Guest post written by author Iasmin Omar Ata
Iasmin Omar Ata is an intersectional comics artist, illustrator, and game designer. Iasmin focuses on creating art centered around the themes of coping with illness, understanding identity, and dismantling oppressive structures. Nayra and the Djinn is out now.
“Nothing is going right for Nayra Mansour. There’s the constant pressure from her strict family, ruthless bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami –the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she’s considering transferring schools to escape it all, a mysterious djinn named Marjan appears. As a djinn, a mythical being in Islamic folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan’s past is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble, and if they don’t face what they’ve done, Nayra could pay the price.”
Some people may open up Nayra and the Djinn and wonder: what is Ramadan in the first place? Well, Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar; it starts at the sighting of the crescent moon after the new moon turns over. At the end of the month is a holiday called Eid Al-Fitr, where you get together with your loved ones and have a feast together; each region has some differences in how they celebrate, but that’s a standard one!
During the month of Ramadan, there are multiple rules the observer is to follow; the most well-known is the concept of fasting. During Ramadan, the observer is meant to abstain from eating or drinking anything from dawn until sunset. This can be seen during day-to-day life in the story of Nayra and the Djinn, and we see how people around Nayra mock her for this tradition because it seems “other” to them. There are exceptions to fasting during Ramadan – for example, chronically ill Muslims are exempt from fasting if it would affect their health negatively. It’s also considered fine to break your fast and go ahead to eat/drink if you’re not feeling well, which Nayra does in the story after a particularly bad day leaves her tired and drained.
Besides these basic rules, there are also other considerations, such as abstaining from anger or hurtful behavior during the month. There’s one rule that is said to bind djinns specifically during Ramadan, and the rule is to not cause harm to any humans during the month. Now, this is an interesting one, but I can’t go too far into it because it plays out later into Nayra’s story – I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out!
So there’s a primer on the basic tenants of Ramadan that I’ve woven into Nayra and the Djinn; part of the reason why Ramadan was a focus for the timeline of the story is because, while it does have standard rules and traditions, the month is also meant to be a unique journey for each individual to look inward and reflect on their actions outward. Hopefully all of this can give you some insight into the story of Nayra and the Djinn if these customs are new to you. Happy reading, and Ramadan Mubarak!
