In Ramadan, “Justice as a Foundation for Lasting Peace”
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Every Ramadan brings together Muslims in peaceful remembrances of the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, his message of peace to mankind, prayer rituals as well as recitation of the Holy Qur’an, which was revealed in this month. This month, which includes Laylat_al-Qadr – the Night of Power or the Night of Destiny - is a reminder of the need for service to humanity and worship of Allah and following His Commandments.
With Ramadan come the days of fasting that end with the call to Maghreb prayers and the Iftar dinner. The Iftar dinners have important social significance both in serving the local community as well as bringing people together.
On May 24, 2018, an interfaith Iftar was held at the Mubarak Mosque in Chantilly, Virginia. The keynote address dinner on “Justice as a Foundation for Lasting Peace” was delivered by the Imam of the Virginia, Faran Rabbani, who also closed the event by leading the traditional silent prayers in which people of all faiths participated.
“It was our honor to host guests from various public offices in our community and other guests, for the 4th annual Iftar dinner,” said Hibbi Iqbal, Secretary Public Affairs.
Mubarak Mosque has a distinguishing feature of being in the path of airplanes as they are about to land at Washington’s Dulles International Airport. Therefore, it provides a very welcoming message of both Islam and Washington. Pilots, passengers and crew can enjoy the beautiful view from above. Equally pleasing to the eyes are the smiling faces of the guests arriving on a pleasant evening as the sun is about to set for the day. Dashing suits of men and colorful dresses of women blend in wonderfully with the blooming flowers in the mosque courtyard.
Heated rhetoric - emanating from the misconceptions about Islam and the evil acts committed in the name of the religion of peace – has created problems for Muslims in America and abroad. Words like Islamophobia entered the political vocabulary as a result of vile acts of violent extremists and the political opportunists who exploit the situation for their own narrow agendas.
Reality, almost always, is different in that most people want to get along. It becomes evident when the extended hands of friendship and solidarity through the invitation are met by equally significant gesture of shaking hands from the arriving guests. Among the distinguished guests were: Urooj Mughal, Northwestern Regional Director, Office of US Senator Tim Kaine,
Dave Stegmaier, Community Outreach Director, Office of Rep. Barbara Comstock (VA-10), Karrie Delaney, Virginia's 67th House of Delegates District, Wendy Gooditis, Virginia's 10th House of Delegates District, David Reid, Virginia's 32nd House of Delegates District, Signe Friedrichs, Council Member, Town of Herndon, Ramona Carroll, Interfaith Coordinator Fairfax County, Martin E. Nohe, Coles District Supervisor Coles District as well as Joanna Culkin and I. Cortes, Neighborhood Patrol Unit, Fair Oaks District, Fairfax County Police Department.
Among the distinguished guests also were two Democratic congressional candidates: Lindsey Davis Stover and Alison Friedman along with their campaign staffers.
A social get-together like Iftar provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and communicate one’s message also. For instance, Friedman said that “her unwillingness to accept corporate PAC donations, her pledge to take on special interests including the NRA, and her commitment not to compromise on her principles” makes her the only democratic primary candidate to win in the upcoming mid-term elections.
In his speech, Imam Rabbani said: “This is the month whereby Muslims are taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to especially help the downtrodden by feeling their pain and suffering in order to alleviate it. The lesson that this month teaches is that we should give preference to others over our own selves as this is closer to the development of God consciousness. The values that Ramadan instills in people are in their own, the very foundation for lasting world peace.”
So Iftar dinners like the one at the Mubarak Mosque present a wonderful opportunity to unite for common goods. Conversations at the tables and in the meeting hall as well as the speeches showed a resolve to carpe diem – seize the opportunity, seize the moment and seize the day.
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