i will make sure that i make up the work that i'm going to
Speaker 3 08:20
Uh,
Speaker 1 08:20
Not necessarily be in the office to do and it's going to be a seamless process. The onus is going to be more on you to make sure that one whatever you say you're going to do you actually follow through. And look at the end of the day, if you are the only Muslim there and i've been in this situation plenty of times. You're also setting an example for other Muslims that are going to be coming after you. And so you want to make sure, you know, as as Muslims when we make
Speaker 4 08:44
A promise, we follow through on our promise, outside in the extenuating circumstances. So you have to also be that model that you can show. Especially people who aren't Practicing or weren't
Speaker 3 08:56
Muslims that
Speaker 1 08:57
This can be done. I can still meet my religious obligations. I can meet my work obligations. It's
Speaker 4 09:03
Not going to be easy. But here is my plan of action and this is what i'm going to do. And often when i would
Speaker 1 09:09
Send the email. I would leave it open. I would say that. Look, i will speak with you guys in person as well. And
Speaker 3 09:16
Answer any questions you may have. The vast majority of the times, they wouldn't have any other questions in fact, in the two places, especially when i worked out in big law, Um,
Speaker 4 09:25
You know, it was very seamless as far as being able to meet those. Those
Speaker 3 09:31
Things, but i also had conversations with them earlier. Uh, you know,
Speaker 1 09:35
My first place of employment, we didn't have a place to prayer but i had my own office. But then when we move to a new building, i i said we really should have a meditation room, not necessarily just for me because i need to pray five times a day but it
Speaker 3 09:47
Was for me, but it was a space where somebody could go and just have some quiet time, quiet space. And in my
Speaker 1 09:53
Second place of employment, when i was in big law, You know, at the very beginning of the interview process, i'll let them know. These are the things that are important for me.
Speaker 4 10:01
And i would like to see. To the extent possible, some accommodation. It wasn't me
Speaker 1 10:07
Demanding, but it was more me. Letting them know. I need to be able to meet these religious obligations while
Speaker 4 10:13
I'm at the workplace, because my Uh, religious life does not stop at the door
Speaker 1 10:19
When i'm walking into the building it continues and they were very respectful. I think one thing i've realized in my my time
Speaker 3 10:26
Working in the corporate world is when you do value something. And it doesn't matter if you're coming in as a first year or your experience and season. People will for the vast majority of time respect you because there
Speaker 1 10:38
Is something that is important for you and you are following through on it. You know, they have a higher level
Speaker 4 10:44
Of level of respect for you. So
Speaker 1 10:46
Open communication to before that open, communication, have a plan ready as far as how you are going to execute. Now, some
Speaker 2 10:56
Of you may say, well, So, for example, Uh some
Speaker 1 11:00
Of my colleagues in co-workers. They don't know too much about it. So do i remember information?
Speaker 3 11:07
In the, the answer to that is, is it really depends? Some of them will be very curious and they will ask questions other of them. They will be curious but they don't want to seem like they're asking too many questions to invade your privacy. So one of the things that i would do was You know, at the and i was on the associates committee so i was involved with firm leadership in terms of things that were going on.
Speaker 1 11:29
I made an effort to be able to educate others. Uh on ramadan and fasting. And so i would have an email that would set up at the very beginning before Ramadan start and just say hey there will be people in the building that who will be participating and the month of
Speaker 3 11:47
Ramadan and they will be fasting. And this is the brief history of it. That we'll talk about how the Quran was revealed by
Speaker 1 11:53
Angel drip, dry, yield to problematal assalam. And the the need for no fasting or fasting as far as from eating and drinking among other things, but Also educate them about the exemptions. For example, children are exempt. If you're sick, you're exempt. If you're a woman, nursing your exempt, if you're pregnant, you're exempt, if you're traveling your exempt, i would be basically show them the beauty of what is islam, which is we believe in moderation
Speaker 4 12:17
And a law spawns. All does not make it difficult for us to practice our faith.
