Before they would feast on Indian fare, members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) had prayers to offer. In honor of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar (which ends today) and marked by sunrise-to-sunset fasting as well as other acts of self-sacrifice, they would first give thanks to Allah.
Platters of dates, a fruit valued by Prophet Muhammad and the traditional first food eaten at iftar, the evening meal to break the daily fast, circulated the room as a student chanted praise. Cups of sharbat, an Indian sweet drink including rose syrup and condensed milk, also made the rounds. Right after this initial snack, the group lined up and faced Mecca - which happened to be toward the kitchen and cash register - for Maghrib, the sunset prayer or fourth of five prayers offered each day by Muslims.
MSA members - of which there are about 200 at the U., according to Mohanad Mossalam, 25, the chapter's president - represent the rich diversity within the Islamic faith. Mossalam, who's from Egypt, said the students come from all corners of the globe - including Pakistan, Bosnia, California, Somalia and every country in the Middle East. Some sport traditional attire and head coverings, but most resemble any other trendy 20-something American.
Led by Anwar Arafat, a senior from Ogden who's majoring in film studies, the students recited the first chapter of the Quran. They bowed to the ground, made supplications and recited dhikr, a repetition of religious phrases, a sort of Muslim equivalent to saying the rosary. Only after this were they free to hit the buffet.
Ramadan is about much more than fasting. It's a time to abstain from other pleasures, such as sexual relations, and to ward off habits including smoking, gossiping and the use of bad language. By going without food and drink each day, Muslims are made to relate to the poor, which is particularly relevant because attention to charity is one of the cornerstones of the holy month.
This time of heightened reflection and spiritual awareness is "like a state of mind," said Khadija Khan, 19, who grew up in Kaysville. Added her sister, Jawaria, a 22-year-old first-year medical student, living with these intentions "sort of becomes habit" by the end of the month.
Though it may not always be easy to stick to the observances, especially on a college campus and in a culture where most everyone else is non-Muslim, those challenges are of little consequence.
"It's all in perspective. How much do you love what you're doing?" said Arafat, who led prayers earlier in the evening. "If you look at the majority of the students, their love for their faith, their love for God is powerful enough to get them through most anything."
It is believed that during the month of Ramadan, Prophet Muhammad received his first revelations. For this reason, the Quran, the Islamic holy book believed to be the word of God as it was told to Muhammad, is traditionally read from cover to cover by Muslim adults during the holy month. This aspect has special resonance for Nichole Mossalam, 24, the MSA president's wife, who converted to Islam.
"It is the month that the Quran was sent down to Earth," she said. "And it means a lot to me that I received the gift of Quran."
As the students sat around tables, sharing plates of food, laughs and stories, it was clear that Ramadan's gift is also one of community.
"It brings people together," said Naida Sehovic, a first-year pharmaceutical student whose family emigrated from Bosnia to Utah six years ago. "It's like Thanksgiving every day."
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* JESSICA RAVITZ can be reached at jravitz@sltrib.com or 801-257-8776. Send comments about this story to religioneditor@sltrib.com.
The end of Ramadan marks the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, a three-day Islamic feast period, during which families visit with one another, children receive gifts, and acts of charity abound. The Islamic Society of Bosniaks celebrated the start of Eid on Friday, but the rest of Utah's Muslim community are observing communal prayers and the start of the festival today at Sandy's South Towne Exposition Center.
