Itikaf: Once a lifetime opportunity to remind oneself one's reality

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

Itikaf is a practice that goes back to all those who spend time in seclusion to reflect and ponder over their purpose in life and who want to achieve a higher stage of spirituality. Through their contemplation and reflection on the purpose of their existence, many have offered new and unique perspectives to their fellow humans, and many have achieved higher spiritual status. It is a practice that prevails in all cultures and religions. It inspires a human being to withdraw from the regular hustle-bustle of the world, even from his own family and focuses\ on issues that he or she deem significant for oneself and society. The length of seclusion depends on the social rhythm of life in each culture and religion.

Islam institutionalized i'tikaf in the month of fasting through the practice of Prophet Muhammad. It is a communal obligation, and it means that if the only one person observes it in a locality, it would be regarded as an obligation fulfilled on behalf of all. The fasting was declared obligatory for the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar in the second year of Prophet's migration to Medina or in the fifteenth year of his Prophetic mission. Except for the first year of fasting, the Prophet is reported to have observed i'tikaf as long as he lived. After him, his wives continued performing i'tikaf in the masjid. He spent ten days in the middle of Ramadan in the masjid, but he advised his companions to continue doing i'tikaf in the last ten days. He once observed i'tikaf for 20 days. 

Itikaf is performed by those who are fasting. Both men and women did their i'tikaf during the time of the Prophet. At Prophet's mosque, special arrangements were made for women following this practice of the Prophet.

During the Itikaf a person doing itikaf should spend the night only in the mosque where he/she is doing itikaf, except if the tent is in one of the courtyards of the mosque.  If the masjid does not have toilet facilities than the person doing itikaf can go home to relieve.

 The person who wants to have itikaf should enter the masjid before the sunset with a clear intention. During his stay, his focus should not be his family, business or work. However, he can delegate others to take care of these matters in his absence. If due to some unavoidable situation one has to abandon the i'tikaf for intended days, he or she has to complete it later. Itikaf is an act of ibada (worship) and it must be performed with full sincerity and intensity. Imam Malik said: "A person doing itikaf is not doing itikaf until he avoids what someone doing itikaf should avoid, namely, visiting the sick, praying over the dead, and entering houses, except to relieve himself."

The best practice is to absorb oneself in prayers and recitation of the Quran reflecting on its meaning and relevance in one's life. The prophet in addition to doing this would also use the opportunity to reflect on the condition of Muslims and would discuss strategies with the strategies to improve the quality of spiritual and social life. There are four things that are proven from the practice of the Prophet during itikaf.

1. Consuming less food

2. Sleeping less no of hours

3. Lesser engagement in conversation.

4. Lesser social interaction.

Instead, he would focus on the following four

1. Prayers

2. Quranic recitation of the passages that were revealed until then

3. Deeper reflections on the divine guidance of the existence of life

4. Quietly helping others observing the itikaf.

In fact, itikaf is once a lifetime opportunity to focus on one's life and purpose in relation to the creator and His creation. 

The doors of heavens are closed and the gates of heaven are opened

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

The hadith is rated authentic and it is reported in other books of ahadith. All the original narrators of the hadith joined the faith of Islam some three years before the death of the prophet so it can be safely assumed that the companions learned about it some five years after the month of fasting was made obligatory upon the Muslim community forever.  Obviously, it does not mean that the doors of hell were not closed or the gates of heaven were not opened during the earlier years of fasting when this hadith was not reported by the Prophet. How should one read this hadith and what is the essential message that is being relayed in it?

Obviously, it does not mean that the gates of heaven remain closed in all other 11 months of the Islamic lunar calendar or the gates of hell are closed only for one month. It also does not mean for obvious reasons that devils are fettered only during this month because of everything that is described as sinful in religious scriptures does not vanish for one month to return immediately after the conclusion of Ramadan.

