Disclaimer: Inaaya is a member of MSA and will be attending the Fast-a-Thon event on March 21 mentioned in this article.
OH’s Muslim Student Association( MSA) is holding a Fast-a-Thon event March 21 for students to try fasting for a day if they want, but it’s not required. Participating students then come to the school cafeteria from 5:30 to 8:00 pm and enjoy dinner and dessert for only $5. Everyone is invited, teachers, students, family and friends, Muslim or not!
According to Sedra Abdelmaguid, a OH junior and the Vice President of MSA, “Ramadan is a chance to get closer to your faith, break bad habits, make good habits, and get closer to your religion, and be able to have self-control and keep those good habits for the rest of the year.”
To Muslims everywhere, Ramadan is a time of utmost importance, falling on the 9th month of the Islamic calendar every year. Those who practice their faith will engage in a month of fasting, from pre-dawn to sunset.
This fast can be between 11 and 16 hours long, depending on the time of year. This lasts for a period of between 29 and 30 days. During the duration of the fast, Muslims abstain from drinking and eating, among other things.
This year, Ramadan started on March 10th, the night of the crescent moon, and the first Taraweeh was performed after the Isha prayer and before the Witr prayer. Ramadan is projected to end the night of April 9th, upon the sighting of the full moon, with Eid al-Fitr landing on the next day, April 10th, according to the Islamic Center of Naperville (ICN).
Ramadan is also a time when Muslims train themselves to abstain from bad deeds such as gossiping, lying, or arguing. It is a time for spiritual and moral growth.
“During this time, I feel more at peace, because it’s just me. It’s between me and God, me and Allah; in between my faith, I just feel like I’m healing as a person. I’m trying to make my wrongs right, and I’m just trying to go on the right path and become a better human being, a better person,” said Sahar Zaheer, a OH sophomore and the Communications Manager of MSA.
Muslims fast to gain taqwa (God-consciousness), which helps the person gain discipline, self-restraint, and a greater incentive to do good. For some, Ramadan is also about gaining a greater sense of awareness and gratitude for what they are blessed to have.
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. This, in turn, motivates them to give their zakat, a donation of 2.5% of the person’s wealth, to the poor. This must be done before the Eid prayer.
Ramadan is also a time of community, with Muslims often eating meals before and after the fast (suhoor and iftar, respectively) with family and friends.
“We decorate the house, we have a bunch of feasts with our families and friends, and we make food together,” said OH sophomore and MSA Activities Coordinator, Juju Abouhaiba.
The masjid, or mosque, is also frequently visited.
Abdullah Abouhaiba, OH sophomore and the President of MSA stated that he enjoys “being around a large community of people, almost every single day, who share my same beliefs, like, we go to the masjid obviously every day, we go to Taraweeh every day, it’s just like the feeling that, you know, there’s other people with the same beliefs.”
Students are encouraged to attend MSA’s Fast-a-Thon event on March 21, Muslim or not.
This is my first year publishing articles on 42fifty. I am in my senior year at Oswego High School. I am involved in a variety of extracurriculars, including WE Club, the Muslim Student Association, the Oswego High Coalition, and the National English Honors Society.
Such great coverage! So glad students are celebrating together 🙂
Amazing article!! Great job covering the events of our diverse student body!