Celebrating Ramadan, Eid-Al Fitr as an international student
At home, Rifah Tasfia, a sophomore at Slippery Rock University, would have observed Ramadan — the holiest month in the Islamic calendar — with friends and family, and home-cooked meals.
But Tasfia, an international student studying computing and cybersecurity, will not return to her hometown of Bogura, Bangladesh, until summer break. This was the second Ramadan spent away from family.
Similar to Lent in the Christian tradition, Ramadan, which Tasfia described as a “long-awaited month for all Muslims,” involves a period of fasting, prayer, good works and reflection.
Ramadan marks the month during which the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have received the first revelations comprising the Quran, and is an opportunity to practice spiritual discipline “and become the best versions of ourselves,” Tasfia said.
This year, Ramadan began March 10 and ended April 9 and was followed by a celebration known as Eid al-Fitr, which usually lasts three days, but can be celebrated for as long as a month in some countries.
In observing Ramadan, Tasfia said she refrains from drinking and eating every day from dawn until dusk for a month.
Community is central to Ramadan, she said, and many of the Southeast Asian customs around breaking the fast together at dusk is done with family and friends.
On campus, a typical day observing Ramadan looks much different, she said.
After studying and pulling an all-nighter one early morning, Tasfia said she had her first meal — a cup of noodles, yogurt and water — alone at 5 a.m. During Ramadan, Muslims eat one meal before dawn, called suhoor, and one meal after dusk, called iftar.
Suhoor has to be eaten before the morning prayer, or fajr, Tasfia said.
Tasfia said she prayed at 5:30 a.m., then took a nap before studying, going to the gym and attending afternoon classes. She did not eat again until dusk.
By the time she can break her fast some nights, the dining hall is closed. On those nights, she usually goes to a canteen on campus to buy a rice bowl. Sometimes, on the weekends, she cooks in the single kitchenette in her dorm building.
“I'm kind of used to it because I have no choice,” she said. “Food to me is a very big deal.”
Tasfia said she misses her mother’s cooking and the taste of home. There, iftar meals usually involve a flavorful stew such as chickpea chaat, a sweet and spicy fruit salad known as fruit chaat, mango lassi and lemonade. Vendors set up street food and snacks for people to enjoy after fasting, and the family eats together.
“It’s very heartbreaking being away from family,” she said. “I want to celebrate with them.”
“Back in my country, I enjoy Ramadan because people around me, they're also fasting,” she said. “There’s an excitement that we’re gonna break our fast together. We're gonna have a big iftar party with our friends and family. And after we break our fast, we pray together, so it's like a celebration. It just brings happiness because we have the family get together.”
Last year, Tasfia said she was the only Muslim student on campus. This semester, she has three Muslim friends, two of whom also are international students, which has made celebrating Ramadan easier for her.
During spring break, they sometimes shared iftar meals together, with each person taking a turn to cook.
At home during Eid, she said, her mother would prepare sweets, and the family would welcome aunts and uncles for the celebration. It would be customary to go shopping to buy new clothes and accessories to wear during the festivities.
Last week, Tasfia celebrated Eid with her friends in her dorm with henna.
Last Wednesday, Noora Alie, associate director for international student services, organized an iftar party in the dining hall for Muslim students and community members to break the fast together one last time.
The meal was catered by SRU’s dining services and featured a Middle Eastern spread with “students gathered around a communal dinner table,” Alie said.
“We have observed a growing number of Muslim students participating in Ramadan on campus,” she said. “Given SRU’s history of recognizing diverse cultural events, it seemed opportune to organize this event, especially with a larger cohort of students observing Ramadan.”
Alie, who is Arab-American, raises awareness about the needs of international students on campus and serves as an advocate.
“Raising awareness is fundamental,” she stated. “It entails educating students, faculty and staff about the significance of Ramadan and its implications for fasting students. Prioritizing accommodations for observant individuals is imperative. Given the time constraints for breaking fast before dining services close in the evening, offering pre-fast food options is helpful.”
“It’s just really hard for me,” Tasfia said. “But at the same time ... I came here to study so of course I have to stay here.”
When she feels homesick, she remembers her mother’s meals and the way they celebrated Ramadan as a family.
“I'm happy because I have also other Muslim friends I found,” she said.
