6 March 2026
The Inner Work of Ramadan: Muslim Perspectives on Healing and Psychedelics
An Interview with Sahar Rajput and Hena Malik Başak
By: Grace Cepe
MAPS Bulletin: Volume XXXVI
Throughout Ramadan, many Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, following a daily rhythm that encourages patience, gratitude, and discipline. The month is grounded in compassion and generosity, reminding communities of their shared responsibility to care for one another. Reflection and charity become central expressions of spiritual devotion. In this interview, we asked two MAPS staff, Sahar Rajput and Hena Malik Başak, about what the holiest month in Islam means to them.
Sahar (she/her) serves as MAPS’ Philanthropy Operations Manager, supporting project management for fundraising events, research, and tracking across the organization. Since August 2022, Sahar has held many key responsibilities – including running the fiscal sponsorship program – all with the goal of fulfilling her commitment to advancing Healing for All. Growing up as a Pakistani-Muslim immigrant in the Bronx right after 9/11, Sahar lived through a traumatic period of discrimination and prejudice from the news media, culture, and people around her. As she pursues healing, Sahar now reclaims her personal and spiritual identity and transmutes the fear-based trauma she experienced into loving service for her community.
Hena (she/her) is MAPS’ Multimedia Manager, and works within the Communications team to support public education and engagement around psychedelic research, policy, and culture. Through storytelling campaigns, digital media, and design, she helps translate complex topics in the psychedelic field for broader audiences. She first joined MAPS as an intern in August 2023. Coming from a Pakistani background and raised Muslim, Hena is committed to bridging Islamic theology and psychedelic studies. She created the Islam, Muslims, and Psychedelics series, which uplifts Muslim scholars, practitioners, and community voices in the psychedelic ecosystem.
This interview took place on February 26, 2026, and has been edited for length and clarity.
Grace Cepe: As all of us know, Ramadan started last week. And for those who may not be familiar, can you please explain what Ramadan is and what this month means to you personally?
Hena Malik Başak: Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar. So every year it actually goes up by 10 days. That’s why it’s never at the same time each year. 10 years from now, it will likely be during the winter. Basically, it’s a month where Muslims all over the world fast from sunrise to sunset, no food, no water – yes, no water. I feel like a lot of people think it’s just about the fasting, but it’s really not just about that. It’s about slowing down, recalibrating, and just paying attention to your body.
There’s this verse in the Qur’an that says how fasting is better for you, “if only you knew.” I’ve always loved that phrasing because it feels like there are layers of goodness there that we might not fully understand yet. But that phrasing also feels so gentle and inviting; it’s not framed as a harsh command. I bring that up because a lot of Muslims will feel this spiritual guilt that they have to participate in this observance, but there’s actually a lot of mercy within this month and Islam in general. It isn’t just about discipline, fasting and praying all the time. The Qur’an clearly states that if you’re menstruating, breastfeeding, pregnant, or are medically unwell, you don’t have to fast. And there is no workaround for this. That is the rule. So it’s encouraging you to be more in tune with your body through mercy from the religion.
As someone who lives with chronic dissociation and OCD, that can be really hard to do because you’re not always in your body and you’re feeling out of place. With OCD, you’re always thinking, “Am I trying hard enough?”, which could be a difficult thing to navigate. But for Ramadan, I feel like it’s a really good time to notice what our body is telling us. On a scientific level, during Ramadan, when you’re fasting from sunrise to sunset, your body shifts metabolically. You’re burning through glycogen. Your insulin levels drop. There’s autophagy occurring, meaning your cells are basically renewing themselves. So fasting is very powerful on a spiritual level, but also on a molecular level too.
Sahar Rajput: Wow, that was so beautiful. That was so good. Well, you perfectly described what Ramadan is, so I don’t feel like there’s anything to add to that.
