Uni is a balancing act between study, work, socialising and, for many students, spiritual commitments – especially during the month of Ramadan. | Reading time: 5 min
Ashaz, Ehsan, Abdelrazzak and Abdul Aziz are committee members of the Curtin Muslim Student Association, a club dedicated to the wellbeing of Muslim students. This is how they balance uni with faith and what they want students to know about Ramadan.
- Ashaz studies Applied Geology. “I’m ethnically Sri Lankan and grew up in South Africa.” 🇱🇰🇿🇦
- Ehsan is studying a Bachelor of Health, Safety and Environment. “My cultural background is Mauritian.” 🇲🇺
- Abdelrazzak is doing a Civil and Mining Engineering double degree. “Ethnically, I’m Palestinian, but I’ve been living here for most of my life.” 🇵🇸🇦🇺
- Abdul Aziz is pursuing a Master’s in Business Analytics. “I’m an international student from India.” 🇮🇳
What does Ramadan look like as a uni student?
Ashaz: Ramadan is seen as just abstaining from eating and drinking. For me, Ramadan is more of a spiritual reconnection and recharge. I find it difficult to stay consistent throughout the year, but throughout the 30 days I try to keep myself consistent with learning the Qur’an and applying it within my life.
Ehsan: There’s a famous quote that it takes 30 days to build a new habit. Coincidentally, Ramadan is usually 30 days where we try to build discipline and abstain from bad habits. And hopefully throughout the rest of the year, those good habits last.
The routine during Ramadan is suhoor, the early morning breakfast we eat before sunrise, iftar, the meal after sunset that we used to break our fast, and taraweeh, the night prayers. Taraweeh is a huge part of our lives because, for 1-2 hours of our night, we’re just standing in prayer with a bunch of our brothers.
Abdul Aziz: As an international student, Ramadan is bittersweet because I miss my family back home. But at the same time, I’ve found a new community of brothers who help me and keep reminding me of the routines and celebrations back home. CMSA is very instrumental in Ramadan. They provide students with the daily iftars and night prayers conducted in the Musalla.
What do you wish people knew about Ramadan?
Abdelrazzak: Ramadan is a busy month for Muslims! And we’re trying to stop any bad habits, so don’t offer a Muslim something we’re trying to stay away from.
Ashaz: Ramadan shows us that we’re capable of taking on work, uni and family commitments alongside spiritual commitments. And on top of that, we don’t have food from dawn to dusk. That shows me what my body is capable of and that I’m capable of applying myself.
Ehsan: One myth about Ramadan is that we lose weight. I’ve put on a few pounds already, I cannot lie. And Ramadan is the one time of the year where you could message your Muslim friends at 4am and they’ll reply!
What is something that you love about Ramadan?
Abdelrazzak: The fact that we embody the same lifestyle that a lot of people around the world have to live in. A lot of other countries don’t have the same privileges that we do, and we empathise with them more. Then, by the time you get to iftar, it’s such a gratifying moment where you sit, eat, and connect with your family. For 30 days straight, you don’t miss a single dinner with people that you love.
Ashaz: Something I love is the fact that you’re not alone. There are loads of other brothers and sisters that are also abstaining, and you have support from them, your friends, and your family.
Ehsan: We always look forward to CMSA’s Grand Iftar, which is like a massive dinner. Especially being part of the committee, we look forward to seeing all the hard work behind it. As long as I’m a student, it’s a part of my Ramadan that I’ll look forward to.
What are some challenges that come with balancing uni and spiritual commitments during Ramadan?
Ehsan: Knowing what’s on your priority list. As a Muslim, Ramadan’s at the top. Second is uni. And thirdly, work and socialising. While you need a balance, you do need to know where to make sacrifices. But don’t sacrifice sleep. That should be above everything else, actually.
Ashaz: During Ramadan, a lot of us say that we’re busy. But in reality, we’re prioritising spiritual and family commitments. Throughout the year, we try to balance our faith with work and uni and socialising. In Ramadan, we do that while we’re hungry. That’s an amazing feat, so if you balance everything in Ramadan, you can surely definitely do it during the rest of the year too.
How can students support their Muslim friends during Ramadan?
Ehsan: Remember your Muslim friend is fasting during Ramadan and trying to turn over a new leaf. Try not to openly talk about food or bad habits. And don’t be afraid to ask us about Ramadan. I know some people try to be respectful and don’t want to bother you. Bother me! I love to talk about it and would be more than happy to tell you.
Abdelrazzak: In general, people are very supportive! One thing could be to accommodate event timings. During Ramadan, I have iftar and night prayer after 7pm, so I often can’t participate in industry or uni events.
And come and sit with us at CMSA’s daily iftar. It’s for any student – you don’t have to be Muslim. We’re more than happy to feed people and we get really happy when they want to join us.
What’s your advice for Muslim students to balance uni with spiritual commitments?
Ehsan: Don’t sacrifice sleep. You might think, ‘Oh I’ll finish my night prayers, then I’ll hop on my game.’ Don’t do it – before you know it, it’ll be 2am and you have to wake up at 4am.
Ashaz: Balance your diet. Get in all your electrolytes, Himalayan salt, coconut water. Especially in this heat, you’ll need it. And don’t overeat after you break your fast.
Abdelrazzak: Focus on your nutrition. If you want to excel at uni, take suhoor seriously. Stay awake, eat proteins and fats, drink some water. That way, you’ll have fuel to stay for the rest of the day and actually get some work done.
Ramadan is a busy month filled with self-discipline and community. But, as Ashaz, Ehsan, Abdelrazzak and Abdul Aziz show, Ramadan can be a reminder that faith and uni life exist side-by-side, even when it’s challenging.
Thank you to CMSA for your openness and your dedication to Muslim students’ uni experience! Share a meal with CMSA at their Grand Iftar, with proceeds supporting their Daily Iftar campaign.
