Did you know Muslims have two Eids?

Hello Readers!

It seems everyone knows that Muslims have An Eid – the one right after the month of Ramadan is infamous.
But when last Tuesday rolled around and I yelled out “Eid Mubarak!” on my Facebook, I realized there were quite a few people in my own circle who did not realize that Muslims have two Eids. Which made me think, there are probably a lot more people out their who don’t have a single Muslm in their circle, let alone know what Eid is at all.

So here I am blogging!

To take it from the top, I’m going to assume most of everyone is at least familiar with Ramadan but just in case, here is a quick description:
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During these 30 days, Muslims all over the world fast – abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity from sunrise to sunset everyday.
That’s a basic.
Ramadan encompasses so much more though.  The spirituality, the unity, it all deserves its own blog post.
Which I wrote just recently! Here’s a link to my Ramadan post if you’re interested in reading more from a personal perspective: http://sobiasiddiqui.blogspot.com/2013/07/didnt-ramadan-just-arrive.html
And here is a link to little site that explains it from a general Muslim/Islamic perspective: http://www.whatisramadan.com/

After Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid-al-Fitr – a celebration to conclude the month of Ramadan. This month includes Eid prayer, meeting with family and friends, breaking out new and clean clothes, eating all day (not in a gluttonous manner of course), and being happy and joyous and celebrating life and the blessings of the month of Ramadan.

Now it seems everyone is aware of this Eid. So when Eid-al-Adha rolls around 2 Islamic months later, I hear this question often “Didn’t Eid just happen?”
Yes, Eid-al-Fitr. But Eid-al-Adha just arrived!

Eid-al-Adha falls on the tenth day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah. During the first ten days of this month Muslims from all over the world that have traveled to Saudi Arabia are in the process of completing the holy pilgrimage (which we might discuss in a future post, I haven’t decided yet..let me know if you would like to know more and I’ll blog it).
While those who were able to make it to Mecca, Saudi Arabia are completing their pilgrimage – otherwise known as Hajj, the Muslims who remained home
celebrate Eid-al-Adha.

So the point here was: it’s part of a holy month, it’s a holy day, and everything Muslims do in celebration and worship is synonymous with every other Muslim all around the world. In fact one of the biggest, essential, aspects of being a Muslim is the unity that it involves.
But I digress.

So we have the back story, and we know what the first Eid celebrates, so what about this one? What does Eid-al-Adha celebrate?

Eid-al-Adha is a celebration in commemoration to Prophet Ibrahim (known as Abraham biblical-ly). I’m sure most of us, whether we follow an Abrahamic-religion or not, are somewhat familiar with this story but just in case I’ll again give the basics:
Prophet Ibrahim had a disturbing dream of himself, walking his son up a mountain and killing him by running a knife across his neck. At first he chalked it up to a random, albeit disturbing, nightmare. However, as he continued to have this dream again, and again, he realized it was a call to action from God – a call to action as a testimony of his fate. He has this grating mental anguish and tells his son. His son being as devout as his father, agrees that this is a message from God, and agrees that what must be done – must be done.

So they travel up the mountain, Prophet Ibrahim lays his son down, closes his eyes, says a prayer, and runs the knife across his neck.
When he begins to open his eyes with fear and grief, he is instantly relived to see that his dreams really had been a message from God to testify to his devotion, and he and his son passed the test with flying colors. In place of Prophet Ibrahim’s son, the knife had struck cattle (what kind of cattle is debatable. Some say goat, others say it was a lamb).

That’s a brief. There’s so much more that goes into this account – the detailed anguish, the detailed dream, the detailed everything. A lot of us read this story today and think “that’s not how dreams work…” So I request that you keep in mind, this was in the day when the monotheistic religion was first beginning to bloom. No one has to believe it, yet I do request a basic respect because this leads into a major religious holiday for Muslims, and this account is highly revered by Christians and Jews alike.
Thank you for your consideration.

To continue, it is this account that Muslims celebrate and commemorate on Eid-al-Adha.
Not necessarily the son part, but the devotion and faith that both Prophet Ibrahim and his son had. To be able to put their complete faith in God, especially for such a trying test as this one.
That is what is revered.