The hadith is a symbolic explanation of the conditions that prevail during the month of Ramadan among the fasting believers. What is explained in this hadith is here that the fasting believers feel empowered during this month to take control of themselves and avoid committing anything that may be considered sinful in the divine message?  Researchers have conducted studies on the lifestyle of people fasting during the month of Ramadan and they have observed at least interesting patterns.

1. T.hose fasting are conscious of the fact that they are in a process of spiritual purification, i.e., trying to follow divine guidance on fasting to get closer to the Creator.

2. They are aware of the consequence of any deviation for their personal and spiritual growth. For instance, they would not eat or drink knowingly to falsely claim their fasting or would not indulge in any activities such as backbiting or cheating or anything that can be termed as a behavioral deviation that might invalidate the fasting.

3. They generally tend to be more generous during this month. For instance, they would share their resources with the poor and the needy or would support a cause that may benefit the community at large.

4. They would focus more on their family and encourage each other to pray more and to remind them to fulfill their responsibilities to the divine message.

5. They would spend more time on personal reflections on their life and work

6. They would connect with the Muslim community to ensure that they share the moments of spirituality with others.

7. They increase visitations to each other's homes to bring closeness to the community

8. They would usually give their zakat during this month to take care of the poor and the needy.

9. They would become more disciplined in their work and family chores.

10. They would be happier during this month compared with other months and occasions.

All these patterns create a positive impact on the life of an individual as they try to avoid anything that is negative, thus preventing evil and deviant ideas to influence their behavior and action. Obviously, a religion that places emphasis on strong moral character recognizes its value and promises rewards for it in this life as well as in life hereafter. In other words, the fasting believers through their behavior and action create conditions that increase their chances of achieving high rewards from God and preventing the punishment, thus overpowering the Satanic forces to play any significant role in their life at least during the month.

However, if a fasting believer is not careful in watching his or her behavior and actions, the Satanic forces would always be there to manipulate him or her the way they want to.

It is in this context, this hadith should be read. In a way, this hadith reinforces the idea that the Quran strongly promotes "human beings are responsible for their actions." (5:105) If they are careful, they are closer to God and if they are careless, Satan overpowers them. This month is giving every fasting believer the opportunity to prove to himself and herself that they are capable of taking control of their lives and assert their independence from the Satanic circles. This way they would close the doors of hell and open the gates of heaven, chaining satan with their action and behavior

How to determine what Impact Ramadan has on our lives?

By Dr. Aslam Abdullah

The month of fasting is over and life is now slowly returning to the pattern that we all had before Ramadan. Let us take a moment to reflect on what we gained during this month besides the reward from God, Almighty. Let us also plan to use during the next 11 months the training that we had in self-control in the month of Ramadan  A simple way of doing that is to compare ourselves to the branches of Iman as identified by the Quran and the Ahadith. The Prophet said in several of the statements attributed to him that there are some 60 or 70 odd branches of Iman. The highest is to bear witness there is no god with Allah and Muhammad is his messenger and the lowest is the removal of harm from the road and modesty is also of faith. 

Imam Bayhaqi (d. 486 A.H identified some 77 branches of Iman. Some 30 of these branches deal with the heart, some seven with the tongue and the remaining with our actions.

Let us see how the self-discipline, exercise in Ramadan would help us to impact our behavior, attitude, and actions in relation to these branches of Iman.

 The branches of Iman related to the heart

By the grace of Allah, the Almighty, we all 

1.      Believe in the oneness and uniqueness of Allāh Most High.

2.      Believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah, the Highest created these things and subsequently, they came into existence.

3.      Believe in the existence of angels.

4.      Believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true and the Quran is the final divine testament.

5.      Believe that all the prophets are true and Prophet Muhammad is the last messenger and the Prophet of Allah.

6.      Believe that Allah Most High is the creator of the knowledge of everything.

7.      Believe that Resurrection will definitely occur.

8.      Believe in the existence of Heaven.

9.      Believe in the existence of Hell.

10.    Have a love for Allah, the Highest.

11.    Have love for the Messenger of Allāh, ﷺ.

12.    Have the intention of serving God   

13.    Fear Allah Most High.

14.  Trust in Allah Most High. 

Do all these beliefs lead us to have?

