The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is here, and Muslims all throughout Ireland are gearing up to hear the question “not even water?!” multiple times a day. I spoke to four Muslim Trinity students about their relationship with Ramadan — their answers, as will be revealed, point to how Ramadan cannot be reduced to just fasting; it further encompasses reflection, spirituality, discipline, gratitude, and ultimately, the recentering of what truly matters.
The eve of Wednesday, February 18th marked the beginning of Ramadan for two billion Muslims around the world, including around 82,000 in Ireland. The month of Ramadan is the most significant period of the Islamic calendar, as it is believed to be the month that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammed. It ends in the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, due to take place on Friday, March 20th.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a calendar which is structured differently from the Gregorian calendar we are familiar with here in Ireland. The former is lunar, whereas the latter is solar. For this reason, Ramadan is 10 to 12 days earlier each year and is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon. The holy month eventually cycles through all seasons over a 33-year period, this means that the year 2030 is set to have two Ramadans, the first beginning on January 5th and the next on December 26th.
Islam is built upon five central pillars. Shahada (faith), Salah (prayer), Zakat (charity), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (pilgrimage).
Sawm (fasting) is perhaps the most heavily associated with Ramadan. During this month, Muslims abstain from food and water from dawn (fajr) until sunset (maghrib). Muslims in Ireland fasted for 12 hours on the first day of Ramadan, February 18th; however, this duration will gradually increase as the month progresses, ending with a 14-hour fast on the final day, March 19th.
Interestingly, there are certain circumstances under which the Quran will exempt a Muslim from fasting. Those excused include the ill, the elderly, and those who must travel, as well as menstruating, pregnant, or breastfeeding women. For temporary reasons, such as menstruation or travel, the missed fast must be made up at a later date, whereas for permanent reasons, such as old age, missed fasts are compensated if one feeds a poor person on each day of fasting that they miss.
Salah (prayer) is another key aspect of Ramadan, and of Islam as a whole. Muslims partake in five daily prayers, the last of which is often extended into a Taraweeh prayer. Taraweeh directly translates to “rest” or “relaxation”, and describes special nightly prayers performed during Ramadan. Mosques will commonly hold congressional Taraweeh prayers each night of the sacred month.
The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) is the nation’s largest mosque located in Clonskeagh, Dublin 14. The ICCI reopened on Friday, February 13th, 2026, just five days before Ramadan, following a nine-month closure. This unprecedented closure was prompted by “serious concerns regarding financial irregularities and governance failures at the ICCI”, as well as an incident which occurred on April 19th, 2025, which saw alleged attempts to “forcibly take control of the premises”, as per a statement published by the ICCI. The Islamic community of Dublin has expressed relief and gratitude for the reopening of their place of worship ahead of the holy month.
Zakat (charity) is another feature of the Ramadan tradition. Each Muslim gives a portion of their wealth, typically 2.5 per cent, to those in need. Oxfam recently published an article which said, “Zakat is not just a religious obligation; it is a powerful tool for social justice and poverty alleviation, that serves as a means of purifying one’s wealth and promoting equality.”
Alina Akram is a Senior Fresh Psychology student who spoke to the University Times about what Ramadan means to her. “To me, Ramadan is all about being the best version of yourself. It teaches you patience and helps you practice that patience which goes beyond the month of Ramadan.” Alina also expressed, “My favorite Ramadan memories are the ones spent with my extended family. Staying up until suhoor with my cousins, playing Ludo, and sharing fun banter easily tops everything else”.
Alina reflected on the differences between practicing Ramadan in a Muslim country, and practicing it in Ireland. “I moved to Ireland from Dubai, and one major difference was the school schedule. In Dubai, school hours were reduced during Ramadan to help fasting students rest and manage their energy. This was one of the blessings of living in a Muslim country where your struggles are understood. In Ireland, however, fasting hours are shorter, which made things easier to manage and, for the first time, made me appreciate the limited sunlight.”
