Tag: fasting

Your iPhone is telling you it’s Ramadan!

On By Mona SabahIn Uncategorized
Ramadan is for breaking habits

If you own an iPhone, then it has already alerted you that today is Ramadan! That’s not altogether true because Ramadan starts in the evening on the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims use a Lunar year – they look at the shape of the moon to help them determine the start and stop of certain holidays. However, Ramadan is not just a holiday but a month long activity.

For me, Ramadan was a curiosity and kind of a mess. I never looked forward to it but truly detested it. It was a time of people asking me how I was doing while fasting. It just felt like I had a big sign on my chest that told everyone that I was not fasting like a good Muslim should. The image above was a ready made media marketing image that says “Ramadan is about breaking habits not putting them on pause.” That’s another burden that was placed upon me. I had to take a look at my life and abstain from EVERYTHING! No thinking bad thoughts, no lying (although I had to because I was not fasting and did not want to shame my family or myself, so I lied throughout Ramadan!), no smoking (not a problem, since I never smoked — but many do!), no nothing.

Ramadan is a time of physical fasting which means ABSOLUTELY no food or water from sunrise to sunset. It also means another type of fasting – taking a break from your regular routines and doing more spiritual reflection. It is a time of spiritual improvement and stopping yourself from sinning. It is a time of introspection and seeing how you can become a better Muslim.

In itself, it’s not such a bad idea. Shouldn’t we all take a hard look at ourselves and see what we can improve?

Psalm 51:5 tells us that “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” That means from the very moment of conception, we are immersed in sin. I always compare this to the fictional character of Shrek – he was an ogre who was born into a swamp. He didn’t realize any of this until he left. He was immersed in this swamp and it permeated his very being. We tend to think we are alright, some may even say “I’m a good person” but the truth is that we are all born into a broken world that wants to continue to sin against a Holy God. Proverbs 20:19 states “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?”

Job 14:4 states “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.” He is lamenting the nature of mankind. He knows that like the grass, man will wither and die (Job 14:2). Our life is short. We are not able to “pull ourselves up from our bootstraps” and make ourselves clean. Only ONE can do this and He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Church in Galatia (Gal 3), the apostle Paul says “10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”d 12But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirite through faith.”

It is the truth. The law exists to show us boundaries of transgressions. It is there to show us how guilty we are. The law cannot help us. This is the reason we need a Savior. Who can help us from God’s law? God Himself. It is through the death on the cross that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. This means that Jesus took on the penalty of our sin and justified us in the court of God. Through Christ alone can we say “we are good.” We put on His righteousness as a cloak and He covers all our unrighteousness and impurity. In other words, we put on the pure Christ and He allows us to be made right through Him with God Almighty.

Today, if you are feeling like you can never make up for all the lies, cheating, terrible words, or sins you have committed, would you take a deeper look into the life-saving, life-giving message of the Bible? It is not just a book of laws to put chains around you and shackle you down. It is the true freedom and a message that is beautifully proclaimed about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I pray that you will open a Bible today and see what the Lord Jesus has done. It is truly GLORIOUS.

Ramadan 2019 – Call to Prayer

On By Mona SabahIn Islam, Jesus Christ, Muslim

May 5, 2019 begins Ramadan for the Muslim world. If you type “Ramadan 2019” into the search bar, there will be a myriad of results – from recipes for the first breaking of fast to what the requirements are to keep a Ramadan fast. For those who may not know, Ramadan is a month of fasting AND feasting! It is a celebration for the entire Muslim community. However, when I was a Muslim, I was not like some of my friends who looked forward to this time. I dreaded the month and it made me anxious.

There were good reasons for me to be anxious, for I was not a good Muslim. I would think about food all day long, I would find reasons not to fast and then, I would just plain give up after about a week (if that!). Of course, I didn’t tell people about this sad state of affairs and lack of dedication. I simply added on to my scale of bad deeds and lied to people that I was indeed fasting.

