Do

What does one do on Eid?
Pray at the mosque

Still Counting

How many more days to go before Eid?
3/4 days

The Night of Power

The days of Ramadan are dwindling down. There is crisp anticipation in the city for what is coming next. The shops are bustling, with people filling their carts and emptying their wallets like no other time. There are banners, coloured lights and shiny decorations. Baskets of sweets and pyramids of chocolate tempt the eager crowds. Just a little while left to wait...

While they are waiting, Muslims remember that the last part of Ramadan is even more special than the days already past.

In which part of the month is the night of Al Qadr?
In the last 10 days of Ramadan

The night of al Qadr is also known as "the Night of Power". This night takes all the good things about Ramadan and cranks it up several levels. The air fair crackles with spiritual potency.
Ramadan is a blessed month, during which "the gates to Paradise are opened and the gates of hellfire are locked". Some say that prayers have more value at this time.

If Ramadan is a super-charged month, then get ready baby, because the Night of Power is "better than a thousand months". If you have something important to pray for, this is the night to do it.

The night of al Qadr is supposed to be the same evening that the prophet Muhammed received his first revelation, so many years ago. Problem is, no one seems to know exactly when that was.

There is some uncertainty as to the exact date it occurs, but everyone seems to agree that it's in the final ten days of the month.

Halloween falls at the same time as the night of al Qadr this year, which won't happen again for a long time. If you are praying for lots of candy, you'll might get enough to last until Easter!

I tried to find some interesting nighttime shots for you. A couple of nights ago, the student council organized an international culture event on campus. Representing many countries, our students and staff shared a bit of what they love from their home. There were heaps of food (I loved the sweets from Iran!), plus lively music and a step or two of dancing. Was this the Night of Power? Maybe; it sure seemed like it.

Equality

Are we all equal in Islam?
Yes

Propped Up

"What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?"
"The Belief in One God
Fasting
Zakat
Hajj
Prayer"

The Pillars are like a framework for a Muslim's life. These are five basic guidelines that should never be neglected, and Ramadan is a chance to remind oneself to attend to them more.

This is what each one means:

1. The Belief in One God. This Pillar is also called the Testimony of Faith, or shahada. If a person wants to become a Muslim, this is how it's done. Simply saying with conviction the phrase, "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadar rasoolu Allah", means conversion has happened. It can be translated as, "There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God". This is the very foundation of Islam.

2. Fasting. This refers to the month of Ramadan, specifically the daylight hours. Its purpose is to bring people closer to Allah.

3. Zakat. Support of the needy is the principle of this Pillar. Muslims believe that all things are truly owned by God and therefore are held by human beings in trust. A percentage of one's income and wealth is to be donated to those who are poor. In some countries, this is collected as a state-imposed welfare tax administered by a ministry of religious affairs. People are encouraged to give generously and Ramadan is a time to dig a little deeper for charity. Zakat doesn't only have to be money. It can also be given in more tangible ways, such as providing food. Often at Ramadan large tents will be set up in the city where anyone can come and have a free meal after sunset.

4. Hajj. The annual pilgrimmage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which every Muslim is expected to do at least once in his life.

5. Prayer. Five times a day a Muslim must attend to prayers, or salat. Praying can be done anywhere, for the most part, but on Friday it's customary to go the mosque to pray. Thoughts and voice alone are not sufficient; there is a sequence of body postures that accompany prayer. This kneeling and bowing expresses a person's humility and Allah's sovereignty.

This is the basis of Islam. As with most things in life, people tend to make it hopelessly more complicated!

Achoo!

What do we say when someone sneezes?
Alhamdolillah

Break Fast

OK, today the Ramadan question is an easy one, and if you've been following along thus far, you should know the answer.

"When does the fast end?"

It's so easy, I'm not even going to give you the answer.

At this time of day, the roads are quiet and the stores and restaurants are closed; everyone's home eating! It's a good time for me to go to the gym, because I usually have the place all to myself.

If you're stumped, I'll provide a visual clue...

Positive

How many fasts have you kept so far?
Very Good!

What about if the answer was zero?

Ablution

What do we do before praying?
Wudu, ablution, wash

Pillar

How many Pillars are there in Islam?
Five Pillars

PBUH

What do you have to say after the Prophet's name every time?
Peace be upon him

Don't

What is the name of the Prophet?
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)

Popular name. I had four Mohammeds in one class, and one of them was named Mohammed Mohammed.

