Ramadan Message

A brief message about Ramadan

Ramadan is about reflection about ourselves and who we are and who we want to be. I urge each one of us to reflect on what Ramadan should mean to us? Let's not reduce Ramadan to be a mere ritual or an obligation, let it do what it was intended to; to build a kind and gentler being out of us. 

Let's start cleaning our hearts from prejudice and judgment against our own and everyone else. Let there be no politics in religion. Let us fulfill a major task God assigns to the humanity, the best among you is the one who knows each other and cares for the other.

This is truly a test of our humility and our Taqwa. Should our Ramadan make us find deficiencies with other traditions? Should our Ramadan find faults with others? Should it free us? Should our Ramadan impel us to be a tyrant and push others to observe (Saudi and a few other nations)? Should our Ramadan strengthen us in our discipline and encourage others to enjoy their food, accompany them to restaurants and live a normal life?  Are we strong enough in our faith to let others do what they want, without affecting an ounce of our faith?   Alhamdu Lillah, last year I was with my clients and friends for lunch, I encouraged them not to give  up anything for me and urged them to eat great foods and live their life. Fasting is for me and those who follow it and not for others. Thank God, my determination remained un-shaken.

LET’S PRAY:

1. Let’s pray that Ramadan becomes our Jihad and strips our ill-will, malice, hatred towards others.
2. Let’s pray that Ramadan brings goodwill, peace and great attitude towards entire humanity.
3. Let’s pray that Ramadan generates goodwill towards fellow Muslims.
4. Let’s pray that Ramadan truly guides us to believe that God alone is the judge of one’s faith
5. Let’s pray that Ramadan dumps our prejudices, after all we are not responsible for others
6. Let’s pray that Ramadan makes us respect every Muslim tradition from Ahmadiyya to Wahhabi.
7. Let’s pray that Ramadan makes us an all embracing Muhkookhul Aalameen

AMEN

Alhamdu Lillah, I will be at Richardson Mosque on Monday Iftaar and will make the schedule to visit ever possible mosque where Ramadan is observed without any prejudice. I will create a schedule of mosques, if you wish to join. I will be in Louisville, Kentucky Mosques as well. If I drive, I will set up the meeting at the Murfree Mosque by Nashville, TN.

We always talk about unity and now let’s match it with action. I am in Dallas and ask at least two individuals (men and women) from each denomination to go as a group in visiting a Mosque a day. Since most of you cannot make it every day, I would urge us to gather together a total of eight times on the weekends and we will visit the following Mosques; Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad and others if we know any. If you are not in Dallas, please make an effort to visit every possible denomination. Please make an effort to bring people of other faiths to join, just to be a part of the Ramadan friendship circle.


We will learn about our experiences and share with each other and others. We will also learn about respecting the otherness of other and accepting the God given uniqueness that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has prophesized. I will be happy to be the scribe and get them published. Alhamdu Lillah, I was blessed to have done that last year and add to that the Suhoor at Imam Bukharis house in Jerusalem and the prayers at Al-Aqsa. Except the Ismaili congregation I have visited most diversity humanly possible. Insha Allah we will complete the circle this year.

Islam is large enough to absorb all the strands. Indeed, we can see the wisdom in the Prophet's predictions that we will divide ourselves into 73 tribes. He understood the human fitra (nature) and prepared us to accept it instead of making arrogant claim to be the best, the best among us is the one who is pious and who serves humanity.

Each one of the strands is serving the humanity. As a Sunni, I can value the respect former Prime Minister Blair's sister in law has generated for the Shiite branch of Islam. As a Sunni, I can appreciate the work Ahmadiyya Muslims are doing in serving the humanity, feeding the hungry and being neighborly. As a Sunni, I admire the selfless work done by the Ismaili Muslim Community to uplift humanity. As a Sunni, I love the bridge building work being done by the Warith Deen Muhammad Muslims. And as a Muslim, I salute the major funding of education in India by Bohra Muslim Azim Premji. The list is endless.

There is indeed a net gain for Islam collectively, and we must appreciate them all. Islam is universal; it absorbs all of us in its embrace. 

If Muslims can stand up for everyone on a principled basis, then our voices will carry the moral weight necessary to bring a positive change for the entire humanity including us. Prophet Muhammad has given us a model to emulate: The Amin, the just, the truthful and the trustworthy to build just societies for humanity.

Please note; it is easy for me to stick with the Sunni tradition and not hear rogue criticism, I am willing to put up with a few bigoted ones among us for a greater goal of at least talking about unity. We should not speak about Muslim Unity anymore, if we don't mean and act on it. Let's begin the process and learn to tolerate the intolerants among us.

