New Literature for a New Era

A World Day of Fasting

So.

Following the clarion call of the Qur’an for cooperation based on our common cultural, religious and historical heritage, we say:

“People of the world, unite! People of different faiths and cultures and religions of the world, let us all come together to observe a World Day of Fasting!”

This September 5, 2010, Sunday.

In these troubled times, as the saying goes, let us work to create a new international and inter-cultural alliance of peace, love and hope for humanity among all the diverse and even competing segments of the human population on earth.

Let all of us human beings together celebrate a common World Day of Fasting – this month of Ramadan and every Ramadan thereafter.

Let us do so regardless of all the differences of race, religion, denomination, nationality, culture, territory and everything else that divide and consign us to special, unique and seemingly exclusive bins of history and geography.

Let us rise above our own special coordinates and configurations of time, space, belief and behaviour, and come together as a united human race in the common enterprise of observing the World Day of Fasting together.

And let us do so in this most beautiful and blessed month of Ramadan 1431. And during every Ramadan thereafter.

That means, we hereby call upon all the non-Muslims of the world – all the Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and all others on this planet, in every part of the world – to let us all set aside Sunday, September 5, 2010, to fast together as one human family united in our fellowship of faith in God and in his Prophets and Books.

Let the world’s 5,000,000,000 non-Muslim men and women of all faiths, races, nationalities and political ideologies join their 1,500,000,000 Muslim brothers and sisters around the world in a joint World Day of Fasting.

In the midst of all that may divide and trouble us, in this 2010^th year of the birth of our beloved Prophet Jesus, ‘Alaihis Salaam, let us stand united and holding hands on this island of commonness that the Qur’an has created for us, holding aloft the banner of our shared humanity and our joint cultural and faith heritage of Siyaam.

And in doing so, let us turn a new page in human history.

And let us – Muslims as well as non-Muslims everywhere, all the 6,500,000,000 of us or whatever our real number is – together write a new joint chapter of cooperation and shared enterprise in this most glorious, wonderful and divinely scripted book that we refer to as human life on earth: using the twin divine laws of Non-Aggression and Mandated Cooperation.

Let Leadership Everywhere Issue a Common Call

Let leadership – political, religious and all other kinds and forms of leadership – in all parts of the world, issue a call to its following everywhere to join this great march of humanity toward a common cause in the relentless pursuit of common human good: sharing the common and shared experience of fasting together.

Therefore, let leadership everywhere issue a common call for a common World Day of Fasting in this Ramadan 1431 coinciding with 5^th of September, 2010.

And let everyone everywhere join this united human caravan of people from different religious and cultural traditions fasting and moving together to a more joyous state of living.

In the meantime, leadership around the world – religious, political, governmental, organizational, United Nations – support our call by issuing a proclamation identifying September 5, 2010 as World Day of Fasting.

But if for some reason some of us cannot do it on that day, let us do it on some other day. Let us do it how best we can.  But let us do it. For, that is what Islam is all about: doing things however best we can.

Doing the Best You Can: That Is the Islamic Way

The Islamic way of doing things is doing them how best we can. In fact, that is what Islam is in a nutshell.

“What a Deen!” I keep telling myself. “What a way of life! What a way of doing things!  Just do the best you can and leave the rest to God.”

How can we devise a better method? Compared to what God has given us: the method of telling everyone with regard to everything to do the best they can and then leave it at that.

Hear the inimitable Qur’an say it in its most simple and clear manner: Fattaqullaha masta-ta’tum.

Paraphrase:

“Fear Allah however much you can.” And, perhaps, in all the ways you can.

That means fear, love and obey God Almighty all you can and, of course, to the extent you can and in ways you can. That means bend every fibre of your body, mind and soul and spend every ounce of your energy and resources in doing that.

But, all of it, to the extent and how best you can, because, that is all you can do as a human being. That is how far your powers will carry you. And those are the abilities – and education and skills and resources – with which God has endowed you.

And alerting them, at the same time, not to forget that the eyes of the whole world, and of God Almighty himself, are on them as they act and as they go about doing what they must do.

That means they are not just on candid camera, they are on the divine radar.

Once again, listen to the Qur’an address this issue in its own words that God preserved for us in their original purity and integrity all these 1400 years:

Quli’amaloo fa-sa-yarallahu ‘amalakum wa rasooluhu wal mu’minoon.

Paraphrase:

Say to them, go and do what you must. Surely God and his blessed messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and the believers all will watch you keenly.

So, everyone, everywhere: “Forward March, United Children of God! United Faiths of the World! On to the World Day of Fasting! On to a Common Culture of Hope for Humanity!”

Next Article: World Day of Fasting 2011

Previous Article: To Our Visitors a Ramadan Greeting – and a Prayer

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Related:

1. “BELIEVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!” DR. PASHA ISSUES CALL FOR WORLD DAY OF GOD!
2. God Bless All! Eid Greeting from Dr. Pasha Eidul Fitr 1431/Ramadan 2010
3. World Day of Fasting 1429/2008
4. World Day of Fasting 1430/2009
5. World Day of Fasting 2011
6. A Ramadan Greeting From Dr. Pasha
7. World Day of God! 2010
8. To Our Visitors a Ramadan Greeting – and a Prayer
9. The Miracle of Fast-Breaking in Ramadan that You Can See with Your Own Eyes [Quote of the Day – 177]
10. The Shari’ah Law of Fasting – For Muslims, Christians, Jews and Others [Quote of the Day - 150]
11. Prayer, Fasting and a Sturdy Ladder to Climb the Roof [Quote of the Day - 265]
12. Ramadan Renovates the Human Spirit – and the Human Body, Mind and Soul [Quote of the Day - 149]
13. Can Muslims, Christians and Jews Unite on the Basis of “No God but God”? [Quote of the Day – 155]
14. A World Day of God Response
15. Alhamdulillah – Some Thoughts! Or Call It Tafsir If You Want!
16. Is It Blasphemy to Call the Qur’an Muslims’ Holy Book? [Quote of the Day – 107]
17. While Floods Ravage Pakistan, Pakistan President Goes Looking for World Leaders to Meet [Quote of the Day – 93]
18. [Audio] Dr. Pasha at Quran Camp 10 – Nov 08 2010
19. [Audio] Dr. Pasha at Quran Camp – Apr 30 2010
20. [Audio] Dr. Pasha at Quran Camp 15 – Oct 17 2010

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