15.  Hope for the mercy of Allah Most High.

16.  Regrets and remorse when a sin is committed. 

17. Have modesty. 

18.  Gratitude over a bounty or favor.

19.  Commitment to our promises  

20.  Patience.

 21.  Humility

22.  Mercy on the creation.

23. Acceptance of the reality that we face in our lives  

24. Humbleness

25.  An attitude with malice or hatred towards anybody.

26.  No jealousy towards anyone.

27. Control over our anger.

28. Goodwill to all and malice to none

29. A balanced attitude in the world.

30.  Love or hate someone solely because of Allāh. 

Concerning the branches of Iman dealing with our tongue

we need to ask would we continue

1.      To recite the Testimony of Faith [Kalimatu-sh Shahādah] with our tongue.

2.      To recite the Qur’an regularly.

3.      To acquire knowledge.

4.      To pass on knowledge.

5.      To make supplications [du’a] to Allāh Most High.

6.      To make invocations [dhikr] of Allāh Most High.

7.      To evaluate ourselves to ensure that we do not lie, backbiting,  vulgar words,  curse, and indulge in useless talks and actions.  

Branches of Iman concerning our actions.

We must ensure that we 

1.      Make ablution [wudū], take bath [ghusl], and keep one’s clothing clean.

2.      Are steadfast in offering the prayer [salāt].

3.      Pay the tithe zakāt and Zakat-l Fitr.

4.     We continue to fast.

5.      Perform the Hajj if we have means.

6.      Make tawaf during the Hajj.

7.      Move away or migrate from that place which is harmful for our practice of religion [din].

8.     Fulfill the vows that have been made to Allāh Most High.

9.      Fulfill the oaths that are not sinful.

10. Pay the expiation [kaffārah]for unfulfilled oaths.

11. Cover those parts of the body that are obligatory [fard] to cover.

12. Perform the ritual slaughter.

13. Enshroud and bury the deceased.

14. Pay off our debts.

15. Abstain from prohibited things when undertaking monetary transactions.

16. Do not conceal something true which we may have witnessed.

17. We do not go closer to fornication and other lewd actions.  

18. Fulfill the rights of those who are under us.

19.  Provide comfort to one’s parents.

20. We rear children in a proper manner.

21. Do not sever relations with one’s friends and relatives.

22. Obey one the law

23. We are just.

24. We do not initiate any way that is contrary to the generally accepted legitimate ways of Muslims.

25. We obey the legitimate rulers, provided what their government is not contrary to the principles of justice.

26. We make peace between two warring groups or individuals.

27. We participate in noble tasks.

28. we command the good and forbid the evil.

29. We reprimand ourselves for mistakes, according to divine guidelines.

30. We stand up to those who are bent on destroying the divine guidance  

31. We fulfill one’s trust (amana).

32. We give loans to those who are in need.

33. We see to the needs of one’s neighbor.

34. We ensure that one’s income is pure.

35. We spend according to the divine guidelines

36. We reply to one who has greeted you.

37. We say yarhamuka-Llāh [Allāh have mercy on you!] when anyone says alhamduli–Llāh [all praise is for Allāh] after sneezing.

38.   We do not cause harm to anyone unjustly.

39. We abstain from actions contrary to Islamic teachings.

40. We remove pebbles, stones, thorns, sticks, and the like from the road.

Let us use this list as a barometer to determine the impact of Ramadan on our Iman and let us be prepared to correct ourselves once we realize that we are lacking in some aspects of our behavior and character.

