Muslim Holidays
Muslims believe that Allah sent different prophets to teach people about what he wanted them to do. According to Islamic teaching, although there are many prophets; including Jesus, Noah, Moses, Abraham among others, Muhammad was the last prophet. Most of the Islamic holidays subsequently revolve around the life and events surrounding Prophet Muhammad. Holidays are important events for the Muslims as they are meant to remind Muslims of the importance of their faith, obedience to Allah, and also to help people stay close to their friends and families (Winchester 7). The main Muslim holidays include the Ramadan, Laylat al-Qadr, Eid al-Fitr, the Hajj, Eid al-Adha, and Mawlid al-Nab. The two major Muslim holidays are the Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Most Muslim holidays are a celebration of events that happened in the life of Prophet Muhammad.
Eid Al-Fitr
Origin
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslims calendar where Muslims fast in remembrance of the time when Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation (Winchester 23). The celebration of feasting at the end of the month of Ramadan is a special way to remember the event (Winchester 24). Eid Al-Fitr therefore signifies the breaking of the season of fasting. The first Eid was celebrated by Muhammad and his relatives and companions after securing victory in the Battle of Badr in 642CE (Winchester 24).
Significance
Eid al-Fitr or 1 Shawal marks the celebration of the end of the month of fasting, which is known as the Ramadan. The celebration of Eid ul-Fitr is a special and joyous occasion that has religious significance to the Muslims as it marks the achievement of enhanced piety (Winchester 36). The holiday is significant as it requires individuals to exercise forgiv...
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...t. The aim of the holiday is to promote strong bonds within the Islamic community by fostering sisterhood and brotherhood through showing that every Muslim is equal under the Gods eyes. The even strips away all the markers of pride, wealth and social status as reflected in their dressing (Kheirabaradi 157). It is also one of the pillars of Islam and specifically is the fifth pillar of Islam. According to Islamic teaching, every individual who can afford and is physically able should visit Mecca in their lifetime (Kheirabaradi 153).
Celebrations
The celebrations celebrate by visiting Mecca. During the celebrations, Muslims perform various acts of worship. The Muslim pilgrims are also required to dress in simple clothing that is referred to as the Ihram. According to Islamic teachings, Mecca is a holy place and only Muslims are allowed to enter (Kheirabaradi 155).
This shows that Mecca is in the middle of many trade cities, as a result of this trade moves through the city. Trade allows people to interact and move around, when they move around they bring their religious beliefs with them. Mecca was also the home to the most famous pagan shrine, the Ka’ba(Document A).This proves that many people come to Mecca, they came seeking the Ka’ba for their own religions that were important to them. , while they were in the city they began to trade. The people came seeking the Ka’ba but they may hear some Islamic people talking about their own religion.
... The Hajj “enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colours, languages, races and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship the One God together.” (Council on Islamic Education). The Hajj is a significant expression of the diversity of Islam, however it is also a powerful witness to the unity of Islam, and the meaning of the Umma, with millions of people, of every race and nationality uniting together in one goal of submission to Allah. “We were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood” (Malcolm X, a Sunni pilgrim, 1965) In essence, undertaking Hajj is of great value to the Muslim community and to the Muslim community.
The holidays celebrated by Lebanese Americans can vary depending on their religious views. Many Lebanese Christians celebrate the feast days of saints, Christmas and Easter. “Muslims celebrate three major holidays: Ramadan (the 30-day period of daytime fasting); 'Eid al Fitr, a five-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan; and 'Eid al-Adha, the "Feast of the Sacrifice," which commemorates Abraham's agreement with God that he would sacrifice his son Ishmael” (Hajar & Jones, n.d.). The holidays celebrated can affect the food choices of this culture during the celebration period.
Islam is the baby of all religions, but that most definitely does not put a damper on the incredibly large impact that Islam has had on the world. The DBQ, or document based question, is an assignment where our class digs deeper into a certain subject by carefully inspecting and dissecting primary sources from the time in which the events occurred. Then we are given a question and we must present an answer and support this claim with evidence from the sources provided. The question I have chosen is as follows: Did Islam’s most lasting and important impacts come about through trade and peaceful interaction, or did they come mainly through war in conquest? I believe and will argue that although some impacts may have been influenced by war and
.... For a Muslim, Friday is the holy day and special services are held in early to mid-afternoon. The Mosque is open seven days a week and available for each of the daily prayers.