There are many rules of what to do and what not to do during the 30 days of Ramadan. There are even rules for the NON-MUSLIM (as spelled out here from an article from Saudi Arabia, the arbiters of what goes and what does not go for Islam) who lives in a Muslim country! The article says that even though one might not be a Muslim, they still need to adhere to the laws – no eating or drinking in the public while the sun is shining, no chewing gum, no smoking, etc.

just stay home…

For the Muslim person, there are many rules that spell out how to behave and how to begin and end your day. I was told that drinking a small amount of water from rinsing my mouth after brushing was haram (bad deed) and could technically break my fast. I was also told that anger or being mean to my family (= being “hangry”) would also nullify my fast. So many rules!

from: Masjid Daar as Sunnah

Many Christians want to know – what does Allah want from Muslims during Ramadan? There are many things, but here’s a chart for quick reference. Notice under the “5 Quick Tips” on number 5, it says “Follow up a bad deed with a good deed.” I believe that just about sums up Ramadan. It is a time for Muslims to try to please Allah… but with all those bad deeds, can one actually please him?

So what does the BIBLE say about pleasing God?

According to the website gotquestions.org In the New Testament, the apostle “Paul reminds the believers in Rome that “they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). So the first step in pleasing God is to accept the sacrifice for sin that He provided in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Only then are we “in the Spirit” and not “in the flesh.” We do this by faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). “

All of us who have confessed that Jesus Christ is the only sinless one who could pay the price for all the sins (bad deeds) in a perfect sacrifice that was pleasing to God become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In order to please God, we have to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who is given to us and who lives in us, instructing us daily how to walk according to the ways of God as revealed in the Bible (the word of God). We also have to live by faith, live and love according to Jesus’s command (John 14:21) which is to love Christ and love one another.

I believe that is one of the biggest differences I found in leaving Islam and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. There was a peace in knowing and accepting that I could not please God from my own works. I kept messing up daily — I would think a bad thought, reply in anger at the driver who cut me off, or lie about something. I kept sinning and falling short of the rules I was supposed to abide by. The beauty of Christianity is not in us DOING things, it is in what Jesus Christ DID already for us on the cross.

May those who are fasting for Ramadan seek the one True God who is revealed in the Bible as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) AND may those of us who belong to Christ pray for the next 30 days for Muslims around the world to find peace through the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Ramadan 2018: Demystified for Christians

On By Mona SabahIn Muslim, Prayer, Testimony, Uncategorized3 Comments

ramadan-feast
image by: crossroads on a mission

Well… it’s that time of the year again. No, not Mother’s Day, not graduation, not Father’s Day but RAMADAN! Millions of Muslims all over the world celebrate this time within their communities, leaving the rest of the world wondering what the fuss is all about.

Most Muslims will tell you that Ramadan is “Fasting” and is one of the five pillars of Islamic beliefs. The truth of the matter is that Ramadan includes FEASTING! Many don’t realize that the fasting Muslims do during Ramadan is only during the daylight hours. The feasting lasts all night long with parties and food galore. There is a sense of jubilant celebration that you made it through yet another day of not eating or drinking.

When Christians think of fasting, they believe in not eating or drinking for the day and night. There is no “make-up” of the meals missed. In Islam, only the day and the night are switched! The fasting looks to be severe to the rest of the world because they are working and abstain from drinking water. Some Muslims cautioned me that I should not be brushing my teeth during Ramadan because technically, I would be introducing toothpaste and water into my mouth (not allowed). I was told to “dry brush” – of course, being a teenager at that time, I was appalled at that suggestion and chose to ignore it.

