Counting down the minutes till iftar, the meal Muslims eat to break their fast at sunset, senior and president of Muslim Culture Club Munazzah Ali celebrates the month of Ramadan.
“It’s kind of building that relationship with God again, which is what I actually like about it, because it’s kind of for everyone,” Ali said.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is celebrated world-wide by Muslims as a way to become closer to God. During Ramadan, there is a strict fast that takes place from dawn until dusk daily for thirty days. During the holiday, Muslims go to mosques and pray for several hours. Many Muslims follow the same traditions but have different ways of embracing their religion throughout this holy month.
“During Ramadan, I focus more on my religion and my faith,” Ali said. “I try to read the entire Quran over the month.”
While fasting, there is a daily schedule to follow. People who practice must wake up before the sunrise and eat early because they do not eat or drink during the day. The first prayer of the day is prayed before they begin fasting. Traditionally to break the fast, people eat a date, which is followed by a large meal.
“I personally wake up at 4:30 a.m. because I like to eat a lot,” MCC vice president Abeer Minhas said. “I close my fast at sunrise, I pray and then I will take a 30 minute nap before school begins.”
Before the start of Ramadan, MCC held a meeting to design a display celebrating the beginning of the holiday. Sitting in the commons, the display features a poster board with the writing “Ramadan Mubarak,” meaning “Happy Ramadan.”
“We had an activity where we had the members partake in the board-making that we put up in the Commons,” Ali said. “They helped with lantern making. We also plan on having a party after Ramadan to celebrate Eid.”
Eid al-fitr is the “festival of the breaking of the fast” and it marks the end of Ramadan. The celebrations consist of three days of community prayers, gift-giving and spending time with family and friends. The most important day of Eid al-fitr is the first day because the fast is broken. Once the fast is broken at sunset Muslim’s eat a meal called iftar.
“You’ll see even people that aren’t practicing Muslims, start practicing and building that relationship with God and start praying, which is a core part of Islam,” Ali said.
