PAGE- 9 July 2016
WWW
.azindiatimes.com
Islam, as the linguistic interpretation of the word
itself implies, is a religion based on the foundations
of unity, submission, safeness and peace. Quran-
the central religious text of Islam is revered as the
verbatim word of God to the Islamic prophet and
messenger Muhammad. Quran was recited from
God during Ramadhan, the ninth month in Islamic
calendar. Ramadhan also referred to as Ramzan,
Ramathan or Ramazan is celebrated this year on
July 5
th
.
According to Islam, the gates of Heaven would be
open and the gates of Hell would be closed during
the entire month of Ramadhan. As mentioned in
Quran, Heaven is the reward for the pious. During
the auspicious month of Ramadhan Muslims, the
followers of Islam, in their pursuit to attain Heaven
follow austerities majorly through fasting ‘sawm’
which is one of the five basic institutions of Islam.
The other four being
Shahadah -
Affirmation that
there is no deity but God and Mohammed is his
messenger,
Salat
- Performing prayer (Namaaz)
five times daily,
Zakat
- Giving to charity and
Hajj
- Making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a
lifetime.
During Ramadhan Muslims fast from dawn to sun-
set, involve in increased prayer and charity and
practice better self-discipline. Through the month-
long fasting, a Muslim experiences hunger and
thirst - a practical experience to relate to those in
the world with little to eat. This is a physical re-
minder for involving in greater charity to the needy.
The fasting connotes that food saved during the day
is supposed to be endowed upon the ones who are in
dire need of it. Through increased prayers, Muslims
reinforce bond with Him which is a foundation to
see His everyday blessings with more clarity.
Fasting during Ramadhan in its spiritual context
is not limited to mere refraining from eating from
dawn to dusk. The deeper meaning of fasting is
self-control resulting in cleansing both inside and
out. It is about refraining from involving the senses
and mind in inefficient means including undesirable
sight, speech and thoughts. Not only so much, more
importantly, it is about involving the senses and
mind in activities for greater good and value to the
mankind through fostering love and compassion for
the fellow human beings. As a part of this, by gath-
ering for prayer and breaking fast with family and
friends at dusk throughout the month, Muslims get
the opportunity to enjoy and improve the solidarity
in family and community at large.
In summary, Ramadhan is a month-long crash
course in the school of spirituality where graduates
are blessed with a developed sense of self-discipline
in body through fasting, mind through compassion
and soul through prayer. Ramadan is viewed as a
month-long school where graduates leave with a de-
veloped sense of self-control in areas including diet,
sleeping and the use of time.z
The month-long practice of piety is a practical re-
minder for the enhanced lifestyle for the rest of the
year and even life. These best practices are not lim-
ited to Muslims only but can be embraced by all hu-
man beings who want to move in the path of love,
peace, compassion and self-discipline. That is the
path of happiness. After all, all of us want to be hap-
py. That is the reality!
Top Events in the valley July, 2016
1. Shree Nathji Temple of Phoenix
6300 S 23rd Ave, Phoenix AZ 85041
Phone: 602-288- 8801
Every Sunday:
Satsang 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Darshan & Mahaprasad 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
2. JET Arizona
e-mail:
Every Saturday:
Satsang 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam
3. JKYoga
Shrinivas Sadachar
e-mail:
2 nd & 4 th Saturdays of the month
Satsang: 5 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.
4. Bhakti Vine
Every Sunday, 5:00 to 7:30PM
Srimad Bhagavatam & Satsang
Email:
5. Chinmaya Mission
Every Sunday 9AM to 12PM
Wisdom of Vedanta
Email:
6. Ramakrishna Mission
Every Friday 7pm
Meditationas Spiritual Culmination
Email:
7. If you want to include your group,
please email
“Mauj Me Raho”
Are work pressures keeping you awake at night? Are you struggling to remain hap-
py with the ups and downs of daily life? If so, you have a chance to experience a
transformation from Swami Anubhavananda who is visiting Phoenix again; a man
who walks the world with no boundaries or attachments. His guiding principle is
“Mauj Me Raho” – Have a Fun filled life. Happiness is not merely laughing, he says.
Whatever we do normally is for getting happiness. Never do that - Whatever you
do, do it to express happiness, he explains. Swamiji will be delivering three lectures
on July 23, 24 th and 25 th at the SVK Temple in Tempe, AZ on the theme “Bhaga-
vad Gita for Happiness”.
SRIDEVIBULUSU
Sri Devi is a life enthusiast who believes living
up to the best and learning in the process. Her
philosophy in life is to make a good addition
to His garden all the while experiencing the
beauty of His creation in myriad dimensions.
‘Reality in Spirituality’ provides a context to
the major festivals of the month. The column
will make a one stop lookout for the schedule
and venue of the events across diverse reli-
gious congregations in the valley.
By.
SRIDEVI.B