Helping Hand

Did you help anyone today?
Being helpful is part of being a good person

Initial

What do you say before starting something?
Bismillah

The Ultimate Destination

Lots of people use the word "Mecca" even when they're talking about a place that has nothing to do with Saudi Arabia or Islam. You've probably heard expressions like, "The Champagne region of France is a wine lover's Mecca" or "The north shore of Oahu is a Mecca for surfers". It's like the ultimate location; it simply has more to offer than anywhere else. People come from all around the world to experience the best of what they love.

Islam has given birth to this expression because no place is more important or more holy than the city of Mecca, which contains the Kaaba. If a Muslim always faces toward this site when praying, everyday, no matter where or when, imagine what a visit to this place would mean to him or her!

"What is Hajj?"
"A visit to the Holy Kaaba"

Hajj is one of the Pillars of Islam. It is an annual event and is required of every Muslim at least once in their life. People can go more than once, but everyone who is physically and financially able must make the trip at least a single time.

Even though the annual Hajj is held in the twelfth lunar month, Mecca is always filled with visitors, receiving some two million people in a single year.

What do they do when they get there? There is a terribly gigantic mosque in Mecca and it contains that huge black cube, the Kaaba. The faithful pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times. They also go seven times between two hills called Safa and Marwa, re-enacting the wanderings of Hagar in her search for water. Then everyone stands together and asks Allah for forgiveness and for the fulfilment of their wishes.

Some people think of this event as a preview of the Day of Judgement. From the pictures I have seen, it is quite a sight to behold: everyone dressed in pure white, standing or kneeling together in perfect straight lines and curves, all facing a singular black object in the centre of the immense crowd.

So when am I going? Well, it is almost certain that I will never see that place. Ever since the very beginnings of Islam, the city of Mecca, along with its sister city, Medina, has been strictly off-limits to all who are not devoted to Islam. There are roadblocks along the way, with signs that say something like "Muslims only beyond this point". So, unless you've already been facing toward the Kaaba when you kneel to pray, you can scratch Mecca off your travel itinerary!

So then, I have no snapshots of Mecca in my album. What can I offer you instead? Well, if the Louvre museum in Paris can be thought of as a kind of Mecca for art aficionados, then there is one very famous smile that is its Kaaba.

Eid

What is the name of the celebration at the end of Ramadan?
Eid-ul-Fitr

Kneel (In The Place Where You Live)

How's your sense of direction? Do you happen to know offhand which way is north? Can you, right at this moment, point in the direction of the capital city of your country? How about the nearest McDonald's?

Having a sense of orientation can be a very secure feeling. It's hard to get lost when you know, "OK, the bay is that way, downtown is that way, and I can see the big hill just over there".

For Muslims, direction is something that they think of every day. Five times a day, for good Muslims.

A person who follows Islam and prays to Allah must always face a certain direction when they kneel. It's not a direction like on a compass, such as north by northwest. They must turn toward a place, a specific location on the earth.

"In which direction do we pray?"
"Kaaba/Qibla"

The Kaaba (also called the Qibla) is a building in Mecca in the country of Saudi Arabia. It is believed that this place of worship was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, both considered prophets in Islam.

Now, as Abraham probably lived about 4000 years ago, you can imagine that the original building is no longer standing. In fact, it has been rebuilt several times. The current building is black and looks like a giant cube. You might have seen pictures of it.

No matter where on Earth they live, Muslims are required to face this building when they say their prayers.

The actual direction depends on which country they're in, of course. If someone is living in Syria, for example, they would have to pray almost due south. Someone in Libya would pray towards the east. In Oman, it's west and in Eritrea, it's north. How does a person know which direction it is?

In the prayer hall of every mosque there is something called a mihrab, a kind of niche in one wall. It's almost like a rounded little closet with a pointed top. In my imagination, it's a place where a soldier on duty would stand. (I've included a picture of the mihrab from the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman.) This niche always points in the direction of Mecca, so people pray towards it.


Once you've lived in a place for a while, you get to know the direction, even if you're not in a mosque. I was out for a walk one evening when I heard the sunset call to prayer. I saw a man in a dark robe crossing a big patch of desert near the highway. He stopped walking, turned back toward the setting sun, knelt and said his prayers, then continued on his way.

