Photo by Ikram Loutfi | The Independent Florida Alligator
Source: The Independence Florida Alligator
By Zarin Ismail
Since the end of March, Ealyes Mohammed has woken up every day around 5 a.m. to eat breakfast. Sometimes, he eats cereal or a bagel with cottage cheese. The snacking stops when the sun rises, and he doesn’t eat or drink anything else until 8 p.m.
After a morning prayer at the mosque and a few hours of rest at home, the 32-year-old restaurant owner gets up again and goes to work.
“I’m actually a believer of exerting a lot of energy during Ramadan,” he said. “I find more energy.”
Muslims, like Mohammed, started fasting March 23 to observe Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims don’t eat or drink from sunrise to sunset every day until they see a new moon, signifying the start of the next month in the Islamic calendar.
With this change in their eating schedule and sleeping hours, Muslims are expected to practice discipline and moderation as they juggle work, school and spiritual duties.
Mohammed is the co-owner of Bite of Power, a restaurant that sells halal food — or food prepared according to Islamic law — like burgers, fries, gyros and rice platters. His restaurant, located across from the UF campus at 1412 W. University Ave., opens every day at 10 a.m. and closes at 3 a.m.