By Shareeza Sharif, Courier Staff Writer
This year, Ramadan falls in the last 2 months of the semester. During this month, Muslims from all around the world will fast (no food or water) from sunrise to sunset.
The purpose of this fasting is to strengthen people’s Imaan (faith) and express pity for the poor. The practice dates back hundreds of years, and has always been a time for family and community to gather and give thanks.
Since not too many people know what Ramadan is, I asked my friends and classmates to give me some questions which I could answer.
Erika Demingoy: “So how long do you guys fast? And when can you eat?”
Shareeza: Muslims begin their day at around 3:30 to 4 o’clock where they wake up for prayer as well as the first meal of the day. Then we eat again at our 4th prayer of the day. This year it’s roughy 17 hours of fasting each day (these are all local times; it varies from place to place) for about 30 days. Our calendar is based off the moon (the lunar calendar), which differs from the traditional calendar.
Richard Pabalate: “Do you have a whole feast in the morning, knowing you won’t be able to eat through the rest of the day.”
Shareeza: To be completely honest eating a whole bunch of food in the morning is really difficult. Think of it like this. When you wake up at say 6 or 7 am to go to school, how much can you eat? Most people skip breakfast since it’s difficult to eat that early in the morning. So no, we don’t eat a whole bunch (at least based on the people I’ve asked) . But we do try to find foods that will keep us full for a long period of time. Food choices vary for each person.
Jennifer Gonzalez: “Is it hard to go all day without eating? How do you stay focused and do you get really hungry? What do you do when there are parties and stuff?”
Shareeza: We fast because we have faith in god to give us strength to endure the day. There are times when we get some hunger pangs, but it’s not unbearable. Staying focused is pretty easy because I have something to think about and focus on. The only thing that is difficult is our sleep schedule. I get 7 random hours of sleep, often in the form of naps. When there are class potlucks and parties (especially at the end of senior year), I don’t eat. This isn’t too hard, because a lot of it is meat and not halal. An easy analogy for Muslims eating halal is how Jews can eat only kosher. It’s not terrible, and even if real meat is super appealing, we know there are other chances.
Mikayla Balleza: “What do you do at the end of the month? Do you get some kind of big feast?”
Shareeza: Yes, we do. At the end of Ramadan, we have a big celebration with friends and family, called Eid-al-fitr. Interestingly, we never know its exact date, since we run on the lunar calendar. In order for Eid-al-fitr to begin, we must see the slightest sliver of the moon with our naked eye (meaning no technology/telescopes). At this time, we wear our traditional clothes and go to the mosque for morning prayer. Some families have big feasts at home, and there are other celebrations which can last a month.
Ramadan seems like a difficult time for Muslims due to different schedules and strict fasting. But for many Muslims, it is their favorite time of year. It brings us closer to our religion and family, while cleansing our souls. It puts matters in perspective, reminds us that we are fortunate, and tells us to care more and ask less. And still, there are many non-Muslim people who fast to experience our religious community and support their own friends.
