Ramadan is practiced by 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, and during the month, practitioners can’t eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan is a vital part of Islam, but its strict rules can conflict with school activities and sports.
This year, Ramadan started on Feb. 28 and ends on March 29, dates decided by the cycles of the moon. A typical day during Ramadan consists of waking up early in the morning, eating, praying and going back to sleep. This early morning meal is called suhur, and it’s the only time that people can eat before sundown.
“During the day, you basically just carry on with your routine,” sophomore Zayan Rahman said. “But you can’t eat anything or drink anything. For me, I get dehydrated a lot during the day.”
And for athletes who are extremely active during the day, it’s even more difficult to exercise during Ramadan, especially since drinking any fluids is prohibited.
However, at sunset, the fasting period ends, and the fast is broken.
“When a prayer called Maghrib happens, you break your fast, and then you can eat a bunch of stuff,” Rahman said. “Usually you start off by eating a date (the fruit) to break your fast.”
During Ramadan, fasting is a way of cleansing your soul and sins, but it’s also a way to feel empathy for those who are less fortunate.
“It’s also supposed to simulate poverty,” Rahman said. “You’re supposed to see how it feels to be poor because one of the pillars of Islam is giving alms to the poor.”
Another aspect of Ramadan is the Laylat al-Qadr, also known as the Night of Power, the night when the first verses of the Quran were said to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
“On the last 10 days of Ramadan, one of the days is called the Night of Power,” Rahman said. “Basically, if you fast during that, it’s really beneficial for you. The thing is that you don’t know when it is.”
Nobody knows when the Night of Power occurs, but most believe that it happened somewhere in the last ten days of Ramadan, so praying and fasting during then is thought to be especially important.
In addition to fasting, many Muslims also read the entirety of the Quran in the 30-day period.
But reading the entirety of the Quran on top of finishing school work can prove to be a challenge, especially since most Muslims aren’t fluent in Arabic, due to how many different countries Islam is prevalent in.
“The Quran is only a few hundred pages,” Rahman said. “But it’s all in Arabic, and I had to learn Arabic by going to a school.”
During Ramadan, sacrifices must be made academically and athletically. Practitioners of Ramadan show true grit and resilience, staying true to their religion in spite of the hardships.