Zayna Abbassi, freshman, wakes up at 4:30 a.m. each morning for Suhur, the meal eaten before the sunrise during Ramadan, and then she fasts until sunset.
This routine lasts for the entire month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar that this year falls from Friday, Feb 28, to March 29.
Abbassi usually eats a protein shake and drinks a lot of water to start her day. She spends lunch in the library and makes sure to pray throughout the day.
“How I perceive it is showing empathy,” Abbassi said. “There’s many people around the world who don’t get to eat as often as we can because it’s a privilege to be able to have food everywhere.”
Abbassi is fasting as a member of track and field.
“It’s gonna get worse with the weather too but it was definitely difficult,” Abbassi said. “You just have to know to eat right in the morning.”
Abbassi is also going to London and Venice over Spring Break, but she said fasting while travelling is not obligatory because it can create hardship.
“Since I’m going out of the country, I’m going to be like ‘I wish I could try these street foods,’ but I think it will be fun waiting until the end of the day to eat,” Abbassi said.
Sofiya Yuldosheva, freshman, is glad to be staying home this Spring Break with her family during Ramadan. She says it’s much easier to fast when she can relax.
“When you’re fasting, you want to be like, just relaxed and at home and not really putting your mind to work,” Yuldosheva said. “It gets easier because I’m at home and I get to be with my family the whole time and focus on worship instead of school.”
Ramadan is a time when Yuldosheva is closer to her friends, family and religion.
Many people come together during Ramadan in the community at the Masjid or mosque, Yuldosheva said.
“A mosque is like a holy place of worship,” Yuldosheva said. “People come together during the night times for a prayer called Taraweeh and it’s prayed right after you break your fast. A lot of people will come.”
Soha Sunasara, freshman, enjoys the holiday because it keeps her closer to her family and is a month for the Muslim community to connect.
“Most of the time, you can’t tell when somebody’s Muslim,” Sunasara. “[Ramadan] is something to bond over and talk about.”
Sunasara is traveling by plane during Spring Break.
“Usually, when you’re on a plane, it’s harder to fast because you don’t exactly know when the sun rises and sun sets,” Sunasara said. “But you have to make it up later in the year.”
