Ramadan illness, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. However, many Muslims with medical conditions insist on fasting to satisfy their spiritual needs, although it is not recommended by the hadith. Professionals should closely monitor such individuals who decide to persist with fasting. Those who were unable to fast still must make up the days missed later. Each day, before dawn, Muslims observe a pre-fast meal called the suhur. After stopping a short time before dawn, Muslims begin the first prayer of the day, Fajr. At sunset, families hasten for the fast-breaking meal known as iftar. Dates are usually the first food to break the
Fast-a-Thon end of the fasting day. The University of Tennessee Muslim Student Association held the first Fast-a-Thon in 2001 after the September 11, 2001 attacks and founded a national event that included students at over 230 colleges and universities in 2006. The event also is held to help dispel misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. An event at the University of Michigan has been held annually for over a decade. Other establishments supporting this event are the University of Florida, University of Washington, and the University of Waterloo. Fast-a-Thon is now an annual event held during Ramadan. If the month of Ramadan