By Hannah Khalifeh
The first day of Ramadan, I wake up groggy but feel excited as I eat Suhur.
Then, after praying, I fall back to sleep. During school, I receive the usual oh-why-aren’t-you-eating and unwanted sympathy. I tell countless friends over and over that no, fasting is not as bad as it sounds. Of course, the word fasting sounds foreign to my Christian friends, but my Jewish friends are more prone to accept it, as they have their various holidays where they, as well, have to fast.
Anyway, I was surprised to find that I was right: fasting really isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Muslims go by a lunar calendar, so each year Ramadan is moved up closer and closer to summertime. Because of this, the fasting day is longer than last year, and I thought I would barely manage to get through the school day without passing out.
Well, maybe that is an exaggeration, but I did think that I would at least be tired by the end of the day. Not at all, though; as Iftar, what we call the moment when the sun goes down and it becomes time to eat, nears, I bound into the kitchen, full of energy.
Fasting the month of Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam*. Fasting is not prescribed by God to impose upon us the hardship of hunger and thirst, but for noble purposes and great benefits. During this month we strengthen our relation with God, increase our awareness of the needy and the less fortunate and make our relations with our relatives and neighbors stronger.
The best part of Ramadan, however, is having Iftar at the masjid. Seeing all my friends is the highlight of the day, as well as eating with them. When we break our fast and pray together, it makes me feel like we are a real community. As I break my first fast in the masjid, I look around at others, and especially notice the younger kids, with their smiles bright as they proudly brag to each other that they fasted the whole day!
But regular iftar isn’t the only thing that’s been happening at the masjid. We’ve also held fundraisers and interfaith meetings. During the interfaith, many non-Muslims came to the masjid and were very interested in our customs. Another time I brought along a friend to the masjid for iftar. My friend, Alix, had an amazing time. And when the athan came up, she said, “Wait—is that someone actually singing? It sounds really nice.” I explained to her how it was a call for prayer, and she was fascinated.
The moon is getting smaller, the end of Ramadan is approaching, I can hardly believe it is almost over.
*The other 4 pillars: Believe in the oneness of God and all His prophets including Moses, Jesus and Mohammad peace be upon them; establish prayers (5 times a day); give Charity; perform the Pilgrimage to Makkah (those who are financially and physically able).
Hannah Khalifeh is a sophomore at Horace Greeley.
The Upper Westchester Muslim Society invites its non-Muslim friends and neighbors to attend our Iftar (dinner) breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan, Thursday, October 11 at 6 p.m. at our facility in Thornwood. If you will honor us with your presence, please email us at
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