International (MNN) — The Muslim holy month of Ramadan started on April 2, and will continue until May 2. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking while the sun is up. During the fast, they pray, spend time with family, and take time for reflection. They eat one meal before dawn, and another just after sunset.
Muslims believe this month marks the giving of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammed. The date changes each year because Muslims have traditionally used a lunar calendar, rather than a solar one.
Gospel of John
Bibles For the World has collaborated with other ministries to reach Muslim refugees in Europe while they celebrate Ramadan. John Pudaite says, “The partner to whom God gave this vision, he had done this in a small way in previous years. It can be called an iftar package.”
Iftar is the word used for the meal eaten directly after sunset. Pudaite says, “[The baskets] provide them with some fruits and some sweets for them to break their fast. But we have added a Gospel of John to it.”
BFTW will provide 500,000 Gospel of John copies in several different languages to reach refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and other nearby countries.
Prayer
During Ramadan, Muslims want to hear from God and come closer to Him. Pudaite says, “We just need to pray that the Holy Spirit will reach through and show them the truth. As we provide God’s word to them, we pray that He will work in their hearts and their minds.”
Pray Muslims all over the world will emerge from Ramadan this year having encountered the risen Jesus.
The header photo shows an empty but decorated street just after sunset while people break their fast. (Photo courtesy of Synaps commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
