Brighton & Hove Muslim Forum

Eid Mubarik to all our brothers and sisters.

May Allah tala accept your ibada (sacrifice, fasting, Qur’an reading, ziker, Salah, charity and all good deeds) ameen ameen amee

Eid-ul-Adha (‘festival of Sacrifice’), also known as the Greater Eid, is the second most important festival in the Muslim calendar.

The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.

The story of Ibrahim’s sacrifice:-

Eid-ul-Adha celebrates the occasion when Allah appeared to Ibrahim in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son Isma’il as an act of obedience to God.

The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. As Ibrahim was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.

Celebrations:-

Eid ul Adha is a public holiday in Muslim countries.

This day Muslims all over the world who can afford it , sacrifice a sheep (sometimes a goat) as a reminder of Ibrahim’s obedience to Allah. In Britain, the animal has to be killed at a slaughterhouse.

They share out the meat among family, friends and the poor, who each get a third share.

Eid usually starts with Muslims going to the Mosque for prayers, dressed in their best clothes, and thanking Allah for all the blessings they have received.

It is also a time when they visit family and friends as well as offering presents.

At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.

The Hajj:-

The Hajj is pilgrimage to Makkah.

It is the Fifth Pillar of Islam and therefore a very important part of the Islamic faith.

All physically fit Muslims who can afford it should make the visit toMakkah, in Saudi Arabia, at least once in their lives.

Every year around 2 million Muslims from all over the world converge on Makkah.

They stand before the Kaaba, a shrine built by Ibrahim praising Allah together.

The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothes called Ihram which promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah.

During the Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their faith and sense of purpose in the world.

Extra information:-

 It is celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah.

On the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, pilgrims proceed to the plains of the Mount of `Arafah, outside Makkah and they spend their time totally in worship. This is the core of the worship of Hajj, without which no Hajj is said to have been performed. On that evening, pilgrims proceed from Arafah to Muzdalifah.

Early in the morning of the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the pilgrims having offered their prayers at Muzdalifah, proceed to the three pillars to cast seven stones at the symbols of Satan. This ceremony of casting stones has been performed since the days of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (peace be upon him).

It is a ceremony which indicates that one should cast away the evil of Satan repeatedly and resolve never to listen to him again, nor to succumb to temptations. In fact, the word for the casting process in Arabic is “rajm”, which means throwing of stones.

Then, pilgrims return to Mina, with a pure slate of mind and heart, where they perform the sacrifice of animals. This process commemorates the event when Prophet Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his most beloved treasure, his son…

 It was Ismail–his beloved and righteous son–who was destined also to become a prophet. He is known as “Adh-dhabih”, or the chosen sacrifice of Allah.

For those who did not go to Hajj, this year–like most of us–it is celebrated as a feast. We begin with the prayers of Eid, following which, sacrifices of animals are made and the meat is shared with the poor.

There is a difference between mere charity and sacrifice. Charity is a regular all-time practice of helping the needy and no particular day is fixed for it. This is while sacrifice is an annual ritual, which is to be performed on the prescribed days commencing with Eid al-Adha.

BHMF wishes all our brothers and sisters around the world a very happy Ramadan.

We pray that Allah tala allows this to be our best ever Ramadan for all of our brothers and sisters. May we all excel in our worship and may all our fasting, Quran reading, ziker, salah and charity be accepted by Allah tala. ameen, ameeen, ameen.

We ask Allah tala to remove the difficulties of our brothers and sisters around the world and spread guidance to all of humanity. Ameen, ameen, ameen.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a time of fasting for the Islamic people. Each day during this month, Muslims all over the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, as well as participating in anything that is ill-natured or excessive; from dawn until the sun sets. Fasting is intended to educate the Muslim in spirituality, humility and patience. It is a time to cleanse the soul, focus attention on God, and put into practice selflessness. Ramadan is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God and to put forward more prayer than is customary.

Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the Islam religion, and one of the main types of Islamic worship. Restraint from everyday enjoyment and curbing wicked intentions and cravings are considered as an act of compliance and obedience to God, as well as amends for sins, faults, and mistakes. Ramadan is also called Ramazan. During Ramadan, Muslims request forgiveness for sins in the past, pray for direction and assistance in abstaining from everyday troubles, and endeavor to cleanse themselves through self-control and great acts of faith.

In comparison to the solar calendar, the Ramadan dates differ, moving forward approximately ten days every year due to the fact that it is a moving holiday which is dependent on the moon. Ramadan was the month in which the initial verses of the Qur’an were said to be shown to Muhammad, the Islamic Prophet.

The name “Ramadan” had been the name of the ninth month in Arabian tradition prior to the onset of Islam; the word itself originated from an Arabic root “rmd”, in words like “ramida” or “ar-ramad” which means severe heat, burnt ground as well as shortness of provisions. Individuals say it is named Ramadan because it burns out the sins with good deeds, as the sun scorches the ground. In the Qu’ran, God declares that “fasting has been written down upon you, as it was upon those before you”. In accordance with the first hadith, this is in reference to the Jewish custom of fasting on Yom Kippur.

The lunar cycle determines the Islamic calendar, therefore the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month commences with a mixture of the sighting of the new moon as well as astronomical calculations. The precise time of Ramadan will at times vary from place to place because some depend a great deal on moon sightings, while others rely on science. An Imam which is a Muslim holy man will make known the correct time of Ramadan right before it begins. The fasting phase finishes upon the sighting of the next new moon, which take place after 29 or 30 days.

Ramadan conveys an extraordinary sense of emotional enthusiasm and religious eagerness among Muslims of all ages. Even though fasting is compulsory for adults alone, children as young as eight readily watch fasting with their elders. Children look forward to the thrill of the moon sighting and eating unique meals with their relatives. Adults are grateful for the chance to double their rewards from God and ask for pardon for their past sins. Ramadan highlights Muslim brotherhood and customs and brings about a special feeling of closeness.