So on the day of Eid-al-Adha, Muslims all over the world say a prayer and cut cattle (there are a few technicalities that I won’t go into detail here – such as how to tame the animal, how to cut, etc etc. Again, I can post about it if you request it).
Of the meat then 1/3 is passed out to family and friends (usually, to family and friends who were unable to afford a ‘sacrifice’ –  though I like the Arabic word for this better – Qurbani. It’s just a matter of positive and negative connotation).
1/3 is given to the poor, and 1/3 is kept at home.
This day is looked forward to by the masses in Muslim countries because with this day, even the poverty ridden do not go hungry for a few nights.

Before, my father would cut a goat and a cow here. But because our lifestyle here is so different, we changed it up. My father now does a Qurbani of a goat here, and has his brother do a Qurbani of a cow in Pakistan. That way that entire portion is allotted to the poor there.
The celebration tends to last 3-4 days. The first day is usually the most exhausting. After the Qurbani, and this is an account from my house, my father and I, or my father and brother go out and pass out the 2/3 of the meat here.
My mother cooks half of our house’s portion, and we have people drifting in and out all day.
Again, aside from the meat aspect, it’s about praying together, meeting with family and friends, breaking out new clothes, and giving gifts.

And taking nonsensical pictures like this one of course.

And that my friends, is Eid-al-Adha in a nutshell.
There is a lot that I have not included because then I do drift into tangents and technicalities. As usual though, feel free to ask questions or request a post.
I hope however, that I have included enough to help you understand what Eid-al-Adha is all about in the Muslim world: why we have two Eids in the first place, and the importance that this one holds, even if it is not mentioned as often.

Again, if you have questions or would like to request a post, please feel free to do so!

Sobia

Didn't Ramadan JUST Arrive??

I could have sworn I broke my first fast yesterday! Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Whenever Ramadan rolls around, all the Muslims I see are just in major glee-mode (the emotion not the show o.o). I don't know if I speak for anyone else with this one - but I started dearly missing Ramadan six months after it was over last year.

Actually, right at the beginning of this Ramadan, I met up with a friend from Baylor and we got to talking about everything this month entails for Muslims. Usually when people hear that we go the whole day without food or water, they get concerned and feel bad for us.
And I guess when we give that basic explanation, it's easy to see where they're coming from. I'm sure if I wasnt familiar with Ramadan, I would be concerned for the Muslims too!

But we got to talking, and I started explaining and realizing all over again how strange we can seem :)
The whole day without food and water, and the fact of the matter is we actually look forward to this month desperately every year, and most of us feel quite depressed once it's over. wut. lol, but why?
Why?
Because really and truly, the lack of food and drink is just the physical aspect. There is so much more, sooo much more! to Ramadan than that. I'm trying not write in my scatterbrained manner here, but to begin, there is the unity in the community again.

If you're a Masjid goer regularly, then that's you. And if you're a 'seasonal,' Muslim then that's you too. Some of us have different areas in our lives that we channel our faith in, more or less strongly than other areas in our lives. But regardless of all that, when Ramadan comes around everyone is making an above-and-beyond effort, with the hopes that Inshallah these actions will become positive, permanent, habits in our lives.
And who knows, maybe this is the Ramadan where that aspect of our lives that is lukewarm with faith, will warm up some more. Maybe this is the Ramadan that will inspire someone to become more than a seasonal Muslim, or add a daily good-deed to their lives. Inshallah.
We make goals with Allah in mind. We remember what it means to be a Muslim. We look out for each other, feed and feast with each other, and we pray together.

That's the other thing. Whether there is a sense of unity and community during the rest of the year, Ramadan never fails to bring the feeling of togetherness back. You meet people you haven't talked to in while, and make a conscious effort to socialize more with them even after Ramadan. You meet respected speakers and teachers, your peers, your neighbors.
There is fund-raising at the Masjid, and everyone is looking out for all the little kiddos at play, and everyone is aiding all the elderly that need help getting to their seats to pray. We remember what it means to be a part of this great Ummah, Allhamdullillah.
And speaking of the Masjid, can we talk about Tarawi? Praying every night at  the Masjid, listening to an entire part of the Quran recited every night, and brimming with tears every single time the Vitr dua is made. Everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder, making dua as if our lives depended on it (which they kinda do xD).
At that point, even a good majority of the little kids run inside to stand with their parents to make dua. Albeit, their duas may consist more of 'please Allah, I want blank and blank for Eid.' But it's dua nonetheless! And it feels just amazing to see the future of our Ummah (Inshallah) so familiar with being a Muslim already. My 6 year old cousin, after every Vitr prayer, turns to me and says "I said thank you for everything to Allah!" LOL Subhanallah.
It's a beautiful 2-3 hours every night that makes Ramadan so spectacular.

