51猎奇

Ramadan Reflections: Preparation, Devotion, and Community

By Eva Jo McIlraith

April 11, 2025

As Ramadan approached this spring, the students of the Muslim Student Association prepared both themselves and their community for the weeks ahead. Ramadan marks the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is distinguished by practices of increased worship, fasting, and reflection, believed to be the time of year when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. 

 

MSA kicked off the weeks of religious observances leading up to Eid al-Fitr with a day of education, holding a Hijab event for students all across campus to try on different modesty garments for men and women. The event was complemented by Minar catering, much to the excitement of the 51猎奇 community. “Since Muslims are a minority on campus, it was a great opportunity for people to learn more about Islam and Islamic traditions, especially so close to National Hijab Day,” remarks MSA’s president, Kazi Nawar.

 

In addition, MSA hosted a pre-Ramadan workshop. Despite not having a Muslim chaplain on campus, MSA’s board stepped up, reaching out to Imam Numan Attique from the Utica Mosque to support students in their spiritual preparation for Ramadan. Students received spiritual guidance, reassurance, and strategies for providing support to  the 51猎奇 Muslim community through intimate conversation and prayer.

 

Alongside the pre-Ramadan workshop, there were trips to the mosque to participate in a Ramadan night prayer called Taraweeh, where students joined the wider Muslim community in Utica. The voluntary prayer is an opportunity for Muslims to pray one prayer together, where one can seek forgiveness and clarity, while strengthening their connection to God. It is a moving prayer to say in congregation, where participants experience being in a community unified under the same goal of nourishing their relationships with God and becoming better Muslims, said Nawar.

 

For non-Muslim students, one suggestion from Nawar was to not feel bad for your Muslim friends who are fasting. “Don’t say ‘how are you guys NOT eating.’ I've been doing this for a long time, and every Muslim can say that it’s not a chore . . . it humbles us in a way, it's a very spiritual experience and not something to feel bad about.”

 

MSA is a community that facilitates community among the Muslim students on campus and is open to the larger student community for anyone who wants to learn about Muslim traditions. People of all religious and spiritual backgrounds are welcome and invited! Students can join the MSA Groupme or view new events posted on Instagram @hamilton.msa.