Ramadan Mubarak everyone!!
As this blessed month approaches, let us remember the saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting), leaving his food and drink."
Moral of Hadith: Fasting does not mean simply abstaining from food and drink. For our fast to be accepted, we should abstain from vain talk, backbiting, lying, looking at or listening to haraam things (i.e. pictures/tv/music), and outbursts of anger. These are things that we should ideally practice all the time, not just in Ramadan, but especially in Ramadan if we want to be deserving of the rewards of this month.
The rest is up to Allah, Most High.
So, to reap the best benefits from this month, I won't be posting much for a while, or at least until after Ramadan and Eid are over. Bye, Salaam, and Peace everyone, see ya'll in a month's time.
And again, Ramadan Kareem! :)
BTW, here's a quick blurb on Ramadan for any non-Muslim readers:
Moral of Hadith: Fasting does not mean simply abstaining from food and drink. For our fast to be accepted, we should abstain from vain talk, backbiting, lying, looking at or listening to haraam things (i.e. pictures/tv/music), and outbursts of anger. These are things that we should ideally practice all the time, not just in Ramadan, but especially in Ramadan if we want to be deserving of the rewards of this month.
The rest is up to Allah, Most High.
So, to reap the best benefits from this month, I won't be posting much for a while, or at least until after Ramadan and Eid are over. Bye, Salaam, and Peace everyone, see ya'll in a month's time.
And again, Ramadan Kareem! :)
BTW, here's a quick blurb on Ramadan for any non-Muslim readers:
Ramadan is the 9th Month of the Islamic Calender, and the most Holy Month for Muslims.
It is the the month in which the Quran was revealed, and is also known as "The Month of the Quran" becasue reading the Quran often during this month is loved by Allah (swt). In fact, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to recited the Quran, in its entirety, several times during the course of this month. Many muslims make it a goal to finish the Quran at least once during this month.
The second part of this month that is imperative and fard (obligatory) for Muslims is fasting during the month of Ramadan. In the Quran it is said, "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint..." (2,183). Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown. I found a pretty good defenition of fasting from Wikipedia...normally not a great resource for Islamic knowledge, but hey, it works for this:
"During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam as well as refraining from lying, stealing, anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic retorts, backbiting, and gossip. Obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided; sexual intercourse during fasting hours is also forbidden. [Qur'an 2:187] Purity of both thought and action is important.
"During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam as well as refraining from lying, stealing, anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic retorts, backbiting, and gossip. Obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided; sexual intercourse during fasting hours is also forbidden. [Qur'an 2:187] Purity of both thought and action is important.
The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to their God. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, sacrifice, as well as sympathy for those who are less fortunate, intending to make Muslims more generous and charitable.
The third part of this month that is important to Muslims is Qiyam ul-Layl, or "The Night of Power." It is a blessed night, (found in the last ten days of Ramadan) where one night of worship is equivalent to a thousand months, where God's mercy and forgiveness are there for any who seek it. There's alot more to it, but that could likely take up an entire post, so for now, just know that "The Night of Power" is in Ramadan.
What else? I don't think I've forgotten anything major. Again, this is just a broad, sweeping, overview of the month of Ramadan. ( Oh yeah, Ramadan is also a blessed month because Shaytan, or Satan/Iblis is locked up, and the gates of Hell are closed and those of Heaven are open, i.e. God's mercy descends upon everyone in this month.) For more information on the details of Ramadan, try this article from Sunnipath.com: http://search.sunnipath.com/BL/search.php?start=0&end=10&q=ramadan
Salaams and Peace! (Whoops, looking back now, I guess it wasn't a 'quick' blurb.)
Sumaiya
