Four UAA student-athletes, including a trio from Case Western Reserve University, are among the approximately two billion Muslims worldwide currently observing Ramadan, a holy month of fasting based on when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammad, the final prophet of Islam, more than 1,400 years ago. Observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk throughout the month with a focus on self-discipline and spiritual reflection.

Three of the student-athletes are currently in season with freshman Nabeel Elsanousi of NYU and senior Yusuf Shabaan of CWRU competing in the early stages of their outdoor track & field seasons, and sophomore Elsa Syed of the Spartans playing in the middle of her tennis season. Junior Umar Rashid’s men’s basketball season ended just before the beginning of Ramadan, which is expected to coincide with the Spartans’ final regular season contest and any post-season games next year. Each year, Ramadan begins 10 to 12 days earlier than the previous year as the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar Hijri calendar.

Observing Ramadan as a Youth and Adjustment to College Life

Each of the four began observing Ramadan at an early age and have continued into the various stages of their college careers.

“Fasting for Ramadan was ingrained in my family. I started fasting at age 13,” remarked Elsanousi, who admitted that when he was a child, he would fret about dinner being later each day, even if it was only two minutes later that the day before. “I attended a PWI (predominantly white institution) in Northern Virginia, which is very similar in many ways to NYU with people of many faiths. I grew up around a lot of immigrant families who raised their children to be observant. Being a freshman, it was great to break my fast with my track teammate Safi (Darwiche), who is also a freshman. We try to coordinate with other athletes to host iftar.”

Rashid began fasting when he was nine years old. “I grew up in suburban Georgia, so I didn’t grow up around Muslims. We drove 30-to-40 minutes to be in a more concentrated Muslim area. That may be part of the reason why my faith was more sheltered at that time, and I didn’t talk about it as much. Branching out from Georgia and seeing different types of people from all over the world, especially more Muslim brothers and sisters, made me more comfortable showing and talking about my faith,” he described.

Syed began a modified fast at a very young age. “When I was five years old, I would wake up early in the morning with my parents and then fast until lunch,” she recalled. “I started the full day fast when I was 11 or 12. The part that made me nervous about fasting in college is that you have so much alone time and I wasn’t sure how I would feel without my regular social circle. Fortunately, my roommate was also fasting, so we had suhoor together and then broke fast each night with a great group of friends. They became a new safe space for me.”

“We moved around the Midwest a lot when I was younger and I always attended public schools, so I did not see a lot of Muslims on a day-to-day basis. I got used to people living differently from me while I was abstaining from eating and drinking,” Shabaan recollected. “It was harder to fast at a young age because I played so many sports (soccer, basketball, baseball) and it was often really hot during Ramadan plus the days were longer at that time of the year. At the same time, it gave me strength physically and mentally to know I could still compete with little hydration and little food in my system.”

Competing During Ramadan

In both Syed’s junior and senior years of high school, Ramadan occurred during tennis regionals. “I made sure my coach and athletic trainer were aware that I wasn’t eating or drinking during the day. I was fortunate to have accommodations like practicing at night. There have been times in college where we have team lifts, but I would need to break my fast in the middle of it, so I needed to lift at a different time,” she explained.

Last season, the Spartans faced UAA rival Carnegie Mellon University in a match during the holy month that she recalls vividly. “I lost in the third set (of a 5-4 CWRU home win) and my teammates joked that I would have won if I had been able to drink water,” she laughed. “People will often say, ‘I could never fast all day,’ but you get used to it. It is something I have been doing since I was a kid. It is not something out of the blue.”

“Everyone is surprised about the (not drinking) water,” Shabaan acknowledged. “Hydration is important and when I am not fasting, I hydrate as much as possible. What I have learned is that you can achieve quite a bit from quite a little. It would surprise people to know what their bodies are capable of. It is a testament to the human mind and strength to function, and even achieve a personal best or have a good game without water. Human beings can achieve great things even without something so crucial.”

As a youth, he was inspired from watching Muslim athletes compete during Ramadan even at one of the world’s highest profile athletic events, the World Cup. “I would see them on the world’s biggest stage, still competing and winning. Even though I was only playing club sports, it demonstrated to me the power and mental strength an athlete can possess when they focus on their goal rather than on what they are, or are not, eating or drinking,” pointed out Shabaan, who noted that observant Muslim Kyrie Irving hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to give the Dallas Mavericks a 107-105 win over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets earlier this month. “I felt that. I know what can happen when you keep the focus.”

Elsanousi was competing in high school track during Ramadan last year and continued to fast even though traveling is one of the exemptions to fasting in his faith. “I thought it would make it harder to stay consistent if I broke the habit. Once you get past the first few days, which are an adjustment and shock to your system, eating before sunrise and going the entire day without food and water helps with everything. You don’t focus on food whatsoever,” he commented. “Seeing others chugging water and Gatorade during practice only motivates me more. I am a very competitive person, so when I see others energized and replenished, I want to prove that I can still compete at a very high level without food or drink.”

Although not in season during Ramadan in recent years, Rashid has always continued playing in addition to working out. “Now it is no different than when I was in high school. We would play pickup all spring after the season ended. Even if my team lost, I would get picked up for the next game. I would play two hours continually without food or drink. I felt like I had extra powers,” he stated. “I got used to hearing from my teammates that they didn’t how I could play without even drinking water. I find it helps me not having to worry about what to eat before I play. Part of me feeling so strong during Ramadan is that my wind is incredible. I can run for hours and feel great.”

