An Athlete’s Perspective on Ramadan (By Moustapha Gueye)

Ramadan is a month-long practice of fasting during which Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Quran, Islam's Holy Book. During Ramadan, there is a night called Laylatul Qadr, when Muslims believe the first revelation of the Quran from the angel Gabriel to Muhammad happened in Cave Hira. On this night, Muslims pray intensively in search of blessings and to strengthen their connection with the Almighty. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from the morning prayer, called Fajr, until the late afternoon prayer, called Maghrib. The fast consists of abstaining from food and water, and the month is seen as a time for Muslims to reconnect with Islam and purify themselves of their bad deeds. At Maghrib, Muslims gather to break their fast in a meal called iftar, where commonly the first thing eaten is a date. The true blessing associated with fasting is that we find ourselves hungry and thirsty all day, only to be satiated in about 30 minutes after a single meal.

My time at boarding school was structured by the meal times throughout the day. I would navigate the day and plan things around these times, ensuring I always had a solid 45 minutes to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Before Ramadan, I usually woke up around 5 a.m. to pray Fajr, then headed down to the athletic center to train from 6 to 7 a.m. After training, I went to breakfast between 7:15 and 8:15. On a normal day, my classes lasted from 8:15 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., with around an hour or two break in between, during which I would eat lunch and pray the afternoon prayer called Dhur. After school, I had sports until 7 p.m. and then went to eat dinner. I am fortunate that my school provides a prayer room for students of all religions. I use this space to pray the other afternoon prayer (Asr) and the late afternoon prayer (Maghrib). After those prayers, I normally have free time, usually reserved for studying and doing homework. Afterward, I pray the night prayer (Isha) and go to bed.

When Ramadan starts, I begin to feel much closer to God and my religion. I end up surrounded by other Muslims, which is not a common occurrence because I live in a majority Christian area. I am grateful that my school finds ways to connect us with other Muslim youth at other boarding schools through various events and iftar dinners.

During Ramadan, my day-to-day life changes significantly. I find myself waking up especially early, around 4:30 a.m., to eat a morning meal before it's time to pray. During this meal, I try to consume as many calorie-dense foods as possible and drink a gallon of water. Throughout the training season, when we are conditioning and I can't drink water, I fall back on my beliefs and realize that what I'm doing is bigger than me. This reminder usually helps me get through those difficult times. I never want to be treated differently because I am fasting. My trainer is very understanding and does not push me as hard as the other athletes. During regular meal times for everyone else, I find myself doing homework or catching up on sleep. Surprisingly, I found that I performed much better in school during Ramadan, mainly because of all my extra study time. What gets me through each day of Ramadan is my dedication and understanding of the reason why I am doing this in the first place.

After Ramadan ended, I did not experience setbacks in weight or strength due to careful management of my diet and an appropriate training regimen. The experience of Ramadan led to personal growth and a deeper connection to my religion through community gatherings and learning how much I can truly push myself.