Michigan prep team moves to night practice during Ramadan

Aroosak

Junior Member
:salam2:

I figured since I posted a story about intolerance and islamophobia in Canada (which always has a bumming effect on me) I would post a story about tolerance to balance things out. Don't we all need to sometimes read something that doesn't scream hate?!



Michigan prep team moves to night practice during Ramadan

By Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press

Fordson (Dearborn, Mich.) quarterback and safety Mohammad Faraj fully understands and appreciates Ramadan.
"Ramadan means we go through the struggles our prophet went through for 30 days — no drinking or no food," he said. "Unfortunately, we have to do it for several hours, but, hey, he had to do it for that long period of time."

Yes, but with all due respect, the prophet never had to try to play high school football with no food or water.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims go without food and drink from sunrise to sunset — an issue if you are trying to play football in the scorching Michigan temperatures this summer.

So Fordson coach Fouad Zaban found a way to keep his players fed and hydrated as they prepare for the season. Practices begin at 11 p.m., and the players are home by 4:30 a.m.

In Zaban's previous four years as coach, Ramadan, based on the lunar calendar, had begun after the regular season started.

"The lunar calendar moves up 10 or 12 days every year, so we knew it was going to fall at this time," said Zaban, 40, a former Tractors player.

The more Zaban and Fordson athletic officials talked about the practice time, the more sense it made, especially in preseason when practices are the longest and most rugged.

"Ultimately, it's a health and safety issue," Zaban said. "That's the reason we went with it."

The biggest surprise for Zaban was how well the change was accepted by the players at a school coming off a one-loss season and with four state titles and three runner-up finishes since it opened in 1928. The bonus is that it is significantly cooler at 11 p.m. than it is at 11 a.m.

"I was really excited, I love it. All the guys do," Fordson running back-cornerback Rabeah Beydoun said. "For one thing, it's under the lights. It's like game time. Second, we can actually eat and come out here. Third, we've got fans who come out and support us at night."

Ramadan is a challenge most teams don't face. But Dearborn, a Detroit suburb, is the U.S. city with the largest number of Arab Americans, making up nearly 30% of the city's population, according to the 2000 census.

Some players will not fast on game days.

"Practice week, we'd all do our fast, but game day is one day I'd miss," Beydoun said. "I'd get myself a good breakfast and drink water to perform to the best of my ability and do what's best for the team. I'd make the day up after Ramadan is over."

Other players choose to continue to fast on game days.

"It's a big religious practice over here; we've got to do it," Faraj said.

Fasting ends at sundown, which happens to be at halftime. For most players, it's their first opportunity of the day to eat and drink. "We don't have them gorge," Zaban said. "We don't have subs or sandwiches. We don't do that. What's really good and has a lot of fiber and sugar is dates, and we have them."

Zaban met resistance when he first talked about the late practice, but only one parent has complained.

"Many thought it wasn't a smart idea, but it was a smart idea," Faraj said. "I'm happy Coach Zaban did this, because it gives us time to eat before morning prayer and when we wake up at 6 it leaves us 21/2 hours before we can eat and do all this again."

Ramadan continues through the first two weeks of the regular season, so Zaban will begin adjusting the practice time to get the players ready for their opener Aug. 27 — at 7 p.m.

"We can play at 11, we can play at 1, we can play at 2," Beydoun said. "We'll play at whatever time they want. Seven o'clock will be fine with us."
 

JenGiove

Junior Member
:salam2:

That's just AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Yes, I agree, there needs to be a balance between the hate and the compassion and acceptance.! MASHALLAH!!!
 

Isra

aka Tree2008
"Ramadan means we go through the struggles our prophet went through for 30 days — no drinking or no food," he said. "Unfortunately, we have to do it for several hours, but, hey, he had to do it for that long period of time."

As salamo alaikome

Excuse me but WHAT? Did I read this right? Is it saying that our Prophet (SAW) fasted an entire 30 days non stop? If I am reading this right he is saying that WE only fast from sun up to sun set which yeah thats right but then he compares that basically as nothing compared to our Prophet (SAW) who fasted "that long period of time". Please explain to me if that means the Prophet (SAW) went the entire 30 days (all 24 hours in each day) without food or water??? If that is true I never heard that before and I am stunned!

I think I must be reading this wrong or else its the way this man worded what he said that has me confused. I know our Prophet (SAW) was a great man but thats just it...........he was a MAN.......human! I think it is impossible for someone to fast for 30 days non stop and live to tell about it isnt that true?

:confused:
 

Isra

aka Tree2008
Im sorry sister I forgot to mention this is a great post! Thank you very much for posting such a nice story!
 