Fasting Benefits and Perspective

“The spiritual connectivity during Ramadan helps with fasting. In daily life, it is hard to dial in on religious mandates, but once we are in the holy month, it helps us refocus. That applies to our studies as well. Our performance doesn’t decline at all,” expressed Rashid, who also focuses on the harsh realities many others around the globe face. “Going through our 30-day fast is a reminder to be conscious of the fact that many Muslims go months on end without the food and luxuries we take for granted. It brings us closer to the Muslim community as a whole and even more appreciative of what we have.”

He has found a sense of community both at home and school. With the start of Ramadan occurring during spring break for many colleges, including CWRU, Rashid spent part of the time at home, breaking fast with family, and then attending a local mosque for prayer later in the evening. After his freshman year in college, he became active with the Muslim Students Association (MSA) though he had attended multiple events even before he was a member of the organization and appreciates that most Muslim students on campus come together each night during Ramadan to break their fast and pray.

Being in a city the size of New York City allows Elsanousi to be around many Muslims during the holy month. “I went to iftar hosted by the Islamic Center where there were 1,000 people. I got to see friends I didn’t expect to see and make new friends,” he communicated. “It was like being back home again, where there is a very large Islamic community, and you are always seeing familiar faces. Plus, the imam (an Islamic leader who often leads prayer) from the Center here is friends with my father.”

Elsanousi believes one of the most beneficial aspects of fasting for him is learning patience. “Even in breaking the fast, we have something light, which for most of us is dates and water to hold our stomachs before our sunset prayer. We pray and then eat our meal,” he explained. “This time gives you time to think about what you have done all day. Time to pray, think, and reflect with a date and a cup of water. I feel proud and accomplished after I have fasted all day. I am becoming a better person. Even outside of faith and spirituality, I am getting better day by day during Ramadan, locked in as a person in general and surrounding myself with like-minded people, which helps me be stronger.”

Shabaan breaks his fast with dates and water before praying and eating dinner as part of his meal plan, which has special Ramadan meals for CWRU students. “If I see another Muslim breaking fast, we will do it together. It is different from night to night. The first week is always a tougher adjustment, but by the last 10 days of Ramadan, I am very well adjusted. I have been doing this for about 15 years and it is not nearly as difficult as it was when I was young. I don’t mind going from planning out meals throughout the day to knowing I will have one early meal and one late meal.”

He stresses that fasting for this length of time is something nearly everyone can do. “Thirty days once a year can be difficult, but something every young, healthy individual is capable of. Our ancestors may have had to hunt for food and may not have had access to clean water and there are still many people who don’t have access to what we do, but continue to thrive and live efficiently each day,” he rendered. “In addition to my spiritual obligation, it gives me perspective. I am guaranteed a meal at the end of the day, but that is not something others can take for granted.”

“I am very grateful to be fasting again. Coming to college has made me much more aware of my spirituality,” Syed vocalized. “It has been very exciting for me to come here and find community. Now I have a close Muslim circle, and I get to see them regularly. Everyone is on this journey together and I feel so supported.”

She appreciates not having to focus on what she is going to eat and knowing she will not be less competitive during her fasting. “It is physically kind of nice that I don’t have to worry about my meals. The first couple of days are kind of hard, but after that, you get used to it. I prioritize getting nutrients in my body when I can, and I am very aware of what I am consuming. I have found this year to be much less of a struggle actively playing during Ramadan. I am more aware of what I am doing with my body, and I feel good. Fasting is not taking a toll on me.”

Connecting With Non-Muslims

Shabaan particularly enjoys getting to speak to other people and his teammates about fasting and why he does it. “I don’t have the answers to how healthy it may be for them to do, but I do notice that most people are still interested in the concept and why, as Muslims, we do this. I like explaining the benefits it has given me. To those who don’t have the obligation, I suggest that they give it a shot one day on the pretense that they are healthy and physically able to do so.”

While the fasting garners a lot of the attention, he notes that others are aware of fasting as well, whether from a religious standpoint or for its health benefits. “Therefore, some people are more interested in the faith aspect of it because they may not be familiar with it. I love having those interfaith conversations with Christians, Buddhists, Jewish people, etc. I grew up around people of a lot of different faiths and my mother’s side of the family is Catholic and they enjoy learning about my faith.”

Syed finds that there is common ground to talk to athletes and non-athletes about her fasting and faith. “Not everyone is an athlete, but many people who don’t compete still work out. I enjoy having discussions about how fasting impacts athletics with those who are curious. It’s eye opening for both parties involved,” she said.

Growing up as he did, Rashid was not accustomed to having conversations about his faith and fasting with non-Muslims, but that has changed in college. One time a couple of his friends not of his faith fasted for a day and attended the evening fast break and prayer. He has found that the support of those of different beliefs and customs strengthens his own faith. “When I go on the court, I like to show the importance of my faith. I have had teammates and parents ask me about it, which made me even more comfortable in my skin and given me more pride in my religion.”

Elsanousi’s father has worked extensively in interfaith spaces with a multitude of cultures represented. “I have friends from completely different faiths, and we have deep conversations all the time. It is such a breath of fresh air where everyone is not pitted against one another, but at a level of mutual understanding and respect.”

Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik