ISLAM
Islam is the second largest religion in the world. The word
"Islam" means "submission," reflecting the religion's
principle of submitting to the will of God. Islam is a monotheistic
(one God) religion founded by a camel driver named Muhammad
in seventh-century Saudi Arabia. Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel
appeared to Muhammad in a mountain cave and delivered a message from the one
true God ("Allah" in Arabic). The Prophet Muhammad dedicated the remainder
of his life to spreading this message, which is recorded in the Qur'an,
Islam's sacred text. Islamic practices are defined by
the Five Pillars of Islam: faith, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and alms
(charity).
In 622 AD, the Prophet fled north to the city of Medina to escape growing
persecution (harassment usually of a severe nature on the basis of race,
religion, or political opinion). This event is celebrated by Muslims as the hijira
("flight") and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Eight years
later, Muhammad returned to Mecca with an army and defeated it. Fifty years later, the entire Arabian Peninsula had come
under Muslim rule.
The Islamic calendar is lunar, It consists of 12 months of 29 or 30 days each, for a
total of 354 days. Years on the Islamic calendar are numbered from the
event of the Hijira in 622 CE, and designated AH (anno hijiri or
"after the Hijira"). The first day of the Islamic era is Muharram 1, 1 AH
or July 16, 622 CE. The months of the Islamic calendar are as follows:
-
Muharram
-
Safr
-
Rabi' al-Awwal (or Rabi I)
-
Rabi' al-Thani (or Rabi II)
-
Jumada al-Ula (or Jumada I)
-
Jumada al-Thaniyya (or Jumada II)
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Rajab
-
Sha'ban
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Ramadan
-
Shawwal
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Dhu al-Qa'dah
-
Dhu al-Hijjah
Islamic festivals
Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is
celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the month in which Muhammad
emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra), is also
known simply as Muharram.
Ramadan: Month of Fasting (roza) is a holy month announced by sight of the new
moon.
It is the
ninth month of the Muslim year, in which "the Qur'an was sent down as a
guidance for the people" During Ramadan, those who are able must abstain
from evil thoughts and deeds, food and drink. The
traditional greeting during Ramadan is "Ramadan Mubarak" ("May God give you
a blessed month") and the reply is "Ramadan Karim" ("May God give you a
generous month") The end of the fast is celebrated with one of two Islamic
festivals, 'Id al-Fitr
Id Al-Fitr -
Festival of Breaking the Fast or
Eid al-Fitr (Arabic for "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast")
is one of Islam's two major festivals. It marks the end of Ramadan, the
holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of
the month of Shawwal. The festival "is distinguished by the performance of
communal prayer (salat) at daybreak on its first day The
traditional greeting for 'Id Al-Fitr is "'Id Mubarak" ("May God make it a
blessed feast").
'Id Al-Adha
or Eid al-Adha (Arabic, "Festival of the
Sacrifice"), which is also known as 'Id al-Qurban or al-'Id al-Kabir,
It celebrates with the completion of the hajj (pilgrimage) rites at
Mina, Saudi Arabia. Eid Al-Adha begins on the 10th of Dhu'l-Hijja, the last month of
the Islamic calendar, and lasts for three days. During the festival,
families that can afford to do so sacrifice an animal such as a sheep,
goat, camel, or cow, and then divide the meat among themselves, the poor,
and friends and neighbours.
Ashura (also spelled Aashurah, ‘Ashurah
or Aashoorah): Remembering Shiite Martyr Husayn, is an Islamic holiday observed on the 10th of
Muharram. "Ashura" means "ten,"
denoting the date of the festival. Muhammad made Ramadan the Muslim month
of fasting, making Ashura a voluntary fast, It
is remembrance of the death of Husayn (or Hussein),
son of Imam 'Ali and grandson of Muhammad, on the 10th of Muharram, AH 61
(October 10, 680), in Karbala, Iraq. The event led to the split between
the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam, and it is of central importance in Shia
Islam. Some Shi'as express
mourning by flagellating themselves on the back with chains, beating their
head or ritually cutting themselves.
For Shi'a Muslims, rituals and observances on Ashura
consist primarily of public
expressions of mourning and grief,
Husayn's martyrdom is widely interpreted by Shi'a as a symbol of
the struggle against injustice, tyranny, and oppression. Among the
Shiites, Ashura is a
major festival, the tazia (ta'ziyah). This is intended to connect them with Husayn's suffering and death as an aid to salvation on the Day of
Judgment. Passion plays commemorating the death of Husayn
are also presented on Ashura. Ashura falls on
-
10 Muharram, 1427 AH = February 9, 2006
-
10 Muharram, 1428 AH = January 30, 2007
Mawlid or Mawlid al-Nabi is a celebration
of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam. The day is
fixed at the 12th day of the month of Rabi al-Awwal in the Muslim
calendar. Muhammad was born about A. D. 570 and died in A. D. 632.
Rudraksha translates as "Shiva's Eye" or "Pleasing to the eye of
Shiva". It is said that Shiva sat in open-eyed meditation for 1000
years. When he finally blinked, the tears that streamed from his eyes
became Rudraksha seeds.
NAMASTE
HANUMAN
one of the most recognized character of Hindu mythology has been an apex
idol of faith and devotion. He is known for his strength as well as
tenderness and hence many interesting stories are associated with him.