Turkey |
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To all TC members \"Hayırlı Ramazanlar\"
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20. |
13 Aug 2011 Sat 03:48 pm |
My mother who needs to take blood pressure control pills fasts at the age of 71. There are millions like her out there. Based on the number of fasters, we must have long become a nation of angels. We sacrifice poor animals in the streets to pay for our sins too. Are we even one percent better than the Dutch or the Brits?
Do not use yoga for an easier fast, cleric says
ANKARA - Radikal
The intention of trying to prevent hunger and thirst is against the Islamic spirit, according to Religious Affairs Directorate Supreme Board member Altuntaş
The Religious Affairs Directorate has severely criticized people who have resorted to yoga to lessen the intense feeling of hunger and thirst while fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
The intention of trying to prevent hunger and thirst is against the Islamic spirit, Religious Affairs Directorate Supreme Board member and associate professor Dr. Halil Altuntaş said.
According to some experts, yoga can be used to increase body resistance against hunger and thirst through pranayama (respiration) and pratyahara (sense control), as well as prevent tension caused by fasting. Altuntaş also noted the “different religious beliefs” behind yoga’s philosophy, Radikal reported while emphasizing that hunger and thirst were among the main reasons and aims of fasting. “In this way, humans think of Allah, who provides food, and empathize with those who can not find it as easily. What is the point of not eating or drinking without feeling all of this?” he asked.
Stating that fasting without going through any difficulty was against Islam, Altuntaş said: “Foreign trends seeking acceptance from Muslims are trying to [penetrate into society] using Islam. Do not give credit to it.”
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21. |
13 Aug 2011 Sat 04:27 pm |
You missed the point, vineyards. In islamic ethics people are not divided into good and bad but those who regret their sins and those who don´t.
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22. |
14 Aug 2011 Sun 11:02 am |
Let´s be perpetually penitent then...
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23. |
15 Aug 2011 Mon 02:44 am |
Happy fasting to everyone, hayirli Ramazanlar!!
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24. |
15 Aug 2011 Mon 02:17 pm |
Luxurious iftars spark Ramadan inequality row
Işıl Eğrikavuk
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Two recent iftar protests organized by a pro-Islamic group, the Labor and Justice Platform, open a debate on how much attention is paid to social injustice within Islamic discourse. While the protesters criticize Islam’s drawing closer to capitalism in Turkey in recent years, some say Islam is already just in itself
group of protestors gathered in front of Istanbul Conrad Hotel last Monday, bringing food and breaking their fasts on the street. AA photo
If only one picture were used to depict the month of Ramadan, that image would likely be of an iftar, the traditional fast-breaking dinner, a ceremonial activity featuring a variety of dishes.
This picture is, however, now being challenged by one Islamic group and its supporters, who recently protested the glamorous and expensive iftars held in luxury hotels.
After breaking their fast on the street in front of Istanbul’s Conrad Hotel last week, members of the Labor and Justice Platform organized another protest dinner Saturday in the city’s well-known Taksim Square, which is bordered by three five-star hotels.
“We are against the waste of money during these dinners. Instead of spending that money on the [iftar] tables, patrons should give it away to their workers,” the group said in a statement. Members held up posters bearing messages such as “Fasting breaks capitalism and capitalism breaks fasting” and “Iftar menu: 318 Turkish Liras; Minimum wage: 658 liras.” “This is not just a protest against the iftars during Ramadan, but we did [the protests during this time] because these luxurious feasts have become symbols of a capitalist understanding that has grown in the last 15 years,” one of the participants, theologian and writer İhsan Eliaçık, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“While the poor people gather in tents to receive a free meal from municipalities, the rich gather in these hotels. Unfortunately the conservative mentality in Turkey has produced this [wealth] gap and this situation has been normalized,” Eliaçık said. Columnist Hidayet Şefkatli Tuksal, who was also among the protesters, said issues regarding social injustice are not discussed enough among Islamic groups.
“There is a growing capitalism in Turkey yet its consequences are not discussed at all. Conservative groups, which are becoming richer and richer, do not really own these issues; if they do they are accused of being leftists,” Tuksal told the Daily News. Others disagree with the protesters, saying that Islam’s tenets includes justice, giving as proof the practices such as “zakat,” the compulsory giving of a set percentage of one’s wealth to charity.
