Posts tagged "Ramadan"

A call to arms

by AFTAB-AHMAD on Aug 14, 2010 Flood, Islam, Muslims, Pakistan, Ramadhan • Comments Closed • Flood, Islam, Pakistan, Ramadan, Zakat

Aslamu alaikum

I would like to wish everyone a blessed Ramadan. As we enter this month, we are encouraged to keep the sufferings of the destitute and starved in mind. Since a good act is appreciated greatly by Allah, it is encouraged to give one’s Zakat in this month.

As I write this email, there has been a severe devastation in Pakistan. Due to the raging water of the floods many people have lost their lives, houses and livestock. The loss of the seasons’ crops is spelling the impending doom of a fast approaching famine. There have been cases of people who stood on the roofs of their houses and were drowned to death along with their small children and wives.

I have been able to find a very reliable person (Haroon Agha) in Pakistan to distribute this year’s Zakat. I would wish that everyone who gets this message pool something in by Ramadan 15^th so that the money can arrive promptly to those who deserve it. You are encouraged to give Zakat and Sadaqah. The money however will only be given to people who deserve Zakat with a preference to those who have been hard hit by the floods.

Please reply to this email or see me in person to contribute to this cause.

Hassan Mian.

Can a Christian learn from Ramadan?

by Abdurrahman on Aug 27, 2009 Islam, North America • Comments Closed • Christianity, Islam, Ramadan

Ramadan seen as ideal time to reflect on values shared by great Monotheistic religions, humanity.Â
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By Yvonne R. Davis

What can Christians learn from Muslims during Ramadan? Is there wisdom that can be obtained from the 30-day fast â€“ one of Islamâ€™s five Pillars?

Searching for articles, essays or thoughts written by Christians about Ramadan, I could not find any substantial writing from a Christian perspective on how Christians could receive a spiritual benefit from Ramadan. It seems to me, for Christians in the United States to embrace the practice of Ramadan and the rituals surrounding it perhaps may be seen as some form of heresy for acknowledging the beauty of such an observance or even attempting to do it for the same reasons Muslims do.

Nearly 2-billion Muslims around the world commenced Ramadan at sunset on August 21. At this time, the Ummah Wahida (One Community) is fasting â€“ there will be no eating, no drinking of any liquid and no sexual relations from sunrise to sundown. During the day a Muslim is supposed to not engage in the usual secularity of life in their speech and action. They are to continue to give prayer and supplications five times per day at the Mosque, in the home or where ever a Muslim believer is facing the East towards Mecca bowing to Allah in the most prostrate position. Work days in Muslim countries are shorter and families tend to stay together throughout the day. In the evening the Iftar (dinner) is served to break the swam (fast) â€“ all and all the focus at this time is still on Godly things.

A moment of sincere reflection for Muslims on the status of the poor and downtrodden; the sacrifice of level one of Abrahamâ€™s Maslowâ€™s hierarchy of needs is a reminder to followers to give to the least of these, be thankful to Allah for his blessings and to pray for all people in a most troubled world. The greatness of Ramadan is manifested by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH â€“ Peace Be Upon Him) when he revealed the Holy Quran, it testifies: â€œRamadan is the month in which was sent down the Quran as a guide to mankind …(2:185).â€ (more…)

Characteristics of a Pious Wife

by salman on Feb 28, 2011 Allah, Women • Comments Closed • Ramadan, wealth

Characteristics of a Pious Wife: (AHMAD)

A pious woman’s priority is to seek the pleasure of Allah. She tries acquiring the qualities of a good wife by following the examples of the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and obeying what is commanded in the Book of Allah. Complete obedience and adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and Quran is the best of a woman’s qualities.

Examples:
A woman is married for four reasons: for her wealth, for her fame, for her beauty and for her religion. So marry one for her religion and you will win. [Bukhari & Muslim] (more…)

During Ramadan, fasting isn’t for everyone

by Abdullah on Sep 18, 2009 Islam, Knowledge, Muslims, Ramadhan, World News • Comments Closed • Islam, Knowledge, Muslims, North America, Ramadan, world

Randy Swing gets a meal in Venice from Nanetta Okonkwo who has multiple sclerosis and doesn't fast. Muslims exempt from fasting for various reasons must decide whether to eat publicly and face questions about their actions.

When Aatif Sharieff was growing up in a Maryland suburb, none of the other kids in his elementary school knew about Ramadan.

Each year, as the Muslim month of fasting came around, Sharieff had to explain to fellow students why he couldn’t eat lunch with them or drink from the water fountain.

“Everybody would ask,” he recalls. “It became like a broken record, ‘I’m fasting, I’m spiritual.’ ”

These days, Sharieff finds himself explaining to Muslims and non-Muslims alike why he no longer observes the traditional dawn-to-dusk fast. The 27-year-old Virginia architect lets people know that severe acid reflux means that he cannot go long without food.

