Eid al Fitr

See Praying for the Muslim world (click) for a daily prayer guide.

"...imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one...'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it--that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." Luke 15:10 The Message

Ahmed said "The last ones to see the new moon are sometimes the first to see the crescent moon." In other words, there is a reluctance to fast so you avoid it or finish ASAP.

For Muslims who fast Ramadan it's been an arduous month of discipline and sheer determination to follow the rules. Some read through the entire Qur'an and abstain from anything that they would consider to contaminate the soul. They are relieved that it's over again although some are saddened by it coming to a close. Once the moon appears again 29 or 30 days later, Muslims prepare for a party, their Eid celebration.

On Eid day Muslims get up in the morning, take a shower/bath and get dressed in new clothes or their best clothes. The first step is to go to the mosque for Eid prayers. If there isn't enough space then a bigger venue is rented to accommodate the crowd. There is no prayer call for the Eid prayers even in Muslim countries. Over there it's common for the mosque crowd to spill over onto the street, blocking the traffic. You just got to wait until they are done.

Following the Eid prayers, they go around congratulating each other and hugging. Now they are free to eat or drink all day. All grudges are to be forgiven. Its a new start of broken relationships or a renewal of friendships. I remember some of the invitations we used to get for Eid celebrations. We knew our hosts wanted to go and visit their Muslim friends so we had just a limited amount of time to chat with them and eat the special foods they had prepared. In Muslim majority countries this is normally a 3 or 4 day holiday.

Parents or other relatives often give their kids gifts during Eid to buy candy or toys. It is common for the religious to make extra donations during the month of Ramadan to assist the poor or underprivileged. Some years ago Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Al Waleed donated a jaw dropping $32 billion "to foster cultural understanding, empower women, and provide vital disaster relief, among other things."

What response should we make when Eid arrives? When practicing Muslims go around to congratulate one another with 'Eid Mubarak' they really do view this as an accomplishment and during Eid prayers pray that God would accept these religious deeds and reward them. It's very much a 'Muslim event'. So Muslim friends don't normally invite us to Eid celebrations. We prefer waiting for a few days and then be in touch with them and ask "How was your Eid?" or "How did you celebrate?" rather than congratulating them. Muslims assimilated into western society don't celebrate like their older relatives. Some don't want to take extra time off and just keep the celebrations simple.

Dear God, now that Ramadan is coming to a close help me to re-engage with my Muslim friends and continue sharing the Good News that can make the whole year blessed. Amen.

Ramadan Conflicts

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people...plead for God's mercy upon them..." 1 Timothy 2:1

We've been telling our Muslim friends that we are praying for Muslims every day during Ramadan(click)...that God would speak to them.

"I am worried about my family in Yemen." said a distraught friend. We feel for her. Millions of lives are being effected by war. Moments like these are opportunities of promising to pray or to offer a short prayer in their presence.

Jihadist groups have left behind a trail of brutality with thousands dead in their wake. Its mostly Muslims destroying Muslims. So much for Muslims saying that Satan retreats from Muslims during Ramadan! As a result, refugees keep pouring across borders, attempting to cross the Mediterranean at great cost and peril. Several years ago we wrote the following in 'Your Muslim Friend': "Muslims are now residing in all major cities and even in rural areas in the West. Some of them have found western nations to be a safe refuge from the trauma of war and displacement. Those fleeing political and religious persecution are breathing new freedom..."

Once while having a group Bible study we came to Luke 6:27 & 28: "But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you..." With that an Afghan man closed the Bible he was holding and said "If this is the teaching of the Injeel, I don't want to study any more." He wasn't ever going to forgive the Taliban who destroyed his life.

What does this mean for us? Since the fighting continues even during Ramadan, we can pray that God would bring peace to these troubled lands. How will Muslims forgive and forget all the atrocities committed against their own people? We know that only Jesus can change hearts and give the strength to forgive. In spite of experiencing shame, injustice and unimaginable cruelty, he prayed "Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." A few years ago our black American brothers and sisters gave an amazing demonstration of what forgiveness looks like following the horrific shooting of 9 of their own at the Charleston, South Carolina church.

Muslims who have immigrated to the West appreciate the tolerance shown in our society. It causes some to think and dare to ask questions. Why is life easier for us in the West? Why isn't Islam working? Where does all this hate come from? Why do we have to continue to defend Islam as the 'religion of peace'? Sad to say, many Muslims who come to the West are finished with religion and become agnostics and atheists. They are very disillusioned. Its not religion that these dear people need but a relationship with God. He gives comfort, hope, and peace to the ones who are seeking. God has brought Muslims to the West to hear and experience this truth.

Jesus beckons and promises "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Consider the beautiful words, composed by a friend, in Song for Ishmael (click):

"...I am still here

I am listening

I hear your cry Ishmael

Don't give up now,

There is blessing to come.

God provides for you Ishmael..."

Two Kingdoms

"May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

Wanting to talk about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Earth, I asked my two Somali friends about their take on the current events in the Middle East. The talk shifted to 9-11.

"Muslims would never fly planes into buildings", my Somali friend 'Ahmed' said emphatically. "These were cargo planes hijacked by someone." "The twin towers were detonated..." On and on he talked and listed a half dozen 'textbook examples of conspiracy theories'. It's not difficult to find credible answers to counter each of these on the internet. But I want to give rebuttals carefully. It gives me an opportunity to give gracious answers. Remember the old adage "win the battle(or argument) but lose the war(or relationship)"?

I feel for 'Ahmed'. He comes from an honor and shame paradigm that doesn't allow Muslims or Islam to look bad.

When we look at events in the Middle East spilling over into the West, it's all about domination. In 'Ahmed's mind the problems of today are caused by superpowers or past colonizers. Yes, the current political climate is related to what happened in history but the future lies with those in power today. That's why 'Ahmed' is here. It's not working.

Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven. Hebrews 12:22 reads, "No, you have come...to the heavenly Jerusalem."  The focus is on justice, peace, love and proclaiming the Good News...not Real Estate. Its all about reconciliation between God and man and man with man.

My brothers and sisters, we need to revisit what the Kingdom of God(heaven) means in 2021. Could we say the Sermon on the Mount is like the 'constitution of the Kingdom of God'? I shared with my seeker friend 'Farid' how this focus is in the Beatitudes. How much better does it get than "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.."? Matthew 5:7-9. 'Farid' loves these verses. They bring peace to his heart.

'Ahmed' is processing what he has seen since coming to the West. The process can't be hurried. An Eastern Christian friend met 'Ahmed' and pushed the Gospel Message on him without befriending him. My relationship with 'Ahmed' has never quite been the same.

It takes time and much prayer to break down cultural and religious barriers to the Good News. It's often like taking off layers of an onion, one at a time. And it usually takes Friendship First! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives it urgency "If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Dear Heavenly Father, my Muslim friends are worried about world events. Help me to show them that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the only hope for the Nations. Amen.