The holy month of Ramadan has already begun, and Muslims all over the world are celebrating the festival by fasting during daylight hours.
Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer and reflection.
Ramadan is considered the holiest month for Muslims. The beginning and the end of the month are determined by moon sightings.
During this month, Muslim faithfuls fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs.
They broke the fast with a meal known as iftar, which is typically eaten after sunset.
The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a festival called Eid al-Fitr which is a month after its start.
This year’s Ramadan started on March 22 and will end on the evening of Friday, April 21.
However, DAILY POST reports the controversy surrounding Ramadan (fasting) in football.
Many of the world’s top footballers, including Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez and Chelsea midfielder N’golo Kante, are expected to partake in this year’s Ramadan and will abstain from eating or drinking during daylight hours.
Footballers who follow Islam are expected to fast, and leagues across the world are growing sensitive to the needs of Muslim players so that they can have their iftar even during a match.
It is always a challenge for Muslim players to cope with the rigours of professional football during Ramadan as their set match-day preparations, which include adhering to a strict diet, fall by the wayside.
The English Premier League, EPL, has since come up with a set of guidelines to show solidarity with the Muslim players by asking match officials in the domestic league to halt evening games so Muslim players can take on liquids, energy gels and supplements.
However, referees in the French professional leagues have apparently been told by the French Football Federation not to stop playing for players to break Ramadan.
Any Muslim player competing in French Ligue 1 will not be allowed to stop mid-game to break their fast.
The move by the French body blatantly contrasts the decision by the Premier League, which has instructed referees to pause matches to allow Muslim players to consume food and drink.
There have been diverse reactions from football stars to the move made by the EPL and Ligue 1 regarding the Ramadan with Aston Villa full-back, Lucas Digne, posting on his Twitter account suggesting that the French federation was living in the past as he wrote: “2023” alongside three facepalming emojis.
Meanwhile, Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure claimed the Premier League was “the best league for Muslims to be in”.
Speaking with DAILY POST on the subject matter, Idris Musa Adinoyi, the captain of Dawaki Rangers FC, Abuja, said: “Ramadan is a sacred month where Muslims around the world observe a series of worships, including fasting, almsgiving, dhikr, supplications and a lot of salat.
“It greatly affects footballers as they cannot be devoted fully to two important things in their lives. You must do more of either fasting or football and trust me, it is fasting (Ramadan) that will be the higher priority.
“Abstaining from eating or drinking anything all through the day, no nutritional supplements are to be taken during the day, less sleep due to late night prayers.
“Hence, the vigorous training practices that are to be done by these footballers to keep them fit may be reduced temporarily to keep them from being too tired from fasting and playing football.
“Fasting in the month of Ramadan is only of the five pillars of Islam, which are mandatory for every Muslim and this doesn’t in any way prevent Muslims from engaging in other positive endeavours or aspects of their life. Rather, Islam encourages it.”
Adinoyi added, “Personally, I will prefer to say what Muslims generally could achieve spiritually during this holy month of Ramadan is being affected by their respective professions or endeavours.
“But I believe football has evolved over the years. What the French League Association is doing by not allowing the Muslim players to break their fast during matches is not ideal as it doesn’t depict the unity in diversity football which FIFA is trying to preach.
“If cooling breaks are being allowed at different intervals during a match for the benefit of the players and the game, what harm could breaking one’s fast bring to the game?
“The Premier League knows the values of these Muslim players and what their faith means to them and football worldwide. A few days ago, we all watched when Chelsea Football Club held an iftar session for Muslim fans around London.
“Such practice is what we all preach and want to witness in today’s football worldwide. No sentiment nor prejudice but unity and justice in doing what is right for humanity at large.”
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