TruthBook Religious News Blog

August 21, 2009 |

Ramadan, as everyone knows, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a time to practice patience and modesty, pray extra and refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn until sunset.

...here in full is Obama's Ramadan message, as provided by the White House:

Please click on "external source" for the complete message

Labels: Muslims, Ramadan

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Friday, August 14, 2009

Religion 101: What is the Muslim month of Ramadan?

August 10
Priscilla Martinez

American Muslims will begin the annual Ramadan fast on Saturday, August 22. In keeping with the divine commandment in the Holy Qur'an,

"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed to those before you in order that you may attain God-consciousness" (2:183),

Muslims will refrain from all food and drink during daylight everyday for about a month. The Eid al-Fitr holiday ends the month of fasting.

Fasting is an instrument for gaining closeness to God and achieving purification of heart and mind. Muslims look forward to the coming of Ramadan with great longing for the spiritual, physical, and emotional benefits this special season brings.

Ramadan is also important for Muslims because it is the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims consider the Qur'an to be God's speech recorded in the Arabic language and transmitted to humanity through Muhammad, the last of the prophets. This tradition of God-chosen prophets or messengers includes such figures as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Muslims believe that over a period of twenty-three years, various verses and chapters of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel. The Qur'an is comprised of 114 chapters of varying length, with titles such as "Abraham," "The Pilgrimage," and "Mary."

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day. This means not consuming food or drink, including water, during the daylight hours. Muslims arise early in the morning during Ramadan to have a pre-dawn breakfast meal. They will then complete the fast at dusk by having a meal that usually includes dates, fresh fruits, appetizers, beverages and dinner.

Ramadan is also a month of heightened devotion. The five daily prayers are performed with greater intensity. The community gathers at the mosque nightly for extra prayers called taraweeah. During the last ten days of Ramadan, some families seclude themselves in the mosque for itikaf, a night spent performing even more prayers and reading the Qur’an. It is a spiritually intense period of reflection and devotion whose purpose is to seek guidance and ask for forgiveness.

There are many other important lessons learned during this month as well. In Ramadan, Muslims try to practice what's become known as "the five S's:"

Please click on "external source" to access the entire informative article.

Labels: devotion, Eid al-Fitr, fasting, Islam, Koran, Muslims, Priscilla Martinez, Ramadan

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Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Muslims combine worship, willpower as Ramadan begins

Tonight, minutes after sunset, Muslims around the world will begin searching the skyline for the new crescent moon. The sighting of that...

Mr. Aziz Junejo

Tonight, minutes after sunset, Muslims around the world will begin searching the skyline for the new crescent moon. The sighting of that sliver of light signals the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar and the month during which Muslims are required to fast as a form of worship.

Hearing the word "fast" may conjure thoughts of extreme hunger, weight loss or body detoxification, but across the ages, followers of the Abrahamic faiths have employed fasting as a form of discipline, following the examples of Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, all of whom fasted for God.

The month of Ramadan is sanctified by meticulous fasting from the pre-dawn to sunset. During daylight hours, Muslims abstain from all food and drink while controlling all desires. If one does this in complete devotion to God, we believe, her or his sins will all be forgiven.

When I was a child, preparation for Ramadan always came early, including the planning for special menus of healthy, traditional foods. "Foul Mudammas" made from fava beans with fresh-baked pita was a breakfast preference while Medjool dates and a variety of Mediterranean salads and soups were usually served for dinner. These were light menus, which allowed our bodies to better utilize reserves during the fast.

Days always felt longer during Ramadan. The delightful aromas of Mother's dinner preparation at the end of the day tested the limits of my willpower. I remember that my father was especially peaceful during this month, encouraging more reading of the Quran, saying extra prayers and, most important, storing the television for those 30 days.

This year, in an effort to increase my spirituality, I have decided I, too, will eliminate television for the entire month. I know TV serves many social purposes and helps some people relax, but turning it off for an extended time can be a way to reconnect with God, enjoy quality time with the children, or just eliminate the noise.

Each year, I look forward to the opportunities of Ramadan: getting in touch with my spirit and feeling at peace.

