My First Ramadan Experience

As I begin to recollect past experiences and events growing up, Thanksgiving is the holiday that appears most meaningful. I choose to illuminate Thanksgiving because this is a time when family and friends would forget their worries and differences and collectively came together at grandmother’s house to partake of the Gullah dishes. Furthermore, it serves as a vehicle in stimulating family health and wellbeing, while passing on the identity of the family throughout generations. As I reminiscence, I can recall the air was bursting with love, hugs, laugher and kisses; a sight to behold. Grandmother’s house was small but no one seemed to care as it was inviting. Every area of the house was utilized from the kitchen to the narrow stairway that lead upstairs to the bedrooms. Children were outside playing working up an appetite although there was a chill in the air often going unnoticed, still we were bundled in our hats, coats and mittens. This was not a formal affair but we were all neatly dressed. The house was filled with distinct smells that was heavenly. Steam came from the kitchen as finishing touches were placed on meals. Watching my aunts sweat trying to maneuver in a tight kitchen hoping to avoid bumping into one another was hilarious, but I paid close attention for one day that would be me

Mariama Sarr is a Temple undergraduate student, who commutes an hour to school and commutes to work on the weekends. Considering her characteristics, she is an excellent example of a college student with food insecurity. Early on in the interview with her, it becomes evident her food insecurity proves problematic to her value to nutrition. When asked about her access to healthy food, she says “I always worry about it...so I always check the…label.” Often, she finds herself questioning how much she pays and what type of food she buys. At times she choses not to eat because of her tight schedule. At other times, she eats something non-nutritious because it is convenient in the area. This proves nervous and anxious for her when she gets home. In a way, food insecurity has taken over a part of her life. She has lost the freedom to eat what she wishes to because of her situation. One can take from the interview that food insecurity and healthy food access can influence each other. The interview shows the interviewer how detrimental food insecurity can be to the value of health. When a person has food insecurity, health loses its meaning and finding food has more

Additionally, on page 104 of our textbook, it states that Arab Americans “believe in a more collectivist orientation” (Manning 104). Individuals tend to take care of themselves. The Arab culture is also male dominated and majority of Arabs are Muslims. Arab-American students could explain to their classmates their traditions or customs. They could explain their restricted diets or women who wear Hijabs, could explain the significance of them.

It is then when my moral inhibition is strongest. Afterwards, my mother, sister, and I assemble to make atayef - a family tradition. After the atayef are done dancing to the euphonious sound of a sizzling hot pan, I stuff them with coconut flakes, crushed almonds, and an eclectic variety of raisins while we laugh about the overstuffed, understuffed, weird, and bizarre ones. The atayef are bathed in oil and embellished with a sinful coating of sugar syrup. To pass the time, my mother, sister, and I ensconce ourselves on the floor of our living room , playing Egyptian board games and card games until family fun threatens to turn into competitive tension. My dad’s arrival home and the profound aroma of food are the only things preventing this unsavory confrontation. Four plates, knives, spoons, forks, atayef, a myriad of bottles of Gatorade and water are laid on the table. My parents, sister, and I all stare down our uninvited guest occupying the end seat at the dinner table:

Fasting and Feasting is a novel written by Anita Desai that narrates the story of the protagonist, Uma, and her family’s life. The novel is divided in two parts. Part one deals with Uma’s life in India until the tragic death of her cousin Anamika, and part two tells the story of Uma’s brother, Arun, as he spends his summer with the Pattons, a typical American suburban family. Throughout the novel, Desai explores the theme of family life and uses the novel’s two settings, America and India, to compare and contrast the values and customs that constitute each respective culture’s family life. At first glance, American and Indian families are foils of one another because of the relationships between the family members that composed them. As

He celebrates religious holidays with either feasting or fasting depending on the occasion, and joins his father and brothers at the mosque on Friday evenings. Many of the central myths and or stories Mo referenced during our interview was that of the life of Mohammad, and stories surrounding the Kaaba and its origins in Islamic faith. After that, I asked him about the rituals he practices in Islam; those were prayer, fasting at certain times, the pilgrimage to Mecca if possible, charity giving at least 2.5% of their earnings to the poor, and purification. He prays five times a day the act involving Shahada, his family also partakes in the fasting during Ramadan, and before certain ceremonies, he says that they must cleanse their hands, face, feet, and arms with water prior. We examined the prayers that he recites; and the meanings of them and what they mean to

So the first step was to identify the problem. For me, it was that many people don’t fast because their company, friends or family don’t fast and others think of fasting as a burden and just an act for religion so they don’t fast either. To find the solution the problem required lots of research and reflection. I had to think if I didn't fast, what would I do. So I conducted a survey and asked my family, friends and others to take it. The problem is that kids are taught to fast and later on in their life, they either leave it or they just blindly follow. That’s where Ramadan Race comes along! Ramadan Race was created to build motivation and understanding of fasting. Like the quote in the beginning, those who you have around you, affect you.

