US Islamic Centers Ready for Ramadan

By Sahar Kassaimah, IOL Correspondent


WASHINGTON — Islamic centers and mosques across the United States are putting the final touches for months of preparations to welcome the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

"Usually most centers start preparing for Ramadan two to three months in advance," Amjad Dalaq, current chapter head of the Muslim American Society at Kansas City (MASKC), told IslamOnline.net.

Preparations for the month of Ramadan are alike in most of the Islamic centers and mosques in the United States.

Major fundraising events are usually planned six months ahead of Ramadan, Tarawih and daily programs, including kids activities, are prepared one to two months before the holy month begins.

In the last ten days of Ramadan, Islamic centers and mosques open its doors at night for i`tikaf (spiritual retreat).

The Muslim community in most of the mosques and Islamic centers buys big quantities of dates in order to follow Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) in breaking his fast on dates or water.

Like everywhere else around the world, Ramadan in the US is a great chance for Muslims to increase their spiritualities as well as their social family bounds.

But what characterizes Ramadan in the US is the sense of diversity and unity between American Muslims of different descents.

This diversity is not only reflected by the variety of faces, but the variety of food dishes and meals provided by American Muslims from all around the world as well.

During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and s**.

The Islamic Crescent Observation Project (ICOP) has said that the first day of the holy fasting month will astronomically fall on September 24.

Iftar

Many mosques prepare special kids programs in Ramadan

Mosques and Islamic centers are cooperating with the community in offering iftar banquets during Ramadan.

In Kansas City, Islamic centers provide iftar for the community twice a week.

"In Ramadan, all of our centers provide community Iftar every Saturday and Sunday," said Dalaq, former president and general manager of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City (ISGKC).

"Sometimes some centers expand it to include other weekdays as well."

Dalaq said that Muslim families usually sponsor the weekend iftar according to a prior planned schedule.

In Tucson Islamic Center, the Muslim community has a daily iftar together during the holy month.

"Those interested in giving iftar, volunteer themselves at the beginning of the month," said Dr. Siraj Islam Mufti, a Contractor to the Federal Correctional Institutions as Imam and a contract Imam with the Corrections Corporation of America in Arizona.

Most of the Islamic centers in Boston will only organize iftar in weekends in order to save some of the efforts and money spent and to give Muslim families the chance to have their iftar together as well.

"Iftar is kept to weekends. Having a daily iftar in the masjid would prevent Muslims from these blessed family gatherings," said Hassan al Alamy, Chairman of the board of Al-Huda Society and a member of the Board of Trustees on Muslim American Society (MAS).

"Logistics and cleaning were very taxing on the masjid. Therefore, iftar is currently held in weekends only, but we have a daily iftar held by the Muslim Student Association (MSA)," he added.

"Many Muslims compete to sign up to sponsor one day of iftar during Ramadan and sometimes two or more families cooperate together. Local Muslim restaurant prepares the food and delivers it."

Tarawih

Mosques are also making special arrangements for the Tarawih Prayer, with some inviting imams from overseas.

Like many other Islamic centers, Kansas City’s centers are used to inviting an imam especially for the month of Ramadan to lead the Tarawih Prayer.

"In almost all of Kansas City’s Islamic Centers, we invite an imam to lead the Tarawih Prayer in Ramadan, which are usually twenty rak`ahs in most of the centers," said Dalaq.

"Unlike other Islamic centers, the ISGKC has been inviting the same imam every Ramadan for the last seventeen years."

Dr. Mufti, a retired faculty from the University of Arizona and a retired chaplain from the US Department of Justice, said the Islamic Center of Tucson does the same.

"Every Ramadan, we invite an imam who memorizes the Qur’an to lead the Tarawih," he told IOL.

"In the last two Ramadans, we invited the same imam, Sheikh Siddiq from Egypt. And because our community was impressed by his scholarship, we also invited him for this Ramadan."

Alamy said his Al-Huda society holds Tarawih Prayer in a school building rented for that purpose in Ramadan.

He added that all Islamic centers of Boston have imams who memorize the Qur’an and finish reading it during the Tarawih.

"Lately all Tarawih prayers are led by our local imams."

For Alamy, praying Tarawih in different centers and mosques during Ramadan allows him and his children to see different people.

"Each Islamic center has its specific flavor and praying in all of them during Ramadan, allows me and my children to see all of our friends."

The Ramadan program is almost consistent in all three Islamic centers where Alamy used to pray.

"`Isha’ prayer, followed by a quiz or a contest then we pray Tarawih with a spiritual reminder after the fourth rak`ah in addition to a brief explanation of the recited verses after the eighth rak`ah by the imam leading the prayer."

Kids

In preparing for Ramadan, mosques and Islamic centers keep children high on their priority list.

"In most of the centers, kids only join the first eight rak`ahs of Tarawih before they go to the playing room," said Dalaq.

"They also hold special night programs for the young boys and girls in addition to the special figh (Islamic Jurisprudence) sessions and daily short talks."

Dalaq noted that in some Islamic centers, babysitting young children and accompanying them to the gym is another option to give their parents the chance to focus in their prayers.

Alamy said the arrangement is similar in Boston.

"In one of our mosque, they take the youngsters to a gym nearby while their parents pray."

He added that kids programs vary from non-existent in small mosques, to special Tarawih for the youth in a different building if the space accommodates.

Every Ramadan, the Muslim American Society (MAS) works with most of the Islamic centers and mosques to provide special kids programs.

"MAS coordinates with mosques to provide Islamic competitions and Qur’an memorization for children of all ages and they provide prizes in order to encourage them to participate," said Dalaq.

Interfaith

American Muslims also capitalize on the holy month to build more bridges with non-Muslims.

Some Islamic centers organize educational programs for non-Muslims in order to familiarize them about Islam in general and Ramadan in particular.

In some centers such as the Islamic Center of Tucson, a joint iftar with Christians and Jews is held once a week during Ramadan.

"The needy non-Muslims are welcome to have meals with us at iftar. The International Center for Peace in Tucson is established by the three faith groups; Jews, Christians and Muslims. Interfaith activities are held there. There is also a day for joint iftar," said Dr. Mufti.

In Boston, inter faith activities are mostly planned in different mosques by the MAS.

"There are mainly meetings with religious figures in the town," said al Alamy.

"Sometimes Al-Huda society holds an iftar reception in the city hall and other times the MSA holds an annual reception for the university students and staff, with an introduction about Islam."

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