Hamza Assaf is a Senior Sophister Microbiology student who believes that Ramadan is about “community, empathy, faith, and discipline”. He expressed how Ramadan “is about the renewal of faith, but it’s also about the community coming together, of family gatherings, and delicious meals. This is importantly juxtaposed by the empathy that this blessed month incurs; the abstinence of meals and water every day reminds me of the struggles that people face who do not have the privilege of clean running water or easy access to food. It’s a powerful reminder that the only thing that separates us is chance of birth, and that we should never take our privilege for granted, instead using it to make the world a more equitable place for everyone. Finally, Ramadan to me is also discipline, not just in the discipline needed to stay clear of basic human needs every day from sunrise to sunset, yet also discipline in all aspects of life. These include prayer, my studies, routine, and commitment to friends and family.”
Observing Ramadan while keeping up with college demands can prove immensely challenging. As Hamza describes it, the “student experience in Ramadan is very challenging, in the first week especially, as your body hasn’t gotten used to the change yet. This is worsened by assignments, early lab days, and lectures, particularly when people around don’t really understand that in the beginning you are operating at like 50 per cent of mental capacity. What makes it also really annoying is when you can’t really study for any tests in the day as you have a raging headache and you’re tired, but then you experience a food coma during the evening as you gorge yourself. It does get a lot better and easier after the first week though, because then you’ve gotten used to the eating habits and I actually found myself getting more energized during the day.”
Minaal Mahmood is a Senior Fresh Law student. She describes Ramadan as “the time of year when I feel the closest to Allah”, sharing that “I become more mindful of my prayers, my actions, and my intentions. It feels like a reset for my heart and soul”.
Breaking her fast with family and friends is an aspect of Ramadan that Minaal treasures. “My favourite Ramadan memory is having a big Iftar at my house with all my friends. We all fast together during the day, and then sit around the table waiting to break our fast. There’s so much laughter, food, and gratitude in the room, and it feels so special to share that moment with the people I care about.” Iftar is an evening meal to break the Ramadan fast.
Minaal reflected on her experience of fasting alongside college responsibilities. “As a student, Ramadan can be challenging but also really rewarding. Fasting while keeping up with assignments, seminars, and exams can be difficult, especially when you’re feeling tired or stressed. Balancing deadlines with fasting sometimes feels overwhelming, but I remind myself that it’s worth it. Even with the pressure of university life, Ramadan still feels like a break from stressful life in a different way. It teaches me discipline, patience, and self-control, and I feel more spiritually focused.”
Tabib Haque is a Senior Fresh Law student, and Treasurer of the Trinity Muslim Students Association (MSA). For him, “Ramadan means stepping away from distraction. It’s a month where you focus on the wider, more subtle things that matter. Your family, your relationship with God, your relationship with yourself. For me, I always take it as a month where I step away from the small things that distract me all the time from the more important stuff. For different people it’s different things, could be social media, could be certain people, could be bad habits”.
Tabib expressed fond childhood memories of Ramadan. At that time, “It was so much longer, taking place during the summer, making it an actual struggle.” Tabib expressed how this “bred a kind of camaraderie between me and the few other Muslims in my school who were going through the same thing, we revelled in those days together. We treated it less like an obligation and more of a meaningful expression of who we are as Muslims and our connection through that”.
Tabib described the Muslim student experience during Ramadan as “complicated”. “As a commuter, it means bringing a lunch of Iftar leftovers or something with me if I know I’m going to be in college late. And then obviously, Ramadan is more than just fasting. It means worship and self-improvement. Things like reading Quran, praying more and so on are a tad bit harder to balance when you have to also devote time to assignments and study. But overall I don’t complain. It has its own magic as a student. I love it, I love grabbing some of my friends, sitting in Arts Block, heating up our food and breaking out fast together. It’s community, anywhere and everywhere”.
Ramadan is the epitome of growth, community, and faith for Muslims all over the world. The reflections of Alina, Hamza, Minaal, and Tabib show how Ramadan fits within the framework of Irish society and the Trinity student experience. In short, students make it work, despite the challenges.
Ramadan Mubarak to all.
