Elon's Muslim community is celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.
Elon University’s Muslim community will mark the holy month of Ramadan with a wide variety of student-led programming opportunities, culminating in a campuswide celebration of Eid al-Fitr on March 31.
Throughout the month, Muslim Life, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Elon Muslim Society, the Arabic Language Organization, Jewish Life, Harvest Table, and other campus partners are collaborating to create spaces for prayer, learning and community connection.
“This year, Muslim Life at Elon is excited to partner with Arabic Language Organization, Elon Muslim Society, Jewish Life, and Harvest Table to create our most robust Ramadan programming to date,” said Imam Shane Atkinson. “Leading up to Ramadan and Lent, we had a ‘Pizza and Prayer’ teaching service about fasting at the Ripple Interfaith Conference. Not only do we have two halal dinners at Lakeside Dining Hall, Harvest Table created ‘grab-n-go’ breakfast bags for fasting students.”
Ramadan is a sacred month in Islam marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset, prayer, reflection, and acts of service. Each evening, Muslims gather for iftar, the meal that breaks the fast. At Elon, many of those iftars are organized and led by students.
The month began with a Ramadan Iftar Dinner on Feb. 19 at Lakeside Dining Hall, featuring a street food station with favorites such as adana kebab, couscous, sambal sauce, and roasted vegetables. On Feb. 20, the student-led Elon Muslim Society (EMS) hosted a Chat & Chai Iftar Dinner in the Moseley Center Kitchen, bringing together students for halal food, games, and trivia.
On Feb. 25, Muslim Life and Jewish Life co-hosted an interfaith iftar in McBride Gathering Space, where participants shared a home-cooked Moroccan meal and learned about Ramadan together.
In March, there are a wide range of collaborative programs on offer for the campus community. The Arabic Language Organization will host additional iftars on March 4 and March 11, creating space for fellowship and community education around Ramadan practices and traditions.
A Sip of Sunnah Iftar, a collaboration between Elon’s popular Milk Club and the Elon Muslim Society, will be held March 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. in McBride Gathering Space.
“This Ramadan I’m really excited for Elon Muslim Society’s Chat and Chai Iftar events,” said Adil Qadeer, president of the Elon Muslim Society. “It’s a great time to connect with others from many different faith traditions and backgrounds. It’s also a great time to learn more about this holy month and how Muslims participate in it.”
EMS will host an additional Chat & Chai Iftar Dinner on March 10, continuing their popular student-led tradition of conversation and connection. And on March 16, Lakeside Dining Hall will again feature a Ramadan street food station, serving West African groundnut stew, jeweled rice, and curry chickpea stew.
And finally, an Interfaith iftar on March 17 from 7 to 9 p.m., also in McBride Gathering Space, will invite the wider campus community to experience the breaking of the fast and learn from Muslim students about the meaning of the month.
In addition to special events, Friday Jumu’ah prayers are held weekly at 1:40 p.m. in Room 210 of the Numen Lumen Pavilion. The Long Table in Lakeside Dining Hall is reserved on multiple evenings throughout Ramadan for Muslim students, faculty, and staff to gather for iftar, including Feb. 18, 20, 24, 26, and 27, and March 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17.
The month will culminate in a campus celebration of Eid al-Fitr on March 31 at 5:30 p.m. in McBride Gathering Space. Often called the “holiday of breaking the fast,” Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan with prayer, food, and festivity. The Elon celebration will include dinner, trivia, a henna station, and goodie bags.
With a significant number of programs envisioned and led by students, this year’s Ramadan observance reflects a growing and vibrant Muslim presence on campus, and a broader commitment to interfaith engagement and shared learning across the Elon community.