Arshad's Contri

Ramadan derives from the Arabic root: ramida or ar-ramad, meaning scorching heat or dryness. Since Muslims are commanded to fast during the month of Ramadan, it is believed that the month's name may refer to the heat of thirst and hunger, or because fasting burns away one's past sins. Muslims believe that God began revealing the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan (in the year 610 C.E.). The Qur'an commands: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint...Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting..." (Chapter 2, verses 183 and 185). Fasting during Ramadan did not become an obligation for Muslims until 624 C.E., at which point it became the third of the Five Pillars of Islam. The others are faith (Shahadah); prayer (Salah); charitable giving (Zakah); and the pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj).

Another aspect of Ramadan is that it is believed that one of the last few odd-numbered nights of the month is the Laylat ul-Qadr, the "Night of Power" or "Night of Destiny." It is the holiest night of the holiest month; it is believed to be the night on which God first began revealing the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Gabriel). This is a time for especially fervent and devoted prayer, and the rewards and blessings associated with such are manifold. Muslims are told in the Qur'an that praying throughout this one night is better than a thousand months of prayer. No one knows exactly which night it is; it is one of God's mysteries. Additionally, Muslims are urged to read the entire Qur'an during the month of Ramadan, and its 114 chapters have been divided into 30 equal parts for this purpose.

When the first crescent of the new moon has been officially sighted by a reliable source, the month of Ramadan is declared over, and the month of Shawwal begins. The end of Ramadan is marked by a three-day period known as Eid ul-Fitr, the "Festival of Fast-breaking." It is a joyous time beginning with a special prayer, and accompanied by celebration, socializing, festive meals and sometimes very modest gift-giving, especially to children.

When Ramadan ends, Muslims give charity in a locally prescribed amount, calculated to feed one poor person in that region for one day. This is known as fitra, and is meant as another reminder of the suffering endured by many. Many Muslims also take this occasion to pay the annual alms which are due to the poor and needy, known as Zakah (2.5% of assets).

 During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. At the end of the day the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar.THe good that is acquired through the fast can be destroyed by five things -

1. the telling of a lie
2. slander
3. denouncing someone behind his back
4. a false oath
5. greed or covetousness
   

THE first sparks of protest against Pope Benedict XVI’s provocative statements about Islam begin flying and strong disapproval of his quote from a 14th century Byzantine emperor’s description of Islam registers, it is poised to add fuel to the debate on the clash of civilisations.

In India, a call for a one-day strike against the Pope’s comments came from the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League, a constituent of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, even as prominent Muslim leaders labelled his remarks as “unfortunate” and expressed “shock” over it. Pakistan’s Muslim scholars and religious leaders criticised the remarks against Islam and asked him to play a positive role in bringing Islam and Christianity closer. The Pope, who is seen as a more hardline votary of the Christain faith as well as more skeptical in his outlook towards Islam as compared to his predecessor John Paul II, said that violence as embodied in the Islamic concept of jihad, or holy war, is contrary to reason and God’s plan. He added that the West was so beholden to reason that Islam could not understand it.
Quoting the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus in the opening sentences of his address to the students of the Regensburg University in Germany he said: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread the sword by the faith he preached”. He added that violent conversion to Islam was contrary to reason and thus “contrary to God’s nature”.
In Delhi, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Musdhawarat (AIMMM) expressed their disapproval. AIMPLB said it was very “unfortunate” for the Pope to have made such a comment. “We are anguished and hurt. He is the most respected religious personality. His words are a setback to world peace. These kind of statements come out of the clash of civilisations that US president George Bush as identified himself with. Unfortunately, the Pope has got himself trapped into the political campaign against Islam,” Kamal Farooqi of the AIMPLB told ET.
The AIMMM expressed “shock and surprise” on behalf of the Muslim community over the Pope’s comments. “It is not proper to have quoted a 14th century Byzantine king who participated in the Crusades and was invaded by Muslim powers. This was his war propaganda to mobilise his people. Islam does not allow coercion in matters of religion,” Syed Shahabuddin president of AIMMM said.
Mr Farooqi also decried what he called the Pope’s effort to “link Islam with terrorism”. He claimed jihad was a concept that could be found in all religions as seen in Sri Krishna urging Arjuna to fight the great war in the Mahabharata and Christ’s exhortation to fight it out.
Modern Muslim theologians have spoken of many things as jihads — the struggle within the soul, defending Islam from critics, supporting its growth and migrating to non-Muslim lands for the purpose of spreading Islam. But a significant section believe that violent jihad is a constant of Islamic history and no major Muslim group or organisation has repudiated the doctrines of armed jihad. Following John Paul’s death in April 2005, radical Islam and terrorism emerged as key issues in the selection of the new Pope