Ramadan 101

This article provides basic information about Ramadan, the month of fasting
for Muslims and the acts involved therein.

The Muslim calendar is a lunar one. The months are observed new moon to
new moon. Ramadan is the ninth month of the year. Because it is a lunar
calendar it is shorter than the solar calendar by 11 days, 354 days in total.
Some months are 29 days, others are 30. Since no adjustments are made
to the calendar, the lunar calendar moves up 11 days in the solar calendar
every year. This turns out to be a very interesting phenomenon. We will
return to that at the end of the article.

Ramadan actually holds a very special place in the year for Muslims. It is
the time of most devotion and prayers. It is held in the Prophetic
tradition that the whole Quran as a revelation was descended from Allah
to the heavens in eve of the 27th day of Ramadan, then it was revealed
to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) piecemeal after that over 23 years.
The first verses were revealed to him in Ramadan.

Not surprisingly, it is also called the month of the Quran.

In it, the Muslim turns inside to question oneself, much more than at other
times of the year, about what has transpired from one in the past year,
repents, seeks forgiveness for sins, and pleads to Allah's Mercy to enter
into the Paradise and not have an abode in the Hellfire.

That really is the focus of Ramadan, the attainment of piety. The fasting
is the tool to do that.

Fasting is a total fast from food, drink and intimate liaison between spouses
from dawn to sunset. But it is also an observation of the tongue and thoughts.
Prophetic tradition has it that a fasting person may not get anything from
his/her fast except hunger and thirst, if s/he talks about others, accuses
this and libels that.

Typically, a Muslim gets up before dawn during Ramadan to eat a light meal,
drink some water and prepare for the dawn prayers. At dawn s/he fasts from
having anything go down the throat until sunset. S/he goes about the day
normally taking care of business, but being extra vigilent with thoughts, words
and intentions and avoiding argumentation and altercations. One is advised
to remind oneself that s/he is fasting by repeating that verbally.

Usually Muslims take the time during the day in Ramadan, to read the Quran
more often than other times in the year.

Once the sun sets, the Muslim takes the time to supplicate and ask Allah
for whatever s/he desires and then breaks the fast. Typically this is done
with water and something sweet to give the body fast energy. This is followed
by the sunset prayer then a more substantial meal.

Getting into the evening, the Muslim stands in additional prayers after the
normal nightly prayer. These additional prayers last for about one and a half
hours. During the first week to ten days of the month, this is the typical day
in Ramadan.

Towards the middle of the month, the Muslim normally increases the reading
from the Quran and spends more and more time in contemplation and review
of oneself. In the last ten nights, many Muslims spend the nights in the mosques.
Some actually sequester themselves there, if they have no other obligations to
family or job. They spend the time in prayer and reading the Quran.

But most Muslims just attend to the additional prayers three to four hours or so
before dawn. The prayer continues until a short while before dawn so that
everyone has a chance to eat before the fast again.

The eve of the 27th day of Ramadan holds special meaning. The supplication
and prayers may extend the whole night without sleep. There is a verse in the
Quran which states that worship in that night is equivalent to the worship of
more than 1000 months (80+ years). By that time of the month the devoted
Muslim's heart is soft and lenient and ready to search for all the bounty that
it can acquire.

By the end of Ramadan, the Muslim is very sad to see the month close. It feels
like a departure of a close friend or from a comfortable abode. The hearts have
grown so accustomed to the supplication and prayer and the thoughts are
turned to a longing of the Mercy of Allah. It is difficult to leave the month
behind.

The first day of the next month, Shawal, is a big celebration of the break of
the fast. Usually Muslims take the whole family to a short prayer and sermon
in the morning followed by festivities and fun for the family. Everyone is in
new clothes and a good festive mood. The children have new toys and go
visiting with friends and family.

That is the month of Ramadan.

The question that comes up immediately, of course, is about the hunger and
thirst all day long. It is surprising how resilient and trainable the human is.
Within a couple of days the hunger pangs are under control and the stomach
shrinks. The desire for food recedes and is not evident except when Ramadan
falls in the longest days of the year. This actually demonstrates for the person
that s/he has control over their desires and can train oneself to break habits
that can be detrimental and help instill good ones.

