The holy month of Ramadan - appealed to Muslims

The month of blessing has arrived again. This is the month of happiness and loads of blessings and unlimited bounties for all the Muslims globally from our Almighty Allah. It is the advent of a month that is filled with immeasurable blessings; the thirty days which necessitate a Muslim to observe one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting. This month helps all the Muslims to abstain themselves from all the bad deeds and to develop good habits in them.

Life is full of challenges and we confront it on regular basis. But Islam has given us a true bounty of Ramadan to meet the challenges with courage and confidence. Where this blessed month brings a chance for all the Muslims to change their habits and to develop good deeds, it also brings a chance to ask for forgiveness.

According to Allah, the gates of Heaven are thrown open, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained in this month. Our Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said,

"When the first night of Ramadan comes, the devils and the rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of Hell are locked and not one of them is opened; the gates of Paradise are opened and not one of them is locked; and a crier calls, 'You who desire what is good, come forward, and you who desire evil, refrain.' Some are freed from Hell by Allah, and that happens every night." (Tirmidhi).

Another proposal of this month is the act of fasting, which was ordained during the second year of Hijrah. Fasting is obligatory for all the Muslims. Fasting develops the skills of self-restraint and self-control in an individual, as the person fasting does not only have to abstain from food and drink, but s/he must also refrain from many other things: backbiting, gossiping, bad deeds, using abusive language etc.

The Prophet said, "Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink" (Bukhari).

The observance of fasting during Ramadan constitutes one of the five pillars of Islam. The experience of fasting is intended to teach Muslims self-discipline and self-restraint, and understand a little of the plight of the less privileged (e.g., the hungry, thirsty and the poor). Furthermore, Ramadan fasting is not just about disciplining the body to refrain from eating and drinking from pre-dawn until sunset, but is also about exerting control over the mind. This involves restraining anger, doing good deeds, exercising personal discipline, and preparing one to serve as a good Muslim and a good person. Fasting during Ramadan is prescribed for every healthy, adult Muslim whereas the weak, the sick, children, travelers and menstruating women are among those exempted. Muslims observing the fast are required to abstain not only from eating food and drinking water, but also from consuming oral medicines and injecting intravenous nutritional fluids.

The aim of fasting is to get spiritual happiness besides material welfare and to explore a true sense of happiness within us. This month is a blessed month and gives us a message to be pious to to get closer to Allah.

In the Quran, Allah says:

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you that ye may ward off (evil) (2:183).

Fasting is an action, which, we are told, will act as a shield for us when we most need it.

Allah's Apostle said,

"Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins" (Bukhari).

Ramadan is the month, when all the Muslims should have to pay their yearly Zakat from whatever he/she has earned. Paying Zakat is obligatory in Islam and every one has to follow its procedure strictly. Care for the poor relatives, neighbors and other deprived people is also ordained upon the Muslims in the form of Zakat. A small portion of wealth, left accumulated in the previous year, is to be distributed among the deserving people, thus creating a sense of gratitude among the rich towards the Almighty and at the same time a sense of fulfillment among the under-privileged towards the Almighty, as well as a sense of brotherhood towards the giver of the charity.

Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

"There is Zakat applicable to everything, and the Zakat of the body is fasting" (Tirmidhi).

Fasting also fill in Muslims, the spirit of charity. Abstaining from food and drink gives a firsthand experience to the more privileged as to what the less fortunate may have to endure the year around. Hence, it encourages us to donate more to charity and to give out of the wealth to those who cannot afford the same luxuries that they do.

Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) said,

"He who gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast, or who equips a fighter, will have a reward equivalent to his" (Tirmidhi).

Fasting is pure worship. The fact that he is abstaining from food and drink both in public and in secret shows his honest faith and strong love of Allah, and his knowledge and feeling that Allah is all-knowing of everything. For this reason Allah has made the reward for fasting greater than for any other type of worship. Fasting promotes the passions for patience, humility and a sense of submission to the Creator. Additional prayers and recitation of the Holy Quran and the regular prayers is rewarded manifold. The chief merit of Fasting is that it is an act based upon pure love and devotion to Allah and there is not an iota of show and exhibition of one's piety in it. The act of fasting is completely hidden from the view of the people and this is a moral training for the next whole year.

