Though the exact origins of the game are unknown, it has profound cultural and historical value. Decades ago, the Iraqi government would organise community-wide games, hosting hundreds of participants and bringing together locals from across the country. Although this state-sponsored practice was halted during the war and feared lost, mheibes has made a return in recent years, as individual community members continue to pass forward the tradition.

India
The seheriwalas or zohridaars of Delhi are part of a Muslim tradition that has survived the test of time and represent the city’s old Mughal culture and heritage. During the holy month of Ramadan, the seheriwalas walk the streets of the city in the small hours of the morning, chanting out the name of Allah and the Prophet, to serve as a wake-up call to Muslims for suhoor. This centuries-old practice is still carried out in parts of Old Delhi, particularly in those neighbourhoods with a high Muslim population.

They start their rounds as early as 2.30 am and often carry sticks or canes to knock on the doors and walls of houses. For most seheriwalas, the tradition has been passed down across generations in the family. Although their numbers are dwindling, the practice is still prevalent in Old Delhi.

Albania
For centuries, the members of the Roma Muslim community, which dates back to the Ottoman empire, have been announcing the start and end of fasting with traditional songs. Every day for the month of Ramadan, they will march up and down the streets playing a lodra, a homemade double-ended cylinder drum covered in sheep or goat skin. Muslim families will often invite them inside their homes to play traditional ballads to celebrate the start of iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast.

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