What is a major holiday in your religion to observe spirituality? For many sects of Christianity, they celebrate Lent; Hinduism has Diwali; and Buddhism has Uposatha, but did you know Muslims have something similar? Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic Calendar, which is majorly celebrated through the practices of fasting and praying. During Ramadan, Muslims focus on spiritual connection between themselves and Allah, which they enhance through the previously mentioned practices. “Ramadan is a journey of self-discipline, devotion, and spirituality. It’s so much more than fasting, it’s a time to get closer to God and strengthen ourselves mentally,” remarks senior secretary of the Muslim Students Club Lujayne Mohammad. Our Muslim Students Club practices Ramadan by not only fasting and building their own connections with God, but also by educating others about Islam.        

For Muslims, Ramadan starts before the month even begins. Preparations for Ramadan vary from family to family, whether it be going grocery shopping or meal prepping, “I practice not drinking as much water before Ramadan, just to get used to it.” Remarks, junior Mariam Yassine, member of the Muslim Student’s Club. The Muslim Students Club prepared for Ramadan by holding a lamp decoration making competition, where students made traditional lamp decorations out of paper, which they could use in their homes to remind them of Ramadan. 

However, Ramadan isn’t the easiest holiday to participate in. Between not being able to eat food or drink and keeping up with prayers during the day, focusing on school makes Ramadan a harder challenge than most make it out to be. Over time though, Muslim students have been able to adapt to the challenges that come with the practice. Mohammed remarks, “Eventually I was able to balance both out by asking for accommodations. I’d ask for more time on work, to sit out of physical exercises, and to be able to pray during school times.” Yet Ramadan becomes easier since she doesn’t go through the journey alone. Through the Muslim Students Club at Lamar, students are not only provided with a place to take some time to themselves from the chaos of Lamar lunch period while fasting, but also a place to pray, Mohammed adds, “This helps students perform their religious duties without getting in the way of their class time.” 

While the support they provide for their Muslim students is of high importance, this isn’t the only impact that the Muslim Students Club has on the Lamar community. In a school of predominantly non-Muslims, the MSC aims to teach the Lamar community about Islam by hosting meetings with lessons from and about Islam. Recently, they’ve been able to fulfill their mission by hosting a pre-Ramadan lantern making competition and plan to host many more meetings throughout the holy month, such as their upcoming meeting about Ramadan; where they will hold meetings about the teachings of Islam and its various prophets through other activities related to the Islamic culture, which is open to anyone looking to learn more about the religion. Overall, the Muslim Student’s Club here at Lamar is a space open to anyone looking to broaden their sights about the religion, especially during Ramadan.