|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Muslim holidays |
|
|||||||||||||||||
Muslim holidays: Islam has two main holidays, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The way that holidays are recognized can vary across cultures, as well as across sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and thus move each year relative to the solar calendar.The Islamic calendar has 12 months and 354-355 days. Sunni and Shia lunar calendars do not always coincide: sometimes a Shia holiday and the same Sunni holiday occur on two different days, typically two successive ones.
Contents |
Eid (عيد) is the Arabic word for celebration and Fitr is the Arabic word for feast. Eid ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر) or The Celebration of the Feast is the holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan and the month-long fast. During Ramadan, Muslims all over the world fast from dawn (before sunrise) to sunset, having their first daily meal at sundown prayer time. The purpose of fasting is to teach Muslims patience and humility, as well as to remind Muslims that they are fortunate and should help the needy and less fortunate. The main benefit of Ramadan is for the Muslims to train themselves to exercise restraint with the result being a closer relationship with Allah (God) and a healthier more appreciative self by the end of the month. After sundown of the last day of Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr starts. In the early morning of the first day of Shawwal (first day of the Eid), Muslims perform a ritual prayer called the Eid prayer. Sweets, food, and non-alcoholic drinks are distributed in masajid and homes. Celebrations extend up to three days Ramadan the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Also gifts are given out and also traded between friends and family.
In Turkey Eid ul-Fitr is called Şeker/Ramazan Bayramı, and in Bosnian it is ramazanski Bajram.
Eid ul-Adha (عيد الأضحى), or the Festival of Sacrifice, falls approximately 70 days after Eid ul-Fitr (end of Ramadan) and is celebrated in honor of the prophet Abraham willingness to sacrifice his son as a proof of his loyalty to God. Celebrations usually include presenting an animal (usually a cow or a sheep) sacrifice, and the meat is shared with family, friends and those in need.
The festival also marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca.
As with Eid ul-Fitr, there is an early morning prayer for the Eid, and celebrations lasts few days.
In Turkish this holiday is referred to as Kurban Bayramı, and in Bosnian as Kurban-Bajram or kurbanski Bajram.
Friday is an important day in the life of a Muslim and it is believed that any devotional acts done on this day gain a higher reward. This day however should not be understood as a Sabbath, for Muslims reject the belief that God rested after creation. The reason for the selection of Friday is due to the belief that Adam was created on that day. Believers attend congregational prayer at the local mosque, perform prayer and listen to a sermon by the Imam. When the holidays occur, it is according to the lunar Islamic calendar.
The lunar year does not match the solar year. Therefore, the Islamic months precess each year; they shift relative to the Gregorian calendar by about 11 days.
Friday is known as “Yowm ul-Jumuah” which means “day of gathering”. The day that Muslims gather.
Ashura is celebrated by Shi'a Muslims on the ninth and tenth day of Muharram on the Islamic Calendar. Ashura is an Arabic word meaning "ten", and it is a day of optional fasting. Jews in the city of Madina fasted only one day, (on Yom Kippur the 10th of Tishrei) so the Prophet Muhammad would fast too, believing that Muslims are closer to Prophet Moses than the Jews themselves. This is the day on which God saved Moses and the Israelites from Pharaoh in Egypt as he crossed the Red Sea (the Exodus day). According to Islamic tradition Muhammad fasted along with the neighboring Jewish communities on this occasion, and according to narrations, Muhammad planned on fasting on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. (According to Judaism the Israelites left Egypt on the first day of Passover, and they crossed the Sea of Reeds seven days later on the 21st of Nisan, both of which are celebrated as holidays with meals.) This is also the day on which Muhammad's grandson, Husayn ibn Ali, was martyred according to tradition in the Battle of Karbala. For Shi'a Muslims this is a day of mourning.
Laylat al-Qadr is Arabic for “The Night of Power”. It falls on one of the last ten days of Ramadan on an odd numbered day. It is considered the holiest night in the entire month of Ramadan, since it is the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed. It is also considered better than a thousand months [Qur'an 97:1-3]. It is said that if a person performs voluntary worship on this night, that worship is equal to a thousand months or approximately 80 years.
Laylat ul Isra and Mi'raj is Arabic for the “Night of the Journey and Ascension”. It is on 27th of Rajab. It is the night when Muhammad was, according to Hadiths, taken to “the furthest mosque” (generally understood to be Jerusalem) on a Buraq (a beast resembling horse with wings; some people consider it a cherub) and ascended to the highest level of the heavens. It is said that he negotiated with God about the number of prayers, which started at fifty a day, but on his way down he met Moses, who asked him to ask for a reduction in the number because the requirement was difficult for Muhammad's people. Muhammad returned to God and several times asked for, and was granted a reduction of five prayers, until the number was reduced to five in total, with the blessing that if they were properly performed, the performers would be credited with fifty prayers instead of five.
Laylat ul Bara'ah is Arabic for the “Night of Freedom from Fire”. It occurs on the night between the 14th and 15th of Sha'aban. It is considered a night when Muslims are graced with Divine Mercy and blessings. The night is spent in the recitation of the Qur'an and special prayers as well as visiting the deceased.
The 1st of Muharram is the New Year on the Islamic Calendar. In Arabic, the new year is called, “R'as as-Sana”. (The Jewish New Year has a similar name, “Rosh Hashana”.) It is not generally considered a holiday.
Some mosques are organizing “Open mosque days” with special program, Muslim culture, video show, discussion and finger foods for the visitors. In many western cities this is becoming a cultural social event. 1 The “Open Mosque Day”, was established in 2002 by the “Shura Council of Southern California”. 2 In Germany it was established 1997 by the Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland (ZMD). 3
Mawlid is the birthday of Muhammad, celebrated by some Muslims on the 12th of the month of Rabi al-Awwal. Muslims observing it often recite poetry and the biography of Muhammad to commemorate this day. It's celebration is considered controversial as Muslims are divided over the authenticity of Mawlid as a holiday.
Ramadan is the month in which Muslims must fast from sun-up to sun-down. This is meant to feel how the poor people are without food or water. In addition, Muslims close their bodies off from earthly demands by denying themselves food and drink. This in turn allows for the nourishment of the soul.
Fasting is more than just the mere denial of food and drink. Muslims must also abstain from smoking and sexual contact. In addition, there are culture-specific beliefs regarding the watching of television, listening to music, and the perusal of any secular vise that does not in some way enhance spirituality.
| Festive day | 2008 4 | 2009 4 | 2010 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic Newyear | 10. January | - - - | - - - |
| Ashura | 19. January | 07. January | - - - |
| Mawlid an-Nabi | 20. March | 09. March | 26. February |
| Lailat al Miraj | 31. July | 20. July | ? |
| Lailat al Barat | 18. August | 07. August | ? |
| 1. Ramadan 6 | 01. September 7 | 22. August | 11. August |
| Lailat al Qadr | 28. September | 17. September | ? |
| Eid ul-Fitr 6 | 01. October | 21. September | 10. September |
| Eid ul-Adha | 08. December | 27. November | 17. November |
| Islamic Newyear | 29. December | 18. December | 07. December |
| Aschura | - - - | 27. December | 17. December |
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
