Dates and milk are a traditional way of breaking fast in Ramadan.
By Anh Van
Western Sun staff writer
She walked through Golden West’s swap meet, in her hijab, in the sweltering sun a couple of weekends ago. She had a bottle of water with her, used to cool her cheeks but she didn’t have a sip of it – at least not until the sun went down that day.
From Aug 1 to the 31, Muslims all over the world celebrated the holy month of Ramadan. As one of the five pillars of Islam, followers of the faith fasted for the whole month.
When Muslims fast they are abstaining from food and drinks for as long as the sun is up and breaking the fast only when the sun sets.
Fasting during Ramadan serves the purpose to remind all followers of Islam of those who are suffering and the hardships of the poor; a month long test of one’s devotion and perseverance as fasting requires a tremendous amount of will power. Muslims living in warmer climates face added hardships during their fasting periods but many view it as just another test to overcome for their faith.
I am not religious. Perhaps you can even say that I’m a religious cynic, yet I admit to being fascinated with the practice of fasting.
It’s hard to imagine not being able to drink or eat until the sun has completely left the sky’s landscape let alone indulge in that practice in the middle of a California summer. I know of many Muslim friends who fasted during Ramadan and all have expressed how important fasting is to them: a deeper connection to Islam and Allah and acknowledgement of those who are less fortunate were common sentiments.
A close friend, who practices the religion, relayed a story of her uncle and his hardship one year during Ramadan. “My great uncle was really sick during the holy month in 2008 and his doctors advised him against fasting. I remember seeing him extremely upset afterwards because he felt a deep loss, as if he was losing a part of his faith and the connection he had with Allah.”
It’s a profound moment to see people sacrifice so much to connect to their faith, a faith that is very much misunderstood at times. It’s troubling to live in such an interconnected world and yet there are still prejudices against Islam and Muslims. If only the dissenters would realize that Islam is defined not by the extremists but by the pious followers such as the girl at the swap meet or my friend’s great uncle.
It is a commendable practice I must say, to be able to endure physical hunger, thirst and hardships for a whole month in order to remind us that there are others in this world that are less fortunate.
