What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered the holy month of fasting, this lasts twenty nine to thirty days. Sophomore, Haroon Khalid claims “as Muslims we fast to show our gratitude towards god, this is very holy to us.” Junior, Blerim Abazovski adds “it is like a chance to redeem ourselves to god.” This is one of the most important times of the year to all Muslims around the entire world and the dedication put in each year proves that.
Students Observing Ramadan
Many students observe Ramadan each year, however, it provides a challenge to students educational lives. Haroon outlines that “During Ramadan I’ll wake around 4:30 in the morning for our pre-fast meal called Suhoor, then I won’t consume any foods or beverages until sunset around seven pm.” This can cause focus and concentration issues, when Blerim was asked about this, he said “I struggle focusing all the time, I was sleeping last period.” This can be due to waking up early in time for Suhoor or due to students sleeping through the period; according to principal Mr Scott this issue has not been brought to the attention of the school.
Resources for students observing Ramadan
Torrington High School provides a few resources for students observing Ramadan but they can all bring a lot of help towards Muslim students. Mr Scott said “We provide an alternative space for students fasting who do not want to be in the Cafeteria” he followed this statement up by saying “The school also has a prayer room for students observing Ramadan.” Both of these can be highly beneficial to Muslim students as being around food at times can potentially cause students to get emotional, especially if they are hungry. The prayer room is necessary because Muslims are also required to pray at least five times daily during Ramadan.
Ways to support your classmates
There are times when observing Ramadan can be really stressful, but at those times there are many different ways you can help support your friends and classmates to make them feel better. Some ways you can help support Muslims during Ramadan are by asking questions while being careful which questions you may ask, as some may be taken offensively or disrespectfully. Another way you can support your peers by making plans with your peers that do not require eating, examples of this could be going for a walk or even to a store. Just make sure it doesn’t tire your peers out too much. The last thing you can do to support your peers is to share small gifts to show your appreciation towards them.
