.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Holy month of Ramadan

Sierra Leoneans and the Holy month of Ramadan.

It is a month spent in fasting and observing the doctrines of Islam.

Prophet Muhammad and his progeny told Muslims that Ramadan is a month for Muslims to purify themselves. It plunges Muslims into deep reflection about fasting. Muslims believe that Allah extends his hospitality to all mankind during this holy month. The Holy Prophet Muhammad had taught that Muslims should appreciate the values of this Holy Month and ponder over the wisdom of fasting. Fasting teaches that life is not devoted to sensual plesure only. Some lessons are derived from the exercsie of fasting: The Holy Prophet Muhamad called Ramadan the month of patience". The Prophet said, "And the reward of patience is paradise".

The Prophet use to say patience is for Allah and He will reward it as he chooses. During his lifetime, whenever the prophet felt sad, he would resort to worshipping and fasting.

Another lesson derived from fasting is that it invokes sympathy. Muslims sympathise with the deprived and indigent. Propet Muhamad use to call Ramadan the "Blooming days of the poor", because the humanistic feelings are then in full swing.

Fasting is believed to be a way of obeying God's decrees and brings a believer closer to Him. It is a way of spiritually nourishing the mind, it enhances the acquistion of piety and virtues and sincerity. Muslims believe that fasting is a way to strengthen the will power for self control from sinful acts. It decreases the activeness of the body organs. It is way of awakeneing consciousness on the plight of the less fortunate. It decreases anti-social activities. Fasting unites people and invokes solidarity when they are engaged in the same devotion during Ramadan.

During the month of Ramadan , this year, the Iranian Cultural Consulate in Sierra Leone will organise two activities. One will be a Quranic reading competition and the other a Quranic exhibition..

The reading competition will involve memorisation of the whole Quran or half or one- third.

"The essence is to encourage Sierra Leoneans to study the Quran", says Mohamed Reza Ghezel Sofla, Cultural Chancellor of the ICC. He says knowledge on the Quran is not only good for spiritual development but also for social development".

allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Citizens Prepare for Ramadan (Page 1 of 1)