“Muslim people all around the world follow this practice, and this shows Islam’s treatment of injustice. This is already a practice, and if there were more Muslim people in the world, there would be less inequality,” said Erol Yarar, a former executive of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association, or MÜSİAD, a conservative group.
Theologian Eliaçık disagrees. “The giving away of one’s wealth doesn’t help avoid inequality. There is a huge abyss between the rich and the poor in this country. The rich relax their conscience by giving away a bit of money but continue their consumption and [continue] charging high interest [rates],” he said.
According to Eliaçık, anti-communist propaganda in the 1960s and 1970s has kept Islamic and leftist groups apart in Turkey.
“Now we do have leftist members in our group; they respect our opinions and we respect theirs. But we need to make our voice more visible in the media,” he added.
Warnings
While the recent iftar have protests started a debate among conservative figures in the media, politicians also seem to have been influenced by the discourse. During an iftar hosted by MÜSİAD, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek criticized the luxurious tables. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also called for the cancellation of glittering iftar dinners.
Currently, an iftar at the five-star Çırağan Kempinski hotel costs 185 liras while iftar at the Four Seasons hotel costs 110 liras. Other prices also range between 65- 200 liras.
Members of the Labor and Justice Platform said they would continue with their protests. “We will continue our protests during Ramadan,” group member Özgür Kaya said. “We will do it until we break down the walls between the classes.”
Note : The aim of performing " fasting" is to cleanse the inner soul and emphaty for those who are poor and sharing. It is not the time to fill the bellies with luxuries food and wasting huge amount of food. I dont think God is pleased with those sort of activities..
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25. |
15 Aug 2011 Mon 11:59 pm |
Note : The aim of performing " fasting" is to cleanse the inner soul and emphaty for those who are poor and sharing. It is not the time to fill the bellies with luxuries food and wasting huge amount of food. I dont think God is pleased with those sort of activities..
Sayyidina Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib (R.A) reported that he heard Allah’s Messenger say, “A man does not fill a vessel worse than his belly. Enough for the son of Adam are a few morsels to keep his back straight. But, if it is unavoidable then let him apportion one-third for his food, one-third for his drink and one-third for his breath.”
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَعِيلُ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ الْحِمْصِيُّ وَحَبِيبُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ جَابِرٍ - ص 510 - الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ مِقْدَامِ بْنِ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَا مَلَأَ آدَمِيٌّ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ بَطْنٍ بِحَسْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أُكُلَاتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ لِطَعَامِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِشَرَابِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِهِ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَرَفَةَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَعِيلُ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ نَحْوَهُ وَقَالَ الْمِقْدَامُ بْنُ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
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26. |
16 Aug 2011 Tue 04:19 pm |
Tasawwuf concert at Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque enchants audience
15 August 2011, Monday / TODAY’S ZAMAN, ANKARA
Thousands of people enjoyed a tasawwuf music concert performed by renowned Turkish singer Ahmet Özhan in the courtyard of Ankara’s Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque and its surroundings on Sunday night
A tasawwuf (Sufi) music concert by Turkish singer Ahmet Özhan mesmerized thousands of people in the courtyard of Ankara’s Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque and its surroundings on Sunday night. |
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Özhan took Ankara residents on a spiritual journey with religious hymns. The renowned singer took to the stage following performances by Burcu Karadağ, Göksel Baktagir, Orhan Çakmak, Fatih Koca and Sami Savni Özer. He received a standing ovation from thousands of Ankarites. The Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque and its surroundings are the venue of Ramadan treats presented by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality during the holy month. The Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque is a focal point for those who want to pray and share the joy of Ramadan with others. The mosque was recently renovated in accordance with its original design.
It is receiving more and more attention as Ramadan progresses. Many visit the site to listen to religious discussions and later join the terawih, a voluntary night prayer specific to Ramadan. The sound of Sufi music echoes in the courtyard of the Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque every night.
Municipality-sponsored Ramadan events, including concerts, literary and religious discussions and exhibitions of handicrafts, will run through Aug. 25 during Ramadan. Ramadan activities in Altınpark, which appeal to children, will continue through Sept. 1. Altınpark hosts entertainment shows presented by a Kenyan acrobatics group and a Mongolian circus group, theater plays, competitions for children and an amusement park.
