In-School Ramadan

Su n s e t s on i s o l a t e d

Students re ect, prepare for fasting in school a er two years of fasting at home

For the past two years, Ramadan for Muslim students looked like waking up extra early before sunrise in order to get a quick, lling meal in. en for some, sleeping for most of the day so the time would pass quickly. A erwards, they would break their fast with their loved ones and stay up all night celebrating another successful day of fasting and eating to their heart’s content before starting the routine all over again. is year, however, will be a di erent experience due to school being in-person again. “I wish people knew about the feeling of Ramadan,” senior Tahaa Munir said. “ e excitement of going to the Masjid every night to pray, going to eat early in the morning with your friends, the anticipation of breaking your fast with the people you love. It’s something you can only understand if you participate.” According to the Muslim’s prophet, Muhammad, the purpose of Ramadan is to refrain from eating and performing malicious deeds, and it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It lasts from sunrise to sunset each day over the course of a full lunar cycle. e imam at AlHussain Mosque, Shamaas Nyazee, stated that Ramadan has three prevalent aspects behind it. “First, Ramadan is a month in which the Qur’an was revealed,” Imam Nyazee said. “ erefore, it’s a celebration of the Qur’an, and that’s why we recite it so o en. Secondly, it involves fasting, which is there as spiritual training and to disconnect ourselves from the world’s leads and connect ourselves to the spiritual needs. Also, [Ramadan includes] staying away from social ills and from talking bad about others. I think a lot of it is just self-control, self-restraint and being able to curb our desires.” While Ramadan’s purpose and meaning has many di erent features, it is a common misconception that the only characteristic is Muslims go the entire month without food or water. Not only is abstaining from food and water not the sole reason behind the holy month, but Muslims do break their fast (known as i ar) once the sun sets. “I remember as a kid, I was fasting in high school, and I told [one of my friends] about Ramadan,” Imam Nyazee said. “[My friend] said, ‘ at’s fascinating, you don’t eat or drink anything the entire month?’ I said, ‘No, that’s not even humanly possible.’ So a lot of people have a misconception about the time and whether we’re allowed to eat at all.” Imam Nyazee puts further emphasis on the importance of the spiritual part of Ramadan. Not many people are aware of the reasoning behind abstinence, which is to focus on the relation to religion and God. More than anything else, Ramadan is an opportunity for Muslims to have a full month to reconnect to their roots. “I wish more people knew the spiritual side of Ramadan rather than only the fact that we fast,” sophomore Salma Moussaif said. “I wish they knew why we fast, which is to deepen our relationship with God, practice more prayers and give more charity during this month.” e sense of community arises when fellow Muslims endure the same hardships and journey through Ramadan. is allows for encouragement from peers. According to board member of the Fishers AlHuda mosque, Mountaha Yasin, the AlHuda mosque has already started Ramadan-related programs. “[I’m excited to] see how our community comes together for the whole month,” Munir said. “While Fishers has strong Muslim representation that is tight-knit, we especially come together at Ramadan. Aside from the nightly prayers, we come together to break our fasts, learn about our religion and raise funds for Muslims worldwide.” However, due to the e ects of the pandemic, the usual Ramadan traditions have been put on hold for the last two years. Praying in the mosque was limited and visiting family to celebrate and eat together was rare, which stripped away the community Ramadan typically brought. “Like everything else, it feels good to be back,” Munir said. “ ere hasn’t been any big Ramadan events that have occurred since the new masjid opened, and our community is excited to host i ars and other events for Muslims and nonMuslims alike.” On the other hand, fasting at home for the past two Ramadans did have its advantages.

Design by Malak Samara.

Rama d a n

Malak Samara samarmal000@hsestudents.org

According to Healthline, a common outcome of fasting is fatigue and lack of strength, both physically and mentally, to focus on tasks. Being at home reduced that feeling because there was no concern of being in a stressful school environment. “We don’t have to stress about school as much and just focus on ourselves,” Moussaif said. “I am able to take naps and rest so I don’t focus on hunger. We also don’t have to see others eat in front of us and tempt us as most of our family are fasting. I am also able to take more of a part in the spiritual side of Ramadan like reading our holy book, the Qur’an, and pray Tarawih, a special [Ramadan] prayer, which is very healing.” According to Yasin, a way to relieve the stress of school and being around students who eat is having the library or a separate classroom open to Muslim students. at way, Muslims are able to nd a sense of community with those going through a similar experience and do not have to feel tempted by food. “I think the Muslim Student Association (MSA) just wants to create a space to encourage students because I imagine it can be pretty hard, particularly with the fasting piece of it, while dealing with school,” MSA sponsor Matt Bockenfeld said. On top of added fatigue, many other challenges have emerged now that Muslims have to fast while at school again. Junior Yasmeen Omar feels that the most concerning part would be falling behind on schoolwork due to the irregular sleep routine. “I know [fasting during school] can be very di cult and very draining, especially when you have to pay attention in class,” Imam Nyazee said. “Having to go through the entire day without eating anything and to process information and take tests can be very di cult on the brain. Whereas at home, you can choose to stay up in the dining room and then sleep a er sunrise until a good portion of the day is gone and then wake up and only need to be awake while fasting for a few hours. [Fasting at school] is de nitely a challenge, and it’s just that much more rewarding.” Bockenfeld believes a solution to the fear of falling behind on schoolwork is educating teachers on Ramadan and what to expect from Muslim students who are participating in it. “What we really need is for teachers to be aware and have a basic understanding of what Ramadan is and know what their students are going through,’’ Bockenfeld said. “We want students to know that if they don’t want to take an assessment eighth block, they can schedule with their teacher and take it during TI, closer to when they last ate. We just want teachers ready to accommodate.” Moreover, Muslims who participate in sports or have a gym class o en time nd themselves in a di cult situation. Omar believes playing a sport while fasting will be a challenge. “I will always speak with my [lacrosse] coaches, and they understand that I am fasting,” Omar said. “ en they won’t push me as hard as they would have when I wasn’t fasting. If I ever need it to be called out or take a second [to rest], they’ll allow me to.” In addition to Muslim’s physical health being disrupted due to fasting at school, it can also get in the way of their spiritual connection. Having free time at home allowed for extra time to study and recite the Qur’an, research the religion or pray. “We aren’t able to create that deeper bond with God as we are busy studying for tests and doing homework mostly,” Moussaif said. Even though there are hardships that occur while fasting at school, there are also long-term bene ts that form. According to Imam Nyazee, fasting at school teaches self restraint and allows for Muslims to empathize with those who do not have the privilege to eat on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, Yasin believes that it is an opportunity to educate peers about Ramadan and the reasoning behind it since they are able to witness Muslims participating in the holy month. “I am happy and ready to take part in something that I have missed in the last two Ramadans,” Moussaif said. “Which was being able to take part in more in-person relationships with my fellow Muslims in school and out of it, for us to bond over the month and to be able to really feel the gratitude for what God has given us.” Make sure to follow the Ramadan diaries on TikTok @ stigertimes.