“Fasting is one way of achieving it. When we fast, we tell God that we appreciate the bounties he has provided for us like water and food. We also learn what it is like to live without food. This way we can become more compassionate toward our fellow human beings.” [Akram Khalid]
Source/Credit: The Patriot-News
By Mary Klaus | July 26, 2012
One week into their observance of the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, midstate Muslims are adjusting to their Ramadan practices.
Their bodies have become used to rising before the sun for a predawn breakfast, then doing a total fast from all food and beverages until after sunset.
Their minds and souls are adjusting to the extra spiritual purification and self-restraint that are part of the month in which Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
It’s a time for Muslims to read the Quran, pray, give food to the poor and fast from sunrise to sunset except for the very young, very old, pregnant women, sick people and those making long journeys. It’s a time for compassion and discipline through self-restraint.
Ramadan, which began last weekend after the distinctive crescent of the new moon came into view, is in full swing in the midstate.
“Ramadan is a time of spiritual cleansing and complete obedience to our creator,” said Muhammad Fayyaz, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg in Steelton. “We also do charity work.”
In a society where everything from drinking soft drinks to bottled water and munching on snack foods are a part of life, fasting can be challenging.
Yet as the month goes on, the fast seems to get easier.
“It’s all about self-control,” Fayyaz said. “In the world, we go after things like food and water for our basic human needs. Ramadan teaches us about struggling spiritually and gaining control. We also pray more during Ramadan.”
He admitted that Ramadan might seem especially difficult this year, because it’s happening in a summer with high heat and more hours of sunlight.
“During Ramadan, we try to be on our best behavior,” he said. “We try not to lie, cheat or hurt someone’s feelings. We also do charity work such as providing food for the needy.”
That includes providing food for their own, he said, noting that Muslims who are fasting and don’t have food when they break the fast can get some at the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg. The society also has Saturday night dinners after sunset during Ramadan.
“The breaking of the fast after sunset should not be made an occasion for gorging oneself with food and drink,” said Akram Khalid, president of the Hadee Mosque of Harrisburg. The Hadee Mosque is part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Khalid said all religions teach their members to develop a relationship with God.
“Fasting is one way of achieving it,” he said. “When we fast, we tell God that we appreciate the bounties he has provided for us like water and food. We also learn what it is like to live without food. This way we can become more compassionate toward our fellow human beings.”
Fayyaz, a respiratory therapist at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, said his co-workers are understanding and supportive of his religious practices.
“That’s the beauty of the United States,” he said. “The more people here learn about Islam, the better understanding they get.”
Ramadan will end about Aug. 18, depending on when the next new moon is sighted. It will be followed by the Eid ul-Fitr, the Festival of Fast Breaking.
Read original post here: Muslims mark Ramadan with compassion, discipline
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