But sometimes you're not at home, you're off travelling to some strange place. I've been in hotel rooms where there's a sticker on the ceiling or on the desk that looks like an arrow. It's usually green (the colour of Islam) and says "Qibla" on it. So even in this unfamiliar country, a Muslim will know where Mecca is.

The best of all is the high-tech Islamic navigation system. Have you ever been on a nice, new airplane that has large display screens providing information to the passengers? Often they will provide things like the speed of the plane, the air temperature outside or maybe a map to see how far you've travelled. On some Middle Eastern airlines, they will show you a direction arrow pointing toward Mecca, which will change as the plane continues on it's journey!

This Little Piggy Stayed Home

Well, we've seen the full moon, so the first half of the month is behind us. As the round moon gets slimmer, we approach with great anticipation the events which await us at the end of Ramadan...

I told you already how fasting is an important part of the Ramadan tradition and good Muslims restrict their eating during this month. But did you know that there are certain foods that are to be avoided all throughout the year?

"What meat are Muslims not allowed to eat?"
"Meat from the pig"

This is a Muslim country and its regulations are founded on Shariah law. This means that, not only are Muslims not allowed to eat any food product that came from a pig, but no one else is either! It's not even allowed in the country. If you tried to bring some in, packed inside your luggage, the eagle-eyed customs guys are likely to spot it on their X-ray screen. If they find it, they take it.

Any products even containing pork as an ingredient is banned. I know one young lady who brought back a snack she missed from Canada: a can of the humble Vienna sausage. Now, if you've ever read the label, you'll know that these bite-sized wieners may or may not contain pork (hence the nickname "and/or's"). But even the suspicion of pork is enough; that little can never left the airport.

I know of another case where a vacuum-packed chunk of salt beef, destined for a gurgling pot of jig's dinner, was scrutinized by a fastidious customs agent. Maybe he suspected that some clever person had relabelled a pork roast (the very idea!). He sent it off for testing.

So all this means no Canadian bacon with your eggs. No pork chops for the barbeque. Not even any scruncheons for your fish and brewis!

Well, people love photos. There aren't any piggies around here to take pictures of, but we do have camels. Here are a couple of camels I met in Dubai.


If I stop by your house this Christmas, I hope there's some "curly-tailed beef" on the menu!

Marhaba means Hello!

Mmmm...chocolate! Oh, yes, I almost forgot to read today's question:
"In what language was the Quran sent down?"

So picture it: it's the 7th century and Muhammed is sitting in a cave, on a spiritual retreat, when suddenly a glorious angel appears, opens its mouth and begins speaking in..."Arabic".

The words of the Quran were given in Arabic, and in Arabic they remain. Muslims proclaim that the Quran does not exist outside this original language form. Any translation, either in English or any other language, is neither a Quran, nor a version of the Quran, but rather is considered only a translation of the meaning of the Quran. If you want to read the real deal, you have to learn the language.

And that's precisely what many people do. There are about 200 million native speakers of Arabic in the world, but about 1 billion who have learned Arabic as a second language, or at least a portion of it, mainly because they follow Islam and want to read the scriptures and recite the prayers.

Arabic is a Semitic language. Remember the story of Noah and the ark? He built a big boat, filled it with lots of animals and was saved from the flood along with his children. One of his sons was named Shem, and it was from Shem's descendants that this group of languages is thought to have developed, so it was named the Semitic group. Also included in this branch of the "family tree" of languages are Hebrew and the mother tongue of Jesus, Aramaic.

Today Arabic has many forms. The modern language you would hear on the street in Cairo or Beirut is very different from the Classical Arabic of the Quran.

When reading or writing Arabic, you start from the right and move toward the left, the opposite of English. Arabic also uses a different alphabet than English, with 28 letters. It's easy to find contrasts between the two alphabets; Arabic has no "v" or "p" sounds, but it has letters called "ayn" and "ghayn", which have no equivalent in English.

Many words in our English vocabulary come from Arabic. A few examples: alfalfa, mattress, cotton, assassin, syrup, coffee, hazard, satin, sofa, and admiral.

