In Ramadan Muslim, Christian & Jewish Are In One Platform

Ramadan is the most precious month of Islamic calendar and culture. Each day during month of Ramadan; Muslims around the world observe the sacred month by fasting during day light hours (from sunrise to sunset). Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam and it is compulsory upon every adult and healthy Muslims.  All around the UK millions of Muslims are fasting in Ramadan during this summer while it is almost 19 hours. End of the day they break their fast with family & friends.
The great virtue of Ramadan is that it creates a door of peace to all humanity. Because Muslims invite their Non-Muslims friends during Ramadan to share their Ifter (breaking fast). Ramadan creates a special atmosphere between Muslims & Non-Muslims especially country like UK where people are living from different faiths & backgrounds.  Mfa Zaman & Ishaque Uddin organised an Inter-Faith Ifter on 21 June Tuesday in East London Mosque which was also been hosted by East London Mosque. It was really a wonderful evening. The guests came from different faiths and background like Politics, Business, Education, Health, Charity, Inter-faith, Church, Synagogue, sports and others.
During the evening the Mosque stuffs presented a show to explain over the 100 years history of East London Mosque.  They showed a documentary and gave the answers of the guests. After the guests visited The East London Mosque and went around seeing different activities, share thoughts & ideas. Before the Ifter the CEO of East London Mosque Dilowar Hussain Khan, Rabbi of West London Synagogue Helen Freeman, the officer of Salvation Army Ian Watkins, Mfa Zaman & Ishaque Uddin shared their view & importance of Ramadan & Inter-faith. Muslims, Christian and Jews guests were sharing their view with each other. They met with new people and build up a new friendship because they were from different background and ethnicity. One Christian guest was fasting also. Before break the fast they remember those people who are suffering, struggling, facing hardship in life and prayed for them. At 9:25 pm Muslims broke their fast along with Christian & Jews guests. They enjoyed delicious food in Ifter. After that Magrib Salah (evening prayer) started the Non-Muslim guests observed the Muslim prayer in the Mosque.
The Christian & Jews guest really enjoyed this Ifter event. Because it created more opportunity to established Peace, Love & Fairness in multi-cultural society. Mr Dan Watkins; Tooting Conservatives party leader said, Today’s Ifter event is blooming effort to build up a better & safer community in London. It will create and build up a better relationship between different faith groups. It started with sharing food, story, understanding each other culture, tradition and prayer which bring people more closer.  And I am really amazed by the work have done by East London Mosque. Because I am doing lots of Inter faith activities so I have visited so many mosques. But East London Mosque is not only a worship place; It has an over 100 years history and It is really a beautiful place where people come, visit and doing great work to build up a safer community with peace and harmony. I really enjoyed Ifter and watch the prayer. I am giving thanks to my friend Zaman for invite me and I would like to come back again. I am wishing a peaceful Ramadan & happy Eid to everyone.
Helen Freeman; the Rabbi of West London Synagogue said, Today’s Inter-faith Ifter really touched my heart. It has proved again the beautiful relationship between Jews & Muslims.  I really appreciate the hospitality of East London Mosque. I am also impressed by their work with mainstream community.  Thanks again Zaman to invite me here tonight. And I will take away from here the friendship, welcome, hospitality given from Muslim community which I find really over whelming, kindness and generosity. I hope the rest of Ramadan is beautiful and meaningful.
The Revd Tim Clapton from Near Neighbours said, it is always a great joy to join in Ifter during holy month of Ramadan.  Christian, Jews and Muslims; when the 3 faiths has shared the food in one table with one another; then we are companions. So this is not end; now we have responsibly to act as a companion to build up a better community. We have to be stay together and work together for common good for all of us.
Mr Walyat Khakor MBE; the senior officer of Muslim Aid said, It is a beautiful event in the holy month of Ramadan and guests came from different faith, background, country.  It is great pleasure to spend my time with as an ambassador of Islam because I am a Muslim. I got chance to share the views of Islam, how Muslims celebrate the Ramadan, how we try to stay with different faith, colures. It is an act of hospitality which has very importance in Islamic prospective. The idea is to serve the community at large regardless to their faith, colour and race and Islam teaches us that. In Quran Allah said, The person who love My creation; I would love him.  As a Muslim we should look after and care each other for sake of Allah. I want to say; today’s Ifter event has great importance in Muslim community especially in the UK. It is a successful Inter faith Ifter event which brings the community together. We should practice it more. We should be very grateful to the people who are co-operating with us in field of peace & harmony, because it is hard job to bring all in one place. I am giving special thanks to my dear Zaman for invitation and wish his success. Same time my best wish to brother Ishaque Uddin and East London Mosque.
