Tuesday, August 30, 2011

EID MUBARAK

AA;
Eid Mubarak


We are not a monolithic lot, we are different and we must learn to accept and respect every tradition without denigration - Eid is a joyous moment and not the time to criticize others for celebrating the Eid on a different day. I hope the article Politics of Ramadan is enlightening

I am blessed to have written nearly 40 articles on Ramadan and have visited mosque of just about every denomination of Muslims including the Beit al Muqadas and Al-Aqsa Mosques last year. Much earlier I have prayed at both Madinah and Makkah. It was a pleasure to do the Iftaar with Muslims from Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Sufi, Shia, Sunni, WD Muhammad and Muslims of every race, ethnicity and many cultures.
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Spirit of Ramadan: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/spirit-of-ramadan_b_939961.html
 ............................

Politics of Ramadan:
http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html
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Rituals of Ramadan:   http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/09/traditions-of-ramadan.html  
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Insha Allah, next Ramadan, I will make a movie on our diversity and welcome ideas and facilitations from you. You can share your comment at the end of this article at:  http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/eid-mubarak.html
Jazak Allah Khair

Mike Ghouse
Muslims Together
www.IslamTogetherFoundation.com
www.MikeGhouse.net

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Spirit of Ramadan - Eid Mubarak


Rituals signify the mile stones of our daily life. Every significant moment of the day is a ritual. It is an unwritten way of measuring our progression; a memory pattern to bring discipline to our actions.

From the moment we are born to the last rites of our life and every moment in-between is laden with rituals, though some of us may deny it. Whether we go to the gym, eat our food; go to sleep, wear clothes, drive some place, in our intimate moments, or picking that phone up, we follow rituals.

Discipline is necessary to do things on time, managing personal relationships, driving to a destination or keeping within budget to achieve the goals; the result is worth the discipline to most people. When joyous, whether we are a theist or not, we have to express that sentiment, otherwise a sense of incompleteness lingers in our hearts.
The Spiritual masters have captured the human gravity for rituals and have molded it with the art and science of self-discipline in their respective religion. The noble purpose of each one of them was to bring a balance in our lives and a balance with things that surround us; life and environment.

The Spirit;

Every faith is composed of a set of unique rituals to bring discipline and peace to human life. Fasting is one of the five key rituals that Muslims around the world observe.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is generally observed with a ritual precision; it is an annual training or a refresher. It requires one to abstain from food, drink, intimacy, ill will, ill talk, ill actions or any temptations from dawn to dusk, every day for a month. One has to rise above his or her baser desires. Islam gifts this month to its followers to inculcate discipline to bring moderation in their daily lives. Twenty five hundred years ago, Buddha, the enlightened one taught that human suffering is caused by unrestrained desire to own and had recommended a middle path, and the same recommendation was made by Prophet Muhammad fourteen hundred years ago.

Although Ramadan is popularly known in the West for its culinary delicacies and fancy Iftaar (ceremonial breaking of fast at sun down), the spirit and intent of Ramadan lies in a human transformation in a month long inner spiritual journey of finding oneself in tune with spirituality.



God has no need for the hunger or thirst of someone who hurts others, violates their dignity or usurps their rights, said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The fasting of the stomach must be matched by the fasting of the limbs. The eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet all have their respective fasts to undergo. The tongue's temptations, for example - lies, backbiting, slander, vulgarity and senseless argumentation - must be challenged and curbed to maintain the integrity of the fast.

Consciousness of behavior and vigilance over action are the most profound dimensions of fasting: the fasting of the heart focuses on the attachment to the divine. That is when Ramadan really becomes a source of peace and solace, just as Christmas goes beyond the rituals to bring forth kindness, charity and caring.

True fasting is self-purification; and from this, a rich inner life that bring about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy - values that are indispensable for the success of the community.

Knowing about hunger is different from knowing hunger. Empathy is not an intellectual equation; it is a human experience. Our hardness of heart often springs from our distance from the human condition of others. The poor, sick, disenfranchised, oppressed - we rarely walk a mile in their shoes, not even a few steps. "Rest assured," cautioned one teacher, "if you do not taste what it feels like to be hungry, you will not care for those who are."

For fasting to be truly universal, its benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must extend to forging a common humanity with others. Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human, and its universality is reflected by its observance in Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other faiths.

