From Feb. 28 to March 29, the month of Ramadan – a holy month and the ninth month in the Islamic calendar – is being observed by Muslims all over the world. It’s a time of spiritual reflection and prayer.
Halima Osman, the vice president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) explained what Ramadan is.
“The month of Ramadan is a holy month. It’s a month of, like, you sacrifice your worldly being such as, like, water, food,” Osman said. “A lot of people just think it stops at that, but it’s more necessarily of, like, cutting out bad habits, trying to become a better person for the sake of Allah, which is obviously God in Arabic.”
Osman also gave more context about how to fast during Ramadan and what to fast from.
“It lasts for 30 days. Obviously, you fast from sunrise to sunset, and through those times, you’re pushing your body, you’re pushing your mind, you’re pushing everything to the limit, and you’re willing to sacrifice stuff for, for the sake of Allah, to show that you’re submitting to Allah,” Osman said. “It’s a month that I know a lot of people don’t see the deeper context. It’s not just about, like, giving up food and water. Those are just physical things. There’s also mental things, like cutting out music is something, cutting out bad cursing, you know.”
People who are suffering from an illness or are traveling are an exception to the fast but should still make it up by fasting later in the year or feeding the needy as a charitable act according to Brandeis University.
Osman said that being Muslim means a lot to her and that Islam is a religion of peace and submission.
“Personally, being a Muslim to me, the word Islam, the word Muslim means to submit. It means to be someone that contributes to not only their community, but to themselves and to everybody, to treat everyone with kindness, even if you feel like someone’s not being kind to you,” Osman said. “To be a Muslim is is not just a physical attribute. I know I’m a female Muslim, so I wear a hijab. That’s not the only thing. To be a Muslim is to conduct yourself in a respectful manner no matter who you interact with, to treat them with kindness. Islam is a representation of peace and humility.”
Every year, the exact date of Ramadan changes due to the Islamic calendar being based on the cycles of the moon.
The Muslim Student Association will host a Ramadan Iftar Dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center where everyone is welcome to attend.
“Thursday, we’re having an Iftar event. Everyone’s welcome. You don’t have to be a part of MSA. You don’t have to be a Muslim. The whole purpose of it is so that people can see and understand Islam and see the community and also understand what Iftar means,” Osman said. “There’s so much that goes into Ramadan. It’s not just fasting, and to come and obviously to eat food too, everybody loves food, but it’s a sense to be a part of, like, the MSA community on campus, to branch out and to connect with everybody.”
The event is free to attend, tickets must be reserved ahead of time through the MSA’s Huskie Hub event website.
