Muslimah: The True Spirit–Ramadan

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By Aneerah Ali, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

Asalaam u alaikum

As Ramadan approaches, I feel such a wonderful thrill that, Inshallah, I will get another opportunity to devote an entire month to ibadah. I will have the chance to implore my Lord for His mercy and His forgiveness. I will be able to make attempts to become even more closer to him. And I want to make sure that my family gets the most out of this month, because as we should all be aware that tomorrow is not promised to any of us, and this might be our last Ramadan.

I would like to take a few minutes to share with you a specific issue, which I believe is often forgotten during the hustle and bustle of Ramadan. Most of us spend our time involved in making arrangements so that our families can be as comfortable as possible during the long fasting days. Many of us busy ourselves with iftar parties. Some of us also become involved with group halaqas, taraweeh prayers, and personal ‘ibadah. However there is something else which we need to pay attention to so that we can reap even more of the benefits Ramadan has to offer.

I would like to stress upon the importance of involving our children in the spirit of Ramadan so that they can ingrain in themselves the glory of this most important month for Muslims.

Alhamdulillah, most of us are extremely fortunate and blessed. I often ponder in amazement upon the mercy that Allah (swt) has bestowed on me. I am sure that we are among the top ten percent of the world’s population. Just one evening of the nightly news makes that clear. The majority of the world’s population is struggling, suffering, going through hardship or being victimized in one way or another. There are children who are yearning for just a bite to eat. Alhamdulillah, our children are so fortunate that they have all the facilities available to them and all the luxuries we can provide, by the grace of Allah.

We share our children’s joy as we see them engross themselves in the various entertainment that today’s technology has to offer. We encourage them in their athletic ambitions and urge them to excel in Islamic knowledge and school academics. And Alhamdulillah that is very well and good. However how much do we emphasize on making them understand that they have a responsibility to be thankful for their good fortune and to aid those who are desolate. We need to make certain that they do not take all they have for granted and that they live with humility.

What better time to teach our children than in the glorious month of Ramadan. After all it is the spirit of Ramadan which brings us towards the realization that all we have is due to the will of Allah(swt) and that we will be questioned even more stringently because of it.

Therefore, I would like to press upon the necessity of taking advantage of this best of all months, to instill the true spirit of Ramadan into our children. There are numerous ways that you can do this. Depending upon the age of your children, first explain to them why Ramadan is so important. Emphasize on the virtues of iman and patience. Share with them the conditions of other people especially children, around the world. It would also be a good idea to show them a documentary about how many children are impoverished and destitute. Then engage them in a discussion in which they could share their thoughts on how they feel about the news or film you shared with them. You can then have them think of ways that they can help the people they learned about. Have them come up with a project that they can implement to raise money for a specific area or organization. Some examples can be:

— to organize a pop can and bottles collection, if you live in a state where you can get a refund for the pop bottles and cans;

–organize a bake sale or refreshment stand at taraweeh on the weekends;

–Buy candy bars at whole sale price and then sell them at iftar dinners or at taraweeh time;

–Create ‘Eid greeting cards and sell them;

–Organize a non-perishable can food drive or clothing, coats, and blankets collection;

–Contact your local soup kitchen and plan for an ‘Eid soup kitchen event.

Furthermore, if your children are over the age of ten you should also start involving them in different forms of ibadaah.

Encouraging them to fast is a good start, however you have to make sure they comprehend that Ramadan is more than just refraining from eating or drinking. Some the things that you can do are:

–Once your family arrives home from school and work, you should pray together

–Prepare iftar together and have iftar together as a family

–you can assign days to each member of the family on which they should give some type of mini-lecture on the seerah of the Prophet Muhammad (s) or explain the tafseer of a verse in the Quran.

–Another activity you can plan is to have your child invite their friends and classmates of the same gender to an iftar.

Inform the children beforehand to prepare a hadith to share with everyone at the iftar. Have some of the children give a speech on an Islamic topic. Make sure to include everyone, especially the shy ones.

