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| Sunday, 10 October 2004 |
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Ramadan remind Muslims of declaration of human rights by S.H.A. Careem Ramadan is the most important month in the Islamic calendar and it commences on October 14. In a few days time the Islamic Community Worldwide will welcome the month of Ramadan. This event is confirmed by sighting the new moon, even if it is seen by only one just person. Ramadan comes yearly to remind Muslims of the declaration and establishment of human rights in the Quran, which started to be revealed in such a month, more than 14 centuries ago. Ramadan reminds Muslims to secure. The basic human rights. It safeguard the genuine faith in the one God, and to develop spirituality, morality, knowledge and social solidarity. During the whole month Muslims offer more prayers, read and listen to the Quran daily, and observe strict self-discipline through fasting. They pay Zakath to the poor at the end of the month and have more contact with other Muslims. Ramazan-fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam. Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) said "Ramadan burns the sins and faults as fire burns the wood." Allah Almighty has also prescribed fasting for all Muslims during the month of Ramadan - Allah Almighty says "O you who believe. Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous (Al Quran Sura-2 Verse 183). Fasting is one form or another has always been an important and often necessary part of religious life, discipline and experience in every faith. It was during the month of Ramazan the Quran, the guidance for mankind was revealed. It was at the dawn of a night in Ramadan that the last Divine message began to come down. "Read in the name of your Lord....(Al Alaq 96:1). That is why you must fast in Ramadan says the Quran. This prescribing Ramadan brings the entire discipline of fasting to centre on Quran. The sole purpose of fasting becomes to prepare us to receive the Divining guidance, to live by the Quran, to witness the Truth and Justice that it perfects to strive to make the word of God supreme. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims engage in increased devotional activities. Besides the performance of the daily five times prayers, an additional prayer called 'Tharaweeh' is observed during this month. This is performed either individually or in congregation each night. The last ten days and nights are spent in intensive devotion, including the celebration of the 'Night of Power' - Lailat-al-Qadr, the night on which the first revelation of the Holy Quran came to the Holy Prophet (pbuh). The well known Islamic historian Salman Al Farisi reported that the Prophet (pbuh) addressed the Muslims on the last day of Shaban and said: "O People! A great and blessed month is near at hand, the month in which comes a night better than a 1000 months. Allah has ordained fasting for you and prescribed additional prayers at night. He who drew closer to Allah by any noble deed in this month is just like a person who has performed an obligatory act in this month is just like the person who performed seventy obligatory acts in other months. It is the month of endurance, and the reward for endurance is paradise. It is the month of consolation. It is the month in which the livelihood of a Behever is increased. And he who provides eatables to one fasting (for breaking the fast), he is entitled to forgiveness of his sins and safeguard from the Hell-fire, and is entitled to the reward equal to that of fasting without any decrease in his reward. It is the month whose 10 days is the period of mercy, its second 10 days the period of forgiveness at its last 10 days is the period of safety from Hell-fire. |
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