This year, the month of fasting for Muslims, Ramadan, began on March 1. The first week of Ramadan was marked with Niles West’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) holding their yearly Ramaday event on March 6. The event started at 5:15 p.m. and ended at 8:00 p.m. It was held at Niles West and around 200 people attended.
The evening started with Iftar, when the attendants broke their fast with a date and water. After Quran recitations, there were speeches about the importance of Ramadan and faith given by guest speakers Iman Shahid and Azhaan Mohammed from a group called Sacred Haqq. Afterward, attendants could pray Maghrib in the student commons, and those who didn’t want to or couldn’t pray sat in the lunch room. The participants ate a potluck-style dinner and dessert from 6:35 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The evening ended with a raffle and a closing ceremony.
MSA co-president and senior Sana Jafri reflected on how Ramaday came about.
“We started Ramaday because we learned it from other MSAs. We collaborate with them during the summits, and it’s a way to promote inclusion throughout our school. Ramadan is a very important month for us, where we value its time and the things we get to do in Ramadan, so we wanted to share that experience with the people at our school, so that’s why we created Ramaday,” Jafri said.
The first Ramaday was held at Maine East, and Niles West started hosting Ramaday in 2023. The tradition was created as an attempt to invite non-Muslims to try fasting. The event is not limited to students; community members were encouraged to join and give a helping hand to MSA with setting up and collecting last-minute supplies.
MSA co-coordinator and junior Salwa Mohiuddin explained why including non-Muslim peers in Ramaday is important.
“Ramadan is so important for our students and teachers to understand our perspectives, be able to accommodate them, and show compassion and respect. It’s also just about showing how cultures and people celebrate the month, and it’s not just about the struggle,” Mohiuddin said.
After eating, sophomore and first-time faster Annie Locker said she gained a new respect for her Muslim friends.
“I appreciate my friends who participate in Ramadan so much more now. They are cranky sometimes, which makes so much sense to me now because I’m really hangry, and I’ve been doing it for a day. I’m never going to say I’m so hungry ever again, and I’m going to savor every bite of food,” Locker said.
The only change that Mohiuddin wants to make for next year is to further prepare the student commons for Maghrib prayer. It would be more efficient and MSA would be able to host more people. Overall, Mohiuddin said that she is pleased with this year’s results and hopes that MSA can make Ramaday bigger and better next year.
