How would you want to look to eat breakfast before the sun rises?
According to global make-up giant MAC Cosmetics, it should be nothing short of "glamorous".
The beauty brand is being ridiculed online by many Muslims after its Middle East division posted a YouTube make-up tutorial for Ramadan encouraging women to “get ready for suhoor”.
Suhoor is the pre-dawn meal some Muslims around the world wake up for before sunrise when the daily fasting begins for Ramadan.
In the video, which appears to have been removed since being posted last week, a make-up artist applies eye make-up to a woman wearing a head wrap.
“Get ready for suhoor in a few easy steps!” the text reads.
But Muslims are poking fun at the concept of going to such effort - often at around 4am - when in reality some just roll out of bed to eat a small meal before going back to sleep.
It is believed the brand mixed up the pre-dawn meal of suhoor with iftar, the sunset meal which breaks the fast.
And many Muslims have ridiculed the idea of wearing smart clothes and make-up for a meal held before the sun comes up.
Others though have debated whether MAC was aiming the ad at certain majority-Muslim countries where it’s more common to get dressed up for meals.
One Twitter user pointed to a type of suhoor buffet event which starts the night before.
Some commentators have suggested the outrage is another example of so-called "Western bias".
Across the world, more than a billion Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, with even water excluded. Other habits such as gambling and smoking are also meant to be refrained from, and a person’s energy redirected to religious and spiritual contemplation.
In some parts of the world, Muslims are expected to fast for up to 20 hours. Australian Muslims have relatively short fasting times, with around 12 hours between sunrise and sunset.
Young children, the elderly, those who are sick or have a disability, or women who are menstruating or pregnant are exempt from fasting, as are people who are travelling.
While the video appears to have been removed from MAC’s YouTube page, it can still be seen on the company’s Instagram page.
