David Cameron's Ramadan 2013 Message

Transcript

I’d like to send my sincere greetings to everyone observing the Holy month of Ramadan.

This is a month which demonstrates the true spirit of Islam.

Muslims in Britain and around the world will sacrifice the day-to-day luxuries that we can take for granted, they will pray for people in need, and they will fast to show devotion to God and recognise those who go hungry in our world.



I am very proud to be Prime Minister of a nation in which people can freely practise their beliefs.

And it should be a source of pride to all Muslims that this month, even those living with extreme hardships will give up the little they have and pray for others.

Many will be praying for Muslims around the world. Those caught up in conflict, those who are seeking justice and democracy, or those living in the poorest regions on earth, who struggle to get by day to day.

As Prime Minister I am delighted that the British Government has been able to keep its promise to invest 0.7% of our gross national income on helping the world’s poorest and I am grateful that we have been able to partner with Muslim and other organisations to help those in need overseas.



Ramadan is a shining example of how humanity can come together in a positive way for a common good, and I pay tribute to all those who take part. 

To Muslims at home and overseas I wish you: Ramadan Kareem!

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-ministers-video-message-for-ramadan-2013

Channel 4 To Broadcast Daily Muslim Call To Prayer (Azaan) During Ramadan

Morning call: Channel 4 will broadcast the first call to prayer for the 30 days of Ramadan. There are five calls to prayer each day

Channel 4’s head of factual programming Ralph Lee said the channel would act as a ‘nationwide tannoy system’ for Britain’s 2.8million Muslims while they observed Ramadan.

He said almost five per cent of the British population would ‘actively engage’ in Ramadan this month, adding: ‘Can we say the same of other national events that have received blanket coverage on television such as the Queen’s coronation anniversary?’ 

Critics questioned whether the decision to transmit the call to prayer was a ‘publicity-seeking stunt’ by the controversial broadcaster.

Mr Lee said Ramadan usually received minimal coverage on Britain’s main television channels and said he believed Channel 4’s series of programmes during July and August was chance for Britain’s moderate Muslims to be heard.

Listen to the call to prayer: 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2353250/Channel-4-broadcast-daily-Muslim-prayer-Ramadan-month.html#ixzz2XsNr3AhG

A Ramadan Message by Shaykh Ahmad Saad Al Azhari Al Hasani رسالة رمضان

In this video, Shaykh Ahmad Saad talks about the importance of Ramadan, how we should behave in it and to welcome it. He also suggests that we dedicate our time & efforts this Ramadan to our parents & the elderly.

London 2012 & Ramadan: How do Muslim athletes do it?

Islam is showing Olympian-style flexibility when it comes to the holy fasting month of Ramadan and London's Summer Games. 

During Ramadan, Muslims are called to fast from food and drink during daylight hours, "no easy task at a latitude where summer daylight hours are between 4 a.m. and 9 p.m.,"

Smooching aside, the fact that the two events have coincided for the first time in 32 years has lead to much discussion. But it is worth noting that major Muslim leaders have for the most part refrained from issuing a sweeping directive on the matter.

True, Muslim leaders in Bahrain and Egypt made a point of saying their athletes are not compelled to fast -- citing a Koranic provision for those who are traveling, sick or pregnant -- but they still left it up to a personal choice.

Authorities in strict Saudi Arabia, where even non-Muslims are expected to respect the fast (or risk being expelled), have also been noticeably quiet. 

That leaves the estimated 3,000 Muslim athletes and officials taking part in the London Games doing their own private soul-searching on the matter.

Some have chosen to observe the 18-hour fast, like Milad Agila, head of the Libyan weightlifting team. "My breakfast will be after 15 minutes, about 9 o'clock at night," Agila told China Radio International. "The last meal is about 3:50."

Others, like Indonesian weightlifter and bronze medalist Irawan Eko Yuli, plan to postpone it a month,according to CRI. Many of the Saudi athletes are also observing the fast a month later, reported the Associated Press. 

Then there are those opting out entirely, have appealed to various interpretations of the Koran or fatwas -- such as the 2010 directive issued by the German Central Council of Muslims for Muslim professional footballers, reported Middle East Online. 

But for Muslim athletes, since Islam lacks a central authority, to fast or not to fast "is a matter of personal choice," Dr. Muhammed Abdul Bari, former head of Muslim Council of Britain, told NBC, adding, "for example I believe that [British rower] Mohamed Sbihi has agreed to feed 60 poor people in [his father’s homeland of] Morocco for every day he does not fast during Ramadan."

The fast this year is an Olympian-style challenge for all Muslims because the fast dates, which rotate on a lunar calendar, have come in the summer, when daylight hours are longer.  

"You know what that means?" Salman Farsi, the media officer for the East London Mosque, asked The New York Times.

"That means eventually, it will probably coincide with the Winter Olympics, too.”

Muslim athletes, are you ready for round two? 

Ramadan: The Season Of Mercy رمضان: موسم الرحمة

There is no better time to start making positive changes in our lives than this blessed month!

Ramadan is a Muslim's recurring opportunity for spiritual enhancement and soul redemption. It is also an annual exercise in self-control and self-restraint, but above all, it is a physical manifestation of our total submission and obedience to Allah Almighty. Because of this submission and obeying of His order, the Muslim fasts, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual intercourse during the days from just before sunrise until sunset of Ramadan that normally lasts for 30 days. This is the physical aspect of fasting. By nightfall, the spiritual aspects take over, because while eating, drinking, and sexual relationship between spouses are permitted during night time, the Muslim then engages in prayers that take him/her deep into the night. It is a well-balanced program that lifts the spirit, strengthens the resolve, and asserts Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) as no other act of worship can.

