Saturday, December 19, 1998

Muslims prepare for holy month

By LORETTA FULTON

Senior Staff Writer

Dr. Mohammad Maher Al-Sayyad's gentle face breaks into a smile, with the hint of a chuckle popping forth, when recalling the first time he fasted throughout the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

He was 12 years old and lived at home in Damascus, Syria, with his parents, seven brothers, and five sisters.

At that point in his life, Ramadan was new to the young Mohammad, and he didn't yet understand the deep religious significance of fasting for a month.

"I used to cheat, actually," Al-Sayyad admitted. He would sometimes drink water in the afternoon and then wipe his mouth dry to hide the evidence from older siblings.

"It's a kind of shame if your brothers and sisters know you broke your fast," Al-Sayyad said.

Now a nephrologist in Abilene, the adult Al-Sayyad no longer has a need to break his vow of fasting during Ramadan, which begins Sunday and lasts through Jan. 18. Ramadan is a somber period, but Muslims look on the time of fasting with reverence more than as an obligation.

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the lunar calendar and is the month in which the first verse of the Koran, Islam's holy book, was said to have descended on the prophet Muhammad. Because the month is based on the lunar calendar, it comes at different times each year.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other four are a declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving, and a pilgrimage to the Kaaba prayer sanctuary in Mecca.

Al-Sayyad has adhered to all the pillars except the pilgrimage to Mecca. Instead, he prays five times a day, prostrating himself and bowing to the northeast toward the holy city.

Abilene has a small minority of Muslims, including several professionals such as Al-Sayyad and Haywood Shakir Talib, who travels much of Northwest Texas from the Panhandle to Abilene and beyond as an Islamic chaplain for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Talib ministers to hundreds of Islamic converts, mainly African-Americans, in 21 units in his region, including about 30 at the Middleton Unit and 200 at the Robertson Unit, both in Abilene.

Talib said the ascetic life that Islam teaches, including a prohibition on alcohol, is appealing to young inmates who have led an undisciplined life.

"They get a chance to catch their breath and think a little bit," while incarcerated, Talib said. "I find that's the biggest reason for conversion."

Others like Al-Sayyad grew up in the faith and now find themselves in the minority. A group of about eight families meets weekly for prayer, and occasionally Abilene Muslims will travel to Fort Worth for activities at the Tarrant County Islamic Center.

Al-Sayyad moved to the United States in 1989 and completed his internship, residency, and fellowship in Brooklyn, N.Y. He later practiced in Hope, Ark., before moving to Abilene a couple of months ago with his wife, Lama, and their children.

Even though Islam is a minority religion in the places Al-Sayyad has lived, he said he had not encountered any prejudice. Movies and stories about Muslim terrorists in the news media are all that some people know about Islam, but once people know a Muslim personally, they change their opinion, Al-Sayyad said.

"I'm amazed about how understanding people are of this religion," he said.

With Ramadan approaching, Al-Sayyad will again be asked a lot of questions by friends, patients, and associates who know little about his religion, and he looks forward to sharing the traditions of his faith with others.

From dawn to sunset during Ramadan, faithful Muslims who are able abstain from food, liquids, even medications.

"Nothing by mouth," is the guideline during the fasting period, Al-Sayyad said. "The moment the sun sets, we go to a normal life."

However, religious guidelines are flexible, and those who are unable to fast during Ramadan may give to charity as a substitute or they may fast at a later time. Al-Sayyad's wife is pregnant and won't fast during the coming month.

"She will when she can," Al-Sayyad said.

At the end of Ramadan, Al-Sayyad and other Muslims in Abilene may join with friends in Fort Worth for the celebration known as "Eid." The one-day observance marks the end of Ramadan and is a joyous occasion with the sharing of gifts.

"It's like at Christmas," Al-Sayyad said.

But before the celebration, Muslims will practice the ancient custom of fasting, which helps followers focus on discipline and self-restraint. As a physician, Al-Sayyad knows the health benefits of fasting as well as the spiritual.

Research shows that periodic fasting helps cleanse the system and improves concentration. If more people occasionally fasted, "the health would be in much better shape," Al-Sayyad said.

As Ramadan approaches, Al-Sayyad fondly remembers that first experience as a child when he couldn't quite make it through the day without breaking the fast. Now he looks forward to the time of denial and reflection, knowing that his spiritual life is strengthened with each passing day.

There's only one small regret.

"Sometimes I miss the coffee," Al-Sayyad admitted.