I attached pictures of Arabic text, in case you wondered what it looks like. The first is a simple sentence, "the house is big". The other two are logos, where the Arabic letters are written in a way that forms a unique shape.

If you also wondered what it sounds like, I recorded a short clip from a local radio station. If you would like to listen to it, follow this link:http://ca.geocities.com/trevorinqatar/arabicradiodude.mp3

Good Deeds

What good deed did you do today?
Tell your Parent/Guardian what you did.

Seeing the Invisible

Where do people get the ideas for the books they write? Well, it seems that sometimes it comes straight from the Big Guy Himself, God.

Muslims believe that their holy scripture, the Quran, was revealed to the prophet by an angel. And not just any angel...

"Which Angel brought the word of God to the Prophet?"
"Angel Gabriel"

Yes, it seems that in the year 610, Gabriel and the prophet began a working relationship that would span twenty-three years and result in one of the most widely-read books of all time. The angel bestowed the first revelation on the prophet during the month of Ramadan, while he was in a cave not far from Mecca. The ideas and stories recited by Gabriel make up the volume known as the Quran, which means "recitation" or "reading" in Arabic.

Gabriel is not the only angel mentioned by name in the Quran, but is also accompanied by Michael, Harut and Marut. According to Islam, all angels are faithful to God and do not have the free will to choose otherwise.

If you thought that angels were the only type of unseen beings out there, a Muslim would tell you that you're wrong. There is another class of beings, the jinn, and they seem to be up to no good.

What are the jinn? The Quran says that man was created from clay, angels from light and the jinn from fire. The jinn have a free will to believe, like mankind, but seem to have been granted powers that we do not have, such as invisibilty. They are often nasty and devilish, and Satan is said to be one of them. They are certainly not fallen angels, who have no freedom to choose such a destiny apart from God.

The jinn apparently spend more time in some areas than others. I once showed one of my students a photo from my vacation in Oman. His eyes went wide.

"Did you see some jinn there?" he asked. Oman is known for its jinn sightings.

"No, I didn't," I said.

"You didn't see something maybe flying through the air?" he said with a smile.

If I had, that sure would have made a nice photograph! But sadly, I have no photos of angels or jinn to share with you. Then again, there was that one time I received mysterious visitors late one evening...

Gooey Resolutions

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution? Maybe there was something in your life that you were neglecting, like the exercise bike buried under the mountain of clothes. Maybe you had a nasty habit that you wanted to quit, like piling your clothes in the corner, completely burying that...what's under there again?

Ramadan is sort of like that for Muslims, although it's not at the beginning of the year (it's the 9th month of the lunar calendar). It's a chance for people to stop their routine and focus on the things that are important to them.

The fasting helps because it shatters the normal eating schedule and causes people to look around with a fresh perspective. Fasting requires discipline to resist temptation, and Muslims see this month as a kind of training period, to set the pattern for the upcoming year.

Some of the good habits they try to develop include giving to the poor, committing to praying regularly and reading the sacred scriptures. What is the name of the Holy Book for Muslims? (today's question!) Quran (todays answer!).

During Ramadan, a devout person will try to spend more time reading and reciting the Quran, because they believe it is God's word and the primary source or every Muslim's faith and practice.

Where did the Quran come from? Good question. Be sure to tune in next time, when we will reveal the origins of this ancient, mysterious text...

And for those of you who found that a little too academic (still with me here?), here's something more sticky and gooey.


What is it? What's that you say, it looks like a giant Fruit Roll-Up? Not a bad guess. In Arabic it's called "kamaridine", made from apricots that are puréed, pressed out flat and dried. It's another tasty sweet that's traditionally eaten at Ramadan.

Express Your Appetite

The first week of Ramadan is complete. By now most people have settled into the Ramadan routine. Businesses are serving their Ramadan hours, usually closing around 1PM, reopening at 7PM and staying open until after midnight. At my work, we have shorter classes and subsequently a shorter day, to accommodate our students who are hungry, thirsty and tired. Restaurants are all closed during the day, but they do a brisk business after dark.

This brings me to today's question: "What do you say to end the fast?"

