I don’t think it’s a should or shouldn’t do issue. If one feels led to do so in support of a friend or as a gesture to learn more about Islam by entering into one of their experiences, then I think it’s fine. If you’re not led to do so, I see nothing wrong with that. If the last author quoted above is right in the Muslim view of Christian fasting, then one fundamental difference between the two groups would be the leading of the Holy Spirit vs. strict adherence to law.

“Christian fasting is fundamentally different from Muslim fasting. Christians must make clear that their view of God, God’s approach to us, and therefore fasting as part of our relationship to God, are each different from Muslim views.”
Since I don’t have any idea what fasting means to Muslims, it would be awfully presumptuous of me to assume what that I believe is different. Maybe it is, or maybe not. Perhaps fasting alongside a Muslim neighbor is a good way to find out. I see no reason to assume disagreement before you even start a dialogue on the topic.

I have heard of Christian fasting for several reasons:
1. To try and force God’s hand by a show of their commitment
2. As a symbolic act of bringing their body into submission
3. To set aside time for meditation and prayer
As for Muslims, we need to be aware that they see every aspect of their lives as being spiritual, and consequently, view everything that happens in “Christian” countries as being spiritual (and sanctioned by God), hence their detestation of the West. Therefore, it is natural for them to see anyone who fasts as being devoted to God, because it fits in their world view.
If a Christian is trying to witness to Muslims, then it would be very important for that person to fast, because otherwise their credibility would be very low. There are many other things that would need to be done as well, but that’s not the subject here.

CT’s use of the phrase “as an act of solidarity with” raises some flags for me. This sounds like much more than doing a mutual act (fasting) to build relationships or be friends with Muslims. What does “an act of solidarity” mean?

If the muslim approaches fasting as a work by which salvation is secured, or by which standing and status with God is secured, improved, or restored, then in my opinion the Christian would not honor the gospel of Christ by participating during Ramadan unless it was undertaken first off with the proper attitude towards what he/she is actually doing and why; and also with an eye towards communicating the same to his/her muslim friend. All of which is to say, as a strategy of identification and outreach, it makes sense in an “all things to all men” sort of way.
If the “act of solidarity” is intended to say to the muslim that we have equal standing before God, I am not sure that is faithful to the biblical message.

Challenging questions both ways. It seems like the question can be asked with a negative or positive bent, which reveals our presuppositions…Negatively, where does it stop? Fasting…what else…praying together, service work together…etc. Positively, how far can we go to connect or a little different angle, where can we find common ground…

I take “act of solidarity” to mean “you are hungry right now, so I won’t eat either”.

The idea is interesting and would absolutely pave the way for a Christian to have a deep conversation with Muslim friends. I live in a nominally Muslim country, and I observed Lent this time. During Ramadan, I prayed, using the material from http://www.30-days.net – and this reinforced a need in my heart to minister to Muslims.
Most muslims I know truly respect a practising Christian’s integrity.
Fasting in itself is not so much; but with prayer, this is absolutely something a Christian should consider.

I can’t help but to think of Paul in Acts 21. Although I am often perplexed with this text it seems to me that Paul is trying to keep open doors that lead to Jewish hearts for the sake of saving some. I will become all things to all me to save some mentality.
I hope if one chooses to do this they will so they can join a friend in an attempt to open a door to their heart. I hope one would not do this an act of acceptance of their religion as Jesus is the way.
We should hope the best and believe the best about one who did this until they tell us otherwise.

Ramadan fasting is only the beginning of the question;
the question in contention is twofold:
1. Can a Christian be one pietistically and still yet be culturally Muslim?
2. What does it mean to be culturally Muslim? (w/o insulting or deceiving them)
Just saying because Christians observing cultural Muslim patterns is nothing new. There’s more going on in the mission field that would make the average American evanjellyfish gawk.

I think it’s right-hearted, and wrong-headed.
Right-hearted because of wanting to respect devout Muslims and their real religious sensibilites, not wanting to eat “in their face” at a business meeting, for example, or to resist demonizing Muslims, or for other very charitable reasons.
Wrong-headed because the act of solidarity could be misunderstood, unless time was taken in relationship with particular Muslims to explain why one has the freedom as a Christian to do it, for reasons such as above, but also that Allah really isn’t another name for the Christian God. That could be tricky to do.
My opinion really isn’t germane, though, as this is a matter for the consciences of the Christians involved, and is between them and the Lord.
Anyhow, we Christians *are* serious about God, because communal fasting for an extended period *is* part of Christian praxis- isn’t it?…
Scot, your book on fasting deserves to be very widely read. Your presentation at NPC has helped me so much, theologically/hermeneutically.
Dana

While I firmly believe in religious freedom and liberty for all, I do believe that Christians should not participate in Muslim Holy Days and times. Let us remember that Islam explicitly rejects the Trinity and believes the whole concept of the Incarnation and Virgin birth to be blasphemous. These are fundamental to Christianity and set it apart from Judaism and Islam. So, yes, let us love our Islamic friends with the love of Christ but let us not participate in Ramadan for fear that our participation will lead them to believe that they are on the right road to heaven when the Bible teaches that there is only one way to the Father – through Jesus Christ, God the Son.

