REFLECTIONS BY STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND ALUMNI
September 20, 2008: "Memories of Ramadan" by S Omar Ali, Vice-Preseident of the Muslim Student Association
“Mrs. Webber? Mrs. Webber? May I please go sit in the office?”
“Why Omar? Where’s your lunch?”
“I’m fasting, Mrs. Webber. Please?” I asked, looking around at all of my classmates munching down on all manners of goodies. Everything from PB&J to pixie sticks could be found in that cafeteria. My stomach grumbled.
“OK. Let me write you a pass.”
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As a little boy of only nine, I walked away from that cafeteria with an immense sense of accomplishment. A rotund child of shy demeanor, I hardly ever spoke, and if I did it was never to ask for anything at all usually. I did not like attention, but I was big for my age, and was always disappointed in my attempts to fade into my surroundings.
But today was my day. It was the first time that I had ever fasted, and I held my head up high. Admittedly, this made my rather large waist stick out a little more, but today was my day. Usually self-conscious, I was concerned with bigger things. As I rounded the corner, approaching the stairwells, I was thinking of all the good things that would come with this day, and the rest of the month known as Ramadan.
Mom would make whatever I wanted to break my fast, along with a glowing smile, a kiss, and a hug (all of which I would pretend to resist). Dad would be so proud, he would buy me a new action figure every day to occupy the intervening hours between my arrival home and sundown. Of course, these semi-bribes were never shown to mom, and were always accompanied by a short speech, “We are Sydes. Do you know what that means?” This was always a rhetorical question. He would go on, “it means that we are descended directly from the Prophet (sws). You have to hold yourself to the highest standards. Prayers, school, and especially people. Your etiquettes with people are what take you from goodness to Ihsan (perfection).” I got every single Power Ranger figurine from that season.
When I got bored of those, I would strut around, and tease my sisters about how she was too young to fast. Of course, she just laughed it off, already displaying early signs of womanly superiority, but I could feel the jealousy. My uncles and aunts would come over an hour or two before sunset, and gloat over me. I would act the perfect angel for them. When they left, my pockets would always be a little deeper.
But with all the good perks also came the holy obligations; things that I had to do because it was Ramadan. All the things that I considered good about Ramadan only came about if I acted the part during these obligations. These obligations included waking up without a fuss, an hour before the sun, to eat, because the fast lasts from sunup to sundown. There was also helping to set the table and praying with stillness, when I was half asleep. Getting ready for school without going back to bed was the worst. Memorizing some of the Qu’ran every day seemed like extra homework. Then after a full day of fasting from food and bad behavior, breaking my fast with only one wrinkled date and a glass of dreaded milk, before running off to prayers, seemed dreadful. Only an hour or so after this meal, I would take the short drive to the Masjid. There, on every night of Ramadan, I would stand in absolute stillness next to my dad for a special prayer known as Tarawih.
With all the perks came the obligations and it never occurred to me that the obligations were important. In fact, at this young age, the thought of God never crossed my mind. Time passed. I changed. Within a few years I gained immense faith, but it took all the way to college for it to come into practice in the form of religion.
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Ten years later was my first Ramadan at Loyola. And for the first time in my life, I had something I really wanted. My faith finally turned to practice. I had never had trouble realizing my faith, but immersing myself in it was a new experience. I say this, because there is a distinction between knowledge and realization. Realization compels us to act differently. For instance, realizing that God is all powerful, and has the desire to help us, might compel us to pray more often, and expect more of our prayer. However, most people reading this reflection already knew these two things to be true, but may have yet to realize them. A Muslim would say my Iman (Faith) had gained me my Islam (submission).
Never before had I been surrounded by so many Muslims my own age. They set an example, and also served as catalyst that created a dynamic environment for my spiritual growth. From some I learned leadership, from others religious knowledge, and still others exemplified loyalty. From another I learned that Islam in its simplest form is the perfecting of all that you do. Our Fast-A-Thom broke records.
