What is Ramadan and why should Christians care?

Imagine not eating or drinking during daylight hours for 28 days straight. Every year during the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset in an effort to hear Allah, the god of Islam, better. This year Ramadan was scheduled to start in the U.S. on May 15 and end June 14, according to the lunar calendar.

If you were to visit an observant Muslim country during this time, you would find restaurants closed during daylight hours. Refrigerated boxes of soft drinks found on the sidewalk on most streets are padlocked. Cigarette venders are missing from the daily street traffic.

Until sunset approaches and dinner preparations can finally be made, many normal patterns of life are completely halted.

Spiritual focus

The month of Ramadan is a time when Muslims are very aware of dreams and visions. They believe dreams are a direct way Allah chooses to reveal himself to people.

During this time of heightened spiritual focus, Muslims are often seeking a special message or revelation from Allah. As Christians have prayed earnestly for their Muslim neighbors and friends during this season, they hear reports of dreams and visions in which Jesus appears to these friends and draws them to Himself.

Here are a couple of questions you could use to kick-start a spiritual conversation with one of your Muslim friends during Ramadan:

• Fasting during Ramadan seems to be both a personal and corporate experience. Can you help me understand some of the most meaningful aspects of this month for you and your community?

• As a Muslim, what do you mean by taqwa (awareness of Allah)?

Source: IMB.org, TAB

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