Before, when I was growing up, it was like what Hena described: you had to do this, or you didn’t have a place in the afterlife. Like that’s how I was raised in a fear-based household. So it was difficult for me growing up because I had a lot of guilt associated with it. I felt like, you know, you’re young and growing, you are still trying to navigate a lot of things, but it’s supposed to be like a joyous time in your life growing up. There was a lot of guilt-based treatment and punishment, which was really hard to grow up with and very traumatizing, which led me to step away from my faith for a little bit.
And I think through psychedelics, which we’ll talk about in a little bit, I was able to actually change that tune. Now I’m using Ramadan as a way to attempt getting closer to my faith when it was something that at the time felt was used as a punishment.
So now I’m trying to reframe it and be like… This is a blessing from God to be able to choose to do Ramadan and fast, and not a punishment. I also think about people who are actually actively starving around the world, and it’s a position that they’re forced in. Now I see Ramadan as something that we are choosing to fast to reconnect. So, before Ramadan had a very different meaning, and now I’ve been trying hard to reconnect and use it as a way to get closer to my religion.
Beautiful. I think one of the common themes that I see in other Abrahamic religions, like Catholicism, is a lot of guilt-based behavioral training. And I think, as women, we are also having to contend with that guilt within, not just in the spiritual framework, but also in societal frameworks. It’s great to see how the two of you have acknowledged the conditioning that took place in your household around Ramadan and have decided to reclaim what it means to you, rather than allowing the guilt to just shape your decisions moving forward.
Sahar Rajput: Thanks for recognizing that. It takes a lot of work to do that.
I also wanted to ask more about the communal-focused aspects of Ramadan. Given our audience may not know much about the community-oriented aspect of Ramadan, can you share a bit more about what that means to you, starting with Hena?
Hena Malik Başak: There’s this humility piece when you’re fasting, when you feel a fraction of hunger during Ramadan, it’s actually a chosen version of hunger. You are actively making the choice to wake up every day and fast. It really shifts your empathy because there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, who are fasting through genocide, displacement, or are under siege, and not by choice. It’s really humbling when it’s like, at the end of the day, I get to break my fast with a meal that I cooked with my family, with ingredients that I had access to buy from the grocery store. But, other people are breaking their fast in a refugee camp with a few grains of rice, while missing a few members of their family. The humility comes from being able to recognize that while fasting holds a level of discipline and can be difficult for the self, it forces you to think of others and be grateful for what you have.
It’s kind of like, not only am I feeling this hunger, but we say the ummah (which is the collective Muslim population) are all collectively experiencing this hunger, some worse than others. And so you start to think, what can I do to remember that and keep them in my heart? So throughout your day, you feel more inclined to pray for them and keep them in your thoughts. We have this concept as well in our religion, where we believe that God gives you the strength to get through hardship. Unfortunately, it’s hard to explain what’s happening across the world right now – in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and I can go on – and that can feel really debilitating. But for Muslims, the one thing that we have to hold onto is faith and prayer. That’s where community also comes in, checking on your neighbors, those in need, family, and friends. Because during these difficult times, support networks are vital.
There’s also this concept of Zakat, which is obligatory charity that Muslims give each year. It’s one of the five pillars of Islam. What I find really meaningful about Zakat is that it forces you to stay aware of your community. Even if you’re busy or not constantly paying attention to what’s happening in the world, Zakat brings you back to that responsibility. You have to take stock of what you have and recognize that part of it belongs to, and should belong to, people who are struggling. It builds social awareness into the structure of the religion, but there is mercy in that system, too. Zakat is required only if you’re financially able; if you’re not, service and other forms of care for your community are still important.
Sahar Rajput: Yeah, the community aspect is, I think, one of the most beautiful things about Islam and Ramadan. It focuses on you uplifting other people, and Ramadan’s a great time for you to remove yourself and think about others more than you normally would.
I think Ramadan pushes you to think about other people’s suffering and other people who need help and support, and it makes you use your time and energy to do that. And we are very privileged to be able to do so. It makes you recognize that like – and sorry if I cry – because it’s such a difficult time, which is one of the reasons why I also really struggled with my faith, is when I have access to food, but there are people who are within my community who are starving, you know what I mean? Like, if there’s a God, why is that happening? And that really is hard for me.
