Ya Ali Madad - Asalamualaykum!
Ramadan is tommorow, inshallah it will be great, I hope to keep the whole month. I also wish success to all brothers and sisters who are hoping to fast aswell.
May the Imam bless us.
Ramadan
Ramadan?
Ya Ali Madad
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I hate it!!!
I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I hate it!!!I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
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zubair_mahamood
- Posts: 238
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:12 pm
- Contact:
Ramadan?
I think it’s not compulsory to Fast during Ramadan for Ismailies and it’s also not prohibited to fast during Ramadan. I am fasting…baqi wrote:Ya Ali Madad
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
Don’t know why your marriage with a Sunni girl forces u to fast…. I have many friends married to sunnies and they don’t fast or follow Islam…
Just search in forum you will find discussion on this topic
Zubair Mahamood
The topic comes back every year. Maybe it would be a good place to start reading all the posts exchanged last years.
Here is an extract from a FARMAN: [Usul e Din, published many time, I am reading from Bulleting published by Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Kenya in July 1972
The Farman was made by MOwlana Sultan Muhammad Shah in Dar es Salaam, 1899
"What is the difference between the Haqiqat and the Shariat? They are two different things altogether. One prefers the Book, the fast, the prayer; the other yearns for freedom. The two are world apart; they shall NEVER come together. How can the ignorant one ever be happy? He cannot grasp the Haqiqat; he does not want the Haqiqat....
Those who are steeped in the Shariat will never respond to My Farmans.
When I depart physically from you, you should not think that the Imam has left. Think of Hazar Imam as ever-present.. I am forever with you.
Here is an extract from a FARMAN: [Usul e Din, published many time, I am reading from Bulleting published by Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Kenya in July 1972
The Farman was made by MOwlana Sultan Muhammad Shah in Dar es Salaam, 1899
"What is the difference between the Haqiqat and the Shariat? They are two different things altogether. One prefers the Book, the fast, the prayer; the other yearns for freedom. The two are world apart; they shall NEVER come together. How can the ignorant one ever be happy? He cannot grasp the Haqiqat; he does not want the Haqiqat....
Those who are steeped in the Shariat will never respond to My Farmans.
When I depart physically from you, you should not think that the Imam has left. Think of Hazar Imam as ever-present.. I am forever with you.
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aminamirali
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Its not like that almost all of my ismili friends and me do physical fast as well and i havent read any farman of MHI where is has prohibited the physical one but instead he has emphasized more on the spiritual one but it doesnot make sense that its not mandatory. If not the physical one is mandatory then why do we offer beej.
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star_munir
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Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) used to face the people and say: "O ye people, when the crescent of the month of Ramadhan shines, all devils will be chained, the doors of heaven will open, while the doors of hell will be closed; prayers will be answered... Then with the advent of the month of Shawwal , the believers will be told to count their rewards... These rewards, I swear by God, could not be compared with material rewards of money".
Yes, all these blessings are awarded by the blessing of the Holy Quran in the month of Ramadhan. But it is man who unties the devils by committing sins. It is he who opens the gates of Hell which Allah has closed.
The Prince of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S) said: "I asked Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) what are the best deeds in the month of Ramadhan, and he (saw) answered: "The best deeds are to deter oneself from doing what Allah made unlawful" and he (saw) cried: I asked him what he was crying for and he explained:
"I am crying about what is going to happen to you in this month. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked: "Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion"
To this Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) answered: "Yes it would, but who ever kills you will be killing me, and who hates you hates me, and who offends you is offending me. You are to me, in the same position as myself. Your soul is my soul, and your body is my body."
Yes, all these blessings are awarded by the blessing of the Holy Quran in the month of Ramadhan. But it is man who unties the devils by committing sins. It is he who opens the gates of Hell which Allah has closed.
The Prince of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S) said: "I asked Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) what are the best deeds in the month of Ramadhan, and he (saw) answered: "The best deeds are to deter oneself from doing what Allah made unlawful" and he (saw) cried: I asked him what he was crying for and he explained:
"I am crying about what is going to happen to you in this month. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked: "Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion"
To this Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) answered: "Yes it would, but who ever kills you will be killing me, and who hates you hates me, and who offends you is offending me. You are to me, in the same position as myself. Your soul is my soul, and your body is my body."
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star_munir
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There had been good discussion on this topic previously. There is topic " The Concept of Eid in Ismailism" in current issues section you may go there.aminamirali wrote:Its not like that almost all of my ismili friends and me do physical fast as well and i havent read any farman of MHI where is has prohibited the physical one but instead he has emphasized more on the spiritual one but it doesnot make sense that its not mandatory. If not the physical one is mandatory then why do we offer beej.
Star_munir:he (saw) cried: I asked him what he was crying for and he explained:
"I am crying about what is going to happen to you in this month. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked: "Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion"
Please explain me this above line, I didnt get this.
When the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword?
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star_munir
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Imam Ali (A.S.) said: "The bravest are those who gain victory over the false deity of their souls." (Safinatul-Bihar; vol.1, P.689).
Imam Ali (A.S.) asked the Prophet on the last Friday of the month of Shaaban : "What is the best thing to do in Ramadan?" The Prophet answered: "The best thing is to avoid committing sins." (Yun al-Akhbar ar-Ridha, vol.1).
Imam Ali (A.S.) asked the Prophet on the last Friday of the month of Shaaban : "What is the best thing to do in Ramadan?" The Prophet answered: "The best thing is to avoid committing sins." (Yun al-Akhbar ar-Ridha, vol.1).
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zubair_mahamood
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- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:12 pm
- Contact:
Re: Ramadan?
I feel that your explanation questions the faith of billions of Muslim fasting in the holy month… on one hand you say “I don’t want to spoil my mind….” But I feel u mean to say v r right they are wrong…. Just tell me how can Prophet Muhammad explain fast wrong? How can Muslim fast in this month be wrong? I disagree with u....vasanji wrote:Well Brother, I give you some intelligence, and dispassionate information of the situation in the US.zubair_mahamood wrote:I think it’s not compulsory to Fast during Ramadan for Ismailies and it’s also not prohibited to fast during Ramadan. I am fasting…baqi wrote:Ya Ali Madad
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
Don’t know why your marriage with a Sunni girl forces u to fast…. I have many friends married to sunnies and they don’t fast or follow Islam…
Just search in forum you will find discussion on this topic
Zubair Mahamood
If you have good health, and you fast, you only do yourself a favor. If you dont fast, you will be punished by your sins and not for your sins.
If you have bad health, then it is not compulsory. Perhaps, you may do some other exercise, or activity to PREPARE yourself to fast. I would say that logically and spiritually, it seems to me, that it would be acceptable to the almighty, as far as my reasoning guides me.
Now, I must say that services in Mosque are, say an Isha prayer, quite physically good exercise. The very full sajida sends blood up and down your system, and food up and down your intestines. Your health and digestion will improve. The fact that the mosques are far more and generally short distance from your home gives you more bang for the buck.
On the other hand, the Ahle Sunna are immersed in their particularisms. Majority of theirs are or appear to be undisciplined. They fall on food like
hungrily. I am giving hints. I dont want to spoil my mind by giving harsh
and too particular statements. The social manners are not very refined.
Look at the taraweeh prayers, 2x10 rakat and then 3 more witr.
So if you fast, you over-stress your system to find advance warnings
of health problems. you build resistance. I go to mosque and see all
the regular praying people like old but healthy bulls. I prefer this to
the exercise in gym since it really build endurance and good mentality.
But Jamat Khana is for deeper spiritual elevation. But you must also know
the meaning of various rituals. It is for building good habits. Discipline.
There are many benefits to those who can see, but I refrain from stating.
I prefer to drop hints as rationalizing and even stating is to end the thought and I prefer my thinking to be unlimited in pursuit of all it can potentially understand, as well as the right to refine (correct) my opinions.
So you can get the best out of both of them if you keep your eye on your
spiritual profit ... remember, mind, body and spirit are all interconnected.
I cant generalize but there are both pious Ismailis and non-Ismaili muslims as well as on the other end. Very hard to formulate a rule ... so difficult to correctly read people's mind.
I think we have right to say I m correct but not that they are wrong…
Ramadan at Starbucks: How companies can profit by respecting religious diversity
Eboo Patel
Tue, June 15, 2021, 5:00 AM
“Thank God for Texas barbecue,” I said as I pulled into the parking lot. I lead an organization that works with colleges on matters related to religious diversity, and I was heading to Baylor University to give a keynote on interfaith cooperation. A friend had told me about a barbecue joint near its southeastern Texas campus, and I went over to eat before my speech.
But I started to reconsider as soon as I walked inside. Fox News was blaring from a television with a story about Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, and about a dozen white guys wearing overalls stared at me, a brown-skinned man, as I walked in.
At the food counter, the items were not labeled very well. I’m Muslim, and I don’t eat pork.
Living in Chicago, I usually tell servers about my religious restrictions. But feeling suspicious eyes on me, I decided that announcing my minority faith was not wise. So I went item by item, asking for ingredients. Now, I was holding up the line.
Then something happened. The server said, warmly: “Here are the four things you can eat.” She piled my plate with food that didn’t include pork.
I don’t know whether she knew I was Muslim, but she knew I was something different. And thanks to her hospitality, I got barbecue, her restaurant got $11.99 and she got a $10 tip.
It was a successful business transaction, which happened only because she was sensitive to my religious identity.
I think about this story a lot when I think about religion’s place in corporate America. In recent months, businesses have increasingly paid attention to racial and gender diversity. But religious diversity is still largely an afterthought – even though religious intolerance and faith-based hate crimes surged during the Trump presidency and show few signs of going away.
One 2020 analysis of Fortune 100 companies by the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation found that religion receives less attention than all other major identity categories, including race/ethnicity, women/gender and sexual orientation. And more than half of those companies make no mention of religion or faith on their diversity homepages.
Corporations are uniquely positioned to help curb religious intolerance because they can provide employees with the tools to navigate diversity, and accommodating religious differences among staff can also boost morale and retention.
Businesses also can tap into new markets by creating services that cater to the desires of different religious groups, boosting their bottom lines.
Nike executive saw Muslim women's need
Consider the case of Martha Moore, a vice president at Nike. When she went to the beach, she often noticed that Muslim women did not go in the water. Those who did wore swimsuits that looked heavy and uncomfortable. As a designer, she saw an opportunity. Why not figure out how to make swimwear for the hundreds of millions of Muslim women who want to go to swim in attire that adheres to the modesty standards of their religion, and is comfortable? She and her team at Nike went to work and designed precisely that. The swimwear line launched in late 2019, enabling Nike to access new customers clamoring for modest swimwear.
Nike isn’t alone. Last year in Malaysia, Starbucks recognized that because of the pandemic, many people could not visit family for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset. So the company created Ramadan Bazaar-inspired treats to make people feel at home.
Netflix, meanwhile, has churned out content that highlights different aspects of diverse religions such as an animated show about Hindu deities called “Ghee Happy.” Marvel recently cast its first on-screen Muslim superhero. And dating apps for people of different faiths have been around for a while – from Christian Mingle to JDate.
Internally, companies also are leading the charge to accommodate religious diversity. Tyson Foods has about 100 chaplains available to provide pastoral care to team members and their families, regardless of specific religious beliefs. Intel offers several employee resource groups dedicated to different faiths – including Christians, Jews, Muslims and, notably, agnostics and atheists.
Internal policies that encourage tolerance also help avoid public criticism and costly lawsuits. For example, in 2019, a Christian dishwasher at Conrad Miami Hotel won a $21.5 million lawsuit because the company didn’t accommodate her religious schedule. And in 2015, Abercrombie & Fitch lost a lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court because it refused to hire a prospective employee who wore a headscarf due to her religion.
There’s reason to believe that more companies will devote attention to faith going forward. For example, I recently spoke with Starbucks staff about religious diversity. After the talk, a manager said the discussion prompted her to think about her Muslim friends fasting during Ramadan, and how Starbucks could adjust their hours to open for them in the early morning.
This is promising, but there’s a long way to go. The United States is a religiously diverse country. It’s also a country rife with religious intolerance.
Corporate America can be a part of the solution – or it can sit on the sidelines and allow the problem to fester. The choice should be a simple one.
Eboo Patel is founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core.
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ra ... 37656.html
Eboo Patel is an Ismaili from Mumbai residing in Chicago.
Eboo Patel
Tue, June 15, 2021, 5:00 AM
“Thank God for Texas barbecue,” I said as I pulled into the parking lot. I lead an organization that works with colleges on matters related to religious diversity, and I was heading to Baylor University to give a keynote on interfaith cooperation. A friend had told me about a barbecue joint near its southeastern Texas campus, and I went over to eat before my speech.