Ramadan will come and go with such stealth that we cannot but be reminded of our mortality. What is it that we value and why? Habits, customs, even obsessive behavior like smoking can be curtailed with relative ease in the face of a higher calling.

More:
Politics of Ramadan - http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html
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Rituals of Ramadan - http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/09/traditions-of-ramadan.html

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Spirit of Ramadan http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/spirit-of-ramadan-eid-mubarak.html  
---
Mike Ghouse is President of America Together foundation and is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, Justice and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars and conferences. Mike's work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and his current writings at www.TheGhousediary.com

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Day 19 of Ramadan 2011


Day 19 of Ramadan 2011 at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church

Terminology: At the bottom of this write up.

Church:  Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, Dallas
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal at home): Cereal with Yogurt
Iftaar (refreshments): Straight Dinner
Iftaar (Dinner): Salad, Rice, Non-spicy stew like lamb, Dolma (Grape leaf rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice) and Baklava for dessert.   
Culture: Interfaith Dinner- Christians and mainly Turkish Muslims, perhaps I was the only Subcontinentan there.


PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam.

THE PLAN: Visit a mosque a day and be with every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

......................................... ...

If you think of sharing your own Ramadan experience, time is to start now.


 
The Dallas Islamic Center, an organization supported by Fateh Gulen, a Turkish Muslim reformer is doing a great job in the Islamic theme of “knowing each other” to create a better world. http://www.dallasislamiccenter.org/

A few pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157627477918142/show/

Hamidullah, Imam Yesil
and Mike Ghouse
Over the years they have done a fabulous job of reaching out to neighbors, conducting interfaith dialogue, dinners and classes on Quraan. I am yet to visit their center in Richardson and now I have the incentive to really be a tiny part of the good work they do. I discovered today that Imam Nihat Yesil and I have met some 4 or 5 years ago, fortunately both of us remembered my effort to connect him with Dr Kavakci, another Turkish Imam whom I brag about.

Now this is a different experience altogether for Muslims.
 
About 250 people attended the dinner event, mostly the guests were the congregation of the United Methodist Church and some 50 Turkish Muslims and few others including me, perhaps the only one from the subcontinent ethnicity.


Yasin moderated the event, he was amazing when he walked up on the stage and shared the three things Pastor Dr. Copeland had talked about in their meeting originally at the Dallas Islamic Center. (OMG, I had that last night, and I have lost it this morning). I will add back if it comes to the mind.

Hamidullah, a PhD student from Afghanistan opened the evening with Azaan. I wish I had recorded it, it was simply beautiful. It is an art in how you call the prayers in a melodious voice and I loved ever moment of it.

Ok here is a major difference in pronunciation. Much of the world calls the prayer call “Azaan” including Turkey, Iran, the Central Asian Muslims, the Subcontinentian Muslim and elsewhere in Philippines and Indonesia. Whereas the Arabic speaking people call it “Adaan”.  The pronunciation of the word “Ramadan” in Arabic is “Ramzaan” in most of the world.  All the speakers were toggling from one pronunciation to the other as most Americans respond to the word Ramadan rather than Ramzaan.

Pastor Copeland gave a beautiful sermon relating to the hospitality of Abraham, the fountain head for the three religions. It was that hospitality we are carrying forward, to share a meal with others. He mentioned that most of the congregants may have Google Ramadan before entering the hall and he shared the basics with the friends.

The traditional breaking of the fast followed by Prayers and dinner was modified to suit the audience, or perhaps that is the Turkish tradition. If you know about it please share and I will make an effort to learn about it. I was thrilled to find myself not knowing the tradition, and it made sense for me to know about the others.  Indeed, I am driven by working and developing cohesive societies, and the emphasis in Quraan to know each other to create a better world excites me.



Imam Nihat Yesil, like Imam Dr. Kavakci, breaks the stereotyping of Muslims about their appearance.  He did not have a beard nor wore a Muslim garb (Juan William, there is no such thing) or the cap.  He wore a suit. Muslims are not a monolithic lot, each one is different with different traditions and practices, each costume is beautiful to the person who wears it and we cannot but appreciate the uniqueness. The year 2010 witnessed a dramatic change in Muslim presence in the media. Till them, a typical Muslim who spoke on national TV wore a beard and a cap as it had become a trade mark. 201o changed it all, Bill OReilly brought in Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Harris Zafar and Sean Hannity pulled me in and you saw Raza Aslan on CNN and ABC, NBC pulled in Irshad Manji, Asra Nomani and whole new breed of Muslims were added to the Muslim spectrum which truly represented the diversity in Islam.  We need more of our young men and women to pursue a career in Journalism and add the accentless category to the spectrum.



