Small, Sincere Iftars

Fatma Bayram

Thank God there are still people who invite close friends to their homes for iftaar. In these small and sincere gatherings we not only eat iftaar, but also meet people, catch up with friends, and have heartfelt conversations. We leave these iftaars having learnt something from the other guests and having seen a new practice or a new style from the household. Some friendships take deeper root, some start flourishing. Thank God that there are still conversations in which we learn about the other person’s job/status only at the very end, reading it in between the lines. Conversations during which we experience a warm modesty and kindness.

Most important of all is the knowledge that these small iftaars won’t be crudely displayed on social media and that the food won’t end up in the garbage after having been tossed about the plate a couple of times at the tip of a fork. It’s true that we cross the limits a little in preparing food and exaggerate the number of courses at iftaars, but this remains a small flaw when compared to the ostentation and lack of sincerity that we unfortunately find at some iftaar tables.