But I started to reconsider as soon as I walked inside. Fox News was blaring from a television with a story about Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, and about a dozen white guys wearing overalls stared at me, a brown-skinned man, as I walked in.
At the food counter, the items were not labeled very well. I’m Muslim, and I don’t eat pork.
Living in Chicago, I usually tell servers about my religious restrictions. But feeling suspicious eyes on me, I decided that announcing my minority faith was not wise. So I went item by item, asking for ingredients. Now, I was holding up the line.
Then something happened. The server said, warmly: “Here are the four things you can eat.” She piled my plate with food that didn’t include pork.
I don’t know whether she knew I was Muslim, but she knew I was something different. And thanks to her hospitality, I got barbecue, her restaurant got $11.99 and she got a $10 tip.
It was a successful business transaction, which happened only because she was sensitive to my religious identity.
I think about this story a lot when I think about religion’s place in corporate America. In recent months, businesses have increasingly paid attention to racial and gender diversity. But religious diversity is still largely an afterthought – even though religious intolerance and faith-based hate crimes surged during the Trump presidency and show few signs of going away.
One 2020 analysis of Fortune 100 companies by the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation found that religion receives less attention than all other major identity categories, including race/ethnicity, women/gender and sexual orientation. And more than half of those companies make no mention of religion or faith on their diversity homepages.
Corporations are uniquely positioned to help curb religious intolerance because they can provide employees with the tools to navigate diversity, and accommodating religious differences among staff can also boost morale and retention.
Businesses also can tap into new markets by creating services that cater to the desires of different religious groups, boosting their bottom lines.
Nike executive saw Muslim women's need
Consider the case of Martha Moore, a vice president at Nike. When she went to the beach, she often noticed that Muslim women did not go in the water. Those who did wore swimsuits that looked heavy and uncomfortable. As a designer, she saw an opportunity. Why not figure out how to make swimwear for the hundreds of millions of Muslim women who want to go to swim in attire that adheres to the modesty standards of their religion, and is comfortable? She and her team at Nike went to work and designed precisely that. The swimwear line launched in late 2019, enabling Nike to access new customers clamoring for modest swimwear.
Nike isn’t alone. Last year in Malaysia, Starbucks recognized that because of the pandemic, many people could not visit family for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset. So the company created Ramadan Bazaar-inspired treats to make people feel at home.
Netflix, meanwhile, has churned out content that highlights different aspects of diverse religions such as an animated show about Hindu deities called “Ghee Happy.” Marvel recently cast its first on-screen Muslim superhero. And dating apps for people of different faiths have been around for a while – from Christian Mingle to JDate.
Internally, companies also are leading the charge to accommodate religious diversity. Tyson Foods has about 100 chaplains available to provide pastoral care to team members and their families, regardless of specific religious beliefs. Intel offers several employee resource groups dedicated to different faiths – including Christians, Jews, Muslims and, notably, agnostics and atheists.
Internal policies that encourage tolerance also help avoid public criticism and costly lawsuits. For example, in 2019, a Christian dishwasher at Conrad Miami Hotel won a $21.5 million lawsuit because the company didn’t accommodate her religious schedule. And in 2015, Abercrombie & Fitch lost a lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court because it refused to hire a prospective employee who wore a headscarf due to her religion.
There’s reason to believe that more companies will devote attention to faith going forward. For example, I recently spoke with Starbucks staff about religious diversity. After the talk, a manager said the discussion prompted her to think about her Muslim friends fasting during Ramadan, and how Starbucks could adjust their hours to open for them in the early morning.
This is promising, but there’s a long way to go. The United States is a religiously diverse country. It’s also a country rife with religious intolerance.
Corporate America can be a part of the solution – or it can sit on the sidelines and allow the problem to fester. The choice should be a simple one.
Eboo Patel is founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core.
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ra ... 37656.html
Eboo Patel is an Ismaili from Mumbai residing in Chicago.
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mahebubchatur
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:01 pm
Ismaili Historical Overview
Ismaili Muslims - historical overview and, do Ismailis fast physically - abstain from Food & What is the Ismaili theology - Talim & Tawil of Ramadan & Fasting
https://the.ismaili/ramadan
https://ismailignosis.com/2016/06/03/ra ... -overview/
https://ask.ismailignosis.com/article/1 ... ng-ramadan
#Ramadan #Ramadan2022 #ramadankareem #AgaKhan
https://the.ismaili/ramadan
https://ismailignosis.com/2016/06/03/ra ... -overview/
https://ask.ismailignosis.com/article/1 ... ng-ramadan
#Ramadan #Ramadan2022 #ramadankareem #AgaKhan
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mahebubchatur
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:01 pm
The Ismaili India on Ramadan
“In Muslim tradition, Ramadan is a time of heightened commitment to piety and purification through special observances such as fasting, the performance of good deeds – including charitable giving and voluntary service – and through personal sacrifices of material comforts. These observances can lead to spiritual fulfilment and a sense of renewal”
Read more by clicking the link below:
https://the.ismaili/ramadan
#Ismaili #Ramadan #Ramadan2022 #RamadanMubarak #Muslim #Islam #AgaKhan
Read more by clicking the link below:
https://the.ismaili/ramadan
#Ismaili #Ramadan #Ramadan2022 #RamadanMubarak #Muslim #Islam #AgaKhan
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mahebubchatur
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:01 pm
What Imam Ali said in a Farman -Tawil Talim
What Hazrat Imam Ali said of Ramadan
“I am the meaning of Ramadan; I am Laylat al-Qadr mentioned in the Mother of the Book. My utterance is decisive, for I am Surah al-Hamd. I am the purpose of prayer itself, whether at home or when travelling. I am the purpose of fasting, and the sacred anniversaries in the months of the year.” – Hazrat Imām ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, (Khuṭbah al-Iftikhār)
Ramadan - on Wikipedia - link below
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
#Ramadan #Ramadan2022 #ramadankareem
#AgaKhan #Ismaili
“I am the meaning of Ramadan; I am Laylat al-Qadr mentioned in the Mother of the Book. My utterance is decisive, for I am Surah al-Hamd. I am the purpose of prayer itself, whether at home or when travelling. I am the purpose of fasting, and the sacred anniversaries in the months of the year.” – Hazrat Imām ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, (Khuṭbah al-Iftikhār)
Ramadan - on Wikipedia - link below
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
#Ramadan #Ramadan2022 #ramadankareem
#AgaKhan #Ismaili
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mahebubchatur
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:01 pm
Fasting - Types Tawil
Das roja batuni kahiye -* with taawil of Imam Mustansir Billah II (s a.s). – in (Pandiyāt-i Jawānmardī, transl. Ivanow, 37 - (whatever I could find
)
*Awal roja seer ka kahiye* - _fasting of the head -_ The fast of the head means to treat one’s own head with the same humility as the feet of other people, casting out from one’s head the lust for superiority, greatness and pride, because greatness and superiority are only suitable to the all-great substance of the Truth (Ḥaqq), who is eternal, and the King of the Authority _& ablution of the head is to accept Imam’s farman;_
*Duja roja chasam daari -* _2nd fast is of the eyes -_ The fasting of the eye is that he must not cast covetous looks at women who are not lawful to him & _Ablution of the eye is to see the didar of the Imam"_
*Trija roja naak no vaari -* _3rd fast is of the nose_
*Chotha roja mukh ku dije* - _4th fast is of the mouth_ Fasting of the mouth means to only consume from that of which _maal-e-waajbaat (dasond)_ has been given
*Paanchma roja jabaan ka kije* - _5th fast is that of the tongue_ - The fasting of the tongue is to avoid is to avoid uttering abuse or slander & the tongue must be kept from uttering lies. There is no greater lie than the denial of (the existence of) the Imam, saying that he has disappeared. - _Ablution of the tongue is to keep it always in the remembrance of the Imam;_ must be kept from uttering lies. And there is no greater lie than the denial of (the existence of) the Imam, saying that he has disappeared.
*Chataa roja kaan na kahiye* - _6th fast is of the ears -_ The fasting of the ear is that he should abstain from listening to slander - _Ablution of the ear is to hear the words of the Imam;_
*Saatma roja dilna kahiye-* _7th fast is of the heart -_ The fasting of the heart is to keep it free from doubt
*Aathma roja nafas ka jaano* - _”Nafas” control of 5 senses (the biggest battle /challenge) is call NAFAS-a-Amara. know that the 8th fast. (In ginan used word PACH INDRE-O)
*Nomaa roja haath pichhaano* - _recognize the 9th fast is that of the hands -_ The fasting of the hand is to _keep all one’s limbs away from treachery_ so that they may not do evil - Ablution of the hand is to give bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to the Imam of the time;
*Dasma roja paaun ka dharie* - _the 10th fast is that of the feet_ - The fasting of his feet is to hold back from wrong steps - _Ablution of the foot is to walk on the path of the Imam and according to the farman;_
Thus, a mu’min (believer) should keep all his thoughts mind body good intent Niyat & being in a state of fasting
)*Awal roja seer ka kahiye* - _fasting of the head -_ The fast of the head means to treat one’s own head with the same humility as the feet of other people, casting out from one’s head the lust for superiority, greatness and pride, because greatness and superiority are only suitable to the all-great substance of the Truth (Ḥaqq), who is eternal, and the King of the Authority _& ablution of the head is to accept Imam’s farman;_
*Duja roja chasam daari -* _2nd fast is of the eyes -_ The fasting of the eye is that he must not cast covetous looks at women who are not lawful to him & _Ablution of the eye is to see the didar of the Imam"_
*Trija roja naak no vaari -* _3rd fast is of the nose_
*Chotha roja mukh ku dije* - _4th fast is of the mouth_ Fasting of the mouth means to only consume from that of which _maal-e-waajbaat (dasond)_ has been given
*Paanchma roja jabaan ka kije* - _5th fast is that of the tongue_ - The fasting of the tongue is to avoid is to avoid uttering abuse or slander & the tongue must be kept from uttering lies. There is no greater lie than the denial of (the existence of) the Imam, saying that he has disappeared. - _Ablution of the tongue is to keep it always in the remembrance of the Imam;_ must be kept from uttering lies. And there is no greater lie than the denial of (the existence of) the Imam, saying that he has disappeared.
*Chataa roja kaan na kahiye* - _6th fast is of the ears -_ The fasting of the ear is that he should abstain from listening to slander - _Ablution of the ear is to hear the words of the Imam;_
*Saatma roja dilna kahiye-* _7th fast is of the heart -_ The fasting of the heart is to keep it free from doubt
*Aathma roja nafas ka jaano* - _”Nafas” control of 5 senses (the biggest battle /challenge) is call NAFAS-a-Amara. know that the 8th fast. (In ginan used word PACH INDRE-O)
*Nomaa roja haath pichhaano* - _recognize the 9th fast is that of the hands -_ The fasting of the hand is to _keep all one’s limbs away from treachery_ so that they may not do evil - Ablution of the hand is to give bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to the Imam of the time;
*Dasma roja paaun ka dharie* - _the 10th fast is that of the feet_ - The fasting of his feet is to hold back from wrong steps - _Ablution of the foot is to walk on the path of the Imam and according to the farman;_
Thus, a mu’min (believer) should keep all his thoughts mind body good intent Niyat & being in a state of fasting
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mahebubchatur
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:01 pm
Re: Ramadan
"Ramadan" (Cover) - H Ahmed
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyjX3oCtxII
H Ahmed presents a cover version of Maher Zain's popular song "Ramadan".
Maher Zain is a Lebanese-Swedish singer, songwriter and music producer. He released his debut album "Thank You Allah", an internationally successful album produced by Awakening Records, in 2009. He released his follow-up album "Forgive Me" in April 2012 under the same production company, and a third album "One" in 2016.
H Ahmed has composed and sung this version of "Ramadan. Ismail Afeef took care of video production.
JollyGul is presenting this Arabic song, produced in Bangladesh, with lyrics as well as English and Bengali translations display for our growing Bengali-speaking audience. Bengali, spoken by over 300 million people, is the sixth most spoken language by total number of speakers in the world.
---------------------
Ramadan
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyjX3oCtxII
H Ahmed presents a cover version of Maher Zain's popular song "Ramadan".
Maher Zain is a Lebanese-Swedish singer, songwriter and music producer. He released his debut album "Thank You Allah", an internationally successful album produced by Awakening Records, in 2009. He released his follow-up album "Forgive Me" in April 2012 under the same production company, and a third album "One" in 2016.
H Ahmed has composed and sung this version of "Ramadan. Ismail Afeef took care of video production.
JollyGul is presenting this Arabic song, produced in Bangladesh, with lyrics as well as English and Bengali translations display for our growing Bengali-speaking audience. Bengali, spoken by over 300 million people, is the sixth most spoken language by total number of speakers in the world.