Imam Nihat Yesil shared Rumi’s story about humility, how he met a pastor in the market place and bowed to him for his knowledge and did not want to lose the humility. I am losing my mind ascribing the following story to either moderator Yasin or Imam Yesil. It’s about the responsibility to reach out to the neighbors. The neighbors were defined by 4o homes around you and one must reach out to them. The other versions are 7 neighbors around you, and then the circle expands to the town, region, and the whole wide world. He was sharing the origins of Adan to call for prayers to reach the neighborhood and the whole town… and added with a chuckle that if KERA radio relays the Adan, the entire listenership would become our neighbors.



I was thrilled when they showed the translation of the Adan on the big screen, something I had always wanted to do and have debated extensively on the content and the meaning of it. The non-Muslims who object to this, really would appreciate if they really know the meaning of it.



Enjoy this beautiful Adan, there are plenty on YouTube, I picked this one as it shows beautiful mosques around the world, it is a delight to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUHDYlJHaOQ&feature=related

Here it is:

4x
الله أكبر
 Allahu Akbar = God is Greatest

2x
أشهد أن لا اله إلا الله
Ash-hadu al-la ilaha illa llah = I bear witness that there is no God except the One God3
.
2x
أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله
Ash-hadu anna Muħammadan rasulullah = I bear witness that Muhammad is God's Messenger
2x
حي على الصلاة
Ħayya 'ala-salah = Come to salat (prayer, worship)
2x
حي على الفلاح
Ħayya 'ala 'l-falaħ = Come to success
2x
الله أكبر
Allāhu akbar = God is Greatest
1x
لا إله إلا الله
La ilaha illallah = There is no god except Allah.



One of the many purposes for me to visit different Mosques and do my Iftaar is to open up myself and share the experience.  We have to learn to accept the diversity, no one worships in a weird way, that language needs to be respectfully replaced with … each one of us has our own unique way and each should be respected. To paraphrase what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have advised “Respect your brother or sister as you respect yourselves”. That is the key to successful communities.


I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at:
http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
..................................
MESSAGE:
http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
POLITICS OF RAMADAN:
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html

Coming up – Rituals of Ramadan and Spirit of Ramadan
..................................



TERMS:

Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.

Prayers - The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures... I will update the details before the end of Ramadan.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Day 18 of Ramadan 2011

Day 18 of Ramadan 2011 at  Dallas Islamic Center, Richardson
http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-18-of-ramadan-2011.html

Thursday, August 18, 2011 | Ramadan 18, 1432


Mosque:  Richardson Mosque, the first Mosque in Dallas, Texas
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal at home): Oatmeal and Fruits
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates, Fruits, punch and water
Iftaar (Dinner): Salad, Rice, Broiled Fish and Halwa (Sweetened Lentil Paste)
Culture: Interfaith Dinner- Christians, Sikhs, Jews, Hindus and others

THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.
PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam.








11 PICTURES AT:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157627474310570/show/

......................................... ...

Alhamdu Lillah, all praises to the creator for blessing the world with diversity. I am pleased to highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we can cherish it. If you think of sharing your Ramadan experience, time is to start now.



The Richardson Mosque has been in the forefront of dealing with a majority of issues since bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma. This mosque has been a community center for the people of Dallas/Fort Worth fro nearly thirty years.  The community has grown in size and we have nearly 30 Mosques and Mussallas (Temp) in the area.

Dr. Imam Yusuf Zia Kavakci has been a pillar of this mosque for over 20 years; the mosque opened its door in the early 80’s.  We are blessed to have his wisdom; he is recognized as one of the 500 Muslim scholars around the world.

He and I have had several beautiful interfaith moments over the years and I hope to put them all in the upcoming book.  He is also one of the first Imams that we have encountered who wore three piece suits, no beard and no head gear. But over the last several years, he has started wearing the cloak, beard and the cap.  He has gone through quite a lot of media scrutiny after 9/11 and particularly in 2003.  We had organized a group of 30 people into a group called MRRT, Muslim Rapid Response team to deal with the media and we had over 50 letters published that year in the Dallas Morning News. It was a rough time.

