We were delighted to join our Y7 and Y8 boys this week for a special assembly given by eight of our boys on Ramadan.
The boys: Yacoub Sharif, Muhammed Umar, Shehryar Mumtaz, Haider Haroon, Eesa Jamil, Raeece Riaz and Umar Mazhar, who Mrs Loader approached to give the special assembly, jumped at the opportunity to talk to their classmates about Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic Calendar.
During the brilliant assembly, the boys explained why the month is so special to them as Muslims. They spoke knowledgeably about the Five Pillars of Islam, including the practice of fasting and the festival of the breaking of the fast: Eid al-Fitr, which they shared as a community at the mosque and with family.
The boys also proudly shared their personal experiences of Ramadan, from waking at 3.30am for their early morning meal called sehri, fotabalah or suhoor (and then going back to bed) to breaking their fast with a big meal called iftar at around 8.30pm. They also spoke passionately about how the holy month brings Muslims closer to God and the many spiritual rewards. “It is the month in which you can change your life”, they explained.
In the Q&A session that followed, the boys took lots of questions from both boys and staff, who were keen to learn more about Ramadan and Eid al Fitr.
Mrs Loader, Head of Y8, told us, “It was so fantastic to see these boys present to all of Y7 and Y8 with such passion, intelligence and depth of understanding on a topic that is clearly very close to their hearts. I was very proud to see them step out of their comfort zones and thrive!”
You can take a look at the boys’ presentation on Ramadan below.