This Ramadan, Reject Exploitation and Waste

In recent years, Ramadan has become a bastion of consumerism and commercialization. Economists trace the emergence of consumerism during Ramadan to the advances of satellite networks. More and more Arab families, for example, are gathering after breaking their fast to watch soap operas and television. This has garnered the attention of corporations keen on optimizing revenue during this month.

Extreme consumerism that erodes the natural world runs against the spirit and manifest essence of Ramadan. Ramadan encourages restraint, patience, and implores us to contend with the state of our inner spiritual lives, while also deepening our understanding of the pristine divinely created world that surrounds us.

From sunrise to sunset, Muslims around the world will be undertaking a sacred fast. Day in and day out, these days allow Muslims to shed the need to satiate one’s every desire immediately. Our bodies, hearts and minds, are therefore left seeking a metaphysical form of spiritual nourishment. With fasting also comes a sharper focus of the world around us. We are immersed in a world free of immediate satisfaction, allowing the body to reconnect with the natural world -- itself a form of nourishment. This requires a deep interrogation of the items we all consume, the ecosystem of late capitalism that has eroded the earth and its natural systems.

“The earth provides you with all the nourishment you need. It provides you with the sunlight to bathe you, the mud to house you, the food to satisfy you, the wool to hold you. ”

It may feel as though there is no way around this dilemma. On one end, there is the sacred practice of Ramadan that requires journeying inwards; while on the other, there is the rabid world of fast consumption, cutting edge marketing, and a virtual world that is built on advertisement. While challenging, alternatives do exist.

It is with this in mind that a partnership with TUNIQ began to unfold. TUNIQ offers an alternative to the mass-produced polyester prayer rugs of today directly from sheep to shop. All the materials are woven on a traditional loom by independent North African artisans in a horizontal cooperative. The wool was dyed using local fig leaves and iron nails to achieve the soft green tone of the pattern. Each and every element of the rugs - from the design, naming, production - was handled with intentionality to pay homage to the spectacular month of spiritual ascension. In addition proceeds from the Rug will be donated to help fund initiatives that support unhoused communities globally.

In designing the rug, one initial decision was simple: green. It was, of course, the Prophet’s ﷺ favorite color. It also symbolizes the generative properties of our planet. The rug’s design is inspired by the simplicity and profound nature of the moon’s light. The moon itself not only guides the Islamic calendar and therefore the pace and length of our fasts, its presence and significance informs our inner spiritual experience.

Outer life. The Islamic calendar is based on twenty-eight lunar months that collectively make up 354 days in a solar year. In this way, a Muslim calendar unites our metaphysical ummah through time and space, and integrates the celestial power of the sun and moon. We follow a natural cycle that flows from the daily and monthly patterns of the celestial bodies.

Inner life. It is said that the Prophet told his believers to be like the moon, to radiate God’s perfect light into the world. We, as creations, lack the infinite wisdom and love that God provides, but we are, thankfully, not tasked with being perfect beings. We are tasked simply with projecting the divine light of our Creator. The two lines of the rug - one ascending from below, and one descending above the circle - represent this reflection of Divine light. We hope that as the days grow longer, and as the grief of a troubled world comes knocking, you remember: God’s perfect light is ever present, and that you carry within you a rich inner life that is yearning for ascension.

“The two lines of the rug - one ascending from below, and one descending above the circle - represent this reflection of Divine light. We hope that as the days grow longer, and as the grief of a troubled world comes knocking, you remember: God’s perfect light is ever present, and that you carry within you a rich inner life that is yearning for ascension.”

We invite you to join this movement of consuming with care, a movement that implores Muslims to view consumption patterns, too, as an act of spiritual nourishment. While practicing this month, avoid buying clothes created at the hands of exploited labor, or purchasing food from industrialized slaughterhouses and chemical plan farms that have polluted our earth beyond repair. Experience a Ramadan that re-connects you to a life unbound by exploitation and degradation.