Supporting Muslim Students and Colleagues During and Beyond Ramadan

As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, you may be wondering how you can best support and accommodate students, faculty, and staff who are observing. Whether or not your institution belongs to the 28 percent of U.S. colleges that have Muslim student groups, it is a time to consider and embrace practices that help ensure learning and work environments are inclusive of Muslims both during and beyond Ramadan.

Understanding Ramadan

Ramadan commemorates when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammed, some 1400 years ago. Many Muslims consider this the holiest time of the year and observe the month of connection, charity, and reflection, through prayer, fasting, and celebration. The exact dates Ramadan is observed each year are contingent upon the Islamic lunar calendar and the sighting of the new moon. It’s worth noting that these dates can vary slightly across different traditions and locations. In 2023, it is anticipated that Ramadan will begin on March 22, 2023 and end on April 20, 2023.

During Ramadan, many of the world’s nearly 1.6 billion observers will fast, devote time to prayer and meditation, study the Quran, and make efforts to help those in need. For Imani Bashir, a writer, Ramadan is about “feeding our souls through reading more, praying more, and being more patient and kind to everyone, while attaching ourselves more to God. It is a month that is dedicated to spiritually grooming yourself to be a better person for the rest of the year.”

Mark Your Calendar

Cyrus Zargar, endowed Al-Ghazali distinguished professor in Islamic studies at the University of Central Florida says that the “most important thing a person can do in the month of Ramadan is to be aware that it is the month of Ramadan.” If you haven’t already, add Ramadan to your personal calendar, so that you can keep it in mind as you schedule meetings, due dates for assignments, gatherings, and the like. The Chaplain’s Office at Yale University makes it easy to add Muslim and other religious holidays to your calendar. Taking a moment to do this will spare you from unintentionally planning a major event or test that observers can’t attend because it overlaps with Eid-ul-Fitr, the joyous holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. Making sure shared and public calendars reflect various religious holidays is another inclusive practice that supports Muslims and people of other faiths alike.

Make Accommodations and Commit to Flexibility

Keep in mind that students, staff, and faculty who are fasting and adjusting to irregular sleeping cycles and new daily routines may experience fatigue and drowsiness. It’s important to ensure that religious accommodations are available to them. This can include offering flexibility around due dates, attendance, and other projects. For example, if an exam falls during a fasting period, make it easy for your students to arrange to take it at another time or request an extension. Likewise, observant faculty should be empowered to make adjustments to their teaching and responsibilities as needed. Afford staff the same sort of flexibility, by allowing them to change their start and end times, work remotely, or suggest alternative accommodations that would be helpful. Instead of having tasks, assignments, and applications due at 5pm, opt for at or after 11:59pm. Utilize syllabi, employee handbooks, and physical signage to make it explicit to all members of the community that they are welcome to step away from class and work to pray and meditate throughout the day. Talk with the appropriate parties to ensure there is a designated, private, and easily accessible space to do so. Advocate for such a space to be available year-round.

Show consideration for those who are fasting for long stretches of time by being mindful about the kinds of comments you make and remembering that your students and colleagues might be tired of hearing others go on about how challenging not eating must be. Be thoughtful and intentional about meetings and gatherings that have food. Is it possible to move or shorten a reoccurring work meeting where everyone usually brings lunch? Could you make an exception to your class policy that restricts eating in your evening class?

Remember that there is no one right way to observe Ramadan and not every Muslim participates. Faith and observance are personal matters and you can show you respect the decisions others make by refraining from demanding explanations, honoring your students’ and colleagues’ right to privacy, and avoiding making any assumptions. Unless your students and colleagues have expressed an eagerness to discuss and answer questions about their faith and practice, it’s generally best to take responsibility for educating yourself; some helpful resources are listed below.

And after Ramadan?

If you’re committed to supporting Muslim students and colleagues during and beyond Ramadan, a great starting point is to learn more about Muslim communities and histories, read books from a variety of perspectives, educate yourself about Islam, and familiarize yourself with anti-Muslim racism and discrimination and the work being done to combat it. If you’re a faculty member, review your curriculum and course materials, and ask whether there are opportunities to expand and shift who’s represented on your syllabus and invited to your class as a guest speaker. If you’re a staff member, consider inviting facilitators to offer a workshop or talk on understanding and accommodating Islamic principles and practices; the Council on American-Islamic Relations is one organization that offers such sessions.