{"id":34923,"date":"2024-03-15T20:37:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T20:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/?page_id=34923"},"modified":"2024-03-18T14:25:46","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T14:25:46","slug":"five-ways-to-love-muslim-students-during-ramadan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/en\/five-ways-to-love-muslim-students-during-ramadan\/","title":{"rendered":"FIVE WAYS TO LOVE MUSLIM STUDENTS DURING RAMADAN\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How you can support your fasting friends  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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For Muslims around the world, this time of year is characterized by the sounds of family and friends bursting through a lively home filled with delicious smells. Loved ones gather to celebrate Ramadan, a holiday which commemorates Allah giving the Qur\u2019an to the prophet Muhammad.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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During this month-long celebration, Muslims focus on prayer and fasting during the hours of sunlight to practice self-discipline and to remember the poor. At sundown, communities gather for prayer. Afterward, they break their fast with a feast called an \u201ciftar.\u201d These evenings are an important time to enjoy company with loved ones.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Each year the spiritual implications of Ramadan offer opportunities for Christians to engage in meaningful discussions with their Muslim friends. Here are five ways to love your Muslim friends as they walk through Ramadan.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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1. Check in <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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What is an easy way to support your friends during Ramadan? Ask them how they are doing. Don\u2019t be afraid to start the conversation. Asking thoughtful questions is a meaningful way to acknowledge that this is a significant time for them. Here are four questions to begin with:  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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  • How will you be celebrating this year?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n
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  • How is fasting going?  <\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n
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  • How can I pray for you?  <\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
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    2. Join the feast <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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    Joining your Muslim friends for an iftar meal in the evenings is a great way to learn about their traditions and spark good conversation. If you wish to show greater solidarity, you might consider choosing one day to fast with your friend and break the fast together at the end of the day.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    3. Start a conversation <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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    Since Ramadan creates a heightened awareness of spirituality for Muslims, it provides good opportunities to have conversations surrounding faith. However, the key to successful conversations is to keep them as discussions and not debates. Approach the topics as a student with a genuine interest to learn. Ask questions that will spark a discussion about their own spirituality. For instance, \u201cHave you ever experienced God talking to you personally?\u201d or \u201cWhat do you experience when you fast?\u201d   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    Effective conversations can also happen through reading and comparing the Bible and the Qur\u2019an. A movement in Paris is seeing great success as they establish groups which invite Muslim students to discuss a common theme with Christians based on a reference text in both books. In the case of Ahmed*, a student who came from Djibouti to study in Paris, examining both texts under the theme of prayer proved life changing. Ahmed was astounded to learn that Jesus encouraged his followers to pray to God as Father. Discussing this topic helped him understand that it is possible to have a close relationship with God, who will answer our prayers and listen to us.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    During this season, consider how you can find avenues for conversations with Muslims.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    4. Share some scripture <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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    In person or online, consider sending blessings from scripture to your Muslim friends. Though the Bible is not their holy book, many Muslims will recognize its words as meaningful to their lives, especially if they are used as encouragement from a friend. Aim for beautiful words of inspiration or exhortation from the Psalms or Old Testament. Though these verses provide just a small snapshot from the Bible, it will get Muslims engaging in scripture, and may spark curiosity. While sending a private message to your friend may be the more personal approach, you could also post a daily blessing on your timeline during Ramadan.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    5. Pray  <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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    As important as it is to find creative ways to love our friends, there is nothing we can do that will replace the power of prayer. And if we are unable to physically be with our friends, it is a humbling reminder of God\u2019s ability to reach where we are unable. Ultimately, he is the one who changes hearts.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    Pray that God would reveal truth and hope to your Muslim friends. When dialoguing with them, end the discussion by asking how you may pray for them. Instead of promising to pray later, offer to pray on the spot. Muslims respect the power of prayer and often will not reject prayer from a Christian.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    What are you going to do?  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    Don\u2019t miss the opportunity to get involved in a significant time in the life of your Muslim friends. Check in with them, join the feast, start conversations, share scripture, pray for them, and show God\u2019s love.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    *name changed <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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