---------------------
Ramadan
-
mahebubchatur
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:01 pm
Imam Gharib Mirza Farman on Fasting
“The whole year you must fast, just as the exoterists (Zahiriyan) fast one month. The meaning of this fast is austerity.
Control Yourselves, and keep yourselves away from bad qualities, evil and indecent actions, & devilish acts, So that the mirror of your hearts may be gradually polished”
(Mawlana Shah Gharib Mirza - 33rd Ismaili Imam)
pandiyat i Jawanmardi tr Ivanow 37
Control Yourselves, and keep yourselves away from bad qualities, evil and indecent actions, & devilish acts, So that the mirror of your hearts may be gradually polished”
(Mawlana Shah Gharib Mirza - 33rd Ismaili Imam)
pandiyat i Jawanmardi tr Ivanow 37
Re: Ramadan
The Farmans mentioned in PINDIYAT officially are sayings of Imam Mustansirbillah and not Imam Shah Gharib Mirza?mahebubchatur wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:21 pm “The whole year you must fast, just as the exoterists (Zahiriyan) fast one month. The meaning of this fast is austerity.
Control Yourselves, and keep yourselves away from bad qualities, evil and indecent actions, & devilish acts, So that the mirror of your hearts may be gradually polished”
(Mawlana Shah Gharib Mirza - 33rd Ismaili Imam)
pandiyat i Jawanmardi tr Ivanow 37
Re: Fasting - Types Tawil
Let me quote a FARMAN of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah regarding ROZA (fasting).mahebubchatur wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:54 am Das roja batuni kahiye -* with taawil of Imam Mustansir Billah II (s a.s). – in (Pandiyāt-i Jawānmardī, transl. Ivanow, 37 - (whatever I could find
*Awal roja seer ka kahiye* - _fasting of the head -_ The fast of the head means to treat one’s own head with the same humility as the feet of other people, casting out from one’s head the lust for superiority, greatness and pride, because greatness and superiority are only suitable to the all-great substance of the Truth (Ḥaqq), who is eternal, and the King of the Authority _& ablution of the head is to accept Imam’s farman;_
*Duja roja chasam daari -* _2nd fast is of the eyes -_ The fasting of the eye is that he must not cast covetous looks at women who are not lawful to him & _Ablution of the eye is to see the didar of the Imam"........
HAQIQATI MOMIN NOT ONLY FAST IN THE MONTH OF RAMADHAN, BUT HE HAS TO FAST 360 DAYS..... (Kalam e Imam e Mubin in Gujrati)
“HAKIKATI MOMAN FAKAT RAMZAN MAHINAMA(N)J ROJA RAKHTA NATHI, TEO NE TOU 360 DIVAS HAMESHA ROJA HOY CHHE. ( means a person who fasts in the month of Ramadhan should always continue moral values and Ibadat around year which he/she acquired in the month of fasting).
Let me elaborate 2 points regarding this Farman:
1. Imam used the words "NOT ONLY", means a Momin should not only FAST in month of Ramadhan but for him/her has to abide 360 days FASTING.
2. In my opinion 360 days fasting are meant BATINI ROZA. Means a Momin should follow the discipline, Ibadat, and moral values established during month of Ramadhan should continue round the year.
Re: Ramadan
Wrong translation, this has already been discussed on the Forum, please do not restart useless discussion.
It is "Not only fast" but is id "fast not only" it makes a world of difference.
It is "Not only fast" but is id "fast not only" it makes a world of difference.
Re: Ramadan
Reuters Videos
A Syrian spends Ramadan in her car for others
Mon, April 18, 2022, 3:59 PM
STORY: This woman is spending the holy month of Ramadan mostly in her car
Hiba Zein is a student and a volunteer
She's been collecting Iftar meals from charity and delivering them to those in need
HIBA ZEIN, VOLUNTEER: "When you see people who are in need, you should not abandon them especially during Ramadan. People usually crave a variety of food during Ramadan, imagine the situation of those who do not have food? I wish we remember those who are in need and offer them food. Even if your neighbor is in need, you can offer them at least a meal a day."
As fuel and transportation prices increase in Syria
many families living in rural areas can't afford the transport to get to charities
ZEIN: "The main idea of the initiative is to collect meals already cooked at houses and deliver them to people who are in need. Afterwards, people started providing me with different kinds of items, I was not only distributing meals. On the first day of Ramadan, I delivered only three meals. Now on the fifteenth day of Ramadan, I deliver meals to more than thirty families."
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/sy ... 42936.html
A Syrian spends Ramadan in her car for others
Mon, April 18, 2022, 3:59 PM
STORY: This woman is spending the holy month of Ramadan mostly in her car
Hiba Zein is a student and a volunteer
She's been collecting Iftar meals from charity and delivering them to those in need
HIBA ZEIN, VOLUNTEER: "When you see people who are in need, you should not abandon them especially during Ramadan. People usually crave a variety of food during Ramadan, imagine the situation of those who do not have food? I wish we remember those who are in need and offer them food. Even if your neighbor is in need, you can offer them at least a meal a day."
As fuel and transportation prices increase in Syria
many families living in rural areas can't afford the transport to get to charities
ZEIN: "The main idea of the initiative is to collect meals already cooked at houses and deliver them to people who are in need. Afterwards, people started providing me with different kinds of items, I was not only distributing meals. On the first day of Ramadan, I delivered only three meals. Now on the fifteenth day of Ramadan, I deliver meals to more than thirty families."
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/sy ... 42936.html
Why Ramadan Generates Millions in Charitable Giving Every Year
During the Muslim holy month, there is a strong focus on helping others.
During the month of Ramadan, the group Muslims Giving Back offers a mobile soup kitchen in Herald Square every night at 11 p.m.Credit...James Estrin/The New York Times
Muhammad Harby fasts from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Then, after he breaks his fast, he heads from Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan every day for a late night appointment with hundreds of homeless New Yorkers who rely on him and other Muslim volunteers for a hot meal.
They pass out chicken and rice, vegetables and fresh fruit from a food truck run by Muslims Giving Back, a charity based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, whose activities — and coffers — swell during Ramadan, when Islamic teachings urge Muslims to donate to charity and do good works for the neediest around them.
For Mr. Harby, a kung fu teacher who came to the United States in 1995, there is no better place to celebrate Ramadan than New York.
“Believe it or not, I love Ramadan in New York City more than Egypt,” he said. “Back home, I would be so much with my friends and family, being invited here and there, and not focusing on worship and things like that. Here it is easy to focus on prayer and helping people.”
Prayer and helping people are theologically central to Islam. While non-Muslims may best know Ramadan as a month of fasting, it is also a time of year that sees a surge in charitable giving, both in New York and around the world.
In New York, millions of dollars change hands each Ramadan. The city is home to almost 800,000 Muslims, making up nine percent of its population and 22 percent of the total Muslim population of the United States, according to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, which studies American Muslims.
The faith is based on the Five Pillars of Islam, a collection of foundational beliefs and practices that include a belief in God and his final prophet, Mohamed; prayer; fasting during Ramadan; making the pilgrimage to Mecca; and charitable giving, or zakat.
Islam calls on Muslims to set aside 2.5 percent of their accumulated wealth each year for zakat, said Khalid Latif, the executive director of the Islamic Center at New York University. It is based on a religious understanding that a person’s good fortune depends upon, and is owed to, the community around them.
Doing good deeds or giving zakat during Ramadan is considered especially holy, particularly during the month’s final 10 days, when Muslims believe God revealed the text of the Quran to the prophet Mohamed.
Muslim New Yorkers donated more than $608 million to charity in 2016, with Muslim households on average donating 33 percent more than non-Muslim households in the United States, according to a 2018 report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
“Muslims are taught that our wealth is a test: we may be stewards of that wealth but it belongs to God, and we are being tested as to how responsible and ethical we are,” said Dalia Mogahed, the research director for the institute.
Ismail Ocasio, the executive director of Muslims Giving Back, said his group draws in between 50 and 75 percent of its annual operating budget of $200,000 during the four weeks of Ramadan.
Sign up for the New York Today Newsletter Each morning, get the latest on New York businesses, arts, sports, dining, style and more. Get it sent to your inbox.
“For us, it’s the same thing as praying in the mosque,” he said. “You have to pray in the mosque and you have to find a way to give back.”
During the holy month, which concludes this year on May 1, the group feeds 250 people in Brooklyn each day, then drives its mobile soup kitchen to Herald Square to feed roughly 150 homeless people at 11 p.m. Muslims Giving Back also holds events like blood drives throughout the year. Since it was founded in 2012, it has expanded its operations to Dallas and Houston.
“Ramadan is like a marathon,” said Mr. Ocasio. “We start the month with no way to pay for all of this, but the community always comes together to sponsor us so we can go out and feed the people.”
“For us, it’s the same thing as praying in the mosque,” he said. “You have to pray in the mosque and you have to find a way to give back.”
During the holy month, which concludes this year on May 1, the group feeds 250 people in Brooklyn each day, then drives its mobile soup kitchen to Herald Square to feed roughly 150 homeless people at 11 p.m. Muslims Giving Back also holds events like blood drives throughout the year. Since it was founded in 2012, it has expanded its operations to Dallas and Houston.
“Ramadan is like a marathon,” said Mr. Ocasio. “We start the month with no way to pay for all of this, but the community always comes together to sponsor us so we can go out and feed the people.”
Other groups across New York experience a similar Ramadan boon. Last year, the Islamic Center at New York University raised $2.5 million that was distributed in small grants to needy New Yorkers of all faiths, Mr. Latif said.
This year, it has raised over $600,000 in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.
“Ramadan wants to instill in people a different sense of awareness and consciousness,” said Mr. Latif. “How we are all connected to each other, and how we all depend on each other. Your relationship to others in the community is heavily stressed in Islam.”
The Zakat Fund of New York City is an organization founded in 2019 to collect and distribute charitable donations to needy families and groups in the New York area, said Nadia Khan, a board member who reviews applications for assistance. She said donors and applicants both hear about the fund through word of mouth.
The Zakat Fund has raised an estimated $2.5 million in the last three years from roughly 25,000 donors and distributed it to 1,600 families in need across the city, said Nazar Khan, a board member.
It has also donated more than $200,000 to local organizations, including the Bronx Defenders, the Violence Intervention Program, and the Food Bank for NYC. Their desire to keep their assistance local is based on Islamic teaching that “you should try to give zakat by hand,” said Mr. Khan.
“We are under no illusion that a $1,500 check can solve every problem that exists,” he said. “But the idea is that zakat is the minimum obligation you have and once you start to give you can determine what else needs to be done for your community.”
Not all good deeds come in the form of a check.
Mohamed Jabed Uddin, standing, at the Al-Amin Mosque in Astoria, Queens, which offers free meals in its basement every night. Credit...James Estrin/The New York Times
At Al Amin Mosque in Astoria, Queens, the nightly sunset meal, called iftar, is provided free to anyone who wants it. Members take turns paying for the nightly feast, which is served in the mosque basement to as many as 100 people on weeknights and over 200 on weekends.
“I will always help people who need food and security because I have struggled with that in my life,” said Mohamed Jabed Uddin, the general secretary of the Astoria Welfare Society, as he scooped biryani onto plastic plates in the mosque basement while volunteering at a recent iftar.
His desire to help the poor is driven by his memories of washing dishes at a Greek restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, after he moved to the United States alone at age 14. “When I remembered the ’80s and ’90s, tears come to my eyes.”
Back in Herald Square, Taiyyab Zaman passed out dinner close to midnight on a recent Friday with his two children, Jannah, 5, and Musa, 3.
On weeknights, he travels in from Edison, N.J., to drive the food truck to Herald Square. But sometimes he brings his children because “I want them to grow up knowing what service is.”
“Some people can give a lot of money in Ramadan, some people can give a lot of time,” said Mr. Zaman. “I can’t really give a lot of either. But you just try to understand what you can do well, and then you do that.”
Liam Stack is a religion correspondent on the Metro desk, covering New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He was previously a political reporter based in New York and a Middle East correspondent based in Cairo. @liamstack
Muslim New Yorkers are a diverse community whose members have roots in dozens of countries and range from white collar professionals to low-wage laborers. Many share little beside their religion, which is the city’s third largest, after Christianity and Judaism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/29/nyre ... iversified
During the month of Ramadan, the group Muslims Giving Back offers a mobile soup kitchen in Herald Square every night at 11 p.m.Credit...James Estrin/The New York Times
Muhammad Harby fasts from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Then, after he breaks his fast, he heads from Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan every day for a late night appointment with hundreds of homeless New Yorkers who rely on him and other Muslim volunteers for a hot meal.
