This is America: Ramadan brings blessings of loved ones, community togetherness

Some of my fondest memories surrounding Ramadan involve food. Which is funny, considering the fact that it’s a holiday centered around fasting. 

But let me explain. There is nothing quite like the feeling of sitting down for a delicious meal at the end of a long fast, with family, friends, community, and enjoying your favorite foods. And really, after not eating or drinking anything for so long, any food could be your favorite. 

That’s just one part of it, though. Ramadan, the Islamic holy month during which Muslims observe a month of abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, is beginning this weekend. 

Hi, my name is Fatima Farha and I am an audience editor at USA TODAY. Welcome to this week’s This is America, where we look at how race, identity and culture shape our daily lives.

With Ramadan coming up, and as a practicing Muslim, I want to share a little about why this month is so significant for me, and why I am really looking forward to it this year. 

But first, race and justice news we’re reading: 

• Electric vehicles for everyone? Climate justice programs help people of color, low-income Americans get moving
• Just how diverse is the finance industry? One Black college student's quest for employment offers glimpse
• What people with disabilities and their families wish fellow travelers would know and do
• ‘They’ve had 50 years to figure it out’: Title IX disparities in major college sports haven’t gone away

Ramadan: The basics 

A few basics about Ramadan: Lasting for 29 to 30 days, during Ramadan Muslims honor one of the five pillars of our religion: Sawm, or fasting. We abstain from eating and drinking (nope, not even water. And no coffee either!). We begin the fast with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor, and break the fast with a meal called iftar, that takes place at sunset. It is traditional to eat a date to break our fasts, as it is the Sunnah, or way of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Muslims also attempt to complete a reading of the Quran, which we believe was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan, and we also partake in additional nightly prayers called Taraweeh.

Overall, while fasting is a significant aspect of Ramadan, it is not the only part. In fact, there are many Muslims who may not be able to fast because of health conditions and other circumstances, but are able to participate in other components of the month that still lend to a lot of self-reflection and self-improvement. For instance, giving to charity is another major part of the month as well. 

Ramadan makes me feel closer to my loved ones, community even amid challenges 

More than 2 billion Muslims around the world observed Ramadan in isolation in 2020, closed off from community. As vaccinations began to roll out in 2021, we were able to gather a little more closely with our family and friends. This year, with vaccination requirements in place and other guidelines, it feels just a little safer to venture out, attend mosque gatherings, and engage in some of the more community based aspects of Ramadan. 

Observing Ramadan during the height of the coronavirus pandemic was, to say the least, demoralizing and difficult. One of my favorite parts of the month is how much we get to unite and gather with our extended family, friends and the larger Muslim community. Praying and connecting to my faith is done more easily when I am doing it in a space with like-minded individuals, where we uplift and encourage each other. 

Ramadan is a month of increased spirituality, building faith and connecting to God, but the more technical parts of fasting and adhering to a new eating and sleeping schedule can be daunting, especially for people who work and/or attend school. There are over 3.5 million Muslims in the United States, and it is often up to the employers, institutions and companies how (and if) they want to make accommodations for their Muslim employees.

I have a supportive workplace and boss, but it’s not like I can get 30 days off work to immerse myself fully and take advantage of what Ramadan offers (as ideal as that would be, can you imagine???). We must adjust and accept that a part of what makes Ramadan so fulfilling is being able to endure and push through the challenges, because that is what teaches us patience and allows us to be grateful for all our blessings. 

Being able to break my fasts with loved ones, pray with our community at mosques and appreciate the way we can all unite together for this month of shared experiences helps me feel even closer to my faith, and is one of the main aspects I am looking forward to this year. 

Some words from my fellow Muslim colleagues 

I didn’t want to keep rambling on here about my own thoughts and experiences (although, it seems that is what I did… oops.). I want you all to hear from a couple others who I work with at USA TODAY, because like I said, a wonderful aspect of Ramadan is how it really helps bring us together, and having fellow Muslims in the workplace has been very comforting. 

Nada Hassanein, a health and environment reporter, told me her favorite part of Ramadan is spending the precious, peaceful moments with her family. “My fondest memories of Ramadan are waking up with my family in the pre-dawn stillness to scarf down some nourishment for the day of fasting ahead and then some prayer, meditation. It’s such a calm, still hour, and we wake each other up if one of us is still asleep.”

Hassanein said she wishes more people knew that Ramadan is not just about refraining from food and water. “It’s about self-improvement and cultivating kinder healthier habits, such as not to lose one’s temper or act unkindly, otherwise this would break their fast.”

And what she loves most is “the emphasis on cultivating kinder habits toward yourself and your community — the emphasis on self-improvement, love and nurture.”

Rasha Ali, a life and entertainment reporter, admitted that she is not the most excited person when Ramadan comes around: “Something about not eating or drinking all day doesn’t put me in the greatest of moods (I’m known for my hanger).” 

But what she does enjoy about the month are the celebrations, gatherings and the community. “Fasting is made that much more rewarding when you’re able to break your fast with friends and family and exchange jokes across the table,” Ali said. “It’s also a time of reflection and with 'gestures wildly at everything' the entire world going up in flames, I’m looking forward to slowing down and being more intentional day to day.”

And so, as we start this holy month, I wish all my fellow Muslims and those observing Ramadan a beautiful time of reflection, faith, self-fulfillment, and the chance to spend time with their loved ones. I hope you find the comfort and peace you seek, and I hope we come out of this a little more healed. 

Ramadan Mubarak! 

-- 

This is America is a weekly take on current events from a rotating panel of USA TODAY Network journalists with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. If you're seeing this newsletter online or someone forwarded it to you, you can subscribe here. If you have feedback for us, we'd love for you to drop it here.