Enriching Iftar

Sharing of Muslim traditions during Ramadan in school setting

As soon as the sun sets, the adhan (an announcement that calls Muslims to prayers) for the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib, goes off. This signifies to Muslims who are fasting for Ramadan from all over the world that it is finally time to break their fast. Fasts are usually broken with a date and sip of water before Muslims pray the Maghrib prayer, then indulge themselves in a huge feast (Iftar) to make up for the countless hours that passed without any food or drink.

On April 13, Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted an Iftar for both Muslims and nonMuslims at FHS. The event took place in the CCA and it was set up as a potluck so there would be diversity in the food and it would be closer to an authentic Iftar in a Muslim household.

“The process behind the scenes was quite simple,” junior Salma Moussaif said. “We contacted the school to see if there were available dates for us from 7:30 to 9:00, and the rest was a means of advertising and getting those to participate in the potluck-styled Iftar.”

The main goal of the Iftar was to ensure that students felt like they had a community they belonged to in an otherwise isolating and predominately non-Muslim environment. Since Muslims fasting in the school are constantly surrounded by those who do not understand the situation they are going through, the Iftar was a way to feel that sense of understanding on the grounds of the school.

“We wanted to provide a safe space for Muslim students and let them know that there are people who share the same beliefs walking in their same halls,” Moussaif said.

When planning the event, there were many aspects the club had to keep in mind. This included what decorations would look like, where the prayer would occur and if there would be enough food.

“The officers’ group chat was going off because everyone was worried we wouldn’t have enough food,” Abdelhamid said. “The hardest part was also estimating how many people were coming.”

Even with the worries about the event, the table was filled with brought-in food as well as extra pizza, people helped decorate and many showed up in traditional Muslim and Ramadan clothing to show their support. This even included non-Muslims who were curious about the event and wanted to learn more about the holy month.

A major goal for the event this year was to provide a space and platform for non-Muslims to understand the culture of Ramadan and become more educated on what their peers were going through. Sophomore Isaac Arango attested to the fact that he felt it was important for him to go to the Iftar in order to better understand Muslim traditions and holidays as well as to get a better sense of how he should respectfully act around his Muslim peers.

“What motivated me to go was my friends, I wanted to be part of what they see and believe,” Arango said.

Moussaif not only saw this as an educational opportunity, but also a way to unite Muslims within the school’s community. She emphasized the fact that there is a negative stigma against Islam due to ignorance and lack of education on the religion. Therefore, the Iftar was a way to bury those preconceived notions and show people the true meaning of Islam. Arango affirmed that the event was successful in the sense that it helped him have a deeper understanding of the religion and also made him feel welcomed in the community.

Moussaif and Abdelhamid hope to see more years of iftars within the school in order to continue to see an effort being put in to create a stronger sense of community and education during the holiday.

“In the future, we hope to hold more school-based events to provide an inviting environment [where] people can learn and educate themselves,” Moussaif said.