‘A month of light’: FIU Ramadan dinner unites people of different faiths
Many were there to break their holy fast after abstaining from food and drink since dawn. Some were there to learn more about a different faith. A few — mainly students — were there for the perks of free weeknight sustenance.
At Florida International University’s annual Ramadan dinner, people of different faiths and backgrounds mingled over a meal that Muslims call iftar, a community dinner that breaks the daylong fast.
Every year, two billion Muslims across the world observe Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month filled with fasting, reflection, charitable acts and community. The holiday commemorates when the Qur’an was first sent down from heaven to guide people toward salvation.
Ramadan — which began Feb 17 and concludes on March 19 — can look like a time solely meant for restraint. It’s best known as the month that Muslims fast from food and drink from sun up to sun down and is meant to help people align themselves with God without the distractions of worldly temptations. But the month-long fasting period is also about connecting with family, community and prioritizing what’s important in life. It’s also a time for heightened spiritual awareness.
During Ramadan, “The mosques and the Islamic centers come alive,” said Dr. Aisha Subhani, guest speaker and former director of the Islamic nonprofit, Deen Intensive Foundation. “It’s a bond that develops during that month that may not be there throughout the rest of the year. It’s to remind us that we’re not here to be in isolation, that we’re here to actually build community.”
Mohiaddin Mesbahi, director of the Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies, described Ramadan as a “cosmic pause” or a time of reflection to ask ourselves ‘What are we doing with our lives?’”
Though usually held at mosques or homes, FIU’s iftar is a multi-faith gathering and a way to educate non-Muslims about the tradition of Ramadan.
“The more you learn about other people, the more you learn about other traditions, about other cultures, that’s when the darkness of ignorance and hate actually dissipates, and then light comes in,” said Subhani, who is also an emergency medicine physician in Fort Lauderdale. “And Ramadan is a month of light.”
Plates of dates and fruit sat at the center of each table where people of all faith and backgrounds sat together, awaiting permission to break the fast.
Just minutes before sunset, Mohamed Ghumrawi, assistant director of the Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies, led the traditional prayer, called Maghrib. Then, many broke their fast with a bite of a date, a tradition started by Muslim Prophet Muhammad. Dates are also highly nutritional, and give those who are fasting a boost of energy and sugar before the big meal.
At one table a family of four dressed in festive, elegant attire joined an imam from a mosque in Hallandale Beach. At another, FIU exchange students shared baklava with professors from the school of international and public affairs.
The event exemplified the university’s attempt to bring together those of differing background and faith, as well as, its strong international programming.
“I hope that our university, our students, with the help of these centers, will truly learn about all cultures, all faiths, all traditions and become the powerhouse that we need in our nation to become the future leaders,” said Dr. Mohsin Jaffer at the start of the dinner.
Almost every faith tradition incorporates some version of a fast, Subhani pointed out. At the same time as Ramadan this year, Christians around the world are observing lent, a 40-day period of fasting, repentance and spiritual discipline ahead of the Easter celebration. Those who observe lent often abstain from luxuries or something they enjoy — a favorite food, smoking or other vices — perform acts of service and attend additional church services.
This Ramadan, Imam Serjeel Ahmed, said something he’s been reflecting on this Ramadan is the question “How can I be good to my neighbor today?”
Ahmed said the simple notion could lead to a “more peaceful and more beautiful world.”
“The more that I meet people from every different part of the world... I’ve realized that we’re all the same. We’re all just branches of the same tree. We all stem from the same root,” said Ahmed, an imam who serves the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of South Florida.
For Senegalese student Pape Thioune, the holiday allows him to put aside his busy schedule to gather with friends and family.
“I love when everyone gets together to share some food, share some thoughts,” he said. “The community is by far my favorite part.”
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and donors in South Florida’s Jewish and Muslim communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published February 28, 2026 at 4:30 AM.
