This year’s Ramadan began with a pre-sunrise fast today and will last through April 22. Since the days of early Islam Ramadan has commemorated the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. It’s a time when Muslims seek to build their relationship with Allah, their families, and their communities.

Kirstin Kelley’s 9 Ways To Support Students During Ramadan (cited below) offers specific suggestions for educators during this month. Reading it helped me understand the ways a dominant culture defines a space and how simple it is to be more inclusive.

Here are just a few things I learned from Sharing the Meaning of Ramadan with Students.

  • Appropriate Ramadan greetings used by both Muslims and non-Muslims are Ramadan Mubarak, which means “Blessed Ramadan” and Ramadan Kareem, which means “Generous Ramadan.”
  • The date for Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar which has about 354 days in a year. This means the date for Ramadan will change every year.
  • Fasting, giving, and prayers play a pivotal role during Ramadan.
  • Eid al-Fitr is a three day holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Both Muslims and non-Muslims great one another with Eid Mubarak, which means “Blessed Eid.”

Please feel free to share your own knowledge in the comments. Ramadan Mubarak.

Sources:

Brenneise, L. (2023, February 24). Sharing the Meaning of Ramadan with Students. Edutopia. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-about-ramadan/

Kelley, K. (2023, March 15). 9 Ways To Support Students During Ramadan. We Are Teachers. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.weareteachers.com/support-students-during-ramadan/