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Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008

Muslim students find faith's meaning in Ramadan

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Ahmad Eltejaye, a 23-year-old student at California State University, Stanislaus, said celebrating Ramadan in his native country of Kuwait was easier in some ways than it is here in the States.

"In Kuwait, you have the whole country participating. It's a little more special than here," he said. "But here, we have a tighter (Islamic) community. You get closer to people. They're both great experiences."

Eltejaye, who moved away from his family in 2000 to pursue a U.S. college education, and fellow CSUS student Amel Alsufi, 19, who lives with her family in Ceres, are part of the Islamic Center of Modesto. Ahmad Kayello, imam of the center, said there are 15 to 20 college students and young adults at the mosque.

All Muslims will begin their monthlong fasting and prayers of Ramadan either Sunday or Monday, depending on when the new moon is sighted, Kayello said.

The observance begins with a light breakfast before the sun rises, fasting throughout the day, breaking the fast at sundown alone at home or with others at the Modesto mosque, following the meal with an evening prayer service, and reading the Koran -- the holy book of Islam -- throughout the day and night.

On the last 10 days, there's an additional service at the mosque about 3 a.m. The Ramadan rituals and prayers are in addition to the normal five daily times of prayer that Muslims observe.

Meeting the requirements of Ramadan is hard enough for any Muslim; it presents special challenges for college students, who often must leave classes for prayer or take tests without much food or sleep.

Ramadan routine

"I get up before dawn and have something to eat and drink, pray, and then go back to sleep for a couple of hours," said Alsufi, who is majoring in medical anthropology. "I'll get up again and go to school. I pray there between classes, or I'll leave class if it's time to pray. You can't pray sitting down. It's not just a verbal prayer. You have to stand and have to prostrate and things like that. So I'll find a nice quiet place in the library where I can pray.

"School isn't my top priority during the month. I say, that's OK, I'll make up for it after (Ramadan) is over."

Eltejaye's routine is about the same.

"I get up about 45 minutes before the sun rises. I prepare my meal; most of the time it's whatever food I have left from the night before. I make sure my fridge is stocked with microwaveable foods. I pray my prayer. Then I stay up until school starts, either studying for school or reading the Koran," said the pre-dental student, who's working on a bachelor's degree in biological sciences with a concentration in genetics and a minor in chemistry.

He said that, surprisingly, the reduced hours of sleep and the daylight fast have a positive effect.

"I get about five hours (of sleep) a night during Ramadan, instead of my usual seven or eight," Eltejaye said. "But my grades are always better during this month because I'm more focused. Usually, I get home and pop the fridge and grab something to eat. But (during Ramadan), I'm fasting, so I can't do that. In terms of school, it's not a handicap at all. If anything, it helps me out."

Like Alsufi, Eltejaye said finding a place to pray can be challenging. While a student at Modesto Junior College with only 10 to 20 minutes between classes, he said a teacher let him use his office. Now, he said, he tries to schedule his CSUS classes around prayer times so he can return to his Turlock home to pray.

His greatest challenge isn't food or the lack of sleep.

"The hardest part for me is just the heat and not being able to drink water. But it gives you patience and perseverance. One of the best feelings is at the end of the day when you get to have that cold water and a nice warm meal. It's satisfying.

"It's also a good experience to recognize that we're not experiencing half of the problems or half the pain of others in the world. Some people don't have anything to eat for weeks."

Alsufi, who began fasting when she was in the second grade, said the lack of sleep is her biggest challenge.

"Last Ramadan, I was taking a night class," she said. "It finished at 9. I'd go to the mosque, pray and get home about midnight. Then during the last 10 days, there's an extra night prayer that starts around 3 or 3:30 a.m. at the mosque. That lasts until sunrise, except we take a break to eat something quick."

But both say the sacrifices during the holy month are worth the effort.

"When we break our fast at the mosque, you see your brothers and sisters there and get a chance to talk to them more than you do at other times," Eltejaye said. "You see all colors and races. It's a good vibe."

"I get a lot of things personally," Alsufi said. "It reignites my faith. I feel unity with the community and with the Islamic community globally. Everyone is taking part in this blessed month, and so I feel that unity."

Most important, Eltejaye said, Ramadan and its sacrifices are "a test of patience and endurance. It's holding back from eating and drinking for the whole day. It's not getting angry or whatnot, because that's part of holding back, too. It's all for God, and that's why we do it."

Bee staff writer Sue Nowicki can be reached at 578-2012 or snowicki@modbee.com.