Next Friday is a significant day. Mostly because our next to youngest child graduates from high school! (Congratulate Alia here!) It also marks the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. From the evening of May 26th until the evening of June 25th, faithful Muslims will avoid eating during daylight hours. They will also refrain from smoking and sex, while emphasizing generosity and good deeds.
I used to think this was a dopey way to fast. Just don’t eat during the day, then feast at night! Three things have lightened my judgement: It’s more fasting than I do. It’s got to be hard to stop smoking every day when you start again every night. And three, it’s not my religion, so maybe I should be a little hesitant to judge their fasting!
Why should you care that it’s Ramadan? Two reasons. For the food! The family oriented feasting and fun at night is a big deal. Ramadan is sort of like Black Friday for Muslim grocers! The evening fast-breaking meal is called iftar and I encourage you to try to get invited to one!
Secondly, Ramadan is a good time to pray both for your Muslim friends and Muslims generally. It’s a spiritual-seeking time for many. Pray that God would speak, guide and enlighten. If it would be helpful, quickly grab a copy of 30 DAYS Muslim Prayer Guide: 2017. This is a high quality guide that will inform and energize your prayers. They also have pdf versions for both adults and kids.