Ya Ali Madad - Asalamualaykum!
Ramadan is tommorow, inshallah it will be great, I hope to keep the whole month. I also wish success to all brothers and sisters who are hoping to fast aswell.
May the Imam bless us.
Ramadan
Ramadan?
Ya Ali Madad
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I hate it!!!
I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I hate it!!!I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
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zubair_mahamood
- Posts: 238
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:12 pm
- Contact:
Ramadan?
I think it’s not compulsory to Fast during Ramadan for Ismailies and it’s also not prohibited to fast during Ramadan. I am fasting…baqi wrote:Ya Ali Madad
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
Don’t know why your marriage with a Sunni girl forces u to fast…. I have many friends married to sunnies and they don’t fast or follow Islam…
Just search in forum you will find discussion on this topic
Zubair Mahamood
The topic comes back every year. Maybe it would be a good place to start reading all the posts exchanged last years.
Here is an extract from a FARMAN: [Usul e Din, published many time, I am reading from Bulleting published by Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Kenya in July 1972
The Farman was made by MOwlana Sultan Muhammad Shah in Dar es Salaam, 1899
"What is the difference between the Haqiqat and the Shariat? They are two different things altogether. One prefers the Book, the fast, the prayer; the other yearns for freedom. The two are world apart; they shall NEVER come together. How can the ignorant one ever be happy? He cannot grasp the Haqiqat; he does not want the Haqiqat....
Those who are steeped in the Shariat will never respond to My Farmans.
When I depart physically from you, you should not think that the Imam has left. Think of Hazar Imam as ever-present.. I am forever with you.
Here is an extract from a FARMAN: [Usul e Din, published many time, I am reading from Bulleting published by Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Kenya in July 1972
The Farman was made by MOwlana Sultan Muhammad Shah in Dar es Salaam, 1899
"What is the difference between the Haqiqat and the Shariat? They are two different things altogether. One prefers the Book, the fast, the prayer; the other yearns for freedom. The two are world apart; they shall NEVER come together. How can the ignorant one ever be happy? He cannot grasp the Haqiqat; he does not want the Haqiqat....
Those who are steeped in the Shariat will never respond to My Farmans.
When I depart physically from you, you should not think that the Imam has left. Think of Hazar Imam as ever-present.. I am forever with you.
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aminamirali
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 4:15 pm
Its not like that almost all of my ismili friends and me do physical fast as well and i havent read any farman of MHI where is has prohibited the physical one but instead he has emphasized more on the spiritual one but it doesnot make sense that its not mandatory. If not the physical one is mandatory then why do we offer beej.
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star_munir
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) used to face the people and say: "O ye people, when the crescent of the month of Ramadhan shines, all devils will be chained, the doors of heaven will open, while the doors of hell will be closed; prayers will be answered... Then with the advent of the month of Shawwal , the believers will be told to count their rewards... These rewards, I swear by God, could not be compared with material rewards of money".
Yes, all these blessings are awarded by the blessing of the Holy Quran in the month of Ramadhan. But it is man who unties the devils by committing sins. It is he who opens the gates of Hell which Allah has closed.
The Prince of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S) said: "I asked Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) what are the best deeds in the month of Ramadhan, and he (saw) answered: "The best deeds are to deter oneself from doing what Allah made unlawful" and he (saw) cried: I asked him what he was crying for and he explained:
"I am crying about what is going to happen to you in this month. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked: "Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion"
To this Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) answered: "Yes it would, but who ever kills you will be killing me, and who hates you hates me, and who offends you is offending me. You are to me, in the same position as myself. Your soul is my soul, and your body is my body."
Yes, all these blessings are awarded by the blessing of the Holy Quran in the month of Ramadhan. But it is man who unties the devils by committing sins. It is he who opens the gates of Hell which Allah has closed.
The Prince of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S) said: "I asked Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) what are the best deeds in the month of Ramadhan, and he (saw) answered: "The best deeds are to deter oneself from doing what Allah made unlawful" and he (saw) cried: I asked him what he was crying for and he explained:
"I am crying about what is going to happen to you in this month. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked: "Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion"
To this Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) answered: "Yes it would, but who ever kills you will be killing me, and who hates you hates me, and who offends you is offending me. You are to me, in the same position as myself. Your soul is my soul, and your body is my body."
