Laughter echoed off the walls of Sinclair Auditorium as the minutes dwindled before sunset and students passed out dates to break their fast. When the sun set and prayers were completed, attendees lined up for lamb, watermelon and dolma, a dish composed of rice, herbs and minced meat.
During Ramadan, the Muslim Student Association hosts iftar almost every weekday.
Marketing chair Habiba Swarna, ‘27, said iftar is a great opportunity to build community and relationships, an integral part of Islam.
She said she struggled when Ramadan came around because it reminded her of home and heightened the absence of her family. However, after attending the Muslim Student Association’s iftar for the first time as freshman, she said it rekindled her love for Ramadan and helped her build a strong Muslim community at Lehigh.
“There is beauty in celebrating Ramadan with your family, but there is also a different beauty (in) celebrating with your friends and people that are your own age,” Swarna said. “I never thought I would get this type of experience in college.”
Swarna said she connected with people she considers her closest friends and developed a sisterhood with fellow members. She said attending Ramadan events made her feel at home.
Islamic affair coordinator Hamza Al Farsi, ‘28, also said he found his home in the Muslim Student Association. He agreed it’s integral for Muslims to have a community during Ramadan, whether on campus or at home.
“I do not know how I would be able to manage without having a sense of community,” Al Farsi said. “It makes the experience.”
Ibtihal Gassem, ‘27, joined the Muslim Student Association as a freshman, and said she’s grateful to have such an active community. She previously was part of her high school’s Muslim Student Association.
She said the purpose of religion is rooted in community.
Gassem said it’s rare for a university to have an organization host iftar events almost every night of the week. She said having such events makes the experience more special by bringing so many other people to celebrate.
“It makes you feel like you are not alone,” Gassem said. “When you are in college, it is so easy to lose that connection.”
After joining, Gassem said she integrated herself into the community through mentorship from upperclassmen in Lehigh’s Muslim Student Association.
She now offers support to first-year members.
“(Upperclassmen members) really did make my first-year experience,” Gassem said. “I felt that I had people that cared about me.”
Gemma said the Muslim Association extends beyond religious belief and that the most important part is building community, regardless of background. Al Farsi said the biggest impact of being part of the association was seeing the diversity of the Muslim community within the student body.
“We are all from different backgrounds of the world,” Al Farsi said. “We are all Muslims together, breaking our fast together. The fact that we practice the same things together with this kind of unity, made me respect our religion a lot more.”
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