The Islamic faith believes that Allah will forgive their sin if they fast, pray, and perform acts of righteousness. Less than two weeks remain to the month of Ramadan which this year ends on September 19th. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a time for Muslims to fast so that Allah would forgive their sins. Participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality. During Ramaḍān, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.
It is also a time that Muslims offer more prayers to Allah. The above picture is from the Boston Globe where they offer several excellent photos of Muslims practicing Ramadan in The Big Picture. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran and to give freely to those in need.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-9Please pray for Christians around the world to reach out to their Muslim friends and share with them the gospel of grace. Pray that Muslims would continue to experience the guilt for their sin, the futility of trying to earn Allah’s favor, and the need for substitutionary atonement. The Thirty-Day Prayer Network offers a daily prayer guide for the month of Ramadan.