Link to this message: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
This site: http://RamadanExclusive.blogspot.com


Mike Ghouse is committed to nurturing the pluralistic value of Islam.
About Mike: http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp

RAMADAN COHESION

May this Ramadan bring blessings to humanity, Amen!

It is time for us to begin addressing the unity within the Muslim community and with the communities of the world for building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. 

To have the power to effect a positive change in a given society one must be just. It is not justice when one gains at the wrongful expense of the others. Many a Muslims have lost the gut in their voice because they have failed to stand up for others.

Three things are required to earn the grace of God: belief in God, belief in the Messengers and accountability of our actions towards creating peaceful societies. Anyone who submits to these ideals is broadly defined as a Muslim – someone who subscribes to the idea of oneness of humanity, to talk, act and feel like one family who lives cohesively with the given differences for the good of the family. Every Muslim that I know of, and that is a lot of Muslims in every denomination is driven by the Shahada- the pledge; That God is one and Prophet Muhammad is his last messenger. 

RAMADAN COHESION

Let's start cleaning our hearts from prejudice and judgment against our own and everyone else. If the self appointed guardians of Islam cannot unite us to do good for humanity, let them not divide us either. Let there be no politics in religion. Let us fulfill a major task God assigns to humanity, the best among you is the one who knows each other and cares for the other.

RAMADAN THIS YEAR

Muslims always talk about unity but may not mean it, there is no significant action to support it. I am in Dallas and ask at least two individuals (men and women) from each denomination to go as a group in visiting a Mosque a day. Since most of you cannot make it every day, I would urge us to gather together a total of eight times on the weekends and we visit the following Mosques – Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad.  If you are not in Dallas, please make an effort to visit every possible denomination.  Please make an effort to bring people of other faiths to join, just to be a part of the Ramadan friendship circle.


We will learn about our experiences and share with each other and others. We will also learn about respecting the otherness of other and accepting the God given uniqueness that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had prophesized.  I will be happy to be the scribe and get them published.  Alhamdu Lillah, I was blessed to have done that last year and add to that the Suhoor at Imam Bukhari’s house in Jerusalem and the prayers at Al-Aqsa. Except the Ismaili congregation I have visited most diversity humanly possible. Insha Allah we will complete the circle this year.



Islam is large enough to absorb all the strands. Indeed, we can see the wisdom in the Prophet's predictions that we will divide ourselves into 73 tribes. He understood the human fitra (nature) and prepared us to accept it instead of making arrogant claim to be the best, the best among us is the one who is pious and who serves humanity.

Each one of the strands is serving the humanity. As a Sunni, I can value the work of Shia Muslims in carrying their tradition faithfully,  and I appreciate the work Ahmadiyya Muslims are serving the humanity, feeding the hungry and being neighborly. As a Sunni, I admire the selfless work done by the Ismaili Muslim Community to uplift humanity. As a Sunni, I love the bridge building work being done by the Warith Deen Muhammad Muslims. And as a Muslim, I salute the major funding of education in India by Bohra Muslim Azim Premji. The list is endless.

There is indeed a net gain for Islam collectively, and we must appreciate them all. Islam is universal; it absorbs all of us in its embrace.

If Muslims can stand up for everyone on a principled basis, then our voices will carry the moral weight necessary to bring a positive change for the entire humanity including us. Prophet Muhammad has given us a model to emulate: The Amin, the just, the truthful and the trustworthy to build just societies for humanity.  

LINK TO THIS NOTE - http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-cohesion-2011.html

# # #

Mike Ghouse is committed to nourish the pluralistic values enshrined in Islam.  His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Green Ramadan

http://muslimmatters.org/2011/06/30/make-your-deen-green-illinois-house-passes-green-ramadan-resolution/

On June 1, the Illinois House passed the Green Ramadan resolution allowing the ninth month of the Islamic calendar as a “Green Month” for all faith communities in Illinois.

“It is a great day for people of faith and for Illinois’s Muslim. Illinois is the first state in the nation that recognizes the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting in Islam, as the month of protecting our environment and our earth for all faith groups.” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Chairperson of the CIOGC. “It is incumbent on us to translate the great teachings of Islam, especially during the month of Ramadan, into serious and practical steps to address the challenges that are facing our world like poverty, hunger, wars and global warming. Let us reflect during the month of fasting, not only on how to decrease our calories, but on how to shrink our carbon prints.”

CIOGC is proud to be the principal force in this accomplishment as stated in the resolution. “We recognize the leading role of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago in raising awareness about green issues and the environment within the faith community… we designate the month of Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, as a Green Month in the State of Illinois in order to promote awareness among faith communities about environmental issues, the reduction of carbon production, and the reduction of wasted water.”

To show appreciation, the Council asks the community to again thank the sponsors of this resolution.
Here are 7 simple steps to form a Green Ramadan Committee in your masjid.