Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

ISRA NEWSLETTER

Ramadan 1429 : September-October 2008

www.IsraInternational.com

Ramadan : The Month Of Mercy And Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Views expressed are not necessarily shared by the editors.

Ramadan began on Tuesday Sept. 2nd in North America. For Details please visit : www.islamicmoon.com

Ramadan : A month of Al- Ihsaan

Special Ramadan Issue

*Hilal information * Ramadan Article * Muslim World prepares for Ramadan * Ramadan Around the world* Moroccan national Ramadan Sufi gathering in Sidi Shikr * Survey of Arab world

What is a Hilal?

The majority of Ulema, including Sh. Uthaimeen (S. Arabia) allow only the naked eye sighting for fixing the first date of the Islamic month.

CFCO Intl. reaffirms its definition of Hilal:

It is a waxing crescent moon seen after the sunset on the 29th or 30th day of the lunar month. The moon should be visible by the naked eye to everyone with normal vision. A moon seen through only by a telescope or binoculars, not followed by a naked eye sighting or seen by one or two witnesses, does not fulfill the Shariah requirement of the visibility, as the Fuqaha stated for the last 1400+ years. For complete authentic and relliable information on Hilal and Moon, please visit www.islamicmoon.com

Ramadan in Cairo

Ramadan Lantern : Cairo

RAMADAN SPECIAL

The article below is a slightly edited version of the original, published in "Nuradeen Magazine", July 1981. www.nuradeen.com

Khutbah (Sermon) of the Holy Prophet (saws) about Ramadan

'O you who believe, prescribed for you is the Fast, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that haply you will have taqwa.' Qur`an 2:183

'A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. Allah has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its nights in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to Allah during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfills an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in some other month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer's provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his wrong actions and save him from the Fire, and he will have a reward equal to the fasting man's reward without his reward being diminished in any way... Allah gives this reward to anyone who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast, and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink by Allah and will not thirst until he enters Paradise. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from the Fire. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, Allah will forgive him and free him from the Fire.'

From a khutba (sermon) given by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on the last day of Shaban.

Reported by Salman al-Farsi (Mishkat al Masabih).

Some Hadiths About Ramadan

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger as saying: 'Ramadan, a blessed month, has cometo you during which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of the Garden are opened, the gates of the Fire are locked, and the rebellious Shaytan is chained. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good indeed suffered deprivation.'Ahmad and Nasa'i transmitted it.

Every good deed will be rewarded from ten to seven hundred fold except fasting which is endured for My sake and which I shall reward.'Hadith Qudsi, Sahih al-Bukhari

'By Him Who holds my life in His hand the breath of the fasting man's mouth is more fragrant before God and better pleasing to Him than redolent musk.'Sahih Muslim

'Paradise has a gate which is called al-Rayyan through which not one shall enter except those who have observed the fast.'Sahih al-Bukhari

'Two joys are prepared for him who observes the fast, the joy of breaking the fast and that of meeting his Lord.'Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim

Excerpts from the Book of the Mysteries of Fasting from the

Ihya Ulum al-Deen of Imam al-Ghazali

'Praise be to Allah who has shown great favor to His servants, Who has frustrated the hopes and plans of Shaytan by making fasting a bulwark and a shield for His friends.'

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'The reward of the fasting man will be generous beyond imagination or estimate.' And so it should be because fasting belongs to Allah and by virtue of this relationship it has been rendered noble. The fast belongs to Allah in two respects. First because it is a form of desisting and relinquishing, in its very nature concealed from human sight, whereas all the other acts of worship are apparent and exposed to it. And secondly because it is a means of vanquishing the enemy of Allah, Shaytan, who works through the appetites and desires. These appetites and desires are increased by eating and drinking. For this reason the Prophet said, 'Shaytan affects the son of Adam by pervading his blood. Let him therefore make this difficult for Shaytan by means of hunger.' For the same reason he told A'isha, 'Persist in knocking on the door of Paradise.' When she asked what she should knock with he replied, 'With hunger.'

