Yes, that’s right. No food or water for about 30 days straight, everyday from sunrise to sunset. In Islam, Muslims are to fast every year in the Islamic month of Ramadan. The Islamic calendar follows a lunar system, meaning it is based on the phases of the moon rather than the sun’s day and night cycle. Ramadan is one of the twelve months in this lunar calendar. And because the lunar year is shorter than a solar year, Ramadan falls about 11 days earlier every year. But what many do not understand is that there is a deeper meaning beyond abstaining from food and water.
For some background information, Ramadan is considered the Holy month for Muslims because it is when their Holy book, the Quran, was revealed (no one knows the exact date of revelation, but it falls within the month). That being said, Muslims are meant to express their gratitude, practice morals, and grow spiritually during this time. It is extremely important that they learn discipline by practicing the avoidance of actions that will lead them to act negatively. Some specific actions to avoid include (applicable towards the teen-age-group) back-biting, being dishonest, and acting out of anger.
For Sunni Muslims, the largest branch of Islam, nightly prayers known as Taraweeh are also recommended. Every night in Ramadan is used to recite a certain portion of the Quran until they finish recitations by the 29/30 night. During this time, it is extremely important for Muslims to attend prayers and be generous through donations.
However, these acts are not random. Though donations and prayers are good things on the surface, the intention behind them is even more important. Throughout the entire month it is one’s goal to do good and purify themselves, physically and mentally. The point is to reset one’s pre-Ramadan mindset to become a better person moving forward. So the short time given by this month is meant to be taken both wisely and preciously. It is often said to live the month as best as possible, since no one knows if you’ll live to see the next Ramadan. It sounds daunting, but the impact it leaves is powerful, as it creates motivation for people to change bad habits into good ones.
I talked to the President of the Muslim Student Association, Juwayriya Ameen (2026) about what she finds most important in Ramadan. She said, “For me personally, the importance of Ramadan is just getting to focus on my ibadah [the act of becoming closer to God], and basically having a religious reset during the month, building halal [religiously acceptable] habits that I can continue throughout the rest of the year after.”
As shown, her intentions go beyond fasting for 12-hours per day. This is when many people tend to have misconceptions about Ramadan. They view it as a month of straining fasts and hard restraints on things that most people have normalized. I, myself have been asked several times “Are you excited for Ramadan to end” or “Are you excited to stop fasting.” Truth being told, no, I’m not. I understand that most people will innocently ask these questions, but most Muslims alike will tell you that Ramadan is a bittersweet time. Though celebrating Eid is exciting and is looked forward to, no one really wants the month to end. It means that the blessings and nightly prayers will soon be dispersed.
