Imtiaz Khan shares how the topic of fasting can be an opportunity to share our faith.
Lent has now begun. Perhaps you’ve chosen something you want to give up. For many Christians, that something is food – or at least a particular type of food. For me, it’s chocolate.
During the same period, Muslims across the world – including over a million in London – will also be fasting, as they mark Ramadan, which started on Friday.
So, imagine you get into conversation with a Muslim friend or neighbour in the next few weeks. You’ve both got something in common – you’ve both given up food (whether it’s all food until dusk that night, or a certain type of food until Easter). You’ve both done it for religious reasons. And so, it’s a natural talking point.
How would the conversation go?
You might bond over the shared experience of fasting – and maybe talk about the practical differences. Keep it surface level. Respect their culture.
But what about if you were to go deeper? What if you were to ask why they fast?
"Muslims will observe it to varying degrees, but at its heart, the goal for every Muslim is same – forgiveness."
What is Ramadan and why do Muslims fast?
Your Muslim friend might give a few different responses to this. They might say it’s about empathising with people in poverty. Some might just say it’s their duty as a Muslim.
Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam, marking the month in which Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims will observe it to varying degrees, but at its heart, the goal for every Muslim is same – forgiveness.
The belief is that more than any other time of the year, Muslims can atone for their sins, through fasting from dawn till dusk – as well as giving to charity and reading the whole of the Qur’an. Their efforts during Ramadan count more than the rest of the year – up to 700 times more according to the Qur’an. This is the big opportunity to make things right with Allah and secure your place in paradise for eternity. The gates of hell are believed to be closed throughout Ramadan, giving the believer a clearer mind and a purer soul to come before him.
The really big opportunity comes in the last ten days of Ramadan, on The Night of Power, known in Arabic as Laylat al-Qadr. The blessings of praying on the night of Laylat al-Qadr is believed to be better than that of a thousand months of worship and devotion.
Forgiveness is of course a topic we as Christians have much to say on. And explaining the reason why we fast can help to unpack this.
So, why do Christians fast?
It’s good to remind ourselves not only so that we can be prepared with an answer when speaking with our Muslim friends. But also because it can be easy to forget!
Let’s look first at what Jesus said (and did) on the matter.
We know of course that Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. We read that this was so that he could be ‘tempted by the devil’. His fasting seemed to have a refining impact, to show his reliance on His Father and His Word. And so when we fast as Christians we can seek the same effect.
In Matthew 6:16, Jesus commands us to fast not to impress others – but to keep it between us and our ‘Father’ who sees what we do in secret and will reward us accordingly.
There is something significant here that we can share with our Muslim friend. Jesus talks of an intimacy – not with a distant god waiting for us to prove ourselves, but between a father and his beloved son or daughter. And so, the reward for our sacrifice isn’t forgiveness, in the same way a parent doesn’t forgive their child only once they have done something to please them. The reward is that of a generous father who loves to reward his children when they do something that pleases him.
We can point to the words of Jesus from John 3:16 that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that all who believe in him may not perish but have eternal life. This is the reason for our forgiveness, and so we fast not to earn our forgiveness, but because of it. The climax of our fasting is the celebration of Easter, and the assurance of our forgiveness and new life. Our Muslim friend will also celebrate at the end of Ramadan – over Eid – but with no such assurance.
Going deeper – and facing a dilemma
At this stage in the conversation, your Muslim friend might respond in any number of different ways.
One of the common responses relates to the Bible and the Qur’an. At this point, you have to be prepared to go deeper still in your conversation with your Muslim friend. But it’s well worth it.
First of all we need to consider two important facts…
The Qur'an commands Muslims to accept the books of the Bible including the gospel and the Torah as the word of God. And yet at the same time it also contradicts them on theological and historical points.
The common response from Muslims to the teaching of the Bible is that the Torah and gospel have been corrupted. And yet the Qur'an never makes any statement that the gospel has been corrupted. This is often called the Islamic Dilemma – and it really is worth knowing how we can speak to our Muslim friends and neighbours about it. In fact, our Muslim Engagement Conference on 12 July is dedicated to help you do just that.