What, then, is the Lailatul Qadr?

by Dr. Aslam AbdullahGod Almighty revealed the Quran at a time when the world was living in a spiritual vacuum and darkness.  It was a world that had forgotten the significance of the divine revelation or Wahi in one's life. In fact, the renewal of the revelation was a turning point in human history and the beginning of a new era.      It was expected that men and women under divine guidance would create a world that would bring about peace and justice and end the exploitative ways of managing things. It was meant to redefine God and His message in an objective manner. The night when the revelation began was indeed the most blessed night, better than 1,000 months.This night created the intellectual conditions for the coming of an era where human beings under divine guidance would be inspired to explore the forces of nature and learn about their real purpose of existence. They would overcome superstitions and irrational thoughts that had dominated them for centuries in the name of God.The guidance would inspire Human beings to rid of all darkness and ignorance and ultimately bring material resources in full harmony with divine guidance. The resources created by the divine would be used for serving humanity not destroying it. It was expected that Humans would draw strength from their intellect, sincerity, and commitment to divine guidance as well as from the hidden forces of Allah.It’s a night when human beings should focus on rediscovering their real purpose in the universe under divine guidance and refresh their commitment to those values. If they do that this one night would be better than 1000 months and they would rediscover the real essence of life.So what should we do on this night.Select a few passages of the Quran that reminds human beings of their role in this universe and reflect on them while offering prayers as many times as one can and seek clarity for future work.Spend the night in seclusion pondering about the Quran message. In addition to having big lectures and extra congregational prayers with lengthy duas sung in heart-melting voices also spend the night reflecting upon your existence, your purpose and your future commitment and Allah has promised that you would find the power in this night.

The Doors of the Heavens open and the doors of the hellfire shut and the devils are chained

Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, once said, “When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of the heaven are opened; the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained.”  (Sahih Bukhari 1800)

Obviously, this hadith explains some key concepts of Ramada in an allegorical manner using symbolic language. If they are read literally, they would sound a statement of blind faith reflecting the above-mentioned understanding and if read allegorically, they would offer a logical and viable rationale for developing strong conviction and appreciation of the Prophetic wisdom.
We do not know if heavens or hell has gates like the gates of a city or a building. None of us has ever witnessed or would ever witness them in our lifetime. So the meanings have to be found in the symbolism they represent. Opening of the gates of heavens means an easy and smooth journey to a state of utmost peace and happiness under the divine grace because heavens is a place of utmost comfort and peace. The prophet is alluding to this journey during the month of Ramadan when believers have month-long opportunities to change their lifestyle and environment to attain a higher status of self-consciousness. Such a journey would help them enjoy every moment of the month and qualify for uninterrupted mercy and blessings of the divine in this life and the life hereafter as well. Everything can change and with this change, the blessings could multiply. This is how one can understand the meaning of opening the gates of the heavens.
Closing the gates of heavens mean that the creator is eager and ready to forgive every sin committed by sinful beings  by anyone if sincere repentance is sought. Thus the month invites people to introspect and self evaluate them and identify every act that may appear to be deviant and seek forgiveness by pledging that they would not repeat it. In other words, forgiveness would be the divine offering for this month. However, one must realize that represented and forgiveness has to be done in a manner that is suggested by God and his messenger. They are more than offering lip service. They mean that a person is consciously aware of the wrongs committed and is willing to change the lifestyle never to repeat it.
Chaining devils means that the individual would have the opportunities to control their behavior in the wake of all temptations, physical, social, spiritual and what not. In a moment of high self consciousness an individual would ensure that he/she does not commit any act that would either defy the divine or reject his mercy. In another word, each of the believing person has to have a personal battle with one's own ego, the biggest satanic whisper that sits in the sub-consciousness of each one of us and win it..
Thus, this month-long opportunities to earn the boundless bounties, limitless forgiveness and reigning one's own ego are what the fasting offers in a tangible manner. The more intense, a person becomes in seeking these goals, the more beneficial the month becomes to him or her. In other words, humans have the capacity to change them and earn the blessings of God through their efforts and good deeds and they would always be supported by the divine in this endeavor. But as for those who strive hard in Our cause -We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us: for, behold, God is, indeed, with the doers of good. (Quran 29:69)  

Ramadan, the month of fasting is no different than any other month as far as crimes are concerned. Every perceivable sin and crime takes place in this month all around the world. Does this hadith mean the deviations of this month would not count? Does it mean that every sin in this month would be forgiven or does it mean that people cannot commit sin in this month?