Achieving Taqwa is one of the most important wisdom of fasting. Fasting brings on Taqwa as it lessens the desire of the stomach and mutes the sexual appetite. Whoever fasts frequently would overcome these two desires more easily. Strengthening willpower and acquiring patience.

We should fear Allah and obey His every Command throughout this month. Fasting is never done for any material or worldly gain. Fasting is done mainly for the spiritual upliftment. It develops "Taqwa" in Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) called Ramadan the month of patience as it increases one's will power to control his desire and the selfishness of his soul. This training allows him to be strong in following Allah's commands.

Yet another blessing of this month is that every good deed done in it, whether it be good to others or reciting the Quran, carries an extra weight of blessings

The Prophet said, "(Allah says about the fasting person),

'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times'" (Bukhari).

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Ameen, ameen, ameen." It was said, "Messenger of Allah, you climbed up on the minbar and said, "Ameen, ameen, ameen." He said, "Jibrael (peace be upon him), came to me and said, "Whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan and is not forgiven, so he enters Hell, may Allah cast him away. Say Ameen." So I said Ameen."

Another factor, which distinguishes Ramadan from other months, is the advent of the Night of Power or Lailat-ul-Qadr. The Night of Power is said to be the one in which Allah writes the decree of His creation. In verses three to five 5 of Surah Al-Qadr, God says:

"The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees. (That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn."

The month of Ramadan is a chance to make up for the time lost around the year in other work and revert to Allah, beg forgiveness for the sins done around the year, and finally, a chance to better the life waiting in the Hereafter. It offers every Muslim an opportunity to strengthen his Emaan, purify his heart and soul, and to remove the evil effects of the sins committed by him.

All those who have performed their spiritual duties towards the Creator and the created and have accomplished the mission ordained upon them in this month, have got every right to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, as a day of successful culmination, but of course, not before paying Fitra, a simple obligatory gesture of kindness towards the poor, to enable them to enjoy the holy day.

Children must be encouraged to start fasting at an early age to begin the regiment and instill desire.

Common Errors made during Ramadan

Excessive spending: Ramadan should be a time to avoid being wasteful, and learning to be prepared in facing harder times by distinguishing the needs from the luxuries. Unfortunately, many people go beyond their limits to spend during Ramadan, whether in the varieties of food that they savor each night, or by the other types of spending.

Staying awake during the night and sleeping during the day: Meditation for soul upliftment can be practiced in the month of Ramadan with determination. Some people sleep during most of the day when they are fasting or else engage themselves in activities. Ramadan is not a time of being lazy. In addition, some may spend a great portion of the night indulging in eating and drinking and socializing

Reading the Quran too fast: Some insist on finishing the whole Quran once or more, even if they have to read very fast. Although reading the Quran many times is desirable, this should not be done hastily, especially during the Tarawih prayer without pondering upon its meaning.

Eating too much: This month gives us a message to realize about the poor and needy people. Filling appetite more than required is not the mandate of Ramadan. There are few people who eat too much in the month of Ramadan. It is been observed that the people eat more in the month of Ramadan than in any other month. But Allah is only pleased with those, who eat less and charity more in this month.

There is no need to consume excess food at iftaar (the food eaten in the period immediately after sunset to break fast), dinner, or saheri (the light meal generally eaten about half an hour to one hour before dawn). The reasons for this are two-fold. First, and most importantly, such a lifestyle contradicts the principal aims and spirit of Ramadan. Over-eating can be seen as a reflection of weak discipline and irresponsibility. Secondly, the body has regulatory mechanisms that reduce the metabolic rate and ensure efficient utilization of body fat. Furthermore, most people assume a more sedentary lifestyle while fasting. The net result is that a balanced diet that consists of less than the normal amount of food intake is sufficient to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.