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star_munir
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
There had been good discussion on this topic previously. There is topic " The Concept of Eid in Ismailism" in current issues section you may go there.aminamirali wrote:Its not like that almost all of my ismili friends and me do physical fast as well and i havent read any farman of MHI where is has prohibited the physical one but instead he has emphasized more on the spiritual one but it doesnot make sense that its not mandatory. If not the physical one is mandatory then why do we offer beej.
Star_munir:he (saw) cried: I asked him what he was crying for and he explained:
"I am crying about what is going to happen to you in this month. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked: "Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion"
Please explain me this above line, I didnt get this.
When the most evil man in the history of mankind will stake you with his sword?
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star_munir
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- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 12:55 am
- Contact:
Imam Ali (A.S.) said: "The bravest are those who gain victory over the false deity of their souls." (Safinatul-Bihar; vol.1, P.689).
Imam Ali (A.S.) asked the Prophet on the last Friday of the month of Shaaban : "What is the best thing to do in Ramadan?" The Prophet answered: "The best thing is to avoid committing sins." (Yun al-Akhbar ar-Ridha, vol.1).
Imam Ali (A.S.) asked the Prophet on the last Friday of the month of Shaaban : "What is the best thing to do in Ramadan?" The Prophet answered: "The best thing is to avoid committing sins." (Yun al-Akhbar ar-Ridha, vol.1).
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zubair_mahamood
- Posts: 238
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:12 pm
- Contact:
Re: Ramadan?
I feel that your explanation questions the faith of billions of Muslim fasting in the holy month… on one hand you say “I don’t want to spoil my mind….” But I feel u mean to say v r right they are wrong…. Just tell me how can Prophet Muhammad explain fast wrong? How can Muslim fast in this month be wrong? I disagree with u....vasanji wrote:Well Brother, I give you some intelligence, and dispassionate information of the situation in the US.zubair_mahamood wrote:I think it’s not compulsory to Fast during Ramadan for Ismailies and it’s also not prohibited to fast during Ramadan. I am fasting…baqi wrote:Ya Ali Madad
I thought that fasting for the whole month of Ramadan wasn't compulsory for Ismailis? I'm married to a Sunni and am being forced to fast
I thought that the whole point of the alamut was to spiriutally liberate us from exoteric-bound, sharia-obsessed pracitces such as compulsory fasting in Ramadan.
Isn't compulsory fasting for the whole month of Ramadan a Sunni and exoteric Twelver practice/misguidance? What is the Ismaili position?
Don’t know why your marriage with a Sunni girl forces u to fast…. I have many friends married to sunnies and they don’t fast or follow Islam…
Just search in forum you will find discussion on this topic
Zubair Mahamood
If you have good health, and you fast, you only do yourself a favor. If you dont fast, you will be punished by your sins and not for your sins.
If you have bad health, then it is not compulsory. Perhaps, you may do some other exercise, or activity to PREPARE yourself to fast. I would say that logically and spiritually, it seems to me, that it would be acceptable to the almighty, as far as my reasoning guides me.
Now, I must say that services in Mosque are, say an Isha prayer, quite physically good exercise. The very full sajida sends blood up and down your system, and food up and down your intestines. Your health and digestion will improve. The fact that the mosques are far more and generally short distance from your home gives you more bang for the buck.
On the other hand, the Ahle Sunna are immersed in their particularisms. Majority of theirs are or appear to be undisciplined. They fall on food like
hungrily. I am giving hints. I dont want to spoil my mind by giving harsh
and too particular statements. The social manners are not very refined.
Look at the taraweeh prayers, 2x10 rakat and then 3 more witr.
So if you fast, you over-stress your system to find advance warnings
of health problems. you build resistance. I go to mosque and see all
the regular praying people like old but healthy bulls. I prefer this to
the exercise in gym since it really build endurance and good mentality.
But Jamat Khana is for deeper spiritual elevation. But you must also know
the meaning of various rituals. It is for building good habits. Discipline.
There are many benefits to those who can see, but I refrain from stating.
I prefer to drop hints as rationalizing and even stating is to end the thought and I prefer my thinking to be unlimited in pursuit of all it can potentially understand, as well as the right to refine (correct) my opinions.