The excellence of fasting established, what follows is a basic description of the outward and inward conditions for fasting.

Outward conditions for fasting

The first outward duty is to watch the beginning of the month of Ramadan and announce it at the observation of the new moon (al-hilal). If clouds make the observation of the new moon impossible then the length of Shaban should be extended to thirty days. By observation we mean actual sighting of the new moon. Anyone who hears a trustworthy witness say that he has seen the new moon and believes him, fasting then becomes incumbent on him.
The second outward duty is intention (niyyah). Every night before the dawn of the following day one should specifically and deliberately entertain the intention of fasting. If he should entertain the intention to fast the month of Ramadan but fails to renew his intention every night his fast would not be valid...
The third duty is that, as long as he remembers that he is fasting, the individual should abstain from intentionally allowing any material substance such as food, drink, snuff and enema, to enter his body... Whatever enters the body unintentionally, such as dust, or water, during the rinsing of the mouth will not invalidate the fast...
The fourth duty is abstinence from sexual intercourse...
The fifth duty is abstinence from deliberate seminal emission.
The sixth outward duty is abstinence from vomiting. If one cannot help it however, his fast remains intact and valid.

Practices connected with the Fast

Delaying the time of suhur (until near the time of daybreak).
Speeding the breaking of the fast by eating dates or drinking water before performing the prayer.
Generous giving throughout the month.
Special study of the Our' an.
Retreat (i'tikaf) into the mosque, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan (in which the Night of Power, laylat ul-Qadr, falls).

Inward conditions of fasting

Fasting is of three grades:

The fasting of the general public (sawm al-umun)
The fasting of the select few (sawm al-khusus)
The fasting of the elite among the select few (sawm kusus al-khusus)

The fasting of the general public involves refraining from satisfying the appetites of the stomach and the appetites of sex and is described in the section on Outward conditions.

The fasting of the select few is to keep the ears, the eyes, the tongue, and hands, the feet and other senses free from wrong actions. It consists of:

Refraining from looking at anything disapproved, or anything which occupies the person and distracts him from remembering Allah.
Keeping the tongue free from raving, lying, backbiting, tale-bearing, obscenity, abusive speech, wrangling and hypocrisy.
Closing the ears to every reprehensible thing because everything which is unlawful to utter is also unlawful to hear.
Restraining the limbs from wrong actions as well as avoiding questionable foods at the breaking of the fast.
Not overeating when breaking the fast.
Remaining in a state of suspense between fear and hope after breaking the fast as to whether or not the fast has been accepted by Allah.

The fast of the elite among the select few is the fast of the heart from mean thoughts and worldly worries and its complete unconcern with anything but Allah and the Last Day, as well as by concern over this world, except insofar as it promotes the deen (life-transaction), which belongs to the hereafter.

Every act of worship is possessed of an outward form and an inner secret, an external husk and internal path. The husks are of different grades and each grade has different layers. It is for you to choose whether to be content with the husk or join the company of the wise and learned.

Breaking the Fast

'A human being has not filled any vessel which is worse than a belly. Enough for the son of Adam are some mouthfuls which keep his back straight, but if there is not escape he should fill it a third with food, a third with drink, and leave a third empty.'

Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah

'Many a one who fasts gets nothing from his fasting but thirst and many a one who prays during the night gets nothing from his night prayers but sleeplessness.'

Tirmidhi

The mercy of the fast of Ramadan penetrates all dimensions of man's existence, providing a holistic cure for all that ails him, rejuvenating the body as well as the spirit of man. Breaking the fast by overeating renders both these beneficial effects useless. And breaking the fast with the wrong foods in any amount will debilitate the one who fasts and make his spiritual efforts more difficult.

