Eid Mubarak Everyone
Eid Mubarak Everyone!
posted by Harris/ASNM98 at 2:28 PM
On behalf of the Afghan Society of New Mexico (ASNM) we would like to welcome you. ASNM is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in April of 1998. ASNM does not affiliate with any local or international corporation. We do not discriminate against, nor differentiate between ASNM members based on their gender, language or tribal differences. We are pleased that our membership represents Afghans from many different provinces in Afghanistan. Welcome!
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UNM Presentation to ASA: October 19th, 2006 UNM Sub Ballroom
Good evening everyone, I have been asked by the Afghan Student Association to prepare and present on the Islamic reasons behind Fasting and the celebration of Eid. I am not a religious scholar and don’t pretend to be. However, I enjoy learning and discussing theology. I am a student of learning and will share with you what I know for the sake of God (Allah). I will tell you a little bit about my self and then we can move forward with our presentation.
**Before we get started, I ask you to hold any questions to the end and we can have a group discussion at the end if time permits. ** However, there will be some interactive questions by me throughout the presentation for you to consider and hopefully answer.
Bismillah Rahman e Rahim (I begin in the name of Allah)
**We will attempt to cover the following today, InshAllah
• Meaning Of Islam/Salaam
• Brief Hx of Islam
• Islamic Pillars
• Ramadan
• Eid
Meaning of Islam, Salaam:
Islam is an Arabic Word which means peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. The religion of Islam is the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of
God (Allah) i.e. surrender to the Will of God
“I testify there is none worthy of worship but Allah.” This statement combines negation and affirmation. It denies the right of anything in creation to be worshipped, and it affirms that right for the Creator.
Thus, the most common greeting that 1.5 Billion Muslims use throughout the entire glob means : Peace be upon you
A Muslim is one who accepts freely and willingly the supreme power of Allah and strives for total recognition of his life according to the revealed teachings of Allah. He also works towards the establishment of a just and equitable social order which would totally reflect the guidance of Allah.
Islam provides guidelines for all people to follow in all walks of life. The guidance it gives is comprehensive and includes the social, economic, political, moral and spiritual aspects of life. Leave no questions unanswered.
The Quran reminds man of the purpose of life on earth, and his duties and obligations towards himself, his kith and kin, his community, his fellow human beings and his Creator. Man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then he is left with the challenge of human existence before him so that he might put these high ideals into practice. In Islam man is a wholesome, integrated unit and not a collection of fragmented, competitive parts. The sacred and secular are not separate parts of man; they are united in the nature of human being. With Free will and given the ability to choose between right and wrong.
Brief History of Islam: Was there religion in the Arabic peninsula before Islam?
the majority of Arabs followed polytheistic religions, although a few tribes followed Judaism, Christianity (including Nestorians) or Zoroastrianism. Muhammad was born on the outskirts of Mecca in the Year of the Elephant. Most Muslims equate this with the Gregorian year 570 but a few prefer 571. He was orphaned at an early age and was raised by his uncle Abu Talib. He became a merchant, married a wealthy widow, and could have looked forward to a life of ease and prosperity.
However, when he was some forty years old, he experienced we believe to be a divine revelation (similar to what happened to Moses and prophets of Allah) while he was meditating in a cave outside Mecca. This would have been in 610 C.E. He started to preach to his kinfolk and then in public, to all Meccans.
Do Muslims believe in other religions of the world?
Muslims believe that Islam is the basic monotheistic faith proclaimed by prophets throughout history. The Qur'an is not seen as presenting a new revelation but rather as providing a complete, accurate, and therefore final record of the message that had already been given to Abraham, Jesus, Moses, David and other earlier prophets. As the basis for a historical community and tradition of faith, however, Islam begins in Mecca with the life and work of Muhammad in the early seventh century.
Who’s willing to tell me the 5 pillars of Islam?
Pillars of Islam: Like the house has it’s basic structure, the human body it’s complex DNA structure and the planets and galaxy it’s magnificent structure…so does the religion of Islam.
The Basic Pillars of Islam are ranked in order of importance:
Shahada:
Declaration of Faith: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his last and final messenger!
Salat:
Formal prayers: 5 daily prayers, performed at specific times throughout the day and night as ordained by Allah.
Zakat:
Charity or alms giving: calculations based on earnings and wealth for equality rich and poor. A date can be considered charity, even a smile with the right intention.
