You will not see Kashif Shah or his wife eating lunch tomorrow.

Nor, his friend’s Zaid or Sardar.

None of these Eastern students have eaten in the hours between sunrise and sundown since Sept. 13 and will continue this practice through Oct. 13.

They are fasting for Ramadan, the fourth of five pillars of Islam.

Ramadan is a thirty-day period, which honors the time when God revealed the Qu’ran, the Muslim holy book, to Muhammad and which according to the Qu’ran, requires daily fasting for able adult Muslims.

The thirty-day period does not always fall the same time every year and is based from a lunar calendar. Ramadan is always in the ninth month of the lunar calendar and begins when the new moon is sighted.

Shah is a graduate student in his first year of his studies in technology management at Eastern.

He said the fasting that takes place during Ramadan is more than abstaining from food and drink.

“It’s not just stop eating and drinking, you have to abstain from hurting others – it’s a fast of your ears, eyes, legs, everything,” he said.

Fasting during Ramadan also includes an abandonment of “worldly pleasures” such as sexual relations and negative social behaviors like lying and malicious gossip.

The fast from food and drink lasts from sunrise until sunset each day during Ramadan. Shah said the fast each day begins with a morning prayer, fajr, and ends with sundown prayer “magrib.”

Sardar Murad, who is also a graduate student of technology, said there are many reasons for the fast during Ramadan.

For the individual the fasting develops inner strength.

“It will help you find your strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “Ramadan offers you a step by step process to change yourself.”

He said the time not only cultivates inner strength for the individual but also develops solidarity in communities that observe the holy month.

Both Murad and Shah are originally from Pakistan, where the majority of the community celebrates Ramadan.

Shah said this time in Pakistan is good for society.

“Another important thing is we give a charity in this month, that is 2.5 percent of your savings for the year,” he said.

Murad said as individuals deprive themselves of food during the day, they feel hunger and develop empathy for those who are impoverished.

“You have the feeling of those people and how they spend their life,” Murad said. “This understanding brings society together. In Pakistan, this time (Ramadan) people are more tilted towards social behavior, charity, attending at the mosques and so on, because they feel what the others are going through and this betters and creates tranquility society.”

Shah said this Ramadan has been different for him because the Eastern community is mostly non-Muslim.

“This is quite different because out there (in Pakistan) we don’t see people eating or drinking, you can see there is some special month going on, and when there is time for prayer the call is given on the loud speaker in every mosque,” Shah said

However, for Shah there is no personal difference.

“I used to fast there and I still fast here,” he said. “It is perfectly fine with me, I have 4 or 5 Muslim friends and we gather and it is ok.”

Shah and his friends gather during Ramadan for the nightly prayers and also on Fridays throughout the year at 2 p.m. in a room of the Afro-American Center.

“The prayers are obligatory,” Shah said. “We offer these prayers throughout the year, but during the night prayer we offer 20 more units than we used to offer during our ordinary days.”

Everyday Muslims pray five times a day.

The night prayer, “esha,” during Ramadan is supplemented with ‘tarawih,” when parts of the Qu’ran are recited.

The month of Ramadan is split into three parts and each lasts for ten days.

The first ten days Shad said, pay respect to the mercy and blessings of God, the second section is about repentance for sins and the third is heavily concentrated on salvation and escaping hell.

Salvation is achieved through many tasks.

“By doing good deeds, offering your prayers, reciting your holy book, that is Qu’ran, and most importantly doing good with people around you,” he said.

Shah said it is important during this time for all Muslims to do good to all people all the time.

“God will forgive whatever wrong you have done to whatever he said (if you sin against God), but he will not forgive if you have done something wrong to your neighbors,” he said. “When they forgive you, he will forgive you, so you have to be good with them.”

Shah said the salvation at the end of Ramadan is up to God and will be different depending on the person practicing.

The 19th, 21st, and 23rd nights of the month are the special nights.

“These are more important. You’re supposed to pray all night, Shah said. “It’s not obligatory, but it depends upon you, if you want to get rid of your sins you will pray all night and reflect on your sins.”

These prayers can be done in the home or mosque and are up to the individual to perform.

Shah said the biggest celebration comes at the end of the fast, when the community comes together for Eid ul-Fitr,

“Nobody is sure that you have gotten away from your sins but at least you have tried, we have a celebration that at least we have done what God has said,” he said.

Muslims gather at a mosque in Effingham to break their fast Saturday at sunset. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during ramadan, the Muslim holy month.

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