BILAL HUSSEIN
Bilal Hussein is a 22-year-old from Hjulsta. In recent years, he has made a significant breakthrough within Football Sweden, following his successful seasons with both AIK and the men’s national team. His career started at Bromstens IK at the age of six, and he subsequently moved to AIK as a 14-year-old. From there, he worked his way all the way up to the first team, where he has now been playing for five years, making over 100 appearances. So what’s the dream? To play in the best leagues, with the best players. And in five years’ time, we will hopefully see him playing for a big team in Europe, fighting for titles.
With his roots in Somalia and being a practising Muslim, fasting and training during Ramadan have always been completely natural for Bilal.
“Religion IS important. So, if you are able to, I think you should fast,” he says.
Bilal maintains that things were harder when he was younger and at school. You were out playing during your breaks, but at the same time you had to keep your concentration levels up inside the classroom. Without energy, this could be tough. Now that he is both older and more mature, it is easier. He’s been doing it for so long now, that he barely thinks about it.
How do you approach training and fasting? Do you have a special routine?
“I don’t really have a special routine, I just focus on eating the right things and drinking a lot of fluids. On a normal day, I wake up early, eat porridge and drink plenty of water before heading off to the first training session of the day,” says Bilal.
He explains that he doesn’t have a specific approach regarding what and how he trains, rather he trains as normal with the rest of the team. Bilal mentions that he has been with AIK for so long now and that everyone at the club knows that he is a practising Muslim. As a result, he has received a great deal of help regarding how to think and what he should be eating in order to cope with the training sessions.
“I’ve been doing this for such a long time now, and I’ve had a lot of help from coaches along the way, so it works very well for me. Nowadays, I can even feel stronger during Ramadan. I have more energy than usual and feel both clean and light in my body. It’s a really nice feeling,” he continues.
It seems that it’s all quite straightforward for you. But do you have any tips for other physically active Muslims who may struggle with fasting and exercise during Ramadan?
“Try to think about all the wonderful things associated with Ramadan, rather than thinking of it as something hard. I believe that if you don’t stress and just enjoy the month, it will be much easier,” says Bilal.
We continue talking about the month of Ramadan and what Bilal wishes that others knew about fasting and exercising.
“Everyone should be aware of what a wonderful time this is for us Muslims. The month means so much, and you get really close to both your family and friends,” he says.
“And it’s not always so tough – you often feel much stronger than people might think,” he continues.
Finally, we talk about the sense of community with family and friends, and Bilal states that the community aspect is very important. Above all, in giving you the energy to keep up your training. It is a time that you share with many others, and the sense that you are doing it together makes it easier to get through it. Bilal mentions many fond memories of things he has experienced during Ramadan, and highlights in particular the last day of the month as something that evokes a lot of emotion.
“It’s wonderful when the whole family goes to the mosque on the last day and celebrates the end of Ramadan. And it’s obviously a bit of a bonus that you receive loads of presents when you are young,” Bilal concludes.
Follow Bilal on Instagram, @b1lalhussain