Ramadan Blogging: Day 3
September 16th, 2007 Posted in Islam, Ramadan Blogging, USA
I didn’t get much out of the after-fajr talk by Dr. Imad Bayoun. May be he was trying to pack too much in short time. May be I was too sleepy. In the evening we went to smaller Masjid Noor instead of the bigger MCA for iftar. The congregation at Masjid Noor has a higher proportion of South Asian which has maintained the tradition of sending iftar from homes to the mosque everyday. So, it was good to taste the typical iftar dishes like pakoris, fruit chaat etc.
It being Saturday, MCA is full of people for isha and tarawih. Just after the isha prayers and before tarawih started, there was a short talk by some sheikh from Fresno. He made a very interesting point that fasting in the month of Ramadan did not come into being till the 15th year of Prophethood. However, the month of Ramadan has always been significant for Muslims (even before fasting was established) as the night of laylatul qadr occurs in this month. That fasting also occurs in this month is an added incentive to indulge in prayers in this month. He also commented on the fact that Ramadan is supposed to be the month of fasting but we have made it the month for eating as the most delicious food and desserts are prepared for iftar and saher. Something to think about.
A significant number of people offer 8 rakah of tarawih, so MCA has come up with the idea of holding lectures after 8 rakahs on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday it was by Dr. Bayoun and today it was by one of the most popular orator in the area, Imam Suhaib Webb. I really like his content and style of lecture and his sense of humor is awesome. He was talking about the importance of iman (faith) in the month of Ramadan. He said that faith is basically the fight between good and evil and how a man responds to it. He narrated a beautiful hadith which I can’t recall completely but will try to find it out.
It is related by Abu Hurairah that, once, some Companions presented themselves before the Apostle of God and said, “Our condition is that sometimes we experience such evil thoughts and sentiments in our heart that it is most painful even to mention them.” “Is it really so?” inquired the Prophet. “Yes”, replied the Companions, “This is our condition.” “But that is pure Faith,” the Prophet exclaimed. (Muslim)