And there are the all-nighters that extend those beautiful hours until the wee morning hours of Fajr.
I don't know if many other Masjids have all-nighters, so I'll explain a little about this.
Every Friday of Ramadan, a different Masjid has a different speaker over a different topic to educate us.
The programs are called Ramadan Recharge, and that name is very adequate.
The speakers do a fantastic job of educating over various topics, from the Day of Judgment, to the characteristics of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), to our goals not just in Ramadan but in life. You really do feel recharged afterwards. Usually after the lectures are over, everyone prays Qiyaam together, and then we eat together, and then we start our fast for the day together.

And even eating together is an adventure! The Masjid provides Suhoor, the morning meal, but a good majority of the time we opt for IHOP or Denny's. So you get these flocks of hijabis and thob-ed men at the 24-hour restaurants, occupying nearly every table at 3-4 in the night, trying to get their meal in before it's time to stop.
And man let me tell you, that is one awesome sight to see.
And an even better sight to be a part of.

And after fasting the whole day, waking up for prayers, avoiding the sun, etc etc, how can anyone under-emphasize Iftaar time. When it's time to break fast, the Muslims are a munchin. Again, I don't know how it is for everyone else, but all of my family likes to get together for the majority of our Iftaars, so it's like potluck galore 22/30 days. It's insane! And so delicious! And the reason we gain more weight in Ramadan than we ought to xD!

But Allhamdullillah for all of it. And after Iftaar and Maghrib prayer, it's off to the Masjid for Tarawi, and it all starts again. Does it become tedious?
Not at all.
Is it hectic?
It can be, what with work and school, and daily life continuing as is.

But the fact of the matter is, once Ramadan is gone, we miss it.

I was actually listening to the radio on my way from school, and in one of the segments they were talking about Muslims and fasting. A question that was asked was, what do you do when their is food in front of you? How do you resist?
That got me thinking again: firstly, over why anyone would put in front of you on purpose! I mean I grew up fasting and still chilling in the cafeteria with my friends. There was food on every corner of the table, but the Muslims, myself included obviously, never seemed tempted to break their fast and dig in. It just elicited forlorn looks at the clock xD So if someone were to purposely waft food in front of us, it's not a matter of lack of will, it's a matter of you're a douche and the this day needs to move a little faster.

On the more serious reflection: the older you get and the more you understand of Ramadan, the less it becomes about food.
Yes you're hungry.
But in that hunger there is amazement, that we are going for so many hours without physical sustenance, yet Allah keeps us walking, talking, and doing so much more. It's a reminder that He takes car of us. And so we spend our time remembering him.
The lack of food gives us so much more - the appreciation of what we do have, and what we might not have had. The gratefulness for Allah's love. The realization (again) of just how truly dependent we are, and how truly great He is.
And from everyone that I have talked to, at the end of the day and at the end of Ramadan, it's not the lack of food that anyone remembers. Why? Because whatever we did, we did in worship of Allah, we did in love of Allah. So it didn't hurt. It felt glorious. And when it's over, we miss it.
We don't remember the food, we remember the unity, the nights of Tarawi, the heart-wrenching Vitr duas, the all-nighters and amazing lectures, the 4a.m. IHOP runs, and the utter  sense of peace and completeness.

So after Ramadan is over, we try to retain as much of that as possible.
We make goals to memorize new Surahs from the Quran, pray all our prayers and add reading the Quran to our daily to-do list. We remind ourselves to go to the Masjid more, look out for the poor, and aid the elderly and young ones alike. We remember to greet our angels, and remember that more than anything, Allah is our sustenance. And through it all, we gain a little more strength to move progressively through life.

And so Allhamdullillah, here we are in the last 10 days of Ramadan with so much to reflect over, and so many duas to make, and with so little time (clearly!). As much as I love Eid, I'm already depressed at how fast Ramadan is going by. There is an immense inner peace I feel during this month.
Inshallah, my goal is to retain as much of that after Ramadan is over. Lose the anger, lose the gossip, add more smiles and pass more compliments Inshallah.

What has your Ramadan been like? What are your goals for after Ramadan? And if you don't celebrate Ramadan, what are your thoughts?

We've all been thinking about it.