Allah exhorts us in the Our' an to eat of the purest foods and the practitioners of modern medicine are just beginning to realize the essential wisdom of this command along with the wisdom of the fast itself. The therapeutic effect of fasting is well documented by actual clinical experience both in Europe and in the United States, leading to general acceptance of the principal that fasting is man's oldest and best healing method. And the kind and amount of food with which one breaks the fast to a large extent determines whether the fast is useful or a waste of time.

The main rule in breaking the fast is to remember why you are fasting and what you hope to obtain by it. There are several du'a [supplications] for breaking the fast which call one back to this reality, one of which is:

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
O Allah, for You I have fasted and I have believed in You,
And have broken my fast on Your bounty and so forgive me
my past and present wrong actions.
O Lord of the Worlds.

Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem
Allahumma laka sumtu wa bika aamantu
Wa 'alaa rizqika aftartu faghfirlee
Maa addamtu wa maa akhartu
Ya rabbil aalamen.

One of the sunnas [practices] of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, is to break the fast as soon as the Adhan [call to prayer] is heard before performing the Maghrib prayer, with a date and some water. Ramadan Food Guideline

The rule of thumb of the amount of food to be consumed at the evening meal which follows is that it should be no more than is usually eaten at that time. In fact, if it is, the fast is technically invalid. Again one has to review what one's goal in Ramadan is -- to bury his head deep into a nose-bag full of food every evening after sunset and snore his nights away or to eat a light but nutritious evening meal and use the precious nights of Ramadan for dhikr [remembrance] and fikr [reflection].

The following is a guideline to the types of food which will enhance the natural purifying effect which the fast already has on the body and which will increase the one who incorporates them into his diet in energy, clarity and awareness:

Use as much as possible pure and organic foods, uncontaminated by artificial flavorings, colors, and preservatives.
Avoid eating too much meat too frequently. The Prophet, peace be upon him, ate meat only twice a week. Needless to say it should be halal, but it is also recommended to find a source of free-range animals and to have as close a control as possible over the actual killing.
Include lots of vegetables and raw fruits in your diet.
Avoid overdoses of starches, particularly excessive amounts of polished white rice -- use whole grains when possible and then not too much of them.
Avoid too much sugar and substances containing caffeine -- they will unbalance the delicate endocrine system of the body.
Pay attention to the order in which you eat different foods and the combinations of foods which you eat. The medicine of the Prophet recommends limiting the number of different types of food eaten at one time as much as possible, and latest research has revealed that the reason for this is the stomach's ability to produce different digestive enzymes for different foods. Too many different foods produces confusion.

Muslim world prepares for Ramadan : Delicious Ramadan Soup Recipe from Morocco

Hajar's Own Harira -- the National Soup of Morocco & Ramadan Special

There are as many recipes for harira as there are people who eat it though there are essentials. The beans and lentils, cilantro (fresh leaf), tomato and pasta of some sort. This is my own recipe based on ingredients and flavors which I enjoyed from other hariras. Harira is eaten all year, not only at Ramadan though it would not be Ramadan without it! This soup along with others is used traditionally for breakfast at sunset. This would be a first course served with accompaniments and bread before moving on to heavier foods. Many break fast with milk and dates; a very old tradition and I doubt that they knew way back when that the combination of natural sugar and the milk protein were a near perfect combination. Some find this a bit too rough for the first thing in the stomach. While harira is the national soup of Morocco, history tells that this is not a Moroccan invention but an invention of the Maghreb of which Morocco is a part. This recipe may look truly daunting though it really isn't. In our house the first course on the table is always either harira, chorba, or one of my stews; usually chicken, dates, pistachios and fruit. Then after that settles we move on to a normal main course.Before bed we will usually have a pot of tea and a rice pudding, dessert couscous or just the tea. Shebakia, the very honey sweet special Ramadan sesame cookies are always here though we prefer to have them with coffee and not necessarily daily.

