Ramadan

This Monday, September 1st, marks the start of Ramadan.  It is for the duration of this month that Muslims around the globe are called to observe one of the 5 pillars of their faith by fasting from sunup to sundown as a means of tipping the scales of judgment towards favor with God.  Most Muslims believe that it was during the month of Ramadan that the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Qur’an were all sent from heaven.  Though the exact day of the month is disputed, most Muslims believe that the anniversary of the night during which the Prophet Muhammad began to receive the Qur’an from the angel Gabriel is a night of special power.  The Prophet Muhammad taught that Ramadan is a season during which the gates of heaven are open and the gates of hell closed.

Historians tell us that the Christians with whom Muhammad had contact prayed 6 times a day.  It is believed that this practice so profoundly impacted the Prophet Muhammad that he prescribed daily prayer as essential for all followers of Allah.  Pray that our lives might once again be ‘prayer-shaped’ enough to change the destiny of Muslims around the world!