 "Photo:")
 "Photo:")
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and during Ramadan observant Muslims throughout the world fast every day from dawn to dusk, neither eating food nor drinking water. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the major foundations of Muslim life.
On Wednesday, the members of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Muslim Student Association (MSA) invited their fellow students to fast with them for one day in an event called the Fast-a-Thon.
Non-Muslim participants in the Fast-a-Thon were asked to sign an agreement pledging to go hungry for a change, and to "willingly and joyfully participate in UMSL MSA's annual Fast-a-Thon for the benefit of those going hungry every day." The fast was observed from 6:24 a.m. until 7:43 p.m.
All participants in the Fast-a-Thon were invited to meet in the Century Room of the Millennium Student Center to break their fast with free food provided by the event sponsors. The evening meal after the day-long fast is called Iftar, which means "breakfast" in Arabic. Since the event had garnered almost 200 pledges, the meal was very well attended.
Kareem Salameh, senior, biology, is president of the MSA.
He explained the purpose of the Fast-a-Thon: "There's three reasons for it. One, is to of course raise money.
The second is to bring people together from different backgrounds, to have a talk while eating, because I think food brings people together, it creates an open discussion. And [third] just to have fun with students," Salameh said.
The money raised by the event will go to charity.
"We have sponsors that take the pledges and donate one dollar per person. This year that [money] goes to 'Bite the Bug' from Islamic Relief. It's a campaign against malaria," Salameh said.
"Our sponsors, in a way, want to celebrate the month of Ramadan. They want people to understand it more. Most of our sponsors are businesses owned by Muslims."
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar that does not run parallel with the Gregorian calendar used in America. In 2009, Ramadan began on Aug. 21, and will last until on or around Sept. 20.
Fasting for just one day can be hard for anybody, but the members of the MSA fast daily for the entire month of Ramadan.
This can be a difficult challenge when everybody around them is eating freely in the usual American manner. Zeya Obaidi, senior, biology, was spending part of his day with some of his friends in the MSA, trying to think about something else instead of food.
"My hunger comes and goes. We strive to forget about it. We hang out with each other … we have to pray, too. We can't fast without praying five times a day," Obaidi said.
The members of the MSA have been getting up very early in the morning to eat a meal called Suhoor before they start their fast for the rest of the day.
"You're technically having two meals a day. You're just skipping lunch, and you're having that in the morning," Nida Jawaid, senior, biotechnology, and a member of the MSA, said. "The whole month is about not having excess."
"Ramadan is a month of recharging," Salameh said, speaking of what Ramadan means to him.
"There's a lot of praying, there's a lot of thinking about what are you doing in life, what is your purpose here. It sets a different mood in my life. I go to the mosque a lot during this month. It gives me more time to think about my God."
Be the first to comment on this article!