With Ramadan underway, many young Muslims across the UK will still be attending school and college during the fasting period.
While during some years Ramadan falls during the exam period, school-age Muslims are lucky this year to avoid this. Regardless, they may still be experiencing fatigue during the school period which could cause some issues throughout the month.
Another thing that pupils and teachers should consider is making sure that the daily prayers all Muslims are obliged to do does not disrupt their class. While some young Muslims may opt to skip a prayer and make up for it at a later time (known as combining prayers) it is more important to do all prayers during Ramadan as the month is supposed to be a time to focus on Islam.
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This is also true for the Friday prayers (known as Jummah) which can sometimes take place in the afternoon during school time. Unlike other Islamic prayers which can take place at home, jummah is more akin to a sermon and is done at a mosque.
It can be difficult for young Muslims who want to attend jummah or fulfil their daily prayers during school. Fortunately, there are many ways for school-age Muslims to fulfil their prayers and other religious obligations during Ramadan while at school.
Can a student leave class to pray?
While not all Muslim pupils will observe their five daily prayers, they are obligatory in Islam and Muslims who have reached puberty are encouraged to do them every day. Daily prayers do not take much time out of the day, only lasting on average 10 to 20 minutes depending on the time of the prayer.
Because of this, schools are encouraged to have a designated 'quiet' area for prayer - this could include either an interfaith centre or a part of the school library. Make sure you speak to your teachers or head of education at your school to discuss the possibility of temporarily stepping out of class to pray.
Most schools should have an openness policy towards pupils with different religions but it is always safe to double check with your teachers to avoid any confrontation or disruption in the classroom.
Can a student leave the school for jummah?
While Friday prayers are usually observed in a mosque, a student may not actually have to leave the school to attend. It is permittable in Islam to observe jummah outside while still on school premises as long as adequate supervision is available.
If there is a significant Muslim population in your school, it is worth discussing with your teacher or head of education about arranging a collective worship on Fridays. Otherwise, a parent can make a written request to take their child to mosque for part of the afternoon.
A school is not legally required to allow a pupil to leave school for Friday prayers and it is up to their discretion whether they allow this or not.
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