Students will have the opportunity today to experience 24 hours of what Muslims do every year for 30 days. The tradition not only brings cultural awareness to the campus community, but to also encourage compassion and charity, said Fast-A-Thon coordinator Ayesha Ghori.
"We’re showing people that a big part of Islam is charity and through the event, we’re giving people a chance to experience what it’s like for impoverished people around the world," co-president Sarah Pacha said.
The annual Fast-A-Thon will be at the O’Quinn Great Hall in the Athletics/Alumni Center; the event will start with a breaking of fast with snacks at 7 p.m., and then followed by dinner.
"We invite the non-Muslims to the dinner portion of the program at this time while we perform our prayers," Ghori said.
Fast-A-Thon, which is run by Muslim Student’s Association, will be donating money to the End Hunger Network in Houston for every pledge it receives this year, Ghori said.
The End Hunger Network has been in existence over 20 years and serves the greater Houston area.
Guest speaker Ubaid Qazi, 1990 UH alum, will be emphasizing the importance of fasting for Muslims and how food should be cherished, MSA President Mubeen Khumawala said.
The aim of Fast-A-Thon is to educate non-Muslims about fasting and also do something important for their community, Ghori said.
The annual event is always held during the month of Ramadan.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink and sex during the daylight hours. In addition, Muslims try to stay away from negative thoughts, break bad habits and generally stay positive, Hassen said.
"It is a time to purify the soul, refocus attention to God and practice self-sacrifice; it is much more than just not eating and drinking," Ghori said.
Fasting allows for spiritual contemplation and for Muslims to relate to the less fortunate, she said.
Muslims believe that the Quran, their holy book, was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad during Ramadan, said computer technology engineering senior Dru Hassen.
Ramadan’s date changes from year to year because of the lunar cycle. The lunar calendar is 10 days shorter than the mainstream calendar, Khumawala said. Each month in the lunar calendar will be 10 days prior to the previous year.
The first day of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, whereas the end of the month is signaled by the new moon, Hassen said. This year, Ramadan started on Sept. 13 and will be ending on either Oct. 12 or 13.
Each day in Ramadan begins with the Muslim waking up before sunset, around 5:15 a.m., and having a small meal, which is supposed to be enough sustenance until sunset.
"Ramadan looks like it’s a challenging test of fortitude. I commend Muslims for sticking to their religious beliefs and not drinking or eating all day," economics senior Brandon Chizer said.
It is encouraged for non-Muslims who have pledged to do the same thing, but of course they can wake up later and have a normal breakfast as well, Pacha said.
"I’d do it," said Chizer, a non-Muslim. "Although not as renowned as Ramadan, there are similar Christian traditions that involve giving up something for 21 days. So one day wouldn’t be too much of a problem for me."
Diana Shankar, event coordinator for the A.D. Bruce Religion Center, said Fast-A-Thon is admirable because charities are being supported in the process.
"Benevolence is always good," she said.
The first Fast-A-Thon took place after Sept. 11 as an outlet to educate the public about the Islamic faith, 2007 UH alum Safia Hussain said.
Elementary education senior and co-coordinator of Fast-A-Thon Yusra Abou-Sayed said Fast-A-Thon is similar to "skipping lunch."
"It’s just one day," she said. "Think about people that have to do it every day. Making a small sacrifice like this one can feel so good."
For information on the pledge, visit http://www.uh.edu/campus/msa/fastathon.php.
