With the month of Ramadan beginning the night of Feb. 28 and expected to last until March 29, billions of Muslims around the world observe their holiest month through prayer, charity and most notably fasting — where they abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
The Sun met with Daanyal Agboatwalla ’25 and Muhammad-Ali Kobo ’25, who are Muslim student-athletes observing the holy month of Ramadan and taking their game to the next level.
Daanyal Agboatwalla Conquering the Squash Courts
Agboatwalla studies statistics and economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a part of the No. 9 squash team, which has had some historically strong seasons during his time at Cornell. He hails from Bronx, New York, and says that, for the last three years, Ramadan has always occurred after the squash season ended. Due to the changing lunar calendar, Ramadan this year began while the team was still playing matches.
“Usually Ramadan starts after our nationals competition, so we have a two to three week break and then get into some light fitness training,” Agboatwalla said. “There was never a huge conflict with fasting.”
For Agboatwalla, his priority is making sure that he makes “small adjustments” to his typical routine and prioritizes eating and hydrating properly. He detailed what his Suhr — the pre-dawn meals Muslims have before fasting commences — consists of.
“It is most important to have healthy fats, so foods that will keep me full throughout the day and slowly supply me energy,” Agboatwalla said. “Avocadoes, peanut butter, fruits and a protein shake are what I typically have.”
He also tries to schedule some of his training sessions early in the morning before Suhr, so that he is still able to drink water while training. Agboatwalla noted that Ramadan is a “mental and spiritual thing” that gets easier as time goes on.
He said that Ramadan does not stop him from “working hard to improve” his fitness but rather motivates him and instills him with “more discipline” to reach those goals.
Agboatwalla said Ramadan is his favorite time of the year and is very important to him, which he believes is something many Muslims can relate to.
“Many non-Muslims ask Muslims why Ramadan is our favorite time of the year, and that's understandable from an outside perspective because they see us restraining ourselves from doing things that we would normally do, like eating and drinking,” Agboatwalla said. “But for Muslims and me personally, I feel very close and connected to God. I feel connected to a greater community and overall happier.”
Muhammad-Ali Kobo Fasting and Draft Preparations
Kobo is also a psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a defensive lineman for the Red’s football team. While Kobo is not actively in season, he is training for the National Football League draft, which is slated to start April 24 and run through the 26th.
Currently, Kobo is preparing for a variety of Pro Days he plans to attend where NFL scouts will watch and evaluate him.
Throughout his four years at Cornell, Kobo said Ramadan would fall during spring football season, meaning he would have a daytime practice and a workout at night. Kobo said that it was important to make sure he was staying properly hydrated and having a Suhr meal that would “fuel him” throughout the day.
“In the morning I will have six to seven bottles of water, some gatorade and a light meal such as yogurt, dates, bagels or applesauce.
He reflected that over the last four years, the University has made it “a lot more accessible and easier” for Muslim students to get food during Ramadan. He said that during his freshman and sophomore years it was harder for him to find food while fasting.
“During my first two years at Cornell, the dining halls would close at around 8 p.m. so you would have to spend your Big Red Bucks and find somewhere that was open that would take them,” Kobo said. “What they have done now is prepare pre-dawn and Iftar meals that students can pick up.”
Those pre-dawn meals are available to students at the cost of one meal swipe at Cook House Dining Room, Morrison Dining and Okenshields. Halal meals are offered at Morrison, Okenshields, and Keeton House Dining Room. Kobo said that Cornell has done a better job of “recognizing their large Muslim population,” but he still believes there are improvements the University should continue to work towards.
“With those cold meals, we are not afforded as much as what we would usually eat, so I think that is something they can improve,” Kobo said. “But overall, I have definitely seen an upward trend in how they operate and treat their muslim students and athletes.”
Ramadan is important to Kobo because it offers him the time to be humble and disciplined. It has given him the “grounding and understanding” that he is able to “operate without the proper sustenance” in his body. He pointed out how empowering that feeling can be to him.
“Allah has given me the ability to play football and taken care of me throughout my life, so who am I to say I can’t fast during Ramadan,” Kobo said. “I just put all my trust in Allah to take me along in his process.”
He also mentioned how important it is to him to motivate his teammates through difficult workouts or practices, and he feels that, by fasting, he helps push them to work harder.
“It also gives me a chance to show my fellow student-athletes how important it is to have some kind of faith in your life,” Kobo said. “When I fast, it shows them an example of how, if you put your mind to something and stick to it, you can do it.”
When Kobo goes through a difficult workout or feels tired, he credits his teammates and the “support cast” around him for both motivating him and giving him time off if he needs it.
More specifically to his preparation for the draft, Kobo said that he bulked up his weight a month before Ramadan to 263 pounds. He is currently at 258 pounds with the goal of dropping down to 255 pounds before his Pro Day. Kobo said that Ramadan has coincided well with his goal.
“Fasting forces me to avoid unhealthy foods and has greatly improved my academic focus and focus on the draft,” Kobo said. “I have seen my test score go up and my energy increase during those tough workouts [the Pro Day] will put me through.”
Kobo said that his efforts to make it to the NFL and fast make him feel a connection to the greater Muslim community.
“The Muslim community holds a huge place in my heart,” Kobo said. “Having people alongside you fasting or praying makes it easy to not feel alone and feel a true sense of belonging and community.”
