Muslim Redhawks celebrate Ramadan
Muslim students read the Friday afternoon Jummah prayer on campus. “There are five prayers that Muslims have to do every single day, and Jummah is the second prayer of Friday that we have to do,” Treasury Officer of the Muslim Student Association, junior Ifrah Zainab said.
Many Muslim students on campus are participating in Ramadan, an Islamic holy month from April 2 to May 2 in which all Muslims around the world practice obligatory fasts, prayer, and other forms of worship from dusk to dawn each day.
The dates of the month-long event change every year, but one thing that doesn’t change is the work that goes into getting ready.
“I started prepping a few weeks before so that it would be easier to continue all the habits I wanted to work on during Ramadan,” senior Tashnuva Ahmed said.
For many Muslims, preparations begin with ensuring there can be a proper Suhoor and Iftar, the meals before sunrise and after sunset when they break their fasting.
“My family is preparing by planning what to buy to cook and plan for Suhoor and Iftar,” Ahmed said. “We are also planning on going to iftars and different Musjid events.”
Besides planning meals and events, there’s a mental aspect to Ramadan as well.
“I think Ramadan is such an important time to reflect and really work on yourself both in terms of religion and health,” Ahmed said. “People have lots of goals to eat healthier, work on getting closer to their deen, etc., it’s important to plan well to have the right intentions and mindset to carry out those goals during the month.”
Arising before the sun in order to begin the day, proper rest is important for sophomore Hadeed Khaki.
“My parents are encouraging me to start sleeping earlier so I can find a proper balance throughout my day,” Khaki said. “I start preparing like a week before, so I can get used to that proper balance that I’m working for.”
Ramadan is much more than just fasting for senior Tushamma Rahim.
“I know my spirituality is something I can always push myself to do better with,” Rahim said. “Things like praying more or reading Quran, I want to make an intention to do more and better.”
A main principle of Ramadan is community and family, but since COVID-19 hit in 2020, this has been limited until this year.
“This is the first Ramadan after a while where our family feels safe to go out and meet people to celebrate this month,” Rahim said. “Since COVID, we were forced to limit our contact with those we often celebrate with. It felt really different like I might work on some goals with others, but it was very limited physically in the years because of it.”
