Introduction To Ramadan

Ramadan is the month-long Islamic festival of fasting and prayer. It is observed by Muslims all over the world, during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, known as the month of Ramadan. The observance of Ramadan began in the year 610 CE, when the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Quran. It is mandatory for all healthy adult Muslims who are not travelling or menstruating to fast during this period, from sunrise to sunset. Fasting means abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs during the fasting hours, which typically lasts for around 14 hours a day. The goal of fasting during Ramadan is not just to abstain from food and drink but also to promote self-discipline, restraint, and devotion to Allah. The month of Ramadan is a time for strengthening one's faith in Allah, performing acts of charity, and seeking forgiveness for wrongdoings. Muslims engage in additional prayers during Ramadan, particularly the nightly prayer known as Taraweeh, which is recited after the Isha prayer. The month of Ramadan ends with the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, which is a celebration of the end of fasting, marked by prayers and feasting with family and friends. Ramadan is a significant event for the Islamic community and a time for spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and giving to others.

"Whether the issue is violence, terrorism, women's rights or slavery, Muslims are today expected to provide answers and to justify what Islam is-or is not. But little opportunity exists, either in the media or in society as a whole, to describe Islam. In simple, direct language, Introduction to Islam introduces readers to Islam and to its principles, rituals, diversity, and evolution. In this book, Tariq Ramadan focuses upon the realities of Islam today. Avoiding ideology and idealism, Ramadan brings to life an essence of the true meaning of Islam and its implications today. No prior knowledge of Islam is required; the book makes the complexity of Islam easy to understand by looking closely at its multi-faceted reality as a religion, and at the civilization that arose from it. The book begins with definitions, and basic principles of Islam. It then delves into history: from the beginnings in the prophetic mission and the Sunni-Shia schism, to the rise of legal schools and the construction of the "Islamic sciences," and to its theological, philosophic mainstream, and mystical (Sufi) undercurrents. The six pillars of faith will also be presented, along with the five pillars of practice, as well as Islam's prescribed rights, duties and prohibitions, the principles of Muslim mysticism and the elements of Islamic philosophy and ethics. The two final chapters focus on the modern era, offering a broad overview of the debates and controversies that are shaking Muslim-majority societies, and reshaping the lives of those who live as minorities elsewhere." --

When the sun sets, break the fast.

Describes how Muslims celebrate the month of Ramadan, one of Islam's most important celebrations, a time to fast and make amends.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and text highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! For Muslims, Ramadan is a time for fasting, prayer, and thinking of others. Rashad tries to be good all month. When it's time for Eid al-Fitr, he feasts and plays! Find out how people celebrate this special time of year. Learn the history behind the days people celebrate in the Holidays and Special Days series. Each book follows a young narrator through the process of preparing for and celebrating a special event.

Tariq Ramadan is very much a public figure, named one of Time magazine's most important innovators of the twenty-first century. He is among the leading Islamic thinkers in the West, with a large following around the world. But he has also been a lightning rod for controversy. Indeed, in 2004, Ramadan was prevented from entering the U.S. by the Bush administration and despite two appeals, supported by organizations like the American Academy of Religion and the ACLU, he was barred from the country until spring of 2010, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finally lifted the ban. In What I Believe, Ramadan attempts to set the record straight, laying out the basic ideas he stands for in clear and accessible prose. He describes the book as a work of clarification, directed at ordinary citizens, politicians, journalists, and others who are curious (or skeptical) about his positions. Aware that that he is dealing with emotional issues, Ramadan tries to get past the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding to speak directly, from the heart, to his Muslim and non-Muslim readers alike. In particular, he calls on Western Muslims to escape the mental, social, cultural, and religious ghettos they have created for themselves and become full partners in the democratic societies in which they live. At the same time, he calls for the rest of us to recognize our Muslim neighbors as citizens with rights and responsibilities the same as ours. His vision is of a future in which a shared and confident pluralism becomes a reality at last.

Sophia wants to fast for Ramadan this year. Her grandma tells her that fasting helps make a person sparkly—and Sophia loves sparkles. But when her attempt at fasting fails, Sophia must find another way to participate. This lovely multigenerational family story explores the many ways to take part in the Ramadan holiday.

Part travelogue, part autobiography, "The Road to Mecca" is the compelling story of a Western journalist and adventurer who converted to Islam in the early twentieth century. A spiritual and literary counterpart of Wilfred Thesiger and a contemporary of T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Muhammad Asad journeyed around the Middle East, Afghanistan and India. This is an account of Asad's adventures in Arabia, his inner awakening, and his relationships with nomads and royalty alike, set in the wake of the First World War. It can be read on many levels: as a eulogy to a lost world, and as the poignant account of a man's search for meaning. It is also a love story, defying convention and steeped in loss. With its evocative descriptions and profound insights on the Islamic world, "The Road to Mecca" is a work of immense value today.