Young Muslim counts the blessings of Ramadan

Mendhi, Ramadan, South Asian, henna, Eid
Girls showing off their henna’d hands, a South Asian tradition for Eid, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. (Photo by Daaniya Iyaz)

The scent of home-cooked food at three in the morning and the calm of utter silence as hundreds of people stand together in prayer can only mean one thing: it’s Ramadan.

In my mosque, people from Egypt, Tanzania, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Denmark and countless other countries come together to commemorate this blessed month. While we may all speak different languages, our sole intention during Ramadan is the same: to come closer to God.

One of the main rituals of this holy month is fasting. Ramadan was pushed back into the summer this year, meaning the fasts are about sixteen hours long!

Abstaining from food and water for such a long stretch of time may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple once you’ve gotten used to it. The key is to keep your mind stimulated at all times. That’s why I prefer fasting during the school year. School is six hours of educational distractions to keep you focused on something else besides food and your fast. In the summer, you have the heat to contend with, but the worst is sitting around with nothing to do but watch the clock, waiting until you can eat again.

When I tell most people that I’ve been fasting for the past sixteen hours, their expressions range from surprise to ‘how-are-you-still-alive?’

The Muslim Association of Puget Sound Mosque in Redmond is packed for prayers on one of the final evenings of Ramadan (Photo by Faisal Aminy/Ammana Photos)
The Muslim Association of Puget Sound Mosque in Redmond is packed for prayers on one of the final evenings of Ramadan (Photo by Faisal Aminy/Ammana Photos)

It is difficult, especially if you’re a food addict like I am, but your parents ease you into the process. I had my first fast at the age of four and I began regularly fasting at the age of ten. Most children have been trained to fast from their youth so the abstinence from food and drink really isn’t as bad as it sounds.

As much fun as starving yourself for sixteen hours is, Muslims don’t just fast for kicks. We do it to bring ourselves closer to God, purify ourselves from any sinful deeds and to empathize with poorer people who survive on little to no food every day.

That’s why Ramadan, for me, is like a reality check. During this month, I realize how much of my life I have taken for granted and how there are others suffering in poverty that I may have turned a blind eye to.

Ramadan can also bring fresh perspective on family. For most of the year, we’re like any average family. We’ve each got our own agendas. Sometimes we spend quality time together and sometimes we’re all so busy that we barely talk.

But Ramadan has the opposite effect. We all get up at sunrise together, stuff ourselves as much as humanly possible, and come back together to break our fast at sunset. After the evening prayer, we usually spend time together just chatting, which is something we rarely do any other time of the year.

These simple daily activities pull us closer and make us realize what we’ve been missing out on when we’re wrapped up in our own lives.

Mosque, Masjid al-Rahman, Redmond, Seattle
The MAPS (Muslim Association of Puget Sound) mosque in Redmond. (Photo by Daaniya Iyaz)

It’s not just families that are brought closer during Ramadan. The entire Muslim community becomes one during this holy month. This is especially true in the last ten days of Ramadan, which are considered nights of power.

Muslims will stand together as the Imam, the Muslim version of a preacher, recites a prayer in Arabic. Many people are moved to tears during these prayers and none of us are afraid to bare our emotions for all to see.

But as placid as Ramadan is, one of the main events that I look forward to is Eid, the end of the Ramadan, which is coming up this Sunday. When the new moon is sighted, Ramadan is proclaimed over, every Muslim gears up for the vast celebration to follow.

Eid is celebrated differently in different cultures, but in South Asian culture, we like to do it with a big bang. The girls have articulate henna designs drawn on their hands, everyone brings out the flashy clothes, and family friends organize get-togethers that can last well into the wee hours of the morning. We start the day out with an Eid prayer. These tend to get a little hectic since there are hundreds of people that show up and try to squeeze into the mosque. Someone even lost the keys to their Porsche one year… not exactly the best Eid present ever.

Eid al-Fitr greeting card
An Eid greeting card made for the author by a friend. “Eid Mubarak” is the typical greeting for the end of Ramadan, meaning “Blessed Eid”. (Photo by Daaniya Iyaz)

After the prayer, we socialize with all of our friends, examine each other’s outfits, and exchange gifts. The rest of the day consists of moving from house to house where you have all-you-can-eat fests. All the food you’ve missed out on during Ramadan is made up in this one day. Eid is kind of like a hybrid between Christmas and Thanksgiving, but it’s mostly a day of celebrating with friends and one my favorite days of the entire year.