After 9/11, with the leadership of Muhammad Suleman, this Mosque had initiated the Open Houses on Sundays. I was able to contribute in the open house by reminding the organization to coach the volunteers not to jump and start talking the differences when people visited. I remember a few of them welcoming the Christians  with a note that “We don’t believe that Jesus was a son of a God but a Prophet”. All of that has improved over a period of time and interfaith understanding has matured since then.  

It was also the first time in a US Mosque history that Hindu prayers were chanted along with others and thank God, except one or two Muslims most were gracious. The fingers of course were pointing at me. I have been in just about every place of worship including the Native Americans, but frequently in the Hindu Temples and a few had repeatedly said to me that Muslims don’t invite them to the Mosques and few even wrote in one of my groups; Dallas Indians, that they will not be allowed in a Mosque, that is a myth and perhaps is true in a few places in Asia, but it is not common. So I extended the invitation to ten with a personal note to a few, unfortunately they all had commitments. Next time, I had make the time to call.
I believe until we listen to God’s wisdom – where he says his creation is intentionally diverse, and the best among us are the ones who take time to know each other – so that we can mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill and learn to respect the otherness of other for creating peaceful societies.
Brother Muhammad Suleman pulled off a great gathering this evening and it was such a delight to see so many people out there from different faiths. Glad to see a few Hindu friends in particular, we need to pull all of us into the same tent.

Food service by the volunteers was exemplary, they carried huge trays with several plates on it and delivered the food to nearly 300 people in no time. The Boys and the girls, the men and women had a genuine smile on their faces.  It was nice, very nice for Dr. Hind Jarrah and Dr. Nia McKay to get down and serve. As an individual and as a member of the community, I want to appreciate the volunteerism of every one whether some one mentions their name or not.  Jazak Allah Khair.

One of the nicest things the Islamic Center did was to honor Peter Stewart who is a pioneer in the intercultural movement. His dream to have a cultural center where all people can come together and pray or share a meal came true 50 years ago in the form of Thanksgiving Square. It was good to see Imam Yahya, who was a leader during the 70's  is back in Dallas. Indeed, he led the Friday prayers at Thanksgiving Square some 25 or 30 years ago. Thanksgiving Square is One of our landmarks.  I am so happy to see this moment.

Dr. Imam Yusuf Zia Kavakci did something extraordinary… after breaking the fast, he stayed with the group for dinner and many stayed including me instead of going to the Maghrib (evening) prayers with the intention of praying later.  I was giving company to Chris Slater, the Executive Director of Thanksgiving Square, loved his spirit of interfaith.  Dr. Kavakci understood the priority of the moment and this is a good step forward.  
When we break the fast, it is usually with fruit, in particular a date, if you are driving and got stuck in the traffic, you can sip the water (I keep water in my car all the times).


Like most things of life, we have to verbalize our intentions. God knows it, but verbalizing defines our intentions. It is a common practice in all faiths, God wants you to ask him.  and how to frame the asking was a full sermon on the American Family Radio, they were promoting a book on the topic.  Those who are skeptics can ask a psychologist, he or she would perhaps say that verbalizing clears the dust and brings clarity to oneself; a big relief indeed.   

So when we break the fast we always say the grace, a short prayer.  The Shia and Sunni versions (Ahmadiyya is same as Sunni) are very similar with a variation in few words. There is a slight variation within the Shia denominations, the Dawoodi Bohra verses are little different as well.  This is a mere statement of Intention in Arabic. I used to do that in Urdu language and now I say that in English.
(APOLOGIES - I gave up adding the Arabic version of the short prayers, here it was just not coming through)

Allahumma! Laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqiqa aftartu wa a'yalyka wa alayka tawakkaltu.  O my Allah,  I fasted for You and I believe in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance
 Allahumma! Laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqiqa aftartu.
"O Allah! For you I have fasted, and with what You give me I break my fast."
Allahumma! Laka sumna wa 'ala rizqiqa aftarna, fa-taqabbal minna. Innaka antal-sami al-'alim. "O Allah! For you we have fasted, and with what You give us, we break my fast, so accept it from us. Indeed, You are the one who hears, who knows."
One of the many purposes for me to visit different Mosques and do my Iftaar is to open up myself and share the experience.  We have to learn to accept the diversity, no one worships in a weird way, that language needs to be respectfully replaced with … each one of us has our own unique way and each should be respected. To paraphrase what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have advised “Respect your brother or sister as you respect yourselves”. That is the key to successful communities.

