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Hungry for Ramadan

Despite the fact that I have been blogging and writing about the Muslim American experience for many years, I am quite private about my religious beliefs in the workplace. (That is, until my boss Googles my somewhat unique name and sees what I’ve been up to!) I suspect many Muslim Americans keep their faith close…

While there are aspects of Ramadan that are very personal, it is first and foremost a communal experience. Muslims are encouraged to pray in congregation, visit each other’s homes, and break their fast together at the end of the day. While it is nearly impossible not to do these things in a predominantly Muslim country,…

In the next few weeks I will be telling you about how spiritually uplifting Ramadan is, and about how I’ve been able to clear my body and mind in order to connect with my Creator. I will share the experience of breaking the fast communally with other Muslims over fresh dates and the most delicious…

One of the disadvantages (depending on how you look at it) of basing Muslim holidays on a lunar calendar is that Ramadan is always on the move. Islamic holidays move backward at the rate of about 10 days per year with respect to the Gregorian calendar. Five years ago, Ramadan was planted firmly in the…

Unlike Christian or Jewish holidays, there isn’t a universally accepted method to be exactly sure which day Ramadan begin. In fact, there is significant debate among Muslims in America about whether calculations or visual confirmation should be used to determine the exact date of Islamic holidays. One school of thought on the issue follows the…

For anyone who has had the opportunity to travel through the Muslim world during Ramadan, you may be familiar with how festive a holiday it is, mirroring in some ways the pervasive sounds and colors of the American holiday season. Ramadan in America, however, is quite different then that. We are still in the process…

It is a difficult and challenging situation this year in that my attempts at building an internal serenity for the start of Ramadan are coinciding with the anniversary of 9/11. I spend much of the whole year (every year since 9/11) dealing with the aftermath of those terrible events through my community work and writings,…

Muslims often refer to the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this year around September 13, as if it were a guest passing through town and staying at their home. But unlike real-world guests who often overstay their welcome, the presence of this one is savored each day. In Ramadan we fast each day–this means…
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