Among the most beloved traditions and rituals of the Islamic faith is a pilgrimage that unites Muslims around the world. It is known as the Hajj, an Arabic word meaning “to set out for a place” (“Short History of Hajj”). It is one of the five pillars that define the Islamic faith. The Hajj itself is a five day trip into Mecca, the Islamic holy city, as well as surrounding areas. It is a trip that thousands of Muslims undergo each year. It is a staple of Islamic faith, as well as a spiritual and emotional journey that brings Muslims closer to God.
Throughout the day, we concentrate on prayer, repentance, and self-improvement before returning to our usual daily routine after the holiday.” This holiday reflects on Judaism’s teachings because Judaism has a deep regard for life, it is never meant to jeopardize health but is supposed to allow an individual or community to strive to become more caring and more willing to others and the world around them. When fasting, individuals ask for forgiveness and families are at peace. Therefore, holidays are meant not to be done for the sake of God but for the sake of humanity. Specifically, stated by Brodd, these holidays are said to be, “dedicated to the belief that both individual and whole societies are capable of changing their behavior and that through active repentance, they are even capable of drawing closer to each other and to God.”
...nd relatives. Other celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated too. All in all, Muslims follow the rules of Islam to the best of their ability, entertain themselves with the things they are passionate about while balancing with the rules of Islam, and have the freedom to have a good time when they are able to.
Mecca is also known as Makkah and its full name is Makkah al-Mukkaramah. Mecca is a city in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is known as the holiest site in the Islamic religion. The history of Mecca goes back as early as the fifth century. It was an independent and powerful city in pre-Islamic times. It is the religious center for Islamic people and it houses the Kaaba and the Great Mosque. It is also the birthplace of Muhammad, the first capital of caliphate, and the center of present day mosques. In 630 Muhammad and some of his followers went into the city of Mecca and captured it. Mecca is said to have started one of the most important religions in the world and it brings together the Islamic religion.
Their religion, women, kids, and beliefs play a big role in the culture. Islam is the religion which claims a vast majority of the Iraqi population, the majority of the Iraqi’s identify with the Arab culture. The second-largest cultural group is the Kurds, who are in the highlands and mountain valleys of the north in a politically autonomous settlement. The Kurds occupy the provinces of As Sulaymaniyah, Dahuk and Irbil, the area of which is commonly referred to as Kurdistan. Almost all Iraqi’s speak, read, and write their official language, Arabic. As in Kurdistan, they speak Kurdish so they can distinguish between the Iraqi’s and the Kurds. There are five pillars of Islam: praise of Allah as the only God, with Muhammad as his prophet; prayer five times per day; almsgiving; fasting; and pilgrimage to Mecca. Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. This month consists of a period of fasting from all food, drink, and activities such as smoking and sexual intercourse during daylight hours. At nighttime the fast is broken, in other words, you can do what you cannot during the
A mosque is generally a very symbolic place for a Muslim, being a humble way for Muslims to recreate pure divine presence on earth. The primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer. Nevertheless, mosques are known around the world nowadays for their Islamic architecture but most importantly for its general vitality to the Muslim Ummah (community).
But the reality of the matter is that religion is still a prominent authority in society and the world. Just with holidays alone, what religion you are deems what holidays you celebrate because of religious ideology. Even though Hanukkah, and Christmas are seen as the same, they are different celebrations for different religions, and are also based off of different sets of ideologies. One of the most important holidays for people who are Jewish is Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement which is a holiday that strictly Jewish people celebrate. Ramadan which is a whole month of fasting, because fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, is a holiday that only Muslim people partake in. Even if you don’t practice Christianity or Catholicism chances are you still celebrate Christmas and Easter which are religious holidays. No one really gets the opportunity to choose which holidays that they want to celebrate because there are already set holidays for people to celebrate based on their religion and what area of the world that they live in. A lot of people do not get to form their own basis of beliefs because one is already chosen for them by their parents or location. Although many countries have the freedom of choice, many people do not exercise that freedom on holidays.
Islam is the religion of peace. It is not a new religion revealed by the creator Allah Subhana Wa Tala through all His Prophet in every era and to every people Islam is not only a religion it is also a manual of life. Followers of Islam have to submit their wills to God and have to admit that God is one and He is Allah who runs the entire universe. The key of Islam is
Ramadan is a very special month in the Islamic life. It is consider being a blessed month by the muslins. It is practice in the ninth month of every year and it is place on the Islamic Lunar calendar. It is also very important in the Islamic life because it focus on fasting (sawm or siyam) observe from sunset to sunrise. Which the muslin minds are place on reflection and discipline. During this month of fasting helps make it to contribute to God’s blessings, to help the poor and answer their needs, to repent for their sins, to make stronger their moral characters and to remember that all their glory goes to God. The fasting is usually base on abstinence of drink, food and some different physical needs between the daylight hours. Sometimes,