The Month of Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year and is considered the holiest month for Muslims as their holy book, The Qur’an, was revealed to mankind in this month. During this month Muslims worldwide engage in fasting and increased worship. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, the other four being, witness to One God, Prayers, Charity, and Pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles and the holy month of Ramadan officially begins when the new moon is sighted. On the very next day, Muslims all over the world begin their fasts. They wake up before dawn and eat breakfast, known as sahoor, in preparation for the fast. Sahoor is officially over once the time for fajr, the morning prayer, begins, which takes place just before sunrise. During the day, people do not eat or drink anything (even water), refrain from gossiping and expressing anger, and engage in God’s remembrance as well as resuming the normal daily activities.

Sunset signals iftar, the breaking of the fast. This is also the time for the evening prayer, maghrib. People usually break their fast with dates or water, pray maghrib, and then have a normal meal for dinner. Extended night prayers are also offered throughout this month. It is also customary to recite the entire Qur’an from memory by Huffaz (persons memorizing the whole Qur’an) during this month in these nightly prayers.

Fasting has physical and spiritual significance: it literally cleanses our bodies and souls, think of it as being a serious spring cleaning for the soul. It is really a dramatic shift from our daily chores and an awakening to the harsh realities of hunger which the under privileged face. The feeling of happiness and thankfulness to God for His provisions and bounties can only be realized at the end of fast at iftar.

The last ten days of Ramadan are considered special, as one of its odd nights is considered the Power night, Lailat-ul-Qadr, regarded as the most spiritually rewarding night of the year. Typically during the last ten days of Ramadan, Muslims stay up every other night exclusively to pray and read the Qur’an.  The catch: it is not revealed on which night the special night occurs. Thus, Muslims stay up to worship on each of the possible nights in the hopes that one of them will be Lailat-ul-Qadr.

Ramadan ends in a similar way to how it started: with another moon sighting. Once the moon is sighted, Muslims prepare a huge celebration for the next day, which is called Eid-ul-Fitr. On Eid day, they wake up early morning, shower, and dress in their best clothes. They then congregate for Eid prayers. After prayers are read and the sermon is finished, they socialize and congratulate each other on another Ramadan observed. Celebratory dinners and events ensue.

Hibah Ahmed

The 1^st day of Ramadan is expected to fall on August 22nd and the Eid Al-Fitr on September 20^th

Hibah Ahmed is a contributing editor at CIOK, Inc. She is an undergraduate student at Bellarmine University majoring in English Literature

Thinking outside the Bosque (Box)

The theme for the ISNA convention held in Columbus, OH between August 29 and September 1, 2008 was “A Time for Change.” It focused around the verse ”…Verily God will not change the condition of people until they change it themselves…” Sura 13, Verse 11. This verse is often quoted but we need to ponder on what it means in this day and age we live in.

The title of one of the talks was “Thinking outside the Mosque.” I think the presenter realized the problem with the title as we Muslims hold Mosques as the center of all our activities. He focused on “Thinking outside of the Bosque (Box)” instead, and eloquently said how malls have become the center of our cities. The most important thing for us is consumption: just buying and spending. But seriously, are Masajids centers of our activities, and if not, why not?

American Muslims are the most diverse community on earth. Diversity is part of our deen, we embrace it, and we are proud of it. However, it poses a major challenge for us when it creates divisions and fragmentations. Are our Masajids meant to be a meeting place for specific ethnic groups just because they miss their originating country or culture? Should we remain attached to the land we have come from? Does Islam teach performing rituals without understanding the spirit behind them? Do we want to impose our one dimensional view of Islam that promotes this kind of culture? Asking these questions may be a prelude to the changes that we want to seek.    

The problems we American Muslims face are nothing new to Islam. Fortunately, Islamic civilization has a long history and we know wherever Islam traveled, it not only became functional and familiar with the local norms but also dynamically engaging, enriching and leaving long lasting contributions. The need of our time is to develop an indigenous American Muslim identity to unite our community. Someone once compared Islam to pure water, which has no color but when it passes through streams, rivers, lakes, etc. looks different in color, that ultimately enriches and fertilizes the banks and plains it encounters.

