Fairfield to host Ramadan iftaar

Editor’s note: Aamina Awan is active in the Religious Studies Department and was invited to preview the organization’s upcoming event.

Fairfield’s Religious Studies Department is hosting the first Ramadan iftaar (a meal served at the end of the day during Ramadan that breaks the day’s fast).

For more than a billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a month of blessing that is characterized by prayer, fasting and charity.

Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, God revealed the first verses of the Holy Quran. During Ramadan, Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, where they abstain from eating and drinking, even water, from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam. It helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion, as well as kinship with fellow believers.

So come learn more about the Muslim faith, the importance of Ramadan, and join us for some amazing ethnic food!

Layla’s Falafel Restaurant will be catering the event, so don’t miss out! Fellow Fairfield Muslim students will share their opinions on what Ramadan means to them, and Imam Nasif Muhammad of the Bridgeport Mosque will be present to commemorate the event.

It will be held in the Loyola Ignatian Commons at 6 p.m. This enjoyable and informative event is free of charge.

Donations for UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund) will be accepted to represent the importance of almsgiving during Ramadan.

For additional information or questions, please contact Aamina Awan at 07_Aawan@stagweb.fairfield.edu or Dr. Raquel Ukeles, professor in religious studies, at rukeles@stagweb.fairfield.edu.