The purpose of Abstaining from Lawful things? Benefits of Ramadan

Should we call it the month of fasting or the month of abstinence? Well, our scholars say that "the word saum means "to abstain from something" and according to the Fiqh it means abstaining from eating, drinking, sexual acts and all evil actions with the intention of pleasing Allah, from true dawn to sunset." This definition needs further explanations.
1. All those who are fasting are required not to eat and drink from dawn to dusk. They can eat during the night.
2. Only married couples are required not to indulge in conjugal relations during the time of fasting.
3. Physical intimacy between unmarried male and female members of the Muslim community is prohibited regardless of the month.
4. Intention to please Allah is not confined from dawn to dusk. It is a part of one's life.
5. Avoiding evil is also not confined to dawn to dusk in the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar. It is a commandment that is valid for all time and all months.
So what is so significant with this month of abstinence?
The main purpose is to empower each individual to take control of him or herself and ensure that they emerge stronger in every aspect of their life. So Ramadan is not the peak of one's commitment to Islam. It is the beginning as it prepares those who abstain for the next 11 months as well to live a meaningful and disciplined life.
Before the season begins for National Foosball League or Baseball or Basketball, the players go through a vigorous and rigorous training schedule to prepare them for the season. Similarly, those abstaining have month-long training to prepare them for the rest of the year.
There are two aspects to the abstinence.
1. Physical endurance
2. Spiritual enhancement
Physical endurance is a very subjective issue. For instance, those living in Australia or South Africa would have 9 to 10 hours fasting in 2015 and it would not be as hard for them to abstain from food and drink as it would be for people in Nordic countries. Depending on the climatic conditions one lives, physical endurance would be different for different people. So one cannot say that the fasting was primarily for the purpose of physical fitness or detoxification.
We cannot also argue that it is to help us go through the feelings of those who live in constant poverty and hunger. The fact of the matter is that despite whatever we say, we hardly care for finding a solution to poverty and hunger. Every year Muslims spend millions of dollar in serving food to those who are already fed. During the last 1400 years, we have not found any institutional solution to hunger as the gap between poor and rich has been on the rise in Muslim majority countries. If going through the hunger and thirst was meant to help us identify with poverty struck people, then we did not fulfill the purpose, not only us but the very learned and very pious as well.
Let us understand the real purpose of abstinence as described by the Quran that reminds us that "you may act responsibly or become conscious of Allah." Being conscious of Allah means we adhere to his guidance in all aspects of life and we respect the fellow human beings as we are required to do. It means living a disciplined life in this world.
Hence, the Prophet was very clear about the purpose of abstinence. He recognized that people will abstain from food and drink and will go through the cycle of hunger and thirst and he advised that unless there is a qualitative change in the behavior, attitude, and action, abstinence from food or water would not be considered the valid act of worship.
Thus the prophet said that those who lie, who backbite, who make false oaths, who complain all the time and who lustfully look at their fellow human beings would lose the essence of abstinence as the saum would become invalid for them.
It is a simple statement that fasting is more than physical endurance. It is spiritual mainly. It is for this reason that those abstaining are advised to spend most of their time in reflecting on the message of the Quran. 
It is a ritual on the part of Muslims to finish reading or listening to the entire Quran during this month regardless of their level of understanding.  Sometimes, even those who recite the Quran in their melodious voice do not understand what they are reciting. The guidance comes when we know what the guidance is and what it is all about. So we need to focus on the process of understanding the Quran in whatever language we speak or understand in addition to our readings in the Arabic language.
If we find an improvement in our behavior and attitude towards ourselves and others, and if we find ourselves a better person, the purpose of this training would be served and the reward for this would be immense in this life and the life hereafter. Otherwise, it would be just a ritual and rituals often do not produce desired results.

