Muslims in The Villages mark Ramadan with month-long fasting

The month of Ramadan—the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk (no food or drink, not even water) to learn patience, humility, kindness, generosity and gratitude for God’s blessings—begins March 1 this year and ends March 30. The Evergreen Islamic Center (EIC), about 6 miles from The Villages (2486 Ruby Ave) is the mosque that Muslims in the Evergreen Area attend to pray and reflect on their lives to serve God and their fellow Americans of all faiths.

The physical demands of thirst and hunger pale next to the spiritual demands of Ramadan, which is to renew and reaffirm our relationship with God and with His human and non-human Creation.

The Quran—the Islamic Book of Divine Guidance—tells Muslims to fast so that we may acquire a heightened sense of God-consciousness. God-consciousness implies a combination of compassion, grace, love, moderation, patience and self-restraint. Refraining from sin and remembering God’s blessings with gratitude and humility, we strive to connect with our Creator.

Ramadan is the month when we speak less and listen more. We learn to restrain our tongues and become more conscious of the rights of others. We learn to control our desires and emotions. We make an effort to fast from social media and shun material attachments. We strive to emerge from Ramadan as the best versions of ourselves and resolve to continue with our best versions for the rest of the year until the next Ramadan. Given our human frailties, it isn’t easy but that is what we aim for.

Ramadan is when Muslims become most charitable with their money and time. We remind ourselves of the thousands of homeless people and others suffering from various afflictions in the affluent Silicon Valley who need our help. There are many in this Valley for whom hunger is a daily reality. We try to reach out to them and bring peace and comfort into their lives through weekend food distributions at EIC.

In denying ourselves the elementary blessings of food and shelter so readily available to us, we develop empathy for those who aren’t as fortunate. When the body is hungry, we begin to hear the soul’s calling.

Ramadan compels us to look inward. Are our lives aligned with God’s expectations of us, or are we going astray because of ego, ingratitude, impatience, schadenfreude, greed, and other failings? The month of Ramadan reminds us of our duties to God and all human and sentient beings sharing planet Earth with us.

 According to Islamic tradition, Ramadan consists of three stages, each 10 days long. The first stage is to focus on God’s mercy and reflect on His blessings. The second stage is to ask for God’s forgiveness and to forgive those who may have wronged or hurt us. The third and final stage is to pray to God for freedom from hellfire.

Every Sunday during Ramadan, EIC will host the Iftar—breaking the fast at sunset—for the local community of all faiths. Anyone from The Villages who wants to experience the Iftar (dinner is served following the Iftar) may contact Hasan Z. Rahim at 408-613-5978 or email Hasan at hasanzr@msn.com.