And then I go on my phone, and right now, with it being Ramadan, I’m seeing all these Muslim charities that are asking for zakat, and it’s all of these people who are suffering, and they’re getting flour bags, and that’s all they’re getting. Particularly when that could be the only meal they are getting that day. It’s a difficult thing when you’re an empath, which I feel like we all are, and you can feel that at a deep level. It’s very hard, but then I try to think that I’m here to serve my community. Ramadan always makes me remember that we are here to serve others. I remember that when I begin to feel far from my faith. That is my true purpose on this planet. There’s nothing else that means more to me than giving to others. Ramadan is a great reminder when you’re ever feeling like that shift. So that’s what it means to me.
Hena Malik Başak: Yeah, that’s beautiful, Sahar.
Yeah, that’s really beautiful. It sounds like fasting really shifts perspectives and can really highlight that we are not isolated individuals; we do live in community, and there are people around us that are suffering that we may not think about in the day-to-day.
So I think this leads us into this really deep question. Ramadan is often described as a month of purification of the ego, habits, and distractions. In psychedelic spaces, we often talk about ego dissolution and healing. Where do you see the meaningful overlap, and where do you see important distinctions?
Sahar Rajput: I see so many parallels to it. When you think about Ramadan, it’s a time for you to, again, not think about the self, not think of the ego, and think about others. I feel psychedelics push you to that, as well. It helps you think about yourself as one of the world. And again ask how you can be of service. So I feel like that’s an important parallel. Ramadan also focuses on limiting distractions.
Muslims use it as a time to not use substances. They use it as a month for, if that’s something that they’re trying to do, break a habit. Ramadan is the time when they can commit to it. Sometimes it’s being distracted by your phone, by the outside world. It’s a time for you to think about what’s important in your life. And you know, being in the Western world, we have our to-do list. We’re doing things day in and day out. But when you’re hungry, all that goes away, and you’re starting to really think about, oh my god, when I get hungry, I think about the times when I had food insecurity growing up. It brings me back to that time because I’m an immigrant from Pakistan.
I moved to the Bronx right after 9/11 and suffered tremendous discrimination in living there, and then it brought me back to the time when we moved to have a better life, and that ended up with having housing insecurity and food insecurity. My parents did the best they could with what they had. So it brings me back to that time, and then I’m like, snap out of it. You have a house now. You have food now. You have a car. You can go wherever you want. You have access to everything. So it helps you think about what’s important because we live in this day-to-day, where we’re constantly flooded by the media.
We’re constantly flooded by everything, but your body’s natural reaction to hunger makes you slow down. It makes you preserve your energy. It makes you think about what’s really important. And I think psychedelics does that too. during the time when you’re utilizing psychedelics, it can feel overwhelming . But when you take that time to integrate, you can start seeing what’s important to you and what’s important in the real world. It’s not your to-do list. It’s your partner in life. It’s your family. It’s your friends. It’s shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset and being grateful. Those are the things that I feel have happened when I’ve integrated my psychedelic experiences, which is very similar to how I feel during Ramadan. It gives you a whole new perspective. And I feel like that all throughout the month. Distinctions are actually kind of hard for me. I think they have a lot of similarities.
Hena Malik Başak: I think that the comparison between Ego Death and Ego Dissolution in Ramadan is really interesting because on the surface there’s a lot of overlap, but they’re actually really not the same thing at all. I feel like the boundaries soften more with Ramadan, while the sense of “I” in Ego death can feel really expansive or mystical. And it can be really destabilizing for a lot of people, they almost feel like there is no control and there’s no anchor. But Ramadan doesn’t really try to erase the self. It tries to refine it. And I think that it’s done by discipline. You’re still waking up for prayer, you still fulfill your obligations, and you’re showing up ethically in your relationships and your community. And the transformation is certainly gradual. I mean, it’s over the course of a month and not in a twelve-hour acid trip.