They pass out chicken and rice, vegetables and fresh fruit from a food truck run by Muslims Giving Back, a charity based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, whose activities — and coffers — swell during Ramadan, when Islamic teachings urge Muslims to donate to charity and do good works for the neediest around them.
For Mr. Harby, a kung fu teacher who came to the United States in 1995, there is no better place to celebrate Ramadan than New York.
“Believe it or not, I love Ramadan in New York City more than Egypt,” he said. “Back home, I would be so much with my friends and family, being invited here and there, and not focusing on worship and things like that. Here it is easy to focus on prayer and helping people.”
Prayer and helping people are theologically central to Islam. While non-Muslims may best know Ramadan as a month of fasting, it is also a time of year that sees a surge in charitable giving, both in New York and around the world.
In New York, millions of dollars change hands each Ramadan. The city is home to almost 800,000 Muslims, making up nine percent of its population and 22 percent of the total Muslim population of the United States, according to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, which studies American Muslims.
The faith is based on the Five Pillars of Islam, a collection of foundational beliefs and practices that include a belief in God and his final prophet, Mohamed; prayer; fasting during Ramadan; making the pilgrimage to Mecca; and charitable giving, or zakat.
Islam calls on Muslims to set aside 2.5 percent of their accumulated wealth each year for zakat, said Khalid Latif, the executive director of the Islamic Center at New York University. It is based on a religious understanding that a person’s good fortune depends upon, and is owed to, the community around them.
Doing good deeds or giving zakat during Ramadan is considered especially holy, particularly during the month’s final 10 days, when Muslims believe God revealed the text of the Quran to the prophet Mohamed.
Muslim New Yorkers donated more than $608 million to charity in 2016, with Muslim households on average donating 33 percent more than non-Muslim households in the United States, according to a 2018 report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
“Muslims are taught that our wealth is a test: we may be stewards of that wealth but it belongs to God, and we are being tested as to how responsible and ethical we are,” said Dalia Mogahed, the research director for the institute.
Ismail Ocasio, the executive director of Muslims Giving Back, said his group draws in between 50 and 75 percent of its annual operating budget of $200,000 during the four weeks of Ramadan.
Sign up for the New York Today Newsletter Each morning, get the latest on New York businesses, arts, sports, dining, style and more. Get it sent to your inbox.
“For us, it’s the same thing as praying in the mosque,” he said. “You have to pray in the mosque and you have to find a way to give back.”
During the holy month, which concludes this year on May 1, the group feeds 250 people in Brooklyn each day, then drives its mobile soup kitchen to Herald Square to feed roughly 150 homeless people at 11 p.m. Muslims Giving Back also holds events like blood drives throughout the year. Since it was founded in 2012, it has expanded its operations to Dallas and Houston.
“Ramadan is like a marathon,” said Mr. Ocasio. “We start the month with no way to pay for all of this, but the community always comes together to sponsor us so we can go out and feed the people.”
“For us, it’s the same thing as praying in the mosque,” he said. “You have to pray in the mosque and you have to find a way to give back.”
During the holy month, which concludes this year on May 1, the group feeds 250 people in Brooklyn each day, then drives its mobile soup kitchen to Herald Square to feed roughly 150 homeless people at 11 p.m. Muslims Giving Back also holds events like blood drives throughout the year. Since it was founded in 2012, it has expanded its operations to Dallas and Houston.
“Ramadan is like a marathon,” said Mr. Ocasio. “We start the month with no way to pay for all of this, but the community always comes together to sponsor us so we can go out and feed the people.”
Other groups across New York experience a similar Ramadan boon. Last year, the Islamic Center at New York University raised $2.5 million that was distributed in small grants to needy New Yorkers of all faiths, Mr. Latif said.
This year, it has raised over $600,000 in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.
“Ramadan wants to instill in people a different sense of awareness and consciousness,” said Mr. Latif. “How we are all connected to each other, and how we all depend on each other. Your relationship to others in the community is heavily stressed in Islam.”
The Zakat Fund of New York City is an organization founded in 2019 to collect and distribute charitable donations to needy families and groups in the New York area, said Nadia Khan, a board member who reviews applications for assistance. She said donors and applicants both hear about the fund through word of mouth.
The Zakat Fund has raised an estimated $2.5 million in the last three years from roughly 25,000 donors and distributed it to 1,600 families in need across the city, said Nazar Khan, a board member.
It has also donated more than $200,000 to local organizations, including the Bronx Defenders, the Violence Intervention Program, and the Food Bank for NYC. Their desire to keep their assistance local is based on Islamic teaching that “you should try to give zakat by hand,” said Mr. Khan.
“We are under no illusion that a $1,500 check can solve every problem that exists,” he said. “But the idea is that zakat is the minimum obligation you have and once you start to give you can determine what else needs to be done for your community.”
Not all good deeds come in the form of a check.
Mohamed Jabed Uddin, standing, at the Al-Amin Mosque in Astoria, Queens, which offers free meals in its basement every night. Credit...James Estrin/The New York Times
At Al Amin Mosque in Astoria, Queens, the nightly sunset meal, called iftar, is provided free to anyone who wants it. Members take turns paying for the nightly feast, which is served in the mosque basement to as many as 100 people on weeknights and over 200 on weekends.
“I will always help people who need food and security because I have struggled with that in my life,” said Mohamed Jabed Uddin, the general secretary of the Astoria Welfare Society, as he scooped biryani onto plastic plates in the mosque basement while volunteering at a recent iftar.
His desire to help the poor is driven by his memories of washing dishes at a Greek restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, after he moved to the United States alone at age 14. “When I remembered the ’80s and ’90s, tears come to my eyes.”
Back in Herald Square, Taiyyab Zaman passed out dinner close to midnight on a recent Friday with his two children, Jannah, 5, and Musa, 3.
On weeknights, he travels in from Edison, N.J., to drive the food truck to Herald Square. But sometimes he brings his children because “I want them to grow up knowing what service is.”
“Some people can give a lot of money in Ramadan, some people can give a lot of time,” said Mr. Zaman. “I can’t really give a lot of either. But you just try to understand what you can do well, and then you do that.”
Liam Stack is a religion correspondent on the Metro desk, covering New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He was previously a political reporter based in New York and a Middle East correspondent based in Cairo. @liamstack
Muslim New Yorkers are a diverse community whose members have roots in dozens of countries and range from white collar professionals to low-wage laborers. Many share little beside their religion, which is the city’s third largest, after Christianity and Judaism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/29/nyre ... iversified
Re: Ramadan
Here's What You Should Know About Ramadan and How it is Celebrated
Jamie Ballard
Each year, Muslims around the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. Many people know that fasting is a common practice during Ramadan, but there are a number of other traditions associated with the holiday that are less well known.
Hina Khan-Mukhtar, a teacher and writer who is on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Community Center East Bay in northern California, says that Ramadan is a joyous time.
“The Islamic centers and mosques are very full of life and full of light during that time,” Khan-Mukhtar tells Woman's Day. “It’s as if you can imagine Christmas being celebrated every night for a month. The community comes together, people bring food to share, even children love going to the mosque at night. It's a time of community and gathering.”
Here’s what you should know about Ramadan, from its history to how it’s celebrated today.
What does Ramadan celebrate?
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, worship, and prayer. It celebrates the creation of the Quran, which is the holy book for people who practice the Islamic faith. Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad received revelations directly from God, which were documented and collected in what eventually became the holy book. A passage in the Quran explains, “The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong.”
Khan-Mukhtar says that Ramadan is also celebrated as a time for a clean start.
“What I would love for people to know is that Ramadan is a time of hope and renewal and trying to have a fresh start,” she explains. “It’s really a time of rejuvenation, where it’s like ‘I'm going to go through this month and I'm really going to turn to God, and ask for forgiveness and ask for blessings,’ and then you come out of it with a lot of hope for starting all over again on a good foot.”
When is Ramadan celebrated?
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which means that the beginning of each new month starts on the new moon. Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, but because of the lunar cycle, the specific dates for Ramadan vary year to year.
This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday, April 12th, 2021 and conclude on Tuesday, May 11th.
Why do people fast during Ramadan?
During Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims fast during daylight hours. As part of the fast, they abstain from all food and drink, as well as sexual activity. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the core beliefs and practices that define the religion.
In an piece about Ramadan written for Vox, Muslim writer Jennifer Williams explained, “The practice of fasting serves several spiritual and social purposes: to remind you of your human frailty and your dependence on God for sustenance, to show you what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty so you feel compassion for (and a duty to help) the poor and needy, and to reduce the distractions in life so you can more clearly focus on your relationship with God.”
Khan-Mukhtar also explained that while there are lots of reasons for Muslims to abstain from food and drink during Ramadan, ultimately the main reason to fast is because they are commanded to do so in the Quran.
Do all Muslims during Ramadan?
According to an article written by community health sciences educator Sara Elnakib for Eat Right, certain groups are exempt from fasting during Ramadan. These groups include children who have not reached puberty, the elderly, those who are physically or mentally incapable of fasting, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and people who are traveling.
Besides fasting, what are some of the other ways people celebrate Ramadan?
Khan-Mukhtar says that in addition to fasting, Ramadan is also a time for reflection. “It's a time for being really mindful about how we talk to people, what kind of language we use, what we're absorbing, even with our eyes — like what kinds of things we're looking at or watching. We're seeing how it affects our heart.”
Besides fasting and being mindful, there are some other special Ramadan traditions.
Kahn-Mukhtar explained that one special tradition is “moonsighting.” Since the timing of Ramadan is determined by when the new moon appears in the ninth lunar month, the spotting of that new moon is significant. “It's often a tradition that people go out to scenic vista points to try and look for the moon, and then when the new moon is sighted, it's super exciting," Kahn-Mukhtar says. "When it’s sighted, then you know that it is Ramadan and we get to start fasting tomorrow. It's a good way to connect with the heavens and with nature, it's a good way to get outside.”
In the evening, Muslims will break their fast with a date (the fruit) and water. Traditionally, people also gather at mosques and Islamic centers in the evenings for prayer and worship, though things are understandably different during the pandemic.
What should I do to be respectful of my Muslim friends and coworkers during Ramadan?
“A good way to support is just having a very positive mindset about Ramadan, being excited for people, and saying things like, ‘How is your Ramadan going?’” Kahn-Mukhtar explains.
Keeping a positive mindset can also mean questioning your own assumptions. She says that as a parent, a misunderstanding she encounters often is that people assume the children must dislike fasting — which she says isn’t really the case. “That idea is actually completely the opposite of the truth. Fasting is seen as a right of passage. A lot of kids are very, very eager to start fasting.”
Although it’s not expected that non-Muslims fast during Ramadan, Kahn-Mukhtar also says that she’s had experiences where someone decided to fast with her in solidarity. “It's really heartwarming to see someone is wanting to experience what you're experiencing.”
Lastly, if you’re at an event like a work party and you know you have Muslim coworkers who are fasting, it would be a thoughtful gesture to prepare a plate for them and cover it so that they can take it home and eat it when they break their fast that evening.
Has COVID-19 changed anything about how people are celebrating Ramadan?
Last year’s Ramadan took place from April to May 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. “This last Ramadan was very disorienting for a lot of us,” Khan-Mukhtar says. “It is a very communal thing, to share food with the poor, to share food with our neighbors, to share food with our loved ones, relatives, friends, community members. That's a big part of Ramadan.”
She explained that like with many things during the pandemic, Ramadan worship was done via Zoom. Many mosques would open for the imam (worship leader), and that person would go in and pray by himself out loud, and it was live-streamed so people could watch and participate via Zoom.
“I know many who said it's actually kind of a beautiful experience, because Ramadan in the evenings used to be pretty hectic,” Khan-Mukhtar notes. “Usually, we would break our fast together at home and then eat dinner and then quickly rush to go to the local mosque or Islamic center to join the rest of the community. So there were a lot of moving parts, but now, it was all at home so it was a slower pace. Some of us actually enjoyed it in that it gave us time to slow down. We were able to focus on our prayers and our worship at home."
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/lifesty ... 00327.html
Jamie Ballard
Each year, Muslims around the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. Many people know that fasting is a common practice during Ramadan, but there are a number of other traditions associated with the holiday that are less well known.
Hina Khan-Mukhtar, a teacher and writer who is on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Community Center East Bay in northern California, says that Ramadan is a joyous time.
“The Islamic centers and mosques are very full of life and full of light during that time,” Khan-Mukhtar tells Woman's Day. “It’s as if you can imagine Christmas being celebrated every night for a month. The community comes together, people bring food to share, even children love going to the mosque at night. It's a time of community and gathering.”