Ian Watkins; the officer of Salvation Army said, I am honoured to come here to join Inter faith event as guest of Ishaque Uddin. We are working together in Inter-faith for establishing peace.  I am here along with my work colleague and some of them are fasting today to share believe with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We are living with people from different faiths, countries etc. We have to share our happiness and sadness with each other. And East London Mosque is doing great work to bring different faiths in one platform.
Mr Paul Dawson; the Senior Fire Safety officer of London Fire Brigade said, I really enjoyed tonight’s Ifter event, I came along with my wife, daughter and grand-daughter as a guest of my close friend Zaman. It is a beautiful and enjoyable event from all views. I am living in London in my all life and visited so many Mosques, Churches from my work. I never had a chance to visit in The East London Mosque.  But today I am in East London Mosque and have seen their wonderful work not only for Muslim; it is for all faith & backgrounds.  As a practicing Christian I have a full respect to all faiths & backgrounds. My best neighbour is Muslim. We are like one family; we share our happiness and pain over 30 years. We share our Christmas & Eid. Religion teaches us peace, love and harmony; not to create haitress, jealousy or killing. So from today’s event I want to say we should stand each other shoulder to shoulder for peace. I am giving thanks to organizer for their warm welcome and hospitality.
The guests who was attended on the programme were Sef Townsend, John Heyderman, Antonia Baum (Community Of Jews & Muslims), Mr Khalid (Universal Peace Federation), Dr Mahera Ruby, Mrs Christine Dawson, Mohammad Susilo (BBC reporter), Mrs Claire Uwins (Inter Faith Activist, Herts), Mrs Antoinette French, Zia Uddin Mohammad Umar, Wendy Watkins, Jesse, Annamare, Md Moynul, A. Hakim, Rayhan, Kabir, Ahmed, Abdullah and others.
Ishaque Uddin; the CEO of Stepney Father Group and TV presenter said, It is an amazing feeling I get from tonight’s Inter faith Ifter event. I feel really happy as a host because I hope it will create a positive impact in our society. As a Muslim we should share our views and faith with each other’s. The blessing month of Ramadan has created this platform for us. And Inter-Faith is a great way to bring them in one platform. I find lots of common teaching in our Holy Books. So it is time to call for unity and respect.
Mfa Zaman; the Founder of Safe & Save and Community of Jews & Muslims said, As a host in the Holy month of Ramadan; I am feeling really humble to organized an Ifter event for my Non-Muslim friends and colleagues. It is a great pleasure that they came and enjoyed this event on 21 June which is longest day of the year 2016. While they have got information about the UK Muslim’s community and have seen the current activities of The East London Mosque; they were really amazed.
The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) ordered the Muslims to take care of Ahl Adh-Dhimma (the Jews and the Christians) who live among them. We have to care, look after each other. So my duty is maintain a good relation with other faith. The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said, You are all guardians and each of you is responsible for those in his trust. (Sahih Bukhari & Muslim). Even Prophet (pbuh) He visited to see sick Jewish boy. (Bukhari). The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said, Be patient, till you face them (the Non-Muslims) and invite them to Islam and inform them of what Allah has enjoined upon them (Bukhari). Even when the delegation of Najran who were Christians, came to Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in Medina, they entered His mosque in the afternoon to meet Him. It was their prayer time so they began to perform their prayer inside the Mosque. And Muslims wanted to stop them to pray in Mosque. But Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) had allowed these Christians to pray in Mosque and said, Let them pray. So they faced the east and prayed. It is a great sign of tolerance by the Messenger of Allah; the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). So from those examples; we could learn how & why we have needed to work with different faiths & build up a good relation.
And I want to give special thanks to my brother Ishaque Uddin & The East London Mosque because without their help, effort & contribution it wouldn’t be possible & successful Ifter event.
I am grateful to Almighty Allah who has given me this opportunity and ability to work with other faith to spread the teachings of Islam. And thanks those who keep supporting, praying for me and attended this historic event. I hope from tonight’s Inter-Faith Ifter event; it will re-connect and help the building of vibrant relation between Muslims, Christian & Jews.