Eid ul Fitr in Indonesia 2011

Lebaran or Eid ul Fitr is the last day of Ramadan where the Muslims visit their friends and relatives to ask for forgiveness for any wrong they have done in the previous year. Traditional food is eaten in the social gathering, followed by the exchange of gifts and visits to a recreational park. Jakarta, Java, Sumatra and other parts of Indonesia looks very bright and colorful on this day. This is an ideal time to experience most popular Indonesian Eid ul Fitr. The government prevents vagrants, beggars and other social undesirables from migrating into the city. The Lebaran celebration and festive gathering, prolongs for a week or two, where even non-Muslim are invited by the group.

The holy month of Ramadan and the social day of Lebaran, are the popular picks by international tourists. These events are really a great and an amazing occasion’s to witness.

Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Indonesia - Eid ul Fitr is the most significant Muslim festival in Islamic Calendar. It is celebrated on the end of holy month of Ramadan. During the Ramazan, Muslims offer prayers in Mosque in large numbers. They also observe fasting throughout the month of Ramzan just before these Eid celebrations. The month of Ramazan holds a deep significance in Muslim history as the holy book of 'Quran' was revealed during this month. During this month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset everyday for a month. Most parts of the Southeast Asia celebrated this great occasion of Eid as Hari Rya Aidilfitri.

Eid is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal. Shawwal is the tenth month in holy Islamic Calendar. Families begin this Eid morning with a special Prayer also known as Eid Prayer. This prayer offers a special thanks to god for the strength and discipline received during the holy month of Ramadan. People distribute sweets and children wear new clothes on this great Muslim festival known as Eid.

The people of Indonesia celebrate Eid ul Fitr with great enthusiasm and peace. The message of brotherhood is spreader all throughout the country. Muslims people wear new clothes and distribute sweets to mark this auspicious festival in Islamic calendar. On this great occasion of Eid ul Fitri, markets all through Indonesia are decorated and people enjoy shopping with great fun.

Banks, private offices and government centers are closed for almost one week in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

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Ramadan in Indonesia

Ramadan in Indonesia. the Islamic month of fasting, is the most awaited Indonesian festival which attracts tourists from all corners of the world. The festival continues for 29 or 30 days, the dates of the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (Hijrah), based on lunar cycles. The last day is Eid ul Fitr (commonly called as Lebaran), which an important and most significant day in the Muslim calendar.Its Arabic meaning is ‘to become holy again’. Indonesia celebrates Ramadan and Eid ul Fitr with great pleasure, colors and glory, which also records the highest tourist count in Indonesia.

Ramadan:
Ramadan is the holy month where large number of Muslims offers prayers in Mosque. This month is spent fasting everyday from dawn to dusk. This month is the time to reinforce bond between the faithful individuals and the Almighty. This month was the time when Angel Gibril, revealed Allah’s will to Prophet Mohammed, who then got an inspiration to write the verses on the Holy Quran.

Other definition, Ramadan is a special time for Muslims across the world. Falling in the tenth month of Shawwal, the Islamic calendar, it was at this time of the year when the Angel Gibril revealed to the Prophet Mohammed Allah’s will and so were written the very first verses of the Holy Qur'an. The month of Ramadan is spent fasting from dawn to dusk everyday - it is a time to introspect, reflect and reinforce the bond between the Almighty and the faithful.

During Ramadan, adults who have reached the puberty age are expected to fast. Children, the sick, breastfeeding or pregnant women, travelers, women in periods, mentally ill or those suffering from long-term illness are not expected to fast. Fasting is an obligation and one of the five pillars for a devoted Muslim. They believe that it helps in developing self control as well as enhances spirituality. During the fasts, one should diligent in prayer and charities. They should strictly avoid bad language, lying and getting angry. In day time they must refrain from drinking, eating, smoking and marital relations.

In Indonesia, the group of young people walks around the neighborhoods beating the drums to awaken the faithful, early in the morning for prayer and to have meal before the sunrise. One could also hear the prayer sounding from nearby mosques. The fast ends after sunset, upon the call of prayer from nearby mosque or bedug drum on the television. Fast is broken usually with sweet snacks and drinks. Special food is prepared by various families and groups for this occasion and is eaten in a community fashion. Common prayer at mosques or social gatherings is usually held at 7:30 p.m. The monthly schedule is published in newspaper or other social Medias.

Ramadan culminates in the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr - when the period of restraint ends in an extravagant explosion of joie de vivre, festivities and feasting. The devout gather together to offer Eid prayers and greet each other in a rejuvenated spirit of camaraderie. Eid is a day of thanksgiving, of peace, of remembrance, of charity and of forgiveness, celebrated amidst great jubilation once the delicate silver sliver of the crescent moon has been sighted. The festival of Eid-ul-Fitr forges fraternal and communal love, self-discipline and commitment to Allah.

