Eddie Yousif has experienced many Ramadans in Iraq and the U.S. Here are his thoughts.
by Eddie Yousif
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!
Ramadan is an interesting time for Muslims across the world. This would be a time when Muslims would gather after sunset in order to consume a great feast amongst family and friends. And the same might be done before sunrise. Restaurants in Dearborn, MI would have no vacancy. And giving to the poor (Zakat) would increase dramatically! To add to that, something amazing happens in the spiritual realm!
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
One has to wonder, is this really true? Are the devils really chained up or is this a metaphor? Nevertheless, there’s a “feeling” of holiness in the Muslim’s heart. Therefore, hospitality rises and offenses suppressed. For my Muslim friends, this is an opportune time for me to discuss differences within religions for the sake of increasing one’s knowledge of God!
When discussing the differences between Islam and Christianity, the same questions arise almost every time. And they are:
· 1. How can God have a son?
Although this is a good question, I can see how this may be confusing for many, even Christians. When the Bible calls Jesus “God’s only Son,” it’s not referring to a son born of physical, sexual interactions, but of spiritual sense. It’s not literal but metaphorical. For God is a spirit and not a physical being, spirits do not have physicality. The Christian is not stating that God had sex with a woman and produced Jesus, heaven forbid!
The Christian is saying that there’s an equality of God and He’s Jesus. The Jews call this being the Messiah (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9; Psalm 22: 16-18). The Quran call Jesus the Messiah more than five times (Quran 3:45; 3:54; 5:17; 4:172; 4:157and 9:31). Even Jesus calls himself the Messiah by affirmation of the questioner, this is recorded in Mark 14:62, Luke 22:70, John 4:25 and Matthew 26:64 .
This Messiah would be God incarnate. This Messiah would have equality, 100% equality, with God almighty, and receive worship. This is according to the Torah (Toraht) and the Bible (Injeel) which came before the Quran. The Quran affirms that the Bible (Injeel) is God’s Word and has not been changed, and that no one can alter God’s Word. (Quran 18:27; 5:47; and 5:68)
· 2. How can God be three? It’s not possible!
Perhaps you’re holding a cup/bottle of water as you’re reading this. Water comes in three forms; vapor, liquid, and solid. This does not mean that have three different kinds of waters; it means that the form changes but the essence is still H2O. If you were to take those forms into a lab, you’ll still have the same conclusion on all three-H2O is the diagnoses.
The Christian is stating that there’s one God and three relationships within this God. The Muslim is stating otherwise. But perhaps the Muslim is correct and Christian is wrong. Does this present a problem at all for the Christian and the Muslim? Yes!
The reason this is problematic is that the Deist, whether Muslim or Christian, believes that God is eternal. God, in all of eternity, speaks. Who was the recipient of his speech prior to the creation of angels and humans? God, in all of eternity, loves. Who did He love prior to the creation of angels and humans? God, in all of eternity, is passionate and affectionate. Who were those feelings shared with prior to the creation of angels and humans. If there was no one prior to the creation of angels and humans, God needed to create in order to have someone to talk to, someone to love, someone to show passion to and affection to. But that presents a problem for the Muslim. However, there’s no problem for the Christian since God was speaking, loving, showing passion and affection to the Son prior to the creation of angels and humans.
To conclude, offering yourself as a sacrifice for God almighty is a noble thing, specifically, if you are fasting in a time such as Ramadan as a Muslim. However, is God looking for an outward appearance or an inward motivation? He’s looking for your motive. Why are you fasting? Due to an obligatory, peer-pressured time of the year or due to feel good about…yourself?
Fasting is a disciplinary action that one practices for the body in order gain a spiritual discipline. This is what fasting ought to be. For the Christians and the Muslims alike.
With many blessings, I wish all Muslims a blessed Ramadan!
In Arabic, “Ramadan Mubarak!”
Your friend,
Eddie Yousif
*If you would like to participate in a Bible study about this subject and similar ones, email us at comparingfaith@gmail.com or text 313.485.7153.