We must beg for Allah's forgiveness because we have broken so many of His rules and covenants and disobeyed His commands during the year.

Ramadan is meant for SPIRITUAL development through fasting. Physiologically, by fasting the body eliminates toxins efficiently and the mind becomes clear for "power thinking" so that one may ponder on the meaning of the Qur'an, Hadith and the necessity of Zikr. One must also do some self-analysis to monitor and correct one's behavior if necessary. With meditation, the mind becomes quiet and so should our tongues!

This is the month for renewing our commitment and re-establishing our relationship with our Creator. It is the spring season for goodness and virtues when righteousness blossoms throughout the Muslim communities. This month brings us a message to follow equality and brotherhood and to raise the positive image of Islam.

For all of us, who ever hurt any ones heart must seek forgiveness from that person, because it is a rule of nature that nothing is worst then hurting human and only asking for forgiveness from that person can heal the heart. According to our Holy Prophet, the only thing which has no forgiveness by Allah is to hurt human.

Therefore, It's my pray to Allah for all the Muslim brothers and sisters that may He gives us a true sense of understanding for our religion. May He show us the right path to follow. May Allah help us all to make every fast this Ramadan a shield in the Hereafter and an intercessor in the grave. May Allah guide us towards making this Ramadan a source for gathering numerous blessings and getting our major and minor sins forgiven. May Allah guide us on the right path and help us to understand the true essence of Islam and our aim of life. May Allah brings happiness and shower his blessings on us and may our wishes come true. Ameen.

Munir Moosa Sewani is one of the notorious, prominent and creative names in the field of Education since 10 years. He is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Post Graduate, Teacher Educator and a Teacher. He is a Freelance Writer and Photographer too. He is an author of the famous self-published storybook for children named as "The MORAL STORIES FOR CHILDREN" and has also written course book for Secondary Classes. He has written almost more than 80 articles on social, health, educational and cultural issues, which are internationally recognized, acclaimed and published on most of the famous world wide websites, magazines, newsletters and newspapers, particularly Khaleej Times and Dawn Newspaper.

Reflections on black history month

Black History Month should be of interest to every Muslim, especially in America. It is estimated that upwards to 20% of the Africans enslaved in the Americas were Muslim. [1] In some areas, such as the coast of the Carolinas, Georgia, and parts of Virginia, the percentages of Muslims in the slave population may have approached 40%. [2] The fact that the search of a random African American, Alex Haley, for his roots led him to a Muslim village in West Africa is indicative of the widespread Muslim presence among the enslaved population here in the Americas.

At this critical time in the history of our country, it is important for Muslims, whose legitimate existence in this country is being challenged in some quarters, to connect to our American Muslim roots. As Muslims, our story in this country did not begin with the coming of Syrians, Lebanese, Albanians, or Yemenis at the turn of the 20th Century and later. It began with the lives of those courageous African Muslim slaves whose blood, sweat, and tears were instrumental in building this country. Their struggle is our struggle, and our struggle should be viewed as a continuation of theirs.

In identifying with those African Muslims, we must not allow ourselves to forget that they were part of a greater community, a community which has evolved to almost fifty million African Americans. The struggle of that community, its pain, perseverance, triumphs, and defeats, cannot be separated from the struggle of its Muslim members. If we as Muslims are moved by the suffering of our coreligionists who were exposed to the dehumanizing cruelties of a vicious system, we should similarly be moved by the plight of their non-Muslim African brothers and sisters who suffered the same injustices.

We must also be moved to work with unwavering conviction to address, within the parameters of our organizational missions, the vestiges of institutional racism which continues to disproportionately affect African Americans and other racial minorities in this country. One statistic alone should be sufficient to alert us to the presence of such racism - 50% of this nation's 2.3 million incarcerated individuals come from her 12% African American population. Similarly discouraging statistics are found in areas ranging from access to higher education, teen pregnancies, high school dropout rates, youth homicides, and many other "quality of death" indicators.

