2 COMMUNITY anadian Champion Q c Q - Milton Islamic organization invites SAIRA PEESKER sairapeesker@metroland.com Since the start of the Is- lamic holy month of Rama- dan in mid-May, Muslims Fcross the world have been fasting. For most, this means getfing up before sunrise to eat and refrain- ° ing from eating or drinking anything else until the sun goes down. Fasting can be strenu- ous, but but also fosters spiritual growth, say mem- bers of a local congrega- tion that is encouraging non-Muslims to join them with the "Fast with a Mus- lim Friend" campaign- _ Milton members of the "Ahmadiyya Muslim Ja- ma'at, a-sect of Islam, are part of a nationwide cam- paign urging non-Muslims to participate in Ramadan by fasting, then breaking the fast at an Iftar din- ner."We want to reach out to our fellow Canadians," explained Magbool Sheikh, director of advoca- cy and public relations for Ahmadiyya's Milton con- gregation. "Here's a learn- ing opportunity. It helps foster relationships."For those who feel faint at the idea of spending a day without food or water, Sheikh says the idea is to commit to doing whatever feels feasible: a few hours, a half day, or whatever feels manageable. It's more about building bridges than following the letter of the law, he told the Milton Canadian Champion. Ramadan is observed dur- ing the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is slightly shorter than the Gregorian calendar. As a result, Ramadan begins at a different time each Gre- gorian year. This year it runs from mid-May to mid-June. Dur- ing the holy month, Mus- lims typically fast, give more to charity, refrain from bad behaviour and do additional prayers."Dur- ing Ramadan, Muslims place a special emphasis to avoid doing anything that would hinder their spiritu- al well-being, such as quar- relling, swearing, lying, backbiting," states Ahma- 's Ti | TE HE Visits with mom should be about catching up, not cleaning up. Let Seasons help. FS Retirement Community MILTON €asons Call 905-864-6888 760 Bronte Street South, Milton i insidehalton.com N www.seasonsretirement.com diyya's Fast with Muslims website. For Sheikh, Rama- dan means long days full of prayer, family, reflection and exhaustion. He wakes up at 4 a.m. to eat, then heads to pray with the community around 4:45 a.m. He comes home to shower and get ready for work, and if he's lucky, he has a chance to nap. At the end of the day, Sheikh heads back to the mosque for 8 p.m. prayers, then has dinner at home with his family, returning to the mosque for the eve- ning's final prayers around 10 p.m."During the month of fasting there are option- al prayers... they're option- al but kind of customary," he explained. "Ideally Visit us online @ insidehalton.com . you're supposed to get up in the middle of the night to do them, but we just do them (around the same time as) 'our evening prayers."He's usually done by 11 p.m., then heads home for some sleep before doing it all over again. Sheikh says the lack of sleep is of- ten more challenging than the fasting."Napping is key," he said, adding, "Part of the spiritual side of it, though, is you realize how little you need to get through life. You can get through on one meal a day ... There's a billion people around the world who have one meal a day if they're lucky. We're so blessed he- re."Ahmadiyya Muslim Ja- ma'at Milton is inviting lo- "non-Muslims to try fasting for Ramadan cal residents to join them for Iftar, the celebratory dinner that ends the fast during Ramadan, on June 4'at Paramount Fine Foods at 1149 Maple Ave. in Mil- ton. Pre-registration is re- quired and those interest- ed in attending are asked to do so online on Eventbrite (search for Free Iftar Din- ner in Milton). Sheikh is eager to share his religion and culture with non-Muslims, saying he hopes people come with questions and curiosity. "We're asking people to show up between 7:30 to 8:00," said Sheikh. "We'll do a question-and-answer session and will finish with call to prayer, and then eat some delicious food."