Breaking Their Fast, Building a Community

As most of the campus slept beneath an indigo sky, a few students woke up before the sun. 

In these last few moments of the night, they might have poured a glass of water, eaten a banana or bowl of oatmeal, or sat down to pray. 

As the sky softened with early morning light, this pre-dawn meal and opportunity for worship known as Suhoor or Sehri came to a close, providing physical and spiritual nourishment for Muslims fasting during the month of Ramadan. 

This was the morning routine for Trinity University students Ayesha Farrukh ’27 and Tanvi Dubey ’29, who observe Ramadan and its traditions every year. 

In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month, commemorating when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims who observe it participate in customs such as fasting, prayer, charity, and reflection. 

This year, Ramadan lasted 30 days, beginning on February 17 and ending on March 19, followed by Eid al-Fitr, a festival marking the end of the month-long fast. 

Though Farrukh began fasting when she was eight, she finds that observing Ramadan at college has come with its own set of challenges, primarily juggling her obligations as a student and RA while maintaining her fast. 

“This was personally such a harder Ramadan, because it was right in the middle of midterms, and I had to study,” Farrukh says. For Dubey, who started fasting in eighth grade, fasting has gotten easier as she’s grown up. 

“It was a little bit more difficult during meal times when you're at school, because everybody around you is eating,” Dubey says. “But now, it's been so many years that it just doesn't affect me in the same way.”  

When she was observing Ramadan at home, Dubey would come downstairs to find breakfast already prepared by her mom. However, this past Ramadan, she had to make time in her schedule to prepare her own breakfast, which was more difficult after attending classes and studying. 

As they’ve overcome their personal challenges during Ramadan each year, Farrukh and Dubey found support and community through the Muslim Student Association (MSA). 

When Farrukh was a first-year, the club connected her to helpful resources that made the month easier. This year, as a junior and a member of the executive team, Farrukh was able to do the same for other students. 

The club began planning for Ramadan in December, communicating with Mabee Dining Hall to ensure Halal chicken would be available at all times. Halal is an Arabic term meaning “permissible” under Islamic law, generally referring to ethical and high-quality food. They also worked with Mabee to create Suhoor kits, which include breakfast options like granola bars, bagels, oatmeal, and fruit, giving students nutrients and energy before their fast for the day begins. The club’s efforts ensured that the Muslim student community at Trinity was properly supported in their fasting. 

This community is an essential part of Ramadan. At home, Dubey’s family would attend Iftar dinners with family friends during Ramadan. 

“We would break our fast at the same time, and then we would all pray. Then, we would eat this big meal together,” Dubey says. “That was definitely something special.” 

MSA’s Iftar dinners brought that sense of community to Trinity. During Ramadan itself, the club also organized Iftar dinners, the fast-breaking evening meal after sunset. Because breaking your fast is intended to be done communally, the dinners welcomed all Trinity students, faculty, and staff, whether they were fasting or not.

For several dinners, MSA collaborated with other clubs and organizations on campus, including the South Asian Student Association (SASA). This collaboration happens every year, and Kavni Maniar ’27, president of SASA, appreciates how it brings students together to celebrate Islamic culture. 

“My favorite part of attending the Iftar dinner was seeing the joy and community,” Maniar says. “The room was filled with excited conversation, laughter, and a sense of togetherness.” 

However, Ramadan isn’t just about fasting. Another core tradition is additional prayer, and the MSA coordinated carpools to a local mosque. Giving to charity is also a big part of the month, which inspired the club to organize trips to the San Antonio Food Bank. By bringing students out into the city, the club extended its Ramadan experience beyond the campus itself. 

Though Ramadan in college was different from observing it at home, the MSA’s efforts and the welcoming nature of Trinity as a whole ensured students such as Dubey felt comfortable observing it on campus.

“When I came to Trinity, I thought I was going to be a lot more separated from my religion,” Dubey says. “But now that I’m here, I’ve realized there really is so much inclusivity and such a good community on campus.”