RAMADAN: What is it?

Ramadan is the month of fasting for followers of the Islamic religion. Ramadan 2024 will begin from the evening of the 10th March 2024 till 9th April 2024. Muslims celebrate Ramadan to learn righteousness because as we indulge in worldly pleasures, we sometimes forget how lucky we are to have food on our tables.

Meals and prayers

Muslims eat two main meals during Ramadan, called SUHOOR and IFTAR. SUHOOR is eaten before dawn, and IFTAR is eaten after sunset to break their fast. In addition to 5 daily prayers (Fajr ➡️ Zuhr ➡️ Asr ➡️ Maghrib ➡️ Isha), the tarawih prayer is offered after the Isha prayer (which is the last prayer of the day held after dusk). Additionally, a lot of Muslims recite the full Quran in the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a month of joy, prayers, and happiness for Muslims all over the world. People generously donate money, food, and clothes to the needy. Families gather for IFTAR dinners and friends meet to pray and feast!

Residential Life will be hosting IFTAR meals that will be served at our different accommodation sites for residents to come together and share a meal during this holy month, click here to find out more.

We also have frozen SUHOOR meals on offer for only £1 for anyone who wants to save time in the morning!

Purpose of fasting

When you fast you are able to connect and relate more to the people who suffer from constant starvation. This is an expression of solidarity with people from all backgrounds, races, classes, or religions, who do not have food and water to sustain themselves. That is also the reason why charity work especially feeding someone or catering for someone’s IFTAR meal is considered more rewarded by Allah (SWT) in the month of Ramadan.

In Islam, it is said that one ought to fast to learn ‘RESTRAINT’ as when you are fasting you see the yummiest of foods but still ignore them by restraining yourself, which leads to the purification of your soul. It is also true that sometimes we indulge in eating so much that it can be damaging to our health. Ramadan is the perfect to conquer some of your fitness goals as you do not eat from dawn till dusk and if you break your fast with a balanced diet according to your caloric needs it can be beneficial for your health.

DON’TS

It is said that some people fast from dusk till dawn but their fast is not accepted. This is because fasting is not only a physical task but also a spiritual one. Therefore, it is mandatory for a person who is fasting to not engage in forbidden acts like lying, cheating, stealing, bribing etc. If someone commits these acts, their fast is merely starvation, empty of its real purpose which is to learn piety.

Ramadan is a month of discovering yourself and others around you while praying, celebrating, and feasting while bringing smiles to the faces of all human beings you interact with.

The Residential Life Team and I are wishing all those celebrating and observing Ramadan a very happy Ramadan!