EASTON DIVERSITY NEWSLETTER Ramadan 2021

April 12-May 12 Additional (*depending on the sighting of the moon) Videos

What do Educators need to know about Ramadan? Fasting can be exhausting, mentally and physically. A child that is fasting may not be able to exert themselves for classes like gym

Environmental influences can have a heavy impact on a student who is fasting. Activities that involve direct exposure to videos or pictures of food should be avoided to prevent making a Masjid Al Haram is the largest mosque in the world. It surrounds the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia student’s fast more difficult. Younger students may prefer to go to another classroom instead What is Ramadan of the cafeteria. Ramadan is an Islamic month observed by Muslims (people who Fasting is prohibited for some. follow the religion of Islam). Ramadan is the month during which Women who are pregnant, the Prophet Muhammed first received the revelation of the nursing, or on their period; Qur’an. During this sacred month, typically lasting 29 -30 days, elderly and sick and the young Muslims are obligated to refrain from eating or drinking anything, are prohibited from fasting. If a including water, from dawn to sunset. Fasting begins around 5 am student is visually harmed by their fast it is important to send them and lasts about 16 hours, but this period increases as the days get to the nurse to evaluate if their longer. Fasting is mandated for all healthy Muslim adults and condition necessitates food/drink, children who have reached puberty. Younger children sometimes especially because a student may fast because they want to practice fasting or join in their family’s refuse to do so out of respect for activities. The purpose of fasting is to nurture one’s connection their fast with God as well as to recognize the blessings in one’s life. Fasting is not an excuse for poor behavior and/or laziness. It is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline — of extra prayers, One should continue on with increased charity and generosity, and study of the Qur’an, their normal lives as much as Muslims’ holy book. It's also a time of celebration and joy, to be possible. spent with loved ones. Many Islamic centers have community

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dinners each night of Ramadan. Following Ramadan there’s a three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. The Eid is a religious holiday with worship, big meals with family and friends, presents, and everyone generally has a lovely time. Most Muslims look forward to Ramadan and are a little sad when it's over. There's just something really special about knowing that tens of millions of your fellow Muslims around the world are experiencing the same hunger pangs, dry mouth, and dizzy spells that you are, and that A mosque (or “masjid” in Arabic) is a Muslim place of we're all in it together. worship. The mosque is a place to gather to celebrate festivals, worship, and learn.

Just the Facts

There are about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, totally about 24% of the population. Islam is the 2nd largest religion in the world.

There are about 3.4 million Muslims in the USA.

The countries with the largest Muslim populations are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. About 20% of the world’s Muslims are found in the Middle East and North Africa. Muslims The Kaaba is a cube shaped building are found all over the world. located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is Islam’s holiest site and Muslims from around the world pray towards it There are two main branches of Islam, Sunni and Shia’ (Shiite). everyday. It is central to Muslims’ pilgrimage.

TYPICAL DAY DURING RAMADAN Muslims wake up well before dawn to eat the first meal of the day. This means eating lots of high-protein foods and drinking as much water as possible right up until dawn, after which we can't eat or drink, anything, even water, until sunset. At dawn, we perform the morning prayer. Many go back to sleep for a bit before waking up again to get ready for the day. Muslims go about their daily business as we normally do, for the most part. When the alarm on our phones’ Muslim prayer app goes off, we break the day's fast with a meal called an “iftar” (literally "breakfast"), before performing the sunset prayer. Many also go to the mosque/ Islamic Center for a special prayer, which lasts a few hours, recited only during Ramadan. Then it's off to bed for a few hours of sleep before it's time to wake up and start all over again.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do Muslims mind if you eat in front of them as they fast?

Why don’t you know the exact dates that It usually doesn’t bother many Muslims, but Ramadan starts and finishes? maybe you might ask them if they mind before eating. By the way, Muslims The Islamic calendar is lunar. Ramadan traditionally drink alcohol at any time of the year. starts and ends when the new moon has been sighted, don’t eat pork or so some communities or individualsHow startcan youa day greet after someone others do. Because a month during Ramadan or on the Eid, the holiday based on the moon is following Ramadan? shorter than a month in the Gregorian calendar, "Happy Ramadan!" and "Happy Eid!" will do. If you want to show them Ramadan falls 10-11 you made an effort to learn more about their religion, the standard days earlier each year. greetings are "Ramadan/Eid Kareem" (which means "have a generous Ramadan/Eid") or "Ramadan/Eid Mubarak" (which means "have a blessed Ramadan/Eid"). Why do Muslims Fast? How does fasting work? You really can’t drink water?! A: Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars — or duties — of Islam, along with the testimony of faith, Muslims abstain from putting anything in prayer, charitable giving, and making a pilgrimage to their mouths (even medicine or gum) and Mecca. It's compulsory for healthy Muslims to fast during drinking any liquids (including water) from the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is that time of the before dawn to sunset. Muslims are also year where we face this challenge alongside our family supposed to try to curb negative thoughts and and friends, and it's truly humbling. Whether you're rich emotions like jealousy and anger, swearing, or poor, this experience teaches you empathy, compassion complaining, and gossiping. Some people may and patience and encourages you to help others who are also choose to give up or limit activities like less fortunate. The practice of fasting serves several listening to music and watching television, spiritual and social purposes: to remind you of your often in favor of listening to recitations of the human frailty and your dependence on God for Quran. Research suggests that the practice of sustenance, to show you what it feels like to be hungry fasting has benefits for people’s health. and thirsty so you feel compassion for (and a duty to help) the poor and needy, and to reduce the distractions EAHS Muslim Student Association (MSA) members in life so you can more clearly focus on your relationship Imaan Ali, Ali Rizwan, Hala Mahmoud, and Mahdi Shah with God. assisted in writing this newsletter for The EASD Equity in Curriculum Committee with Dr. Yaqub and Mrs. Linsenmann. Mrs. Carmichael is the MSA Advisor

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