For Duke and UNC Muslim students observing Ramadan, Saturday is doubly important
Muslim students at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University are preparing for a packed Saturday.
As Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, kicks off on Friday evening, students are also gearing up for a historic basketball game: the Tar Heels will face the Blue Devils in the Final Four of this year’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday — the first time these archrivals have met in a March Madness game.
In celebrating Ramadan, which lasts until the evening of May 1, many Muslims fast, avoiding food and drink, from sunrise to sunset every day of the month. Fasts are broken with special meals, called iftar. (Learn more about Ramadan and Ramadan events in the Triangle at newsobserver.com/living/religion.)
Saturday — the day of the big game — will be the first day of fasting for many of those who observe Ramadan.
Here’s how Muslim students at Duke and UNC-CH are anticipating spending Saturday night.
Saturday evening for Muslim students at Duke
Since sundown will be around 7:30 p.m. and the anxiety-inducing game begins close to 9 p.m., there’s enough room to partake in iftar before the game.
But it’ll be a rushed event for those going to Cameron Indoor Stadium’s watch party, said Adam Kaakati, MSA’s spiritual chair and a sophomore studying electrical and computer engineering.
Since Saturday evening will be the first iftar of Ramadan, Duke’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) is organizing a potluck to honor the day and allow community members to join one another in celebrating as a unit.
“We’re not planning any pre-game activities since, one, pre-gaming is hard without food or drink, and two, pre-gaming would be very close to sunset, and that’s a time people use spiritually, usually by themselves,” said Huzyfa Fazili, Duke MSA’s publicity chair and a senior studying public policy.
Fazili estimates 100 active undergraduates are involved in the organization. During Ramadan, he expects to see about 150 students join in the regular activities.
The Center for Muslim Life (CML), a building on Duke’s campus, will be open for Muslim students and friends, and the game will be shown on a television. But many Muslim students will partake in iftar together then go off to their own watch parties, Kaakati said.
This will be Kaakati’s first on-campus Ramadan in celebration with other Muslim students, as he spent his freshman year largely off campus through the pandemic. While he’s looking forward to spending late Saturday evening with friends at a watch party, he’s feeling bummed that his first iftar with his college community won’t linger.
“I might have to eat standing up, which sucks, then head over to the watch party,” he said.
Saturday evening for Muslim students at UNC
Muslim students in UNC’s MSA report different plans.
They’re going to break their fast with their own iftars, then gather together at 9 p.m. for the Tarawih prayer — about the same time the game begins.
The prayer will end 9:45 p.m., and then students will break off for their own watch parties with one another, said Zakia Ishaque, UNC MSA’s former president, a graduating senior studying neuroscience, exercise and sports science.
“I think our people are glad they will be able to do both,” Ishaque said. “Nobody wanted to miss out on prayer, especially the first one, so we found a way to accommodate for people who want to watch the game and also pray.”
UNC’s MSA usually has 40 regular attendees, and that number doubles during the group’s regular Friday events, Ishaque said. Many faculty, staff and people outside of the university attend as well, since UNC’s MSA is one of very few offerings for Muslims living in Chapel Hill, she said.
Ishaque expects many students to attend the prayer during the first half of the basketball game.
She expects attendance to be high in the first few days of the month, then dip during the end of the semester, then climb again in Ramadan’s final days.
“The last 10 nights are considered the most holy, so attendance should shoot up then,” Ishaque said.
Saturday’s Tarawih prayer
Muslims usually pray five times a day, and during Ramadan, a special additional prayer is added to the schedule. This prayer, Tarawih (also spelled Taraweeh), is prayed during sundown.
Duke’s MSA plans to pray Tarawih together after the game, Kaakati said.
“If we lose, that time of prayer is going to be so sad,” he said. “But think about how great it’ll be if we win!”
Even though Saturday’s plans look different from a usual evening during Ramadan (especially the first one), Muslim students at Duke can look forward to Monday evening, when CLM is organizing an iftar for students to come together.
“They’re catering Monday’s iftar, so you know the food’s going to be special,” Kaakati said. “Since a lot of people in MSA are doing their own thing Saturday, we can look forward to Monday night to have that community with one another.”
But another wrench might be thrown in these plans: If Duke advances to the National Championship, the game will be played Monday night, possibly rearranging yet another iftar.
Friendly rivalries between Duke, UNC Muslims
Muslim students at the Triangle’s universities will also gather to observe Ramadan together.
“We have some organized events coming up with other MSA’s in the area, like with NC State and UNC,” Fazili said. “Student groups aren’t organizing them, but we know of some iftars that are open to everyone, so different MSA’s are planning to gather for iftar and prayer.”
Ishaque said she’s looking forward to these events too: “Yes, with Duke! Maybe not during the game, but in the future,” she said with a laugh.
“But after this game, we might say only NC State can come,” Kaakati joked, and Fazili laughed. “UNC won’t be allowed.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 8:30 AM.
