Eleven in the morning is the last uninterrupted hour before the middle of the day. The noon prayer is close, lunch follows it, and anything requiring sustained concentration is generally either finished by now or postponed to the afternoon.
During Ramadan the same hour carries more weight than usual, because working hours are shortened by law and a great many offices close in the early afternoon. Eleven becomes the last hour in which a counter can be reached, a signature obtained or a colleague found at a desk.
It is also when government service centres reach their busiest point, having absorbed both the early arrivals and everyone who tried to fit a visit in before lunch. A countdown to 11 am is usually about catching somebody while they are still there, and it resets every day.
Common questions
Why does 11 am matter during Ramadan?
Because working hours are shortened by law and many offices close in the early afternoon, making eleven the last dependable hour to reach someone at a desk.
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