Siyam: Fasting with Friends

                 The fourth pillar of Islam is Siyam, or fasting. The Qur’an instructs us to fast for an entire month during Ramadan, the ninth month of our calendar, the month that God revealed His message to Muhammed. We fast from the break of dawn to sunset, with exceptions for pregnant women, travelers, the sick, the elderly, and young children. During daylight hours, we don’t eat food or drink liquids, including water. It’s considered time to begin fasting when a person standing outside can tell a white thread from a black thread, and then we break our fast and perform the sunset prayer. After a meal shared with family and friends, we attend special prayer sessions. Each night, a portion of the Qur’an is read aloud, and by the end of the month, we have heard the whole book. Ramadan encourages generosity, equality, and charity within the community. Fasting teaches self-control and makes them realize how it would be to be poor and hungry. The Eid al-Fitr, the celebration to remember Gabriel’s first visit, takes place at the end of Ramadan. We wear new clothes decorate our homes, prepare special foods, exchange gifts, and give to the poor. In LA, its hard to keep up the fasting. In primarily Muslim areas, everyone is doing it and keeping each other spirited and confident. The best way to fast in a place with a low Muslim population is to do it with friends. Finding more people to do it with helps more than you think--you keep each other up and it inspires a sense of community. Ramadan is not about feeling lonely and isolated--its about goodwill, forgiving, and equality.