What is Ramadan : Brief about Celebration & Cultural events, History & Classics : Today Indya

What is Ramadan : Brief about Celebration & Cultural events

History & Classics

timesofindia

The holy month of Islamic calendar began on the evening of Tuesday, May 15 and end on Thursday June 14, 2018. The month will last for 29 days and will be celebrated by approximately 1.6 billion Muslims around the world.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year in the Islamic culture. Prophet Mohammed preached, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained."

Muslims also believe that during this holy month, God revealed the first verses of the Quran to Prophet Mohammed. That was the night known as "The Night of Power" or “Laylat al-Qadr” in Arabic.

This fasting is known to strengthen one's relationship with God. Prayers, charity and generosity make the month even more pious.

Why is fasting important in Ramadan month ?

Fasting is considered as the biggest act of religious observance. Fasting (sawm in Arabic), is one of the five key pillars of the Islamic faith. The others are prayer (salat), giving a percentage of your salary to charity (zakat), making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and, of course, a belief in the Muslim faith (shahadah).

Ramadan fasting is done from dawn to dusk and is known to purify the soul and the body. This is the time when Muslims feel a sense of being close to God and refrain from materialistic pleasures. This fasting is a pious practice in the Islamic culture that fosters a sense of spirituality in Muslims.

People abstain from food, drink, smoking and intercourse from sunrise to sunset. They wake up before sunrise and perform morning prayers. After morning prayer, they eat before their fast begins. After the sunset, they break their fast with a communal ‘Iftar’ meal with their families.

How is Ramadan Celebrated?

Ramadan is a time of joy and celebration. People spend time with their loved ones. Sawm or fasting is observed throughout the Ramadan month. While fasting, Muslims do not have to eat or drink anything, including water, until sunset. From the age of 12 or when they hit puberty, Muslims participate in the fast.

One of the most important aspects of the Ramadan fast is called niyyah, which means "intention." This explains that everyone who is observing the Ramadan fast must not simply or accidentally abstain from food. They need to fulfill the requirement of niyyah. This requirement states that a Muslim must "intend in heart that fasting is meant to worship Allah." The intention should not be for dietary or any other reasons. It should only be to dedicate yourself to and worship Allah. In fact, according to the scriptures, "Whoever does not make niyyah before dawn would not have fasted." The intention and determination are of great importance during the holy month of Ramadan.

At the end of Ramadan, there is a big three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr, or "the festival of breaking the Fast." It is celebrated with fervour where they eat meals with family and friends and exchange gifts.

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Do you know how India got her name as “Bharat”

History & Classics

jagranjosh

India i.e. Bharat is the union of states and a fusion of various religions, cultures, customs, heritage etc. which makes it an intriguing nation embracing the diversity of this world. Since ancient times our nation has been termed as Bharat (Sanskrit original name). There are some stories of various historians which fascinate us and explain How India got the name Bharat.

India i.e. Bharat is the union of states and a fusion of various religions, cultures, customs, heritage etc. which makes it an intriguing nation embracing the diversity of this world. There are lots of wonders seen here; may be an architectural or as a highly developed civilization in ancient India or an amazing history of much conquered nation, India has always made her presence felt as a great nation. Since ancient times our nation has been termed as Bharat (Sanskrit original name). There are some stories of various historians which fascinate us and explain How India got the name Bharat.

First, is according to Rig Veda and Battle of Ten Kings:

According to the History of India’s Geography; the land of seven rivers, the Rig Veda’s 18th hymn of seventh book describes about the terrible war which is known as ‘Dasharajna’ or battle of ten kings. The war was fought between ten powerful tribes who plotted to overthrow King Sudasa of the Bharata tribe of Trtsu Dynasty. This battle took place on the river Ravi in Punjab. As a result, Sudasa achieved a great thumping victory over the confederacy of ten kings. Which further led to the popularity of King Sudasa and people eventually started identifying themselves as members of the Bharata tribe. The name ‘Bharata’ stuck on the mouth of people and ultimately named as ‘Bharat Varsha’ meaning the land of Bharata.

Second, is according to Mahabharata and Bharata Chakravarti:

According to Mahabharata the popular story states that India was called Bharatvarsha after the king named Bharata Chakravarti. Bharata was a legendary emperor and the founder of Bharata Dynasty and an ancestor of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He was son of King Dushyanta of Hastinapur and Queen Sakuntala. Also, a descendant of Kshatriya Varna. Bharata had conquered all of Greater India, united in to a single political entity which was named after him as “Bharatvarsha”.

Excerpt of Vishnu Purana ---- “This country is known as Bharatvarsha since the times the father entrusted the kingdom to the son Bharata and he himself went to the forest for ascetic practices”

According to Vishnu Purana—

उत्तरं यत्समुद्रस्य हिमाद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम् ।

वर्षं तद् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र संततिः ।।

Uttaraṃ yatsamudrasya himādreścaiva dakṣiṇam

varṣaṃ tadbhārataṃ nāma bhāratī yatra santatiḥ

This shloka means: “The country (Varsam) that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bharatam; there dwell the descendants of Bharata.

Therefore, it is also said that the name Bharata is derived from the ancient Indian texts, the Puranas which refers to the land that comprises India as Bharata Varsam. They used this term to distinguish it from other varsas or continents.

Amazing is that this Bharat Empire i.e. Bharatvarsha or India includes the present day of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, North-West Tibet, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Third is according to Sanskrit, the origin of Bharat:

Bharata is the official Sanskrit name of the country, Bharata Ganarajya. The Sanskrit word Bharata describes Agni. This term has Sanskrit root bhr means “to bear/ to carry” i.e. “to be maintained” (of fire). It also means “One who is engaged in search of Knowledge”.

Fourth is According to Jain Dharma:

India’s real name is Bharat and it was kept after the name of Bharat Chakravarti the eldest son of First Jain Tirthankar & it is said that it is solely gift of Jainism interms of name Bharat and its original source of Civilisation of Bharat today called India.

According to another historian it is also said that:

The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindus and latter stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was for the Indus River.

India is also called Hindustan which is a Persian word means “Land of the Hindus”; prior to 1947, it is referred to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan.

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