Islamic New Year, The month of MUHARRAM, And Ashura

Date: September 24, 2017

Do we know? Majority of Muslims celebrate January 1 each year as New Year but do not pay much attention to our own Islamic New Year that begins on Muharram 1. This year we have already entered in our New Year but without any observance and without even saying a Takbeer! Let us remember, the Islamic calendar starts with the month of Muharram. Some months of the Islamic calendar have more virtues than the other, and Muharram is one among them. This month is highly important because on the first day of Muharram our beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him (SAW) left Mecca and traveled to Madinah with his close companion Abu Baker (may Allah be pleased with him). This journey is called as migration in Islamic history. The purpose of this migration, as we know, was to safeguard his life and calling to Islam. The most significant day of this month is the 10th day which is known as “ASHURA.” When Prophet (SAW) came to Madinah he found the Jews fasting on this day of the month. Upon enquiry, he came to know that the Jews fasted on this day to thank GOD for saving Moses (Alaih-is Salam) and his companions and drowned Firoun and his people. Moosa (Alaih-is Salam) fasted on this day to thank Allah (SWT). On hearing this Prophet (SAW) said,” we are worthier of Moosa (Alaih-is Salam) than you and so we will also fast to thank Allah (SWT). But to stand apart from the Jews Rasool Ullah (SAW) asked his companions to fast on the 9th and 10th of this month or the 10th and 11th. Although the fast of the month of Muharram is not obligatory, the one who fasts on these days will be rewarded greatly by Allah (SWT). Every minute of our life is a gift from Allah (SWT) and we should try to make it useful and to please HIM, SWT. Every single day or month is special if we use it correctly, therefore, follow what was taught and practiced by Rasool Ullah (SAW) and please ALLAH (SWT) by doing so.

Precious Gifts a Person Leaves Behind

"The best of what a man leaves behind are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and knowledge that is acted upon after him."

Sunan Ibn Mājah

Angelic Daily Prayers for Generosity

"Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.'"

Sahih Bukhari

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Are you eagerly waiting for the month of Ramadan? If yes, that’s quite awesome and deserves praises. Many Muslims waits the month of Ramadan with mixed feelings. Some love to fast and celebrate Ramadan. Some fear genuinely by thinking of the long hours of fasting. And most of countries will be hot in this season. When you analyze a day of a real Muslim, prayer is a pure but difficult thing to perform. There will be lack of prayer hall at your office or schools. But at any cost, we the Muslims perform prayers everyday without fail. Likewise fasting is very hard and difficult. There will be pain and ache in body parts due to hunger and thirst. But here lies the exact challenge and worship. At the very month of Ramadan, we must learn to live by helping others and giving zakat to the deserving people. If you fast in the month of Ramadan, your sins will be forgiven by Allah. Fasting is a complete act o worship and forgiveness. Make good decisions in this Ramadan such as love Allah, set good goals for future, help poor and love your family.

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The Initiative on Islam and Medicine (II&M)(https://www.medicineandislam.org/overview/), located in Brookfield, Wisconsin, conducts research on Islam and Biomedicine. Their research programs are focused on the theological, social, and biomedical aspects of religion and medicine and are meant to benefit the health of American Muslims and also in the development of an academic, multidisciplinary field of Islamic Bioethics. They support and provide scholarships to healthcare providers and religious leaders and act as a platform for impactful research and tailored education. Additionally, II&M provides educational opportunities, workshops, consultations, courses and certifications, medical student internships, and hosts events that facilitate the participation of medical and social scientists, Islamic studies experts, and Islamic scholars. After extensive pilot testing and methodical curation, as claimed by II&M, they have announced the launch of a self-paced, multi-modal course named “An Introduction to the Field of Islamic Bioethics”(https://www.medicineandislam.org/bioethics-course/). This course is said to benefit Muslim clinicians, healthcare practitioners, medical students and trainees, chaplains, religious leaders, bioethicists, and patients and is based on II&M’s principles of data-driven, theologically appropriate, and research-tested intellectual resources to engage with contemporary healthcare. The course will introduce learners to: * Critical concepts in Islamic theology and law that undergird normative ethical frameworks * Scholarly discussions regarding the methods, content, and scope of Islamic bioethics and * Extant normative rulings and discursive products of applied Islamic bioethics relate to end-of-life care, organ donation, and reproductive health. This course is based on adult learning theory and is a 10-module course that runs in 4-months cohorts. It involves: * Specially curated lectures and readings that allow for active learning as participants engage with the source material of Islamic bioethics, * Summative lectures that hit on the key points from the material with added experiential commentary and explanation from a practicing clinician, clinical ethicist, health policy consultant, and scholar * Short quick-hitting reflection questions and quizzes that allow for the learning to be concretized Additionally, the course yields 16.5 CME and MOC credits for physicians. At the completion of the course, participants will be able to: * Describe the sources of Islamic morality * Identify the producers, consumers, and the discursive material of Islamic bioethics * Describe the contentions around what constitutes the "Islamic" in Islamic bioethics * Apply critical analysis skills to decipher gaps in the Islamic bioethics discourse * Delineate the major Islamic juridical views on end-of-life healthcare, organ donation, and reproductive health Register now(https://www.medicineandislam.org/bioethics-course/) for the course at II&M’s website and avail of the introductory 50% discount.

Islamic New Year, The month of MUHARRAM, And Ashura

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