URL: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-ramadan-what-does-god-really-want.html
Welcome to Ramadan, this column is about the politics, traditions and the spirit of Ramadan.
Like a mother who wants her children to live well, like a teacher who wants his
students to do well, and like a chef who wants his patrons to enjoy his food….
God wants every one of his creation to live in harmony and do well.
No one is deprived of God’s love; he has reached every human through a peace
maker, messenger, prophet, reformer or simply a wise man or a good friend that
brings sense to living. The creator offers a variety of guidance to the mankind,
no matter where you live, the guidance is there, the guidance that leads to
live in peace, and without fear of the other.
Religion is one such instrument that God guides us through, and there are
many of them, at least 250 traditions including a dozen major ones. Each
tradition does well for the believer in bringing peace to oneself.
Today, the one tradition I am talking about is Islam, and one of its beautiful aspects
that helps build cohesive societies.
Ramadan Mubarak
Welcome to Ramadan, it begins on Friday the 20th of July, 2012. It is the month of fasting, a month of learning
about others, connecting with others, developing empathy with fellow beings and
above all reaching new heights in piety and spirituality, Taqwa as it is called. It is to become
closer to God and emulate his qualities of unselfishness, forgiveness and love.
It is a month of practicing service to fellow beings and developing self
discipline to learn to live they way we want, and being conscious of every
moment of the day for 30 days.
The Politics of Ramadan at Washington Post
Politics plays a crucial role in our Temples,
Synagogues or Churches, Mosques are no different. A few
scientifically-inclined-Muslims have adopted NASA’s calculations believed to be
precise. However, four different traditions are operating concurrently; i)
Strictly Calendar, ii) NASA and iii) Sighting with bare eyes and iv) sighting
by others in the community.
Muslims around the world will begin fasting from Friday, July 20, 2012 and for
a whole month thereafter, however, for some of them it will begin (only) if the moon is
sighted. The story is same with the Jewish and other traditions that follow
lunar calendar. Rosh Hashanah like Ramadan comes 11 or 12 days earlier each successive year. Continued at http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/the_essence_of_ramadan_is_to_become_humble.html
The
Spirit of Ramadan at Huffington Post
The spiritual masters have captured the human gravity towards rituals and have
molded it with the art and science of self-discipline in their respective
religions. The noble purpose of each one of them was to bring a balance in our
lives and a balance with our environment.
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. Rituals signify the milestones 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. Continued http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/spirit-of-ramadan_b_939961.html
The Traditions of Ramadan at Ramadan Exclusive
its celebration time when Muslims around the
world anxiously wait for the first moon of the ninth Lunar month to appear on
the sky. The families gather in their backyards, or get on the nearest hillock
or climb on the top of their homes and wait for the pencil thin moon to appear
on the horizon, and when it does, jubilation begins. Continued at: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/09/traditions-of-ramadan.html
Quraan says, had God willed, he would have made every one of us
alike - then he says, he chose to make us into different tribes and nations from
the same couple (or the same source). Then he goes on to challenge us to know
each other - he knows that our conflicts stem from not knowing each other, and
living with misinformation about others, when we know each other, conflicts fade and solutions will emerge.
Every religion means peace and Justice and that is acceptable to
God. He says, you need not worry who you are, as long as you take care of your neighbor, I will recompense you. Each one of us is responsible for our Karma.
He concludes ( Quraan 49:13) that the best among us is the
one who knows each other, learns about each other and respects each other. If
we take the time, to learn, every religion is out there to bring goodness to humanity.
Be good to yourselves and every one around you. Happy Ramadan.
