On Saturday, March 2, the Islamic Institute of Orange County held an event called “Fast with a Muslim.” Senior religion teacher, Mrs. D’Alba, presented this interfaith event to her seniors and gave us the opportunity to register and learn more about the religion of Islam as well as Ramadan itself.
Since the beginning of the new semester, Mrs. D’Alba’s Senior Comparative Religions class has been learning about many different religions and the seven dimensions of said religions. Nostra Aetate is a papal encyclical that the senior class has been studying, and the purpose of this document is for the Catholic Church to examine her relationship to non-Christian religions, which is why the Senior class has been exploring different religions.
The students have already learned about Judaism and Hinduism. But, one of the religions they have yet to explore is Islam. With perfect timing, Mrs. D’Alba gave the seniors the option to attend this event as an intro to the Islam unit, and also to be able to experience a part of the month of Ramadan with our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a period when Muslims engage in fasting, prayer and reflection. This year’s Ramadan began on February 28 and ends on March 29. When asked about the experience, Mrs D’Alba stated, “The opportunity to learn from our Muslim friends acknowledges the teachings of Nostra Aetate to enter into dialogue and collaboration. The importance of developing respect for religions outside of our Catholic faith allows Royals to engage in interfaith dialogue without compromising their own foundational beliefs.”
Upon arriving at the event, we were all welcomed by very friendly greeters and were given shoe coverings and nametags. This is when I found Mrs. D’Alba and decided to wait with her until other girls arrived. After 10 minutes, we were taken in and sat at a table all together. As soon as we arrived at our table, we were greeted by amazing volunteers who were there to guide us through the event. Senior Alyssa McCreary, who also attended the event, shared, “I was moved by their kindness of letting us into their place of worship with open arms and teaching us more about their religion.”
Our amazing MC welcomed us and gave us a rundown on the night. Following the greeting, we were introduced to Shaykh Mohammed El Zahed, who explained Ramadan and Islam to those who were not familiar. He then welcomed Qari Zian Ibrahim and Mohammed Amin who recited Qur’an prayers and even translated them to English for those who didn’t speak Arabic. In the Islamic religion, a Shaykh is a title of respect, usually for religious leaders. A Qari is a person who recites the Qu’ran.
The fast began on Sunday, March 2, at 5:10 a.m. (dawn), and concluded at sunset, 5:50 p.m. If fasting, one was also instructed to refrain from gossiping, bad manners, backbiting, profanity and the like. Right before breaking the fast at 5:49 p.m., our Muslim brothers and sisters recited a Dua’a, which is a form of supplication. Following this, those who had been fasting broke their fast by eating two dates and drinking water, as the Prophet Mohammed did in the Qur’an.
After this, we were led to the prayer hall, which is when we were instructed to put on our shoe coverings and head scarves out of respect. In the prayer hall, we were taught how our Muslim brothers and sisters pray. Shaykh Mohammed El Zahed explained the significance of every move and its importance for Muslims. Being able to see how other religions pray, especially Islam, was a truly beautiful experience. Following the sunset prayer, we were directed to dinner and got to eat at our tables.
After the dinner, the MC shouted out every organization attending the event. Shouting out Rosary, he called Mrs. D’Alba a “legend” for always bringing out so many students and educating us on Islam. I must say, we did praise Mrs. D’Alba with loud applause for educating us so well on Islam as well as other religions.
This beautiful event provided a wonderful opportunity to gain hands-on experience in exploring non-Christian religions. It is a blessing to have the freedom to study other beliefs, and we should actively participate in this. I highly recommend registering for and attending this event next year when it takes place. To our Muslim brothers and sisters, Ramadan Mubarak!
