A few days after Easter marked the end of the Lenten season of fasting, and a few days before Eid al-Fitr marked the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan’s fasting, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., hosted an interfaith discussion on fasting with neighboring Masjid Muhammad, the Nation’s Mosque.
The evening gathering on April 5 drew about 30 people representing both congregations. As the Masjid Muhammad Mosque located a few blocks away is undergoing a building expansion and renovation, Holy Redeemer has opened up its lower church hall for its Muslim neighbors to have their Jumah Friday prayer there. In addition to participating in the interfaith discussion on fasting, two imams from Masjid Muhammad led men and women from their mosque in the Maghrib call to prayer at sunset, and then in the Iftar fast-breaking evening meal, which they shared with the Holy Redeemer parishioners and guests.
Father David Bava, the pastor of Holy Redeemer, noted that for Catholics, Lent is marked by “fasting, prayer and acts of charity. These practices are also indigenous to the Muslim tradition.”
The priest, who marked his 50th anniversary this past year, added that “the season of Lent is a season of the heart, a season of the soul. (We examine) what’s our attitude toward God and neighbor and making society better. Our prayer is supposed to penetrate our heart and make us closer to God.”
Fasting in the Christian tradition, he said, means more than sacrificing food, it also offers a time for people to abstain from excesses in their lifestyles and to seek virtue.
“The goal is self-examination for renewal and commitment, how can we be more whole with ourselves and with God, in terms of serving Him,” Father Bava said of the Christian Lenten observances.
Imam Albert Sabir, the administrative director of Masjid Muhammad, the Nation’s Mosque, reflected on the importance of fasting for Muslims and Christians, noting, “We know it benefits the whole person physically, mentally and spiritually.”
The main speaker representing Masjid Muhammad was Imam Emeritus Yusuf Saleem, who served as the imam for the Nation’s Mosque between 1990-2010. He noted that during Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic religious calendar, Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours, while continuing their five daily times of prayer. Muslims who are elderly, sick or traveling can postpone their fasting, he said.
Imam Saleem said that for Muslims, fasting during Ramadan offers a time to align one’s life to the will of Allah (God) by following the wisdom that they believe Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad that he recorded in their holy book, the Qu’ran. Muslim comes from an Arabic word meaning one who submits to God.
“You want the life, the course you lead, to be in agreement with God’s will,” said Imam Saleem. “…Whatever you do from Allah, you will benefit.”
The imam said that Muslims agree with the phrase in the Our Father, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” He added, “The challenge is to make my will agree with God’s will.”
Imam Dr. Talib Shareef, the president and imam of Masjid Muhammad, the Nation’s Mosque, was traveling and could not participate in the dialogue on fasting hosted by Holy Redeemer Church. Last May, Imam Shareef joined religious leaders including Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory at an interfaith dialogue at the Embassy of Argentina to the United States marking the 10th anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis. Those religious leaders echoed the pope’s emphasis on encountering, listening to, talking with and learning from others to build bridges of solidarity, understanding and peace.
Before that evening’s call to prayer for the Muslims in Holy Redeemer’s lower church hall, Imam Sabir prayed, “May our Creator be our bridge over troubled waters as we work to build bridges of peace over violence, love over hat, faith over fear, and unity over division.”
The nine Muslim men and six Muslim women there took off their shoes, knelt on prayer rugs and leaned forward as they prayed toward Mecca, the Islamic holy city where Muhammad was born.
After the Maghrib call to prayer at sunset, the Muslims there shared the Iftar fast-breaking evening meal of chicken, salmon and vegetable lasagna with the Holy Redeemer parishioners and guests.
As he ate his meal, Imam Saleem said he appreciated the hospitality of Holy Redeemer Parish, opening its lower church hall for Masjid Muhammad’s Friday prayers while the mosque’s building project is underway. “To have someone open their doors for us, it’s such a human expression of love and kindness,” he said.
As he opened his remarks, Father Bava noted the two congregations held earlier discussions on their faith traditions’ understanding of God’s mercy and on the veneration of Mary. After the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the priest reached out to the neighboring mosque, inviting its leaders to visit his parish and Catholic school to dispel stereotypes about Islam.
Holy Redeemer Parish, founded in 1922, recently marked its centennial. Its neighbor Masjid Muhammad was established in 1937. Father Bava, who said he has been inspired by witnessing the faith of that mosque’s members, added, “We collaborate on community issues (like) housing and services to seniors. We do food distribution to the needy, and they do, too.”
In an interview, Fitrah Muhammad of the neighboring mosque said the interfaith discussion was in accord with Allah’s command in the Qu’ran that “we should come together and learn about each other so we can have better understanding.” She said that fosters empathy and compassion for each other and a desire to work together on common issues.
Also attending the gathering was Bea Romo, a native of Spain who is part of the Focolare community in Washington. She noted that international Catholic movement supports interreligious dialogue, and that Focolare’s founder, the late Chiara Lubich, and the founder of Masjid Muhammad, the late Imam W.D. Mohammed, believed “in unity, (that) we are brothers and sisters, and we can work for peace together.”
Romo praised the gathering, saying, “It’s a model. It’s a small seed, but a very powerful seed of what we should be as brothers and sisters.”
Janet Rollins, a lifetime parishioner of Holy Redeemer who is turning 70 this month and volunteers in the church office, said, “Even though we’re different faiths, we both believe. I believe in God. They believe in Allah. To me, it’s the spirit of celebrating our religions together.”
In an interview, Leroy Partlow, a Holy Redeemer parishioner who sings in the choir there, praised the gathering, saying, “I think it’s important. It helps make the community stronger by bringing people together so we can learn more about each other.”
Father Bava, in thanking people for attending the interfaith gathering at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, said, “The more we learn together about our faith traditions, the more we can build unity… I’m grateful for that relationship continuing, and for people coming together tonight.”
As the evening closed, Imam Sabir said, “Thank you for this night of fellowship. Let us show this model to the world, so we can have a better community and a better world.”