Moon  Fighting

We argue on almost every issue and never feel shy of giving our expert decisive opinions on each of them believing that we are the ones who have mastered wisdom, knowledge, and blessings. One issue that we have never felt tired of talking is.moon sighting, especially, at the time of the beginning of the ninth and tenth month of the lunar calendar. Ramadan and Shawwal are the two specific months where the intensity of arguments soars high and tempers at times become out of control. Let us look at some issues before we actually indulge in any discussion on moon sighting. 

We believe the following based on the empirical studies that we have undertaken during the last few centuries. We have not challenged them and we have allowed our children to study them without any apprehensions. 
We did not have access to this information a few hundred years ago. For instance, we believed for almost 7000 years that earth was flat. But now we do not accept that idea. Because we have seen things differently. We have actually seen the visuals of the earth that do not appear to be flat.  If anyone makes that claim, we would probably laugh at him or her.

The Sun

So we believe that the sun is at a distance of 30,000 light-years from the earth,. We believe that it orbits around the center of the Milky Way once every 225 million years. We call that period of time a cosmic year. We believe that in its 5 billion years of existence the Sun has orbited the galaxy, more than 20 times. It is the most important source of energy for life on earth. We believe that it has a mass about 330,000 times that of Earth. Now in its nearly five billion histories, it has never changed the course it set itself on. 

The Earth

We know that the Earth is the third planet from the Sun, the densest planet in the Solar System, the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets, and the only astronomical object known to accommodate life.  We believe that Earth was formed about 4.54 billion years ago.   
We believe that Earth interacts with other objects in space, especially the Sun and the Moon. During one orbit around the Sun, Earth rotates about its own axis 366.26 times, creating 365.24 solar days. Never once, the earth increased or decreased its number of days.

The Moon

We believe that the Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It began orbiting Earth about 4.53 billion years ago. The Moon makes a complete orbit around Earth with respect to the fixed stars about once every 27.3 days. However, because Earth is moving in its orbit around the Sun at the same time, it takes slightly longer for the Moon to show the same phase to Earth, which is about 29.5 days. Never for a day did the moon changed its course it set itself on.  

Moon Phases

We believe that the new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and the sun. At a full moon, the earth, moon, and sun are in alignment, just as the new moon, but the moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us. The shadowed portion is entirely hidden from view.
The first quarter and third quarter moons (both often called a "half-moon", happen when the moon is at a 90-degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. So we are seeing exactly half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow.
An easy way to remember and understand those "between" lunar phase names is by breaking out and defining 4 words: crescent, gibbous, waxing, and waning. The word crescent refers to the phases where the moon is less than half illuminated. The word gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. Waxing essentially means "growing" or expanding in illumination, and waning means "shrinking" or decreasing in illumination.
After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half, so it is waxing crescent. After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but now it is more than half, so it is waxing gibbous. After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases. So the waning gibbous phase occurs next. Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the light is completely gone -- a new moon.
Moon has never changed these phases in its history of existence.

Conclusion

We did not create or invent these cycles or phases. Our belief is that God created them. We discovered them and we might not have discovered all that exists. We through empirical research have understood the sun, the earth and the moon and their phases to the best of our knowledge that we have it presently as created by the Master of the Universe. We have discovered when does the sunset and when does it rise, when does the moon become sightable and when it does not and where does it become sightable and where it does not. We can say without any doubt that Monday comes after Sunday. Similarly, we can say without any doubt that on such and such day the moon will become sight able in such and such region at such and such time depending that atmosphere is clear. Even if the atmosphere is not clear, the divine law of the phase of the moon will still work. Our sight ability or lack of sigh ability will not change the situation of the moon. When we have discovered with such precision all this about moon, earth, and sun, what prevents us from accepting these divinely dictated laws as we know them now? Why do we insist that we would not accept them because of whatever reason? The purpose of the divine guidance was to help us not only discover the truth but to accept it also.
We do it to show our ignorance and arrogance.
Our fight is not about the birth or the waxing or waning of new moon or the accuracy and the precision that Allah has placed in his universe, it is about our egos and ignorance and the ones who are responsible for this are none other than those who call them religious scholars, or clerics or clergy or leaders. It is not about how to enhance our understanding of the universe and use that empirical data to improve the quality of life, it is about how to contain the knowledge and limit it to the past. It is not about serving God, it is about serving ourselves and our myopic vision of Islam. Let us be clear about the nature of the fight. It is not about Islam or following the faith accurately. It is all about following a path that is built on our egos.

