Fasting during the month of Ramadan became a religious duty for Muslims in 624 C.E., during the Medina period when Islam began to spread rapidly. Fasting is not only a religious observation but also an important message to the Muslim world with immense spiritual value.
However, this spiritual value becomes apparent only when the true religion, as described in the Quran, is practiced. Ramadan does not mean that a person should strive for peace, display moral behavior, show forgiveness or say nice words merely for a single month, but is a reminder how one should live one's entire life.
However, the Muslim community has largely forgotten the religion preached in the Quran and the true moral values that should be upheld. The superstitions fostered over the centuries, fabrications presented as Islam, traditions that have become entrenched, and fatwas of some so-called religious figures have managed to make many Muslims stray away from the Quran.
In fact, according to the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad complained: "My Lord, my people treat this Quran as something to be ignored" (Quran 25:30).
As a result of their abandonment of the Quran, many Muslims are unaware of many verses and have come to hold irrational, non-Quranic beliefs.
For example, several verses of the Quran praise Jews, such as: "Those who believe and those who are Jews, Sabeans and Christians – anyone who believes in God and the Last Day, and acts honorably, should have no fear nor will they be saddened" (Quran 5:69).
All Muslims should remember that God clearly warns in the Quran against coming up with rules that are not in the Quran: "What is the matter with you? How do you reach your judgment? Will you not pay heed? Or do you have some clear authority? Bring your Book, then, if you are telling the truth!" (Quran, 37:154-157).
In the Quran, God requires believers to treat the People of the Book with love and respect in a spirit of unity.
But the Islamic world has witnessed the rise of anti-Christian and anti-Jewish sentiments.
These communities, which coexisted in harmony and trusted Muslims with their lives and possessions in our prophet's era, have now become unable to live in the Muslim world.
This stems from the fact that the Islam practiced by some segments is not in compliance with the Islam in the Quran.
According to the Quran, a Muslim does not have the right to attack another person or start a war. All of the wars mentioned in the Quran are defensive (Quran, 2:191, 4:89-91, 9:5, 9:13, 5:33, 8:57, 47:4, 4:89). Muslims are granted only the right to defend themselves when attacked.
Today, however, certain Muslims who abide by superstitious philosophies seek to distort the real meaning behind the use of war defined in the Quran and present those distortions as appropriate acts of worship. Terrorism, which is never mentioned anywhere in the Quran and is at complete odds with its spirit, has become associated with Muslims.
No matter how terrifying the deeds of the communities who have abandoned the Quran are, the response should not be impulsive, but rational and faith-based. The biggest mistake would be to associate and label all Muslims with these communities and create enemies based on the behavior of a few groups. Islam that is practiced according to the Quran is the only solution for the communities that have adopted hatred as their religion.
Our decades-long efforts to promote the true Islam as described in the Quran, and the traditional iftar banquets we hold every Ramadan in particular, help to spread the beautiful message of Islam, in addition to encouraging all Muslims to turn to the Quran.
It is in these iftar dinners that the fact that Ramadan is a month of peace reveals itself most clearly. People of all religions, beliefs and views come together and embrace one another. The iftar banquets demonstrate respect, reverence, friendship, solidarity and sincerity to the whole world.
Ramadan is about striving to be "the person God expects." Such behavior and attitudes should extend beyond Ramadan and be prevalent throughout one’s life.
However, this spiritual value becomes apparent only when the true religion, as described in the Quran, is practiced. Ramadan does not mean that a person should strive for peace, display moral behavior, show forgiveness or say nice words merely for a single month, but is a reminder how one should live one's entire life.
However, the Muslim community has largely forgotten the religion preached in the Quran and the true moral values that should be upheld. The superstitions fostered over the centuries, fabrications presented as Islam, traditions that have become entrenched, and fatwas of some so-called religious figures have managed to make many Muslims stray away from the Quran.
In fact, according to the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad complained: "My Lord, my people treat this Quran as something to be ignored" (Quran 25:30).
As a result of their abandonment of the Quran, many Muslims are unaware of many verses and have come to hold irrational, non-Quranic beliefs.
For example, several verses of the Quran praise Jews, such as: "Those who believe and those who are Jews, Sabeans and Christians – anyone who believes in God and the Last Day, and acts honorably, should have no fear nor will they be saddened" (Quran 5:69).
All Muslims should remember that God clearly warns in the Quran against coming up with rules that are not in the Quran: "What is the matter with you? How do you reach your judgment? Will you not pay heed? Or do you have some clear authority? Bring your Book, then, if you are telling the truth!" (Quran, 37:154-157).
In the Quran, God requires believers to treat the People of the Book with love and respect in a spirit of unity.
But the Islamic world has witnessed the rise of anti-Christian and anti-Jewish sentiments.
These communities, which coexisted in harmony and trusted Muslims with their lives and possessions in our prophet's era, have now become unable to live in the Muslim world.
This stems from the fact that the Islam practiced by some segments is not in compliance with the Islam in the Quran.
According to the Quran, a Muslim does not have the right to attack another person or start a war. All of the wars mentioned in the Quran are defensive (Quran, 2:191, 4:89-91, 9:5, 9:13, 5:33, 8:57, 47:4, 4:89). Muslims are granted only the right to defend themselves when attacked.
Today, however, certain Muslims who abide by superstitious philosophies seek to distort the real meaning behind the use of war defined in the Quran and present those distortions as appropriate acts of worship. Terrorism, which is never mentioned anywhere in the Quran and is at complete odds with its spirit, has become associated with Muslims.
No matter how terrifying the deeds of the communities who have abandoned the Quran are, the response should not be impulsive, but rational and faith-based. The biggest mistake would be to associate and label all Muslims with these communities and create enemies based on the behavior of a few groups. Islam that is practiced according to the Quran is the only solution for the communities that have adopted hatred as their religion.
Our decades-long efforts to promote the true Islam as described in the Quran, and the traditional iftar banquets we hold every Ramadan in particular, help to spread the beautiful message of Islam, in addition to encouraging all Muslims to turn to the Quran.
It is in these iftar dinners that the fact that Ramadan is a month of peace reveals itself most clearly. People of all religions, beliefs and views come together and embrace one another. The iftar banquets demonstrate respect, reverence, friendship, solidarity and sincerity to the whole world.
Ramadan is about striving to be "the person God expects." Such behavior and attitudes should extend beyond Ramadan and be prevalent throughout one’s life.
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