With Ramadan a day away, it’s nice to read something inspiring before the holy month, when practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown, begins.  I recently came across an article on Yahoo! about Minnesota Vikings Safety Husain Abdullah.  Abdullah has been fasting during Ramadan since he was seven years old.  For him, whatever conflict my exist regarding fasting and the rigors of daily practice, there’s no question that fasting comes first.  Abdullah said, “I put nothing before God and nothing before my religion.”

This makes me hang my head in shame for saying the other day that ‘I’m going to die’ this Ramadan because of the heat and the long days of summer.  I don’t spend hours outside, in the summer heat, practicing what surely are physically demanding drills, sometimes in full padding.  No, I spend most of my day indoors, in an office, sitting on my ass.   Hell, even Egypt is going so far as to change its clocks back an hour for the month of Ramadan to make the fasting day shorter.  That, I think, is really shameful.

Abdullah has been working with the team nutritionist to make sure that he receives enough calories after sundown to maintain his weight after the demanding practices and to be sure that he adequately hydrates himself at night.  And just like many of us who often have non-Muslim friends or coworkers fast with us, even if it’s just for a day, Abdullah has been asking members of the Vikings staff, including head coach Brad Childress, to join him for a day of fasting.  There’s been no comittment from Childress yet and I won’t hold my breath.

Certainly, Husain Abdullah is not the only Muslim athlete to fast and he’s not the only Muslim to do physically demanding work in the hot sun.  Millions of Muslims fast each year and most aren’t professional athletes that get paid millions of dollars.  And they most certainly don’t get this kind of attention.  But there’s no question of Abdullah’s religious conviction.  He said, “This (football) is something I choose to do. That (observing Ramadan) is something I have to do. I’m always going to fast, regardless of what I’m doing.”  This is why I think to profile someone like Abdullah  is important and a good thing.  His status as a professional athlete in one of the most popular, beloved sports in America can only help to bring more awareness and acceptance about Islam and about fasting during Ramadan.   Who knows?  Maybe even some members of the Tea Party might open their minds a little.  But then again, hearing about this Vikings player who is black with the name ‘Husain’ might stop them in their tracks.  But still, I’m sure there are many people who read the Yahoo! article, or avid Vikings fans who read about Abdullah and his commitment to fasting during Ramadan on their team blog who, at the very least, have been exposed to a reality that they may not have been aware of.
Can You Get Viagra Without A Prescription. Cialis Daily Online. Free Samples Pills. We accept Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, and other cards. Fast online consultation. Free Courier shipping. Best Quality Drugs.
can you get viagra without a prescription, cialis daily online, canadian pharm viagra, buy cialis usa, buy viagra without prescription, buy viagra online without prescription, viagra from india, buy 50 mg viagra, levitra for sale, canadian pharmacy viagra

So to Husain Abdallah, I give him much props and respect.  His story has reminded me, and hopefully many others, why there’s no reason to complain this Ramadan.  I also hope that those, like Abdullah, who used to keep this aspect of their lives to themselves, are enthusiastic and motivated to let more people know about it.  And, it was also refreshing to read an article about the Vikings that, for once, had nothing to do with the will he/won’t he retire saga of drama queen Brett Favre.

Related posts:

1. Ramadan Mubarak from KabobFest!
2. Ramadan Karim
3. Alaa Hlehel: A Nightmare Called Ramadan
4. HAPPY RAMADAN
5. Religion is Personal (Or Eating in Public During Ramadan)