American Christians
Keeping the Fast of Ramadan

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Background information:

The fast of Ramadan (pronounced "rom-a-don") is the holiest period in the Islamic year. It commemorates the month in the year 610 CE when revelations began from God, via the angel Gabriel, to the Prophet Muhammad. These verbal revelations were memorized by Muhammad and were later written down as the Qur'an.

During this month, almost all Muslims over the age of 12 are expected to "abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures" from the first light of dawn until sunset. ₁ Muslims may opt-out of observing Ramadan for health reasons.

Ramadan Fasters of Christ also observe the fast. Since Jesus instructed his followers to fast privately and without open display, they do not identify themselves. However, they are accessible via Email. ₂

They have provided the following essay anonymously.

Ramadan 1426 / 2005

To our Muslim brothers and sisters everywhere:

All praise and thanks be to the one God whom we all worship, who has called you to worship Him after the manner of al-Islam, and us to worship Him according to the gospel of Jesus, whom both faith traditions hail as the Messiah: it is our deep wish that God strengthen you in your devotion to Him, your love of Him, and your trust in Him during this month of Ramadan, and that everything that you do for His sake may be pleasing to Him.

We have joined you in keeping the fast of Ramadan this year, as a freewill offering to God accompanying our prayer for peace, justice, and a spirit of love to grow among the peoples of the Abrahamic religions. It is our desire that all over the world, if God so wills, Muslim, Jew and Christian can learn to stand together in brotherhood in the sight of their Creator. But we are mourning many of the deeds of our government and our people, as they continue to involve themselves in the affairs of Islamic peoples, and the lives of Muslim detainees held at United States facilities, without sufficiently caring or understanding what they are doing to the people whose lives they affect. To our sorrow, we see many American Christians trusting, supporting, and following policy-makers whose guiding principle seems to be "let us do evil, that good may come of it," as if they did not know that our own scripture explicitly condemns it. ₃

Our power to make the world’s leaders humble themselves, question their own behavior, and repent, seems very small. And yet we draw hope from our certainty that we are listened to by the true Ruler of this world, who sees everything and holds all power. This month we curb our natural appetites during daylight hours to be more mindful of the One to whom we must return, the Highest, our Helper. We perceive, sadly, that many American Christians lack understanding of what it means to be a Muslim. How better to change that than for some of us to join the Muslim world in its Ramadan fast? We also hope that such self-restraint as we gain from the fast might help restore a spirit of self-restraint to American culture, in however small a way, for on our learning self-restraint now seems to depend the saving of the world from ruin.

Advised by Jesus himself to fast privately and without open display (Matthew 6:16-18), ₁ we make ourselves available for responses to this communication but without identifying ourselves individually by name.

May God comfort you, sustain you in hope, and bestow on you every blessing."

References used:

1. Matthew 6:16-18:  "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." King James Version.
2. The Christ Fasters can be reached at: christsfasters@aol.com
3. Romans 3:8: "And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just." King James Version

Copyright © 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally posted: 2005-NOV-02
Latest update: 2005-NOV-03
Author: B.A. Robinson