Date Stand in Fez Morocco

Ramadan Recipes

Harirah : Ramadan Soup From Morocco

by Hajar Ana L'Maghrebia

8 servings 4 hours 1 hour prep

Change to: servings US Metric

1	cup whole dried fava beans
1	cup dried garbanzo beans
2	liters water
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	cups onions, minced
1/2	lb lamb, cut in small pieces
2	teaspoons ground turmeric
2	teaspoons ground ginger
2	teaspoons sweet paprika (the best most vibrant you can find)
1/2	teaspoon finely ground nutmeg
1/2	teaspoon finely ground caraway seeds
3/4	cup tomato paste
1	lemon
1/2	cup flour
1/2	cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4	cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1	cup lentils, soaked for 1 hour 1 in cold water and drained
1	teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2-3	teaspoons cooking salt
2	cups vermicelli, broken into 1/4-inch pieces
	lemon wedges, for serving

A. Rinse and pick over fava beans if you can't get these then use dried broad/lima/butter beans and chickpeas. Soak overnight in water to cover. Quick soak method; place beans in large soup pot and add 2 litres hot water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and soak beans for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Squeeze each fava bean and chickpea between your thumb and first two fingers to remove skins. Set aside.

In large soup pot over medium heat, cook the onions and meat (chicken can be used as well as beef or no meat at all though NEVER pork) stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and transluscent.
Add turmeric, ginger, paprika and 2 litres water. Cover and bring to rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add fava beans, chickpeas and cook, covered, until beans are tender. 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on your beans.
Finely chop together tomatoes, parsley and cilantro. Add this mixture along with the tomato paste, the lentils, pepper, juice of the lemon and drop in 1/2 of the squeezed lemon and salt to taste. Cover and cook until lentils are tender 20 to 25 minutes.
Bring back to the boil and make a fairly thick slurry (flour and water) with the 1/2 cup of flour. Add this to the boiling soup stirring very briskly to avoid lumps. Boil one minute stirring constantly. Add nutmeg and caraway. Bring the soup to medium heat, you just want a nice slow bubbling.
Add pasta (orzo or small soup pasta can be used as well though I always prefer vermecelli) and cook until soft. Taste and add salt to taste and adjust pepper. When soup is heated through, ladle harira into individual soup bowls. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, Moroccan flat bread ("My Rough Khoubz works well) or crusty french baquette. This soup should be velvety, not overly thick.
Prep time does not include soaking the beans.
NB: Harira is eaten all year, not only at Ramadan. In Morocco the nutmeg is ground to a powder which is darker and very pungent. If you cannot find or do your nutmeg this way, then I recommend that you purchase the freshest nutmeg that you can find.

Moroccan King revives the historic tradition of National Ramadan Sufi Gathering at Sidi Shikr

... Sidi Chiker (Safi), Sep. 19 - King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Commander of the Faithful, reiterated his keenness to "shoulder the responsibilities of the Commandership of the Faithful - a mission entrusted to me by the Almighty - particularly those concerning religious affairs."

In a message addressed Friday to the participants of the first session of the Sidi Chiker national gatherings of Sufi partisans, read by Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq, the sovereign underlined "how deeply I care for Sunni Sufism in my capacity as Amir Al-Muminin and Guardian of the Faith."

The king said the Sufi zawiyas, which were set up in towns and villages over the centuries, benefited from these distinctive gatherings and from the spiritual fulfillment characterizing them: "Following in the footsteps of my venerable ancestors, I have shown particular interest in zawiyas. Indeed I greatly value the role played by Moroccan Sufi tariqas in the areas of spiritual guidance and enlightenment, the dissemination of knowledge, development, the defense of the unity and territorial integrity of our homeland, social cohesion and the preservation of the religious identity of Moroccans."

"As for service to the nation, it is accomplished through the observance of your duties and obligations towards the ultimate Imamate, namely the Commandership of the Faithful," he stressed.

According to the sovereign, this requires the need to "preserve the cultural specificities of Morocco and protect them against alien trends and influences. In that way, the conditions required for serenity, peace and security are met."