Here’s what you should know about Ramadan, from its history to how it’s celebrated today.
What does Ramadan celebrate?
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, worship, and prayer. It celebrates the creation of the Quran, which is the holy book for people who practice the Islamic faith. Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad received revelations directly from God, which were documented and collected in what eventually became the holy book. A passage in the Quran explains, “The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong.”
Khan-Mukhtar says that Ramadan is also celebrated as a time for a clean start.
“What I would love for people to know is that Ramadan is a time of hope and renewal and trying to have a fresh start,” she explains. “It’s really a time of rejuvenation, where it’s like ‘I'm going to go through this month and I'm really going to turn to God, and ask for forgiveness and ask for blessings,’ and then you come out of it with a lot of hope for starting all over again on a good foot.”
When is Ramadan celebrated?
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which means that the beginning of each new month starts on the new moon. Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, but because of the lunar cycle, the specific dates for Ramadan vary year to year.
This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday, April 12th, 2021 and conclude on Tuesday, May 11th.
Why do people fast during Ramadan?
During Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims fast during daylight hours. As part of the fast, they abstain from all food and drink, as well as sexual activity. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the core beliefs and practices that define the religion.
In an piece about Ramadan written for Vox, Muslim writer Jennifer Williams explained, “The practice of fasting serves several spiritual and social purposes: to remind you of your human frailty and your dependence on God for sustenance, to show you what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty so you feel compassion for (and a duty to help) the poor and needy, and to reduce the distractions in life so you can more clearly focus on your relationship with God.”
Khan-Mukhtar also explained that while there are lots of reasons for Muslims to abstain from food and drink during Ramadan, ultimately the main reason to fast is because they are commanded to do so in the Quran.
Do all Muslims during Ramadan?
According to an article written by community health sciences educator Sara Elnakib for Eat Right, certain groups are exempt from fasting during Ramadan. These groups include children who have not reached puberty, the elderly, those who are physically or mentally incapable of fasting, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and people who are traveling.
Besides fasting, what are some of the other ways people celebrate Ramadan?
Khan-Mukhtar says that in addition to fasting, Ramadan is also a time for reflection. “It's a time for being really mindful about how we talk to people, what kind of language we use, what we're absorbing, even with our eyes — like what kinds of things we're looking at or watching. We're seeing how it affects our heart.”
Besides fasting and being mindful, there are some other special Ramadan traditions.
Kahn-Mukhtar explained that one special tradition is “moonsighting.” Since the timing of Ramadan is determined by when the new moon appears in the ninth lunar month, the spotting of that new moon is significant. “It's often a tradition that people go out to scenic vista points to try and look for the moon, and then when the new moon is sighted, it's super exciting," Kahn-Mukhtar says. "When it’s sighted, then you know that it is Ramadan and we get to start fasting tomorrow. It's a good way to connect with the heavens and with nature, it's a good way to get outside.”
In the evening, Muslims will break their fast with a date (the fruit) and water. Traditionally, people also gather at mosques and Islamic centers in the evenings for prayer and worship, though things are understandably different during the pandemic.
What should I do to be respectful of my Muslim friends and coworkers during Ramadan?
“A good way to support is just having a very positive mindset about Ramadan, being excited for people, and saying things like, ‘How is your Ramadan going?’” Kahn-Mukhtar explains.
Keeping a positive mindset can also mean questioning your own assumptions. She says that as a parent, a misunderstanding she encounters often is that people assume the children must dislike fasting — which she says isn’t really the case. “That idea is actually completely the opposite of the truth. Fasting is seen as a right of passage. A lot of kids are very, very eager to start fasting.”
Although it’s not expected that non-Muslims fast during Ramadan, Kahn-Mukhtar also says that she’s had experiences where someone decided to fast with her in solidarity. “It's really heartwarming to see someone is wanting to experience what you're experiencing.”
Lastly, if you’re at an event like a work party and you know you have Muslim coworkers who are fasting, it would be a thoughtful gesture to prepare a plate for them and cover it so that they can take it home and eat it when they break their fast that evening.
Has COVID-19 changed anything about how people are celebrating Ramadan?
Last year’s Ramadan took place from April to May 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. “This last Ramadan was very disorienting for a lot of us,” Khan-Mukhtar says. “It is a very communal thing, to share food with the poor, to share food with our neighbors, to share food with our loved ones, relatives, friends, community members. That's a big part of Ramadan.”
She explained that like with many things during the pandemic, Ramadan worship was done via Zoom. Many mosques would open for the imam (worship leader), and that person would go in and pray by himself out loud, and it was live-streamed so people could watch and participate via Zoom.
“I know many who said it's actually kind of a beautiful experience, because Ramadan in the evenings used to be pretty hectic,” Khan-Mukhtar notes. “Usually, we would break our fast together at home and then eat dinner and then quickly rush to go to the local mosque or Islamic center to join the rest of the community. So there were a lot of moving parts, but now, it was all at home so it was a slower pace. Some of us actually enjoyed it in that it gave us time to slow down. We were able to focus on our prayers and our worship at home."
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/lifesty ... 00327.html
Re: Ramadan
Now I am going to tell you about ibadat. Always worship God. This is the month of Ramadan. In this month do more ibadat. Every hour, every minute remember God. Do not forget Him. If you have forgotten Him and have become lazy then take heed that I am reminding you to remember and worship Him.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah
Bombay, April 27, 1891.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah
Bombay, April 27, 1891.
Re: Ramadan
USA TODAY
When is Ramadan 2024? What is it? Muslims set to mark a month of spirituality, reflection
Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY
Updated Sun, March 10, 2024 at 5:07 AM CDT·
Muslims across the world are preparing for a month of fasting, spirituality and reflection this Ramadan.
Each year millions of Muslims will begin fasting from sunrise to sunset and engaging in activities that challenge their self-restraint and bring them closer to God.
The holiday is celebrated on different dates each year. Every year, the holiday starts approximately 11 days before it did the previous year. The exact date always depends on the sighting of the crescent moon, which this year is expected to fall on or around March 11.
Fasting can last for 29 or 30 days, depending on when the moon signifying the start of the next month is spotted.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic or Hijri, calendar. Muslims believe that it was during this month that God revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad.
Tyler Mallari, a spokesperson with the Zakat Foundation told USA TODAY that Ramadan "is a time for Muslims to come together, focus on their spiritual and personal development and spend time giving charity and gathering with their community for prayers and events."
Why do Muslims fast?
Muslims who have reached puberty and who are physically capable will fast from sunrise to sunset. Fasting not only means abstaining from food and drink, but also from sexual relations, and ill behavior. Those who are sick, or traveling are exempt from fasting.
"The idea is to cultivate awareness of God. Taqwa in Arabic," Imam Ebad Rahman, Religious Life Associate for Muslim Life at Columbia University told USA TODAY.
During Ramadan, Muslims may engage with the Quran more, with some even challenging themselves to complete reading the religious text in its entirety, Mallari said.
Rahman said Muslims will also reflect on the meaning of the Quran, engage in extra prayers, and "also come together as a community by caring for the needy and sharing their wealth, resources and food, especially in feeding folks," during the month.
The idea of "the nearness of God, that God is always near and that God listens to the supplications and prayers of people is really emphasized" during this month, meaning that many Muslims will focus on increasing their good deeds.
"It's considered a period where God will multiply rewards and people who try to be on top of their game, try to be especially considerate and especially devout," Rahman said.
The last ten nights
The last ten nights of Ramadan are considered to be especially sacred with the holiest night of Ramadan, Laylat Al-Qadr, falling on one of those nights.
It's not known when Laylat al-Qadr, known as the “Night of Power” will be, but many believe it most likely falls on any of the odd nights in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Good deeds are believed to be significantly multiplied on that night, and Muslims may spend the night in reflection, prayer and doing other good deeds.
Additionally, the month is also known to be a time when Muslims increase the charity they give.
"Muslims are encouraged to embody a charitable spirit in Ramadan in order to benefit their local and broader communities alongside their own personal spiritual development. Through their Ramadan charity, Muslims strive to take care of their neighbors and those around the world in need," Mallari said.
How else do Muslims celebrate during Ramadan?
Beyond fasting, the month is also a time when communities come together. Mallari said mosques all across the country will host iftars, meals breaking the fast, for their communities. These events can be attended by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
"Iftars are away for Muslims to connect with others in their local Muslim community and engender the spirit of sharing," Mallari said.
Families and friends also host their own iftars, gathering together to break their fasts, enjoy each other's company, and engage in religious activities together.
"In Muslim families, communities, and societies, there's even more attention to what folks are going to break their fasts with and sometimes there's special cuisines or favorite dishes," Rahman said.
Rahman said it's a time for coming together and praying together, "especially for those we know are being deprived and are experiencing injustice and oppression, especially at this moment."
When does Ramadan end? When is Eid Al-Fitr?
This year, it's predicted that Ramadan will end on April 9, with the following day being the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. However, like the start of Ramadan, the ending of the month is also contingent on the sighting of the moon.
Muslims end the month of Ramadan with the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr, one of the two celebratory holidays in the Islamic faith. Eid Al-Fitr is a time when Muslims come together in prayer, and also celebrate completing Ramadan.
Traditions vary across the world, but it's not uncommon for families to buy new clothes, get dressed up, gather together, and give presents or money to each other.
"It's a festive holiday to look forward to," Rahman said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Ramadan 2024? What is it? Muslim month of fasting, explained
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ra ... 19711.html
When is Ramadan 2024? What is it? Muslims set to mark a month of spirituality, reflection
Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY
Updated Sun, March 10, 2024 at 5:07 AM CDT·
Muslims across the world are preparing for a month of fasting, spirituality and reflection this Ramadan.
Each year millions of Muslims will begin fasting from sunrise to sunset and engaging in activities that challenge their self-restraint and bring them closer to God.
The holiday is celebrated on different dates each year. Every year, the holiday starts approximately 11 days before it did the previous year. The exact date always depends on the sighting of the crescent moon, which this year is expected to fall on or around March 11.
Fasting can last for 29 or 30 days, depending on when the moon signifying the start of the next month is spotted.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic or Hijri, calendar. Muslims believe that it was during this month that God revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad.
Tyler Mallari, a spokesperson with the Zakat Foundation told USA TODAY that Ramadan "is a time for Muslims to come together, focus on their spiritual and personal development and spend time giving charity and gathering with their community for prayers and events."
Why do Muslims fast?
Muslims who have reached puberty and who are physically capable will fast from sunrise to sunset. Fasting not only means abstaining from food and drink, but also from sexual relations, and ill behavior. Those who are sick, or traveling are exempt from fasting.
"The idea is to cultivate awareness of God. Taqwa in Arabic," Imam Ebad Rahman, Religious Life Associate for Muslim Life at Columbia University told USA TODAY.
During Ramadan, Muslims may engage with the Quran more, with some even challenging themselves to complete reading the religious text in its entirety, Mallari said.
Rahman said Muslims will also reflect on the meaning of the Quran, engage in extra prayers, and "also come together as a community by caring for the needy and sharing their wealth, resources and food, especially in feeding folks," during the month.
The idea of "the nearness of God, that God is always near and that God listens to the supplications and prayers of people is really emphasized" during this month, meaning that many Muslims will focus on increasing their good deeds.
"It's considered a period where God will multiply rewards and people who try to be on top of their game, try to be especially considerate and especially devout," Rahman said.
The last ten nights
The last ten nights of Ramadan are considered to be especially sacred with the holiest night of Ramadan, Laylat Al-Qadr, falling on one of those nights.
It's not known when Laylat al-Qadr, known as the “Night of Power” will be, but many believe it most likely falls on any of the odd nights in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Good deeds are believed to be significantly multiplied on that night, and Muslims may spend the night in reflection, prayer and doing other good deeds.
Additionally, the month is also known to be a time when Muslims increase the charity they give.
"Muslims are encouraged to embody a charitable spirit in Ramadan in order to benefit their local and broader communities alongside their own personal spiritual development. Through their Ramadan charity, Muslims strive to take care of their neighbors and those around the world in need," Mallari said.
How else do Muslims celebrate during Ramadan?
Beyond fasting, the month is also a time when communities come together. Mallari said mosques all across the country will host iftars, meals breaking the fast, for their communities. These events can be attended by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
"Iftars are away for Muslims to connect with others in their local Muslim community and engender the spirit of sharing," Mallari said.
Families and friends also host their own iftars, gathering together to break their fasts, enjoy each other's company, and engage in religious activities together.
"In Muslim families, communities, and societies, there's even more attention to what folks are going to break their fasts with and sometimes there's special cuisines or favorite dishes," Rahman said.
