The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will be a very different experience this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are some tips and resources we hope our Muslim cohort will find useful.
Ramadan began on Thursday 23 April. The last day of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, will begin on Saturday 23 May. However you decide to observe Ramadan this year, we hope that you can maintain the essence of Ramadan as we adapt to the changing circumstances during this time.
During this period of quarantine, staying at home can be strenuous and can take a toll on us, both physically and mentally. Be kind to yourself. We all want to come out of this month renewed, healed and closer to Allah. - Shamima Akter, Students' Union VP-Welfare
You can read the full message from the Students' Union VP Welfare, Shamima Akter here.
The Student's’ Union’s Be Kind to Your Mind campaign has a number of helpful tips and resources for looking after yourself during the next few weeks.
Make sure you are taking regular breaks from studying for rest and reflection – perhaps around salaah times.
Taking into account salaah and iftar times, as well as class lecture times, when structuring your day.
Starting the day earlier if your timetable allows you to so that you can finish earlier and have some down time prior to iftar.
Let your tutors know that you will be fasting.
Although you are not able to physically get together as a community this year during Ramadan, we hope that you find ways to still connect with families and loved ones.
Why not share Ramadan with classmates and friends by having a conversation about Ramadan, or sharing what you’re doing for it, what food you're preparing, and what the month means for you?
Queen Mary's Chaplain, Revd Ella Sharples, is also available to chat and welcomes spiritual or philosophical conversations with anyone who might be interested. You can call her on 07740547689 if you want to say hello. For more information about Faith at Queen Mary, visit faith.qmul.ac.uk.
We understand that it may be a little harder than usual for you to concentrate and, combined with changes to how learning, assessments and exams are conducted during this time, may put extra pressure on you. Remember that guidance is available on alternative arrangements to exams and assessments.
Please contact our Advice and Counselling Service for support if you are feeling anxious during this time. You can find information and resources on Covid-19 and your wellbeing on the Student Health website.
If you are affected by any incident of hate, or if you are concerned by difficulties such as relationship or familial abuse , especially during this period of social distancing, you can still seek support and contact us at Report + Support.
The Muslim Council of Britain has published a health factsheet [PDF] and guide to Ramadan 2020 [PDF].
Do you have any tips on observing Ramadan you can share with other students? Or perhaps you’ve organised a socially-distanced iftar meal with your uni friends? Please post and share them with us using #QMAtHome, or email your contributions to qmul-student@qmul.ac.uk.