Understanding Ramadan: How Some Tigers Are Observing at UHS

Joaquin Perez-Bahloul

Everybody knows of Christsmas, Lent, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. But a holiday not many know of is Ramadan, a Muslim holiday that takes place every 11 months. 

“Ramadan [is] a time once a year where Muslims fast for 30 days. We start fasting before sunrise and break our fast at sunset. During this time, we cannot eat or drink anything, including water” Fatiha Dangkua, a Muslim student, said. 

Some may wonder, why abstain from eating and drinking for an entire month? What would one gain? And the answer is that there are many reasons for this practice.

One important thing is the unity from the Muslims all around the world fasting together. “The MSA (Muslim Student Association) hosted a lot of Iftars…to break the fast together…I went to some on the Rhodes Campus and some on the University of Memphis Campus…They were great and it was really nice because we got to…spend time with the community and see people we don’t always get to see” Natasha McGlasson, a member of the MSA, said. 

Fatiha supports this sentiment as she was able to spend more time with people because of Ramadan. “During Ramadan, I spend more time with my family. We usually have busy schedules, so we don't eat together very often, but during Ramadan, we all wake up in the morning to eat together. We also sometimes go over to our friends' houses to break our fast and eat dinner together” Dangkua said.

Fasting for Ramadan is paid off at the end with a celebration called Eid where you go to an Eid prayer and typically get gifts. The Muslim community normally hosts festivals to celebrate the occasion. “We usually do a prayer in the morning and then go to the Eid festival,” Dangkua said.

While fasting plays a big role, there is more to gain from Ramadan than a festival and unity. You also gain values to your character. “Fasting teaches me to be more patient, as I can't eat for most of the day. It also helps me become more healthy… I choose healthier foods in the morning, as that helps with not feeling hungry” Dangkua says. 

McGlasson also felt that Ramadan was helpful to her life. “Life is really short…you take time to do these things that are really insignificant…it can be difficult to take time out of your life to pray and just think about God… and really focus in on what really matters and my religion and especially with everything going on in the world…I feel like this is the most important time that we should pray to be as close as possible to our creator.”