Rahman said it's a time for coming together and praying together, "especially for those we know are being deprived and are experiencing injustice and oppression, especially at this moment."
When does Ramadan end? When is Eid Al-Fitr?
This year, it's predicted that Ramadan will end on April 9, with the following day being the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. However, like the start of Ramadan, the ending of the month is also contingent on the sighting of the moon.
Muslims end the month of Ramadan with the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr, one of the two celebratory holidays in the Islamic faith. Eid Al-Fitr is a time when Muslims come together in prayer, and also celebrate completing Ramadan.
Traditions vary across the world, but it's not uncommon for families to buy new clothes, get dressed up, gather together, and give presents or money to each other.
"It's a festive holiday to look forward to," Rahman said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Ramadan 2024? What is it? Muslim month of fasting, explained
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ra ... 19711.html
‘Practically Fasting for Months’: Gazans Struggle to Celebrate Ramadan
A time of religious devotion, dawn-to-dusk fasting and charity is instead a daily struggle for survival.
A Palestinian family in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip prepared on Monday to break fast on the first day of Ramadan in the ruins of their family house.Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Every night during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the man would come along Rawoand Altatar’s street, banging on his drum and calling out to the faithful to wake them up for suhoor, the predawn meal. His nightly mission used to be lit up by Ramadan lamps and twinkling decorations.
But this Ramadan, Ms. Altatar’s street is eerie. The man, called a musahharati in Arabic, is absent. There are no decorations or electricity, and the street is surrounded by buildings destroyed or damaged in Israel’s bombardment. Their own home has been partially destroyed as well.
“There is no sense of Ramadan,” she said, referring to the month when Muslims fast all day. “We are missing our family and gatherings, the food, even the simplest thing like the sweet juices, the Ramadan decorations and lamps, which filled the streets,” said Ms. Altatar, a photographer who worked at a private school before the war.
Israel’s war in Gaza has transformed Ramadan, which began on Monday, from one of color and boisterous gatherings into one observed against a backdrop of gray rubble and dark, empty streets.
Image
Smiling men gathered around a large pot of food outside.
Gathering to break the fast during Ramadan last April in the Nuseirat area of the Gaza Strip.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
Image
A woman wearing a dotted scarf and a black cloak sits amid the rubble and a small open fire. A child stands nearby.
Using firewood this week to prepare a meal for iftar, the breaking of the fast, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.Credit...Mohammed Salem/Reuters
With no hoped-for cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the armed group that has controlled Gaza for years, a time of religious devotion, dawn-to-dusk fasting and charity is now a daily struggle for survival. For many Gazans, attempts to bring some cheer into the enclave are up against a mountain of despair.
More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombardment, according to Gazan health authorities, and the threat of famine looms as a result of Israel’s near-complete siege. The war, now in its sixth month, began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 captives, according to Israeli officials.
Families, which once gathered over big feasts to mark the end of a day’s fast, have been separated and dispersed as most of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have fled their homes. Many now live in crowded tent encampments.
Many mosques where nightly Ramadan prayers were held have been bombed to rubble. Israel has accused Hamas of operating from some of Gaza’s mosques, a charge Hamas denies.
Image
Dozens of men praying in a prayer hall.
Worshippers at Al-Awda mosque in Rafah during Ramadan last April.Credit...Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
The facade of a damage building is exposed and people pray among the rubble.
Performing the first Friday noon prayer of Ramadan over the ruins of of Al-Farouq Mosque on Friday in Rafah.Credit...Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The most basic sustenance, like the dates and drinking water with which Muslims traditionally break their fast, are nearly absent.
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Also missing is the happiness of children, especially when they come out in the streets after iftar — the breaking of the fast — with their Ramadan lamps and toys, she said.
“Now everyone is inside their homes even before the sun goes down, feeling afraid,” she said.
Ramadan this year also comes as many Gazans have lost everything and the enclave is nearing a famine, United Nations officials say. At least 27 Palestinian children have died from malnutrition, dehydration and lack of baby formula, Gazan health officials have said.
Human rights groups, U.N. experts and most recently the European Union’s foreign policy chief have said that Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians. Israel has insisted throughout the war that it is committed to allowing as much aid into Gaza as possible and it has blamed delays on the U.N. staffing and logistics. Aid groups and U.N. officials have argued that it would be better for Israel to ease entry restrictions for trucks at established crossing points into the enclave and to do more to speed the delivery of goods inside Gaza.
People in Gaza are so hungry that some have resorted to eating leaves and animal feed.
“We’ve been practically fasting for months,” Ms. Altatar said. “Before Ramadan, we were eating two meals a day if we were able to find enough food. Otherwise, we would eat only once a day, at sundown.”
Image
A man sells olives and other food at an outdoor market.
A Palestinian vendor sold food in a market before the month of Ramadan in Gaza City last March.Credit...Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
Yellow, purple and pink umbrellas are set up as shade amid the rubble where vendors sell supplies.
Kiosks next to destroyed buildings on the first day of Ramadan in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Monday.Credit...Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
Almost no aid is reaching northern Gaza, where Ms. Altatar lives with her parents. U.N. agencies have largely stopped sending aid to the north, citing Israeli restrictions and security fears.
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The U.N. has documented more than two dozen attacks on Gazans waiting for aid since January.
Supplies are to be brought by truck, including in the north, where conditions are particularly dire.
Alarming number of children suffer from most severe form of malnutrition, U.N. agency says.
Many Muslims customarily try to read the entire Quran over the month of Ramadan and perform extra nightly prayers called taraweeh.
“In the north, people rarely gather to pray taraweeh in an open area because they are afraid of being hit by an airstrike,” she said. “Of course, there are almost no mosques left. They have all been bombed.”
Her days now are filled with gathering firewood, making fires and roaming markets trying to cobble together a meal her family can afford, she said.
As she walks, she dreams that one of the aid airdrops will come down near her.
Image
A man draped in a black-and-white checkered scarf holds a drum and raises his hand to his ears in a street adorned with fairy lights.
A musahharati, who plays the traditional role of Ramadan drummer, awakened Muslims in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip in 2022.Credit...Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
People around a fire outside a tent at dusk.
Displaced Palestinians preparing an iftar meal on the first day of Ramadan in Rafah on Monday.Credit...Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
In what seemed like cruel mocking for many Gazans, days before Ramadan began, a resident said Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over parts of northern Gaza that read, “May your fast be accepted, your sins forgiven and iftar delicious.”
Asked about the leaflets, the Israeli military did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Despite the war and continued presence of Israeli ground forces, some Gazans have tried to imbue the holy month with as much festivity and religious observance as the conflict will allow.
“In northern Gaza, hunger and fear has taken over us,” Maher Habboush, a body builder in Gaza, said in a video on his Instagram account. The video showed dozens of children and adults cleaning the streets of one neighborhood and painting the walls pink, blue and yellow. “But we will greet the blessed month with happiness and optimism, because Ramadan is a blessing.”
In previous years, Gazans competed with each other when decorating their homes and streets. Now a Ramadan lantern, called a fanous and once ubiquitous throughout the streets and homes of Gaza, is a luxury few can afford.
Image
Four children hold hands in a ring and are standing against a yellow wall with Arabic writing on it.
Playing in a colorful neighborhood decorated for Ramadan east of Gaza City last March.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
Image
Children are crowded against each other holding pots.
Displaced Palestinians gathered to collect food donated by a charity before breakfast in Rafah on Tuesday.Credit...Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock
“All day my little daughter is crying for a fanous,” said Nisreen Abu Tooq, 28, a mother of five who fled with her family from the north to a school in southern Gaza. “I can’t even afford to buy it. We can’t cheer up our little kids up with the simplest things.”
On Sunday, Ms. Abu Tooq said she was filled with sadness when she heard that the next day was Ramadan, because she had not expected the war to last this long.
“It’s a big difference to be in a place you don’t belong and far from your home with relatives, neighbors and friends,” she said.
Fadia Nassar, 43, wanted to buy Ramadan lanterns for her daughter, nieces and nephews, who are all sharing a room in a home with other displaced Gazans in the city of Deir al Balah, but the prices were out of reach.
She also thought that such decorative touches might seem insensitive to other children living in the house who had lost parents or other relatives.
Image
Three men stand around a stall that is adorned with decorations and lights.
Buying Ramadan decorations from Al-Zawiya Market, an old market in downtown Gaza City, last March.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
Image
People stand outside makeshift tents. Some lights and bunting are hanging.
Lanterns and Ramadan accessories decorated tents in Deir al Balah on Sunday.Credit...Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
She had just returned from the market and could not buy any supplies because of how expensive everything was. Instead, she said, they would rely on canned goods to break the fast, she said.
The markets were packed, but rather than the crowded and festive atmosphere of Ramadans past, when songs would blare through the streets, there was tension and a fear of lawlessness now, she said.
“There is no joy, no songs of Ramadan, no sweets of Ramadan,” she said. “This has all been exterminated.”
A local Gazan band, Sol Band, came out with a song for this Ramadan, including a short music video filmed in Gaza, that captured the grim holy month they were observing.
Image
A man kneels as he sifts through dates in a box. He is surrounded by boxes of dates.
Sorting and packing dates at a factory in preparation for Ramadan in Khan Younis last March.Credit...Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
Two children push a hand truck weighed down with water jugs.
Collecting water from a filling station last month in Rafah, Gaza.Credit...Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
The video shows parents and children making decorations out of plastic bottles and construction paper and hanging them up on tents.
“There are no homes left in our neighborhood, and the homes have turned into tents,” the lyrics say. “Your crescent moon has appeared, Ramadan. What is the crescent of our joy?”
Raja Abdulrahim is a Middle East correspondent based in Jerusalem covering the Levant. More about Raja Abdulrahim
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/worl ... 778d3e6de3
A Palestinian family in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip prepared on Monday to break fast on the first day of Ramadan in the ruins of their family house.Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Every night during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the man would come along Rawoand Altatar’s street, banging on his drum and calling out to the faithful to wake them up for suhoor, the predawn meal. His nightly mission used to be lit up by Ramadan lamps and twinkling decorations.
But this Ramadan, Ms. Altatar’s street is eerie. The man, called a musahharati in Arabic, is absent. There are no decorations or electricity, and the street is surrounded by buildings destroyed or damaged in Israel’s bombardment. Their own home has been partially destroyed as well.
“There is no sense of Ramadan,” she said, referring to the month when Muslims fast all day. “We are missing our family and gatherings, the food, even the simplest thing like the sweet juices, the Ramadan decorations and lamps, which filled the streets,” said Ms. Altatar, a photographer who worked at a private school before the war.
Israel’s war in Gaza has transformed Ramadan, which began on Monday, from one of color and boisterous gatherings into one observed against a backdrop of gray rubble and dark, empty streets.
Image
Smiling men gathered around a large pot of food outside.
Gathering to break the fast during Ramadan last April in the Nuseirat area of the Gaza Strip.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
Image
A woman wearing a dotted scarf and a black cloak sits amid the rubble and a small open fire. A child stands nearby.
Using firewood this week to prepare a meal for iftar, the breaking of the fast, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.Credit...Mohammed Salem/Reuters
With no hoped-for cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the armed group that has controlled Gaza for years, a time of religious devotion, dawn-to-dusk fasting and charity is now a daily struggle for survival. For many Gazans, attempts to bring some cheer into the enclave are up against a mountain of despair.
More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombardment, according to Gazan health authorities, and the threat of famine looms as a result of Israel’s near-complete siege. The war, now in its sixth month, began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 captives, according to Israeli officials.
Families, which once gathered over big feasts to mark the end of a day’s fast, have been separated and dispersed as most of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have fled their homes. Many now live in crowded tent encampments.
Many mosques where nightly Ramadan prayers were held have been bombed to rubble. Israel has accused Hamas of operating from some of Gaza’s mosques, a charge Hamas denies.
Image
Dozens of men praying in a prayer hall.
Worshippers at Al-Awda mosque in Rafah during Ramadan last April.Credit...Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
The facade of a damage building is exposed and people pray among the rubble.
Performing the first Friday noon prayer of Ramadan over the ruins of of Al-Farouq Mosque on Friday in Rafah.Credit...Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The most basic sustenance, like the dates and drinking water with which Muslims traditionally break their fast, are nearly absent.
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Also missing is the happiness of children, especially when they come out in the streets after iftar — the breaking of the fast — with their Ramadan lamps and toys, she said.
“Now everyone is inside their homes even before the sun goes down, feeling afraid,” she said.
Ramadan this year also comes as many Gazans have lost everything and the enclave is nearing a famine, United Nations officials say. At least 27 Palestinian children have died from malnutrition, dehydration and lack of baby formula, Gazan health officials have said.
