Sufyaan Boodhoo, 7, on Ramadan: 'It feels good to fast'

Sufyaan Boodhoo, seven, may be too young to fast for a whole day but he is willing to give it a try.

Sufyaan is a Muslim and wants to fast for Ramadan like the rest of his family. Last year he fasted for four hours and this year he hopes to make it from sunrise to sunset.

The El Socorro Islamia TIA Primary School student said on Tuesday he woke up at 4 am, had roti, cheese and water for breakfast, and fasted from 4.30 am to 1 pm. It was the first time he fasted for so long a time.

“It feels good to fast and I want to do it for the whole day like everybody else. I want to feel how the poor is feel when they don’t get to eat. But I don’t really feel very hungry when I fast,” he told Newsday Kids.

He said fasting is important to him because Ramadan is the month the Quran was revealed. Also, he wants to know what it is to be hungry so he could understand what people who do not have as much as he does go through.

For Eid, before covid19, his family would go to the mosque then go by his aunt to make sawine, break their fast, and then cook and lime before visiting the homes of other family members.

This year, because of the covid19 restrictions, his family have no plans other than to pray, break their fast and give gifts to each other. Eid will be celebrated on May 13.

Sufyaan likes “using his creativity” to make gifts like cards, drawings, and paper bracelets and he looks forward to giving gifts he made and bought to his family members. He already gave gifts to his mother and aunt and they gave him gifts as well.

Also because of the pandemic, he has not gone to the mosque in a while. He usually prays at home in Mohammedville, El Socorro, with his father but sometimes he watches while the imam leads worship online.

“I like going to mosque because I like sitting and hearing the stories the imam tells. Now that we have to stay home during Ramadan, I pray taraweeh every night with my dad.”

Sufyaan’s mother, Rehana Rampersad, said she is proud that her son is fasting and wants to fast for the whole day.

“I know he could do it but I feel he’s so young to fast for so long. I’m a little scared but I’ll let him try at least.”

Sufyaan also loves building with Legos, watching TV, and going to school online. He likes using Google Classroom, feels more comfortable at home in his room and he has more free time.

Rampersad said Sufyaan has a routine that he follows without fuss. He attends online classes for the morning session, takes a break, attends the afternoon session, has lunch, and then finishes his schoolwork. From 3 pm to 5 pm he plays with his cousins before the family breaks their fast by his aunt.

“Honestly, I think he just forgot about physically going to school. It’s been almost two years now he’s been going to school online at home so it’s the new normal for him. He sees his school friends online during class and they interact briefly. And although he’s an only child, he has two cousins he plays with every day and that’s his new group.”