By Faith Zamani Gongur and Aisha Shittu Abdulrasak
The Islamic calendar just like the Gregorian calendar has 12 month. Ramadan is the ninth month whereby Muslims worldwide observe fasting (sawm).
The holy month is heralded by sighting of the crescent moon which marked the beginning of the fasting period. As the fourth pillar of Islam (core beliefs and practices), Muslims are enjoined to abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn until sunset.
Ramadan is a time of Spiritual reassessment, committed devotion and worship for Muslims. Muslims devote more time to prayer, acts of charity and striving to improve their self-discipline.
Depending on the lunar calendar, Ramadan last for 29 to 30 days and after the sighting of another crescent moon at the end, Muslims celebrate festive known as Eid Al Fitr (small Sallah in the local parlance) to mark the end of fasting.
With present sizzling weather, Muslim Students in the University of Jos driven by faith and pursuit of academic excellence shared their experience of combining academics and observing fasting during the thick of the semester.
Ubana Khadijat Abdullahi, a 300 level student of Nursing Science Department, suggested that Students should adopt studying in the morning, preferably from suhoor (pre-dawn meal) till 10am. She said “focusing more on academic tasks and balancing it with religious obligation is crucial. Ramadan is a time of blessings and every effort counts towards pleasing Allah”.
However, Nuhu Suleiman Musa, a 300 level student in the department of Civil Engineering, recommended breaking the fast before study so as to focus better on spiritual practices.
He said “setting a schedule, taking breaks, and communicating with scholars are key strategies for balancing academics and religious obligations”.
Alhassan Habib, a 500 level student of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, said his strategies are minimizing distraction and staying focused during lectures, at the same time eating balanced diets and drinking a lot of water during sahoor (meal before dawn) so as to stay hydrated during the day.
Ubana Abdulhafeez, a 300 level student of Medical Laboratory Science, also emphasized effective time management, practical goal-setting, seeking support from Lecturer and peers as the best ways to balance academics with religious practices. He said “Despite fatigue and hunger, maintaining academic performance is germane”.
