Dear Readers: After the tragic events of 9/11/01, there was a
good deal of misplaced hostility directed at America’s Muslim
population. Since then President George W. Bush has been among our
nation’s leaders who have spoken out against this
irrationality.
Dear Readers: After the tragic events of 9/11/01, there was a good deal of misplaced hostility directed at America’s Muslim population. Since then President George W. Bush has been among our nation’s leaders who have spoken out against this irrationality. Please remember the constitutional freedom of religion as you read the following.
At sundown on Sunday night, some South Valley residents will observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Named for the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Ramadan marks the time when the Quran (the Islamic holy book, also spelled “Koran”) was sent from heaven as a guidance and means of salvation. (The Muslims use a lunar calendar; thus Ramadan can fall at various times during our Western calendar year.)
During Ramadan Muslims fast. If they are in good health, adults do not eat or drink from dawn until sundown. Smoking and conjugal relations are also avoided during daytime hours. They feel these restrictions are “helpful, healthy and beneficial” for them.
Each day at sundown the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the “iftar.” Then it is customary to go to the “masjid for Salatul Taraweeh.” The fast is resumed the next morning. During Ramadan it is also common for Muslims to go to the mosque to spend several hours praying and studying the Quran; some spend the entire night in prayer.
Sometime during the last ten days of Ramadan Muslims celebrate the “Laylatul Qadr” (Night of Power) marking the night Muhammad first received the revelation of the Holy Quran. This time is considered especially important because tradition holds that the gates of heaven are open and angels are listening to supplications of those spending the night in prayer.
When the month of fasting ends (the first day of the month of Shawwal), it is followed by a three-day celebration called “Eid al Fitr.” Gifts are exchanged; friends and family gather to pray and join in festive meals. In some cities fairs are held to celebrate the end of the Fast of Ramadan. The South Valley Islamic Community will be holding a special Eid-al-Fitr observance at the Morgan Hill Community Center. Local residents who are interested can find more information about this by calling 782-9142 or checking the Internet at www.svic.org.
Fasting is of one of the “five pillars” of Islam, the obligations spelled out in the Quran. The other four pillars are:
• The Creed: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”
• Prayer: Five times a day (dawn, noon, late afternoon, sunset and after nightfall) Muslims stop what they are doing and bow in ritual prayer in the direction of Mecca, the city in Saudi Arabia which Muslims hold holy.
• Charity: “Alms giving to the poor purifies the remainder of one’s wealth.”
• Pilgrimage: Once in his lifetime every Muslim is expected to journey to Mecca; failure to make this “hajj” can only be excused for reasons of illness or poverty.
The youngest of the great monotheistic faiths, Islam shares a common history with both Judaism and Christianity. The Quran includes quotations from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible; Muslims honor Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus as prophets of God.
Muhammad, the great Prophet of Islam, was born about 570 A.D. In 610, Muslims believe, God sent Archangel Gabriel to him with the revelations of the first parts of the Quran, which they hold to be the infallible word of God. For political and financial reasons leaders of Mecca persecuted the Muslims, so Muhammad moved to Medina and gained power through his religious inspirations and by bettering the lives of his followers. He died in Medina in 632.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write him c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.