I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at: http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
..................................


MESSAGE: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html


POLITICS OF RAMADAN: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html

Coming up – Rituals of Ramadan and Spirit of Ramadan
..................................

TERMS:

Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.

Prayers - The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures... I will update the details before the end of Ramadan.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Day 8 of Ramadan 2011

HONORING NAVY SEALS | A MINUTE OF SILENCE PLEASE

In memory of our soldiers and Navy Seals who died on Saturday, please observe a minute of silence honoring them. May God bless them and give patience to their families. May God give us the wisdom to end Wars and find solutions through mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill. Amen


I urge fellow Muslim Americans to pray for their well beings, Insha Allah I will pray special prayers for them after Iftaar and Maghrib prayers this evening.
 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Day 6 of Ramadan 2011

Day 6 of Ramadan 2011 - Ahmadiyya Mosque, Allen


PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam. 

THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

......................................... ...

Alhamdu Lillah, all praises to the creator for blessing the world with diversity. I am pleased to highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we can cherish it. If you think of sharing your Ramadan experience, time is to start now.



DAY 6 OF RAMADAN



Terms: Meanings Listed at the bottom
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal):  Fruits and Vegetables
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates and Rooh Afza (Refreshing drink)
Iftaar (Dinner):  Salad, Naan, Lentil and Goat Korma (curry), Ice Cream
Mosque: Ahmadiyya Masjid Bait-ul-Ikram, Allen, Texas
Culture:  Muslims from Pakistan, India and Indonesia. 
....................

The tradition is to gather and listen to a pre-Iftaar lecture (Dars) based on verses from Quraan. The talk was about Prophets Moses and Khizr (knows as the Green man, apparently because of the legend that he lived a long life) and obedience to God’s commandments.  A similar tradition is followed at the WD Muhammad denomination. 
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has initiated a blood drive with a lofty goal of donating so many bags of blood by 9/11.  It is a symbolic gesture of giving to America the most precious item one has; blood.  We are working on having the announcement to be made on the Unity Day on Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 5:00 Pm at the Unity Church in Dallas.  Details are at www.Unitydayusa.com you are invited to join us. The Muslims of the Bay area are also doing something similar there per the Shia Imam I met last night. These are great initiatives.

Breaking the fast :: About 8:26 the guest speaker finished his talk (Dars) in time for breaking the fast, they brought trays full of Dates for each one of the congregants to grab a few, utmost three. It was a tradition of Prophet Muhammad to snack-on up to three dates prior to the prayers.  I cannot get over the math– 3 x 1.6 Billion Muslims, i.e. 5 Billion dates on any given day and for 30 days you are looking about 150 Billion dates consumption. As much as I know most every Muslim around the world observes the fasting and snacks on the dates. The dates from California, Morocco and Madinah (Saudi Arabia) are delicious, popular and meaty.

The Evening (Maghrib) Prayer consits of 3 units of prayer (Rakat)  and the same verses from Quraan are recited every where in the world. I heard the word “Amen” out loud in unison by the congregation at the end of recitation of first chapter in the first and 2 units (Rakat) of prayers. 


The Sunni and Ahmadiyya traditions are the mirror images of each other.  In the Ruku (kneeling) posture the congregants quietly recite  “Subhana Rabbi al Azeem” three times, simply put God is great and at the Sajda (prostration) “Subhana Rabbi Al Aala” again it means God is supreme and is repeated three times as well.  The rest of the rituals are identical including turning the head to the right and to left to conclude the prayers with blessing of peace to the people on the right and the left. 

The three units (Rakats) of prayer are the obligatory prayers for the evening (Maghrib) followed by optional prayers of two sets of two or four units of prayers.  One thing I noted but not sure about is – after the obligatory (Fard) prayers every one moves to a different spot to pray in the Sunni congregation (Jamaat), here the individuals prayed on the same spot and perhaps because of  lack of space.

My reference to Sunni is not because it is a standard or some such thing, but simply because that is the tradition I am familiar with and that’s the way I have learned to explain. It also makes sense to share it with the majority of Muslims (85% Sunni) who are not familiar with the other traditions. I must make a point to admire one of my favorite Imams Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci who is an amazing pluralist, he may not relate with the word but I see it that way.  When he talks about the dos and don’ts of fasting, he invariably makes a point to say how it is done in the Hanafi, Shafii and other traditions without making the slightest point that one is better than the other, it is simply a different tradition. I pray that we have more Imams like him.

