A Message for Ramadan 2026

In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,

I greet you all with the Islamic greeting of peace: As-Salaamu Alaykum! Peace be upon you!

On behalf of Muslim Student Life, I would like to wish our Muslim students, faculty, and staff, Ramadan Mubarak! May you all have a blessed Ramadan and may it be a month of mercy, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal for us all.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is the month in which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. For all able adult Muslims, fasting means refraining from food and drink (even water) during daylight hours. Each day's activities begin before dawn with a pre-fast meal and an intention to fast for the sake of God. At sunset, the fast is broken with the iftar meal, often shared in community with family and friends. This year, Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, and end on Thursday, March 19, followed by the Eid Al-Fitr holiday on Friday, March 20. We look forward to celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan once again in community together on campus this year. We invite the LMU community to join us for our Annual Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m. in Roski Dining Hall (first floor of University Hall) as we celebrate the beginning of Ramadan - all are welcome! Click here to RSVP.

Ramadan is far more than abstaining from food and drink. It is a month of prayer, reflection, charity, self-discipline, and renewed commitment to God. It is a time to slow down, to examine our hearts, and to realign our lives with what is most essential.

The Quran tells us, "O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you - as it was for those before you - so perhaps you will become mindful of God." (Quran 2:183)

The purpose of fasting is cultivating a deepened awareness and mindfulness of God in our lives. Through hunger and thirst, we cultivate gratitude. Through restraint, we strengthen discipline. Through prayer and recitation, we draw nearer to our Creator.

Ramadan is also known as the month of the Quran. We are reminded in the Quran that, "It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong." (Quran 2:185) As we increase in our recitation and reflection on the Quran, may its guidance shape our character, deepen our compassion, and inspire us to serve the world with greater integrity and a commitment to justice.

At LMU, we are blessed to observe Ramadan within a vibrant and diverse campus community. Muslim Student Life will be hosting student iftar dinners, evening prayers, and our annual Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner, where we come together with partners across traditions to celebrate this sacred month in a spirit of hospitality and mutual respect. We look forward to journeying through Ramadan together in community. To learn more about our full calendar of events this Ramadan, click here.

If you are observing Ramadan and need any form of support, please know that Muslim Student Life in Campus Ministry is here for you. It is a privilege to serve and accompany our Muslim community during this holy month.

I pray that Almighty God accepts our fasting, our prayers, and our acts of charity. I pray for healing where there is hardship, clarity where there is uncertainty, and light where there is darkness. May this Ramadan renew our hearts and strengthen our community. May God bless each of you and bless LMU during this sacred time.

Ramadan Mubarak!