Here at iUP, we are a very diverse community. Students all have different faiths and ethnicities, and are all very accepting of one another. You’ve probably heard of Ramadan before, but what is Ramadan? Let’s find out with the help from some iUP students who shared with us what Ramdan is all about.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the Muslim’s holy month for fasting and focusing on spiritual discipline, worship, and character building. When it starts differs from year to year because they follow the lunar calendar, which is based on the moon phases. For Ramadan to officially begin, practicing Muslims must see the new moon (Hilal in Arabic).
Fasting is obligated upon everyone who is healthy and has reached puberty, but wait, what exactly is fasting? Literally, fasting is abstaining from food and water for the whole day. Muslims start their fast by eating a meal before sunrise, called Suhoor, and then end it after sunset with the evening meal called Iftar. It’s really important to eat a healthy suhoor and iftar to stay energized throughout the day while fasting. An anonymous 9th grader suggested, “Be sure to get your food groups that are sustainable. In my opinion, that means less processed sugars and foods that won’t keep you energized.” Medina, 10th, also says, “…for iftaar it is better to not eat too much, as eating too much at night isn’t really great, and avoid too many carbs that will sit heavy on your stomach.”
On a spiritual level, fasting is abstaining from desires, bad habits, and sins and focusing on spiritual discipline, character building, and increased worship. There is a voluntary late night prayer called Tarweh which lots of muslims love to participate in. During this prayer, they read the entire Muslim holy book, the Quran.
A very beautiful time during Ramadan is the last ten nights. The last ten nights hold one of the most important nights in Ramadan, the night of power, or Laylatul-Qadr (Pronounced: Lail-a-tul-Qa-dr). Any good deed done on Laylatu-Qadr holds the same reward as if you had done it for 1,000 months, or 83 years! The date of Laylatul Qadr changes each year, so many Muslims try their best to do as much worship during these last ten nights so they catch the reward of Laylatul Qadr.
This is why Ramadan is especially important. As Sebrin, 11th, says, “It is a month of mercy, forgiveness, and drawing closer to God (Allah in Arabic) through patience, gratitude, and sincere devotion.”
Why do Muslims participate in Ramadan?
Now, the prospect of having to go 30 whole days without food or water may seem hard, and it definitely is! Mahrosh, 7th, affirms that no eating is hard, while Medina, 10th, states that although she can deal with the no eating, the thirst is what really gets to her. It can also be hard to manage school and worship at the same time, but Medina, 10th, says, “Doing Ramadan is so much easier in online school; it was hard to do it in physical school.” Afrah Mohamad, 10th, manages her time by planning ahead and dividing her time between work and worship, which is a smart strategy because our daily routine gets altered quite a bit.
So why would Muslims put themselves through this? Muslims believe this fasting is something God has obligated them to do. Another reason is to provide a spiritual and mental detox in which people reset their habits for the rest of the year, kind of like New Year’s resolutions! This helps Muslims maintain habits that contribute to spiritual and personal growth throughout the year.
Ramadan moments at iUp
A poll was taken of Muslim students at iUP to see their favorite part of Ramadan, here’s what some students had to say. For Sebrin, 11th, she loves the feeling she gets during the last ten nights of Ramadan. She says,
“One of my most cherished Ramadan memories is spending the last ten nights in the masjid. There’s something incredibly special about those nights—praying together, reading Qur’an side by side, sharing snacks in the quiet hours, taking short naps, and gently waking one another so we wouldn’t miss a prayer. That sense of community, peace, and devotion is something I carry with me every year.”
Afrah, 10th, loves “…the spiritual growth and family time” that happens during Ramadan.
Medina, 10th, enjoys seeing family that she usually doesn’t get to see. She recalls, “I remember going to my grandma’s house to celebrate Eid for the first time, it was really fun, and I got to see family I usually don’t get to see.”
Something else Muslims look forward to during this time is Eid, the special celebration that happens at the end of Ramadan. It is a celebration full of thankfulness and happiness. A few days before Eid, people decorate and clean up their house, and some people apply Henna to their hands. Eid starts out in the morning with a prayer, then is followed by a lecture. After that, it’s common for people to go see their family and friends, or host parties with lots of food and gifts. Something that is amazing about Eid is that each culture celebrates it differently! Traditions differ depending on what your culture focuses on during Eid day. In Sudan, each house that you visit has a huge tray of sweets for guests to chow down on, while in South Africa, spending family time is the highlight of the day. Families in Malaysia host open houses where anyone is allowed to come visit them so they can divide their time between family visits and other guests. So, it really depends on what your culture does and how they celebrate Eid day!
To sum it all up…
Recap: Ramadan is the Muslims’ holy month for fasting, where they focus on spiritual growth, character development, and building habits that will benefit them year round. Muslims do it because they believe God ordained it upon them and it provides them with a spiritual and mental detox. After Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate with Eid day, and take time out to pray and visit their families and friends. At iUP, Muslim students enjoy family time, spiritual growth and fun Eid traditions that come with Ramadan.
I hope you enjoyed reading this!! Salam (Peace)!
