From the evening of March 10 to April 9, Muslims worldwide fast from dawn to sunset in observance of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. MHS has many Muslim students, and some students like senior Wajeeh Jafri are fasting during Ramadan, he said.
Fasting can also have health benefits such as helping lower blood cholesterol, junior Maryam Nasibi said.
“After the sunset, we start eating, and it’s a really enjoyable time for families to get out there and celebrate with their families every day,” Nasibi said.
Senior Rida Tareen and her family participate in Ramadan by waking up at 5 a.m., eating a pre-dawn meal together, and gathering after sunset to eat again, she said.
“The Muslim religion is about self discipline,” Tareen said. “We pray five times a day and you’re constantly reminded of (being a Muslim), especially with the hijab. It’s like your constant remembrance that you are a Muslim.”
Although Jafri’s first time fasting at age 14 was difficult, he eventually adjusted after a few days, Jafri said.
“Sometimes, I might throw up in the first week, but other than that, no major differences happened this year,” Jafri said.
Nasibi doesn’t feel that fasting is difficult because she believes that God makes it easy, she added.
“During the day, we crave food, and it really serves the purpose of fasting, of how we get to feel how others who don’t have food feel,” Nasibi said.
Islam follows the teachings of Jesus, Moses, and primarily, the Prophet Muhammad, Jafri said. Muslims follow the five pillars in their religion, including fasting, donations, and praying, Jafri added.
Muslims fast “based on a moon sighting, and since the religion goes off of a lunar calendar, we’re able to tell if we’ll see the moon when the first day starts and when Ramadan ends,” Jafri said.
During Ramadan, Muslims tend to read the Quran more frequently and do good deeds, such as donating to charity, Nasibi said.
“We have a celebration after this month, which is for two or three days, and during those days, we give out gifts,” Nasibi said. “We wear new clothes and everything, and then we go to the mosque to pray.”
Tareen avoids listening to music during Ramadan as it can be a distraction from her religion, she said. The most challenging aspect of fasting is not drinking water, making it hard to focus in school, she added.
“Our religion, we practice daily wherever we are, for example, by smiling at someone to make them happy,” Nasibi said. “That’s a random act of kindness that we do for good deeds.”
Students discuss Ramadan, fasting