When the sun has set and the tummy's rumbling, a fasting person finally gets to enjoy what they have been anticipating all day. The words that are spoken: "Oh Allah, for Your Sake I fasted, in You I believe, in You I trust, and with the food You provide I break my fast". The traditional way to break fast is with three dates (see photo, and don't forget to spit out the pits!) and some water, following the example of the prophet Muhammed. Next comes time for prayers and finally you sit down with your family for the evening meal, called "iftar".


Many of the nice restaurants around town offer a sumptuous iftar buffet each evening of Ramadan, providing foods like kibbeh, tabouleh, hammour, kofta, hummus, samoosas, umm ali and various other delectables. OK, OK, maybe some other time I'll tell you all about those foods, and really get your mouth watering!

Day by Day

Did you say your prayers today?
All Muslims are required to pray everyday.

Prayers

Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, the Ramadan Calendar. Today's question: "How many times a day should we pray?" I would say once (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The calendar says "Five times".

I'm not sure on the finer points of doctrine here, but in the daily newspaper they print six "Prayer Timings" on the front page. The scheduled times are spread throughout the day and change depending on the sunrise and so on. The earliest one is around 4 AM, the last around 7 PM.

A Muslim doesn't really have to remember all the timings, because a call to prayer (the "azan") goes out from the mosque. In the past, a man with a strong set of lungs would climb up in the minaret and belt out the call. These days they use a microphone and a loudspeaker. If you're anywhere near a mosque, you'll here the call to prayer and, in a city like this one, you're never far from a mosque. It's also broadcast over the radio and I even know some guys who have their mobile phones programmed to play the call!

The call goes out in Arabic, of course, and the azan is made up of a specific set of phrases. You can imagine that it can be challenging to root yourself out of bed before dawn, but the call to prayer reminds the faithful that "it is better to pray than to sleep"!

The person giving the call does it in a singing way, rather than just speaking it. It can be quite beautiful in the fading light of sunset to hear the sad, mysterious notes of the call to prayer, sung in language that hasn't changed in hundreds of years.

Three, actually

Well, the third day of Ramadan is upon us. The work week is finished; bring on the weekend!

Today's question on ye olde Chocolate Calendar: "How many Gods do we believe in?"

The answer: "One God (Allah)".

This is a major issue for Muslims. They are fond of saying, "There is no God but God, and Muhammed is his prophet". They think the idea that God could be split in to different parts, like a trinity or some such thing, or that people could worship many gods, like the Hindus, is worse than nonsense. The suggestion that God had a son is broaching on blasphemy. "God is so huge, He doesn't need a son, actually," I heard one Muslim lady say.

How many Gods do you believe in?

Are we there yet?

"How many days does Ramadan last for?"

This is a question many of us are asking ourselves, including those who cannot eat in public and especially those who are fasting.

The answer is: "29/30 days, depending on the lunar calendar".

We've still got a ways to go.

The First Day of Ramadan

Today is the first day of Ramadan. I busted open the first window on my Ramadan Chocolate Countdown Calendar. I sent a photo of my first little chocolate. Today's question was: "When does the fast start?"
For you see, Muslims are required to refrain from eating and drinking during the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar calendar. After dark they are allowed to break their fast and many do it in the traditional way, after the prophet Muhammed: three dates and some water.

There are many Muslims all around the world, but in a country such as this one, where Islam has played an important role in shaping the state's laws, these traditions are a prominent part of everyday life. No food or drink is permitted to be consumed in public during the daylight hours. The police would stop you if they caught you doing so.

P.S. The answer to the question, "When does the fast start?":
"Sunrise (white thread of light)" Remember the little chocolate sun.

The Other Advent

I bought the neatest thing yesterday: The Ramadan Chocolate Countdown Calendar! It's the Islamic Equivalent to the Advent Calendar, complete with a chocolate surprise for every day of Ramadan, counting down to Eid. This calendar's also got a quiz question for each day's window.

Ramadan hasn't started yet. No one knows exactly when it will start, but it should be within the next couple of days.

Auspicious Day

Do you believe in signs?

This seems like a good day to begin this weblog. Today I was in the path of a solar eclipse. I constructed a pinhole camera to safely view the celestial alignment and you can see the four images of the crescent sun projected onto my screen.

Your perception of the eclipse depended on where you were on Earth today. Some places didn't experience it at all. I guess that's like a lot of things in life; your perspective, your view can change depending on where you are.

You are welcome to join my view of things, from wherever I might find myself.