Aly Khalifa will set his alarm for 4:30 a.m. Thursday, a witching hour for a college kid if ever there was one, and roll out of bed for the same breakfast as al
BYU center Aly Khalifa celebrates after making a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCF Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. ways: scrambled eggs, yogurt, some fruit, all washed down with a whole lot of water.Then he will pray, prostrating in accordance with Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims, not for leading BYU to victory in its game hours later against Duquesne but out of a profound sense of reverential devotion.
One of the Five Pillars of Islam is the “sawm," where during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar healthy adults are required to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. The practice is intended to renew their awareness and gratitude for all that God has bestowed upon them, and to serve as a reminder of their religious obligation to help those less fortunate.
They had a dry run last week during the Big 12 Tournament, where the Cougars won a second-round game against UCF before losing in the quarterfinals to Texas Tech. They might need to play more minutes. Adjust their style. Provide emotional support, just as much as the physical kind. So far, tipoff times have worked in Khalifa's favor. Both of the Cougars' games in the Big 12 Tournament started before noon, and their game against Duquesne on Thursday will begin at 11:40 a.m. That beats a game that would start in the midafternoon, when Khalifa's hunger pangs and unquenchable thirst would be at their worst.
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