I keep relating this to my personal mental health, but with dissociation, it can feel like a very involuntary ego death experience. You can kind of feel like yourself dissolving in a way. It’s really disorienting and also has no boundaries. And that’s actually where I see a really important distinction with Ramadan. Ramadan provides structure and grounding. It teaches me that spiritual surrender has the ability to make you more grounded. It can anchor you in your body and responsibilities. Though I feel like there is an overlap in humility between ego dissolution and Ramadan. When you come out of ego death, you’re like, “Oh damn, I’m so glad I’m sober right now”. And it’s similar in a way to Ramadan, where, after fasting, you’re so psyched not to be hungry. Even a small sip of water can feel meaningful. You’re more grateful for the food you’re going to eat. You become more aware of the blessing of something you normally take for granted. So yes, in a way, there is overlap between humility in Ramadan and ego dissolution, but the method and container are very different.
Also, a lot of Islam emphasizes intention-setting. Before acts of worship like prayer or fasting, there’s the concept of Niyyah, or intention. It’s about consciously orienting yourself toward what you’re about to do. For example, before fasting, the idea is that you enter the day with the intention to do so. That small moment of reflection has always felt meaningful to me. I think that idea translates beautifully into psychedelic work. It reminds you that intention really matters, and that the mindset you bring into an experience can shape how you move through it. A lot of people in the psychedelic space are just now realizing how important set and setting is.
There are also different traditions within Islam around intention. In congregational prayer, for example, the Imam may make the intention on behalf of the group, while individuals may also quietly set their own. For me, that moment of intention helps me ground myself: realizing where I am, what I’m about to do, and taking a few minutes to connect with God. And if I ever forget to consciously set that intention, it doesn’t mean my prayer is invalid. It’s simply that when I do take that moment, the experience tends to feel more meaningful and present for me.
Ok, let’s talk more about one of the five pillars of Islam, Zakat. Since you’re all part of a nonprofit that relies on charitable giving, can you share what Zakat means to your work?
Sahar Rajput: Yeah, so to me, Zakat is the obligation of charity, of giving money. There’s a calculator of a percentage of your wealth that you have to give to honor your obligation, and traditionally, people will provide it to Muslim charities. I’ve had my family donate it to the local mosque, so then they can provide it to families who need it more. And to me, I think Zakat is one of the most beautiful things about Islam, and just being of service. And it is the thing that kept me close to my religion, because everything else can feel like ethereal and like it’s hard to see, but with Zakat and being in active service, you can see the ripple effects of the work that you do. You can see the ripple effects of the money that you’ve provided to charity. I have traditionally given money to non-profits such as the ACLU, MAPS, and Heal Palestine. They mean a lot to me because of the direct impact each organization provides. Heal Palestine is an amazing organization, and they’re helping specifically children’s amputees who are suffering from, who have suffered from the genocide, and they are giving them a new form of life. They are a beautiful organization. So Zakat is really everything to me and has been the foundation of why I am a Muslim. And I take it very seriously.
Beautiful. What about you, Hena?
Hena Malik Başak: I think that when people start viewing the psychedelic ecosystem as a collective, like how our Ancestors and Indigenous people have been doing that for literally centuries, they obviously know a thing or two about that. They’ve long understood that healing is something that happens within a community, not just within an individual. There’s probably a lot we can learn from that if we weren’t so stubborn.
At the same time, we live in a very individualistic and capital-driven culture where there’s often this instinct to optimize ourselves, heal ourselves, and sometimes even profit from that healing. A lot of the biohacking culture in the space can lean in that direction. But I think an important question to ask is: what does healing look like when it extends beyond the self? What happens when we think about uplifting all communities? Are we making sure refugees have access to psychedelic-assisted care, not just veterans? We should be supporting systems that allow more people to benefit from this work. Because ‘Healing for All’ means caring for all sides of the story, right?