So you can get the best out of both of them if you keep your eye on your
spiritual profit ... remember, mind, body and spirit are all interconnected.
I cant generalize but there are both pious Ismailis and non-Ismaili muslims as well as on the other end. Very hard to formulate a rule ... so difficult to correctly read people's mind.
I think we have right to say I m correct but not that they are wrong…
Ramadan at Starbucks: How companies can profit by respecting religious diversity
Eboo Patel
Tue, June 15, 2021, 5:00 AM
“Thank God for Texas barbecue,” I said as I pulled into the parking lot. I lead an organization that works with colleges on matters related to religious diversity, and I was heading to Baylor University to give a keynote on interfaith cooperation. A friend had told me about a barbecue joint near its southeastern Texas campus, and I went over to eat before my speech.
But I started to reconsider as soon as I walked inside. Fox News was blaring from a television with a story about Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, and about a dozen white guys wearing overalls stared at me, a brown-skinned man, as I walked in.
At the food counter, the items were not labeled very well. I’m Muslim, and I don’t eat pork.
Living in Chicago, I usually tell servers about my religious restrictions. But feeling suspicious eyes on me, I decided that announcing my minority faith was not wise. So I went item by item, asking for ingredients. Now, I was holding up the line.
Then something happened. The server said, warmly: “Here are the four things you can eat.” She piled my plate with food that didn’t include pork.
I don’t know whether she knew I was Muslim, but she knew I was something different. And thanks to her hospitality, I got barbecue, her restaurant got $11.99 and she got a $10 tip.
It was a successful business transaction, which happened only because she was sensitive to my religious identity.
I think about this story a lot when I think about religion’s place in corporate America. In recent months, businesses have increasingly paid attention to racial and gender diversity. But religious diversity is still largely an afterthought – even though religious intolerance and faith-based hate crimes surged during the Trump presidency and show few signs of going away.
One 2020 analysis of Fortune 100 companies by the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation found that religion receives less attention than all other major identity categories, including race/ethnicity, women/gender and sexual orientation. And more than half of those companies make no mention of religion or faith on their diversity homepages.
Corporations are uniquely positioned to help curb religious intolerance because they can provide employees with the tools to navigate diversity, and accommodating religious differences among staff can also boost morale and retention.
Businesses also can tap into new markets by creating services that cater to the desires of different religious groups, boosting their bottom lines.
Nike executive saw Muslim women's need
Consider the case of Martha Moore, a vice president at Nike. When she went to the beach, she often noticed that Muslim women did not go in the water. Those who did wore swimsuits that looked heavy and uncomfortable. As a designer, she saw an opportunity. Why not figure out how to make swimwear for the hundreds of millions of Muslim women who want to go to swim in attire that adheres to the modesty standards of their religion, and is comfortable? She and her team at Nike went to work and designed precisely that. The swimwear line launched in late 2019, enabling Nike to access new customers clamoring for modest swimwear.
Nike isn’t alone. Last year in Malaysia, Starbucks recognized that because of the pandemic, many people could not visit family for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset. So the company created Ramadan Bazaar-inspired treats to make people feel at home.
Netflix, meanwhile, has churned out content that highlights different aspects of diverse religions such as an animated show about Hindu deities called “Ghee Happy.” Marvel recently cast its first on-screen Muslim superhero. And dating apps for people of different faiths have been around for a while – from Christian Mingle to JDate.
Internally, companies also are leading the charge to accommodate religious diversity. Tyson Foods has about 100 chaplains available to provide pastoral care to team members and their families, regardless of specific religious beliefs. Intel offers several employee resource groups dedicated to different faiths – including Christians, Jews, Muslims and, notably, agnostics and atheists.
Internal policies that encourage tolerance also help avoid public criticism and costly lawsuits. For example, in 2019, a Christian dishwasher at Conrad Miami Hotel won a $21.5 million lawsuit because the company didn’t accommodate her religious schedule. And in 2015, Abercrombie & Fitch lost a lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court because it refused to hire a prospective employee who wore a headscarf due to her religion.
There’s reason to believe that more companies will devote attention to faith going forward. For example, I recently spoke with Starbucks staff about religious diversity. After the talk, a manager said the discussion prompted her to think about her Muslim friends fasting during Ramadan, and how Starbucks could adjust their hours to open for them in the early morning.
