During Ramadan, South Florida Muslims find unity in their diversity | Opinion
“We have made you nations and tribes that you may come to know one another.”
Muslims in South Florida are living out this statement from the Qur’an, the Muslim book of scripture. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims from different cultures, ethnicities and social and economic backgrounds gather to follow the commands of God to pray and break the fast from food and drink — Iftar.
Although from different cultures, they all face the same direction and say the same words to acknowledge and show gratitude to the Creator who gave them life. It does not matter if the person is Caribbean, Arab, African, African American, Hispanic, Eastern European or Asian. They stand and bow in unity. The food on the table or, perhaps, the language they speak and the clothes they wear indicate that they may hail from a different land or culture. But for 29 days they all fast, practicing carnal and emotional restraint and heightening their focus on spiritual and rational development through reading the Qur’an and prayer.
Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Qur’an. In addition to prayer, Muslims observe Ramadan through acts of kindness and generosity. This occurs once a year, starting with the sighting of the new moon marking the beginning of the ninth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar.
During the time of Prophet Muhammad, that sighting was done with the naked eye. While some groups continued with that tradition, others rely on technology or calculations that identify when the moon is visible in a particular region. Nonetheless, the fasting begins and all who are healthy and have reached the age of puberty are required to fast during the daylight hours from dawn — Fajr) — to after the sun sets — Maghrib.
Muslims are not the only group commanded to fast. The Quranic scripture states, “Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for others before you,” referring to the Jewish and Christian faiths. As there is unity in diversity, this year, the three Abrahamic faiths, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, will observe important holidays in April. The month will witness the Jewish Passover, Christianity’s Lent and the Islamic continuation of Ramadan, which will be followed by the celebration of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the culmination of the month of mandated fasting.
God made us different so we can get to know one another on many levels. Muslims share diversity from within and without and we embrace it, because so much is gained from it as the Creator has promised when we, the human being, follow His commands.
Muslims cherish sharing their religious observance with their neighbors to inform and educate. For this reason, several Muslim houses of worship (masajids, mosques) and institutions will host open houses on designated dates during the month of Ramadan. On these dates, the public is invited to join in breaking the fast with a delicious meal. To see the calendar and locations, go to soflomuslims.com/open-house-2023.
All are welcome to share this experience and take the opportunity for questions and answers about Islamic observances.
Blessed Ramadan, and peace.
Patricia Salahuddin Ed.D. is chairperson of the Clara Mohammed School Network, Inc. in Miami. Wilfredo Ruiz, an attorney, is communication director of the Council of American Islamic Relations — CAIR-Florida.