Sawm:
Fasting:
Hajj:
Pilgrimage to Makkah: with specific criteria and restrictions for those willing to make the sacrifice
The focus of our conversation will be on Fasting and the celebration of Eid that occurs after.
Ramadan
Is there a revelation in the Quran about Ramadan?
Fasting is a practice common to many religious traditions. The Quran alludes to that fact in the verse that prescribed fasting upon the Muslims:
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you might achieve piety.”1
Who can tell me of the other religions that hold fast for religious purposes?
• Main branches of Buddhism practice some periods of fasting, usually on full-moon days and other holidays.
• Catholics fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstain from meat on all Fridays in Lent. For many centuries, Catholics were forbidden to eat meat on all Fridays, but since the mid-1960s, abstaining from meat on Fridays outside of Lent has been a matter of local discretion.
• For East Indians Fasting is commonly practiced on New Moon days and during festivals such as Shivaratri, Saraswati, and Durga. Women in North India also fast on the day of Karva.
• Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the best-known fast day. The Jewish calendar has six other fast days as well.
• Mormonism holds their Fast on the first Sunday of each month. Individuals, families, or wards may hold other fasts at will.
• Although Jesus fasted as stated in the bible (And he fasted forty days and forty nights and afterward he was hungry;2), fasting is no longer a part of the religious practice of most Christians. Restricting food intake is also a part of many secular ways of life, but the goal of such practices is very different from the goal of fasting in Islam.
Some people, who are concerned with "natural living" and holistic health, fast to purify the body of toxins. In these fasts, solid foods are eliminated, but the person may drink water or juice. The most widespread Western form of restricting food intake is dieting. The only real goal of this practice is to reduce weight. Their motive is to look as much as possible like models and actresses held up as the ideals of beauty in a steady barrage of movies, TV shows and advertisements. The more extreme forms of this state of mind are anorexia and bulimia. This obsession with outer appearance is the very opposite of the Islamic goal in fasting.
The goal of Islamic fasting is so that: “…that one might achieve piety.” The word taqwaa, translated as piety, is derived from a word meaning “protective shield.” The Qur’an repeatedly promises that those who achieve taqwaa will gain the good of this life and the Hereafter. When the Prophet’s companion 'Umar was asked to explain the meaning of taqwaa, he illustrated it with a metaphor:
A man trying to walk through a field of thickly planted thorn bushes holds his clothes close to his body and maneuvers carefully to avoid tearing his clothes and skin.
Thus, a person who achieves taqwaa is in a state of constant awareness of God. He thinks about how to please God by doing good and guarding against evil.
In Islamic fasting, Abstinence is required from food, drink and intercourse as well as Engaging in undesirable behaviors like: backbiting, lying, gossiping, cursing, lack of patience.
Fasting begins before the light of dawn with the individual waking up and eating a small meal and praying the morning salat when the hint of light approaches. It is recommended to read a chapter or two of Quran (in any language) after Salat. When the Sun declines past the horizon fasting is over and it is recommended to break your fast with a date and some water, the Iftar, then to pray the sunset Salat. After prayer you can have your meal and appreciate what you have. After the last prayer of the day, it is recommended to go to the Masjid and join in the Tarawaih prayer that is held each night during the month of Ramadan.
Every Muslim over the age of puberty who is sane and healthy must observe the fast. The very young, the permanently sick, and the elderly that is too weak are exempt from fasting. Furthermore, temporary exemptions are given to woman in menses, pregnant woman and woman after childbirth as well as travelers.
Fasting reduces one’s desires. It trains a person in self-restraint. He becomes accustomed to keeping a watch on himself. If one can forgo what is normally lawful for a limited amount of time, one should be able to forgo what is always unlawful. It shifts the focus of one’s attention from bodily needs to spiritual needs. This focus is complemented in Ramadan by the exhortation to spend more time reading Quran and praying extra prayers. For the fast to be rewarded, refraining from food and drink must also be accompanied by refraining from unlawful acts.
Prophet Muhammad said, “Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and deed, Allah has no need for him to leave his food and drink.”3
Proper fasting causes the stomach to shrink. When one breaks the fast at sunset, one cannot eat as much food as one normally would in a meal during the rest of the year. A light meal should also be taken toward the end of the night to prevent fasting from becoming very difficult. When these guidelines are followed, fasting cleanses the body and the soul. Some weight is lost. One frequently experiences a great feeling of serenity while fasting. Feeling the pangs of hunger should also make a person empathize with those who feel hungry not as a matter of choice but because they can’t find enough to eat. As such, fasting encourages sympathy and sensitivity among Muslims. Thus Ramadan becomes a month of giving charity as well as fasting.
