![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
Wake up at 5 a.m., eat, work, go to school, come home, do some more work, eat at 7 p.m., do some more work, and stay up until two 2 a.m.. Repeat this routine for 29 days.
By the end of it, it is guaranteed that practitioners of this schedule will be exhausted and weary. Indeed, many students and teachers at Rock Ridge are feeling the same way at this very moment.
March 1 marked the start of Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic faith. During the month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset to place themselves in the shoes of the less fortunate.
During the month, Muslims seek forgiveness and spend their time spiritually bettering themselves and bringing themselves closer to God. Freshman Nuha Malik feels like this month brings her closer to her faith. “Ramadan to me means it’s a time of fasting where I can feel more connected to Allah [God], and my religion,” Malik said. Additionally, it is a time to practice gratefulness and sympathize with those not having food or water.
Math teacher Amina Attab practices Ramadan each year. “We have the luxury to have a meal or eat anytime we want, there are a lot of families and kids around the world who have probably one meal a day; some of them have one meal every other day,” Attab said. “It kind of humbles us to be thankful to our God that we are given all this. There is also a time when we have special prayers that we do at night, and this is the time when we get all together and we pray all together. So it is kind of a really nice month for me. I enjoy it because we get together.”
Muslims typically pray five times a day; however, Ramadan brings the special prayer of Taraweeh, taking the place of the last prayer on a “normal day.” Taraweeh is Sunnah, meaning that it is optional but highly recommended as it is believed to forgive sins and bring many blessings and rewards.
Junior Mimtaaha Kader feels that Taraweeh helps her get closer to her religion and people around her. “Taraweeh to me is an amazing experience because I volunteer at my local Mosque, so I get to pray with everyone who comes to the Mosque,” Kader said. “Praying with people who all have different experiences, and different lives, during Ramadan [is a special experience]. It makes you feel special–that you’re in a tight-knit community. I get to reflect on many aspects of my life such as, what I’m grateful for, problems I’m facing, and the mistakes I’ve made and how I can correct [them].”
A typical day for a Muslim in Ramadan begins at 5:30 a.m. Many Muslims around the world engage in Suhoor, a Sunnah practice of eating before fasting starts to help get one through their day. The eating and drinking stops when Fajr is heard, the first prayer of the day. It is typically around 6 a.m, but the time moves back every day as sunrise happens earlier and earlier. Students at Rock Ridge typically stay up after praying and work until it is time to go to school. After attending school, many may take a nap, finish more school work, and/or help make Iftar, which is the meal that breaks the fast. Iftar is usually around 7:30 p.m. Muslims break their fast when the Maghrib prayer is heard, the second-to-last prayer of the day. After praying, students may finish some more work and/or eat some more until the last prayer of the day, Taraweeh.
Taraweeh poses a challenge for many Muslims, as it is a long prayer. “We do those special prayers late; we finish at 11, and we pray in the Mosque,” Attab said. “By the time I get home [at 11], I want to eat a little bit more and get ready and take my shower. So I get to bed around one or two and then I have to wake up again at six to make another special prayer. So I’m functioning on a maximum of five and a half hours of sleep.”
For some students, however, the lack of sleep during Ramadan isn’t a massive adjustment. “I already don’t get enough sleep because of school, or I just can’t fall asleep, so it doesn’t make too much of a difference for me,” Kader said.
Ramadan typically lasts 29 or 30 days. The dates are not set in stone and rather are dependent on the Islamic lunar calendar. The Islamic lunar calendar differs from the standard Gregorian calendar, so each year, Ramadan gets pushed back 10-11 days. Ramadan will end when the crescent moon is sighted, also known as the “Shawwal moon.” The moon marks the end of the month and leads to the Islamic holiday, Eid-al-Fitr.
“I want to improve on myself [during Ramadan], being the person I am, and getting closer to God, doing more of the good deeds that I can do, and being more spiritual is something that I want to do,” Attab said.