Speaker 1 12:23
You know. In a lot of people were very receptive to it because they would say, i
Speaker 3 12:28
Didn't know this, you know, it's kind of great to have insight now, of course, i would also emphasize on the importance of the, the bigger fast, the harder fast, which is, when you're not eating and drinking, it's easier to lose your temper. It's easier to get,
Speaker 1 12:41
Uh, hangry. Uh, but those are the things that Requires us to.
Speaker 4 12:46
Um, to to practice discipline, you know? And i think when we are able to show Our
Speaker 3 12:52
Colleagues and co-workers that even though we're not drinking even though we're not eating, even though we're not having our caffeine
Speaker 1 12:59
In the morning that we're still able to get by and look, Turn the workday, especially afternoon, it was, it would get difficult, especially as the, the days with progress. But, you know, in all of my time that i have You know. Fulfill the rights of ramadan while i was in a corporate environment, i lost 5's made it so much easier because i Did my very best to make sure that i was still fulfilling my obligations? Even though i was working, i was working in a western environment western culture. I was one of the few, if not, the only Muslims there and all smile, it's all made it so much easier for me because i made an effort to
Speaker 4 13:42
Uh, practice my faith. To fulfill the obligations of my dean. Yeah, i think it can be very much that
Speaker 2 13:48
Way. Now,
Speaker 3 13:49
You can also have situations where They're not going to tell you but some people are going to be like, what the hell are you doing?
Speaker 2 13:55
You know?
Speaker 1 13:56
Islamophobia. Look. I'm not going to say that those things don't exist.
Speaker 2 14:01
They do.
Speaker 1 14:03
And whether or not somebody's going to tell you on the forefront. How they feel? Or they're going to keep it to themselves, but still make it difficult for you. The one thing i will tell you, is this We're ambassadors of our faith and especially during the month of ramadan.
Speaker 4 14:20
Um, It's important to show this and the way that we show it is through our discipline.
Speaker 2 14:26
Uh,
Speaker 3 14:26
Through pushing through adversity. But i will say this. If you do see that someone is purposefully or intentionally and intensive, very sometimes, the difficult thing to be able to prove, but if
Speaker 4 14:38
Someone is making it difficult for you, The best thing that i would say is all
Speaker 1 14:44
Of your
Speaker 4 14:46
Places of work have a human resources policy. Look through the policy and read what is
Speaker 1 14:52
In there. And i'm pretty sure there is going to be something and there as far as religious observations, religious faith
Speaker 4 14:58
Practice as etc. See what's written in there and contact somebody. When they within hr. Uh, and they will be able to guide you
Speaker 1 15:07
Um, The other thing i will say also, and this is moving a little further ahead, but when eat comes You can take
Speaker 4 15:12
All for eid. It's, it's Um, one of those things that is protected. Okay, when i was in the beginning of
Speaker 1 15:20
My career unfortunately you know i wanted to make sure i was there. I was working hard. I would i would go to eat prayer but then i would come back to work.
Speaker 4 15:29
And, you know, it's interesting. It wasn't, until i was working in a big law and one of my partners who was
Speaker 1 15:35
Familiar with the middle east, he actually we that a lot of energy work over there. He told me, he's like, remain, isn't isn't
Speaker 2 15:41
E3
Speaker 3 15:42
Days night, chuckling i say yes. He's like, what, what are you doing? Why are you taking just one day off? And it kind of hit me. Here was a non
Speaker 1 15:51
Muslim, who was obviously familiar with with Eid and and the religion and he told
Speaker 3 15:56
Me, he's, like, take time for what you need to, for your holiday. So, for those of you who, especially if
Speaker 1 16:02
You're starting out and i look, i understand the importance of need to So you know, the people you're working with or people you're working for. Um, that you're you're there to help out that you're going to be a asset.
Speaker 4 16:19
But take the time off.