One of the timeless advise Prophet Muhammad shared was to live a regret free life, meaning do not judge people without verifying and regretting it later for being judgmental. Quraan 49:6 “If any iniquitous person comes to you with a tale, use your discernment, lest you hurt people unwittingly and afterwards be filled with remorse for what you have done.”  There is a lot of myth created about the Ahmadiyya Muslims from a pure political point of view,    and the fodder they get is also from the same myths. It is like the right wingers who keep reading mistranslations of Quraan and for clarification they go back to the same mistranslations again and draw deeper but false conclusions. 

 I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

The dinner was ready and everyone got their plate and the food.  Fresh Salad, Naan, Daal and Goat curry.  I went back for the Daal for the second time as it was good.  A few of us seniors (LOL I never thought I was one and I am taking that identity without resistance) gathered around the office conference table and shared stories.  One of the seniors was the general secretary for the Ahmadiyya mission in the United States, he flew in from California, he is a son of the legendary Muslims of the pre-partition India; the Johari brothers.  I completely forgot to take the picture and was blessed to sit with a few Buzurgs (endearing term for the seniors).  OMG, I am one of them now!  I don’t know how my nieces and nephews view me as a senior... ?


The Buzurg talked about the upcoming conference in California where the people of different faiths read their holy scriptures on a given theme. Suhail Kauser my friend shared about the Quraan conference we held and possibility of the Sharia conference in March next year.

Murabbi (Imam/pastor) Zafrullah Hanjra will be here in Dallas for a week from tomorrow, he is the mission Chief for the South west Region. I have grown to like him, he is man of patience and wisdom and I enjoy visiting him in Houston.  


The Ahmadiyya literature has quite a lot of research on science and religion, I believe one of their Khalifas (Religious leader) had said, Quraan is God’s word and Science is his action.  Dr. Jari Khan presented a book to me “Revelation and Rationality – knowledge and truth” and I hope to read it in the coming weeks. Meanwhile I am reviewing a book on Peace in Israel and Palestine to be released on the day of United Nations vote for the statehood of Palestine.  I hope to contribute a few good paragraphs in the book.

May you be blessed, Insha Allah, I will be at WD Muhammad Masjid tomorrow.
  
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at:
http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
..................................


MESSAGE:
http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
POLITICS OF RAMADAN: 
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html
..................................

TERMS:
Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.

Prayers - The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures... I will update the details before the end of Ramdan.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Day 5 of Ramadan 2011

http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-5-of-ramadan-2011.html


Friday, August 5, 2011 | Ramadan 5, 1432
PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam. 

THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

......................................... ...

God willing, I will highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we as Muslims can cherish it. I encourage each one of you to experience it and write about it.


DAY 5 OF RAMADAN


Terms: Listed below

Sahri (Pre-dawn meal):  Oat meal in Soya Milk
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates, Chana Masala (spiced Chickpeas) and Milk
Iftaar (Dinner): Fresh Salad, Pita Bread, Rice and Chicken Korma (curry)
Mosque: Shia Masjid, Momin Center, Irving
Culture: Urdu Speaking Muslims from India and Pakistan and others
....................

Praise the lord, they have expanded the Shia Mosque in Irving, it’s almost double the size from last year and they have added a room, a beautiful sanctuary with hardwood floors. Several picture frames were set on the wooden cabinets with the names of twelve Imams in the Shia tradition with the name of Abbas son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (first Shi'a Imam and fourth Rashidun Caliph) placed prominently in the middle and a brass plate with hand symbols hung in the middle. I believe they call the sanctuary the Imam Bara. I just could not resist noting my Dad’s election symbol which was the hand when he ran for the Mayor of Yelahanka Town Municipality in the early fifties.


Of all the Mosques I have been to, this Mosque has the best carpet with inlaid design for the prayer rows demarcations,  and I loved the color of the carpet – it’s kind of greenish Khaki. Mujahid, one of the leaders of the community said that it was imported from Turkey and they had placed heavy padding under the carpet. Indeed, it was a luxury to sit on that carpet.