“There’s this expectation . . . that everyone is fasting, so you kind of feel like this anomaly,” he said. “The first question people ask is ‘How’s your fast going?’ ”

He has to tell them that it’s not.

Each year as Muslims across the world observe Ramadan, which ends this weekend, other members of the faith face the challenge and occasional awkwardness that comes with eating and drinking in public during daylight hours. Some explain their situation to friends and colleagues and eat openly; others take furtive sips of water or quick bites of food in stairwells, cars or even bathrooms.

“You should not eat in public. It’s not banned, it’s just emphasized that you should respect Ramadan,” said Muzammil Siddiqi, a director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, which rules on issues of Islamic law. “It’s not just an individual observance, it’s a community observance.”

In some predominantly Muslim countries, eating in public during Ramadan is illegal or so socially scorned that the decision for non-fasters is made for them. But in the United States and other countries with Muslim minorities, the choice can be more complicated. There are no rules banning public eating, but a rising cultural and global awareness means that more people — even non-Muslims — might ask, “Why aren’t you fasting?” (more…)

Fasting â€“ not feasting â€“ is the spirit of Islam

by Abdurrahman on Aug 29, 2009 Islam, Muslims • Comments Closed • Islam, Knowledge, Ramadan

aftar8 By Sawmeer Khan

As usual, with much anticipation, we welcome the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast, perform extended prayers and engage in charitable acts to thank Almighty Allah for his benevolence and countless bounties and to beseech Him for salvation of our souls.

However, contrary to the spirit of fasting, more attention is given to food preparation during this month. This defeats the very purpose of fasting. Ramadan fasting is not only an act of worship to purify the soul from malice and malevolence and feel the hunger of the deprived, but also an act that cleanses the body. This act of purification results in psychological and physiological equilibrium, restoring harmony to the body, mind, and soul. According to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), â€œFast and you will gain health.â€

Rather than an array of mouth-watering food fit for feasts, lighter meals such as salads, grains, legumes, or vegetable soups would be more appropriate for breaking fasts. We must put an end to eating this unhealthy food and resort to our healthier old customs of breaking fast — eating, and fasting in a manner befitting the true Islamic notion of Ramadan.

Fasting slows down the metabolism; regenerates energy, cells, and organs; detoxifies various body systems; and breaks down fat tissues, restoring health. Scientists believe that when the body finds no food supply, it feeds on waste that obstructs its functions. By consuming its own undesirable residue of degenerated (cancer) cells, harmful bacteria, cysts, lumps, skin pockets, and mineral-buildup in bones, joints, organs, and soft tissues, the body rejuvenates itself. During the process, the blood soaks in toxic compounds from the digestive tract and circulates them around the body for elimination.

This explains the resulting headaches and fatigue during the first few days of fasting. These are normal side-effects of detoxification. To relieve such debilitating after-effects and restore energy, we should drink lots of water, after iftar (breaking fast) until sahar (the meal before fast begins). We should maintain a high fluid intake, avoiding consumption of fried, syrupy disserts, and refined, processed, or fatty foods to benefit from the purge. We must resort to the practice of Prophet Muhammad who broke fast with dates and water, which our body needs more and more. Can we stop for a moment to listen to our body needs rather than impulses? (more…)

Fasting for the day, then sweetness fills the night

by Abdullah on Sep 8, 2009 Fadhaail, Islam, Muslims, North America • Comments Closed • Fadhaail, Islam, Muslims, North America, Ramadan

The pleasure comes both from prayer and from food and drink, as the faithful fulfill the month of Ramadan.

Thirteen hours had passed since sunrise, and that plate of dark, sweet dates, and those brimming water glasses, looked tempting indeed.

“I saw the stars,” a hopeful young girl in a head scarf told her friend as they waited for the sun to set.

But it was not until they heard the adhan, or call to evening prayer, at 7:34 that they and other worshipers at this West Philadelphia mosque reached for “breakfast” – their first food and drink of a long day.

“Yes, you may have a date,” a woman assured her young son Thursday evening. He scurried toward the table.

It was Day 14 of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims around the world abstain from food and drink during daylight hours, donate to the poor, and – above all – pray.

“If a person fulfills the obligation to fast and to pray five times a day, he is considered a pious Muslim,” explained Ali Ghazzawi, the imam at the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects’ mosque at 44th and Walnut Streets.

But to go beyond the core obligations during Ramadan brings “special merit,” said the Lebanese-born Ghazzawi, on hand that evening to participate in the special salah, or prayer, known as Tarawih. (more…)

Global: Ramadan Mubarak

by Abdullah on Aug 24, 2009 Islam • Comments Closed • America, Islam, Ramadan

By Global Voices Online

With the advent of Ramadan around the globe this weekend, Muslim and non-Muslim bloggers everywhere are wishing each other Ramadan mubarak (or â€œblessed Ramadanâ€). As is the case each year, bloggers have found a variety of topics to talk about, from the Qur’an to the difficulties of Ramadan, to the fast itself.

