Worth noting…Ramadan and Fasting
On Thursday, June 14, 2018, I participated in “Iftar” at Masjid Noor Ul Huda (MNH), Columbia, South Carolina. I, with other community leaders, was invited by Chaudhry Sadiq, President of MNH, and President of Peace Integration Council of North America. I participated in part, to understand more fully why I observed the Ramadan fast. I joined the fast before while serving on the Christian Peacemaker Team in al-Khalil (Hebron). Omar Shaeed, Imam at Mashid As-Salaam, Monticello Road, Columbia reminded us that fasting exists as a practice in nearly all faith traditions. He cited a verse in the Quran that says, "fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous." He pointed to the fasting practices of Moses and Jesus. He explained that the focus of fasting in on creation. The essential of fasting is empathy. Those who fast during Ramadan attempt to emphasize with others. Fasting allows one to feel the distress of hunger and thirst. There are people struggling with food insecurity not just in remote countries but also in the USA. Fasting connects as human beings.
Imam Shaeed explained that fasting also commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.
Harris Zafar writes, Fasting teaches us how to put ourselves in another person's shoes and to gain some level of understanding of their pain. This empathy is meant to foster more care and love for those who are often neglected and forgotten. For this reason, Muslims are advised to be more charitable -- with their time, wealth and general attitude -- while fasting during Ramadan. It is a month in which Muslims aren't allowed to express anger or tell a lie. Instead, they are instructed to focus on strengthening their relationship with God in humility. https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/05/ramadan_reflections_fasting_to.html
The last 10 nights of Ramadan is a time of intense worship, followed by a three-day holiday. Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, is a time of gifts, food, and festivities.