Iftaar:

The breaking of fast occurs nearly 20 minutes after the sunset; the dusk is interpreted as the disappearance of light after the sunset an uniquely Shia Tradition. The fast ends with Azan (Adhan) the prayer call and everyone breaks the fast with dates and other refreshments, water or the Milk followed by the prayers. The Iftaar dinner is after the prayers and they had the delicious Chicken Korma (curry) that reminded me of my Taiba Uncle's curry, which will never fade out of my memory. Apparently it was cooked by the Aunt of Abbas a friend  I have known for nearly 16 years. Compliments to her for the wonderful Chicken Korma.
The 2nd Prayer call is to gather the worshippers for the ritual prayer called Namaz or Salat. During this call, when the name of the Prophet Muhammad is recited, the Muezzin (the reciter) and the congregation both recite the full Darood (Peace prayer to the Prophet and his progeny). This practice is unique to the Shia branch of Islam.

As the people gather up, the prayer begins, unlike the Sunni Mosques where the Imam invariably asks the congregation to stand in straight lines and shoulder to shoulder, this Mosque assumed that they do and did not make the call.

Another unique item is the biscuit size round clay tablets placed on the floor to rest the forehead during the prostration posture.


As the prayer begins, the worshippers drop their hands to their sides while the Sunnis bring their folded hands together on the abdomen. At the end of the recitation of first chapter of Quraan, the word “Amen” is uttered silently.

During the Ruku (kneeling) the Imam (prayer leader) recites out in audible voice the name of God three times along with sending peace and blessings (darood) to the Prophet, a Shia Tradition. The process is repeated during the prostration as well.

On the 2nd Unit of the prayers, in the standing position, after reciting the first chapter of Quraan and an additional chapter, the Shias lift their hands and do the supplication prayers, the only other place I have seen that practice is at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Finally at the end of the 3rd Unit of prayer – they do not turn their head to the right or the left while saying As-salaamu aliakum o Rahmatullah as the Sunnis do.


During the month of Ramadan, most mosques bring guest Imams and here at the Momin Center, Imam Nabi Raza was visiting from San Jose, California. He is from Richmond Town, Bangalore, and a fellow Bangalorean and has been in the states for nearly 20 years. He was excited about my visit to every mosque during Ramadan so we can learn to respect the uniqueness of each tradition. He talked about the extensive programs they have in the bay area Mosques where all the Sunnis and Shias gather up on occasions. He mentioned that they gather up 15-20,000 Audience in Bangalore to celebrate Prophet’s birthday (Maulood, Milaad). Insha Allah, God willing we may coordinate visiting Bangalore as I give a talk “Prophet the peace maker” every act of the prophet had one thing in common – conflict mitigations and goodwill nurturance.


Nabi Raza’s talk topic was Sura Baqara, verse 2:183


Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:183

2:183 (Asad) O YOU who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God: -  

He talked about what constitutes Muttaqeen, the pious one and he honed on Hazrat Ali’s speech, the number one item (of the 101) is to “speak precisely and to the point” He referenced Prophet Muhammad’s saying where he had said, the most important gift to human beings is intelligence and the tongue (ability to speak) and must be used discreetly, as it is the tongue that can hurt others, can bring troubles in the communities and families.
One of the final attainments in the stage of piety is the ability to receive guidance from God – he used the word Wahi, the revelations. When you have achieved the purity of your being, all that comes to you is God’s wisdom. Indeed, I believe in that as the Sufis do and most Christians subscribe to that whereas it is not a part the Sunni tradition.

The most appealing item of his talk was – God does not need your prayers or fasting, it’s for your benefit that you do. He said if all the humanity abandons God, it does not make any difference to him, or if the whole humanity worships him every minute of the day, it does not make any difference to him, we are a speck (Carl Sagan?) in his unlimited Universe. Indeed the Bhagvad Gita says, even serving others, helping other is for selfish reason; it is an act of self preservation and self balancing.  Just the other day, I was sharing with a few friends that I am a Muslim for me and not for anyone else. Several of my Sunni friends attempted to correct me – You are a Muslim for the sake of God. I reiterate that I am a Muslim to be in tune with the universe to seek my own balance in the whole.


Islam is not a monolithic religion and it will take another generation of constant exposure for Muslims to learn to accept and respect the otherness of other. The same goes with the Christian denominations, they are in the same boat of not accepting the other denominations as legitimate and you will find that in every religious tradition. That is not religion; religion is indeed about humility and not arrogance.  Together we all have to grow up to enjoy the beauty of humility and valuing the God given uniqueness of each one of us.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at:
http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
..................................


MESSAGE:
http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
POLITICS OF RAMADAN:  http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html
..................................
TERMS:
Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.