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- Ashaz studies Applied Geology. \u201cI’m ethnically Sri Lankan and grew up in South Africa.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- Ehsan is\u00a0studying\u00a0a Bachelor of Health, Safety and Environment. \u201cMy cultural background is Mauritian.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfa<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- Abdelrazzak\u00a0is doing a Civil and Mining Engineering double degree. \u201cEthnically, I’m Palestinian, but I’ve been living here for most of my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- Abdul Aziz is pursuing a\u00a0Master’s in Business\u00a0Analytics. \u201cI’m an international student from India.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n ![\"CMSA\"](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CMSA-Oasis-profile-5-1588x500.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat does Ramadan look like as a\u00a0uni\u00a0student?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ashaz: <\/strong>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\u2019an and applying it within my life.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ehsan:\u00a0<\/strong>There\u2019s\u00a0a 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\u00a0bad habits. And hopefully throughout the rest of the year, those good habits last.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The routine during Ramadan is suhoor<\/em>, the early morning breakfast we eat before sunrise, iftar<\/em>, the meal after sunset that we used to break our fast, and\u00a0taraweeh<\/em>, the night prayers.\u00a0Taraweeh\u00a0is a huge part of our lives because, for 1-2 hours of our night,\u00a0we’re\u00a0just standing in prayer with a bunch of our brothers.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Abdul Aziz: <\/strong>As an international student, Ramadan is bittersweet because I miss my family back home. But at the same time,\u00a0I’ve\u00a0found 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\u00a0iftars\u00a0and night prayers\u00a0conducted\u00a0in the\u00a0Musalla.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you wish people knew about Ramadan? <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Abdelrazzak:\u00a0<\/strong>Ramadan is\u00a0a busy month for Muslims! And\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0trying to stop any\u00a0bad habits,\u00a0so\u00a0don’t\u00a0offer a Muslim something\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0trying to stay away from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashaz: <\/strong>Ramadan shows us that we\u2019re capable of taking on work, uni and family commitments alongside spiritual commitments. And on top of that, we don\u2019t have food from dawn to dusk. That shows me what my body is capable of and that I\u2019m capable of applying myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ehsan:<\/strong> 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! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is something that you love about Ramadan?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Abdelrazzak: <\/strong>The fact that we embody the same lifestyle that a lot of people around the world\u00a0have to\u00a0live in. A lot of other countries\u00a0don’t\u00a0have the same privileges that we do, and we\u00a0empathise\u00a0with them more.\u00a0Then, by the time you get to iftar,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0such a gratifying moment where you sit,\u00a0eat,\u00a0and connect with your family. For 30 days straight, you\u00a0don’t\u00a0miss a single dinner with people that you love.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashaz: <\/strong>Something I love is the fact that\u00a0you’re\u00a0not alone.\u00a0There\u00a0are\u00a0loads of other brothers and sisters that are also\u00a0abstaining,\u00a0and you have support from them, your\u00a0friends,\u00a0and your family.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ehsan: <\/strong>We always look forward to CMSA\u2019s Grand Iftar, which is like a massive dinner.\u00a0Especially being part of the committee, we\u00a0look forward to\u00a0seeing\u00a0all the\u00a0hard work\u00a0behind it.\u00a0As long as\u00a0I’m\u00a0a student,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a part of my Ramadan that\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0look forward to.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are some challenges that come with balancing uni and spiritual commitments during Ramadan?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ehsan: <\/strong>Knowing\u00a0what’s\u00a0on your priority list. As a Muslim, Ramadan’s at the top. Second is uni. And thirdly, work and\u00a0socialising. While you need a balance, you do need to know where to make sacrifices. But\u00a0don’t\u00a0sacrifice sleep.\u00a0That should be above everything else, actually.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashaz: <\/strong>During Ramadan, a lot of us say that\u00a0we’re\u00a0busy. But in reality, we\u2019re\u00a0prioritising\u00a0spiritual and family commitments. Throughout the year, we try to balance our faith with work and\u00a0uni\u00a0and\u00a0socialising. In Ramadan, we do that while\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0hungry.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0an amazing feat, so if you balance everything in Ramadan, you can surely definitely do it during the rest of the year too.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How can students support their Muslim friends during Ramadan?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ehsan:<\/strong> Remember your Muslim friend is fasting during Ramadan and trying to\u00a0turn over a new leaf. Try not to openly talk about food or\u00a0bad habits. And\u00a0don’t\u00a0be afraid to ask us about Ramadan. I know some people try to be respectful and\u00a0don’t\u00a0want to bother you. Bother me! I\u00a0love\u00a0to talk about it and would be more than happy to tell you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abdelrazzak:<\/strong> In general, people are\u00a0very supportive! One thing could be to accommodate event timings. During Ramadan, I have iftar and night prayer after 7pm, so I often\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0participate\u00a0in industry or\u00a0uni\u00a0events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And come and sit with us at CMSA\u2019s daily iftar.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0for any student – you\u00a0don’t\u00a0have to be Muslim. We’re more than happy to feed\u00a0people\u00a0and we get really happy when they want to join us.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s your advice for Muslim students to balance uni with spiritual commitments? <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ehsan:\u00a0<\/strong>Don’t\u00a0sacrifice sleep. You might think, \u2018Oh I’ll finish my night prayers, then I’ll hop on my game.\u2019\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0do it \u2013 before you know it,\u00a0it’ll\u00a0be 2am and you\u00a0have to\u00a0wake up at 4am.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashaz: <\/strong>Balance your diet.\u00a0Get in\u00a0all your electrolytes, Himalayan salt, coconut\u00a0water. Especially in this heat,\u00a0you’ll\u00a0need it. And\u00a0don’t\u00a0overeat after you break your fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abdelrazzak: <\/strong>Focus on your nutrition. If you want to excel at\u00a0uni, take suhoor seriously. Stay awake, eat proteins and fats, drink\u00a0some water.\u00a0That way, you’ll have fuel to stay for the rest of the day and actually get some work done.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/P1103874-2.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRamadan is a busy month\u00a0filled with self-discipline\u00a0and\u00a0community. But,\u00a0as Ashaz, Ehsan,\u00a0Abdelrazzak\u00a0and Abdul Aziz show,\u00a0Ramadan can be\u00a0a reminder that faith and\u00a0uni\u00a0life exist side-by-side,\u00a0even\u00a0when\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you to CMSA for\u00a0your openness\u00a0and\u00a0your dedication to Muslim students\u2019\u00a0uni\u00a0experience!\u00a0Share a meal with\u00a0CMSA at their\u00a0Grand Iftar, with proceeds\u00a0supporting their Daily Iftar campaign.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Abdul Aziz is pursuing a\u00a0Master’s in Business\u00a0Analytics. \u201cI’m an international student from India.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Abdelrazzak\u00a0is doing a Civil and Mining Engineering double degree. \u201cEthnically, I’m Palestinian, but I’ve been living here for most of my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Ehsan is\u00a0studying\u00a0a Bachelor of Health, Safety and Environment. \u201cMy cultural background is Mauritian.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfa<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n