"I am convinced the exceptional heritage passed on to Sufi followers can be both sustained and regenerated," said the monarch, pointing out that it can be sustained through "the preservation of our core values, of our faith and of our rite; and it can be sustained through loyalty to the Commandership of the Faithful. Sufism can be regenerated through initiatives and the kind of behaviour which enabled zawiya disciples to stay in tune with the times and serve as model citizens, vying with each other to work good deeds."

The king voiced hope this first gathering "will usher in a new era for Sufi followers in Morocco," all the more that Sufism is "one of the characteristic spiritual and ethical components of the Moroccan identity; it is fully consistent with the blessed Sunnah and the pristine Islamic Shariah."

Ramadan Continues to Inspire the Faithful Throughout the Arab World

� Sept 17, 2008 � Results of a 2008 region-wide survey

Summary: An overwhelming 96% of Muslim Arabs are observing the Ramadan fast, 89% view Ramadan as a yearly lesson in self-restraint and discipline, and 71% believe the Holy Month allows them to feel a sense of solidarity and brotherhood with fellow Muslims. However, as restaurants and hotels region-wide tout their special Ramadan iftar and suhur promotions, a big majority (67%) also feels that Ramadan is becoming a bit too commercial.

Ramadan Continues to Inspire the Faithful Throughout the Arab World.

Region-wide survey on Ramadan traditions and practices throws up interesting results

An overwhelming 96% of Muslim Arabs are observing the Ramadan fast, 89% view Ramadan as a yearly lesson in self-restraint and discipline, and 71% believe the Holy Month allows them to feel a sense of solidarity and brotherhood with fellow Muslims. However, as restaurants and hotels region-wide tout their special Ramadan iftar and suhur promotions, a big majority (67%) also feels that Ramadan is becoming a bit too commercial.

These were among the findings of an extensive region-wide survey conducted by Maktoob Research on the attitudes and perceptions of the faithful vis-Ea-vis Ramadan traditions and practices. The survey, conducted during the month of August, just prior to the beginning of the holy month, canvassed the opinions of 6,128 adult Muslims from across the Arab world.

Announcing the findings, Tamara Deprez, Director of Maktoob Research, said, "The study throws light on what Ramadan means today to followers of Islam, and how they perceive the customs and practices associated with the Holy Month. The survey's findings show that despite the pace of modern life and the changes in people's lifestyle, the Arab world retains its spiritual essence and remains largely tradition-bound where matters of faith are concerned - more so during the Holy Month of Ramadan."

The Maktoob Research survey threw up several interesting findings; 62% of respondents were of the view that non-Muslims living in Arab countries should not eat or drink in public during Ramadan, while 52% held that all restaurants should be closed during the day - even to non-Muslims - to respect the observance of Ramadan. 74% of respondents said they read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan, while -- despite the hugely popular Ramadan TV serials -- 43% said that overall, they watch television less often during the Holy Month.

In regards to the methodology employed to determine the commencement of the Holy Month, 62% of respondents favored the time-honored tradition of moon-sighting by the naked eye, although alternative techniques such as declaration by scholars and astronomical calculation also found significant approval. Interestingly, 79% of respondents said they are keen to receive Islamic content on their mobile phones during the month of Ramadan, with Duas, Hadith, prayer timings and Quran verses emerging as the most preferred content choices.

A majority of respondents preferred to celebrate Iftar with family at home, but there were also sizeable enough sections that preferred to break fast alongside friends or by attending a religious ceremony. In other findings, 83% of respondents said they planned to make a special gesture towards family or friends during the month of Ramadan or during Eid-al-Fitr, a majority of them saying the gesture would likely involve giving away of money (Eidyeh).

Surprisingly, all 760 respondents from Morocco replied in the affirmative when asked if they intend to observe fasting during Ramadan this year, whilst 99% of respondents in Oman, KSA, Qatar and Egypt, and 85% of UAE Muslims, said they would take to fasting during the Holy Month.

2008 Al Bawaba (Albawaba.com)

ramadan around the world

By Salma Elhamalawy

an article on about how Muslim communities in Chile, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and China celebrate the month of Ramadan.

