By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi: A Jesuit priest says the way Muslims celebrate the month of Ramzan helps him grow in God-consciousness as a Christian.
The month of Ramzan falls in April this year
“I consciously use the word ‘celebrate’ because I have personally experienced and seen Muslim friends—sisters and brothers—really looking forward to the fasting month of Ramzan,” says Father Joseph Victor Edwin, secretary of the Islamic Studies Association (ISA) and a teacher at Delhi’s Vidyajyoti theologate.
In a letter addressed to “Dear Muslim sisters and brothers,” Father Edwin recalls an anecdote from his days in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
On the day before the advent of the month of Ramzan in 2003, a Muslim journalist friend of mine, Shafi, and I went for an evening stroll. There was a lot of expectation in the air. There were people in the streets and on rooftops trying to spot the crescent moon, waiting for the announcement of the commencement of the month of Ramzan. The thought came to my mind how intently these people were looking forward to seeing a sign of God—the crescent moon. It was really beautiful! I felt very happy for that great awareness—looking for a sign of God in Nature.
God is the Creator of all things, and, using the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins, a Jesuit poet, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God”. God’s signs are everywhere. One needs to pay attention to them to realize their significance.
I heard an announcement saying that the crescent moon had been sighted. Shafi and I looked in the direction of the moon. An elderly gentleman was before us. Two little children—a boy and a girl—were holding his hands. They were perhaps his grandchildren. The gentleman raised his hands in prayer. He said something, facing the crescent moon. I was moved to see the two little children also raise their hands in prayer. How wonderful it was that this grandfather was teaching, through his own example, these two little children to recognize a sign of God! Even these little children were aware of God! I felt very happy for that.
Dear friends, the Holy Quran says that fasting is prescribed for you. It is a means for developing God-consciousness. This is something very attractive for me. The month of Ramzan is about focusing on God-consciousness. To experience a deep experience of God-consciousness, fasting, prayer and charity are a means. They help us in awareness of the presence of God in the world.
So, God-consciousness is something that the Muslim tradition teaches me, including through the significance of the month of Ramzan in the lives of Muslims. The way Muslim brothers and sisters celebrate the month of Ramzan helps me grow in God-consciousness as a Christian.
Dear sisters and brothers, as a student of Christian-Muslim relations I have asked a number of Muslim sisters and brothers, ‘Why do you fast?’ Many of you have said that fasting is for purification, fasting is to please God, fasting is an act of obedience to God. Everything that you have said I know you are saying it from your own experience, because I know my Muslim friends and their deep faith in God and their commitment to God.
For me, this is a very beautiful experience. What you have said is from the heart of your experience. It inspires me to become God-oriented in my own life. It is an invitation to lead a life that is based on God-consciousness.
As a Christian, something else strikes me very much. The Bible says, in the Gospel of Matthew (6:17-18):
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Dear friends, many years ago, I was a student at the Department of Islamic Studies at the Aligarh Muslim University. There was a professor in the Department who was a wonderful teacher and a very pious person. During the month of Ramzan, I would notice that he would be extra careful to look fresh, with oiled and neatly-combed hair and well-ironed clothes.
In the other months, he would sit and teach, while in the month of Ramzan he would teach while standing. He would not show any signs of tiredness on account of fasting. He would be fully ready to spend enough time especially with me to explain things. And he would never make any reference to his tiredness or about the time the fast would end. On some occasions I would say to him, ‘You must be tired, Sir’, but he would reply, ‘Victor, it is important that I should explain things to you.’
How beautiful is the message of the Gospel (referred to above) in a way it comes to me through the life of a Muslim! I was able to see the meaning and depth of those Bible verses through my Muslim professor. This was something really amazing, a beautiful experience for me.
While I was a teacher at St. Joseph’s School in Baramulla, there would be young Muslim boys telling me, ‘Father, this year I am going to start fasting!’ They would say this with great joy. We think fasting must be something very tiring, very difficult. But never in my experience did I find my Muslim friends say that fasting in the month of Ramzan is difficult. They have always looked forward to the month with joy. This joy is on account of fasting being ordained by God in the Quran.
At the same time, I also want to share with you some anxiety that I have experienced on occasion. A few friends have a slightly narrow way of seeing religion. For instance, in some Muslim-majority countries, there may be some unreasonable restrictions on people of other faiths during the month of Ramzan. And so on.
But I feel such things have nothing to do with Islam, for the Quran (2:256) says, ‘There shall be no compulsion in religion.’ In line with this, one could say that pressurizing others is not in the spirit of Islam.
Dear sisters and brothers, I pray with you as a Christian brother that this month of Ramzan be a blessing for all of us who desire to grow in God-consciousness, all of us who thirst for God in their lives. May all of us put our heart and soul, hands and feet, together and worship the One God according to our faith traditions. And together as brothers and sisters may we all spread peace, joy and harmony.
Ameen! Amen!
May God bless us all.
Khuda Hafiz,
Your brother,
Joseph Victor Edwin SJ
Yes. Muslim brothers n sisters practice what they preach. By and large muslim community is very faithful to their daily prayers , especially during d fasting days of Ramzan. The experience we get from their daily Iftar is a great sign of brothers n fellowship. In Kolkata d Ramzan fasting days r observed to promote unity n harmony among people of all faith communities. It’s beautiful to witness such unity n understanding. From my experience more we go into their company there is so much of acceptance n love. My few Muslims friends have even declined to b engaged any other activities that take away their spirit of fasting n prayers. One told me that I don’t travel those days because our many prayers will b disrupted. How nice to hear such spirit of Islamic faith n fellowship . May this year’s Ramzan truly bring joy, unity n fellowship among all people.
Let not anyone be blind to the teaching of the Bible on fasting, prayer and charity, and let everyone learn it from the Lord Jesus Himself.
Yes it is a farce. Most of the Catholics specially those under 60 do not fast or abstain as advised by Church
This Catholic priest Fr Victor appreciates Ramzan fasting and tells us how even young ones express interest in fasting. I request Father Victor to look into the deterioration and negligence in the fasting prescribed by Church and to create awareness among the catholic population. On account of dwindling faith and growth of indifference more than 75% of Catholics do not observe fast and abstinence during Lent.
Appreciate this letter. I have many friends from other faiths and churches. I admire the Muslims fasting in Ramzan, the Hindus bathing in the icy cold Ganga, the Sikhs picking up our shoes and their langar, and the strict Lenten fast by some sister churches. In contrast the Catholic fast is a farce 😨😨😨