Many Muslims fast in a way that technically qualifies as fasting, but in reality achieves none of the goals of fasting. They gorge themselves at sunset on delicacies that no one bothers to prepare the rest of the year. Instead of praying extra prayers they play cards or engage in less wholesome diversions and snack and drink throughout the night before gorging themselves once again just before the dawn. Then they crawl into their beds like a python that has just swallowed a whole sheep. They may or may not pray the dawn prayer.
Who can tell me of other days it’s recommended to fast similar to the obligatory Ramadan fast?
Fasting is obligatory on healthy, adult Muslims only in Ramadan. However, there are a number of other days when it is recommended, such as three days at the middle of each month and every Monday and Thursday. Regular fasting helps to maintain the state of mind achieved in Ramadan.
Who can tell me about a set of significant days during Ramadan?
During the wholly month of Ramadan, one particular day has extra significance. It is the exact night when the Quranic revelation was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) Laylay Ul Qadr, Night of Power. According to the prophet (s), it falls on one of the odd numbered nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Many Muslims stay up all night to pray and seek forgiveness and ask for guidance from Allah. Today is the 26th day of Ramadan and tomorrow is a very special day. It is recommended to practice extra prayers and ask for forgiveness for your sins.
Eid
What numbered and named month is eid on?
The holiday falls on the first day of Shawwal (the tenth month in the Islamic calendar). As with all months in the Islamic calendar, it begins with the sighting of the new moon. For this reason there may be regional differences in the exact date of Eid, with some Muslims fasting for 29 days and some for 30 days. The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Muhammad with his companions and relatives.
Who can tell me how much the Fitr of Ramadan in $ amount in the USA?
Muslims celebrate one of two great Muslim holidays, called Eid al-Fitr. Also, before the last day of Ramadan Muslims are recommended to give charity of the fast breaking. The donations will allow everyone, rich and poor alike to celebrate in the joys of Eid. This is required for all Muslims and the amount is equivalent to one meal per person for each individual in the house ($10 in the USA).
Can you fast on the 1st day of Eid?
Fasting is forbidden on this day as it marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan. Muslims are encouraged to dress in their best clothes, new if possible, and to attend a special Eid prayer that is performed in congregation at mosques or open areas like fields, squares etc. When Muslims finish their fast at the last day (29th or 30th Ramadan), they congregate Takbir:
Allahu akbr, Allahu akbr, Allahu akbr,
la illaha ila Allah,
wa Allahu akbr, Allahu akbr
wa lillah hilhamd
God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest
There is no deity but [the One] God
God is Greatest, God is Greatest
and to Him goes all praise
The festivities and merriment start after the morning prayer with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings. Eid is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. This is a time for peace for all Muslims in the world to devote to prayers and mutual well-being.
It is a joyous occasion with important religious significance. Happiness is observed at attaining spiritual uplift after a month of fasting. Muslims dress in holiday attire. After attending the special congregational prayer in the morning, worshippers greet and embrace each other in a spirit of peace, love, and brotherhood. Visiting friends and relatives is common. A celebration of the achievement of enhanced piety; it is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking Allah for the help and strength we are given throughout the previous month to help us practice self-control.
Who can tell me the traditional greeting of Eid?
Common greetings during this three-day festival are the Arabic greeting "Eid Mubarak", "Eid saeed" which, loosely translated, means "Happy Eid and May Allah accept your fasting and supplication.
Children are normally given gifts or money. Women (particularly relations) are normally given special gifts by their loved ones. Eid is also the time for reconciliations. Feuds or disputes, especially between family members, are often settled on Eid.
In Afghanistan, young boys start flying kites after the Morning Prayer and prepare for kite fighting contests. Fairs came to the cities with rides and shows. Girls and woman typically had Henna parties and bought colorful bracelets that were sold door to door. Lots of special delicacies and desserts were prepared for the visiting guests. The elderly and the close family were visited first.
I’ll end with a quote that I read: “Remember, when we forget that God exists and is watching us, when we ignore our Fitrah or inner nature to seek God, when we fail to live according to Gods laws and forget the advice of the Prophets then we can fall pray to any self destructive impulse. The solution must begin with strengthening the sole and brining the body along in step”. Peace be upon all of you!
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