Imagine just for one Ramadan and one Eid ul Adha if we do this

Imagine if Muslim Americans, yes Muslim Americans only, decide to do the following, how much change can be introduced in the world. Yes, change, that has become so elusive to Muslims, can come to us through our own efforts. This does not even need the resources of the rich Gulf and wealthy people.
Imagine
1. If all the Muslim relief agencies in the US pool their resources in one place,
2. If all those who are spending on lavish iftar parties in masajid and homes donate those resources to the relief agencies.
3. If all of us observe this month with simplicity, trying to emulate our Prophet in consuming food and donate whatever we save to relief agencies,
4. If all of us pool our zakat at one place rather than giving it individually to whomsoever we deem deserving,
5. If all of us give the equivalent to what we spend on Eid ul Fitr gifts to our relief agencies,
6. If the money that is spent on buying animals for eid ul Adha is donated to relief groups,
And imagine
7. If we can control our spending habits during these festivals by not spending the money on six flag mountain trips or Disney world, just for one Ramadan, this is what can be achieved.
a. Safe and clean drinking water in those areas where water is not easily available
b. A school for children within the walking distance of their living vicinity
c. A book, a pen and a notebook to every child
d. A decent full meal every day for every child
e. A small dispensary to every village
d. A small vocational center in every town 
e. A university to every country
And much more
But this would not happen with the current thinking among Muslims because
1. Each organization is concerned about its organizational goals regardless of the outcome
2. Each organization considers itself better than others,
3. There is no sense of urgency to the problems of people,
4, there is no proper planning and coordination,
5. There is no serious leadership among Muslims who can prepare them for this task,
6. There are no proper channels of communications among Muslims to prepare them for this role.
Thus the resources will be raised, the money will be spent, donations will be collected, zakat will be offered and help will be given, but the impact would not be felt the way it should have felt.
Consequently,
Things would not change and we would end up blaming each other and the conspirators for the ills that we have been exposed to. Someone rightly said: Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
All this is doable, but the leadership is not coming.
The Islamic relief groups in America can take leadership if they have the vision. The idea was proposed in 2,000, but a Muslim political group took the idea and turned it into its own political action to convince the state department that it can monitor the relief work of Muslim relief agencies in the US and can report about their fundings etc.
So we are back to the stage of apathy and indifference.
Let us have a sumptuous iftar meal and pray to Allah to help the Muslim Umma to come out of its ills.

Ramadan: Beyond Thirst and Hunger

Every year in the month of Ramadan, especially among a growing number of Muslim American households, Ramadan iftar parties have become an attractive event. With several different types of snacks and a lavish number of main entrees, the parties offer a spectacle of affluence, extravagance, and luxury. Why should it not be like this? After all, we are told that if you help a Muslim break his fast, you get huge rewards from Allah. So, all these parties and functions are for Allah as commanded by His prophet. Our reward increases with the presence of a Sheikh and probably with the increase in the number of dishes. 

But wait a minute? Most, I mean all, of the people who come to these parties are people who are well off, affluent and can easily afford to offer meals to others. Didn't the Prophet advise us to focus on those who are less affluent and less fortunate? Didn't Allah want the resourceful people to share their fortune with other less resourceful? Probably, Allah and His messenger might have meant that. But when we invite ordinary people who are not of our status and our class, we usually compromise our positions in the community. How can we, the affluent and less affluent be equal? We worked hard to earn what we have. We are entitled to enjoy the way we want to enjoy. Moreover, they are not aware of the etiquettes behaving in the company of the affluent.