Another question that comes up is the fasting for the young, sick, infirm, old
and pregnant or nursing. Fasting becomes obligatory on the person once
they attain puberty. Usually children learn starting at age eight to ten. They
copy their parents for half days or so. As for the elderly, chronically ill or
diseased, they don't fast. But they make that up by feeding those in need,
one each day for the month of Ramadan. As for pregnant or nursing mothers,
the fast is optional and depends on their health.

Reflecting on the fact that the lunar calendar rotates through the solar one,
it is easy to see that Ramadan rotates backwards in the seasons through
winter, fall, summer and spring. In the course of 33 years it has traversed
the year. Recall also that the seasons are opposite across the equator
and it is easy to see that no particular region of the earth (with the exception
of the normally non-habitable poles) gets exclusively short or long days for
Ramadan. All populations get to witness it long and short twice in the average
lifespan.

This, in brief, is Ramadan, the month of fasting. Muslims the world over anxiously
await it, enjoy it and are sad to see it depart. The attainment of piety is the
goal. The night, the Quran and the prayers are the companions of the month.
The fasting is the tool to gain control of oneself and one's desires.

The Prophet Mohammad's Last Sermon

This sermon was delivered by the Prophet Mohammad to an audience of over 100,000 (some estimates as high as 250,000) on the Ninth day of Dhul Hijjah (Twelfth Lunar Month of the Islamic calendar whence Muslims perform the Hajj--Pilgrimage) on the 10th year A.H. (after Hijrah) in the Valley of Arafat.

You may wonder, as an aside, how a sermon was delivered to that many people without the convenience of microphones and speakers. It is said that the prophet lined up criers radially out from his position at the base of the mount where he was standing. They repeated his speech and conveyed it out as he spoke it.

Here then is the text of the Last Sermon, after he had praised and thanked Allah:
O people, lend me an attentive ear. For I know not whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
O people, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury. Therefore all usurious obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no usury and that all the usury due to Abbas ibn' Abdel Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived.
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in the big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O people, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women. But they also have rights over you.

to be completed 2007-09-05

Friday Sermons خـطبـة الجـمـعـة

إن الحـمد لله نحمده ونسـتعينه ونستغفره ونؤمن به ونتوكل علـيه ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا ‘ من يهدي الله فلا مضل له ومن يضلل الله فلا هادي له ‘ وأشـهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشـهد أن محمدا عبده و رسوله ‘ بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة وترك أمته على الـمحـجـة البيضـاء ليلها كنهارها لا يزيغ عنها الا هـالك

ياأيها الذين أمنوا إتقوا الله حق تقاه ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون

ياأيها الناس إتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة وخلق منها زوجها وبث منهما رجالا كثيرا ونساءا ‘ وإتقوا الله الذي تسائلون به والأرحام ‘ إن الله كان عليكم رقيبا

ياأيها الذين أمنوا إتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما

أما بعد ‘ فإن أصدق الحديث كتاب الله وأحسن الهدي هدي محمد ‘ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‘ وشر الأمور محدثاتها ‘ وكل محدثة بدعة ‘ وكل بدعة ضلالة ‘ وكل ضلالة في النار ‘ وأصلي وأسلم على رسول الله وعلى صحبه ومن إتبعه إلى يوم الدين ‘ وأصيكم ونفسي بتقوى الله ‘ فأتقوه وأطيعوه ‘ إن أكرمكم عند الله اتقاكم

Translation to follow soon

Characteristics of a Leader

These are some quick notes to develop later into a Friday sermon.
It is from the sermon given today.

1. High moral character--وانك لعلى خلق عظيم
2. Just--ولا يجرمنكم شنئان قوم على الا تعدلوا اعدلوا هو اقرب للتقوٍِى
3. Knowledge of those led
4. High expectation of those led
5. Dedication