Ramadan & our Community Iftar!

Ramadan & our Community Iftar!

By Mohamed Abdi, ResLife Student Assistant

On March 30th, our ResLife team joined forces with the University Chaplaincy Service, the Islamic Society and the Students’ Union to organise this year’s Iftar for our students and Muslim community in Lincoln.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The exact dates of Ramadan change every year, this is because Islam uses a calendar based on the cycles of the Moon.

In 2023 in the UK, Ramadan will begin in the evening of Wednesday 22 March and will end on Friday 21 April.

Most Muslims fast between dawn and sunset. Fasting allows Muslims to devote themselves to their faith. It is thought to teach self-discipline and reminds them of the suffering of the poor. However, children, pregnant women, elderly people and those who are ill or travelling don’t have to fast.

During Ramadan, it is common to have one meal (known as the Suhoor), just before dawn and another (known as the Iftar), directly after sunset.

Our Community Iftar at the University of Lincoln

The Lincoln community came together on the 30th of March to celebrate this Holy month and break fast together for those who were fasting. The variety of food this year was out of this incredible! There were samosas, chicken wings, kebabs, biriyani and so much more as well as sweet treats.

Everyone came together by serving each other food and enjoying the company of one and other. Many of the Muslims that attended broke their fast at sunset with dates and water and they were then directed to the beautiful prayer area in which they all prayed together. After prayer the feast began. It was mesmerising to see how different communities and religions all came together to support and celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan. Everyone left with a smile and feeling incredibly full!

You can view our gallery of images from the event here