Ramadan Kareem

Hiroshan1

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Jul 10, 2008
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The holy month of Ramadan enjoys a special importance in the Islamic calendar. As the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "It is Allah's Own month." It is the chief of all months and the most glorious one. As we already know, 'Fasting' is one of the important pillars of Islam and it is the very month of Ramadan during which fasting has been made obligatory for all adults and sane Muslims. By fasting during Ramadan, a Muslim besides discharging an obligation imposed upon him by Allah, becomes entitled to great reward in the Hereafter. On the other hand, any lapse in the matter amounts to a great sin. Fasting is an article of worship, the knowledge about the performance or otherwise whereof rests only with Allah and the person concerned. Hence, it is Allah alone who will reward that person for it, on the Day of Judgment.

The blessings of Ramadan are not limited to fasting alone, because the performance of all sorts of worship and good deeds during this month is also a source of great Divine favor. The revelation of the Holy Qur'an commenced during this very month and it is therefore the duty of every Muslim to read and try to understand the meaning of the Holy Qur'an and thereby gain an insight into the Divine secrets enshrined therein. It brings peace and illumination to the mind and imparts purity to the soul.

Ramadan is the month of fasting, intensive prayer, sacrifice and Divine worship. Throughout this month a devout Muslim fasts during the day in the true sense of the word, that is, he had merely denies himself food and water, but as explained by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), exercises strict control over his tongue, eyes, ears, thoughts and deeds and does everything possible to seek the pleasure of Allah.

Devout supplications to Allah and repentance of one's sins during Ramadan are the sources of Divine blessings and mercy. Some nights, among the last ten nights of Ramadan, are called the 'Nights of Glory' (Laylatul Qadr). It is accompanied by great blessings, and he usually grants the supplications made to Allah during this night.

The holy month of Ramadan, besides being the month of worship and Divine blessings, carries a historical importance as well. As already mentioned above, the revelations of the Holy Qur'an commenced in this month. The epoch-making 'Battle of Badr' and the 'Conquest of Mecca' also took place during the holy month of Ramadan.

"Ramadan", according to some traditions is one of Allah's names. This is why we cannot say Ramadan without making it clear that we are talking about the month, and therefore we should always say the month of Ramadan. The Commander of the faithful Ali ibn Abi Taleb (A.S.) said: Do not say Ramadan, but say the month of Ramadan. For you do not know what Ramadan is. This same meaning was referred to by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in his speech during Shaaban: The month of Allah coming ....

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saharaz

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May 10, 2008
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‘Fasting begins only after moon sighted’Arab NewsMAKKAH: The Saudi Council of Senior Scholars has rejected the demand that the beginning and end of lunar months should be determined on the basis of astronomical calculations.“Shariah does not accept astronomical calculations based on mathematical computing as the basis for the beginning and ending of Ramadan,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand mufti of Saudi Arabia and chairman of the council.“If anyone doubts our moon-sighting, fasting and feasting, it betrays his weak faith and defective perception,” the grand mufti, who is head of the Administration of Research in Religious Sciences and Fatwa said. He cited a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which says, “You start fasting when you see (the moon) and stop it when you sight (the next moon) and when it is hidden by clouds, complete (30 days of) fasting.”The grand mufti added that it is obligatory on the Muslims to start fasting when any Muslim known for his honesty and healthy eyesight claims to have sighted the new moon. This is the practice in the Kingdom, he said, dismissing suggestion that Muslims may depend on astronomical calculations to begin fasting in Ramadan and celebrate Eid.It is the Supreme Judicial Council that announces the sighting of the new moon to mark the beginning of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar), Shaaban (the month preceding Ramadan), Ramadan, and the three months following it, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.The senior scholars’ council concluded a series of discussions on the issue and came to the conclusion on Tuesday that sighting of the moon should be the basis of a month’s beginning though three of its members supported the idea of depending on astronomical calculations.Meanwhile, Saudi astronomer Jabar Al-Doussary said religious scholars and astronomers should settle their dispute on the moon-sighting issue.“Nothing but the astronomical calculations confirm the sighting of the moon in a convincing manner. The calculations are made not for a day or a month but for thousands of years. Even the viewing through observatories is based on such calculations,” the astronomer said.Khaled Al-Zuaq, member of the Arab Federation of Space Sciences and Astronomy stressed the need for a meeting of astronomers and religious scholars to bring an end to the row over moon-sighting and avoid errors.“The present method of confirming moon-sighting has created confusion that can be removed easily by adopting scientific methods,” he said. A 15-member panel from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain had decided two years ago to launch an Islamic satellite, which would be used for sighting moon.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=113244&d=23&m=8&y=2008