Aroosak

Junior Member
As salamo alaikome

Excuse me but WHAT? Did I read this right? Is it saying that our Prophet (SAW) fasted an entire 30 days non stop? :confused:

:wasalam:

I think it was worded wrongly. Since most newspapers have a limit amount of words that need to be put in an article most of the time they edit out a couple of times before publicizing the article. In this case you can see there is a hyphen between 30 days "-" and the rest of the sentence meaning they ommitted some words from the interview. It may have been that in that part he explained that it was from sundown to sunset. They later explained in the article that it is done from sundown to sunset.
But I can see how that can be confusing :D
 

kashif_nazeer

~~~Alhamdulillah~~~
:salam2:

Alhamdulillah!That is a pleasant little piece of article to read ,after so many Islamophobic cases.

I too have heard the hadith about Prophet :saw: fasting continuously day and night.He told the sahaba not to do it ,though.This I remember from the hadith where 3 sahaba who came to prophet :saw: saying,they prayed all night,fasted all day and didn't sleep.I am forgetting which hadith it was.Althoug Prophet :saw: was a human,he :)saw:) was the best amongst us,so if he fasted whole day it's no surprise.

:jazaak: for sharing this article,sister!


:wasalam:
 

dunno

Junior Member
:salam2:


Yes, but with all due respect, the prophet never had to try to play high school football with no food or water.
."


The prophet endured much more than just a silly high school football game.....very disrespectful
 

dunno

Junior Member
:salam2:

Alhamdulillah!That is a pleasant little piece of article to read ,after so many Islamophobic cases.

I too have heard the hadith about Prophet :saw: fasting continuously day and night.He told the sahaba not to do it ,though.This I remember from the hadith where 3 sahaba who came to prophet :saw: saying,they prayed all night,fasted all day and didn't sleep.I am forgetting which hadith it was.Althoug Prophet :saw: was a human,he :)saw:) was the best amongst us,so if he fasted whole day it's no surprise.

:jazaak: for sharing this article,sister!


:wasalam:

I don't think that is true. Please don't make such claims without evidence.
 

Just a Guy

Reinventing Myself
:salam2:

I kind of want to go to Dearborn now. Spend some time with some brothers up there.

Of course it would have to be during summer. I don't do very well in cold climates. Odd when you consider that my ancestors were Scottish, Irish, and German. But I guess we've been in the South for too long...
 

ShahnazZ

Striving2BeAStranger
:salam2:

People usually joke about Dearborn being a "Muslim" state what with the huge Arab population there. I've heard jokes about how the primary language spoken there is Arabic and how even non-Arabs have to learn it at some point. My favorite joke is about how every other restaurant there is halal.

Exaggerations I'm sure but as they say, "truth in jest".
 

Just a Guy

Reinventing Myself
:salam2:

People usually joke about Dearborn being a "Muslim" state what with the huge Arab population there. I've heard jokes about how the primary language spoken there is Arabic and how even non-Arabs have to learn it at some point. My favorite joke is about how every other restaurant there is halal.

Exaggerations I'm sure but as they say, "truth in jest".

:wasalam:

Actually, that doesn't sound that bad. I'm thinking a "cultural exchange program" might be in order...
 

Aroosak

Junior Member
I've also thought many times of visiting this area!
You got me at every other restaurant is halal !
I've heard there is also a large non-arab muslim population, I am all about diversity in ISLAM :shake:
 

ShahnazZ

Striving2BeAStranger
^Good. Because that's how it should be.

JustaGuy, who needs "cultural exchange"? Lol just go! Say you're a halal restaurant critic or something...
 

dunno

Junior Member
:salam2:

I have heard that many of the arab muslim population is from iraq. They were fleeing from Saddam I think. So, this means that a big portion of the arab population might be shia :(.

Be careful if you visit not to ask any questions related to aqeedah. As their aqeedah is very different than ours, especially in terms of Sahabah position and the powers of the imams ( ayatoallah ).
 

Aapa

Mirajmom
Assalaam walaikum,

The population of this area of Michigan is diverse. The area has been Arab, a catchall phrase, for three generations. There are Muslim and Christian Arabs there.
 

Isra

aka Tree2008
:salam2:

I have heard that many of the arab muslim population is from iraq. They were fleeing from Saddam I think. So, this means that a big portion of the arab population might be shia :(.

Be careful if you visit not to ask any questions related to aqeedah. As their aqeedah is very different than ours, especially in terms of Sahabah position and the powers of the imams ( ayatoallah ).

Wa alaikome salam

I really hope what youre saying isnt true because I hope to live there someday in the near future!

I was living in Niles, Michigan before moving to Morocco last year and I had a difficult time once I became a Muslim because the Muslim population there is very scarce. I didnt know about Dearborn at that time but since I know now that is my planned destination if I ever move back home. I would prefer to be in a Muslim community and I dont really care about where the people are from but shia could present a problem because I am Sunni.
 
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