Hala Shah, a 21-year-old Muslim senior at New York University, is currently celebrating the month of Ramadan and sharing her weekly journals with Beliefnet. Each week she will write about what Ramadan is, what it means to her, and memories from past Ramadans.
Dear Journal,
Drowning in the non-stop downpours flooding the northeastern seaboard, my husband and I vamoosed out of New York on the Vamoose Bus, to bathe in the clear fall skies and mild temperatures of Washington, DC. As soon as I stepped onto that bus, I began a journey that would cross paths with Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims, who, whether or not they knew it, were all helping to make a successful Ramadan.
I have taken the Vamoose Bus many times, but it wasn't until that trip to DC that I realized a non-Muslim was helping me reach my family so that we could celebrate this holy month together. The owner of that bus is a Hassidic Jew. And his bus, his services, safely escorted me to DC. True, there are numerous ways to travel, and the men and women who provide transportation services practice many different religions. So what is important is not necessarily who is what religion. Rather, what is important is the coexistence and support network that people living together knowingly or unknowingly create. Some people try to surround themselves with and rely exclusively on members of their own religion. But in American society, to some extent, this is not possible. Many of the vital services, not just transportation, that we depend on, are provided by a person of no faith, or a different faith. At the end of the day, I try to look at my neighbor as just another human. It does not mean that I ignore what the Qur'an says about relationships with people of different religions. It means simply that in order to take head of and understand these teachings, I have to first understand my neighbors as they exist and behave as human beings. We are all made from and will return to clay. And God determines what path we take, and what religion we choose. Doesn't it make sense then to keep this commonality in mind when interacting with people of different faiths?
The second leg of my journey floated in on a relaxing brunch cruise down the Potomac River. Accompanying me on the cruise were almost twenty other Muslim relatives from my husband's side and around a hundred other non-Muslims. For various reasons, many of them health problems, only five of us were fasting. With a buffet of shrimp cocktails, a chocolate waterfall, and many more tantalizing treats, my stomach was oddly complacent amidst the tables of happy diners and even happier appetites. But there was no need to look at the fellow cruisers with resentment and contempt since their presence did not keep me from fasting. In fact, the cruise crew members accommodated our fasting by giving us doggie-bag boxes for both the entree and dessert. I think I took home more food than the other diners ate. So what initially seemed like a bad idea - a buffet cruise during Ramadan - actually improved my fast.
| _Related Features | |
|
|
 |
My journey ended with the Fast-A-Thon at NYU. That day, nearly 400 Muslims and non-Muslims united to fast and raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the elevator ride up to the event, I overheard a group of non-Muslim fasters reflect on their experience fasting for the first time. One girl admitted to accidentally eating a cookie and felt guilty. But I hope she does not feel that her efforts went to waste. Her intention to fast is just as important as her actual act of fasting. Moreover, her efforts are feeding at least one hungry person in the country. With excellent Muslim and non-Muslim speakers, a group prayer demonstrating how Muslims pray, and tray upon tray of food for the anxious fasters, the evening delivered a message of gratitude for all the Muslims and non-Muslims who made the Fast-A-Thon possible. The best part was when Fatima Habib, one of the organizers of the event, said that on the days that fasting is hard and plagued with hunger, she thanks God for taking care of such a basic, yet important need. And when fasting is easy, she thinks to herself, "God is all I need."
| _Related Features | |
|
|
|
|
