About 900 students gathered at the O'Connell Center Wednesday night to celebrate Islam on Campus' seventh annual Fast-A-Thon in celebration of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.
The club hoped to increase attendance and diversity at the event this year and include an educational component explaining why they fast, said Omar Shakeel, Fast-A-Thon chairman.
Students sat at purple tables and listened to a warm introduction by Abdulrahman Zeinomar, who then read from the Quran, which was recited in Arabic and translated into English. After Zeinomar filled the room with prayer and song, Imam Abdul Malik, the keynote speaker, spoke on the importance of fasting.
Malik, a Muslim chaplain for New York University's Islamic Center and the New York Police Department, said Ramadan was celebrated to resurrect the soul.
"It's easy to lose consciousness," he said. Students fail to realize how privileged they are with what they value, Malik said.
"Chocolate, caffeine, sugar, donuts, you've lost the essence of being a student," he said.
Malik said students fail to take the time for soul-searching, and he urged students to pursue happiness over money and to realize how privileged they are.
After the sun set, the fast was broken with the traditional feast of water and prunes, followed by prayer and a dinner of basmati rice, chickpeas, salad and chicken.
Shakeel said although it's difficult to make it through the day without food or water, he knew it would come to an end.
"People know that they are getting food at the end of this," he said. "Around 20 percent of the world doesn't."
Shakeel said the club prepared for the crowd by increasing the size of the tables, making them longer, and offering vegetarian options. He added that last year he was surprised by the number of vegetarians who attended the event.
Shakeel said the club was able to raise money through Islamic families and local food sponsors. The club raised about $3,000 last year, and he hopes to raise the same amount this year. The money raised will go toward the St. Francis House, Gainesville's homeless shelter and food pantry.