Shariah law dictates what a Muslim can and cannot do during Ramadan. There is great detail of who can fast (that means anyone seven years or older – including that a child of ten is beaten if not fasting), and who cannot – a woman on her period cannot fast, an insane person cannot fast, etc. The rules state that fasting during Ramadan involves abstinence from drink and food, sexual intercourse, smoking, anything that punctures the body like an injection, swallowing mucus and a long list of items (see link) that is permissible or not to a Muslim (including something called “cupping” where heated glass or a heated horn of an animal used to be put to the skin to draw blood like a suction in order to restore energy) from the dawn to the moment when a black thread is indistinguishable from a white one outside. That is the signal that the feasting time can begin and the fast is broken (called “Iftar” or “Iftari”).

sharia
My own copy of the Sharia Law Book = last summer’s reading 🙁

When I was a Muslim,  I didn’t keep many fasts. The most I kept were when we lived in Muslim countries. When we moved to the United States, our Muslim community used to fast together, so I wanted to join them. There was a great number of gatherings in people’s homes for the break of the fast – especially the first day. There is an intense suspenseful time of waiting right before the evening meal can be eaten – everyone’s eyes are on the clock, watching seconds tick by. We, the children were in a frenzy of anticipation and many Muslims drive like maniacs on the streets as they go racing home to their meals. Our kitchen counter would be piled high with food, tea and a sweetened drink called Rooh Afza. Dates and water would be set aside as that is the traditional way to break the fast.  When the time came or the muezzin’s call was heard from the mosque, there was chaos as the meal began with everyone grabbing dishes with their hands. When appetites were finally sated, our friends and family used to head for the couch to take a nap or to play cards or board games together. Again, fasting during Ramadan is simply a checklist. There was not much spiritual introspection for it, other than some who read the Quran during this month.

Christian fasting is different. The fast is not required or mandatory. It is a self-discipline that is revealed through prayer. Its intended to change the person who is fasting — not to change anyone else or (God forbid!) to change God’s mind. It is simply to quell an internal struggle one may be having with a number of things (anger, grief, lack of forgiveness, etc). Passions are not an issue for Islam. Fasting does not get rid of any of them, it only forbids them in the daylight hours. You can indulge in smoking, sex, and gorging on food or whatever you want at night. It is not a basis of righteousness nor is it about getting right with God. Again, it is simply a checklist to fulfill one of the pillars.

 

Christians might be surprised to learn that the Bible talks about fasting at least 77 times! Here is a wonderful article from Ligonier Ministry’s Donald Whitney called “The Discipline of Fasting.” He states that “But Christians are free to experience the blessings of fasting as often as they desire. Fasting expresses in a God-ordained way our belief that we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8) — so good that there are times we’re satisfied to feast on Him instead of the food that the Lord made for us to live on. Fasting is a temporary physical demonstration that we believe the truth declared by the gospel, namely that, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Do you believe that? Do you fast?”

We need to share the Gospel with others who are bound by checklists and obligations. We have such a beautiful freedom in Christ that we are able to fast if we wish to or not fast if we don’t. There are many ways to fast and to become closer to the Lord. Let’s start by prayer during Ramadan for our Muslim friends and neighbors. Maybe this period of time will allow you to consider fasting in order to share the Gospel with others who have not heard about the Way, the Truth, and the Life that comes only through Christ (John 14:6). Amen.

A Christian’s Guide to RAMADAN

On By Mona SabahIn cultural diversity, culture, Diversity, Muslim, Teaching, Uncategorized4 Comments

ramadan-dos-donts

I used to dread Ramadan as a Muslim… I knew I was supposed to look forward to it each year, but it was so much better to simply ignore it was coming and that I would be judged by how many fasts (“Roza” in Urdu) I would keep.  On the occasions I would fast, I would sleep all day, get headaches, try to brush my teeth because I couldn’t have water and even passed out from dizziness (I used to pass out all the time growing up).  I wrote another blog about fasting here last year.

All of that was worth the night time activities. Being one who enjoys having people over to our home, the evenings would be a time of celebration (we made it!) and we would feast, play board games and cards and eat full meals again until the wee hours of the morning before sunrise… only to do it all over again.

There was even a joke in our family-if you weren’t fasting and if someone asked you if you were keeping your fast, you should always say “yes, I keep it in my closet.” The bottom line is that for Muslims, keeping a fast is a matter of honor and shame for your family. Muslims will ask you straight up if you are fasting or not to see how pious you are (or not, in my case). There is definitely a sense of pressure from the community. This is not felt so greatly in Pakistan or in the Middle East because everyone there assumes you are fasting – it’s just what you do. During the day, restaurants are open only to foreigners (and even that is limited).  In some Muslim countries, it is a punishable crime to eat and drink in the public during Ramadan and the religious police look for people! Everything shuts down, so the only thing to do for women, especially is to watch long movies and sleep.

