Jack Sherlock
Reporter
Islam is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion that clocks in as the world’s second largest religious establishment. This often misunderstood religion started celebrating Ramadan, or “The Muslim Holy Month,” earlier this week on Monday, April 12th.
On April 8, the Diversity Resource Center at Idaho State University hosted a discussion with Yousef Deikna, a Ph.D. student in the College of Arts and Letters and a devout Muslim from the country of Libya who is currently observing the holy month of Ramadan.
Deikna was introduced by Khalil Azizi, the International Scholar Advisor and Multicultural Program Specialist with the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Azizi quickly opened the floor to Deikna for a presentation on his experience as a practicing Muslim, as well as the experiences he’s observed during the month of Ramadan.
First, to provide background on the discussion, the belief system in Islam is centered around the idea that the Al-Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad on what is called the night of decree, and the various chapters of the Al-Quran took a total of twenty-three years to finish.
Within this text there are the five pillars of Islam declared, one is Shahada (Profession of Faith) and this is translated as the belief that there is no god but the one referred to as Allah, and that Muhammad is accepted as the Messenger of God. Next is Salat (Prayer), which is the practice of committing your daily time and reflection to times of prayer in the direction of Mecca, five times per day.
Then comes Zakat (Alms), which is the donation of income from each Muslim to their respective community for those in need. Following is Sawm (Fasting), which strictly highlights the foundation for Ramadan itself in its practice of abstaining from food and drink and other privileges, temptations, etc. during daylight hours. Finally there is Hajj (Pilgrimage), which outlines the expectation for a healthy and financially permitted Muslim to visit the holy city of Mecca and pray to the Ka’aba, or cube, built by prophets for worship. Following the brief review of Islamic pillars of belief and practice, Deikna explained the duration and period of the holy month.
Ramadan is held during month number nine of the Islamic calendar, referred to also as the Hijrī calendar, which follows a lunar pattern where each month is ushered in with the rise of a new moon. This means that Ramadan won’t always start and end on the same days each year, contrary to the commonly used and well known Gregorian calendar, which is what most in the U.S. are familiar with.
Ramadan has started as of this past Monday, and will be observed until it’s end on the evening of Wednesday, May 12th in the U.S., with dates and times varying by region. While the Islamic calendar differs in their outline compared to the marks of the year by other religions and peoples, Deikna seeked to focus on bridging a connection with the similarities that exist within Islam and other Abrahamic religions.
Deikna referred to the shared idea of fasting as the “Universality of Fasting” when comparing Islam to it’s fellow Abrahmic religions, like Christianity and Judaism, and reviewed three main components that are shared among the three religions when fasting; issues of self, issues of health, and issues of community. Issues of self refers to things like the diversification of self, or the idea that the individual is stretched beyond their limitations with varying elements of life and worries. Additionally things like ego, greed, and “me, me” culture is, according to Deikna, something that requires heavy reflection during Ramadan.
Deikna also discussed Nihilism, or the idea that life has no meaning and nothing in the world has a real existence, which is damaging to the moral and ethically driven actions we should pursue in the world. Deikna said, “We were purposefully created to live a moral life and pursue a purpose. Ramadan helps us to come down and think more about our actions, self preservation as we pursue said actions, and personal development.
Next, Deikna reviewed the Issues of health, which were referred to by him as indulging behaviors like overeating, excessive drinking, and other sporadic periods of indulgence like in media, sex, and meaningless action without purpose. Additionally, anxieties and fear are listed as dominating troubles that should be reflected upon during Ramdan.
Worrying too much, taking control of too many things, or at least attempting control in too many things is damaging when we place these expectations of always having a solution for problems on top of our own psyche. Fasting allows us to find that belief and trust back into an entity, ridding our minds of the things we cannot control, and in Islam specifially placing trust and back in Allah to in return be rewarded with incalculable guidance.
Finally, Deikna covers the last aspect of fasting as issues of community. In a world full of divisiveness, “right and wrong” sides, political upheaval, racial conflict, economic struggles, and differing levels of establishment, fasting can allow us to bring back intellectual homogeneity, or a connection with like minded, focused, and driven people pursuing the same goal of being purposeful in life.
Deikna summarized this section by connecting the shared idea in Abrahamic religions that highlights the dangers of popular culture or societal norms like picking sides, bullying oppositionists, and divisive behaviors as not necessary to the good practices of humanity, but are problems that “should be no more in the world” said Deikna. Following the comparativist approaches that Deikna was attempting to bring forth through Islam and other religions, the most common practices of the religion were discussed before opening up for discussion and questions.
During the month of Ramadan, there are plenty of things that one has to avoid for the purpose of devoting more of themselves to the pillars of Islam. There is no eating, drinking, or sex from dawn to dusk, and one may return to these normal activities only after the sun has set and just before dawn the following day. One must also try to avoid vulgarity, backbiting, and lying or “issues of tongue” said Deikna. One may also not use feet or hands to perform physical acts that are deemed inappropriate for those parts of the body. Thinking too much about the anxieties of life or Donyah is also not permitted, and other harmful thoughts like crime and immoral behavior are taken are expected sacrifices as well. One is also expected to read the Al-Quran during the holy month to re familiarize themselves with the stories that resulted in the establishment of the Islamic pillars.
Additionally, one must pray every night before bed, and this is called the prayer of Tarawih. Prayer remains a constant factor throughout the fasting practices, and one is expected to eat right after the sunset prayer, or Maghrib prayer, and also eat right after the prayer to welcome the dawn, also called the Fajr prayer; these prayers mentioned are all part of the mandatory salah (Islamic prayers) throughout the day that were mentioned before. Once Ramadan comes to a close, there is a communal celebration followed by a required financial donation or “Zakat”, as mentioned before.
The discussion ended with an anonymous question sent to the Diversity Resource Center through means of an online platform, and it stated, “Deikna, with the active racial division, tension and hate crimes in the U.S., do you think that now is an important time more than ever for non-muslim Americans to try and further understand the religion?”
Deikna responded with a quick yes, and further discussed his experience as a Muslim in Idaho by saying “Muslims in Idaho, Pocatello specfically, have welcomed the mayors of our towns, the Chiefs of Police, community leaders, and religious leaders and represetnatives into our Mosques to bridge an understanding of our shared experience with them. I am in a unique situation here in a smaller community, and I have found the community to be so welcoming, it has been so great!”
Where cultural diversity remains an important part of progress as students, as citizens, and as a country, we should all do our part to be aware of the complexities, differences, and oftentimes the similarities in things that are often portrayed to be too “different” for us to understand. And if you have a friend that is celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan, it is okay to wish them a “Happy Ramadan!” during this time.
