On the evening of April 2, celebrations of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan commenced across the world. Occurring for 30 days, Ramadan is marked by fasting from sunrise to sunset commemorating the revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad.

According to the Surat Al-Baqrah, a chapter in the Quran, the month of Ramadan is when the Quran was revealed to the world. The sight of the first new moon of this month sparks a period of fasting from sunrise to sundown.

Muslims use this time to strengthen their relationship with Allah and their faith by abstaining from drinking, eating, smoking and any behavior considered sinful. Typically, Muslims wake up before sunrise to eat Suhur, the meal before one begins fasting, and refrain from all food and drink until Iftar, the meal at sunset.

For many, Ramadan is a holiday celebrated among families, gathered around tables set with dates followed by traditional dishes, separated by prayers and expressions of gratitude. In a college setting, typically, it is very challenging for most students to find a community on campus to pray with and celebrate sacred holidays such as Ramadan with. Fortunately, organizations such as the Binghamton Muslim Student Association (MSA) seek to create a welcoming environment for students across campus and in the larger Binghamton community, with weekly events and shared celebrations.

This year, the MSA is hosting communal Iftars for Muslim students five days a week, where students gather, pray and break fast together as a community. For many students, MSA provides a sense of community many Muslim students have on campus and provides an environment conducive to peaceful meditation and prayer. Farida Larry, an intern on the MSA E-Board and a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, spoke on how meaningful it is to have such a strong community of Muslim students on campus.

“This is my second Ramadan on campus, but my first with MSA,” Larry said. “Last year, it was a bit lonely because I didn’t have a community of people who were fasting with me, so it was just me trying to make sure I keep up on my prayers and everything. This semester, because I have a community, it’s really fun and heartwarming. I didn’t realize that was something I was missing — having a community to fast and celebrate Ramadan with.”

The MSA has been hard at work for months in preparation for this monthlong celebration. Yasmeen Gilani, fundraising chair and an undeclared sophomore, said the MSA takes on a large load of responsibility hosting an event like this as the only Islamic-faith-based organization on campus.

“We take money out of our budget, and our 14 E-Board members have done everything to provide Iftars five days a week for students and it’s just us,” Gilani said. “We don’t have any full-time staff or any discretionary funding, so it is really up to our E-Board.”

Gilani said the planning process is rewarding, because of the positive experiences for students and the chance to make new friends.

“We get to see students and meet new students and see the positive impact we have,” Gilani said. “It’s really nice to find people like that who also share a common religion because it’s a great way to make new friends and meet new people who you probably wouldn’t meet at your mosques at home or anything like that.“

Although many students may struggle to adjust to celebrating this sacred holiday away from home, the MSA works tirelessly to provide a welcoming, spiritual environment for Muslim students to celebrate in.

Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate!