In almost every cafeteria across the country, you can find a friend or a classmate who skipped lunch each day for an entire month. Sounds strange, right? Not if you are one of the 1.3 million Muslim kids in America, and that month is Ramadan. This year, April 2nd 2022 was the first day of Ramadan, which is the month of fasting for all Muslims across the world. For 30 consecutive days, Muslims will stay away from food and drink while completing the fast. There are a handful of current Cary Academy Chargers who are Muslims participating in this religious ritual. In sharing this experience, questions about Ramadan always come up. After speaking to classmates, here are 10 of the most common everyday questions people had about Ramadan, followed by the answers from a 10th grader’s perspective (me!).
You can still drink water, right ?
This is an easy one. No water or sports drink or soda or anything else. It is a total fast when you don’t eat or drink. You are not even supposed to chew gum either. It is fine to still brush your teeth though.
Do you not eat the entire month ?
NO, that is impossible. We wake up really early in the morning for a light meal. The name of this meal is suhoor. There is a calendar at our mosque that tells us the time to start the fast, which is always the time of the first prayer of the day (some people think it’s from sunrise, but actually the fast starts at the time of the first prayer). For this Ramadan, the time for the first prayer was around 5:15am, so you start your fast then.
What is the hardest part about fasting ?
I think it is feeling tired all the time. It is hard to wake up early when you are not even hungry then. During the afternoon I feel like my energy is running low and that makes you more tired. There are also night time prayers at the mosque that finish at 11 pm at night. I would sometimes go to these too, and the day becomes really long. Taking an afternoon nap when you have time helps a lot.
Do you lose a lot of weight?
I think most people lose some weight in Ramadan because you are not eating 3 meals a day. Your meals are also not at the usual times of the day, so they are usually smaller. It sounds strange but I know some people say they actually gain weight because they are less active and they also snack a lot at nighttime after the fast is over for the day.
Does everyone have to fast? Even kids?
All Muslims are suppose to fast in Ramadan but there are lots of exceptions. If you are sick and need to take medicine that cannot wait, or have a disease like diabetes that makes it dangerous to fast, then you do not have to. Also if you are traveling you do not have to fast, although you have to make up those fasts later in the year when you are not sick. Young kids will fast at times even though it is not required. They usually fast half a day or maybe on the weekends. The time for kids to start fasting for real is when they are old enough to understand why they are fasting, which can usually be around 11 or 12.
What stuff do you eat when it’s okay for you to break the fast?
The time to break fast is the at the 4th prayer of the day, which is right after sunset. It is tradition to break your fast with dates and water or milk. I usually eat a normal dinner after that. The breaking of fast and eating is called iftar. We sometimes get together with family and friends to share an iftar meal together.
Do you still play sports when you’re fasting?
Yes, but that is something I chose to do. It is easier when Ramadan is not in the middle of the summer, and it also depends on the sport. Basketball or soccer with lots of running would be particularly hard. There are some famous athletes who are Muslims who fast like Kyrie Irving.