Çilehane to be opened
The çilehane, a “room of suffering” where dervishes spend a certain period of time worshiping God, of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, a renowned poet, ascetic and the founder of the Bayrami order of dervishes, and his students will be open to visitors during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Guests will have the opportunity to practice i’tikaf (self isolation). The imam of the mosque, Ahmet Karalı, told the Anatolia news agency that the philosophy behind i’tikaf is based on “eating, drinking, resting and sleeping only as much as necessary while remaining away from worldly affairs.”
The çilehane has four rooms, each one square meter in size and outfitted with a place for ablutions. Karalı says the çilehane will be open to women visitors between midday and mid-afternoon and to men between mid-afternoon and the evening.
Three people were selected by the Altındağ Müfti’s Office, responsible for the mosque, to perform i’tikaf here this Ramadan. The three will begin their i’tikaf on the 21st day of Ramadan through to the morning of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the month of fasting.
Meanwhile, the mosque applies positive discrimination for women during Ramadan as women pray terawih in the entire inner section of the mosque. Men perform their terawih prayer in the mosque’s yard.
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27. |
17 Aug 2011 Wed 01:04 pm |
I think starving yourself for religious beliefs is stupid and bears no value. God watches your heart not your mouth, stomach and hands. I think it is highly unhealthy not to eat during the day and eat during the night. You make all-knowing and almighty God stupid by putting Him in the frames of religion and making Him believe that your intentions are pure while He knows everything about you before you were born and before your parents were born. God is sovereign and is beyond all human thinking and perception. I dont think starving pleases Him.
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28. |
17 Aug 2011 Wed 02:12 pm |
You are using strong language, lemon. Whatever our beliefs are, I think every person should remind himself a hundred times a day he might just be wrong and all the other people who, from his point of view, seem to act strangely might be right. This is the basis of mutual respect and a homework for all of us.
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29. |
17 Aug 2011 Wed 03:19 pm |
You are using strong language, lemon. Whatever our beliefs are, I think every person should remind himself a hundred times a day he might just be wrong and all the other people who, from his point of view, seem to act strangely might be right. This is the basis of mutual respect and a homework for all of us.
Abla,
I might be wrong (in many things I speak and do). However, this doesnt or shouldnt limit my right to express what I think. If I dont express no one will know what I think and not many will have a chance to correct me. We are given brains, tongues and fingures to express ourselves (the features that distinguish us from other creatures) to communicate.
Respect must be gained I believe.
to be contiuned...
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30. |
17 Aug 2011 Wed 04:13 pm |
I think starving yourself for religious beliefs is stupid and bears no value. God watches your heart not your mouth, stomach and hands. I think it is highly unhealthy not to eat during the day and eat during the night. You make all-knowing and almighty God stupid by putting Him in the frames of religion and making Him believe that your intentions are pure while He knows everything about you before you were born and before your parents were born. God is sovereign and is beyond all human thinking and perception. I dont think starving pleases Him.
In my opinion you are wrong Lemon. Its not that simple as you think. Its not all about starving yourself.
During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.
Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person´s body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one´s self on the worship of God
- 1.Through fasting, a Muslim experiences hunger and thirst, and sympathizes with those in the world who have little to eat every day.
- 2.Through increased devotion, Muslims feel closer to their Creator, and recognize that everything we have in this life is a blessing from Him.
- 3.Through increased charity, Muslims develop feelings of generosity and good-will toward others. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said, "A man´s wealth is never diminished by charity."
- 3.Through self-control, a Muslim practices good manners, good speech, and good habits.
- Through changing routines, Muslims have a chance to establish more healthy lifestyle habits -- particularly with regards to diet and smoking.
- 4.Through family and community gatherings, Muslims strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, in their own communities and throughout the world.
5.Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims, but the feelings and lessons we experience should stay with us throughout the year. In the Qur´an, Muslims are commanded to fast so that they may "learn self-restraint" (Qur´an 2:183). This restraint and devotion is especially felt during Ramadan, but we all must strive to make the feelings and attitudes stay with us during our "normal" lives. That is the true goal and test of Ramadan.
Last Note , Lemon, none of us is perfect,I am not perfect. I had so many sins and still are. God is perfect. So we should try our best to be a good believer. Btw you are totally free to express your thoughts as long as we respect eachother´s thoughts.
Edited (8/17/2011) by tunci
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