The 3,000 Muslims that live in Chile try to integrate their lives with their spiritual beliefs in a difficult environment The celebration of the month of Ramadan possesses an important religious and social meaning for the Islamic community and Latin America is no exception. In the Hispanic world, Muslims should adapt their schedules in order to break their fast, but at times, due to work difficulties, they have no choice but to delay it. They are limited to breaking the fast with a glass of water, and have to wait until they leave work to break the fast collectively as tradition states.

Ramadan in Chile

Fareed Maymoun, a Moroccan immigrant, is used to waking up early to go to his job as a construction worker, but when Ramadan starts he gets up half an hour before sunrise. an important time for me. For the 3 years that I have been living in Chile Ramadan has a very special meaning for me. The first day is marked by a reunion at the mosque to celebrate another year, and break the fast together with the rest of the community.
Like Fareed, the 3,000 Muslims that live in Chile try to integrate their lives with their spiritual beliefs in a difficult environment. Christian co-workers are now used to my fasting. When we are on our lunch break many openly admire the will of those who are fasting, although they do not understand why we do it, he states.

The first days of Ramadan as well as the last days are marked by family visits while children enjoy their new toys and sweets

The Islamic Center itself fills with children and their parents, when the prayers are finished families get together to enjoy the many activities prepared: popular songs, and delicious food.

In the mosque a festive atmosphere is evident, people fill the halls and their children run from here to there. You hear kul 'am wa anta bikhair, to wish many happy returns for the beginning of Ramadan, Nawal Alvarez states.

The majority of families take advantage of this day to eat together.We prepare Mote con huesillo, a special juice with pieces of dried apricot, explains Nawal.

In Morocco Fareed and I would have met with all our relatives, but here we are going to eat with some friends at the mosque. Last year was the first time to break the fast without my family and it was very hard� adds Yasmina, Fareed's wife.

Nawal and Yasmina have it all prepared for this year, the first weekend of Ramadan they will organize an iftar (meal to break the fast) at the mosque. We will be eight women cooking and the menu is a traditional one, first sweet tea then couscous and dried fruits with many Ramadan sweets, explains Yasmina.

The first days of Ramadan as well as the last days are marked by family visits while children enjoy their new toys and sweets. However, for those working, their situation is no different from those of any Muslim minority.

The difficult thing is when we are not allowed to leave a short time before the Maghrib (sunset) Prayers. For us, it is very important to be with the family at the Prayers and the breakfast. Normally we offer to work during lunch breaks to compensate. But sometimes the supervisors do not accept, stated Fareed. In Chile it is more difficult than in other countries because here there are fewer Muslim immigrants. In France, or Germany, there are businesses where Muslims are a majority and they are able to manage their work hours. He said.

Ramadan in Spain

The celebration of Ramadan acquires a special importance in all Spanish cities--like Madrid, Barcelona and Catalonia. In Spain an Agreement of Cooperation, between the Spanish State and the Islamic Commission of Spain was established in 1992 and approved as Law 26/1992. The law affirms in article 12.1 that: Members of the Islamic Communities belonging to the Islamic Commission of Spain who desire, will be able to request the interruption of their work on Friday of each week, from 1 p.m. to 4.20 p.m., as well as finishing work one hour before sunset, during the month of Ramadan.

The celebration of Ramadan acquires a special importance in all Spanish cities--like Madrid, Barcelona and Catalonia--where numerous Muslim communities reside. Muslims get together to break their fast and they organize social meetings in the mosques. Amin Villoch, a Spanish Muslim, illustrates this. The first day of Ramadan more than 9.000 Muslims gather at the mosques in Madrid to celebrate the breaking of the fast. Ramadan is an important factor in reuniting the community. The Islamic Center of Madrid always prepares many activities during this month for them.

