Many Muslim-Americans will fast Thursday in recognition of the Muslim day of Arafat and break the fast that evening with a Thanksgiving feast.

“My family is Muslim, but we are American as well, and as long as an American tradition does not require us to compromise our Islamic traditions, then we are as American as can be,” stated biochemistry and Arabic senior Ahmad Khattab in an e-mail. “For a Muslim family, Thanksgiving is like any other dinner, since we thank God for all our blessings every day.”

Khattab, president of the Muslim Student Association, said their prophet, Muhammad, told them the 10 days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are beloved to God and that God loves to see his creation praise him and do good deeds, whether they are small or big.

“For Muslims who will be fasting on that day, it’s going to be quite a satisfying Thanksgiving dinner, having fasted all day long,” he said.

The 10 days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which began Nov. 18 and concludes Friday, goes by the lunar month cycle on the Islamic calendar.

“As a Muslim, I try my best to do good things, especially in these 10 days, because the reward is more than I would get on another normal day,” Khattab said.

The ninth day, Arafat, involves fasting and falls on Thanksgiving day this year.

“Muslims are only encouraged to do good and only encouraged to fast on the day of Arafat, so it is not a mandatory thing,” Khattab said.

Khattab said many Muslim-American families celebrate Thanksgiving, including his family.

“I went to Hajj about three years ago,” he said. “Hajj was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was such a unifying experience for me, as well as every other Muslim that was there.”

Khattab said it was a unifying experience because there were millions of Muslims going to Mecca with the same intention: to please God and ask him for forgiveness.

“Once in Mecca, everyone must dress the same way,” he said. “So whether you are rich or poor, black or white, European or African, you must wear the same thing as your fellow Muslim brother or sister.”

Omar Alamoudi, an international student from Saudi Arabia studying geophysics and mathematics, said he has been on Hajj three times.

“It was one of the best experiences I ever had,” Alamoudi said.

He said his aunt lives in Mecca, so his experience was a little bit different from what other people would have experienced.

“Generally, these 10 days are among the best days throughout all of the year,” Alamoudi said.

Alamoudi said those people who don’t go or cannot afford to go to Mecca can still fast on the ninth day of the month, known as the day of Arafat.

“They have the reward of being forgiven for whatever they have done,” he said. “Muslims should spend their time within these 10 days, if they aren’t going to Hajj, praying, because these days are known as special days.”

Alamoudi said he will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year for the first time.

“I’m going to have dinner with a Muslim family,” he said. “I’ve never experienced it before, but I’ve heard about it a little bit from my friends.”