Reaching out to Muslims during Ramadan
September 16th, 2008
For
Christians, summer and autumn make up a long gap between the major
holidays that dot the church’s calendar. But for Muslims, this is an
important time of year: we’re right in the middle of Ramadan, a
month-long period of fasting and prayer. Arab World Ministries describes Ramadan more specifically:
The fourth pillar [of the Islamic faith] is the
fasting, or the “Saum”, during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar
calendar, the month of Ramadan. Muslims go by the lunar calendar, and
so Ramadan moves every year. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims do not eat
or drink. Smoking, sexual contact, swearing and anger are forbidden.
The faithful are encouraged to use the month of fasting to draw closer
to God, and to renew their spiritual strength.
Why should Christians take the time to learn about Muslim holidays
or other elements of the Muslim faith? Because understanding what
Muslims do (and don’t) believe is critical if we want to introduce them
to the Gospel message. The Ramadan period is as good a time as any to
learn a bit more about Islam and its tenets, and to that end a number
of resources from the Gospel.com community can help:
- Questions About Islam: an incredible repository of information about Islam; answers dozens of commonly-asked questions Christians ask about Islam.
- What Muslims Believe: a quick rundown of the basic teachings of Islam.
- Respecting Muslims While Sharing Christ: on the challenge of respecting and loving our Muslim neighbors rather than just trying to “convert” them.
- What should our attitude as Christians be toward Ramadan? Should Christians emulate Ramadan within their own faith?
- What struggles do Christians of Muslim background face during Ramadan? Should converts from Islam to Christianity observe Ramadan—and what types of pressure do they face to do so?
Ministries like Arab World Ministries, Lausanne World Pulse, and People of the Book
all have excellent information about Islam and the importance of
understanding and reaching out to Muslims. Take advantage of the
Ramadan period to educate yourself about Islam, and consider ways you
can pray for or minister to Muslims!
[The accompanying image is an old map of the city of Mecca.]
Recent Comments