Rabat – Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and holiest month of the year for Muslims around the world, is just around the corner.
Muslim communities are busy preparing for a complete routine shift, as they are expected to fast everyday from dawn to sunset. This means no food, water or any vices during sacred fasting hours from the Fair dawn prayer to the Magreb prayer.
In the United States, Muslim communities are expected to start their first day of fasting on February 18 for Ramadan 1447 AH, according to the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA).
This is merely a prediction of course, as the actual date is determined by an official moon sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon. FCNA recognizes astronomical calculation as the acceptable method criteria for the moon sighting. On their website, they cite that they follow the European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), which asserts that at sunset, “the elongation should be at least 8 degrees and the moon should be at least 5 degrees above the horizon.”
Astronomers expect to see the moon the night of February 17, which makes the following day the first official day for Muslims in North America, and particularly the United States.
There are at least 4.5 million Muslims in the US, according to a 2020 United States Religion Census. They make up the country’s most ethnically diverse faith community. One third of the American Muslim community is Black, a third is of South Asian descent, a quarter is of Arab descent, and the rest are from all over the world, including, according to the census, a growing Latino Muslim population.
For this reason, the typical foods and cultural traditions to celebrate the holy month differ throughout the country depending on the Muslim diaspora to which they come from. Iftar tables within the Black Muslim community may have more greens, halal fried chicken or savory soups. Traditional foods for South Asian population include samosas, fruit chaat and yogurt, whereas the Latino population may have halal tacos or tamales.
The Arab population in the US is incredibly diverse, ranging from Moroccans, Palestinians and Lebanese among others. Iftar tables will be full of kebab, fatoosh, dates, msmen, chebakia, and harira depending on the culture.
Dearborn, Michigan holds the highest number of Muslims per capita, whereas New York has the largest Muslim community in the country.
A holy month mixed with heightened awareness
This year, Ramadan comes with the usual feeling of magic but shadowed by a stark culture of fear amongst the immigration crackdown in America the Trump administration.
In Minnesota, mosques are packed and local Middle Eastern markets have common staples flying off of the shelves. However, Muslims fear going to places where ICE agents may be present, with worries of getting stopped, harassed, detained or even assaulted.
“Fear now shapes everyday decisions,” said Imam Aden Hassan of the Islamic Society of Willmar in an interview with Sahan Journal. “Some people avoid large gatherings, while others stop attending mosque programs they once treated as routine. Talks about safety precede any decisions related to Ramadan and Eid gatherings.”
Although Ramadna is a time of gathering, many are planning to keep to smaller iftar tables at home for fear of going out in public, maybe only leaving for critical moments like prayer in the mosques.
As the holy month draws near, Muslims in America continue to predict their toughest choices and wonder with anxious earnestness whether this year will look different than years past.
