What If My Kitty Fasts in Ramadan

What If My Kitty Fasts in Ramadan is an Islamic picture book for children aged 4 to 9 that follows two children and their cat through their very first day of fasting in Ramadan.

The family gets ready for the holy month as if for a party: Mum writes her lists, the children decorate the house, and everyone waits to see the new crescent moon. At three o'clock in the morning the children get up for Suhoor, and Kitty seems to join them. As the day goes on, their tummies rumble and the clock moves slowly. When Mum brings soup at lunchtime and explains that young children do not have to fast all day, the children eat, but Kitty, it seems, keeps going.

Feeling hungry helps the children understand people who have little to eat, and they make a dua for hungry children everywhere. The family fills a charity jar, shares with neighbours, breaks the fast together at Iftar with Kitty as the guest of honour, and goes to the mosque to pray.

By Rabia Gelgi, the story explains Suhoor, Iftar and why Muslims fast in simple words, and it reassures young children that they can take part in Ramadan in their own way.

Getting ready for Ramadan

Ramadan is a special and holy month that comes once a year in the Islamic calendar. During Ramadan, Muslims neither eat nor drink from dawn until sunset.

In our house, everyone got ready for Ramadan as if it were going to be a party. Mum made to-do lists, prayer lists and gift lists. My brother and I decorated the house, and our cat, Kitty, was very happy to help. Dad told us that Ramadan would begin as soon as someone saw the new crescent moon.

"Can you see the new moon yet?" my brother asked.

"Yes!" we sang out. Kitty seemed very excited too.

Suhoor with Kitty

Suhoor is an early breakfast before dawn. I woke up at three o'clock, which is very early. Kitty looked sleepy, and I whispered that she might not wake up for Suhoor, but she was awake. After washing our hands and faces, we went to the table. Mum had made a wonderful meal. We said Bismillah and ate.

"Eat as much as you can, Kitty," I said. "It will be a long day."

Finally, Ramadan was here. We were happy and curious about our first fast, and I hoped we would make it to sunset. Mum put out a jar to save money in all month, to give to people in need at the end of Ramadan.

A long, hungry day

Time passed very slowly. We went to the kitchen and looked at all the delicious food. "Don't these look yummy, Kitty?" I said. "But we can't eat them yet. We promised." We were hungry, sleepy and tired, so we lay down to dream about food.

Dad had told us that Ramadan is a time to remember people who go hungry. Now I knew what being hungry felt like, and I felt sad for them.

Then Mum came in with bowls of soup that smelled delicious. "You children don't have to fast the whole day," she said. "Little children are allowed to eat." We giggled and ate. My brother said it was the tastiest soup he had ever had, and Mum smiled and said it was the same soup as yesterday. But Kitty, it seemed, was not going to break her fast.

"You're a superhero, Kitty," I said.

We made a dua together: "O Allah, please help hungry children. Thank You for giving us this soup. Please give the hungry children soup too."

Iftar and the mosque

Ramadan is a month of mercy and forgiveness, with more kindness, more sharing and more giving thanks. So we planted trees, we prayed, we shared our things with friends, we gave food away and we shared our meals with our neighbours.

A few minutes before Iftar, the meal that ends the fast, we watched the sun set from the window. Even though my brother and I had already eaten, it was lovely to wait for Iftar with everyone. Mum and Dad prepared a meal for our family and our guests.

"Our first guest of honour is Kitty," I said. We gave her a big plate of fish and lots of milk. Everyone said Bismillah and enjoyed the food, and then we all went to the mosque, Kitty too, to pray and to meet our friends.

At the end of the first day, we went to bed tired but happy, and we said Alhamdulillah for everything we had. We were so proud of Kitty, the hero of the first day of Ramadan. She got lots of gifts, and she shared them with all her friends.