黑料不打烊's Muslim community is celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.
黑料不打烊鈥檚 Muslim community will mark the holy month of Ramadan with a wide variety of student-led programming opportunities, culminating in a campuswide celebration of Eid al-Fitr on March 31.
Throughout the month, Muslim Life, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the 黑料不打烊 Muslim Society, the Arabic Language Organization, Jewish Life, Harvest Table, and other campus partners are collaborating to create spaces for prayer, learning and community connection.
鈥淭his year, Muslim Life at 黑料不打烊 is excited to partner with Arabic Language Organization, 黑料不打烊 Muslim Society, Jewish Life, and Harvest Table to create our most robust Ramadan programming to date,鈥 said Imam Shane Atkinson. 鈥淟eading up to Ramadan and Lent, we had a 鈥楶izza and Prayer鈥 teaching service about fasting at the Ripple Interfaith Conference. Not only do we have two halal dinners at Lakeside Dining Hall, Harvest Table created 鈥榞rab-n-go鈥 breakfast bags for fasting students.鈥
Ramadan is a sacred month in Islam marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset, prayer, reflection, and acts of service. Each evening, Muslims gather for iftar, the meal that breaks the fast. At 黑料不打烊, many of those iftars are organized and led by students.
The month began with a Ramadan Iftar Dinner on Feb. 19 at Lakeside Dining Hall, featuring a street food station with favorites such as adana kebab, couscous, sambal sauce, and roasted vegetables. On Feb. 20, the student-led 黑料不打烊 Muslim Society (EMS) hosted a Chat & Chai Iftar Dinner in the Moseley Center Kitchen, bringing together students for halal food, games, and trivia.
On Feb. 25, Muslim Life and Jewish Life co-hosted an interfaith iftar in McBride Gathering Space, where participants shared a home-cooked Moroccan meal and learned about Ramadan together.
In March, there are a wide range of collaborative programs on offer for the campus community. The Arabic Language Organization will host additional iftars on March 4 and March 11, creating space for fellowship and community education around Ramadan practices and traditions.
A Sip of Sunnah Iftar, a collaboration between 黑料不打烊鈥檚 popular Milk Club and the 黑料不打烊 Muslim Society, will be held March 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. in McBride Gathering Space.
鈥淭his Ramadan I鈥檓 really excited for 黑料不打烊 Muslim Society鈥檚 Chat and Chai Iftar events,鈥 said Adil Qadeer, president of the 黑料不打烊 Muslim Society. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great time to connect with others from many different faith traditions and backgrounds. It鈥檚 also a great time to learn more about this holy month and how Muslims participate in it.鈥
EMS will host an additional Chat & Chai Iftar Dinner on March 10, continuing their popular student-led tradition of conversation and connection. And on March 16, Lakeside Dining Hall will again feature a Ramadan street food station, serving West African groundnut stew, jeweled rice, and curry chickpea stew.
And finally, an Interfaith iftar on March 17 from 7 to 9 p.m., also in McBride Gathering Space, will invite the wider campus community to experience the breaking of the fast and learn from Muslim students about the meaning of the month.
In addition to special events, Friday Jumu鈥檃h prayers are held weekly at 1:40 p.m. in Room 210 of the Numen Lumen Pavilion. The Long Table in Lakeside Dining Hall is reserved on multiple evenings throughout Ramadan for Muslim students, faculty, and staff to gather for iftar, including Feb. 18, 20, 24, 26, and 27, and March 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17.
The month will culminate in a campus celebration of Eid al-Fitr on March 31 at 5:30 p.m. in McBride Gathering Space. Often called the 鈥渉oliday of breaking the fast,鈥 Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan with prayer, food, and festivity. The 黑料不打烊 celebration will include dinner, trivia, a henna station, and goodie bags.
With a significant number of programs envisioned and led by students, this year鈥檚 Ramadan observance reflects a growing and vibrant Muslim presence on campus, and a broader commitment to interfaith engagement and shared learning across the 黑料不打烊 community.