When I was a student in the States, Ramadan used to come in July, i.e., in the summer of the early eighties. Ramadan days were so hot and so long then. I used to fast for more than 17 hours. Fasting started at 3:30 a.m. and sunset was at 9 p.m. The first Ramadan I was in the States, I was taking a statistics course in the summer and my statistics class started at 8:00 a.m. I used to wake up early around 7 a.m., get ready to go to class and then walk from the dormitory to the College of Education. Everyday I had to study, do my statistics homework (solve statistics problems) and get ready for my interm-tests. The highest day temperature was around 5 p.m. By 5:00 p.m., I always felt weak, hungry, thirsty, dizzy and about to faint and my legs could not hold me. However, I endured the hardships of fasting with pride. I never weakened, nor was I tempted to break my fast. I never thought of dropping the course, never missed a class, never complained to my professors and asked them to change the class time, give me a special test in the evening or exempt me of homework. I tried to cope and prove that a Muslim can fast, study and function like people who do not fast. I made sure not to walk in the sun and to be in the dormitory by 5:00 p.m. or before as it was too hot. Around 8:00 p.m., I would cook my Ramadan dinner in the small kitchenette in the dormitory. While cooking, some of my American friends used to chat with me about Ramadan. I would eat dinner in my room and sometimes invite some of my American friends to join me. After dinner, I used to study, eat my last meal (sahur) at 1 a.m., and then go to bed. I would wake up at 7:00 and be ready to start my next Ramadan day.

Fasting Ramadan in the States was a new, yet invaluable experience for me. It is a real achievement. You feel proud that you could fast in such a hot weather for such a long time. It is a real test, a real challenge. It is a test, because you practice self-control, and it is a challenge because you never feel that it is Ramadan. People eat and drink around you, and you forget that you are fasting. Many a times, you would go to the water fountain to drink then remember that it is Ramadan. In addition, you never feel the spiritual atmosphere that you usually feel when you are in a Muslim country. You miss hearing the call to prayer. The only time you have a tiny feeling of Ramadan is when you go to the mosque in the evening or when you break your fast with another Muslim. In such a case, you feel the real joy of fasting and of sharing the Ramadan experience with another Muslim. Ever since I have returned and every time I fast Ramadan here in Riyadh, cherished memories of fasting Ramadan in the States flash in my mind, thanking Allah for the blessings that we all have but never think about nor appreciate.