Speaker 3 16:21
Okay. Uh, it's something that for 30 days. We put a lot of effort into it and God willing and
Speaker 1 16:27
Shall law. We we come out of it, better people, better human beings, better muslims better workers,
Speaker 2 16:35
Uh,
Speaker 3 16:35
Take the time at the end of it. To celebrate our eat. We only have two eats as i tell our kids eat all fitter and eat. All those are the days that that are meant for us. And we should take the time and for those of you who have kids, The best advice, i think that we, as parents can give, our kids is not through what we say, but what we do,
Speaker 1 16:54
And in our household, we have made ramadan a very important time. Period, of course idolat has well during the hudge Uh, but
Speaker 4 17:03
When it comes, we take time off. From our work, from whatever we're doing. We attend to eat prayers. We we celebrate, we Do the traditional things that we're supposed to because i want our kids
Speaker 3 17:15
To see That
Speaker 1 17:17
This is our holiday. We have a right to practice it especially in in this this country which is based on those ideals. Of, you know, religious freedom being able to practice with that
Speaker 3 17:29
Persecution and A lot of us fear that because we're the minorities that we can't and we shouldn't,
Speaker 1 17:35
But that's not the way to think about. And i think when you do have kids, the best way to, to teach
Speaker 4 17:41
Them as their example, i'm taking time off for eat, you're not going to school for eat. We're going to celebrate, you
Speaker 3 17:47
Don't have to take the full 30
Speaker 1 17:48
Days. I i get it. Not everybody can do that.
Speaker 3 17:52
But take one or two days off. Take that time off. Go enjoy yourself. You know, you worked hard. Uh, but especially during ramadan i think that since it is coming up
Speaker 4 18:00
Um, create a plan of action communicate with your Co-workers, i sent an email and i would speak with
Speaker 3 18:06
Them in person and take it as an opportunity to educate. If you do have issues that come up, you know, look
Speaker 4 18:12
At your hr policy, contact your hr, they will be able to help you and some people may be resistant to it, but i think if we are ambassadors of our faith of our religion and people can learn from
Speaker 3 18:24
It.
Speaker 4 18:25
Uh, you know, i think those are the ways to bridge the gap. I think that most often, when someone does not know a muslim, They may be more resistant to the idea. But when someone has a relationship with
Speaker 1 18:40
A muslim in the sense, especially in the work environment, that your co-workers, they know your practicing And they see you on a day-to-day basis. And assuming, of course, you are a good person. You do follow the ideals of what islam represents,
Speaker 4 18:52
You know, they're going to be able to to pinpoint an actual human being to the to,
Speaker 2 18:59
To
Speaker 4 18:59
Islam and be like well, I know, so and so, He's a great person, i saw him, he was practicing his faith. He was providing, you know the the quality work that we also need to do and he was
Speaker 3 19:11
Important for him and he made sure that we we understood that he had obligations to me from a standpoint of his personal life for his religion
Speaker 4 19:17
And so he did And i think those are the best ways for us to be able to bridge the gap with people who don't know about muslims. And alhamdula we do live in a day where You know, you have one person who's burning the
Speaker 1 19:29
Quran and another person who's saying something bad about islam but then you have 10 20 people based on just that who is
Speaker 4 19:36
Curious. What is in the Quran, what is islam about? You know, is it, is
Speaker 1 19:40
It? What the, what they're saying and it's gotten better than what it was before but I think it's uh it's it's important for
Speaker 3 19:46
Us to be able to
Speaker 4 19:48
Be, you know, especially there's an America. Uh, great citizens residents of this country. Um, and at the same time also be able to Um,
Speaker 3 19:59
Use the fact that We
Speaker 4 20:01
Are protected in the sense of our religious rights and obligations. So inshallah that was helpful. For those
Speaker 3 20:07
Of you who are in the work environment, get on it early, let them know earlier rather than later. Uh, and
Speaker 4 20:13
You know, i guarantee that by just taking those few steps. Of.
Speaker 3 20:19
Working towards your religion to make your practice during the month of Ramadan. Even after that with your five daily prayers and Jemma
Speaker 4 20:24
Prayer, Out there, i'll respond. I will make it much, much easier for you to be able to practice your faith and you all get the other for it, in the buttercup from it as well.