Balancing Books and Blessings: Students Embrace Ramadhan with Faith and Dedication

By PV Khan

The holy month of Ramadhan brings with it a unique energy on the campus of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Sur — one where the call to prayer blends seamlessly with the pursuit of knowledge, and where students find a deeper meaning in both fasting and learning.
As the crescent moon heralded the arrival of Ramadhan, Applied Biotechnology (ABT) final year students Taqwa, Hajar and Khaleel had already been hard at work for a full week. With careful planning and quiet determination, the trio set up all their laboratory experiments well in advance, ensuring that their academic responsibilities were fulfilled before the holy month began. Their goal was heartfelt and simple — to spend the first days of Ramadhan at home, sharing Iftar and Suhoor with their families around the same table.
'We did not want to choose between our studies and our family,' Taqwa and Hajar shared. 'So we made sure there was no conflict to begin with.'
This spirit of thoughtful preparation was not limited to the biotechnology labs. Over in the Entomology Subject, student Mohammed began collecting insect specimens an entire week before practical classes were scheduled to begin. His reasoning was clear — by having everything ready in advance, the practical sessions would run smoothly throughout Ramadhan without any disruption, delay, or compromise in quality. For Mohammed, skipping effort was never an option. He simply reorganised it.
The approach these students have taken reflects a broader philosophy rooted in the very foundation of their faith. The Holy Quran commands Iqra — Read. Learn. Seek knowledge. This single word, the first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), has inspired generations of Muslim scholars, scientists and thinkers to see education not as separate from their faith, but as an expression of it. Today's students at UTAS-Sur carry that tradition forward.
University authorities have supported this balance with sensitivity and care. Study hours during the spring semester, which begins in February, have been thoughtfully adjusted to conclude by 2:00 pm, giving students enough time to rest, pray and prepare for Iftar without exhaustion. It is a small but meaningful gesture that acknowledges the spiritual lives of students alongside their academic ones.
The daily rhythms on campus shift gracefully during Ramadhan. Female students tend to wrap up their activities early in the afternoon, heading home to join their mothers and sisters in preparing the evening Iftar meal — a tradition that carries deep cultural warmth. The young men, meanwhile, channel their energy into making all the necessary arrangements for Iftar gatherings, ensuring that the spirit of togetherness is honoured fully.
Research continues, classes run and practical sessions proceed — but with an added layer of mindfulness.
Ramadhan, as these students understand it, is far more than a month of fasting. It is a month of reflection, of honesty, of character building. It tests patience, sharpens focus and strips away distraction — qualities that, perhaps not coincidentally, also make for better students and better scientists. The hunger of the body, they find, often sharpens the hunger of the mind.
Through it all, faculty members remain steady pillars of support, adjusting their expectations with wisdom and encouraging their students with understanding rather than pressure.
At UTAS-Sur this Ramadhan, no dream is being put on hold. The experiments are set. The insects are collected. The Iftar tables will be full. And the books remain open.