After the Maghrib Prayers, the mosque becomes a place of festivity. Everyone eats harrisa (an oriental sweet) and dates; Ramadan treats which no Muslim house lacks. Women spend all day preparing typical food to offer to their relatives and friends whom they meet at the mosque explains Amira Masaad.The first day of Ramadan is a special day. Although, it is difficult being far away from my family, the mosque organizes events and activities to bring the Muslim community in Spain together.
Many of the Muslims living in Catalonia visit the mosques occasionally, more to meet the community than to pray. However, when Ramadan starts, the mosques are filled with Muslims. Muslims celebrate fully these 30 days and dedicate a lot of time for prayers. This is when the situation becomes difficult too, the lack of space for Prayer comes to light during Ramadan. The Catalonian Muslim community puts a lot of effort into establishing new places for Prayers and to be able to continue to attract more Muslims.
Other activities that Spanish mosques organize during Ramadan include Arabic classes, Islamic culture classes and Qur'an and Hadith discussions.

Ramadan in Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

In Nicaragua approximately 300 Palestinian, Jordanian, Iraqi, Libyan and Nigerian citizens, as well as 4 Nicaraguans; all faithful Muslims, celebrate the month of the Ramadan. In 1999, Muslims established a mosque in Cuidad Jardin, where they gather every Friday to pray. Ahmed Hajjami, a Muslim who has resided in Nicaragua for 6 years, assured us that approximately 300 faithful Muslims, celebrate Ramadan in Nicaragua.

We begin at half past five in the morning. There isn't any difference in complying with Ramadan in Nicaragua or any other part of the world he said.Nevertheless, he emphasized that given the characteristics of Nicaragua, it is more difficult to carry out Ramadan obligations. One of the main obstacles is the time to pray, on some occasions we only pray in the morning and at night, it is almost impossible to pray the other three times, he explained.

For Muslims in Nicaragua, the renewal of faith during this period is the main celebration. Ramadan is not a month of penitence by fasting, but of festivals with banquets, gifts and new clothes.
The mosque also publishes a calendar with prayer times and times of fasting, which is coordinated with Al-Noor Mosque in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic there are approximately 2,500 Muslims, and the ones that reside in the capital regularly attend the festivities of Ramadan at Al-Noor Mosque, the only mosque in the city.

Yunis Ribas explains,Although the community is rather small in the Dominican Republic, Muslims gather on the first day at Al-Noor Mosque and their families usually accompany them. Later they meet in Recoleta at a halal (permitted by Allah) restaurant, a Jordanian immigrant runs it. We usually have harira, a traditional Moroccan soup, and shawarma, a spicy meat dish, on the first day.
The mosque distributes audio materials for the Muslim community, and Muslims gather for Tarawih Prayers before heading home. You can see the happiness of Muslims when they exchange greetings after the prayers, especially when there are new faces. Usually the day ends with a traditional herbal tea. Yunis declared.

Ramadan in China

For Muslims in China, Ramadan is traditionally a period of fraternity, solidarity and Islamic charity. Li Xan is a Chinese student who studies engineering at the Universidad Del Desarrollo in Chile. He has been living with his father in Chile for 3 years now. However, he remembers how his family used to celebrate Ramadan in China.During Ramadan my father would get up at 4 o'clock in the morning, and an hour later he will arrive at the Mosque of Niujie, in the center of Beijing, just in time for the Dawn Prayer.

For Muslims in China, Ramadan is traditionally a period of fraternity, solidarity and Islamic charity. Every day in Ramadan, we attended all the five prayers at the mosque. My father's friends understood our commitment, and when he was occupied with a lot of work they would help him to do it so that he could be punctual for Prayers, Li explained.

Li is among more than 20 million Chinese Muslims that live by Ramadan obligations, continuing strictly the Islamic doctrines, praying five times a day in mosques and abstaining from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.According to the Islamic association of China, Chinese Muslims have convenient access to prayer services as there are more than 34.000 mosques throughout the country. Since the foundation of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, the rights and religious liberty of the Muslims have been protected by the constitution and the law, he states.