This is how Ramadan is celebrated in some of the Muslim homes who have been endowed with resources. In our Mosques, depending on their size, the situation is different. Huge expenses are incurred by individuals and the management for iftar and meals. Many people justify these expenses, saying that Ramadan creates the spirit of brother and sisterhood and brings the entire community together. True! People feel rejuvenated and feel the spirit of the month by coming to the Mosque in large numbers, yet the resources that are spent could probably be used better. What if Mosques offer simple milk, water and dates for iftar and individual families bring extra food to share with those who are unable to afford it? It would require some organization and some serious efforts on the part of the management and families, but it would definitely create stronger solidarity. Rather than throwing lavish food, parties at the Mosque, if we follow simplicity and offer nutritious food supervised by nutrition experts, probably, we would utilize our resources better.

We do not have to wait for the entire community to have a consensus on these issues. Those who feel that such practices are genuine should follow them.

Let us look at the positive aspects of the month of Ramadan. For an entire month, we live in an environment where we are conscious of our creator every second, regardless of where we are, provided we are fasting or aware of the importance of fasting. It is a month where we can train ourselves in some of our behavioral aspects.

Some of our scholars remind us that we should focus on offering extra prayers and extra reading of the Quran. But in addition to these, there are two other aspects that were part of Prophet's behavior, yet ignored sometimes.

The prophet was very generous this month and he spent long hours seeking the protection and forgiveness of Allah. Obviously, the Prophet taught us that the month should be used to evaluate our own behavior and attitude towards ourselves and others and seek protection in the guidance of Allah. In other words, besides being generous, he taught us to ensure that we control our anger, egos, arrogance, and show humility, politeness, kindness, and forgiveness to others.

Fasting demonstrates our ability not only to conquer hunger, but also our capacity to control psychological aspects of our behavior, such as our reaction to things that we dislike. If we learned how to tame our ego, everything that we do will multiply in reward in our life and if we fail, then regardless of the number of nightly prayers and extra reading of the Quran, our fasting would not go beyond an exercise in controlling our hunger.

Here are a few suggestions that we can try to incorporate in our daily Ramadan and beyond.

We should:

• ... Not react immediately if we dislike anything. Rather, we would take time and try to respond in a calm and polite manner.
• ... Ignore those useless talks that serve no purpose.
• ... Ensure that we do not indulge in backbiting or demeaning anyone.
• ... Ensure that we show kindness to youngsters and respect to elders.
• ... Do not focus on food and consume things that are not nutritious because of Allah asks to be mindful of our health also.
• ... Control our anger, egos, arrogance, and trash-talking. 
• ... Do not hurt anyone and if we cross our limits, we would immediately apologize.
• ... Maintain quietness most of the time.
• ... Greet everyone with a sweet smile.
• ... Visit the mosque with our family at least once a week if possible. 
• ... Give our children a feel of Taraweeh prayers by praying with them this nightly prayer.
• ... Invite the poor and the needy families to our homes at least once in the month of Ramadan to honor them. 
• ... Be generous in sharing our resources to the poor and the neglected.
• ... Try to read the Quran with translation and understanding if we do not know Arabic and with reflections if we know Arabic.
• ... Spend some time alone to observe prayers and recite the Quran and reflect on our life.
• ... Focus on some of the suras of the Quran so that we could either memorize them or understand them in depth. 
• ... Invite some non-Muslim neighbors or colleagues to our homes to share the Ramadan spirit at Iftar time.
• ... Give the Zakat ul Fitr so that the money could be distributed in an organized manner to the poor and the needy. 
• ... Ensure that not a single prayer is delayed.
• ... Give one book on Islam to anyone who wants to learn more about Islam.
• ... Hug our children, our parents, and our dearest ones, to thank them for their presence in our lives and to remind ourselves of the importance of family.
• ... Ignore the minor or major behavioral issues of people and treat them with patience.
• ... Ensure that we would not visit internet sites that are provocative, or that promote immorality. 
• ... Help our spouses in home chores and avoid criticizing them for their mistakes.
• ... Always remember that all that we are doing is to fulfill our obligations to our Creator who seeks our well being in this life and the life hereafter.