Hello, hello. First post in a long time, and I was planning on starting with Ramadan but I’m going to switch gears and talk about the bitter taste of justice we all had to swallow in the past 24 hours.
Of course, I’m referring to the Zimmerman case.
Now before I go on with anything, I will state right now that I do not know details. I wasn't in that court room, I don’t know the evidence presented, I don’t know how the jury was told to take that evidence, and in the end I don’t know why the sentence came out as it did. And you know what; the majority of us do not know these things. We only know, what we've been allowed to know.
However, regardless of not knowing all of the above, there is one thing I know without a shadow of a doubt – Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. He did not die of natural causes or some freak accident, he was shot. He is no longer alive. And the man that shot him, is now Scott-free.
It’s not sitting right with me. I’m not saying put him in jail for life. I’m not saying there should be an eye for an eye. I’m just saying, there should be some form of actual justice here. How was he acquitted for everything?

I was listening to two different radio stations to and from school, and of course this case was on everyone’s minds. I heard some interesting opinions. On 104.1, multiple callers were sending out their prayers to the Martin family, but one caller stood out in particular. I don’t remember her name, but I remember that what she wanted to emphasize were the strides we are making in the judicial system (so far as strides can be made with the judicial system). She pointed out that people were not happy with the verdict, so now there are protests and a call for a civil rights charge against Zimmerman. Her bottom line was ‘the system works!’
I agree, we’re moving along pretty okay. But that last statement  - the system works! – That’s the part I can’t agree with yet. If the system worked, someone would be answering for this death. Right?
Again, I don’t know all the facts.
It was also interesting to notice that no one on KRBE brought up race. Race has been brought up many times over; it’s still a sensitive issue for a lot of us. But I was impressed that race was not the first thing on these caller’s minds. That may be the underlying cause, or not. We may have taken a step forward or backward, it’s hard to say. But the main cause for so many people being upset is that Trayvon is dead, and the man that killed him is free without ANY penalty. American citizens being upset – that’s not about race here, it’s about humanity. Whose heart doesn’t go out to the Martin family? I can’t even imagine what they must be going through.
The other station I was listening to was KTRH.

BIG MISTAKE. I stopped listening to KTRH for a while because it gave me a headache, but for whatever reason I switched channels today.
Massive headache? You bet.
I don’t know who the speaker was, I only turned the radio on for a brief drive, but it was enough to get my blood boiling. The speaker was talking about how he agreed with the verdict, the system works, people are throwing these fits and ignoring bigger issues etc etc.
But then he went and switched gears, and started getting rowdy about how CARE and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) sent word of their support to NAACP.
….Why is this an issue sir? Why did it irk you so much that CARE and ADC were as heartbroken as the rest of the American public, and sent their support and prayers to NAACP and the Martin family? It’s not a matter of religion; it’s a matter of humanity. (How many times have I repeated that? Clearly, I’m still irked).
I won’t go into all he said. Truth be told, it’s not worth it. The bottom line is that over a tragedy such as this, people can still take all the bad of the situation and make it worse. You have two American organizations, supporting a third American organization over a tragedy, and you've still got people who will look at it and say ‘It has nothing to do with race! Why is America throwing a fit? And why are these MUSLIMS getting involved! Why are they speaking at all about OUR system?’
Please tell me I’m not the only one to see the contradiction in that thought process.
I mean bro, where did the attack on Muslims even come from? This tragedy isn't even about Muslims! Random hate. Inappropriate timing. Inappropriate message. You know what, inappropriate person, someone ought to send this man to finishing school.
GAWH.

Look I’m not saying there aren't worse things going on the world – of course there are. There are still wars, illnesses, and suffering that we can’t begin to fathom. So why are we focusing on this case? Because we want some form of justice. We want to know that when tragedies like this happen, we can depend on our government to get to the bottom of things. I know I know, according to the facts presented, Zimmerman could not be convicted. But what about the fact that he did shoot Trayvon? Who answers for that lost life? We can throw around race, and judicial system, and why’s and how’s and technicalities. But at the heart of it all, is the fact that Trayvon is gone. You know what, maybe if Zimmerman showed regret, some form of remorse over his actions, we would feel less triggered. But so far, I haven’t heard anything. Have you? I don’t hear everything, so maybe I’m missing something. Did Zimmerman issue at least an apology to the family? Can anyone fill in these blanks?

So those are the frustrations we’re facing as Americans.
Prayers for the Martin family, for losing their son in such an awful way, and then having to deal with a trial like this.