African American Muslims have a particular responsibility in addressing such racism. In beginning to do so, we can take our lead from our formerly enslaved brothers. Despite their lack of freedom, many of them were never "owned." This fact is strikingly clear in their increasingly widespread biographies. Individuals such as Ayyub bin Sulayman (Job Ben Solomon), Ibrahim Abdul-Rahman, and Yarrow Mamout, to name a few, did not allow the ravages of chattel slavery to rob them of their dignity, honor, nor their human worth.

As we endeavor to address the imperfections of society, in race relations and other areas, we must do so with dignity, honor, grace, and with free and open minds. Those of us, who hail from the historically oppressed minority communities of this land, must resist the temptation to allow the triumvirate of rage, a sense of victimization, and vengeance to distort our ability to calmly assess and then pragmatically address the many issues confronting us. When such a distortion occurs, delusional thinking and irrational politics usually result.

One of the greatest delusions challenging us lies in seeing our situation as paralleling that of our brothers and sisters in foreign lands governed by repressive, authoritarian regimes. By viewing our situation as parallel to theirs we are tempted to view the paradigm of resistance which governs their struggles as valid for our situation. Such an assessment is fallacious for a number of reasons.

First of all, most of the significant "Third World" liberation struggles pitted oppressed majorities against oppressive minorities. In this country, the white majority and significant segments of the nonwhite minorities are not so severely affected by structural violence or institutional racism that they view violent or even aggressive challenges to the status quo as legitimate forms of political expression.

Secondly, alternative means of political expression, available in this country, are unavailable in most "third world" dictatorships or authoritarian regimes. Hence, the mechanisms whereby the Jews, by way of example, once a despised and demeaned minority, were able to favorably situate themselves within the system are not available in the previously referenced countries. Although some of their advancement was facilitated by their ability to benefit from their "whiteness," most of it is due to hard work and effective planning. Similarly, the progress achieved by African Americans in affirmative action, progress which has been steadily eroded, no doubt, could not have been hoped for by oppressed minorities in many other countries. Whether we view these realities as truly empowering or ultimately cooptive does not negate the fact that they do exist, and as long as they exist, they will be powerful mechanisms to damper the appeal and feasibility of radical challenges to the status quo.

Thirdly, while the feasibility of an aggressive, or even violent challenge to the status quo may be debatable in a small, minority-based, "third world" dictatorship, in a society as large, complex, diverse, and, ultimately, as politically conservative as the United States, such challenges would be used to legitimize severe repressive measures which would serve to render even milder forms of dissent less acceptable. While presented here in hypothetical terms, this is actually a recurrent lesson which American history has taught us.

The history of "third world" revolutionary change is no more encouraging. The Algerian experience is illustrative of the legacy of revolutionary violence in Africa. Frantz Fanon, in The Wretched of the Earth, his analysis of the Algerian decolonization struggle, saw decolonizing violence as a cathartic agent which would create a new liberated man. The sad reality created by that violence is documented by Fanon in the last chapter of his work. It led to a litany of mental disorders, which Fanon, a trained psychiatrist, documented all too well, wreaked lives which the leaders of the nationalist struggle were ill-prepared to repair. Furthermore, thirty years later, the heirs of the nationalist regime which the revolution brought to power would be all too willing participants in a bloodbath that would rival anything the former French colonizers had visited upon the Algerian people.

Archbishop Dom Helder Camara, has pointed out that once a spiral of violence begins, it operates on its own internal logic. Injustice leads to revolt. Revolt induces repression. Repression leads to greater injustices, which in turn encourage more radical forms of revolt. These then induce more severe forms of repression. This spiral continues, unbroken. The challenge for theologians in this age, when the potential destructiveness of war is so great it threatens the very existence of our world, is to devise strategies which can meaningfully enhance our collective wellbeing by peacefully altering the mechanisms of structural violence and institutionalized racism. Muslim theologians, if we are truly "Heirs of the Prophets," peace and blessings of God upon them, should not shy away from this challenge. However, in attempting to meet it, we must resist the temptation to resuscitate the failed strategies, stale ideas, and outdated methods of an ineffective "Third World" revolution.

