The Online Reflector

By Dan Friend
Managing Editor

Muslim and non-Muslim students alike participated in a lecture event and dinner on Sept. 26 in McCleary Chapel to observe Ramadan and educate non-Muslims about Islam’s sacred month.

The Muslim Student Union and the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Programs co-hosted the event. Imen Mitiche, Muslim Student Union president, said the event was organized to bring Muslim students together during the month-long observance and to offer non-Muslim students a firsthand experience of Ramadan and Islam.

“We [the Muslim Student Union] like to do a lot of interfaith-related things to show students that we are here,” Mitiche said. “We really want students to know our side and not just what they see in the media.”

Dr. Abdalla Ali, an Arabic language professor at IUPUI, was the guest speaker. Ali spoke on the significance of Ramadan, fasting, prayer and the five pillars of Islam. Students were encouraged to participate in a question-and-answer period afterwards.

Ramadan is the month when the prophet Muhammad received the Quran, Islam’s holy book, from Allah, Ali said.

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink, sexual intercourse and any other physical indulgences from dawn until dusk as commanded in the second chapter of the Quran, he said. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and through fasting, Muslims cleanse their bodies, practice self-discipline, reflect upon their faith and gain appreciation for those who are less fortunate and in a constant state of deprivation.

After the lecture, all 40 attendees were invited to attend an “iftar”— the meal held after sunset —at which Muslim students broke the day’s fast in the President’s dining room. A prayer was offered before the traditional Lebanese dinner, which included humus, pita bread, tabouli and baklava.

Muslims across the globe honor Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, from mid-September to mid-October this year. However according to Dr. Haitham Alkhateeb, faculty advisor for the Muslim Student Union and associate professor of mathematics, the beginning and ending dates can vary from one geographical region to another.

The twelve-months of the Islamic calendar is based on the rotation of the moon around Earth, and while some groups use scientifically calculated measurements to set the dates of Ramadan, others simply start their practices upon first sight of the new moon, Alkhateeb said. The Islamic calendar is 11 days shorter than the Christian calendar, so throughout a lifetime, it is possible to experience “siyam”— or fasting —during every season of the year.

The Islamic Society of North America determined the dates of Ramadan to start Sept. 13 and end Oct. 11, and most Muslims in North America use this calculated time period.

In addition to the five daily prayers of Islam, individuals are expected during Ramadan to spend extra time studying the Quran and reciting prayers to strengthen their faith, Alkhateeb said. During the final 10 days of Ramadan, the amount of time used to study Islam increases significantly.

On the day after Ramadan, all Muslims are expected to give an offering to the poor, Alkhateeb said. That day, known as “Eid al-Fitr”— or the festival of breaking of the fast —is celebrated by praying, eating and gathering as communities.

“Ramadan is more than abstaining from food, drink and pleasures,” Alkhateeb said. “Those who stop at the physical aspects of fasting miss the essence of Ramadan and its purpose.”

The Muslim Student Union will celebrate Eid al-Fitr from 2-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at The Perk.