Ramadan and Eid

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar. It is a lunar calendar which is shorter than the 12-month calendar. This means that the start of Ramadan varies each academic year.

In the month of Ramadan observant adult Muslims will fast during the hours of daylight. This means that in the summer the fasting hours are longer than in the winter.

Muslims will wake before dawn for a meal called 'Suhur'. At sunset, most Muslims will have a meal called 'Iftar', usually this starts with dates and water.

The end of Ramadan is marked by the festival of Eid-al-Fitr.

Why Muslims Fast Ramadan

Muslims view the fast of Ramadan as a great opportunity for personal & spiritual growth. Muslims believe that God is very forgiving and that people are especially receptive to His forgiveness during the month of fasting. But they think of the fast of Ramadan more as a spiritual benefit.

Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between sunrise and sunset. They must also restrain their temper and avoid backbiting. One central objective of this month-long fast is to teach the believer self-control and to prepare them for the challenges, life may offer. Non-Muslims often mistakenly assume that the aim of the fast is self-mortification (to weaken the body, so as to free the soul). This is not the case in Islam. The fact the Muslims can replenish themselves after sunset, and not to fast if they are ill or travelling, shows that the fast is not intended to cause any physical weakness.

By the end of Ramadan, a person is to gain a new confidence in themselves. This means they have greater endurance than they thought they had and that with some patience and determination, and God's help, a seemingly very difficult task could become quite achievable. Islam definitely encourages such a positive attitude; it's one of the Qur'an major themes, and the rituals seem to be designed to strengthen this convention. Perhaps that's why Islam discourages severe asceticism, because so few of us are capable of it. Although Islam rituals challenge the believer, they are not so difficult so as to make them accustomed to failure.

Supporting staff and students who are fasting

Changing working hours or annual leave

The fasting and the changing sleep patterns can leave individuals feeling more tired, particularly towards the end of the day, when they may also feel light-headed.

Requests for changing working hours, for example an earlier start and earlier finish or a shorter lunch break, should be accommodated if reasonably practical.

Eid-al-Fitr is a religious festival to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Managers should be flexible in responding to requests for annual leave and meetings held on another day if reasonably practical.

Examinations

Arrangements for centrally coordinated examinations and assessments will, as far as possible, avoid Eid al-Fitr. Muslim students who are not able to take a centrally coordinated examination on the day it is timetabled for religious reasons (e.g. Eid al-Fitr or Friday Prayers) must contact the Assessment Team as soon as possible by emailing exams@yorksj.ac.uk. For school organised assessments, contact your module leader as soon as possible.

Catering

Our catering team can provide food boxes to consume between sunset and sunrise.

If Muslim students and staff would like to use this service, you can contact the catering team to discuss your individual needs: catering@yorksj.ac.uk 

Prayers

Members of staff and students may wish to offer prayers during the day. This will normally be 2 or 3 times a day for a few minutes each time.

For students and staff on the York campus, a room on the ground floor in Quad North is available for prayer (by the accessible lift). Designated washing facilities for wudu are in the Chapel, on the ground floor of Ripon Wing TW 110.

For students and staff on the London campus, there is a multi-faith prayer room on the YSJ floor, as well as a multi-faith prayer room with wudu facilities in the basement

The York Mosque and Islamic Centre is in Bull Lane.

Health and wellbeing

If you struggle with your health or wellbeing then please seek support.

Resources for students are listed on the student wellbeing support page. Resources for staff on the staff wellbeing intranet page. Additionally you can contact the Chaplain or our Muslim Faith Adviser.

For more information about health and Ramadan, you are advised to consult your local Imam or scholar for further details, or visit the Muslim Council of Britain website for more information.

Stay Safe 

We expect that our students and staff who celebrate Ramadan will be treated with solidarity and respect. If you experience or witness anti-Muslim language or behaviour by another student or member of staff, please report it. 

Reporting incidents means the University can combat these behaviours, so do report anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. You can also report any hate incidents to the Police or other places like TellMAMA.

Please also seek support if you would find it helpful to talk to someone. A range of wellbeing support is available for staff and students. Our University Chaplain and Muslim Faith Adviser Dr Rasha Ibrahim are also available to support students and colleagues. Jane can be contacted by email j.speck@yorksj.ac.uk or phone 01904 876 606. Rasha can be contacted by email at r.ibrahim1@yorksj.ac.uk.

There are a range of helpful links available for staff and students to report and access support from the university and external organisations. 

• Anonymous report and support (students)
• Raising concerns (students)
• Raising concerns (staff)
• Staff wellbeing support (intranet)
• Tell MAMA Ramadan Safety Tips 1.2MB

Greetings

If you wish to welcome Muslims, you could post a message saying:

"Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim community. Best wishes to you and your family for this the holy month of Ramadan. We hope that you find joy, peace and happiness and achieve all your objectives for the month."

The appropriate way to express best wishes to a Muslim for Eid is to say "Eid Mubarak."

More information

The Religion and Spirituality pages provide more information about Holy Days and Festivals, including information about activities in the local area.