By Hana Jaber

Can you imagine withholding from food and water all day until sunset? Maybe it seems crazy to you, but to Muslims, it’s annual. Every year, the month of Ramadan comes, and with it brings big changes for Muslims.

During Ramadan, Muslims don’t eat from sun-up to sundown. So this year they didn’t consume anything from approximately 5 a.m. to 8 p.m: 15 hours. It’s not only eating, but you can’t drink anything either.

To many who aren’t familiar with this, it could seem stressful. However, to the Muslims, this month is full of joy and family.

It’s a religious month, so Muslims are on their best behavior. During the nights of Ramadan, Muslims pray a special prayer called Taraweah. This prayer can be really long sometimes lasting for three hours. The goal during Taraweah is to finish the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Fasting (not eating or drinking from sunup to sundown) is actually healthy and ‘detoxes’ the person’s body. Muslims aren’t allowed to smoke as well. If they do, they break their fast and have to make up for it sometime during the year. There are some exceptions for Muslims if they are sick or pregnant. However, if they are sick and can’t fast, they have to make up for it and fast another time after Ramadan.

The only days they can’t make up fasting is Eid Al-Fitr, the big celebration after Ramadan. This three-day holiday brings together Ramadan. Muslims eat and receive gifts during Eid.

Lincoln’s Muslim community meets at Air Park’s Recreational Center to have a prayer and have drinks and sweets. Then on the weekend, they rent the same center for a huge dinner. This festivity includes bouncy houses for the kids, music for the women, and sports for the men. And, of course, tons of delicious food that the community volunteers to make.