The Young Muslims, a national youth organization, and community service group has had a lasting impact on me by contributing greatly to my identity as a Muslim. In the past summer, I had the great opportunity with Young Muslims to travel to some of the poorest areas of Houston, the Fifth and Third Wards. Upon our group’s arrival to the Wards we set up a food and resource stand that read “Free food, water and resources.” One by one, as people came to our stand we worked as a cohesive unit to deliver food and supplies to over three hundred individuals. My experience with Young Muslims opened my perception to a much larger world than the one I currently live in. It fundamentally engaged me to experience change and unconventional viewpoints that

Islam was not a revolutionary faith because the goal of Islam and Judaism were to have a supportive community that would help those in need, through giving to the religious community and fasting. Zakat, the second pillar, is the requirement to donate money for the benefit of the umma and to support people in poverty. This is similar to the Jewish tradition of Tzedakah where one is required to donate money to the Jewish community. The donation of money to the religious community supports those in need within the community and is a common goal of Islam and Judaism. Similarly to Zakat, Ramadan is supposed to help the umma come together in support of those in need. Ramadan is the requirement for Muslims to fast during the last month in the lunar

When the Karmi’s arrived in London, Britain still had the rationing system in place since the war which involved food vouchers. Since they were Muslim and were prohibited from eating pig-meat by religion, Ghada’s Mother gave their pork and bacon coupons to their local greengrocer; this ‘ensured his lasting devotion. He picked out his best fruit for her or kept it aside until she came round.’4 The memoir recalls how the family continued to participate in Arabic traditions whilst in England, such as reading the Quran and eating Arab based foods. It is also noted how ‘She [Ghada’s mother] listened avidly to the news coming out of the Arab world about Palestine and she and my father

Project interfaith is a wonder program who’s aim is to “educate and engage people on issues of faith, religion, interfaith relations, and religious diversity.” This author found the discussion panel which discussed Islam to be very fascinating. Both the video and the notes regarding the Islamic faith are useful information that will guide this author on how to care for a patient who subscribes to the Islamic faith. Ramadan which started June 5th and ends July 5th is the 9th month on the Islamic calendar and a holy month that calls on observers of the Islamic faith to partake in a month-long fasting, self-examination, and praying.

Throughout this holy month and fasting month, I as a non-muslim had been to a few Ramadhan bazaar. It has been a tradition in my family and with my friends as well. One of my most visited Ramadhan bazaar is the one at USJ 4, Subang Jaya. It has 2 whole streets just for all these food stalls. I usually visit Ramadhan with a few good friends of mine. For the purpose of writing this essay, I stayed from 5.30pm till it is closed to have a good look on how the Ramadhan bazaar culture is in

Muslim women are as colorful as pico de gallo and just as fresh. We can be crunchy like peppers, sour like limes, as pungent as onions can be sweet, or kick like a chili pepper. Taken together and in the right proportions, she can enliven a meal but do not assume familiarity because she can be as unpredictable as recipes are variable. The curious have often asked why I converted to Islam. Their inquests often masked an ulterior motive. It is presumptuous, but in my defense and to their chagrin, the questioners departed from our encounters deflated, unenthused, or sometimes questioned why my answers are incompatible with their predetermined set of ideas. This observation applies equally to Muslims and non-Muslims.

In the Middle East, emphasis is put on names; Arabic honorific names are often used in preference to given names (Shaker, F. 2011). Eventually, they could share the same language, nationality or religion but having different life styles. Muslims eating habits are expected to be in function of their religious beliefs, by Islam regulations as described in the Qur’an and dictated by the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammed. Muslims consume all kind of food, except for the ones prohibited in Islam. Food cleanliness is one of their priority, nails, hair, mouth, teeth must be properly washed to prevent food contamination, and they use a “Mismark” before every meal which is a specific tooth cleaner proper to their culture. Islam teaching them that their food is provide by Allah for their survival and to maintain good health. Therefore, before starting eating, they must bless the food in the name of Allah; Muslims are advised to eat slowly with moderation. Muslims believe in sharing with others and eating together is value to them it brings harmony and facilitate better family relationships. Some Muslims were meat lovers in Guyana: The diet of the Pathan Afghan Guyanese was quite different from that of the Indian Muslims but eventually the authentic cuisine of the Afghans died as the few remaining Afghans interbred with non-Afghan Muslims. Her family’s physical features, culture and diet stood out among their Muslims brethren community. She always had an entourage of people

I still remember wakening up with the warm glow of the early afternoon sun resting gently on my face. Having just lazily awakened from my daily afternoon nap. I made my way to the kitchen where my mom was busy cooking; what could only be described as mashed potatoes with herbs and spices. Usually the potato mash would be mixed with flour to make ‘aloo roti’ a kind of Indian bread. However the way I relished it best was just the creamy, spicy mashed deliciousness. I remember the faint scent suddenly manufacturing my hungry.