By Masudur Rahman

Senior Reporter

Welcome Week at Oakland University is known for the plentiful free food available to students, provided by various organizations. But this year, a certain group of students chose to pass on all of the free food.

That’s because this year’s welcome week coincided with the first week of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast, or don’t eat or drink anything, from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is considered a holy month in Islam because it is believed that the first verses of the holy book Koran were first revealed during this month.

During Ramadan, Muslims are not only supposed to refrain from eating and drinking, but also from sexual activity and committing sins.

“For example, we are told to keep a clean mouth and not curse, lie, be physically aggressive, etc.,” said Hamed Altair, a 26-year-old Muslim international student from Yemen. “Actually, these things are haram (forbidden and sinful) all year long. If we do these things during Ramadan, it doesn’t break our fast, but the sins multiply.”

Some Muslim students also refrain from listening to certain types of music. Hadi Alzawad, a 25-year-old international student from Saudi Arabia, said that he doesn’t listen to hip-hop or any other kind of music that leads to dancing because dancing is considered forbidden, especially during Ramadan.

“I think listening to romantic music is OK, as long as it doesn’t lead to dancing,” Alzawad said.

According to Islam, Ramadan not only warns extra punishment for sins, but also extra reward for good deeds.

“Whenever you pray or read the Koran or [do] other good deeds during Ramadan, the reward you get is multiplied more than in other months,” Altair said.

Many students said they don’t consider fasting to be physically hard. Saiful Islam, a 24-year-old international student from Bangladesh, said that he doesn’t find fasting difficult because he’s used to it.

Alzawad said the same thing, but added that despite its easiness, he’s “always looking forward to the sunset.”

Other students said that they find it harder to refrain from committing sins than from eating and drinking.

“Personally, it’s harder to abstain from sins,” said freshman Adam Siddiqui. “That’s like a level two fast, not a basic level one.”

Altair said that despite the difficulty, “we all try to do it because it’s God’s command and the reward is great.”

Altair also said that there are three primary benefits of fasting during Ramadan: spiritual, psychological and physical.

“It’s spiritually [beneficial] because it helps to remember God more. The whole year, we’re busy with work and don’t [always remember] God,” Altair said. “But during Ramadan we remember God always.”

Altair said that because Ramadan is the month of peace, “if someone attacks you, you aren’t allowed to retaliate, and that’s psychologically good.”

Altair also claimed that fasting helps to decrease cholesterol and sugar levels.

A source of support for many Muslims, like undergraduate student Amine (who declined to give her last name) during Ramadan is their family. “My mom cooks the best food during Ramadan,” she said.

The three international students said, however, that they don’t have any family in America. Alzawad, Altair and Islam share an apartment together, and said having each other makes it easier.

Alzawad said that they try to plan their breakfast and dinner together during Ramadan, but that sometimes their schedules don’t work out. He also said that he tries to cook the traditional meals of his country.

Alzawad said that last year OU’s chapter of the Muslim Student Association used to hold dinner parties for fasting Muslims two nights a week, but that this year the MSA is inactive because much of the past leadership graduated last year. He hoped that someone else would take up the helm.

This year, Ramadan started on Sept. 1 and will last until Sept. 30. Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that translates into “festival of breaking the fast,” will begin on Oct. 1 and will last three days. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Arabic calendar, which follows the lunar cycle rather than the solar cycle. Thus, Ramadan falls on different dates every year, usually about two weeks earlier than the previous year. In 2007, Ramadan started on Sept. 13.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims often give donations to the needy. According to www.islaam.com, Muslims who can afford it should give a minimum of either five pounds of food or its equivalent in money.