Blake’s Athletes Balance Activity and Faith in Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is a strict Islamic observance where Muslims pray, reflect, and fast from sunrise to sunset. This time, while important and holy to many, is also very difficult, and usually tends to fall sometime between February and March.

Meanwhile, here at Blake, while Ramadan is happening during the Winter/Spring athletic seasons, student-athletes must fast and do their observances while competing in high school sports, pushing themselves to new limits each day.

Some professional sports leagues are even recognizing this struggle; the English Football Association, for instance, allowed matches to pause for its Muslim players to break their fast during this past Ramadan. To gain a perspective on what participating in high school sports is like during this month, The Blake Beat interviewed two of our school’s athletes observing the holiday.

Zahid Shujaee, a junior wrestler here at Blake and runner-up at state championships, started off by mentioning that he is pretty used to wrestling during Ramadan, as he regularly wrestled when he lived in Afghanistan. One struggle he did mention, though, was “having to wrestle without water,” which was a very draining feeling. 

However, if hunger, thirst, or fatigue had crept in, he remained focused by reminding himself of fellow Muslim wrestler, Abdul Salam Gadizov of Russia, who, “during fasting, won world championships [3 times in a row].” Shujaee added, “everytime when I have a match during fasting I am just imagining him. If God helped him become a champion, why not me? Because we have the same god, the same faith.” 

Additionally, Sifen Tusse, a junior runner mentions “there’s a lot of fatigue,” which makes it hard to do intense activities, such as running, wrestling, or any sport. She also noted that fasting can make it harder to recover from injuries, especially since food is such a critical part of supplementing treatment and rehabilitation.

However, as Tusse acknowledged, “it’s hard [to fast] while running, but it’s also about choosing to fast” in the first place. Athletes are not just fasting because they have to; they are devoted to their faith and find a way to balance this with their daily activities. Tusse said that “during race days, [her] dad told her it’s okay to not fast, but [she wants] to do what [her] faith [requires].” Although such a choice is difficult and demanding, she prefers to stick to her religion and follow observance strictly.

Another aspect of observing Ramadan is not just fasting with food – Shojaee says that “all of your body should be fasting” to be fully committed and devoted to the observance. Tusse added that the observance is an “emotionally and physically connected” experience, which describes this navigation of balancing two parts of oneself: religion and athletics. However, one thing that helps these athletes balance these two things is passion – passion for upholding their spiritual values along with the passion involved in their respective sports. 

Tusse noted that she never really ignores hunger, but “it’s a bit easier when running since you can focus on the finish line.” She also finds it very important to express gratitude for her circumstances, “because people in Palestine, for instance, don’t get to eat just during Ramadan, many don’t get to eat ever, so it’s important to just be grateful and do what you can.” In addition to this, Shujaee mentioned that “every day we are tested by God, and the Quran says [to] be passionate with any situation.”

Ramadan is a difficult process for many, and although Muslims observing it may gradually get used to it, it is still very demanding, especially for young athletes. However, it is important to remember that this is part of the faith, and although it’s hard, people are fulfilled by staying true to their values and are guided in their athletic pursuits by the same dedication.