Julissa Caban

Contributing Writer

Ramadan is a month when Muslims fulfill the fourth pillar of Islam, which is fasting. We will fast for a month starting when Fajr (the first prayer of the day) starts and ending when Magrib (the fourth prayer of the day) starts. We wake up for suhoor which is when we eat what is called “breakfast” before our fasting starts. During the fast, we can’t eat or drink, not even water, til Magrib prayer. There are many reasons why we Muslims fast.

One of the main reasons is for spiritual discipline to have a deeper connection with God. Another reason is that fasting teaches us discipline, the ability to control desires and dedicate most of our time to God. During this month we spend time doing lots of things like reading the Quran, making sure we pray all five prayers, offer extra prayers, and expand knowledge of Islam.

We try to stay away from things that are forbidden in Islam and instead do good things to be the best Muslims we can be. There is a night called Laylat-al-Qadr where we spend our entire time in prayer, seeking forgiveness and making dua. At the end of Ramadan, we have Eid which Is our celebration. This is when families get together, dress up and eat tons of food.

There are exceptions to those who can and can’t fast. During menstruation, Muslim Women are exempt from fasting or even praying for a few reasons,  one of them being that we do experience pain and discomfort. Some may say it’s because Islam sees women as impure but that is simply not true. We just are not in a state where we are ritually impure, there’s a difference. Before praying Muslims have to cleanse themselves which is called making “wudu”. You can break your wudu by passing bowel movements, passing gas natural body discharges, etc. Now these are things you can control but a woman menstruating which is a natural body discharge, can’t control the bleeding which means she won’t be able to keep her wudu. You’re losing a lot of blood and if fasting you can have side effects that can be harmful. That is why women can’t pray or partake in fasting during their menstruation.

Another exception is those who are ill, where not consuming fluids or food can worsen their condition. Also, even if it’s not a big illness if the person is feeling dizzy or unwell they may break their fast. We believe our God is understanding of circumstances where we have to put our health over practices so that is why we have exceptions. We always should put our health first and Islam acknowledges that.

I reverted to Islam back in 2021 because it helped me out of the dark stage l was going through in life. I am the only Muslim on both my mom’s and dad’s side of the family. Being the only Muslim in my family can make me feel lonely because I have to practice Islam on my own. I wish that I had family members who I could wake up early with to pray or even practice Islam with.

It is difficult being a Revert to Islam because I feel like family members don’t get me or understand. Some can come off as arrogant and ignorant making comments about me being Muslim. But then Ramadan comes around and that is when it hits the most. I fast alone during Ramadan, wake up alone for suhoor, pray alone and even break my fast alone. Surely, I am not the only Muslim who deals with this.

I’ve struggled so much in my life so this struggle isn’t really a big deal, but rather is worth it for me. It is worth it to me because Islam is the reason I found purpose in life.

Fasting during the semester can be difficult. It can be difficult because I have to keep up with all my assignments and keep myself energized somehow to get through all my classes. I would have more energy if I ate a proper breakfast but with early classes, I find it difficult waking up extra early just to prepare a decent breakfast. So instead, I just wake up like 20 minutes before fasting starts and eat overnight oats and drink plenty of water.

At ESU we have a MSA group where we can plan events to have sujoor or break our fast together. It’s not all the time or every day but being a part of the MSA does make me feel a little less lonely. I have a community and can spend a little time from Ramadan with them. I mentioned a lot of my struggles because I know there are Muslims out there who struggle and may feel alone during Ramadan, and I hope my experience will help show they aren’t the only ones. We can all struggle together and in the end, we will be rewarded for our struggles so it is okay. Surround yourself with a community that supports you and who will go through this experience with you.