The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Local Muslims mark holy month

Staff photo by Bill Lackey Springfield's Saarah Khan competes in a match against Northwestern Wednesday, August 18.

Dayton gets boost from committee for UAV testing
5/24/12
Patrol searches Springfield dealership for stolen cards
5/24/12
Police headlines: Two accused of child endangering
5/24/12
Ad calls Brown career politician
5/24/12
Local Focus: Clark County for May 25
5/24/12
> More headlines

By Samantha Sommer, Staff Writer Updated 8:23 AM Tuesday, August 24, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — Saarah Khan loves both playing tennis and fasting for Ramadan.

So when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began at sunset on Aug. 10, she didn’t want to give up either. She keeps a bottle handy to splash water on her while playing in the heat, but doesn’t eat or drink from before dawn until after sunset.

It’s hard, but fasting is also calming, said Khan, a sophomore at Springfield High School.

“It teaches a lot of patience,” she said.

Fasting also teaches god-consciousness and discipline, takes away greed and serves as a reminder of those who go hungry every day, said Imam Yunus Lasania of the Miami Valley Islamic Association on South Burnett Road.

“Ramadan is a time of prayer, charity and fasting,” Lasania said. “Moreover, it’s a time of reflection and making a connection with our creator.”

Springfielder Samina Ahmed and her family fast for Ramadan and she said it is purifying.

“This is one act of worship you do truly to please God,” she said. “It’s a good feeling to accomplish it.”

Muslim families break the fast after sunset with a large meal often shared at home with extended family members during the week and at the mosque on the weekends.

That’s a way to share the experience with others, said Imam Mustafaa Islam of Masjid An-Nur on Liberty Street.

“Being in the presence of family, being in the presence of people who share the same beliefs as you do, is important in building bonds,” Islam said.

Observing Ramadan trains Muslims for the entire year, Islam said, and includes spending more time in prayer and studying the Quran.

“It is a time of purification not just of the spirit, but of the whole person — physical, mental and spiritual,” he said.

The call for charity is even more acute this year as floods have devastated Pakistan.

“Many people over there can’t afford to eat anything,” Ahmed said. “That realization makes you sad and humble. It makes you gracious and to want to do what you can to help the needy and less fortunate.”

Muslims believe that whatever they have isn’t theirs, she said.

“It’s a gift from God and we shouldn’t be selfish,” Ahmed said. “The more you give, the more you get from God.”

Share this article