This is promising, but there’s a long way to go. The United States is a religiously diverse country. It’s also a country rife with religious intolerance.
Corporate America can be a part of the solution – or it can sit on the sidelines and allow the problem to fester. The choice should be a simple one.
Eboo Patel is founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core.
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ra ... 37656.html
Eboo Patel is an Ismaili from Mumbai residing in Chicago.
Eboo Patel
Tue, June 15, 2021, 5:00 AM
“Thank God for Texas barbecue,” I said as I pulled into the parking lot. I lead an organization that works with colleges on matters related to religious diversity, and I was heading to Baylor University to give a keynote on interfaith cooperation. A friend had told me about a barbecue joint near its southeastern Texas campus, and I went over to eat before my speech.
But I started to reconsider as soon as I walked inside. Fox News was blaring from a television with a story about Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, and about a dozen white guys wearing overalls stared at me, a brown-skinned man, as I walked in.
At the food counter, the items were not labeled very well. I’m Muslim, and I don’t eat pork.
Living in Chicago, I usually tell servers about my religious restrictions. But feeling suspicious eyes on me, I decided that announcing my minority faith was not wise. So I went item by item, asking for ingredients. Now, I was holding up the line.
Then something happened. The server said, warmly: “Here are the four things you can eat.” She piled my plate with food that didn’t include pork.
I don’t know whether she knew I was Muslim, but she knew I was something different. And thanks to her hospitality, I got barbecue, her restaurant got $11.99 and she got a $10 tip.
It was a successful business transaction, which happened only because she was sensitive to my religious identity.
I think about this story a lot when I think about religion’s place in corporate America. In recent months, businesses have increasingly paid attention to racial and gender diversity. But religious diversity is still largely an afterthought – even though religious intolerance and faith-based hate crimes surged during the Trump presidency and show few signs of going away.
One 2020 analysis of Fortune 100 companies by the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation found that religion receives less attention than all other major identity categories, including race/ethnicity, women/gender and sexual orientation. And more than half of those companies make no mention of religion or faith on their diversity homepages.
Corporations are uniquely positioned to help curb religious intolerance because they can provide employees with the tools to navigate diversity, and accommodating religious differences among staff can also boost morale and retention.
Businesses also can tap into new markets by creating services that cater to the desires of different religious groups, boosting their bottom lines.
Nike executive saw Muslim women's need
Consider the case of Martha Moore, a vice president at Nike. When she went to the beach, she often noticed that Muslim women did not go in the water. Those who did wore swimsuits that looked heavy and uncomfortable. As a designer, she saw an opportunity. Why not figure out how to make swimwear for the hundreds of millions of Muslim women who want to go to swim in attire that adheres to the modesty standards of their religion, and is comfortable? She and her team at Nike went to work and designed precisely that. The swimwear line launched in late 2019, enabling Nike to access new customers clamoring for modest swimwear.
Nike isn’t alone. Last year in Malaysia, Starbucks recognized that because of the pandemic, many people could not visit family for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset. So the company created Ramadan Bazaar-inspired treats to make people feel at home.
Netflix, meanwhile, has churned out content that highlights different aspects of diverse religions such as an animated show about Hindu deities called “Ghee Happy.” Marvel recently cast its first on-screen Muslim superhero. And dating apps for people of different faiths have been around for a while – from Christian Mingle to JDate.
Internally, companies also are leading the charge to accommodate religious diversity. Tyson Foods has about 100 chaplains available to provide pastoral care to team members and their families, regardless of specific religious beliefs. Intel offers several employee resource groups dedicated to different faiths – including Christians, Jews, Muslims and, notably, agnostics and atheists.
Internal policies that encourage tolerance also help avoid public criticism and costly lawsuits. For example, in 2019, a Christian dishwasher at Conrad Miami Hotel won a $21.5 million lawsuit because the company didn’t accommodate her religious schedule. And in 2015, Abercrombie & Fitch lost a lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court because it refused to hire a prospective employee who wore a headscarf due to her religion.
