As the sun set Sunday evening, Muslim and non-Muslim members of the Northwestern community shared the traditional fast-breaking meal of Ramadan — and for some, not a moment too soon.
“I’ve been fasting all day, I recommend (eating) it all,” said Weinberg junior Afreen Tariq as she dished out savory chicken kabobs to attendees of the Muslim-cultural Students Association’s 10th Annual Ramadan dinner.
About 340 students, faculty and local residents packed the Louis Room in Norris University Center to share the traditional Ramadan meal — the first meal many of them had eaten since before sunrise.
Ramadan is the annual 28-day celebration of God’s revealing the Koran, Islam’s sacred text, to the prophet Muhammad. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims do not eat while the sun is up and attend special nightly prayer sessions that draw members of the Muslim community to mosques after their large evening meal.
Weinberg sophomore Omar Arain, the dinner’s master of ceremonies, spoke to the crowd about his childhood memories of celebrating Ramadan. Arain said the smell of food wafting from the kitchen for the only meal he was allowed to eat until sunset was all that would entice him to leave his warm bed at 5 a.m.
“I could eat three omelettes in 10 minutes,” he said. “I had it down to a science.”
Arain also recalled explaining to his non-Muslim friends year after year the significance of Ramadan — and reminding them that Muslims are allowed to eat during the holy month, as long as it is after sunset.
“The spirit of the evening was to have people of different religions come celebrate the breaking of the fast,” said Kasim Arshad, McSA vice president. “I thought it was a very positive evening.”
Happy chatter filled the room as attendees enjoyed dill rice, falafel, and spiced chicken and beef kabobs from Reza’s Persian restaurant.
Clothing also reflected the celebratory mood of the evening.
McSA co-President Tehseen Ahmed addressed the crowd wearing gold, glittery high-heeled shoes and a deep purple Shalwar shirt, which Muslim women wear at parties and other special events.
Ahmed, a Weinberg senior, said one of Ramadan’s purposes is to remind Muslims that if they can abstain from something permissible such as food for so long, then they also can stay away from forbidden things.
After Ahmed’s speech the crowd was treated to a sneak preview of a documentary about Muhammad’s life that will air on PBS on Dec. 18. The documentary addressed the effects of Sept. 11 on the Muslim community and how it represents an opportunity to teach non-Muslims about Islam.
Keynote speaker Dr. Muneer Fareed, an Islamic Studies professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, spoke about different Islamic prophets and stressed that people of other religions needed to look at Muhammad through a Muslim’s eyes to better understand his leadership techniques.
After the speaker finished and the crowd ate sweet, fried Middle-Eastern desserts, many of the Muslims gathered for a nightly prayer.
“We’re blessed to be able to observe this wonderful month,” said Farhan Khan, a Weinberg junior. “That in itself is something we should be grateful for.”
