Maryland Mosque Invites Jewish Neighbors for Iftar...
As Muslims around the world observed Ramadan over the past month, one mosque in the suburbs of Washington found the holy month of fasting from sunrise to sundown could provide an opportunity for some interfaith understanding. The Islamic Center of Maryland hosted members of the local Jewish community for evening prayers and an Iftar dinner, the daily meal in which Muslims break their Ramadan fast. Then, they joined their guests for a Havdalah ceremony – to mark the end of the Jewish Sabbath. VOA’s Saqib UI Islam was also there. It’s sunset in the town of Gaithersburg, Maryland, just north of Washington, about time for the Muslims living in this area to break their fast. Many have gathered...
Muslims in America Celebrate End of Ramadan...
August 30, 2011 Jerome Socolovsky | Washington Muslims across America gathered in mosques to mark the Eid al Fitr holiday that closes their holy month of Ramadan. Muslims from around America’s capital poured into the Islamic Center of Washington in one of the most elegant parts of the city, known as Embassy Row. Egyptian law student Youssef Muhammad Auf hurried toward the men’s entrance with his mind on what he would ask of God this year. “Of course, pray [for] my country, the Islamic world, and all human beings – to be safe, peace, and have peaceful relations with every country, especially the United States and the Islamic World,” he said. Eid al-Fitr marks the breaking of the...
Muslims Around Globe Celebrate Eid al-Fitr...
August 30, 2011 Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Observers of Islam in Egypt, Syria and several other Arab countries started marking the holiday Tuesday by crowding into mosques for prayers. Muslims in several non-Arab countries, including Russia and Turkey, also began Eid celebrations Tuesday. Religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, started the celebrations in their country Monday. They said the new moon had been sighted and proclaimed that Ramadan ended Monday, with the Eid feast to begin the next day. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the purification achieved during Ramadan, a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting, one of the five pillars...
For African-American Muslims, Ramadan Has Special Meaning...
As the month of Ramadan begins, many millions of Muslims around the world are joining in a collective fast intended to help purify their souls. But for the more than half a million African-American Muslims, many of whom descend from former slaves, Ramadan has a special meaning – a link between the African-American experience and the Islamic tradition of spiritual freedom. More than 500 African-American Muslims worship at the Masjid Muhammad in Washington, home to the oldest African-American Muslim community in the United States. Talib Shareef, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, is the new Imam at Masjid Muhammad. He says the experience of black Muslims in the United States is different from that of most other Muslims....
Ramadan Blog Becomes Book on Benefits of Fasting...
August 01, 2011 Adam Phillips | New York City The Quran calls on Muslims to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual intercourse during the daylight hours for the entire month. Muslims are also expected to abstain from eavesdropping, gossip and backbiting while spending time reflecting on God and their faith. In his book “Fasting for Ramadan,” poet and essayist Kazim Ali examines the beauty this ancient practice brings to his life and the relevance it may have for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Born in London, Kazim Ali was raised in Canada by his Shi’ite Muslim parents and now teaches writing at Oberlin College in Ohio. His relatives consider themselves to be traditional and many of them married...
American Muslims Gather to Break Fast
September 4, 2010 The holy month of Ramadan is marked by fasting from dawn to dusk. Muslim Americans end each day of fasting with a festive meal known as Iftar. After a long day, they relax and share the rituals of Ramadan from sundown to the predawn hours. As the sun sets, several Muslim families gather in this home overlooking the Potomac River. They will break the daily fast together. Each family has brought a dish to share. Aida Mady is an interior decorator and a member of the American Muslim Women Association. She is hosting the Iftar. “We pray, we thank God every night and it reminds me of Thanksgiving, and I am grateful to God because...
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