There’s reason to believe that more companies will devote attention to faith going forward. For example, I recently spoke with Starbucks staff about religious diversity. After the talk, a manager said the discussion prompted her to think about her Muslim friends fasting during Ramadan, and how Starbucks could adjust their hours to open for them in the early morning.
This is promising, but there’s a long way to go. The United States is a religiously diverse country. It’s also a country rife with religious intolerance.
Corporate America can be a part of the solution – or it can sit on the sidelines and allow the problem to fester. The choice should be a simple one.
Eboo Patel is founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core.
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ra ... 37656.html
Eboo Patel is an Ismaili from Mumbai residing in Chicago.
Re: Ramadan
Ramadan
Old Fanous Ramadan, also known as Ramadan lantern is a famous Egyptian folklore associated with Ramadan.Image: Creative Commons License
Together with other Muslims, Ismailis celebrate Ramadan as a month of special felicity.Image: The Ismaili
By The Ismaili
In Muslim tradition, Ramadan is a time of heightened commitment to piety and purification through special observances such as fasting, the performance of good deeds – including charitable giving and voluntary service – and through personal sacrifices of material comforts. These observances can lead to spiritual fulfilment and a sense of renewal.
Ramadan is the holy month in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) received the first revelation of the Holy Qur'an. Together with other Muslims, Ismailis celebrate Ramadan as a month of special felicity “in which the Holy Qur'an was sent down as a guide to humankind…” (Qur'an 2:185).
One of the many devotional practices Muslims observe at various points of the year, including Ramadan, is fasting (sawm in Arabic and roza in Persian and Urdu). Muslims have different ways of fasting, including all forms of self-restraint. This includes not eating and drinking, feeding a poor person, being absorbed in the remembrance of God, avoiding gossip or saying mean things, not being greedy with one’s eyes or mouth, showing humility, and the purification of oneself.
The fast of Ramadan is an important part of the faith: “O believers, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was for those who preceded you that you may be God-fearing” (Qur'an 2:183). Thus, the fast continues a practice which pre-dates Islam, and has been rendered more humane since religion is not intended to be a cause of hardship. For individuals who are unable to fast, such as those who are elderly, sick, pregnant, or nursing a child, it is suggested to feed the poor and needy instead. This emphasis on charitable giving reinforces Islam’s ethic of giving to those who are in greatest need in society to improve their quality of life.
According to general Muslim belief shared by Shia and Sunni alike, the deeper purpose of fasting is understood as that of cultivating and reinforcing the spiritual and moral character of the faithful, who thus live a life of piety and balance, without forsaking the good things of this world bestowed by Allah's grace (Qur'an 7:31-32). Muslims are expected to practice self-restraint for the sake of Allah's pleasure, remaining ever conscious of His presence. Such are the truly God-fearing.
The emphasis on human character is especially underlined. A tradition of the Prophet's beloved daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima Zahra asks what benefit accrues to one who fasts if one does not safeguard one's tongue, ears and limbs. This ethic of self-restraint echoes strictures of the Qur'an: “the hearing, the sight, the heart – all of those shall be questioned.” (Qur'an 17:36). Only when the senses are reined in, does conscience make itself heard, and the soul experience tranquillity, well pleased with itself and well pleasing to its Lord (Qur'an 89:28).
Old Fanous Ramadan, also known as Ramadan lantern is a famous Egyptian folklore associated with Ramadan.Image: Creative Commons License
Together with other Muslims, Ismailis celebrate Ramadan as a month of special felicity.Image: The Ismaili
By The Ismaili
In Muslim tradition, Ramadan is a time of heightened commitment to piety and purification through special observances such as fasting, the performance of good deeds – including charitable giving and voluntary service – and through personal sacrifices of material comforts. These observances can lead to spiritual fulfilment and a sense of renewal.
Ramadan is the holy month in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) received the first revelation of the Holy Qur'an. Together with other Muslims, Ismailis celebrate Ramadan as a month of special felicity “in which the Holy Qur'an was sent down as a guide to humankind…” (Qur'an 2:185).
One of the many devotional practices Muslims observe at various points of the year, including Ramadan, is fasting (sawm in Arabic and roza in Persian and Urdu). Muslims have different ways of fasting, including all forms of self-restraint. This includes not eating and drinking, feeding a poor person, being absorbed in the remembrance of God, avoiding gossip or saying mean things, not being greedy with one’s eyes or mouth, showing humility, and the purification of oneself.
