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Community Corner

Ramadan Brings Believers Closer to God Through Prayer, Fasting

Muslim families begin fasting on this first day of Ramadan.

Just about every religion practices some form of fasting as a way to strengthen a person’s relationship with God. And research on the health benefits of fasting shows that people who practice it enjoy better quality sleep, greater energy, improved mental abilities, and elimination of toxins, to name just a few.

Today is the first day of Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Muslim calendar. The start of the month—and the holiday—is determined through the naked eye by clerics’ observation of the moon. For the next 29 or 30 days, Muslims will practice abstaining from food, drink and sex during daylight hours as a spiritual exercise designed to strengthen their relationship with God.

“Each night families will break the fast with a meal at home or one prepared for them at their mosque,” said Hassan Shibly, the new executive director for the Tampa Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “After the meal, they will listen to a talk or lecture. At 10 p.m., they will begin “Taraween” prayers that continue until 11 p.m.”

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Magda Saleh, head of school at the , works closely with families to reinforce with children the important values and practices of Ramadan. The school serves children in prekindergarten through 12th-grade and is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. American Youth Academy has an enrollment of 390 kids, half coming from Temple Terrace and the rest from New Tampa, Carrollwood and Sarasota.

“Because many of our families commute, parents decided because of Ramadan falling in August this year to move the start of the school to Sept. 7,” Saleh said.

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There are two major mosques in the Tampa Bay area, the Islamic Community of Tampa Mosque in Temple Terrace and the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay on Sligh Avenue.

Saleh, a member of The Islamic Community of Tampa Mosque, said that on average during weekdays, more than 250 people come to break the fast at the Temple Terrace mosque and double that number on weekends.

“This month, members are encouraged to provide a meal for someone at least once during the month,” Shibly said. “If you have five family members, your family should provide enough meals for five individuals. Without service to your fellow human beings, your worship to God is worthless.”

Muslim families may perform these important acts of charity during Ramadan by giving directly to their mosque, to an orphanage or as a gift basket for needy families. However the giving is done, it should be accomplished in a way that does not place the receiver in a humbled position.

“It is an amazing month—we worry about it coming, going without food for 16 hours, but the fasting goes by quickly,” Saleh said.

While no one is expected to fast until they’ve reached the age of puberty, Saleh said children are encouraged to participate in prayers and to think about people who don’t have enough to eat. She said she thinks the free evening meals provided at the mosque are helpful for families who may be struggling, or college students far from their homes.

At the end of Ramadan, Aug. 30 or 31, children and families will enjoy a three-day holiday that starts with a breakfast and then is followed by a carnival. It is traditional for each mosque to extend an invitation to the community to come and enjoy the carnival.

Shibly invited anyone interested in visiting a mosque during Ramadan to call the CAIR office for information at 813-514-1414.

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