JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas - Ramadan will be observed from May 6 to June 3, during which Joint Base San Antonio chapels will be offering additional Islamic worship services.
Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is considered a time to practice self-restraint and obedience in the Islamic faith.
Although most commonly associated with fasting, Ramadan is more broadly interpreted as the obligation to refrain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. Some benefits of fasting are to achieve spiritual resilience, provide for the poor and help the needy. Reading the Quran, charitable contributions and performing night prayers are highly recommended during Ramadan.
Currently, a weekly Islamic worship service is held every Friday at noon at the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston's AMEDD Regimental Chapel and 1:30 p.m. at JBSA-Lackland’s Interfaith Chapel. Additional Islamic worship services will be offered for Ramadan at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Lackland.
“These worship services will allow Muslim Airmen to practice their faith and strive to become spiritually resilient as they develop a sense of purpose in life and mission,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Tamer Sayedahmed, 502nd Air Base Wing imam. “As chaplains, we are here to strengthen the spiritual readiness of our Airmen and help them become spiritually fit and ready to accomplish the mission.”
The additional services for Ramadan are as follows:
Interfaith Chapel, building 7452, JBSA-Lackland
· Monday – Sunday: 8:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
AMEDD Regimental Chapel, building 1398, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
· Saturday: 8:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
The end of the Ramadan is celebrated with Eid al-Fitr, the “Feast of Fast Breaking,” which is one of the two major religious holidays of the Muslim calendar. It will be observed June 4 at 9 a.m. at the Interfaith Chapel.