From Eid celebrations to simple family time, Ramadan is hands down my favorite month of the year. Out of the twelve months of incessant chaos and turmoil that make up our lives, it’s one month of tranquility where I am allowed to take a step back, assess my life and be grateful for everything I have.

23 Comments

  1. Great article. This is truly informative. Thank you for sharing your experiences as a young Muslim who is committed in her belief and is truly a good practicing Muslim.

  2. Great to read this. Definitely fasting teaches us to be patience and thankfully to Allah for his blessings.

    God bless you.

  3. Yes,its a month gets people closer to each other and closer to god.this is also the month for zakat ( helping poor people)
    Nice article! , keep it up!

  4. Wow, what a great article written very nicely by you, Daaniya! If this is what you can produce at 15 years of age, I wonder what we’ll see when you’re all grown up. I see someone being an established writer/author, Insha Allah. I really liked the tone of the article, it’s truthful, it’s humane, gives great insights into the Ramandan related activities of Muslims, you’ve used good humor at times which is IMO is very reflective of your young age, loved the pictures, especially the Henna one (wonderful designs, I also loved that the Mosque pic is showing kids in the front). Overall, an excellent job! Kudos to you and your parents, who have raised you to be such a wonderful person, Masha Allah. I’d love to meet you in person, when I get any chance on one of my quarterly trips to Seattle.

  5. mashaAllah, what a great writeup sr. Daaniya. Very comprehensive and fun to read. You captured the spirit of Ramadan and especially the diversity of activities at MAPS. Keep writing!

  6. I was touched. It is the inner feeling of every Muslim brothers and sisters who always keep it themselves, has come out in writing for the first time. May Allah continue to Bless you for the knowledge and the depth of faith you have….Ameen

  7. MashaAllah Daaniya! I loved reading the article and it gave me the opportunity to view Ramadan from a teenager’s perspective. Your simple yet engaging writing style managed to pull out a giggle or two from my fasting belly.

    Keep up the good work and pick up more topics that will help us parents understand and connect better with our own children. Thank you for sharing your expereince.

  8. Excellent work Daaniya. The personal tone and use of humor add a nice flavor to this article. You are a very gifted writer. Please continue on this path and the World will be a better place. Well done!!!

  9. What a thoughtful, engaging, enlightening piece about an all-too-often misunderstood Muslim tradition. Thank you to Seattle Globalist for discovering such a bright young talent. Mostly, thank you, Daaniya, for being a beacon of light, for taking the time to share with the rest of us what’s in your heart.

  10. Very engaging. Your style shows how extremely happy you are, definitely you are closer to god ☺! Always write with such happiness and it is contagious for the reader ☺Excellent article !!! Can’t agree less with the other comments I see.

  11. Great work Daaniya! Thank you for explaining Ramadan in simple terms. May Allah bless you with whatever you wish to achieve. Congratulations!! Keep up the great writing

    Eid Mubarak

  12. I had heard about your excellent writing skills. Now I am a believer!!!

    Thank you Daaniya for this wonderful article sharing your insight into Ramadan. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more of your works in the future.

    May God Bless you with all the success in this life & the hereafter. Aameen!

  13. A very nicely done article. I am even more appreciative of your choice of topic to demystify Ramadan in simple terms for those unfamiliar with it. It will go a long way….

    “How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” William Shakespeare

  14. Beta Danniya… You are a great stroy teller… This is beautiful and in simple world you have celebrated ramazan. Keep up the good work… I would love to see more from you InshAllah…
    Eid Mubarak to you and your family!

  15. Masha Allah, you have beautifully and creatively captured the essence of Ramadan. May Allah reward you!

  16. Hello daaniya, great article. Was amazed to read about Ramadan by you!
    Keep going and write more to the people of your region. :)
    Regards!

  17. Good work Daaniya iam impressed and very proud of your work .you have described our month of ramzan so beautifully it was very captivating ,keep up the good work and do write more articles like this may Allah bless you with good life and happiness.Fiaz uncle says one kamarkhat for you for writing this beautiful article.and may Allah give you strong fingers to write more.