Human rights groups, U.N. experts and most recently the European Union’s foreign policy chief have said that Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians. Israel has insisted throughout the war that it is committed to allowing as much aid into Gaza as possible and it has blamed delays on the U.N. staffing and logistics. Aid groups and U.N. officials have argued that it would be better for Israel to ease entry restrictions for trucks at established crossing points into the enclave and to do more to speed the delivery of goods inside Gaza.
People in Gaza are so hungry that some have resorted to eating leaves and animal feed.
“We’ve been practically fasting for months,” Ms. Altatar said. “Before Ramadan, we were eating two meals a day if we were able to find enough food. Otherwise, we would eat only once a day, at sundown.”
Image
A man sells olives and other food at an outdoor market.
A Palestinian vendor sold food in a market before the month of Ramadan in Gaza City last March.Credit...Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
Yellow, purple and pink umbrellas are set up as shade amid the rubble where vendors sell supplies.
Kiosks next to destroyed buildings on the first day of Ramadan in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Monday.Credit...Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
Almost no aid is reaching northern Gaza, where Ms. Altatar lives with her parents. U.N. agencies have largely stopped sending aid to the north, citing Israeli restrictions and security fears.
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The U.N. has documented more than two dozen attacks on Gazans waiting for aid since January.
Supplies are to be brought by truck, including in the north, where conditions are particularly dire.
Alarming number of children suffer from most severe form of malnutrition, U.N. agency says.
Many Muslims customarily try to read the entire Quran over the month of Ramadan and perform extra nightly prayers called taraweeh.
“In the north, people rarely gather to pray taraweeh in an open area because they are afraid of being hit by an airstrike,” she said. “Of course, there are almost no mosques left. They have all been bombed.”
Her days now are filled with gathering firewood, making fires and roaming markets trying to cobble together a meal her family can afford, she said.
As she walks, she dreams that one of the aid airdrops will come down near her.
Image
A man draped in a black-and-white checkered scarf holds a drum and raises his hand to his ears in a street adorned with fairy lights.
A musahharati, who plays the traditional role of Ramadan drummer, awakened Muslims in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip in 2022.Credit...Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
People around a fire outside a tent at dusk.
Displaced Palestinians preparing an iftar meal on the first day of Ramadan in Rafah on Monday.Credit...Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
In what seemed like cruel mocking for many Gazans, days before Ramadan began, a resident said Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over parts of northern Gaza that read, “May your fast be accepted, your sins forgiven and iftar delicious.”
Asked about the leaflets, the Israeli military did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Despite the war and continued presence of Israeli ground forces, some Gazans have tried to imbue the holy month with as much festivity and religious observance as the conflict will allow.
“In northern Gaza, hunger and fear has taken over us,” Maher Habboush, a body builder in Gaza, said in a video on his Instagram account. The video showed dozens of children and adults cleaning the streets of one neighborhood and painting the walls pink, blue and yellow. “But we will greet the blessed month with happiness and optimism, because Ramadan is a blessing.”
In previous years, Gazans competed with each other when decorating their homes and streets. Now a Ramadan lantern, called a fanous and once ubiquitous throughout the streets and homes of Gaza, is a luxury few can afford.
Image
Four children hold hands in a ring and are standing against a yellow wall with Arabic writing on it.
Playing in a colorful neighborhood decorated for Ramadan east of Gaza City last March.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
Image
Children are crowded against each other holding pots.
Displaced Palestinians gathered to collect food donated by a charity before breakfast in Rafah on Tuesday.Credit...Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock
“All day my little daughter is crying for a fanous,” said Nisreen Abu Tooq, 28, a mother of five who fled with her family from the north to a school in southern Gaza. “I can’t even afford to buy it. We can’t cheer up our little kids up with the simplest things.”
On Sunday, Ms. Abu Tooq said she was filled with sadness when she heard that the next day was Ramadan, because she had not expected the war to last this long.
“It’s a big difference to be in a place you don’t belong and far from your home with relatives, neighbors and friends,” she said.
Fadia Nassar, 43, wanted to buy Ramadan lanterns for her daughter, nieces and nephews, who are all sharing a room in a home with other displaced Gazans in the city of Deir al Balah, but the prices were out of reach.
She also thought that such decorative touches might seem insensitive to other children living in the house who had lost parents or other relatives.
Image
Three men stand around a stall that is adorned with decorations and lights.
Buying Ramadan decorations from Al-Zawiya Market, an old market in downtown Gaza City, last March.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
Image
People stand outside makeshift tents. Some lights and bunting are hanging.
Lanterns and Ramadan accessories decorated tents in Deir al Balah on Sunday.Credit...Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
She had just returned from the market and could not buy any supplies because of how expensive everything was. Instead, she said, they would rely on canned goods to break the fast, she said.
The markets were packed, but rather than the crowded and festive atmosphere of Ramadans past, when songs would blare through the streets, there was tension and a fear of lawlessness now, she said.
“There is no joy, no songs of Ramadan, no sweets of Ramadan,” she said. “This has all been exterminated.”
A local Gazan band, Sol Band, came out with a song for this Ramadan, including a short music video filmed in Gaza, that captured the grim holy month they were observing.
Image
A man kneels as he sifts through dates in a box. He is surrounded by boxes of dates.
Sorting and packing dates at a factory in preparation for Ramadan in Khan Younis last March.Credit...Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
Two children push a hand truck weighed down with water jugs.
Collecting water from a filling station last month in Rafah, Gaza.Credit...Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
The video shows parents and children making decorations out of plastic bottles and construction paper and hanging them up on tents.
“There are no homes left in our neighborhood, and the homes have turned into tents,” the lyrics say. “Your crescent moon has appeared, Ramadan. What is the crescent of our joy?”
Raja Abdulrahim is a Middle East correspondent based in Jerusalem covering the Levant. More about Raja Abdulrahim
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/worl ... 778d3e6de3
Re: Ramadan
Can Calamity-Stricken People Be Exempted From Fasting?
Question:
What does Islam say on some victims who, under the terrible condition of coping with the aftermath of the disaster, are forced to eat during the day (instead of fasting)? Doesn't Islam have some kind of flexibility with calamity-stricken people in a way that will make the religious observance more humane? How do you see the reaction of some scholars who see that such people "should fast" in this condition, no matter what?
ANSWER
Jamal Badawi, Sheikh `Abdul-Majeed's Fatwa:
Responding to the question, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and a cross-appointed faculty member in the departments of Religious Studies and Management, states:
Fasting involves self-control and discipline and it is challenging in itself under any condition. It is not, however, the purpose of fasting to endanger the people’s life, delay or jeopardize their recovery if they are ill, or to impose on them something beyond their ability.
That is why certain categories are exempt from fasting in Ramadan; some are exempt permanently such as the old and the weak persons or those with incurable illnesses who do not expect that they will be better in the future.
In such cases, they are only required to pay a charity as fidyah (compensation) equivalent to two average meals for each missed day of fasting.
There are other temporary exemptions such as women during their menses or in the post-childbirth bleeding period or who are pregnant or breastfeeding and are worried about harm to themselves or to their babies, also those who are ill or on a journey. In these cases, they are allowed to make up for the missed fasting whenever they can.
In such major disasters where there are near starvation, weakness, and injuries, there may be cases that are analogous or similar to the above exemptions. If, for example, a person is saved from under the rubble and has not eaten for days and is in a state of dehydration, one cannot expect the person to wait until sunset.
A decision can be made on the basis of an Islamically trusted advice or the good judgment of each individual concerned. The Qur’an did not specify exact detailed criteria for illness, and it is up to the conscience of the individual to determine whether he or she finds it too hard to fast or not.
In addition, the eminent Al-Azhar scholar Sheikh `Abdul-Majeed adds:
Indeed, the reaction of those scholars who insist that those people afflicted by the earthquake should not break their fast, no matter what hardship, weakness, and hunger those people are facing, is stepping in the wrong direction and their opinion violates the basic Islamic rulings calling for mercy and easiness.
The Qur’anic verse states that “And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (Al-Baqarah 2:158)
Hence, it is permissible for the sick to break their fasting. People in the afflicted areas of the earthquake are suffering from real hunger and they have to face the very cold weather; hence they are forced to eat and drink to keep their lives and face many of the harsh living conditions they are currently experiencing.
Based on this, those people are exempted from fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan and they have to make up for the days they miss after Ramadan. Those people are not obliged to make up for the missed days in succession, but rather they should gradually try to make up for them to the best of their ability. What matters here is that they make up for the missed days regardless of whether they make them up all in succession or not.
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-t ... d-fasting/
Question:
What does Islam say on some victims who, under the terrible condition of coping with the aftermath of the disaster, are forced to eat during the day (instead of fasting)? Doesn't Islam have some kind of flexibility with calamity-stricken people in a way that will make the religious observance more humane? How do you see the reaction of some scholars who see that such people "should fast" in this condition, no matter what?
ANSWER
Jamal Badawi, Sheikh `Abdul-Majeed's Fatwa:
Responding to the question, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and a cross-appointed faculty member in the departments of Religious Studies and Management, states:
Fasting involves self-control and discipline and it is challenging in itself under any condition. It is not, however, the purpose of fasting to endanger the people’s life, delay or jeopardize their recovery if they are ill, or to impose on them something beyond their ability.
That is why certain categories are exempt from fasting in Ramadan; some are exempt permanently such as the old and the weak persons or those with incurable illnesses who do not expect that they will be better in the future.
In such cases, they are only required to pay a charity as fidyah (compensation) equivalent to two average meals for each missed day of fasting.
There are other temporary exemptions such as women during their menses or in the post-childbirth bleeding period or who are pregnant or breastfeeding and are worried about harm to themselves or to their babies, also those who are ill or on a journey. In these cases, they are allowed to make up for the missed fasting whenever they can.
In such major disasters where there are near starvation, weakness, and injuries, there may be cases that are analogous or similar to the above exemptions. If, for example, a person is saved from under the rubble and has not eaten for days and is in a state of dehydration, one cannot expect the person to wait until sunset.
A decision can be made on the basis of an Islamically trusted advice or the good judgment of each individual concerned. The Qur’an did not specify exact detailed criteria for illness, and it is up to the conscience of the individual to determine whether he or she finds it too hard to fast or not.
In addition, the eminent Al-Azhar scholar Sheikh `Abdul-Majeed adds:
Indeed, the reaction of those scholars who insist that those people afflicted by the earthquake should not break their fast, no matter what hardship, weakness, and hunger those people are facing, is stepping in the wrong direction and their opinion violates the basic Islamic rulings calling for mercy and easiness.
The Qur’anic verse states that “And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (Al-Baqarah 2:158)
Hence, it is permissible for the sick to break their fasting. People in the afflicted areas of the earthquake are suffering from real hunger and they have to face the very cold weather; hence they are forced to eat and drink to keep their lives and face many of the harsh living conditions they are currently experiencing.
Based on this, those people are exempted from fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan and they have to make up for the days they miss after Ramadan. Those people are not obliged to make up for the missed days in succession, but rather they should gradually try to make up for them to the best of their ability. What matters here is that they make up for the missed days regardless of whether they make them up all in succession or not.
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-t ... d-fasting/
Re: Ramadan
How Biden’s White House Gathering for Ramadan Unraveled Over Gaza
Some Muslim community leaders said it would be wrong to attend an iftar meal with President Biden while Gaza is under siege.
Supporters of Palestine kneeling in prayer in front of the White House in protest as President Biden held a downscaled Ramadan event inside on Tuesday.Credit...Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
When the White House invited Muslim community leaders for a dinner this week celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, the responses started coming in fast: Decline. Decline. Decline.
Many of the invitees, distressed over President Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, said they would not attend an iftar meal with the president on Tuesday evening while so many Palestinians were under siege.
“How can we talk to you about famine and starvation over bread and steak?” said Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American doctor who was in Gaza in January.
The moment epitomized just how problematic the war in Gaza has become for Mr. Biden, who is increasingly critical of Israel but still resisting calls from within his party to set conditions on weapons sales to the country.
The White House pivoted quickly as it became clear that the Ramadan event would be controversial, holding a pared-down meal just for staff members and a separate meeting for Muslim community leaders like Dr. Ahmad.
The meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, was attended by Mr. Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser; and other senior officials. Three doctors who had recently treated patients in Gaza were among those who spoke to the president.
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More than 32,000 people have been killed in the war, according to the Gazan health authorities.
Image
A large group of people holding silver bowls and pots receiving free food.
Palestinians gathered to receive food in the town of Jabila in northern Gaza last month.Credit...Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
Dr. Ahmad said he told Mr. Biden that Israel’s impending ground invasion of Rafah would be a “blood bath and a massacre.” He also handed the president a letter from an 8-year-old girl in Gaza who lost her entire family in the war.