The fast of Ramadan is an important part of the faith: “O believers, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was for those who preceded you that you may be God-fearing” (Qur'an 2:183). Thus, the fast continues a practice which pre-dates Islam, and has been rendered more humane since religion is not intended to be a cause of hardship. For individuals who are unable to fast, such as those who are elderly, sick, pregnant, or nursing a child, it is suggested to feed the poor and needy instead. This emphasis on charitable giving reinforces Islam’s ethic of giving to those who are in greatest need in society to improve their quality of life.
According to general Muslim belief shared by Shia and Sunni alike, the deeper purpose of fasting is understood as that of cultivating and reinforcing the spiritual and moral character of the faithful, who thus live a life of piety and balance, without forsaking the good things of this world bestowed by Allah's grace (Qur'an 7:31-32). Muslims are expected to practice self-restraint for the sake of Allah's pleasure, remaining ever conscious of His presence. Such are the truly God-fearing.
The emphasis on human character is especially underlined. A tradition of the Prophet's beloved daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima Zahra asks what benefit accrues to one who fasts if one does not safeguard one's tongue, ears and limbs. This ethic of self-restraint echoes strictures of the Qur'an: “the hearing, the sight, the heart – all of those shall be questioned.” (Qur'an 17:36). Only when the senses are reined in, does conscience make itself heard, and the soul experience tranquillity, well pleased with itself and well pleasing to its Lord (Qur'an 89:28).
Re: Ramadan
Islamic police in Nigeria arrest nine Muslims for not fasting during Ramadan
The Islamic police or Hisbah are known for carrying out raids across many parts of northern Nigeria (file photo)
The Islamic police in Nigeria's northern state of Kano arrested nine Muslims on Wednesday who were seen eating food during the first day of this year's Ramadan fast.
Kano has a majority Muslim population, where an Islamic legal system - Sharia - operates alongside secular law.
The Islamic police, known as the Hisbah, search cafes, restaurants and markets every year during Ramadan to ensure Muslims are adhering to the fasting hours. Some establishments stay open in areas of Kano where many Christians live.
For Muslims, eating is prohibited between sunrise and sunset. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which lay the basis for how Muslims are required to live their lives.
Hisbah's deputy commander general Mujahid Aminudeen told the BBC that the nine detained - seven males and two females - had feigned ignorance that Ramadan had begun.
"We have arrested them and they are with us where we are going to be teaching them the importance of fasting, how to pray, read the Quran and become better Muslims," he said.
It is not clear when the Hisbah plans to free them. In similar cases in the past, officers have got in touch with the families of those detained to make sure there is proper monitoring after their release so that they fast to the end of the month.
Just over two decades ago, Sharia was introduced to work alongside secular law in 12 of Nigeria's northern states that all have a majority Muslim population.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and has a special significance in Islam.
It is during this month that Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran - Islam's holy book - were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Every year, Ramadan is expected to last between 29 or 30 days. In Nigeria, fasting started on Wednesday 18 February and it is predicted to end on either 21 or 22 March.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62gjgl75jpo
The Islamic police or Hisbah are known for carrying out raids across many parts of northern Nigeria (file photo)
The Islamic police in Nigeria's northern state of Kano arrested nine Muslims on Wednesday who were seen eating food during the first day of this year's Ramadan fast.
Kano has a majority Muslim population, where an Islamic legal system - Sharia - operates alongside secular law.
The Islamic police, known as the Hisbah, search cafes, restaurants and markets every year during Ramadan to ensure Muslims are adhering to the fasting hours. Some establishments stay open in areas of Kano where many Christians live.
For Muslims, eating is prohibited between sunrise and sunset. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which lay the basis for how Muslims are required to live their lives.
Hisbah's deputy commander general Mujahid Aminudeen told the BBC that the nine detained - seven males and two females - had feigned ignorance that Ramadan had begun.
"We have arrested them and they are with us where we are going to be teaching them the importance of fasting, how to pray, read the Quran and become better Muslims," he said.
It is not clear when the Hisbah plans to free them. In similar cases in the past, officers have got in touch with the families of those detained to make sure there is proper monitoring after their release so that they fast to the end of the month.