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It’s eleven years from my first fast, and I have changed a lot, especially over the past two years at Loyola. The first day of Ramadan isn’t here yet, and I am already excited, but for very different reasons. I’m not quite the disproportionate or awkward child I used to be. I still don’t like to talk too much, but an occasional good conversation with a friend is more than nice. I’m much better at blending into my surroundings, but find much less need for it.
As I write this, I am thinking again of all the good things that will come with Ramadan, I still consider my mom’s cooking to be one of the best parts. I don’t much like these Power Rangers they are coming out with now; I prefer my originals. My dad’s speech is no longer the doorway to Mattel Wonderland, but words that I live by. I still tease my sister and she still reacts with womanly superiority, but it seems a little more viable now. Personally, I think the whole institution is fictional, but what do I know?
However, the best memories of Ramadan now are different. Nights that I am not up too late studying, I set my alarm earlier than my mom’s. I wake up the next morning, turn her alarm off, set the table, crack a few eggs, and flatten some dough to throw on a pan for bread-- Halva Puri if I’m feeling fancy. Praying with stillness is now one of the three things I enjoy most in life. Memorizing the Qu’ran and its translation make me feel pure. A tall glass of cold milk, and a sweet date I now know to be the perfect fast breaker. I enjoy it, like no other food. I no longer wait for it to be time for Tarawih to go to the Masjid. Instead, as soon as the meal ends, I leave. I want to get there early to find a spot in the first row.
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Writing this, I realize that at the heart of all change is time. However, even time cannot change something that has no forces acting upon it. The force that was acting on me was Iman that brought me to Islam. And it is Islam that helps me asomtoetly approach Ihsan (Perfection—also known in Arabic as kindness). The religion commonly known simply as Islam is the human progression through these three states.
Love, the universal human constant can be said to be the desire to be perfect in the eyes of another. The religion of Islam is the desire to be perfect in the eyes of God. Islam then becomes just a single instance of Love, unique in that it is relative to the only absolute. “I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love,” said Henry Ward Beecher, and though I know nothing else about him, I know we would have gotten along splendidly.
Love and Godbless,
S. Omar Ali
July 10, 2008: "Preparing for the Journey" by George Gallien
Many of us at the university are very fortunate to have the chance to travel during the summer. My family was very poor when I was growing up, so we never travelled anywhere away from home. In fact, the first time I ever left the state of Louisiana was when I went for basic training for the Marine Corps after high school! Imagine how scary it was for me at 18 to get on an airplane for the first time-- I pretended to be a tough soldier, but I almost passed out on the inside!
So, having the chance to travel with my children now is a real treat, and even though it can be hectic to travel with two young boys, I enjoy getting to experience the wonder of going to a new place through their eyes. St. Ignatius' extensive travels were a big part of his life and his experiences. So, sometimes I think about what it must have been like to prepare for the trips that he made. Although Ignatius didn't check weather.com or get batteries for his GPS system, I'm sure that he did some of the same kinds of preparations for his travels. Maybe he checked with people who had gone to the places where he was going to see what the roads were like or ask what he should bring. Perhaps he had a favorite walking stick or belt for long trips that he liked to bring with him.
When I travel, one of the first things I do is to check the weather in the area. I also check ahead on the lodging and transportation in the area where I am travelling. I always tank up my car and check maintenance items on it, too. I'm the kind of person that likes to have a travel plan, so I usually create an itinerary and leave it with someone who can find me in case I get lost. When I travel with my family, my wife and I always make sure that we bring some favorite toys, snacks or personal items for the kids, so that they feel a little more at home wherever we go. Sometimes, we go a little too far and spend so much time keeping track of our stuff, we don't pay enough attention to the place we are visiting! Most importantly, I pray every day for God to watch over us on our trip.
I see how these travel preparations are reflective of the way we journey in our day to day life. Do we hurl ourselves into the day, insecure and unprepared for the potential challenges that we might face? Or do we spend all day worrying about the millions of potential problems that we might face and completely miss the adventure of the journey itself? How are you preparing for the journeys that await you? Are you asking others to guide you? Are you checking out all of your options? Are you packing wisely, but lightly, so you aren't overburdened? Are you asking God to guide you?
I hope your travels are safe and wonderful-- this summer and beyond. Bon voyage!
