The country is counting days to celebrate a great family holiday called "Thanksgiving". A holiday celebrated in both Canada and America, it was officially declared as a public holiday in the United States in 1941. Ever since every fourth Thursday of November has been celebrated as a day of prayer, service, reflection and gratitude.
Although, local Muslims also celebrate this holiday by gathering with friends and families and having joyous feasts in the “American” way but it is interesting that Islam does not prescribe a specific time to show gratitude or to be charitable as stated in the Quran:
“If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favors on you.”(Quran 14:8)
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Muslims are encouraged to be thankful all year long, every single day of their lives. Starting for the time when a Muslim wakes up till he goes to bed, different prayers have been prescribed as a reminder to be thankful to the one who has created the whole universe and who is capable of bestowing blessings on His creatures.
It is also important to note that Islam like many other faiths also demands its followers to take action and show gratitude to God by helping his creations, all those who are week, poor or in need of help. It also prescribes to its followers to give charity in different forms (some obligatory and others not) to take care of the needy since as the Prophet of Islam once stated, “One who is not grateful to others is not grateful to God”.
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One unique quality of the Thanksgiving holiday is that it unites people from all races, cultures and religions. With so much diversity around us, it only makes sense to promote harmony and peace by having events that promote interfaith dialogue and understanding. One such local effort is the “Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service” being held at the Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta for the past eight years. The award winning multicultural, multi-faith event brings local faith communities together for a day of service as a pre-Thanksgiving celebration.
This year’s event is scheduled for November 21 at 7p.m. at 1415 Old Canton Road. The program comprises of worship traditions, readings and songs from eight faiths including the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (GA Chapter), East Cobb United Methodist, Sikh Educational Welfare Association, Temple Kol Emeth and Vedanta Center of Atlanta to name a few.
A canned food drive will also be held and attendees are encouraged to bring donations of canned goods to assist MUST ministries. A collection plate will also be passed for “Give a Gobble” effort by “Women of Reform Judaism” that provide Thanksgiving turkeys for the needy families in Atlanta.