If fasting with Muslims is an act of solidarity, eating with them might be a greater act of solidarity. Sharing a meal (bread and salt) is sacred act spoken of as creating a brotherhood between strangers or guests and thus binds people together. Inviting them to our homes for a meal or going to theirs during and before or after Ramadan establishes our bond as seekers on the journey to God.
Growing up in the Middle East as a Christian, surrounded by Muslims, it would not be seen as an act of solidarity but an oddity. Middle Eastern Christians tend to fast more often than their counterparts in the West. So Muslims would not expect them to join them in Ramadan fasting.

Great question to raise here, just how much theological distinction should we allow between us and groups we are partnering with?
Is it appropriate to work side by side with people who have serious differences in theology?
What kind of work would be appropriate for what levels of divergence?
(ie, should we eat with not-trinitarians? …pick up garbage with them? …pray with them? …worship together? How about less central issues like human sexuality? etc.)

Dana @11
“Allah really isn’t another name for the Christian God.”
Actually, I myself and all the Arabic speaking Christians I’ve ever met worship a God called “Allah”, the name of God used in all Arabic translations of the bible that I’ve seen.
Leo @12
“Islam explicitly … believes the whole concept of the Incarnation and Virgin birth to be blasphemous” Actually, the Koran teaches the virgin birth, and the one who was born is “a word from God”.
This question (fasting in Ramadan) is a live one for me. I haven’t done so yet as I don’t quite know how to explain myself to my Muslim fiends, but reactions from friends and neighbours this year very much suggest the truth of what Mateen Elass says: “Muslims have a hard time understanding how Christians can be serious about wanting to follow God without also fasting during Ramadan.” I do, however, join the as they break the fast in the evening, a great time to cement friendships.

As Christians, I believe that we should only fast during Christian holy days or when in a deep spiritual state. This is to get closer to the Lord, and I believe it is good for Christians to do. However, let’s remember that we are Christian and not Muslim. Therefore, although we can respect their holy days, we should not be participating in them.

To fast “with” the Muslims, is to participate in their faith. My faith is “to follow Christ”, which they do not. I would not fast with them as that is to say I “agree” with what you do. I do not. SELAH!

In his desire to emphasize Christian fasting as distinct from/as over against (?fundamentally different from?) Muslim fasting, I think McDermott has quite overstated the matter to the point of missing a spiritual discipline that can serve as substantial common ground. For an interesting piece on shared physical/spiritual themes related to fasting, I would recommend the link above.
If my Islamic understanding is half-way correct, Muhammad was influenced in part by Christian mystics and sects in Arabia during his time, which, in some measure, could be said to account for the explicit emphases of prayer and fasting in Islam. This element of historical context is very significant, I think, when it comes to seeing the spiritual discipline of fasting as a possible area of common ground between our faiths. Not to mention, as Mateen Elass said above, seeing Ramadan fasting as an opportunity for Christian-Muslim friendship. Not to mention, as a commenter noted, seeing Ramadan fasting as an opportunity for Christian witness.
Also, importantly, I think we Christians need to be careful of a flat, linear approach to our supposed ?understanding? of law and obedience in Islam. (I have many Muslim friends, including imams, who have challenged and encouraged me in this area.) So, though fasting during Ramadan is a command from God in the Islamic perspective, it has been suggested to me that Muhammad would be greatly dismayed to the extent that the Muslim community (or Christian community) misses the spirituality behind the law, misses the spirit and forest for the laws and trees.
With regard to a Christian fasting within Ramadan, again I think McDermott is missing something. As is Al Mohler, who responded to Brian McLaren?s Ramadan fasting this year by saying: ?It’s by following these practices that a Muslim demonstrates his obedience to the rule of the law through the Quran. For a Christian to do the same automatically implies a submission to the same rule. And beyond that, it’s an explicit affirmation that this is a good and holy thing. From a New Testament perspective, it is not a good and holy thing.?
A Christian?s full participation in the practice of Ramadan fasting no more implies submission to the same rule (in the same way) than reading the Qur?an implies submission to that text?s ultimate authority (in the same way as Muslims) or that text?s implications for our understanding of the nature of God and how we approach and interact with him (in the same way as Muslims).
But what Mohler and others are essentially forgetting, I think, and what McDermott is missing, is how the presence of Jesus within the Christian fundamentally changes a Christian?s engagement and participation in another?s religious practice or cultural custom, for that matter. Here, I’m trying to channel the gospel-and-culture interaction principle taught by both Jesus and Paul, in the form of a question: What do we accept, what do we reject, and what do we transform ? like Jesus himself? With the emphasis, in this particular case, on transforming Ramadan fasting.
Anyway, perhaps we could view Ramadan fasting as a potential Jerusalem Council-esqe extension ? only in reverse, from Islam back to and through Jesus. The same New Testament questions and principles get applied. And here, mission workers in Islamic nations and communities ? not to mention Jesus-followers from a Muslim background like Mateen ? certainly have much insight to offer us Western Christians about how to think and to do understanding, relations and witness among Muslims.

I would like to see a post on the best books on Islam for Christians.