大象传媒

From Remona Aly, Freelance journalist and editor:听
It鈥檚 a big day in for Radio 2 as they prepare for tonight鈥檚 special one-off when Comic Relief, Children in Need and 大象传媒 One unite forces to bring the nation together through music, charity and love - with our very own wonderful Zoe as host. While we look forward to the Big Night In, I鈥檓 recalling my big night out 鈥� last Ramadan when I morphed into a spiritual and social animal.听
After breaking my 18-hour fast with friends, it was off to one of London鈥檚 biggest mosques to perform the Ramadan night prayers alongside thousands of worshippers. After the night vigil, we spilled out into a midnight street fair, greeted by an array of sizzling burgers, freshly baked cakes, and the holy delights of an ice cream van. After this, I made my way to a friend鈥檚 garden for a candlelit pre-dawn breakfast, before finally getting home to my pillow, lowering my sleepy head as the sun lifted hers.听
Yet this Ramadan, which starts tonight, there鈥檒l be no big night out, no standing shoulder to shoulder in communal prayer, no family iftars where we鈥檙e wrestling over the last samosa. All the joy, noise and buzz of community spirit will fall strangely silent. As I reconfigure my Ramadan experience, I reflect on how, fourteen centuries ago, Prophet Muhammad spent days in seclusion in a cave, contemplating life and its purpose. It was through this time of isolation that he emerged wiser and more determined in his mission to serve his society.听
These days, when a simple hug is as precious as gold, perhaps this time of solitude is a reminder for me to truly cherish my connection with others. These moments of silence help me listen with more care to myself and to those around me. Amid the bleakness, I鈥檒l seek out the glimmer, encouraged by the words of Hafiz, the Persian Muslim poet, who says, 鈥淚 wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.鈥� Even in these times of distance, we still find ways of lifting and lighting each other up. And when we can finally be together, I reckon it will feel like magic. Until that time, let the big nights in, for all of us, roll on.