Tao and Tawheed

Ramadan Mubarak, Day 6: Sincerity in Fasting

On taking good intentions and making them larger than God Himself

21 May 2018
Author: Guest Blogger
Number of views: 2077
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by Adam Jones

I enjoy fasting. I mean, I enjoy it and I hate it. For someone who loves food, fasting becomes a major disruption to my rhythms and routines. Even now, as I write this, I am watching the clock; waiting for it to strike noon so I can eat my lunch. Fasting is my way of breaking those habits. However, one thing I am learning is that God is not as impressed with the act of fasting as I am. It’s not that He doesn’t care. It’s just that He knows how quickly my piety can lead to self-righteousness. I, like many others, end up suffering from the same affliction that man has been battling since very early in our existence: taking good intentions and making them larger than God Himself.

Ramadan Mubarak, Day 7: Angels and Man

On Muhammad's first revelation experience with the angel Gabriel

22 May 2018
Author: Guest Blogger
Number of views: 1968
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by Jim Walker

Ramadan is the Islamic commemoration of Muhammad’s first revelation in 610 A.D. This was the beginning of his prophetic career. While he was praying a spiritual being appeared to him and gave the first five verses of Sura 96. Later, Muhammad came to believe that this being was the angel Gabriel. In celebration of Ramadan, Muslims perform a number of religious activities including fasting from sun-up to sun-down, acting kindly towards others, and praying. It is a time of good will amongst Muslims and a time to remember Allah’s and Muhammad’s commands.

Ramadan Mubarak, Day 8: The Fast that God Requires

How God wants fasting to be less about food and more about compassion for others

22 May 2018
Author: Guest Blogger
Number of views: 2237
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by Rev. Michael Medeiros

Fasting was practiced throughout the Ancient Near East long before it was included in the Hebrew Bible or the Qur'an as rites performed individually or corporately. This is important to note because there were many different reasons why people abstained from food for a period, and many of these occurrences were as religious activities. Our focus today centers on what God expects when we fast.

Ramadan Mubarak, Day 9: Not by Bread Alone

How fasting should be a focus on the Word of God

24 May 2018
Author: Guest Blogger
Number of views: 2065
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by Blaine and Lisa Seisser

Fasting is a discipline to practice and remember our deep need for God. To help us remember that he loves us! At any time of the year or any day a Christian you meet may be fasting from anything. Fasting from food is common, but they may be fasting from sweets, Facebook, shopping, etc., etc. When we give up food in particular we should remember that “man does not live on bread alone but on the very words of God”. In fact, Jesus said that when he faced off with the devil in the wilderness at the end of his 40-day fast (narrated in the Injeel, gospel of Matthew 4:4).

Ramadan Mubarak, Day 10: A Baghdadi Ponders...

Eddie Yousif has experienced many Ramadans in Iraq and the U.S. Here are his thoughts.

25 May 2018
Author: Guest Blogger
Number of views: 2331
2 Comments

by Eddie Yousif

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” Sahih Bukhari 31:123

There’s some sort of attraction to Islamic practice. For me, it has been the discipline and the prescription of how to practice this religion. The attraction lies with the dedication as well. There’s also a fault that may be seen by others, and that is…it is practiced out of fear, the fear of entering Hell (Jahannam). This makes Islam a legalistic religion. But then again, with over 4,200 religions in the world today, you’re bound to find a fault in every one!