“We in Rafah are suffering a lot because we live in a very small tent and the tank can enter the tent and run me over,” the girl wrote in the letter, which was obtained and translated by The New York Times.
The letter continued: “We don’t want massacres and suffering. We want safety, to live like the rest of the world’s children. Please, Biden, stop this war, it’s enough, stop this war please.”
After speaking for about six minutes, Dr. Ahmad told the president he was leaving.
“I said, ‘Out of respect for my community, and out of respect for the many people who are grieving, and who are in a lot of pain, I have to walk out of this meeting.’”
He said Mr. Biden responded that he understood.
“Part of me wanted to express the frustration that the entire community has, the anger and the resentment,” Dr. Ahmad said. “But also part of me wanted to get up and walk out on the decision makers, and give them an idea of how it feels to have somebody walk away from them.”
It was a far cry from a celebration last year at the White House marking the end of Ramadan, which drew hundreds of community leaders, White House staff and politicians who snacked on hors d’oeuvres and took selfies with the president. One attendee shouted “We love you!” to Mr. Biden before he started speaking.
This year, as the Biden administration hosted its pared-down meeting and meal, protesters knelt outside the White House in prayer.
Image
Mr. Biden holding a cellphone and taking pictures with a large group of smiling people, including a woman wearing a hijab.
Mr. Biden taking selfies with guests at last year’s Eid-al-Fitr celebration at the White House. His administration has held several more fraught events with Muslim leaders in recent months.Credit...Yuri Gripas for The New York Times
Tuesday’s meeting with Muslim leaders and community members was among several the administration has held in recent months, both internally with staff and with outside groups, as it has tried to calm widespread indignation over the war.
Mr. Biden’s stance has angered crucial constituencies in Mr. Biden’s base, including young people, Black voters and progressives.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, declined on Wednesday to comment on the details of Tuesday night’s meeting, saying it was private. But she said that the president knows that it was a “deeply painful moment for many in the Arab and Muslim communities.”
“The president also expressed his commitment to continue working to secure an immediate cease-fire as part of the deal to free the hostages and significantly increase humanitarian aid into Gaza,” she said. “And the president made clear that he mourns the loss of every innocent life in this conflict — Palestinian and Israeli.”
When asked about Dr. Ahmad walking out, Ms. Jean-Pierre said the president respected the right to peacefully protest.
Salima Suswell, the chief executive officer of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, who also attended the meeting, said she told Mr. Biden about the “moral dilemma” some members of the Black Muslim community feel supporting him because of the war in Gaza.
“Black people identify and somewhat relate to this issue that involves oppression and the dehumanization of people,” Ms. Suswell said. “Our ancestors lived through 400 years of it.”
She said Mr. Biden said he was committed to the Black community.
Ms. Suswell, who stayed for the duration of the meeting, said attendees shared their experiences from the ground in Gaza. One of the doctors passed around photos of children there, she said.
Both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris expressed that they wanted the war to end as soon as possible. When asked about calling for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, Mr. Biden said that Israel would push back because of concerns about the hostages.
“They both said, ‘We don’t want to see this war continue,’” Ms. Suswell said.
Hiba Yazbek contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/us/p ... 778d3e6de3
Some Muslim community leaders said it would be wrong to attend an iftar meal with President Biden while Gaza is under siege.
Supporters of Palestine kneeling in prayer in front of the White House in protest as President Biden held a downscaled Ramadan event inside on Tuesday.Credit...Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
When the White House invited Muslim community leaders for a dinner this week celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, the responses started coming in fast: Decline. Decline. Decline.
Many of the invitees, distressed over President Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, said they would not attend an iftar meal with the president on Tuesday evening while so many Palestinians were under siege.
“How can we talk to you about famine and starvation over bread and steak?” said Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American doctor who was in Gaza in January.
The moment epitomized just how problematic the war in Gaza has become for Mr. Biden, who is increasingly critical of Israel but still resisting calls from within his party to set conditions on weapons sales to the country.
The White House pivoted quickly as it became clear that the Ramadan event would be controversial, holding a pared-down meal just for staff members and a separate meeting for Muslim community leaders like Dr. Ahmad.
The meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, was attended by Mr. Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser; and other senior officials. Three doctors who had recently treated patients in Gaza were among those who spoke to the president.
Sign up for the Israel-Hamas War Briefing. The latest news about the conflict. Get it sent to your inbox.
More than 32,000 people have been killed in the war, according to the Gazan health authorities.
Image
A large group of people holding silver bowls and pots receiving free food.
Palestinians gathered to receive food in the town of Jabila in northern Gaza last month.Credit...Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
Dr. Ahmad said he told Mr. Biden that Israel’s impending ground invasion of Rafah would be a “blood bath and a massacre.” He also handed the president a letter from an 8-year-old girl in Gaza who lost her entire family in the war.
“We in Rafah are suffering a lot because we live in a very small tent and the tank can enter the tent and run me over,” the girl wrote in the letter, which was obtained and translated by The New York Times.
The letter continued: “We don’t want massacres and suffering. We want safety, to live like the rest of the world’s children. Please, Biden, stop this war, it’s enough, stop this war please.”
After speaking for about six minutes, Dr. Ahmad told the president he was leaving.
“I said, ‘Out of respect for my community, and out of respect for the many people who are grieving, and who are in a lot of pain, I have to walk out of this meeting.’”
He said Mr. Biden responded that he understood.
“Part of me wanted to express the frustration that the entire community has, the anger and the resentment,” Dr. Ahmad said. “But also part of me wanted to get up and walk out on the decision makers, and give them an idea of how it feels to have somebody walk away from them.”
It was a far cry from a celebration last year at the White House marking the end of Ramadan, which drew hundreds of community leaders, White House staff and politicians who snacked on hors d’oeuvres and took selfies with the president. One attendee shouted “We love you!” to Mr. Biden before he started speaking.
This year, as the Biden administration hosted its pared-down meeting and meal, protesters knelt outside the White House in prayer.
Image
Mr. Biden holding a cellphone and taking pictures with a large group of smiling people, including a woman wearing a hijab.
Mr. Biden taking selfies with guests at last year’s Eid-al-Fitr celebration at the White House. His administration has held several more fraught events with Muslim leaders in recent months.Credit...Yuri Gripas for The New York Times
Tuesday’s meeting with Muslim leaders and community members was among several the administration has held in recent months, both internally with staff and with outside groups, as it has tried to calm widespread indignation over the war.
Mr. Biden’s stance has angered crucial constituencies in Mr. Biden’s base, including young people, Black voters and progressives.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, declined on Wednesday to comment on the details of Tuesday night’s meeting, saying it was private. But she said that the president knows that it was a “deeply painful moment for many in the Arab and Muslim communities.”
“The president also expressed his commitment to continue working to secure an immediate cease-fire as part of the deal to free the hostages and significantly increase humanitarian aid into Gaza,” she said. “And the president made clear that he mourns the loss of every innocent life in this conflict — Palestinian and Israeli.”
When asked about Dr. Ahmad walking out, Ms. Jean-Pierre said the president respected the right to peacefully protest.
Salima Suswell, the chief executive officer of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, who also attended the meeting, said she told Mr. Biden about the “moral dilemma” some members of the Black Muslim community feel supporting him because of the war in Gaza.
“Black people identify and somewhat relate to this issue that involves oppression and the dehumanization of people,” Ms. Suswell said. “Our ancestors lived through 400 years of it.”
She said Mr. Biden said he was committed to the Black community.
Ms. Suswell, who stayed for the duration of the meeting, said attendees shared their experiences from the ground in Gaza. One of the doctors passed around photos of children there, she said.
Both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris expressed that they wanted the war to end as soon as possible. When asked about calling for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, Mr. Biden said that Israel would push back because of concerns about the hostages.
“They both said, ‘We don’t want to see this war continue,’” Ms. Suswell said.
Hiba Yazbek contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/us/p ... 778d3e6de3
Re: Ramadan
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown during the month of Ramadan. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, those who fast also restrain themselves from evil thoughts, speeches, and actions. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan and is one of the most anticipated Islamic holidays.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, Muslims observe a complete fast from dawn until sunset. The observance of the fast in Ramadan, or sawm, is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is detailed in the Qur’an:
“It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for humanity, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. So any one of you who is present that month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful.” (Qur’an 2:185)
The fast of Ramadan encourages self-restraint, God-consciousness, compassion, and collective worship. During the daylight hours, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity, while striving to avoid all evil speech and any bad thoughts or actions. Hence, fasting is not just of the stomach, but also of the tongue, mind, and heart, as the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, “Fasting is a screen; so when one is fasting, let them abstain from foul talk and from behaving impudently. If someone insults them, let them recall within themselves, ‘I am fasting’.”
Meals are taken before dawn and after sunset, known respectively as suhoor and iftar. At dusk, many gather to break the fast by eating dates and drinking water, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad. The nights of Ramadan are a time for families and friends, often a festive occasion with special foods. Many mosques offer special prayers known as salat al-tarawih, in which the entirety of the Qur’an is recited gradually throughout the month. On Laylat al-Qadr, the “Night of Majesty” on which Muhammad received the first verses of the Qur’an, much of the community gathers in the mosque to engage in collective worship and festivities. This includes extended nightly prayer services as well as salat al-tarawih, collective du’a, recitation of litanies, speeches and talks, and the passing out of special treats and desserts; many choose to stay up all night, praying, reciting the Qur’an, engaging in collective festivities, and partaking in the pre-dawn meal with others.
At the end of the month of fasting, Muslims celebrate with observance of the holiday Eid al-Fitr, “the Festival of Breaking the Fast.” The day starts with performing a special prayer service at the mosque, known as salat al-eid. This includes performance of the Eid salat followed by a sermon from the imam. After the prayer service, many mosques host festivals and carnivals with food, games, and rides for children, along with bazaars and other vendors. Some Muslims, in addition to paying the required zakat al-fitr, a unique alms-tax for the needy on Eid, perform additional acts of charity on this day. Eid al-Fitr is also a time to visit friends and relatives, and many Muslims celebrate with their families for two or three days. Children receive new clothes, jewelry, toys and other gifts, and parents inculcate in their children the importance of observing the fast and serving God in this month, in addition to rejoicing in celebrations and festivities with friends, family, and the broader community.
https://pluralism.org/ramadan-and-eid-al-fitr
Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown during the month of Ramadan. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, those who fast also restrain themselves from evil thoughts, speeches, and actions. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan and is one of the most anticipated Islamic holidays.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, Muslims observe a complete fast from dawn until sunset. The observance of the fast in Ramadan, or sawm, is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is detailed in the Qur’an:
“It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for humanity, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. So any one of you who is present that month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful.” (Qur’an 2:185)
The fast of Ramadan encourages self-restraint, God-consciousness, compassion, and collective worship. During the daylight hours, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity, while striving to avoid all evil speech and any bad thoughts or actions. Hence, fasting is not just of the stomach, but also of the tongue, mind, and heart, as the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, “Fasting is a screen; so when one is fasting, let them abstain from foul talk and from behaving impudently. If someone insults them, let them recall within themselves, ‘I am fasting’.”
Meals are taken before dawn and after sunset, known respectively as suhoor and iftar. At dusk, many gather to break the fast by eating dates and drinking water, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad. The nights of Ramadan are a time for families and friends, often a festive occasion with special foods. Many mosques offer special prayers known as salat al-tarawih, in which the entirety of the Qur’an is recited gradually throughout the month. On Laylat al-Qadr, the “Night of Majesty” on which Muhammad received the first verses of the Qur’an, much of the community gathers in the mosque to engage in collective worship and festivities. This includes extended nightly prayer services as well as salat al-tarawih, collective du’a, recitation of litanies, speeches and talks, and the passing out of special treats and desserts; many choose to stay up all night, praying, reciting the Qur’an, engaging in collective festivities, and partaking in the pre-dawn meal with others.
At the end of the month of fasting, Muslims celebrate with observance of the holiday Eid al-Fitr, “the Festival of Breaking the Fast.” The day starts with performing a special prayer service at the mosque, known as salat al-eid. This includes performance of the Eid salat followed by a sermon from the imam. After the prayer service, many mosques host festivals and carnivals with food, games, and rides for children, along with bazaars and other vendors. Some Muslims, in addition to paying the required zakat al-fitr, a unique alms-tax for the needy on Eid, perform additional acts of charity on this day. Eid al-Fitr is also a time to visit friends and relatives, and many Muslims celebrate with their families for two or three days. Children receive new clothes, jewelry, toys and other gifts, and parents inculcate in their children the importance of observing the fast and serving God in this month, in addition to rejoicing in celebrations and festivities with friends, family, and the broader community.
https://pluralism.org/ramadan-and-eid-al-fitr