–You should try your best to attend taraweeh prayer together, and encourage them to read atleast eight rakats. The best way to teach is by setting an example, so if you were not a regular prayer before, this is the best time to make a firm intention to start.

Furthermore, children really do learn from their parents, how often is that we as adults remember what our parents used to do and try to emulate them.

Ramadan and Eid are times for our children to enjoy and we should make it as festive as possible for them, especially since we live in a country where Christmas and Halloween are celebrated in such an extravagant manner, and we want them to love their own holidays.

However, we should also make sure that we are teaching them the purpose and illuminate in them the true spirit of Ramadan.

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The Rise of Iran and the Shi’a State

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By Geoffrey Cook, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

Berkeley–August 29th–Darius Zahedi was one of three participants in the first of an ambitious series of programs, which will address the foreign policy challenges facing the next American President whoever he may be. The pragmatic schedule is projected through the 2008 elections.

Darius Zahedi began his comments “Iran and [its] Shia [brothers] have increased [their influence] geo-politically.” These considered words, have much to put the comments last week of the Presidents of Iran and the United States in context. The Chief Executive of that Islamic Republic stated only that Iran was capable of filling in the vacuum that would develop when the States will withdraw. Bush responded in his cowboy manner with a threat that his commanders on the ground in Mesopotamia act in an aggressive manner against Tehran. That night our armed forces picked up several Iranian professionals there to consult over the redevelopment of the homeland of the Two Rivers, who were there at the invitation of Baghdad, and paraded them through the streets of the occupied capital tethered together. In the morning, when the District of Columbia was caught with “egg on its face,” they were released.

The U.S. has done the Farsi a great favor by toppling their two worst (neighboring) enemies – Iraq and the Taliban! Unfortunately, the NeoCons (Neo-Conservatives) have had control over Washington’s foreign policy during these Baby Bush years. Their plans and concepts regarding the Middle East have been quite mired and ill thought out. Awhile back, the Persians had made overtures to the United States to back down from most of the charges made against them with little asked in return, but D.C. snubbed their letter by filing it in the “circular file.”

Our Administration’s grossest incompetence can be seen in Iraq and Kabul. Our errors empowered that considerable power between the two. The United States of America is responsible for the expansion of their (Iran’s) sway. Domestically, our War along the Tigris and Euphrates forced the price of oil up – especially in the West — which helped Iran gain grateful friends in distress – like the Palestinians – which won them allies in their geographical locality of the Middle East.

Yet their success is built on a fragile domestic foundation. The population has doubled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The current unemployment rate — over all the nation’s ethnic groups — is extremely serious; thus, forty percent of the population is below the poverty line. Inflation has been running at 25-30%. The Farsis as a whole are extremely well educated groups. Yet a World Bank Report finds them to have the worst brain drain in the world!

The U.S encircles Iran militarily. Tehran is vulnerable to attack at any time and place by the U.S.A. Therefore, Tehran has developed an asymmetrical deterrence that includes a nuclear game plan. (In many ways, though, Israel – the fifth largest nuclear nation in the world — is as dangerous a foe to them as we are – possibly more so.)

To understand the domestic discontent, we should look at a few figures. Shiites represents 70% of the people around the area about the Gulf, and 50% of the Middle East itself. Yet the partisans of Ali have been disenfranchised even though they formed a majority within their own territories. “There are a number of factors that impede Shia solidarity” and domination. The greatest impediment to the Shiites in exerting their rights as a majority about the Gulf is the contemporary ruling Sunni Post-Colonial States.

In Iran, after the Revolution there was a thorough regime change, but the traditional infrastructure of the State remained. The Shia/Arab divide damages Shiite solidarity. Also, this fractures the State itself. (Iran has considerable Arab minorities, too, that are consolidated in one large area.)

All the Shiites in Iraq depend upon support from Iran – moreover militarily, materially and morally. If the United States withdraws, the Shiites will have to depend upon their co-religionists across their Western border.

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