Just over two decades ago, Sharia was introduced to work alongside secular law in 12 of Nigeria's northern states that all have a majority Muslim population.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and has a special significance in Islam.
It is during this month that Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran - Islam's holy book - were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Every year, Ramadan is expected to last between 29 or 30 days. In Nigeria, fasting started on Wednesday 18 February and it is predicted to end on either 21 or 22 March.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62gjgl75jpo
Re: Ramadan
Ramadan, Fasting, and the Ismaili Understanding
With Guidance from Our Imams (Past and Present)
Ramadan Mubarak
Every year during the holy month of Ramadan, questions arise within and outside the Jamat:
• Should Ismailis fast during Ramadan?
• What have our Imams said about fasting?
• Has any Ismaili Imam ever told us not to fast?
• What is the value of fasting if one continues to commit sins?
This article addresses these questions clearly, using guidance from our Imams—both historical and contemporary.
Is fasting obligatory for Ismailis?
In the Ismaili tariqah, physical fasting during Ramadan is not wajib (obligatory).
However, it is also not forbidden.
An Ismaili who chooses to fast—out of devotion, discipline, or personal conviction—is fully free to do so, and that choice is respected.
What have our Imams taught about fasting?
Our Imams have consistently emphasized that the inner meaning (batin) of fasting is more important than the outer form (zahir).
The late Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah explained this clearly in a Farman delivered in *Mumbai on March 16, 1902 (paraphrased):*
*In the Ismaili path, keeping the fast is not obligatory. Some fast for seven days, others for forty days—this is not compulsory.*
The true fast of a mu’min is the fast of the eyes, tongue, hands, feet, and heart.
*Keep a clean heart, do not lie, do not commit wrong actions, and have faith only in the Imam of the Time.*
This guidance makes it clear that ethical conduct, truthfulness, and sincerity are the real purpose of fasting.
Has any Ismaili Imam told us not to fast?
No.
No Ismaili Imam has ever said that Ismailis must not fast.
What the Imams have clarified—again and again—is that:
• Fasting is not compulsory
• Fasting without moral discipline has no spiritual value
• Inner purification is superior to physical hunger alone
⸻
Contemporary guidance: Mulakat in Houston, Texas (November 5–10, 2025)
This long-standing position was reaffirmed in a recent mulakat in Houston, Texas (November 5–10, 2025).
A non-Ismaili mulakati asked Shah Rahim al-Husayni:
“*Why don’t Ismailis fast during Ramadan?* *And how about praying five times a day?”* why don’t they pray five times?
MHI replied to him
“*Many Ismailis fast, and you can fast too if you want to. My father would also fast every Ramadan.*
*There is nothing stopping Ismailis from fasting or from praying namaz. You can pray as much as you want. Why only five times a day when you can pray all day?”*
This response clearly confirms:
• Fasting is allowed
• Prayer is not restricted by numbers
• Ibadat is meant to be continuous and sincere, not minimal or mechanical
Is fasting while continuing sins meaningful?
This is the heart of the matter.
If a person fasts from food but continues to:
• lie
• backbite
• cheat
• harm others
• act unjustly
then the spiritual purpose of fasting is lost.
Hunger alone does not purify the soul.
The Imams have taught that the real fast is restraint from sin, dishonesty, and cruelty—especially during Ramadan.
The Ismaili position—clearly stated
• Fasting in Ramadan is permitted but not obligatory
• No Imam has ever forbidden fasting
• Ethical living is the true ibadat
• Prayer and remembrance should be constant, not counted
• Ramadan should reduce sin, not just meals
Conclusion
Whether one fasts physically or not, Ramadan is meant to be a time of:
• self-discipline
• honesty
• humility
• compassion
• and stronger faith in the Imam of the Time
This understanding has remained consistent across generations of the Imamat, from Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah to Mawlana Hazar Imam today.
Ramadan Mubarak
May this holy month bring all of us—fasting or not—closer to truth, purity of heart, and ethical living.
This article written by *Ashraf Agakhani* after reading some threads from this website
Note:- The Farman of SMS also found in different threads in Ismaili.Net.