  18. Good start in relegious thought and writing which shows the maturity in mind.In simple words all tenets of ramzan fasting has been discribed beautifully well. I pray may god bless Dhaniyah with all the talents she needs to become an acknowledged global writer on relegion and other faculties which the modern world needs My duvas to you AMEEN.

Comments are closed.

23 Comments

  1. Great article. This is truly informative. Thank you for sharing your experiences as a young Muslim who is committed in her belief and is truly a good practicing Muslim.

  2. Great to read this. Definitely fasting teaches us to be patience and thankfully to Allah for his blessings.

    God bless you.

  3. Yes,its a month gets people closer to each other and closer to god.this is also the month for zakat ( helping poor people)
    Nice article! , keep it up!

  4. Wow, what a great article written very nicely by you, Daaniya! If this is what you can produce at 15 years of age, I wonder what we’ll see when you’re all grown up. I see someone being an established writer/author, Insha Allah. I really liked the tone of the article, it’s truthful, it’s humane, gives great insights into the Ramandan related activities of Muslims, you’ve used good humor at times which is IMO is very reflective of your young age, loved the pictures, especially the Henna one (wonderful designs, I also loved that the Mosque pic is showing kids in the front). Overall, an excellent job! Kudos to you and your parents, who have raised you to be such a wonderful person, Masha Allah. I’d love to meet you in person, when I get any chance on one of my quarterly trips to Seattle.

  5. mashaAllah, what a great writeup sr. Daaniya. Very comprehensive and fun to read. You captured the spirit of Ramadan and especially the diversity of activities at MAPS. Keep writing!

  6. I was touched. It is the inner feeling of every Muslim brothers and sisters who always keep it themselves, has come out in writing for the first time. May Allah continue to Bless you for the knowledge and the depth of faith you have….Ameen

  7. MashaAllah Daaniya! I loved reading the article and it gave me the opportunity to view Ramadan from a teenager’s perspective. Your simple yet engaging writing style managed to pull out a giggle or two from my fasting belly.

    Keep up the good work and pick up more topics that will help us parents understand and connect better with our own children. Thank you for sharing your expereince.

  8. Excellent work Daaniya. The personal tone and use of humor add a nice flavor to this article. You are a very gifted writer. Please continue on this path and the World will be a better place. Well done!!!

  9. What a thoughtful, engaging, enlightening piece about an all-too-often misunderstood Muslim tradition. Thank you to Seattle Globalist for discovering such a bright young talent. Mostly, thank you, Daaniya, for being a beacon of light, for taking the time to share with the rest of us what’s in your heart.

  10. Very engaging. Your style shows how extremely happy you are, definitely you are closer to god ☺! Always write with such happiness and it is contagious for the reader ☺Excellent article !!! Can’t agree less with the other comments I see.

  11. Great work Daaniya! Thank you for explaining Ramadan in simple terms. May Allah bless you with whatever you wish to achieve. Congratulations!! Keep up the great writing

    Eid Mubarak

  12. I had heard about your excellent writing skills. Now I am a believer!!!

    Thank you Daaniya for this wonderful article sharing your insight into Ramadan. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more of your works in the future.

    May God Bless you with all the success in this life & the hereafter. Aameen!

  13. A very nicely done article. I am even more appreciative of your choice of topic to demystify Ramadan in simple terms for those unfamiliar with it. It will go a long way….

    “How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” William Shakespeare

  14. Beta Danniya… You are a great stroy teller… This is beautiful and in simple world you have celebrated ramazan. Keep up the good work… I would love to see more from you InshAllah…
    Eid Mubarak to you and your family!

  15. Masha Allah, you have beautifully and creatively captured the essence of Ramadan. May Allah reward you!

  16. Hello daaniya, great article. Was amazed to read about Ramadan by you!
    Keep going and write more to the people of your region. :)
    Regards!

  17. Good work Daaniya iam impressed and very proud of your work .you have described our month of ramzan so beautifully it was very captivating ,keep up the good work and do write more articles like this may Allah bless you with good life and happiness.Fiaz uncle says one kamarkhat for you for writing this beautiful article.and may Allah give you strong fingers to write more.

  18. Good start in relegious thought and writing which shows the maturity in mind.In simple words all tenets of ramzan fasting has been discribed beautifully well. I pray may god bless Dhaniyah with all the talents she needs to become an acknowledged global writer on relegion and other faculties which the modern world needs My duvas to you AMEEN.

Comments are closed.