Zakat is a practice that doesn’t have to be done only if you’re Muslim. You can do it no matter what religion or spirituality you follow – or even if you are not spiritual, you can just do it and make that a common practice every single year. Something my parents taught me to do, when I’m feeling especially grateful, is to donate even if it’s something small, like five dollars. It’s just a simple way of asking myself: how can I share some of this blessing with someone else? A lot of people are feeling overwhelmed by current events, including me. But one way we begin to shift that is by taking care of one another in small, everyday ways. Acts of generosity, even tiny ones, can help rebuild that sense of community and responsibility we have toward each other.
Yes! “How can we take care of one another?” is the best question to ask – whether you’re observing Ramadan or not. Before we end, is there anything else you wanted to share verbally that we haven’t had a chance to cover?
Sahar Rajput: I think the only thing I would say is to Muslims who are reading is: Be kind to yourself. This is a very beautiful month, but it can be hard. And if you were raised in a fear-based society or a fear-based upbringing, it’s important to work to shift that and know that you can be kind to yourself and kind to others. And you’re loved if you choose to use psychedelics, if you choose not to use psychedelics, if you choose to practice Islam, or if you ever have contention with that, it’s okay, and God will always love you. It’s really important to know that that’s the foundation.
Hena Malik Başak: I think if any Muslims are reading this, your brain trying to protect you does not mean that your faith is weak or that you’re any less of a Muslim. It literally means that you are just human. I really encourage you to unlearn the idea that mental health struggles mean that your faith is weak. And remember that Islam is a religion of mercy and it’s meant to make things easier for you, not harder. In that alone, hopefully, you can find comfort.
Sahar Rajput
Sahar Rajput (she/her) is the Philanthropy Operations Manager at MAPS, supporting event project management, donor and foundation research, and project tracking across the organization. She holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oswego in Communications, with minors in Psychology and Business, and a Master’s degree in Project Management from Boston University’s Metropolitan College. During her undergraduate studies, Sahar Rajput developed a strong commitment to community and civic engagement, earning a National Newman Civic Fellowship Award through Campus Compact.
Alongside her role at MAPS—where she is committed to advancing Healing for All—Sahar Rajput also works with the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia as a Project Manager focused on data management and voting rights. Based in Syracuse, New York, she enjoys spending time with her puppies, Oshie and Louie, her partner of a decade, Travis, listening to music, exploring new restaurants, and traveling.
Hena Malik Başak
Hena Malik Başak is dedicated to exploring the healing and spiritual potential of psychoactive and psychedelic medicines, including plant-based traditions. Her work focuses on trauma and mental health, especially the under-researched symptoms of dissociation and derealization. She also studies women’s health across different phases of life. She is committed to understanding how trauma affects underserved communities, including refugees and women whose experiences are often overlooked in research.
She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Florida, a degree in Arts and Humanities, and a Master’s in Psychoactive Pharmaceuticals from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Coming from a Pakistani background and raised Muslim, Hena Malik Başak is committed to bridging Islamic theology and psychedelic studies. This commitment inspired the Islam, Muslims, and Psychedelics series she created, which uplifts Muslim scholars, practitioners, and community voices. She previously served as Communications Officer at the Chacruna Institute and formerly sat on the Board of Directors for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).
In her free time, Hena Malik Başak enjoys embracing life to the fullest alongside her husband in Florida.
Grace Cepe
Grace Cepe (she/her) serves as the Executive Manager of Programs for MAPS. She earned her B.A. in psychology cum laude from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). At UCSC, Grace was a research assistant for the social psychology department’s Sexual and Gender Diversity Laboratory, an instructor’s assistant for an introductory psychology course, and a residential counselor intern for at-risk foster youth. Before joining MAPS, Grace volunteered with MAPS, San Francisco Psychedelic Society, and the Chacruna Institute, and advocated for a local decriminalization bill in Santa Cruz.
Since attending MAPS’ Psychedelic Science Conference in 2017, she has deepened her interests in culturally-adaptive psychedelic-assisted therapy, careful research methodologies, and honest evidence-based drug education. Outside of MAPS, Grace loves reading critical consciousness theories, hiking in woodsy petrichor, and oscillating between many genres of music.
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