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Seven Truman students sat around a table in a room in West Campus Suites, passing food, talking and laughing. But this wasn't just any friendly get-together. The students, members of the Muslim Student Association, were breaking their Ramadan fast for the day.
Before helping themselves to the food, which included pasta, curry, naan and Domino's pizza, they broke the fast in the traditional manner by eating dates and drinking water. In observing their religious holiday, many had not eaten or drank since sunrise.
Aftab Ahmad, a certified speaker for Islam and Muslims, said Ramadan is a 29 to 30 day holy month for Muslims in which they fast from sunup to sundown. He said Muslims are expected to refrain from eating, drinking and having sex during daylight hours, as well as to strive to be kinder and more generous.
"In essence, it's not just giving up food or drink," he said. "It's giving up vain talk. It's the fasting of your eyes, and your ears and everything. You stay away from all the evil that normally goes on the rest of the year."
Junior Hazar Khidir, president of the MSA, said observing Ramadan while at school can be difficult, because students must focus on classes while fasting. She said many Muslim students get together nightly to break their fast and have weekly potlucks.
Khidir said fasting during the summer was easier because she woke up later in the day, but moving her belongings into her apartment was difficult because she could not quench her thirst by drinking anything.
Many Muslims are not expected to fast, including children, the physically and mentally ill and pregnant women, she said.
"If you're about to faint or if you're feeling ill, then break your fast," Khidir said. "Have water, have food, eat whatever you need."
Senior Chris Majetich converted to Islam during the summer, and is celebrating his first Ramadan. He said he has had to cut back on smoking.
"Smoking gives me a thirst, so when I smoke and then I realize I can't drink anything afterwards and I have a dry throat," Majetich said. "It's been a habit I've been wanting to kick for a while, it's just hard. So Ramadan really helps."
Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, so its exact dates change every year. Khidir said the MSA did not have time to plan events for Ramadan because it coincided with the beginning of school, but they will host Taste of Islam, an event that invites students to learn about Islam by tasting traditional foods, sometime during the semester.
Khidir said the organization also will work to correct misconceptions people have about Islam.
"I watch the news and I hear people say stuff and they think they know about Islam, but they don't," she said. "I'm thinking maybe we can do some sort of awareness and we can talk about the ground zero mosque controversy and we can talk about what our religion actually believes."
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