From Sunrise To Sunset: A Journey Through The Tradition Of Ramadan
Ramadan has begun, and me being the good citizen I am, will educate those of you who are busy following the news about Bad Bunny’s secret romance with Kendall Jenner and don’t have the time to look up what Ramadan is.
So what exactly is Ramadan and what do you need to do in order to respect those who observe it?
Ramadan is a month in the Islam calendar and it is observed as a month of fasting by Muslims all around the world. For those who are not familiar with the term “Fasting,” it is basically when a person restrains from eating any food or drinking any liquid including water. Those who observe it fast from sunrise to sunset. They then eat from sunset to sunrise and repeat this cycle for a month. Keep in mind that there are non-muslims who also choose to observe Ramadan.
For Muslims, this is a holy month and we are expected to follow specific rules while fasting. This includes restraint from music, physical interactions between opposite genders, gossiping, fighting, smoking, watching inappropriate content, etc. So if you know someone who is Muslim, try to be respectful by not playing music out loud, or tempting them to do any of the things that I previously stated.
But you should also keep in mind that all of those things are the person’s choice and it is their personal business whether they want to follow those roles or not. It is also not anyone’s business except themselves whether they want to observe Ramadan.
If you have any questions or comments about it, you should appropriately approach them.
For example, you should NOT walk up to your friend and ask, “You can’t even drink water? THAT’S CRAZY, you’re gonna get dehydrated” or “this is too much. if I were you I would just eat.” Instead, you should try saying something along the lines of, “What’s the purpose of fasting?” or “Is it hard? Don’t you get thirsty?”
With that being said, Ramadan is an important tradition that many in our communities choose to observe. As a unified community, it’s our responsibility to ensure that Ramadan observers are both understood and comfortable so that our communities can feel included during this meaningful time.
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Matthew Stashower
Apr 18, 2023 at 12:35 pm
You did a very good job of explaining the holiday of Ramadan, and what traditions come with it, to someone like me who doesn’t know that much about the holiday of Ramadan. I like how you specifically mention the things that people do during Ramadan that annoy you such as people telling you to eat and telling them other things they can say instead. Great article!
Siena Petrosinelli
Apr 18, 2023 at 8:49 am
Hi Safa! I would just like to say thank you for writing this article. From my previous knowledge, I have not been thoroughly educated on how people observe Ramadan. By using a humorous lede with a current topic of Baddy Bunny and Kendall Jenner, it had me intrigued to learn more about Ramadan. The organization of the article was done exceptionally well to first find out about what Ramadan is, to then who celebrates it, followed by stating what specific rules there are, and finally, addressing how peers should comment or question the observance of Ramadan. I appreciate your specific examples of what people might ask/ comment about Ramadan which would not be appropriate for someone to say. I think it is extremely important not only to educate the audience about what the tradition is, but also how the reader could make anyone participating feel their most comfortable. Overall, throughout the whole article I was fascinated by the use of rhetorical questions, and the personal examples that connected to our society today. Thank you for writing an informative article which was very enjoyable to read about the tradition of Ramadan. I hope you continue to write amazing opinions!
Meg
Apr 18, 2023 at 8:24 am
This is a very important and well written article. I found the stanza that discusses questions that should and shouldn’t be asked of those who are observing Ramadan to be especially meaningful. Also, I liked the final stanza as it concluded the article well with sharing the larger importance of learning about Ramadan. Great job writing this article!
Rachel Olefson
Apr 18, 2023 at 6:53 am
I loved this article! I thought it was super informative and I loved your lede, you can really hear your voice and it brings a lot of personality to the beginning of the piece. I learned so much from this article, like how “fasting” doesn’t just mean not eating throughout the day, and I think that the way you explain how to talk to those who are fasting in a way that isn’t condescending makes this article a truly great read. Keep up the great work, I can’t wait to see what you and the other Eagle Express writers post next!