USU students celebrate their Islamic tradition
“This soup is way spicy,” Jessica Meyers, sophomore studying history and secondary education said. “I have never had American food like this before.”
Meyers recently experienced Islamic culture firsthand along with many other students enrolled in Introduction to Islamic Civilization, which is taught by history professor Debra Baldwin. The students feasted with members of the Islamic community as they broke their Ramadan fast.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a time of great religious significance for Muslims. The Islamic calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon, as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, which is based on Earth’s orbit around the sun, is 11 days shorter than our calendar. Thus the month of Ramadan moves throughout the seasons over the course of a lifetime. Ramadan is the month Islamics practice their annual ritual of fasting between the hours of dawn and dusk. According to a pamphlet published by the Islamic Circle of North America, the fasting involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and marital intercourse.
“This reminds the believers of their dependence upon God (also known as Allah), as well as kinship with and responsibility for the millions of human beings in the world who experience involuntary fasting because of lack of food, or its unjust distribution,” the pamphlet stated.
According to the pamphlet, fasting is so important to Muslims that it is one of the “Five Pillars of Islam.” The other four pillars are declaring belief in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, praying five times a day in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, giving money to the poor and making the journey to the city of Mecca. These five pillars are found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, and are considered essential for all Muslims.
Ramadan, according to holidays.net, is believed to be the month in which the Quran “was sent down from heaven, a guidance unto men, a declaration of direction, and a means of Salvation.”
The Quran specifically mandates the fasting of Ramadan by stating, “One may eat and drink at any time during the night until you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the daylight: then keep the fast until night.”
On the 27th day of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the “Night of Power,” which commemorates the night Muhammad first received the revelation of the Quran. After the month is over, Muslims celebrate the end of their fasting with a three-day holiday called “Id-al-Fitr,” or “The feast of Fast Breaking.” During this time, families get together and exchange gifts.
Last Tuesday, students participating in Ramadan got together at the Logan Islamic Center to break their fast with a variety of exotic delicacies.
“Although fasting is universal throughout Islam, the food is different in every country,” said Ibrahim Mohammed, president of the Logan Islamic Center who is also a PhD student from Sudan. We are blessed in this month by increased worship and by obeying the orders of Allah.”
The food at the feast was a mix of foreign and American food and included several oriental rice dishes, a beef and tomato-based dish and a spicy, curry-based soup placed right next to Hot-and-Ready pizza and rice pudding.
“They (participating students) were really friendly,” Meyers said. “I walked in and they just started handing me food. It is nice to know that there are good people out there.”
Meyers said she recommends experiencing new cultures.
“It was a great experience,” she said. “It was really cool!”
— michael.buhler@aggiemail.usu.edu