On the other hand, we must not allow ourselves to be divorced from the struggles of the less fortunate members of the human family. In a not too distant past, when standards of political correctness were more closely associated with the truth and not selfish and narrow political agendas, John Kennedy said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." The great theologian Reinhold Niebubr declared, "In the social struggle we are either on the side of privilege or need." If these two white Americans, who were "privileged" in every sense of that somewhat trite expression, can advocate for the need to challenge oppressive social relations, it would be an unforgivable travesty for our voices to fall silent.

The question for us is, "How can we best address the oppressive mechanisms facing us, and those facing our co-religionists in so many redoubts scattered around the globe?" In answering this question, we can gain valuable insight from the lives and struggles of our African Muslim forebears. Superior erudition was the key to the liberation of Job Ben Solomon. Herein is a sign for us. As American Muslims we have been blessed to reside in the most intellectually dynamic society in history. Also, the primal command in our religion is to read. We should enthusiastically pursue the mandate created by these twin facts and push ourselves to become the most educated community on Earth -in religious and worldly knowledge. In so doing, the miracles which were so clearly manifested in the life of Job Ben Solomon will surely bless our lives.

The dignity, nobility, an erudition of Ibrahim 'Abd al-Rahman, qualities which earned him the epithet, "Prince," were instrumental in his liberation from of shackles of bondage. Our day is witnessing the steady degradation of our collective human dignity. We should be a community whose dignity and nobility readily impresses all who deal with us, and more importantly a community whose ethics are a reflection of the true value and depth of the prophetic teachings. Sadly, as Muslims, generally speaking, we have dishonored the prophetic legacy we been entrusted with. Our ethics oftentimes reflect a utilitarian approach to life. If something proves effective, and effectiveness for many of us is increasingly viewed in terms of money or security, let us find a way to provide it with religious sanction. Such an approach may ensure our short-term prosperity, but it will never open the hearts and minds of masses of people to Islam.

Our forefathers attracted people to Islam and conquered lands with the loftiness of their character and ethics. We oftentimes repulse dignified outsiders who come into our midst. At the height of American chattel slavery, Yarrow Mamout, an elderly Muslim who had gained his freedom, so impressed the artist Charles Wilson Peale with his dignity, nobility, and grace that the latter, who painted six portraits of George Washington, was inspired to paint Mamout. Who among us would inspire a similarly placed artist today?

It is not the purpose of these ruminations to suggest a specific program of empowerment. Power, as the Qur'an emphatically affirms, is God's to give to whomsoever He chooses.[3] However, a deep knowledge of God, self, and society will certainly yield insights conducive to conformity to the divine ways God has established to invite His empowering grace upon a particular community. Furthermore, history affirms that dignity, nobility of character and courage have been the indispensable characteristics of those who were able to take the oftentimes unpopular stands which helped to usher in fundamental change -by the Will of God.

In speaking of unpopular stands, we are not merely speaking of those which may place us in opposition to an unjust power structure, but similarly those which may place us in opposition to our race, tribe, class, or even member of our faith. Popularity has never been a condition for greatness. However, the acts of a great woman may certainly render her popular to those whose lives are bettered by her acts.

In conclusion, Islam is calling us to be bigger than what the world has made us. If the world has made us members of a "disadvantaged" race, class, ethnicity, or gender, the world wants us to be dehumanized by the ensuing rage, sense of victimization, and a quest for vengeance. The collective weight of those forces can easily lead to a dehumanizing loss of hope. For our African Muslim ancestors enslaved in this land, Islam was always a source of hope, dignity, and for many, as we have mentioned, the key to their liberation. For those who never escaped the shackles of physical bondage, Islam provided the basis for their rising above the dehumanization of the chattel system. In the words of Dr. Sylviane A. Diouf, "The African Muslims may have been, in the Americas, the slaves of Christian masters, but their minds were free. They were the servants of Allah."[4] As they were so too should we be.

