Ramadan in the U.S. 01 I was walking out of the Fremont BART station when this woman caught my eye. It’s not because she was praying in public; I’ve seen that many times. It was the way she prayed. She was unapologetic - not worried about what anyone else thought. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are more focused on their spirituality than any other month. I’m Shayyan Ahmad @shayyan300, a photojournalist with AJ+. This week I’ll be posting photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. as they go about their everyday lives. Thanks for following.

Ramadan in the U.S. 02During Ramadan, many Muslims seek spiritual growth and closeness with God. Mosques fill up with worshippers, young and old. In this picture, which was taken at the Islamic Center of Fremont in Fremont, California, some of the elders of the community are praying Tarawih – extra prayers performed every night of Ramadan. The older you get the harder it can be to go through the physical motions of prayer, but these men were not deterred.I’m Shayyan Ahmad @shayyan300, a photojournalist with AJ+. This week I’ll be posting photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. as they go about their everyday lives. Thanks for following.

Ramadan in the U.S. 03 96 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} I asked him what he thought a good take away would be if a non Muslims was to walk into the mosque during Ramadan. He said, “did you look around while you were eating? See all the different people, of different races, from different cultures, all eating together side by side. This is something only present in Islam, when you come to an Iftar you see this highlighted.” He then proceeded to share his apples with me.I’m Shayyan Ahmad @shayyan300, a photojournalist with AJ+. This week I’ll be posting photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. Thanks for following.

Ramadan in the U.S. 04 96 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} A couple days before Ramadan you notice the Mosques starting to filling up with more worshippers then usual. Due to over capacity this year the rumors are the city has threatened to shut the Mosque down if they don’t control the crowds. I often wonder, if it were a Church or Synagogue would they make those threats.I’m Shayyan Ahmad @shayyan300, a photojournalist with AJ+. This week I’ll be posting photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. Thanks for following.

Ramadan in the U.S. 05While at an Iftar at a mosque in the San Francisco Bay Area, I noticed these kids sitting in the corner, breaking their fast. The way they sat and ate together reminded me of how groups of old men sit together in mosques discussing politics, religion and life.I’m Shayyan Ahmad @shayyan300, a photojournalist with AJ+. This week I’ll be posting photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. as they go about their everyday lives. Thanks for following.

Ramadan in the U.S. 06 96 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} During Ramadan Mosques around the world feed thousands of people for free every day. Here in the U.S. it is very similar, any Mosque you walk into will feed you whatever they can offer you for iftar (in most cases regardless your faith). I walked into this mosque not knowing what to expect. Since I had been yelled at for bringing my camera with me to a mosque I visited the day prior, I wasn’t looking forward to possibly dealing with it again. Instead they did the opposite they invited me with open arms to eat with them and take as many pictures as I wanted. You’ll find that especially amongst American Muslims Ramadan is a time where we look forward to feeding anyone we can regardless of religion.I’m Shayyan Ahmad @shayyan300, a photojournalist with AJ+. This week I’ll be posting photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. Thanks for following.

Ramadan in the U.S. 08Boy waits for Tarawih to end outside of Mosque.

Ramadan in the U.S. 9Imam reflects after prayer.

Ramadan in the U.S. 07