Change will come when taqwa becomes our guiding principle, change will come when we open our hearts and minds, and change will surely come when we all get involved.  In the spirit  of the verse 110 from Sura Al-Imran, “ you are the best community that has been sent forth for mankind in that you enjoin right and forbid wrong and have faith in Allah (SWT),” let us pledge to join our hands in this blessed month of Ramadan and bring about the change that we seek InshaAllah.

Maqsood Ahmed

September 2008 

The views expressed by the Author(s) are their own and may not necessarily represent the views of "The Council" 

Faith, Activism, & Compassion

In Couple of days InshaAllah we will be celebrating Eid-Al-Adha, in commemoration of Prophet Abraham’s absolute love and faith in One God as exemplified in his fulfillment of the command to sacrifice even his own son. The son’s conformity in these words: “O my father do as you are commanded; you will find me, if God so wills, one of the steadfast”, is yet another example of extreme love and faith in our Creator Allah (SWT).

We know this was only a test of faith and may even think a terrible trial. But if we know the history of prophet-hoods, almost all of them have been tested in one way or the other and were indeed protected by the Almighty Allah (SWT) Himself. These were their essential experiences of faith leading to the next level of devotion and humility. The take home message is really about God’s rights upon us: the faith in Allah (SWT) and worshiping Him with devotion and utmost humility.

We have our life experiences, joys and sufferings, mistakes and tragedies some of them of our own making and misunderstandings. It is time to reflect if we have strong faith in Allah (SWT) and devotion in our worships and are benefiting from His guidance. In one of the Hadith, the Prophet (SAW) said, "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth …”. It is up to us to comprehend what Allah (SWT) has revealed through our Prophet (SAW) and reap the benefits (just like a fertile land benefits from rain) or ignore His guidance and remain like a barren land (rain has little effect on barren land).

One may ask what can we do in this contemporary world that we live in. We should strengthen our faith, seek Allah’s knowledge, His wisdom & guidance. We should be active in our communities and engage with the broader community through a process of compassion to fulfill our obligation as a vicegerent on earth, after all it is for the well being of humanity. In this post 9/11 era we are faced with numerous challenges. Let us work together and turn them into opportunities.

Eid Mubarak and Jaza Kamullahu Khairan.

Maqsood Ahmed

December 2007 

The views expressed by the Author(s) are their own and may not necessarily represent the views of "The Council" 

Website Launch

It is with great pleasure that we launch this website in the blessed month of Ramadan. InshaAllah, soon we will be in the final days of this month and we ask Allah (SWT) to give us the opportunity to seek and catch Lailatul Qadr (Ameen).

Our mission as stated is very straight forward: provide a common platform for Muslim community in Kentucky for their empowerment and for their effective representation. We seek to achieve this objective through a process of education, cooperation, outreach, and above all compassion.

Alhamdulillah, this process has already begun. We have a framework for operation in place. We have initiated educational programs for our youth. This website InshaAllah will be a powerful tool in launching and promoting our future programs. We have a team of dedicated volunteers whose skills and energy is vital to our success. We hope to have an elected body in place by the end of this year that can drive this process forward at an accelerated pace.

We live in a global and contemporary world. Some may say these are difficult times for Muslims. We should view them as times of opertunities. We have the wonderful Qur'an with us, which is referred to as umm al-kitab, the mother of all books, for it is the central source of truth, guidance, and wisdom. The life of our Prophet (SAW) is revered as the exemplary model for human life, for Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon him all the virtues and all the perfection that a  human state is capable of. For a purposeful and peaceful existance and sustenance, what could be a better source than the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The need of our time is to translate and transform these teachings for application to our modern life.

Qur'an says in Sura Al-Rad  verse 11 " Allah (SWT) never changes the condition of people until they intend to change themselves". This means we need to take an active part and take charge of our own affairs and not leave it to the others. The need of our time is for the mainstream Muslims in North America to get involved and define who we are and what we stand for.

We may come from different cultural backgrounds. We may have differences and the like and the dislikes amongst us.  But we have common beliefs.  This should be an overriding uniting factor. Let us start by pledging that we will work together, after all Islam is the source of all civilized teachings.

Maqsood Ahmed

September 2007 

The views expressed by the Author(s) are their own and may not necessarily represent the views of "The Council"