The Wake

After sunset every Monday through Thursday, until Nov. 2, Grace University Lutheran Church on the University’s East Bank is filled with the sounds of worship. The call to prayer can be heard as people file in, greet their friends, leave their shoes in the hall and take their places on rows of rugs. But the sound that emanates from the church these evenings is not that of Christian sermons and hymns. Instead, the room is filled with the gentle rhythm of Arabic spoken in unison and the steady recitation of the Quran. Facing toward Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the worshippers kneel and bend together through the prayer cycles. After the prayers, many members of the University’s Muslim community join to break their Ramadan fasts with the sharing of the iftar meal. While food is served, friends gather to chat and eat.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, during which Muslims worldwide abstain from eating, drinking and other forms of worldly pleasure. Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, is ordained in the Quran, and is observed by Muslims from sunup to sundown throughout the month. Al-Madinah Cultural Center, in conjunction with several other Muslim groups at the U, hosts the iftar meals and prayers on campus so Muslim members of the community can break their fasts as a whole. “It’s really great that we can get together to eat and pray,” says Ayan Ali, vice president of the Muslim Students Association. Following the meal, groups hold extended evening prayers in Coffman Union.

In addition to the fast, Muslims are expected to spend more time praying during this period and to refrain from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust and any other negative thoughts or feelings. Purity of both thought and action is important in order to turn away from worldly activities. “When you fast, you always go back to God,” Ali says. “You constantly think about what you are thinking.”

The month of Ramadan is a time to strengthen one’s faith and gain closeness to God. “It’s like a spiritual acceleration ramp for the rest of the year,” says U student, Taqee Khaled. Additionally, the month of Ramadan is a time when one can better understand the plights of others. “The idea of fasting is to stay away from worldly desires,” explains Abdul Basit, president of Al-Madinah Cultural Center (AMCC). “But fasting is also to feel hunger for those who don’t have access to food. It’s a connection between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots.”

Ramadan also provides a time for the various Muslim groups on campus to connect. AMCC works closely with and provides resources and financial assistance for several groups on campus, including the Muslim Students Association, Pakistani Students Association, Malaysian Students Association, Somali Students Association and Bangladeshi Students Association. During Ramadan, the groups rotate responsibility for putting on the iftars and serve traditional foods from their respective cultures. Additionally, the end of Ramadan is celebrated with a night of cultural entertainment, food, speakers, and gifts. The university’s Muslim community is holding an event in celebration of this holiday of Eid ul-Fitr on Nov. 12.

Outside of Ramadan, the university’s Muslim community participates in many yearly events and weekly activities together, including dinners, classes, discussion circles, inter-faith dialogues, and Friday prayers. The primary goal of the various groups and cultural centers is to create a better understanding and appreciation for the diverse culture of Islam, as well as providing the university’s Muslims, many of whom come from different countries, with a welcoming and supportive “home away from home” on campus. “We unite under Islam as a culture, as well as a religion,” says Susam Samaha, AMCC secretary. “It’s exciting to see Muslims on campus together.”