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MDM Iftar InterviewHamid Mahmood

1. What was the event? (Iftar in your home?)

The event was an iftar invitation at my home to our local church congregationSt

Barnabas Church in Walthamstow E17.

2. Who attended?

Father Steven Saxby, who is a very good friend of mine, and also five wonderful

members of his church congregation. And not forgetting the twenty odd members

of my own family, most of whom who just happened to turn up on the day, pretty

much the norm.

3. Why did it take place?

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Interestingly, when the Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Madinah, the chief Rabbi

Abdullah ibn Salam (R.A.) attended his gathering and from a far concluded that this

cannot be the face of a liar. And the very first thing he heard him (PBUH) say,

Oh People! Spread peace, be generous in offering food and dining with people

pray at night when people are asleep, you will enter Paradise in peace."

When I first came across these words of the Prophet (PBUH), I was taken a back andthe narrator at the time was a Jewish Rabbi. The message of the Prophet (PBUH)

upon reaching Madinah was one of peace, the spreading of peace in a town filled

with hatred and strife between tribes. His message was one of joy, sharing, caring

and communicating with their Lord in solitude when others lay to rest.

Why did I invite our local wonderful church congregation? Actually I should be

asking myself why it took so long? The Quran clearly states,

thou shalt find that the nearest in affection to believing Muslims are those who say:

Verily we are Christians. That is because they have amongst them priests and

monks, and because they are not proud.1

It saddens me to think about how far we have come from the teachings of the

Prophet (PBUH). The simple notion that a Jewish boy would carry the Prophets

sandals in the Mosque and when he fell ill the Prophet (PBUH) walked a far distance

to visit him. How many of our Mosques have people from other faiths attending?

1Quran 5:82

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How far have we come from this? He stood for Jewish funeral processions, when

asked why, he (PBUH) replied: "Is it not a living being (soul)?"2

The Prophet (PBUH) included Jews under the term of ummahin the Constitution of

Madinah

And verily the Jews of Ban Auf shall be considered as an ummah (community)

along with the Believers, for the Jews being their religion and for the Muslims their

religion 3

The people of the Scripture (Jews) used to recite the Torah in Hebrew and they used

to explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that Allahs Apostle said, Do not believe

the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but say:We believe in Allah and

what is revealed to us.4

There was a respectful and tolerant inter-faith scriptural dialogue taking place 1400

years ago in Madinah between the Jews and Muslims. Also the Prophets statement,

Do not believe the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but say: We

believe in Allah and what is revealed to us is a well suited model for a plural society

co-exiting peacefully. Lastly, how can I forget Mukhayriq from the tribe of

Thalabah, who also signed the Constitution a Jewish Rabbi who fought beside the

Prophet (PBUH) at Uhud on Shabbat. As he was martyred the Prophet (PBUH)

exclaimed, He was the best of JewsMukhayriq bequeathed all his wealth to the

Prophet, which included seven gardens of date palms. It was from Rabbi

Mukhayriqs endowment that the Prophet (PBUH) helped many poor people in

Madinah.

Its to reconnect with this legacy of the Prophet that I wanted to invite our fellowWalthamstonians to my home on a personal level just as the Prophet (PBUH) invited

the Christians of Najran into his Mosque to pray.

4. When did it take place?

On Friday 26thJune 2015. The Iftar invitation was from 8:15pm till 10:45pm (till Isha &

Tarawih)

5. What was discussed?

You may see the discussions mentioned under other questions. However, we spoke

about many things. My family, my Hamid to Harry incident. Many questions about

Ramadan and also Fr. Steven spoke about the Franciscan order and Francis of Asisis

relations with the Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt. He also did his Masters at Heythrop

College.

6. General - what kind of food was there, was it different for the guests? Was it a different

experience for you and for guests?

2Sahih al-Bukhari:http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=399#399

3Hamdullh, M. (1994). The First Written Constitution in the World: An Important Document of the Time of the Holy Prophet.

(p. 48)4Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 12). Accessed online [14.04.2011]:

http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=60&translator=1&start=10&number=10

http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=399#399http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=399#399http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=399#399http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=60&translator=1&start=10&number=10http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=60&translator=1&start=10&number=10http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=60&translator=1&start=10&number=10http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=399#399

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Iftar Menu:

Starters(Sunset just before the Maghrib Prayer):

1. Watermelon,

2. Pineapple,

3. Dates

4. Nabeedh (Date Juice),

5. Dates Milkshake,

6. Vegetable Juice

7. Samosas

8. Grilled Chicken

We all then went to the Mosque, which is opposite my house, to pray

salat al-maghriband our guests observed the prayers.

Main(After Maghrib Prayers and prayer observation for our guests):

1.

Meat Biryani

2. Pakistani Paya (Lamb Trotters)

Desserts

1. Zarda (Pakistani Sweet Rice in yellow colouring)

2. Fruit Chart in cream

Tea - End

7. Was it important to do something like this in the community? What have you learned?

Most of my reasons can be taken from no. 3 but wanted to emphasise that its not

only through initiatives like scriptural reasoning that we can have interfaith. I strongly

believe the best interfaith is just to come together and talk! Get to know each other

share an experience. When I looked around during the iftar in my house I saw one

of my brothers saying to one of the wonderful elderly guests that if she needed any

help down to cutting her grass to not hesitate in asking. I saw my brother-in-law

pressing her legs from sitting on the floor for a long time. My other brother was

engaged in loud ear-spitting round of jokes. Next to me my third brother was

discussing with Fr. Steven the importance of juicing greens especially for long fasts,

who was eagerly asking its philosophy. Hence the discussions continued.

8. What did the guests day of the evening?

More or less covered.

9. Anything else you'd like me to add to the article? Any quotes from what the rabbi [Priest]

said?

An interesting point Fr. Steven mentioned regarding sitting on the floor was thats

how Jesus and his disciples dined at the Last Supper. I asked him, well what about

all the paintings, what about the table in Leonardo Da Vincis painting?.Thats

just a Western thing, replied Fr. Steven.