Ramadan at WIS: A Time of Reflection and Community

March entails a whirlwind of WIS events, such as the eighth-grade language trips, the 10th-grade New Orleans trip, and Mock Exams for the seniors. However, it also has special significance for Muslims around the world, being the holy month of Ramadan. 

Ramadan is a designated month every year where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, meaning they don’t eat or drink anything during the day. Usually, Muslims wake up before sunrise to have a meal called ‘suhoor’ or ‘sehri’ to fuel themselves for the day, and then they break their fast with an evening meal called ‘iftar.’ This year, Ramadan happened to start on March 1st and ended on March 29, but that’s not always the case. It is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, meaning the start of the fasting period moves 12 or so days earlier every calendar year. 

Ramadan is a time for Muslims to focus and immerse themselves in their religion and relationship with God, or Allah. While Ramadan often becomes the No. 1 focus in predominantly Muslim countries, Muslims in places like D.C. have to balance fasting and their daily lives during Ramadan, which can be quite a challenge. 

“Coming from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), I was used to being surrounded by Muslims, and I didn’t really realize how different WIS would be until this month,” junior Farah Makni said. “Over there, Ramadan is such an important and holy month that everything would change, for example, you would only go to school for around three hours, but here I just have to go on with my daily life.” 

Fasting is a physical and mental challenge, and can be very tiresome. Your body is weak without daily fuel, and your mind is slower and more sluggish than usual. This causes school to have an even more taxing impact on students and staff who are fasting. 

Makni shares that lunchtime is the most difficult part of the day.

“At lunchtime or after, I can get a bit irritable because you have all these people eating around you and then you have a few more lessons to power through,” Makni said.

Upper School Principal Zarmina Hotaki explains how fasting creates brain fog, which can make concentrating even harder.

“If you find yourself reading something, you sometimes have to read it two or three times, when normally you get it the first time,” Hotaki said.

But fasting is much deeper than just a difficult and seemingly impossible experience that Muslims can choose to go through. Freshman Suleiman Himmo believes Ramadan is important for building a closer relationship with family and God.

“I think a big misconception is that fasting is kinda like torture in a way, but it’s really not,”  Himmo said. “You get to spend a lot of quality time with your family, and you’re able to get close to God.”

Upper School math teacher Randa Mudarris describes how personal Ramadan is for her and how it carries much more meaning to her than what meets the eye. Fasting is a way for Muslims to prioritize religion in their life and to feel empathy for the less fortunate or those without access to basic resources. 

“I always grew up believing that it makes people feel equal, because whether you’re rich, poor, in a big position, or low position, we’re all fasting, we’re all thirsty for that one cup of water, so it grounds you,” she said.

When asked about the support they receive from WIS students and faculty, all the responses were very positive, and showed WIS’s awareness of Ramadan and care for all the members of the WIS community who were fasting.

“I think I get the most support from the kids, because they ask me how my days are going and they check up on me, which I appreciate,” Mudarris said.

“I really do feel supported,” Hotaki said. “When Ramadan started, I really felt seen because everyone was aware I’m fasting, and many people wished me a happy Ramadan without me having to tell them.” 

Fasting is a very humbling and testing experience, and you get the opportunity to build a lot of character and strength from it. You need an immense amount of self-control to stick to the rules of Ramadan while balancing your other daily obligations, but being able to finish your daily fast is extremely satisfying. 

“Fasting teaches me discipline, because I have to fight myself not to eat or drink, but when you have an actual reward at the end of the day, you feel more motivated, which also can help you become mentally stronger in other aspects of life,” Himmo said.

It takes a toll on your mental state when all you can think about is getting that first bite of food and sip of water. You learn to find a newfound appreciation for all of the enjoyments you take for granted throughout the year, resources as simple as food and water.  

“You see how limited pleasure is because you’re thinking about food the whole day, and then as soon as you eat, you’re full within 10 minutes, which shows how short-lived pleasure can be,” Makni says.

When asked about the most meaningful part of Ramadan, the answers shared an overarching theme: family.

“[As a family] we do more things together, whereas normally everyone does their own thing, but during Ramadan I feel as though we just naturally come together, which is especially nice for me because my kids are older and I don’t see them all the time, but Ramadan is just a natural bringing together of family,” Hotaki said.

The bonding time you spend with your family while getting closer to God together is truly cherishable. Sharing your personal reflections and beliefs about faith with loved ones not only allows you to learn and grow, but also enhances your relationship with your family.

“The moments and conversations you share with your family at the dinner table during iftar are really memorable and special,” Makni said. “Everyone is really in touch with each other and connected, which to me is the real essence of Ramadan.” 

By Amana Zaman