Ramadan Kareemâ€¦from the White House?

One popular topic amongst bloggers this year is U.S. President Obama’s Ramadan speech, in which he wished all Muslims a blessed Ramadan. Middle East Blog, whose author is Egyptian, appreciates Obama’s sentiment but wishes for a bit more:

Obama is a charming, charming talker. He peppers his words with Islamic references to both make Muslims feel that he understands them and their religion and is educating others about the faith as well. He highlights the most significant issues in the Muslim world â€“ the war in Iraq and the Israel/Palestine conflict. He even draws on fears that many Muslims have about how Swine flu may affect making Hajj (pilgrimage) this year.

Of course, I take all this in the way itâ€™s supposed to be taken. Obama is doing a brilliant job at trying to reach out to Muslims through words. However, I canâ€™t help but feel that speeches such as this one merely gloss over the lack of action that he promised us.

Egyptian chronicles has mixed feelings about the speech as well, but adds a fun fact:

Allah Akram* president Obama , another speech to the Muslim world , this time it is short yet with too many points : Iraq, Palestine , and the Muslim world. Nice short smart speech for sure.

By the way the most expensive â€œ LE 18â€and finest dates in Egypt is called Obama this Ramadan

Reading the Qur’an

Beyond fasting, Ramadan is a time for reading (or re-reading) the Qur’an. Special prayers for Qur’an recitation are held, with the intent of reading one thirtieth of the Qur’an each night for the entire month. Some bloggers are writing about the experience. (more…)

Impact of Naseehah in Ramadan: A Short Story

by Abdurrahman on Aug 31, 2009 Akhlaq, Islam, Muslims • Comments Closed • Akhlaaq, Islam, Ramadan

In this Month of mercy and barakah, it is not abnormal for peopleâ€™s hearts to be open to good. Among the khair to which their hearts are open are good words; good words of advice to a dear brother or sister. Many a time we would love to advise someone, but something holds us back. Most probably, it is fear of their reaction. In this blessed month, the hearts of the Believers are softened and are more willing to listen. Thus it is an opportunity for us all to try to increase our deeds in this area.

A story which really showed the impact of a sincere naseehah from one brother to another in this blessed month is that related by our Shaykh Muhammad al-Arefe, an outstanding daâ€™eeyah, mainly active in the Arab and Muslim world. I thought to share this beautiful story with you. (If you are interested and understand Arabic, you can listen to the entire lecture where he shared this story titled “Enni Saâ€™em” ["I am Fasting"]Â here). (more…)

Interfaith Solidarity During Ramadan

by Asad on Aug 31, 2009 Better life values, Islam, Knowledge • Comments Closed • Islam, Knowledge, Ramadan

Â Â Brian McLaren, the great Christian writer and activist, called me up a few weeks ago with a remarkable request: Would I be his fasting partner during Ramadan? He explained to me that there was a long-held Christian tradition of fasting, although it is not practiced much in contemporary Christian communities. Brian’s goal was to live more fully into that Christian tradition during Ramadan, while also feeling solidarity with Muslim communities.

There are a number of Christians Brian knows who are doing this. As he writes in his blog: “We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness. Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast. These friends welcome us in the same spirit of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.” (more…)

Muslims around the world end fast, usher in Eid

by Abdullah on Sep 21, 2009 Eid, Fadhaail, Family, Islam, Knowledge, Muslims, World News • Comments Closed • Eid, Fadhaail, fun, Islam, Muslims, Ramadan, world

Egyptian women perform the Eid al-Fitr dawn prayer at a stadium in Mansura, 120 km north of Cairo.

Muslims around the world woke up Sunday and welcomed the end of a long month of fasting with hearty greetings of “Eid Mubarak,” or happy festivities.

The faithful were ushering in Eid al-Fitr — three days of celebrations that Muslims mark with joyous community prayers, acts of charity, visits from far-flung relatives, gift-giving and elaborate feasts.

“Think Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s — all rolled into one. It’s that huge for us,” said Sajjad Aziz of Hoboken, New Jersey.

Islam follows a lunar calendar, and the timing of Eid al-Fitr varies around the world depending on when the crescent of a new moon is sighted.

So, while most countries — including the United States — observed Eid on Sunday, some will begin their celebrations on Monday.

The night before Eid, entire communities gather on rooftops, scanning the sky with giddy anticipation.

“It only needs one sighting of the moon in the whole country, and the whole nation erupts in cheers,” said Qazi Arif, 35, of Sirajgong, Bangladesh. “It’s a divine feeling, hard to describe.”

Eid al-Fitr bids goodbye to Ramadan — a month of dawn-to-dusk abstinence from food, drinks and other sensual pleasures. Muslims believe the Quran, the religion’s holy book, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan more than 1,400 years ago. (more…)

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