This month, specifically on June 18, marks the observance of Ramadan by 1.6 billion Muslims around the world.
This very time-bound and time-honored tradition starts on the first day of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, the month Muslims believe to be extremely sacred because this was when the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad.
Facts about Ramadan:
· Began in 622 AD when the prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution.
· Muslims from all over the world start fasting on different days because it is dependent on the sighting of the crescent moon.
· Muslims don’t just fast on food and drinks during Ramadan. They also abstain from sex, smoking, and any action that’s considered to “feed” the flesh.
· Their word for fasting, sawm, means “to refrain”.
This very tradition holds together a group of people in unity of cause, no matter where they are in the world. And I think that’s remarkable. Because of this, I believe that I and many Christians can learn so many lessons from our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Let me share to you some of these:
1. Fasting is also and ought to be a huge part of our Christian faith
Jesus fasted from food and water for 40 days and 40 nights before He started His ministry. Daniel fasted from bread, meat, and wine to understand the vision God showed Him. Esther, together with the Jews, fasted for 3 days without food and drink so that their race might be spared from extermination.
Even our closest relatives in faith, the Jews, practice fasting on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, where they ask for God’s forgiveness.
The reason for fasting, I believe, is not to test ourselves and see the limits of our physical abilities. No, the reason for fasting is to strip ourselves of all the distractions that pulls our consciousness away from what’s important in the world, what we are missing, what God wants to say or has been telling us the whole time!
That’s why I believe that fasting should become a habit us Christians should cultivate more. Every day, let’s try to give up something that distracts our mind from God. Better yet, let’s reapportion something for God. Because, fasting is just reapportioning our time, money, desires, hunger, something that has weight, and spending these for fellowship with Him.
Often times, the purpose of fasting has been focused on the act of abstinence itself and the perceived “reward” that usually comes after it; as if to say: “Hey God, I fasted. It’s your turn to hold up the end of the bargain.” Fasting isn’t supposed to be like this. It’s not some secret formula or an ace in the hole that we whip out from time to time.
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Taqwa [God-consciousness].” – The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah:183
I love that they have a specific word for God-consciousness. Taqwa, such a beautiful expression.
Let’s ask ourselves, have we ever really thought of or even tried to be conscious about how God is present and working in our lives?
2. Become more socially, economically, and morally conscious.
“During the fast, Muslims believe that their desires are curbed and that they can gain understanding of how those who are less privileged than them feel. It is considered to increase one’s patience, closeness to God and generosity towards others.” – Aisha Gani, Journalist, The Guardian
I never quite fully understood what Ramadan is and what it meant, primarily because I didn’t grow up relating to that culture. But from what I’ve learned, it seems that Muslims have a very close-knit sense of community.
As a matter of fact, they see Ramadan as a time of community. It’s been their custom to invite neighbours, friends, and even total strangers to share a fast-breaking meal called iftar. Also, fasting does not mean Muslims retreat from their daily routine, rather they are encouraged to continue as normal in their work and usual activities. A quite challenging feat since they go about without food and water for most of the day.
We also have something like this, albeit in 7 days rather than 29: Mahal na Araw. But instead of dedicating it for a time of reflection and spiritual recharging, it’s a week’s long excuse for instagramming #LaBoracay.
This tells me that even in a time of fulfilling spiritual obligation; we must never forget our social, economic, and moral obligations. Because these, these are interwoven and intertwined. And if I have something to envy about Muslims, they are doing all these as a nation.
3. Beyond tradition, grace.
Seeing it to be quite a task to bear for the average person, you’d soon realize that Ramadan might actually rub off as insensitive to some who would want to observe it but are limited—like those who have health conditions such as diabetes, or those who live in a part of the world where the appearance of the sun and the moon doesn’t coincide with a normal 12-hour rotation.
However, there are special provisions in their faith that pardon people who’ll have a hard time observing Ramadan.
Children, people who are sick or who have mental illness, elderly people, travellers and women who are menstruating, postnatal, pregnant or breast-feeding do not have to fast. However, people exempt from fasting during Ramadan can make up the missed fasts later, or they can compensate by feeding a needy person for each day they do not fast.
Then here’s a burning question: How about the Muslims in Northern Finland where the sun doesn’t set at all for 60 days during summer?
Their local scholars and leaders issue afatwa – a ruling by a scholar of Islamic law or Muslim judicial authority – that gives local Muslims the option of following the fasting hours of Mecca or a neighboring country with a more considerate sunrise and sunset schedules.
Jesus, throughout His earthly ministry, also exercised and prioritized grace over tradition. In fact, there was an account in Mark 3 where He was put in a pinch when He encountered the Pharisees finding an opening to accuse Him of “violating” an age-old and very sacred tradition—the Sabbath.
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6)
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Jesus knew that the man is more important than the “tradition”, that in every opportunity we can do good, we must. This has been the rallying cry of His movement here on earth, a cry that caused these schemers to kill Him, a cry He would willingly die for.
This grace exercised in Ramadan is something, I think, Jesus would approvingly nod to.
