Fast. Pray. Love. A Countywide Day of Fasting and Good Works to Honor Ramadan
Sunday, June 11 – Dawn Through Sunset (Or However Much You Can Manage)
Culminating in a Festive Dinner Meetup at 8:45PM at King Falafel in Sebastopol
The month of Ramadan is devoted to fasting, prayer and acts of love and kindness. This year, the Of One Soul initiative of the Interfaith Council of Sonoma County is sponsoring a countywide day of fasting, contemplation and good works, capped by a festive meal (self-pay) at King Falafel, 100 Brown Street in Sebastopol. You are invited to observe this fast-day in solidarity with our Muslim neighbors, and to dip into a transformative spiritual practice.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is meant to bring us to an awareness of our spiritual selves. This is complemented by prayer or contemplation and engaging in good deeds. Get more details –– and good deed opportunities –– by visiting the Facebook event. On the day, you can share your reflections in real time there or by posting or tweeting using hashtag #fastpraylove.
Watch for Fast-Pray-Love updates on the event page and by email to explore aspects of Ramadan and of the role of fasting across spiritual traditions.
Ramadan soon will be upon us Muslims. Comments why fasting is prescribed?
RAMADAN HOLY MONTH OF FASTING FOR MUSLIMS
For approximately two billion Muslims around the world, the month of fasting has started. In Islamic traditions, the Islamic calendar months begin and end with the sighting of the crescent moon, and months are either twenty-nine or thirty days. Here in Bay area the first day of fasting for Muslims will be either May 15 or May 16, this year, depending upon the sighting of the crescent moon. For Muslims, fasting is not to eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. The concept is to deprive oneself of the normal basic things, like food and water, nothing luxurious or extravagant. Why do Muslims fast? God says in chapter 2, verse 183 of Qur’an: ” O’ you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those who came before you, that you may become righteous” God says that he is prescribing fasting for you so that you may attain the purpose that fasting is prescribed for, and become morally right and just, and defend yourself from getting into the things which may be prohibited or forbidden and bad for you. Why Muslims fast for so many days? Psychiatrists say that if you do something for that long it may become your habit. In this case, fasting for twenty-nine or thirty days and restricting from necessities of life may help develop the habit of restricting yourself of other major things which may be bad for you. And finally, what is the purpose of fasting? Gaining empathy for others, who are deprived of the basic needs of life. Often, we forget or overlook how blessed we are, because majority of world population is hungry, majority of world population do not have access to drinking water or any kind of water period. Fasting may put our life in proper perspective. May God bless all of us in this blessed Month of Fasting Ramadan!