Thanks
Admin
With Guidance from Our Imams (Past and Present)
Ramadan Mubarak
Every year during the holy month of Ramadan, questions arise within and outside the Jamat:
• Should Ismailis fast during Ramadan?
• What have our Imams said about fasting?
• Has any Ismaili Imam ever told us not to fast?
• What is the value of fasting if one continues to commit sins?
This article addresses these questions clearly, using guidance from our Imams—both historical and contemporary.
Is fasting obligatory for Ismailis?
In the Ismaili tariqah, physical fasting during Ramadan is not wajib (obligatory).
However, it is also not forbidden.
An Ismaili who chooses to fast—out of devotion, discipline, or personal conviction—is fully free to do so, and that choice is respected.
What have our Imams taught about fasting?
Our Imams have consistently emphasized that the inner meaning (batin) of fasting is more important than the outer form (zahir).
The late Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah explained this clearly in a Farman delivered in *Mumbai on March 16, 1902 (paraphrased):*
*In the Ismaili path, keeping the fast is not obligatory. Some fast for seven days, others for forty days—this is not compulsory.*
The true fast of a mu’min is the fast of the eyes, tongue, hands, feet, and heart.
*Keep a clean heart, do not lie, do not commit wrong actions, and have faith only in the Imam of the Time.*
This guidance makes it clear that ethical conduct, truthfulness, and sincerity are the real purpose of fasting.
Has any Ismaili Imam told us not to fast?
No.
No Ismaili Imam has ever said that Ismailis must not fast.
What the Imams have clarified—again and again—is that:
• Fasting is not compulsory
• Fasting without moral discipline has no spiritual value
• Inner purification is superior to physical hunger alone
⸻
Contemporary guidance: Mulakat in Houston, Texas (November 5–10, 2025)
This long-standing position was reaffirmed in a recent mulakat in Houston, Texas (November 5–10, 2025).
A non-Ismaili mulakati asked Shah Rahim al-Husayni:
“*Why don’t Ismailis fast during Ramadan?* *And how about praying five times a day?”* why don’t they pray five times?
MHI replied to him
“*Many Ismailis fast, and you can fast too if you want to. My father would also fast every Ramadan.*
*There is nothing stopping Ismailis from fasting or from praying namaz. You can pray as much as you want. Why only five times a day when you can pray all day?”*
This response clearly confirms:
• Fasting is allowed
• Prayer is not restricted by numbers
• Ibadat is meant to be continuous and sincere, not minimal or mechanical
Is fasting while continuing sins meaningful?
This is the heart of the matter.
If a person fasts from food but continues to:
• lie
• backbite
• cheat
• harm others
• act unjustly
then the spiritual purpose of fasting is lost.
Hunger alone does not purify the soul.
The Imams have taught that the real fast is restraint from sin, dishonesty, and cruelty—especially during Ramadan.
The Ismaili position—clearly stated
• Fasting in Ramadan is permitted but not obligatory
• No Imam has ever forbidden fasting
• Ethical living is the true ibadat
• Prayer and remembrance should be constant, not counted
• Ramadan should reduce sin, not just meals
Conclusion
Whether one fasts physically or not, Ramadan is meant to be a time of:
• self-discipline
• honesty
• humility
• compassion
• and stronger faith in the Imam of the Time
This understanding has remained consistent across generations of the Imamat, from Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah to Mawlana Hazar Imam today.
Ramadan Mubarak
May this holy month bring all of us—fasting or not—closer to truth, purity of heart, and ethical living.
This article written by *Ashraf Agakhani* after reading some threads from this website
Note:- The Farman of SMS also found in different threads in Ismaili.Net.
Thanks
Admin-
swamidada786
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Re: Ramadan
“HAQIQATI MOMAN "FAKAT" RAMZAN MAHINAMAJ ROJA RAKHTA NATHI, TEO NE TOU 360 DIVAS HAMESHA ROJA HOY CHHE. TRAN SO SATH DIVAS MA EK PAN BADKAM NA THAI AE ROZA CHHE. KOI NE IZA NA KARVI AE ROZA CHHE. AE ROZA NATHI KE MODHU(N) BANDH KARI NE, NAHI KHAVU(N) ANE BIJA GUNAH NA BAD KAM KARVA...” IMAM SULTAN MUHAMMAD SHAH.