Ramadan Kareem to all my Muslim brothers and sisters!
This very time-bound and time-honored tradition starts on the first day of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, the month Muslims believe to be extremely sacred because this was when the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad.
Facts about Ramadan:
· Began in 622 AD when the prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution.
· Muslims from all over the world start fasting on different days because it is dependent on the sighting of the crescent moon.
· Muslims don’t just fast on food and drinks during Ramadan. They also abstain from sex, smoking, and any action that’s considered to “feed” the flesh.
· Their word for fasting, sawm, means “to refrain”.
This very tradition holds together a group of people in unity of cause, no matter where they are in the world. And I think that’s remarkable. Because of this, I believe that I and many Christians can learn so many lessons from our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Let me share to you some of these:
1. Fasting is also and ought to be a huge part of our Christian faith
Jesus fasted from food and water for 40 days and 40 nights before He started His ministry. Daniel fasted from bread, meat, and wine to understand the vision God showed Him. Esther, together with the Jews, fasted for 3 days without food and drink so that their race might be spared from extermination.
Even our closest relatives in faith, the Jews, practice fasting on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, where they ask for God’s forgiveness.
The reason for fasting, I believe, is not to test ourselves and see the limits of our physical abilities. No, the reason for fasting is to strip ourselves of all the distractions that pulls our consciousness away from what’s important in the world, what we are missing, what God wants to say or has been telling us the whole time!
That’s why I believe that fasting should become a habit us Christians should cultivate more. Every day, let’s try to give up something that distracts our mind from God. Better yet, let’s reapportion something for God. Because, fasting is just reapportioning our time, money, desires, hunger, something that has weight, and spending these for fellowship with Him.
Often times, the purpose of fasting has been focused on the act of abstinence itself and the perceived “reward” that usually comes after it; as if to say: “Hey God, I fasted. It’s your turn to hold up the end of the bargain.” Fasting isn’t supposed to be like this. It’s not some secret formula or an ace in the hole that we whip out from time to time.
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Taqwa [God-consciousness].” – The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah:183
I love that they have a specific word for God-consciousness. Taqwa, such a beautiful expression.
Let’s ask ourselves, have we ever really thought of or even tried to be conscious about how God is present and working in our lives?
2. Become more socially, economically, and morally conscious.
“During the fast, Muslims believe that their desires are curbed and that they can gain understanding of how those who are less privileged than them feel. It is considered to increase one’s patience, closeness to God and generosity towards others.” – Aisha Gani, Journalist, The Guardian
I never quite fully understood what Ramadan is and what it meant, primarily because I didn’t grow up relating to that culture. But from what I’ve learned, it seems that Muslims have a very close-knit sense of community.
As a matter of fact, they see Ramadan as a time of community. It’s been their custom to invite neighbours, friends, and even total strangers to share a fast-breaking meal called iftar. Also, fasting does not mean Muslims retreat from their daily routine, rather they are encouraged to continue as normal in their work and usual activities. A quite challenging feat since they go about without food and water for most of the day.
We also have something like this, albeit in 7 days rather than 29: Mahal na Araw. But instead of dedicating it for a time of reflection and spiritual recharging, it’s a week’s long excuse for instagramming #LaBoracay.
This tells me that even in a time of fulfilling spiritual obligation; we must never forget our social, economic, and moral obligations. Because these, these are interwoven and intertwined. And if I have something to envy about Muslims, they are doing all these as a nation.
3. Beyond tradition, grace.
Seeing it to be quite a task to bear for the average person, you’d soon realize that Ramadan might actually rub off as insensitive to some who would want to observe it but are limited—like those who have health conditions such as diabetes, or those who live in a part of the world where the appearance of the sun and the moon doesn’t coincide with a normal 12-hour rotation.
However, there are special provisions in their faith that pardon people who’ll have a hard time observing Ramadan.
Children, people who are sick or who have mental illness, elderly people, travellers and women who are menstruating, postnatal, pregnant or breast-feeding do not have to fast. However, people exempt from fasting during Ramadan can make up the missed fasts later, or they can compensate by feeding a needy person for each day they do not fast.
Then here’s a burning question: How about the Muslims in Northern Finland where the sun doesn’t set at all for 60 days during summer?
Their local scholars and leaders issue afatwa – a ruling by a scholar of Islamic law or Muslim judicial authority – that gives local Muslims the option of following the fasting hours of Mecca or a neighboring country with a more considerate sunrise and sunset schedules.
Jesus, throughout His earthly ministry, also exercised and prioritized grace over tradition. In fact, there was an account in Mark 3 where He was put in a pinch when He encountered the Pharisees finding an opening to accuse Him of “violating” an age-old and very sacred tradition—the Sabbath.
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6)
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Jesus knew that the man is more important than the “tradition”, that in every opportunity we can do good, we must. This has been the rallying cry of His movement here on earth, a cry that caused these schemers to kill Him, a cry He would willingly die for.
This grace exercised in Ramadan is something, I think, Jesus would approvingly nod to.
Ramadan Kareem to all my Muslim brothers and sisters!