While many of his peers spent the summer vacationing, 18-year-old Brooklynite Mohammed Islam is reading the Quran, the Islamic scripture. In preparation for the upcoming month of fasting, he increased his prayers to six times a day and participated in a voluntary fasting.
âÂÂThe Prophet used to fast during the month of Shabaan [month preceding Ramadan] and also used to do more worship during this month, said Islam. âÂÂIn order to prepare I am doing the same.âÂÂ
Mohammed, like many teens in New York City, has joined a youth group to share Islamic knowledge and seek guidance from the Quran.
Islam is one of nearly 100,000 New York Muslim teens who will observe Ramadan for the month of August. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunup to sundown. This lifestyle requires mental and physical preparation.
Imam Shamsi Ali, 43, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, the chairman of the Al-Hikma Mosque in Astoria and the director of Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, is a leading mentor to young Muslims across the city.
Alvi Rahman, 17, a pupil of AliâÂÂs, helps the youth at the mosque.
âÂÂItâÂÂs important to let the public know how to prepare so they use the time to do it and become better Muslims inshallah [God willing],â said Alvi. âÂÂIf no on tells them, how can they prepare?âÂÂ
A rising senior at Bronx Science in addition to leading a youth group at the mosque, Alvi is a fan of the website Productiveramadan.com, which gives advice to Muslims on being pro-active for Ramadan. The site, which is only active during Ramadan and the week prior, works like a blogâÂÂeveryday contributors put up articles, videos and links to help Muslims get the best experience from Ramadan.
Alvi also said that he is reading Islamic books including âÂÂSahih al-Bukhari,â a collection of quotes of the Prophet Muhammad to know more about Ramadan.
One quote Alvi particularly likes is âÂÂwhoever does not give up lying and evil actions, Allah will not accept his fasting.âÂÂ
âÂÂI like to tell people to follow these tips,â Rahman said. âÂÂBut as a group, we let our community brothers [choose] the best way to prepare.âÂÂ
Similarly, Tuhin Taslim Uddin, 16, a Muslim Ummah of North America youth leader, seeks to help Muslims in his community get ready for Ramadan.
âÂÂIâÂÂm helping the youth community by bringing them to a small youth gathering on Saturday sand Sundays and informing them of the beauty and the importance of Ramadan,â said Uddin. âÂÂHelping the youth set goals for themselves so they can achieve happiness by the end of Ramadan.âÂÂ
âÂÂThe hardest part of fasting is the weather and the long hours makes your body weaker physically,â said Uddin, a rising senior. âÂÂI’m keeping a healthy diet and working out now to make my body ready for fasting.âÂÂ
Uddin does keep in mind the importance of Ramadan.
âÂÂWe take the time to experience hardships little young ones face everyday. We start to give up our everyday luxuries and bring our faiths to the fullest capacity. We strive through this small hardship for one month to come closer with ourselves as a human being, as a Muslim and person in society.âÂÂ
âÂÂMy lifestyle becomes more conservative about the time spent, and how itâÂÂs spent,â Uddin said. âÂÂI start to gradually give up the things that consume my time such as video games and watching my shows whether it is online or on TV.âÂÂ
Still, for some fasting is difficult to adjust to.
âÂÂSometimes I make presumptions that I am going to work really hard that particular day and its going to filled of long hours of physical activity so I choose not to fast on those certain days,â said Shahed Haque, a 17-year-old Stuyvesant High School student.
âÂÂYou have to not think of food or water throughout the day, which is very hard to do when your stomach craves it,â said Haque. âÂÂThe stoppage of movement and activities throughout the day are also hard to adjust to. Time seems to slow down during the fasting period.âÂÂ
âÂÂThe Prophet used to fast during the month of Shabaan [month preceding Ramadan] and also used to do more worship during this month, said Islam. âÂÂIn order to prepare I am doing the same.âÂÂ
Mohammed, like many teens in New York City, has joined a youth group to share Islamic knowledge and seek guidance from the Quran.
Islam is one of nearly 100,000 New York Muslim teens who will observe Ramadan for the month of August. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunup to sundown. This lifestyle requires mental and physical preparation.
Imam Shamsi Ali, 43, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, the chairman of the Al-Hikma Mosque in Astoria and the director of Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, is a leading mentor to young Muslims across the city.
Alvi Rahman, 17, a pupil of AliâÂÂs, helps the youth at the mosque.
âÂÂItâÂÂs important to let the public know how to prepare so they use the time to do it and become better Muslims inshallah [God willing],â said Alvi. âÂÂIf no on tells them, how can they prepare?âÂÂ
A rising senior at Bronx Science in addition to leading a youth group at the mosque, Alvi is a fan of the website Productiveramadan.com, which gives advice to Muslims on being pro-active for Ramadan. The site, which is only active during Ramadan and the week prior, works like a blogâÂÂeveryday contributors put up articles, videos and links to help Muslims get the best experience from Ramadan.
Alvi also said that he is reading Islamic books including âÂÂSahih al-Bukhari,â a collection of quotes of the Prophet Muhammad to know more about Ramadan.
One quote Alvi particularly likes is âÂÂwhoever does not give up lying and evil actions, Allah will not accept his fasting.âÂÂ
âÂÂI like to tell people to follow these tips,â Rahman said. âÂÂBut as a group, we let our community brothers [choose] the best way to prepare.âÂÂ
Similarly, Tuhin Taslim Uddin, 16, a Muslim Ummah of North America youth leader, seeks to help Muslims in his community get ready for Ramadan.
âÂÂIâÂÂm helping the youth community by bringing them to a small youth gathering on Saturday sand Sundays and informing them of the beauty and the importance of Ramadan,â said Uddin. âÂÂHelping the youth set goals for themselves so they can achieve happiness by the end of Ramadan.âÂÂ
âÂÂThe hardest part of fasting is the weather and the long hours makes your body weaker physically,â said Uddin, a rising senior. âÂÂI’m keeping a healthy diet and working out now to make my body ready for fasting.âÂÂ
Uddin does keep in mind the importance of Ramadan.
âÂÂWe take the time to experience hardships little young ones face everyday. We start to give up our everyday luxuries and bring our faiths to the fullest capacity. We strive through this small hardship for one month to come closer with ourselves as a human being, as a Muslim and person in society.âÂÂ
âÂÂMy lifestyle becomes more conservative about the time spent, and how itâÂÂs spent,â Uddin said. âÂÂI start to gradually give up the things that consume my time such as video games and watching my shows whether it is online or on TV.âÂÂ
Still, for some fasting is difficult to adjust to.
âÂÂSometimes I make presumptions that I am going to work really hard that particular day and its going to filled of long hours of physical activity so I choose not to fast on those certain days,â said Shahed Haque, a 17-year-old Stuyvesant High School student.
âÂÂYou have to not think of food or water throughout the day, which is very hard to do when your stomach craves it,â said Haque. âÂÂThe stoppage of movement and activities throughout the day are also hard to adjust to. Time seems to slow down during the fasting period.âÂÂ