There is no better time to start making positive changes in our lives than this blessed month. In Ramadan, many good things occur: the rewards are multiplied, the devils are chained, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the gates of Paradise are opened. Every night of Ramadan, Allah redeems believers from the pains of Hellfire. It is the month of mercy, repentance, and charity. 

Don't let another Ramadan pass you by, make use of this one - you never know whether you will be here for the next one.

Federal judge: New Tennessee Mosque To Open For Ramadan

The Justice Department asked a federal court to clear the way for a Tennessee mosque to open in time for Ramadan.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell orders Rutherford County to conduct a final inspection
• Campbell ordered the county to conduct an inspection by Thursday
• Campbell's ruling came the same day the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit
• A fierce debate over the opening of the mosque began in 2010

(CNN) -- A federal judge ordered a Tennessee county to conduct a final inspection of a new mosque, clearing the way for worshippers to possibly begin using the building in time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell is the latest development in a two-year battle over the opening of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, near Nashville, that has been marked by legal challenges and anti-Muslim sentiment.

"If the building complies with applicable codes and regulations, the County shall issue, on or before July 19, 2012, the certificate of occupancy," Campbell wrote Wednesday in his order granting a temporary restraining order against the county.

Campbell's ruling effectively set aside a ruling by a county judge in June that reversed a planning commission's approval of the Islamic Center's expansion because of what he said was insufficient public notice.

Embattled mosque moves forward with construction

Attorneys for the county have said it followed the normal practice of publishing notice of the hearing in the local newspaper, but the judge said more should have been done because the mosque was "an issue of major importance to citizens."

The U.S. Justice Department and the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro filed separate lawsuits this week, arguing that Rutherford County officials violated federal laws when they denied requests for a final inspection and certificate of occupancy for the mosque.

The Justice Department is accusing Rutherford County of violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 by holding the mosque to a different standard than other religious institutions built in the county. The Islamic Center argued that it was being unconstitutionally blocked "merely because local anti-Islamic protests have made the mosque controversial."

The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has existed for more than a decade, but the fight erupted in 2010 when planning commissioners approved an expansion project.

The construction site had been vandalized multiple times, including by an arson attack in 2010, and federal authorities have charged a Texas man with calling in a bomb threat to the center before last year's anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

"Not welcome" was spray-painted by vandals on a sign announcing the construction of the project.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/19/justice/tennesee-mosque-lawsuit/index.html

The Blessed Month : Ramadan, رمضان‎, Ramadhan, Ramadaan, Ramazan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 to 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Muslims fast for the sake of God and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar, the date's of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about 10 days each year depending on the moon.

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds. Sexual intercourse among spouses is allowed after one has ended the daily fast, at sunset. During fasting intercourse is prohibited as well as eating and drinking, one is also encouraged to resist all temptations while you are fasting. Purity of both thoughts and actions is important. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also teaches Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity.

It becomes compulsory for Muslims to start fasting when they reach puberty, so long as they are healthy, sane and have no disabilities or illnesses. The elderly, the chronically ill, and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups must endeavor to feed the poor in place of their missed fasting. Also exempt are pregnant women if they believe it would be harmful to them or the unborn baby, women during the period of their menstruation, and women nursing their newborns. A difference of opinion exists among Islamic scholars as to whether this last group must make up the days they miss at a later date, or feed poor people as a recompense for days missed. While fasting is not considered compulsory in childhood, many children endeavour to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life. Lastly, those traveling (musaafir) are exempt, but must make up the days they miss. 


Ramadan is an especially opportune time to reflect on the blessings of food and satiety. When we eat less, our stomachs shrink, and we feel full after a few bites at the end of the day. Fasting allows us to experience once a year what many throughout the world experience almost daily. Hunger, for them, is not a choice; it is simply a fact of life. Currently, Somalia and other parts of East Africa are gripped by a devastating drought, and the lives of millions of men and women — and sinless children — hang in the balance.

20 Ramadan Questions (FAQ) :

Q01 - What is Ramadan?
Q02 - What is the Islamic calendar?
Q03 - How long is Ramadan?
Q04 - Is Ramadan always in the same season?
Q05- What is special about Ramadan?
Q06 - What do Muslims do during the Month of Ramadan?
Q07 - Does God command Muslims to fast the month of Ramadan?
Q08 - What do Muslims achieve by fasting during this month?
Q09 - Who has to fast in the month of Ramadan?
Q10 - Who is exempt from fasting?

Q11 - Why do children fast during Ramadan?
Q12 - What are the spiritual benefits of Ramadan?
Q13 - Are there any physiological benefits in fasting?
Q14 - Are there any psychological benefits in fasting?
Q15 - What is ‘The night of Decree’ (Laylat Al Qadr)?
Q16 - What happens at the end of Ramadan?
Q17 - What should a non-Muslim be aware of , if they are working with Fasting Muslims?
Q18 - How can non-Muslim co-workers and friends help someone who is fasting?
Q19 - What should a non-Muslim be aware of if they are living around Muslims during the month of Ramadan?
Q20 - What can non-Muslims give as gifts when asked to join the celebration of Ramadan?