For many Christians, Ramadan is a mystery. I hope today to untangle some of those confusing ideas.

  1. Ramadan starts upon the sighting of the crescent moon by Saudi Arabia’s High Judicial Court. The dates always vary of when Ramadan starts due to Islam’s use of a lunar calendar (hence the shape of the moon on all things Muslim).  Fasting is for 30 days.
  2. TODAY, May 27 is the first day of Ramadan for 2017
  3. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the FIVE Pillars of Faith (requisite checklist for all Muslims)
  4. It’s not truly fasting as in the Christian sense of the word (completely abstaining from food and water like Jesus did in the desert (see Matthew 4) for 40 days and nights. Fasting for Ramadan is a flip of night and day. You can eat all you want from sunset to sunrise – you don’t touch food or water (not even a sip, otherwise you break your fast) from sunrise to sunset. It’s embarrassing for a Muslim to gain weight during this time!
  5. Ramadan is a time for prayer. Muslims try to get closer to God. WE CAN HELP!!!
  6. Join a Christian movement called “30 days of Prayer”  http://www.30daysprayer.com/ to pray for the Muslim world to come to the LORD. The website also has a devotional book you can order, as well as e-mail reminders to pray for the Muslims around you.
  7. Women who are pregnant or nursing (or menstruating) cannot fast. They will have to make up their fasts at a later time in order to do their duty as a Muslim. Children and the very elderly do not have to fast. There are also some exemptions made for athletes and those who are traveling.
  8. Some Christians I know want to fast in solidarity with their Muslim friends – you can most definitely do that (=freedom in Christ!), however please note that fasting during Ramadan is complete with religious obligations and rules set forth by Islam. Don’t follow those rules or do something contrary to the beliefs you have in Christ Jesus. These two religions are very, very different! Make it clear why you are fasting so that they don’t get the wrong idea or so that you are not misleading them into believing something else. Be clear about who you follow, that’s all.
  9. We can enter joyfully into a fast and even share the breaking of the fast party with our Muslim friends and neighbors. Let them know that Jesus allowed Christians to fast in Matthew 6:16-17 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.”
  10. At the end of Ramadan, all Muslims celebrate Eid — many of my fond memories as a child revolve around us celebrating Eid with so much joy! Eid is scheduled for June 25 this year.

69859_artworks-000076178737-9xpof4-originalMuslims are our neighbors, and Jesus instructed us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mat 22:39) Pray For Muslims in Love. Invite them to your home! 

The Bible says: 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. ~James 5:15-17

Fasting

On By Mona SabahIn culture, Jesus Christ, Muslim, Prayer, Testimony, Uncategorized9 Comments

A Palestinian man hangs decorations at the entrance to the compound of The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City
Saudi Declares Monday as first day of Ramadan – A Palestinian man hangs decorations at the entrance to the compound of The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem’s Old City, June 4, 2016. REUTERS/ Ammar Awad

I was a horrible Muslim. I grew up in countries where everyone fasted, yet I never kept a fast until I was a teenager in high school. I take that back – I tired fasting around 5th grade because we had moved to the US and our neighbors were very good at fasting. Not wanting to be shown up by a boy my age, I thought I would also fast. I had such a horrible attitude about it all, I had to end the fast in a shameful way. I ate lunch. I couldn’t even make it past the afternoon.

In High School, at least I was doing it for better reasons. I knew that fasting was supposed to get you closer to submitting to God’s will for you (now why you had to not eat or drink to do this, I still didn’t understand). This was a much better approach than jealous competition with our sweet and kind neighbor family.

