Things You Might Have Wondered About Being Muslim

Junior Aadil Hanif leads Friday “Jummah” Prayer at Midwood. Photo: Muslim Student Association

By AMMAR ALI

Before anyone asks, the answer is no. Not even water. Fasting means fasting, for thirty days, from before sunrise until sunset. Ramadan is no joke!

Well, now you know, so please don’t ever ask us that again. We’re already hungry and hearing that question drives us crazy. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move towards some other questions non-Muslims have about Islam:

Wesley Corona ‘22, asked, “What is the significance of Ramadan?” Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast. Our fast starts every day at around 4:30 am and ends at sunset, which during April in NYC is around 7:30 pm. Yes, that means we wake up at four in the morning and stuff ourselves with food.

Why fast? The point is to understand that there is more to life than materialistic and bodily pleasures. By abstaining from food and unrighteous behavior, not only do we increase our spirituality and self-control, we also learn to empathize with those who are less fortunate.

“While keeping the true purpose of Ramadan in mind, although it’s hard for the first couple of days, fasting becomes a lot easier and somewhat comforting,” said Ali Sher ‘23.

After fasting for the whole day, Muslims end the night with a special prayer called Taraweeh, in which an imam (the person who leads the prayer at a mosque) recites a portion of the Quran – about an hour to an hour and a half each day – so that by the end of Ramadan, he has finished the whole Quran. Yes, the entire book! The full prayer takes about two hours, and we are standing still for the majority of it. But at least we get to eat first.

Ramadan isn’t the only special time of the year for Muslims. There are also two Eids. The first one, which marks the end of Ramadan, is called Eid Al-Fitr. Muslim families start off the morning by attending a special Eid prayer (while wearing colorful new clothes), which is followed by a day filled with sharing gifts and sweets. The second Eid is called Eid Al-Adha. This is celebrated at the conclusion of Hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage that occurs during the final month of the Islamic year). During this Eid, Muslims sacrifice an animal (a cow, goat, sheep, or camel) and distribute the meat to relatives and the poor.

Some families send money to Muslim relatives abroad to do the sacrifice on their behalf. Others might slaughter a cow in their backyard, or have a butcher do it and then send them the meat.

“My favorite part of Eid is the family bonding time,” said Qasim Bhutta ‘23. “During the rest of the year, we are always busy in our everyday lives. However, Eid is the one break we get to catch up with long-distance relatives, some of whom we don’t get the chance to talk to for months or years straight. Even if it's just a quick Facetime call, it gives us a sense of connectedness with those we care about.”

Another question we often get asked is, “Are you actually supposed to pray five times a day?” The answer is yes. There are five prayers spaced out throughout the day that are mandatory for all Muslims. These prayers range from just before sunrise to after the sun completely sets. While praying, we must position ourselves towards the Kaaba (which is in Makkah, Saudi Arabia). Keeping track of all this is relatively easy for people living in Muslim countries, since the Athan (call to prayer) is publicly announced on speakers in every mosque and can be heard at almost every house. However, for Muslims living in countries like America, there are mobile apps that can help with the prayer times and direction.

Of course, during a busy school day, it can be tough to find a moment for all five prayers. According to a brief poll conducted of Muslim students in Midwood, 4 in 10 pray all five times a day, and another 4 in 10 do their best to pray at least 3-4 times. These prayers are nowhere near as long as the Taraweeh prayer during Ramadan. On average, each prayer takes five to ten minutes (depending on how fast you read). The Muslim Student Association holds a prayer every Friday during ninth period in room 151.

For those of you with Muslim friends, you may have noticed that going out to eat together can be a challenge. This is because there are certain foods that are considered haram (prohibited) in Islam, such as the meat found in the majority of American fast food chains.

“The fries are practically the only thing we can eat from McDonald’s,” said Nafis Uddin ‘23. “Those and that nasty Filet-o-Fish.” This doesn’t mean that we can’t eat meat at all. For meat to be considered halal (permissible), it must be slaughtered in a certain way. Some other things that are considered haram are giving and accepting interest (like from a bank), getting tattoos, and self-harmful behavior such as smoking.

Michael Farfan ‘23, asked, “I always hear Muslims say words like Wallah/Wallahi, and Astaghfirullah. What do they mean?” Wallah is Arabic for “I swear to God.” When you hear a Muslim say it, you know they aren’t lying! Astaghfirullah means “I seek forgiveness from Allah.” In other words, it’s basically a way to repent for something you’ve done wrong.

Another word surrounded by controversy is “jihad.” Jihad literally means “effort” or “struggle,” specifically in the cause of God. This is in contrast to the common belief that jihad means “holy war,” in relation to terrorism. Jihad takes many forms, such as standing up against injustice, doing charity work, taking care of family, and yes, defending Islam in times of war.

A foundation of Islam is a belief in God (Allah) and that Muhammad was his prophet. Matthew Wassif ‘23, asked, “Do Muslims also believe in Jesus?” The answer, which may surprise you, is yes, but not in the same way Christians do. Jesus, who is known as Isa in Islam, is considered to be a prophet, or messenger, of God. Although we believe in many of the miracles said to relate to Jesus, in Islamic belief, he was never crucified.

Jesus Rodriguez ‘23, asked, “What is the difference between a Sunni and a Shia Muslim?” Sunnis and Shias are people belonging to the different sects in Islam, similar to how there are Catholics and Protestants in Christianity. Sunnis consist of about 80-90% of all Muslims, whereas Shias are the minority group.

This division first started over a debate during the early days of Islam, where the Shias believed that Ali, a relative of Muhammad’s, should have been the first successor to the Prophet, whereas the Sunnis thought that it was right for Abu Bakr to be the first caliph. Since then, several differences have developed between the way the two groups practice the religion, such as a slightly different style of praying.

Although prejudice has been decreasing in the United States, Muslims still face negative stereotypes and discrimination at times. Most Muslims don’t criticize other people’s differing beliefs or ideologies, and we simply hope for the same in return. If there’s one key takeaway from this article, it is that Muslims sometimes do things differently but are ultimately no less human than everyone else. As Haris Khan ‘23 said, “After all, the number one thing about Islam is respect.”