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| Dr. Kashif Chaudhry, president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association chapter in Clifton. Photo: Kashif Chaudhry/Muslims For Peace campaign. |
Source/Credit: The Record | New Jersey.Com
By Mathew Malysa | August 9, 2011
Below excerpts are NOT in their original order as appeared in a full version article here: In Muslim families, children are eager to join the fast
Many Muslims rise at 4 a.m. in order to eat breakfast for the day and to say prayers at dawn before starting the day's fast. Because Ramadan begins about 11 days earlier each year, it's possible over time for Muslims to have fasted during all the seasons.
During Ramadan, observant Muslims — aside from avoiding cursing or anger or other evil behaviors — abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk, an obligation that is complicated by the hot and dry days of summer.
Children are exempt from the fast until they reach puberty, but many younger children are eager to imitate their parents and older siblings by taking part in the tradition.
Dr. Kashif Chaudhry, president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association chapter in Clifton, said he also wanted to join the fast at an early age. When he was young, his parents would let him fast after breakfast, fed him lunch at the usual time, and permitted him to fast again until dinnertime. While he ate more or less normally during the day, his parents let him feel as if he had "fasted twice."
Ramadan is a time of good deeds and for Chaudhry, that incentive makes organizing people to do charitable works a simpler task. He said the community benefits most during Ramadan.
"It is a time about spirituality, doing good deeds, working on ourselves and helping others," said Chaudhry, who is organizing the "Muslims for Life" blood drive that he hopes will bring in 10,000 units of blood this September in honor the victims of 9/11.
"We are very fortunate that Ramadan is taking place the month before our blood drive, volunteers have been easy to come by and the community has been eager to help," said Chaudhry.
All faiths could learn from the "beautiful balance between looking within and reaching out to others" that Ramadan represents, said the Rev. Cari Keith, pastor of the Allwood Community Church in Clifton.
"I have a huge appreciation for the dedication to faith and to God that Muslims exhibit this time of year," said Keith, whose church has organized numerous events with the Muslim community with the collaboration of the Interfaith Dialog Center, a Turkish-American non-profit organization that endeavors to promote respect and mutual understanding among all faiths and cultures.
She said it's important for everyone, religious or not, to be grateful and share with others. "In that sense we can all learn from Ramadan," said Keith.
E-mail: malysa@northjersey.com
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