The Glory of Ramadan

The Glory of Ramadan

Note: The statements on fasting may be exaggerated or misleading according to the latest scientific information.
Note: “sehr” and “aftar” are not English words, I was not certain how to interpret them or edit them.

Posted in Islamic Festivals on 28. Aug, 2009
Ramadan is by far the most special month of the year for Muslims throughout the world. The sacred scripture of Muslims, the Holy Quran, was revealed in Ramadan. Allah has prescribed fasting in this month for all Muslims. When one is fasting, one has to give up all of those things which are otherwise lawful for him –for example, food and sex as well as those which are unlawful, of course, like back biting, lying, stealing, hurting others, etc. I believe that Ramadan comes every year to give us a crash course on how to live like human beings. It helps us improve our mental, spiritual and physical well-being and shed the “burdens” we carry throughout the

year.It replenishes the soul and empowers us, once again boosting our sense of self-control and dignity.

Physical health: It’s no secret what miracles fasting can do for our bodies! It relieves a burden off our digestive system and boosts the vigor of each and every cell contained in our bodies. Ramadan trains us to refrain from gluttony, a common cause of many life-threatening diseases, and cleanses our body from harmful toxins resulting from overeating.
Mental & Spiritual health: Ramadan gives us peace of mind. It teaches compassion, empathy and humility. It makes us realize what its like to survive without food and water. In addition, we tend to become more conscious of other peoples’ problems and to count our blessings and show gratitude to Allah Almighty. Ramadan also has a festive feel to it. Muslims from all over the world become united in spirit. Life is too fast nowadays and members of a family seldom get a chance to sit down and eat together. Ramadan provides an excellent opportunity for everyone to eat together at sehr and aftar.
Thus, the blessings and bounties of Ramadan are innumerable. As Muslims, we all should try to take maximum advantage of them and amend ourselves for the better while we can!

Top 2 Religious Festivals of August

Top 2 Religious Festivals of August
Posted in Festivals in August on 22. Aug, 2009
The month of August is celebrated by many countries in the world with religious festivals and events. Since Christians and Muslims have the highest populations among religions of the world, the top two religious festivals of August are associated with them.

The name of the Ramadan Festival refers to the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. During this festival, Muslims across the world will fast during the daylight hours. This means they will have no food and no drink. The starting day of this festival depends on the time of the new moon’s appearance. This festival is a time of contemplation and worship for Muslims. It is also a time for them to strengthen their community and family ties. In addition, Muslims believe that throughout the duration of the festival, the “Jannat” or gates ofheaven are open while the “Jahanam” or gates of hell are closed.

The Lammas Day is a religious festival for Christians wherein the first wheats of the year are harvested. To celebrate this, houses are decorated with garlands and processions of people holding lit candles. This festival is one of the oldest medieval festivals and has pagan connections. In medieval times, the fist loaves from the harvest were considered as the strongest religious element and were brought to the church. This is where the term of “lammas” was derived referring to “loaf mass”. Many superstitions and rituals are associated with the Lammas Festival that are connected with the pagan origins.

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev on June 16

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev on June 16
Posted in Festivals in June, Religious Festivals, Sikh festivals on 15. Jun, 2009
The Sikhs around the world commemorate the martyrdom of their first martyr, the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev every year on June 16 since his death which took place in 1606 during the Mughal Era. According to Sikh Historians, prior to the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, Sikh had enjoyed peace and non-violence as their Gurus educated them in the worship of one God, showing compassion, love for humanity, dedication, hard work and a staunchness toward amity and harmony between every individual around the globe.
Guru Arjan existed during the time of the great Mughal Emperor Jahangir. During his guru-ship, he attracted and converted thousands of Hindus to Sikhism . Poor and illiterate Muslims were among those that became the followers of this Guru. They started to crowd in Govindwal, the hub of Sikhism during the late 16th Century. Sikhism flourished during the time of Emperor Akbar who was liberal regarding religious issues. He was the one who introduced ‘Deen-e-Islam’ a  blend of Hinduism and Islam intended to earn sympathies of Hindus and expand his Kingdom. In contrast, Emperor Jahangir was a hardcore Muslim who was not happy with the gatherings of Muslims at Govindwal. He felt there was a threat to Islam in the Sub Continent. Hence, Guru Arjan was tortured on the orders of the angst-ridden Jahangir and died on June 16.