I still didn’t do very well as a teenager in fasting. I would try to stay up all night to eat and then would conk out close to sunrise. I would even miss the early morning prayer (which is a no-no) because I stayed up too late and now no one could wake me up, including my alarm. My mom was kind to me during this time and allowed me to stay asleep as I always rationalized that I could make up the missed prayer time in the morning or do extra credit prayers later on. Again, not a great way to embark on any religious philosophy.

As an adult after 9/11, I tried to become a better Muslim than I had ever been. I was reading the Quran, trying to pray five times a day around my work schedule and also trying to fast. I did better – I was able to fast for about a week before the horrible migraines took me down. There is a special dispensation for medical disabilities and I reasoned with Allah that since He was merciful to me, that He would exempt me from this one pillar of faith.

Islam has FIVE pillars of faith. One must do each one of them (only Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca is done once in a lifetime. Others must be done every day or every season!). 5-five-pillars-of-islamThese are absolutes, so missing one of these is kind of an issue because you are not fulfilling requirements of being a practicing Muslim. Ramadan is sacred because Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed during that month. It varies in date year to year because the lunar calendar is used to mark the ninth month – Ramadan.

I believed all the other items in the checklist. I said the Shahadah, I tried my best to pray (not all my life, mind you! I don’t want you to think I was an awesome Muslim – hence the first line of this blog!), we gave Zakat, or charity and my parents were kind enough to take us to Mecca when we were little for Hajj. The problem is that even missing one requirement does not get you to Heaven! If you are missing a pillar or two, it is sinful and you will be punished by Allah, for you are then like a building without a foundation or a roof without a supporting pillar.

The Season of Ramadan starts tomorrow morning June 6, 2016 at Sunrise. This means that over 1.5 billion (good) Muslims will be eating and drinking tonight, but fasting tomorrow and for the next 30 days.

When I became a follower of Christ Jesus, I wanted to know my requirements or obligations. I was shocked that there wasn’t a checklist to complete or clear-cut directions on what to do. I had to repent of my sins and acknowledge the fact that I needed a Savior (because I could not pay for my sins by myself), I had to confess with my mouth that Jesus was Lord and Savior and I had to believe in my heart that he died on the cross and was raised from the dead. Romans 10:9 says “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

As I began to study the Bible, I found that there was no list that needed to be checked off.  Religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, but not as a requirement or obligation.  Fasting is the humbling of the soul, Ps 35:13; that is the inside of the duty; let that, therefore, be thy principal care, and as to the outside of it, covet not to let it be seen. God sees in secret, and will reward openly. In contrast to what I witnessed in the Muslim countries as people trying to fast in competition or worse, shaming others who were not fasting (because they had “medically exempted” headaches, for example, not that I was embarrassed about this or anything!), Matthew 6:18 says “that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Psalm 35:12-14 takes it a step further with David who fasts for his enemies’ health! What is that about? I was shocked to see that fasting took on a different meaning and that had everything to do with the condition of the heart and also the desire to commune with God.

“They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul. 13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting,And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. 14I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.…” ~Psalm 35:12-14

As Christians, we do not have to fast but we should pray to seek God’s will if there is something going on in our lives that needs change. Fasting will not change the other person or their circumstances – instead, fasting is to help us draw closer to God and to hear His will for our lives. I also want to point out a stark contrast here. Fasting for the Muslim world means exchanging DAYS for NIGHTS. It is not a complete abstaining from food or drink for 30 days. Some people are shocked that humans are able to completely give up food or drink – not the case. In addition to not eating or drinking during the daylight hours, Muslims are to try to keep from thinking bad thoughts, smoking, cursing, or having marital relations.

Fasting for the Christian is to humble yourself before the Lord, to reveal things in your life that are broken, need healing or spiritual transformation that only the Holy Spirit can bring. It can help one to recognize and repent unconfessed sin. It’s not magic, it won’t fix other people, but it can help you grow in your spiritual walk with Christ.

As we pray for others, may we remember to pray for the Muslim world to know the love of Christ Jesus who fulfilled all obligations for us and completed all checklists, took our judgment and paid the price of our sins for all mankind with his death on the cross. May they learn about the resurrection power over death that is found only in Jesus. Amen.