The Niujie Mosque, built in 996, and that of Dongsi, 500 years old, are the two most two famous mosques in the capital. The Niujie Mosque is an important center for Islamic studies and operates a Qur'an school. During the last 50 years, the government has assigned, on numerous occasions, special funds for the repair of these buildings because of their historical importance.

Beijing has over 900 Muslim restaurants and food stores. Some supermarkets sell food especially for followers of Islam. Thanks to the social stability and the fast economic growth of the country, Chinese Muslims enjoy a peaceful Ramadan. Many Muslims share traditional food with their neighbors, and distribute gifts to poorer Muslims, noted Hang Xian a 61 year old Chinese Muslim trader. Wherever you are, Ramadan is undoubtedly a most special month.
Ramadan in China is reproduced by courtesy of Islam Online.

ISRA AT A GLANCE

The Islamic Studies And Research Association, known as ISRA is an organization and a movement that began in the United States.It is working to revive the totality of deen. It is founded on the affirmation that Allah (swt) is One, Muhammad (saws) is His final Prophet and the religion of Islam has three dimensions: Islam, Iman and Ihsaan (Tasawwuf), which relate to surrendering one�s body, heart and soul to Allah (swt). Additionally it promotes the love of Allah (swt) and the love of Rasool Allah (saws) as ways of purifying ones heart from other than Allah (swt) and making Allah (swt), a reality in ones life.

The organization was formed as think tank in 1987. Our energies were spent on enhancing of Islamic knowledge.When the war in Bosnia erupted we helped in publishing "Bosnia Newsletter" which became popular and was changed into ISLAM TODAY newspaper. At one time it had a circulation of more than 10,000 copies per month. After the end of the war the organization became inactive for some time. At this time we helped in promoting local hilal sighting as a criteria for starting Islamic months in North America.

In 1998 ISRA was revived in a meeting of several community leaders to begin as an umbrella organization and and a popular movement to promote a dynamic vision of Islam based on Islaam, Imaan and Ihsaan (tasawwuf). We have 8 members on the of board of advisory which include some of the best names in the fields of knowledge and spirituality.The movement part was first prioritized to create a base so that the think tank can actively take it's own shape later. From the time of its revival ISRA has accomplished following milestones.

1. Conducted 11 international Mawlid un-Nabi (saws) conventions.

2. Conducted 10 international Isra & Mi'raj Conferences

3. Conducted 5 international Study retreats during the Christmas break

4. Conducted 8 Imam Husayn Radi Allahu Anhu conferences

5. Conducted a Ramadan retreat at George Washington University, Washington DC

6. Conducted 7 Zikr gatherings

7. participated in World Sufi Summit Conference in Morocco at the invitation of Moroccan Government

8. Helped in publishing board member's original research in Arabic language from Beirut, Lebanon

9. Started a Sunni /Sufi campus youth group.

10. Published a youth magazine named "Vision"

11. Conducted Aqidah classes taught by famous Maliki scholar Shaykh Ali Laraki

12. Established a popular web site : www.IsraInternational.com

The website has generated more than 2.5 million visitors.

13. The think tank division is currently working on the translation of a masterpiece Arabic work written by a well known Moroccan Hadith scholar proving beyond doubt that tasawwuf is part of Shari'ah

14. Plans are also underway to translate and publish the encyclopedia of the Seerah of the Prophet written in Arabic by Shaykh Ibrahim El Battawi retired Al Azhar professor and Shaykh of Battawi Shadhili tariqa in Cairo, Egypt

15. ISRA now has either local chapters or support groups in 7 states

This Ramadan Pray for ISRA's growth and success

Become a partner of ISRA in the work of Allah (swt)

and His Messenger (saws)

"If you make intense supplication and the timing of the answer is delayed,
do not despair of it. His reply to you is guaranteed ; but in the way He chooses,
not the way you choose, and at the moment He desires, not the moment you desire".

Hikam of Ibn Ata'illah Al Iskandari

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