Television can bring us to tears, make us laugh, even inspire hate. Such a powerful medium must have some effect on spirituality. Without television, I anticipate being able to focus more on my spiritual self, creating a sacred retreat to awaken my heart with consciousness of God and all creation.

Fasting, I believe, not only strengthens willpower but improves eating habits, providing a sense of health and happiness.

I know the practice may be unpopular in a culture of instant gratification, a food channel and supersizing meals. You would think refusing food and drink all day would make one grumpy and irritable, but after a week of fasting I feel renewed, healthier and full of extra energy. At night, I fall asleep right away and wake recharged and alert.

Thinking about the effects on my body and mind, I recognize how much Ramadan has benefited me over the years, how much it has enhanced my self-discipline and faith. Knowing that fasting has always been a part of the Abrahamic traditions reassures me I have much in common with people of other faiths. As I practice prayer, reflection and am God conscious this month, I hope to experience the true spirit of Ramadan, the Muslim month of forgiveness.

Labels: Aziz Junejo, discipline, fasting, Islam, Ramadan, worship

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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Muslims Begin Ramadan Observance

By Amin Fekrat
Washington
13 September 2007

The month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar and the holiest month of Islam, has begun. Muslims the world over have embarked on a month of abstinence, reflection, and soul searching. VOA's Amin Fekrat reports from Washington.

Muslims once again started Ramadan under unique circumstances, this time beginning at almost the same time Americans were marking the six year anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks that were carried out in the name of Islam.

President Bush took the occasion to send greetings to Muslims observing Ramadan, saying the United States is enriched by its Muslim citizens. There are estimated to be about 6 million Muslims in the United States.

Imam Elahi, of the "House of Wisdom" in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, says he hopes the followers of other religions will listen to what the president said.

Elahi says the condemnation of the terrorists and terrorism is absolute and without reservation under the Koran and the sunnah, the deeds of the prophet of Islam as recorded and passed to successive Muslim generations.

Elahi says there is a spiritual dimension to Ramadan that is common among all the monotheistic religions, one that could become a more powerful source of strength and solidarity among all faiths. The imam says this bond may enable people to weather the storm of terrorism and the scourge of war. He says peace may not come through violence, but through the power of the human will to depend on God alone.

The Five Pillars of Islam

Fasting
Daily prayers
Alms giving
pilgrimage to Mecca, for those able
Acknowledgement of the oneness of God, with Mohammad as God's messenger

During Ramadan, adult Muslims begin a fast - avoiding food, drink, and sex during daylight hours. They see fasting as a way to cleanse the heart from sin, selfishness, greed, pride, impatience and hypocrisy. They believe fasting brings appreciation for one's life and sympathy for those who suffer. The Koran does not require travelers, nursing mothers, the sick and soldiers on the march to fast - but these people are expected to make up the days missed, as the opportunity arises.

Muslim leaders say the month is about experiencing a spiritual energy, which provides healing and harmony in the human family and creates a stronger personal discipline, a stronger community, and a stronger country.

The holy month of Ramadan starts when the sliver of the new moon is sighted, to the satisfaction of each community or country. This explains the the difference in the first day of fasting among various Islamic countries.

Muslims believe the Koran emphasizes reason, perpetual search for truth, careful observation, contemplation, and transcendence above worldly pursuits. In the process of religious search, Muslims are to find the "signs" and the "clarifiers" that lead to God, as the eternal truth and the source of all existence.

The religion-based Islamic quest became a foundation for scientific method. The discoveries made by early Islamic scholars advanced natural sciences, math, medicine and astronomy in the early centuries of the religion's expansion. Early Islamic scholars and scientists are also credited with preserving much of the classical knowledge of the ancient world.

Since then, ethnic, tribal and cultural differences have superseded the Islamic injunctions for perpetual search. Many modern Muslims are convinced the rise of genuine Islamic revivalism as a positive force may once again place their communities on the right path.

Many of today's Muslims are dismayed that their religion is tarnished by terrorism and violence. "Islam is a religion that teaches compassion," says Imam Elahi, "during Ramadan and throughout the year."

Labels: Amin Fekrat, God, Imam Elahi, Muslims, Ramadan, spirituality