Malaysian Shares Her Family's Experience Of Fasting For Over 20 Hours In A Day In Norway

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Their move to the country following her husband's job offer led them to experience fasting for exceptionally long hours, a stark contrast to the shorter fasting periods in Malaysia, reported Harian Metro.

According to the mother of two, one of the main challenges they first faced after their migration was the confusion over iftar timings, as mosques in Norway followed different mazhab.

"Some mosques break their fast early and some a bit later, so we were quite confused. We had to have our sahur meal early and wait for iftar until 10.45pm," said Azira.

She shared that from 2013 to 2020, the Muslim community in Norway had to fast for 20 hours during Ramadan, but some were given dispensation to follow Mecca's timings.

"We were allowed to follow Mecca, which means fasting for about 17 hours only. However, for those who could, they would complete the full 20-hour fast," said Azira, adding that her family opted to fast for 20 hours.

This year, however, Muslims in Oslo experienced shorter fasting hours due to winter, fasting for 14 hours daily.

"It has been 11 years since we moved to Norway. It would be a lie to say we don't miss the Ramadan atmosphere in our homeland," said Azira.

She added that she misses having iftar at the mosque, performing tarawih prayers, and visiting Ramadan bazaars.

Azira also shared that her family would celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Norway, as returning to Malaysia during the school year is challenging with their two children, Nur Fazera, 13, and Nur Firzanah, 10.