Members of the Harford County Muslim community will celebrate and reach out to their neighbors of all faiths by hosting a traditional Ramadan iftar, or fast-breaking dinner, on Saturday, June 25 at Masjid Al-Falaah.
The event, which is open to the public, will get underway at 8 p.m.
Masjid Al-Falaah is located at 3014 Philadelphia Road in Abingdon.
This year Ramadan started on June 6. "As more than one and a half billion Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan by fasting and appreciating the blessings given to us, it is equally important for the American Muslim community to reach out to our neighbors as an example of true Islamic ideals," said Dr. Rehan Khan, the Masjid Al-Falaah president.
"We are here to show our friends and neighbors that American Muslims will continue to be contributing members of our society," he said.
Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset. The fast is performed to learn discipline, self-restraint and generosity, while obeying God's commandments. Fasting, along with the declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the "five pillars" of Islam.
The end of Ramadan will be marked by communal prayers called "Eid ul-Fitr," or Feast of the Fast-Breaking, on Wednesday, July 6.
There are an estimated 150 Muslim families in Harford County and some seven to eight million Muslims nationwide.
For more information, contact Khan at 202-236-7338 or RSVP alfalaah7@gmail.com.