[1] See Sylvianne A. Diouf, Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas (New York, London: New York University Press, 1998), p. 48.

[2] Diouf, p. 47.

[3] See Al-Qur'an 3:26-27.

[4] Diouf, 210.

This article is excerpted from Imam Zaid's book, Scattered Pictures: Reflections of an American Muslim.

http://www.newislamicdirections.com/nid/notes/reflections_on_black_history_month/

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Telephone: 510.387.2604 / 1.866.496.8598

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Imam Zaid Shakir was born in Berkeley, California and accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and earned a BA in International Relations at the American University in Washington, D.C. and an MA in Political Science from Rutgers University. While overseas in Egypt, Syria, and Morocco, he studied Arabic and traditional Islamic sciences including Islamic law, Qur'an, and Islamic spirituality. He co-founded Masjid Al-Islam in Connecticut and taught Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University. He has written numerous articles for various magazines, journals, newspapers, and author of the groundbreaking books "Heirs of the Prophets" and "Scattered Pictures". Imam Zaid Shakir currently teaches full-time at the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, California as a scholar- in - residence.

In the spirit of the great scholars of the past, the Imam embodies the rationality, spirituality and breadth of traditional knowledge, as well as cutting-edge academic intellect. Imam Shakir leaves a lasting impression; his ability to move hearts and minds enlightens all walks of life.

For interviews or press/media kit: info@zaidshakir.com

Ramadan, the holy month of Islam

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this blessed month around the word Muslims refrain from food, drink and other physical needs in the light of the day. Muslims believe that their time to purify the soul, focus attention on the sacrifice of God and practice.

Ramadan is the month of re-evaluation in which Muslims reassessing his life according to the Islamic orientation. It is the time to strengthen ties with family and friends and to clean the mind body and soul to lead a peaceful life. The Arabic word "Sawm" (fasting) which literally means "refrain" - which means not only abstain from food and drink, but of evil deeds, thoughts and words.

Ramadan is the time to clean the body and soul of all the impurities and redirect their attention to himself and to God. During Ramadan every part of the body must be restricted to achieve purity. The language must be restricted of murmur and gossip you unwanted. Eyes should not look illegal things and hand should not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. Ears should not hear about inactive and obscene words. So, every part of the body notes the Sawm to achieve purity.

Fasting is obligatory on every Muslim and everyday life in Ramadan at the break of dawn starts and ends at sunset. The following exceptions are allowed as Alá does not want to put difficulties:

1. the loco;
2 Small children who are not adolescent;
3. the elderly and chronically ill for whom fasting is impossible;
pregnant 4 may postpone the fasting at a later stage;
5. travelers can also delay his fasting.
6. also prohibited for women during the period of menstruation and fasting should be done later.

Tips to make a special Ramadan:

1 Keep in touch at least once a week with your family, friends or with all their loved ones and share three things related to Ramadan you've done in the last ten days of Ramadan. Also don't forget to send postcards of Ramadan to all your friends and loved ones.
2. Help your friends or relatives if they are facing any problem in her life, maintain a heart open to others. Don't miss any small opportunities to obtain blessings.
3 Decorate their space with balloons, banners and placards of Ramadan and improve the environment.
4. Select at least five goals to pursue this Ramadan. Try to curb their bad habit and start a good thing, this will help you to change for the better. It takes 21 days to establish a good habit. With Ramadan, we have 30. Why not make the best of it by picking up the good?
Ramadan is a time for contemplation, spirituality and brotherhood, unites all Muslims in fasting, feasting, worship and prayer. . Establish the Ramadan mood and turn it into a special.

Jeff Young is an author who writes about events, relationship, love, friendship and other topics rotate on what it means to human beings. Visit to know more about postcards of Ramadan