Ramadan Dates
2011		August 1
2012		July 20
2013		July 9
2014		June 28
2015		June 18

The dates given here may vary as these are based on lunar calendar.

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Words On A Page

A book is not simply words on a page - it is one mind crafting an effect upon other minds - it does not assume its true form except through the action of reading. By this it creates a world of image and story within our minds like software running within the engine of our imagination. In this way, the text becomes capable of lifting off the page as the words construct elaborate landscapes within the domain of our mind's eye.

The Qur’an is not words on a page - the Qur’an is not the Qur’an until its verses take shape in the mind, connect and confirm one another, and its unfolding contents settle into the heart - only then does it begin to speak its magic within us. It speaks its content not with words and sounds but through a transformative alchemy arising from layered meanings which work one over from the inside out, taking what lays within in a dormant, unrealized, embryonic state, out of potentiality towards actuality. Descended from a high Reality revelation is coded in this lower world into letters, words, and verses each of which are a sign of its origin and a transforming catalyst for the one who absorbs its reality into themselves. It shapes and forms the clay of our being through its instructive commands which, like the compressed, encoded language of a geonome, can build the spiritual edifice that otherwise lays only partially or haphazardly constructed within our hearts.

This Qur'an is a book meant to be read for what it is - a Messenger from higher worlds speaking directly to us. With such a message, reading is only an initiation of intent, a drawing back of the bow; the message is aimed at the heart - we must bare our chests to receive it, and let it fly from the bow of the intellect to the heart which receives and absorbs it. Let it pierce with sincerity and intensity into the center of our being - that center, that heart through which all the streams of consciousness and awareness flow - open ourselves to it - seek understanding, seek transformation, seek resurrection - a truer self.

This is not an emotional endeavor, it is not simply wishing to achieve understanding, it is shaping and re-shaping one's life in all it’s aspects so that life itself becomes a straight path that leads to comprehension, to knowledge that is internalized in the heart and clear in the intellect. God spoke to the Prophet through the angel, sending the Qur’an down upon the Prophet's heart as a guidance for us all - the Prophet received it in his innermost heart and so became the "speaking Qur'an", the one who actualized within his personality it's transformative reality. The Prophet in turn passed on to us the alchemical words of the Qur'an. It is for us (with help and guidance) to lift them from the written page and apprehend something of their reality - to approach it as a revelation from God sent down to lift up. He is speaking to us through this Qur’an - our provision lies within it. We activate the Qur’anic speech when the words lift from the page by means of our intellects, settle into our hearts, manifest in our actions, and rise again, lifting us from the dust of the earth towards the “ways of ascent.” Till then, we are slaves of our lower nafs, orphans veiled from the One who made us, the spiritually destitute lying in the dust.

“…and what will make you comprehend what the ascending path is? (It is) the setting free of a slave, Or the giving of provision in a day of hunger, To an orphan, Or to the poor man lying in the dust.” (Qur’an 90:12-16)

originally published Apr 04, 2007
source:  Irshaad Hussain

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Magic of Qur’an

A book is not simply words on a page – it is one mind crafting an effect upon other minds – it does not assume its true form except through the action of reading. By this it creates a world of image and story within our minds like software running within the engine of our imagination. In this way, the text becomes capable of lifting off the page as the words construct elaborate landscapes within the domain of our mind’s eye.

The Qur’an is not words on a page – the Qur’an is not the Qur’an until its verses take shape in the mind, connect and confirm one another, and its unfolding contents settle into the heart – only then does it begin to speak its magic within us. It speaks its content not with words and sounds but through a transformative alchemy arising from layered meanings which work one over from the inside out, taking what lays within in a dormant, unrealized, embryonic state, out of potentiality towards actuality. Descended from a high Reality revelation is coded in this lower world into letters, words, and verses each of which are a sign of its origin and a transforming catalyst for the one who absorbs its reality into themselves. It shapes and forms the clay of our being through its instructive commands which, like the compressed, encoded language of a geonome, can build the spiritual edifice that otherwise lays only partially or haphazardly constructed within our hearts.

This Qur’an is a book meant to be read for what it is – a Messenger from higher worlds speaking directly to us. With such a message, reading is only an initiation of intent, a drawing back of the bow; the message is aimed at the heart – we must bare our chests to receive it, and let it fly from the bow of the intellect to the heart which receives and absorbs it. Let it pierce with sincerity and intensity into the center of our being – that center, that heart through which all the streams of consciousness and awareness flow – open ourselves to it – seek understanding, seek transformation, seek resurrection – a truer self.

This is not an emotional endeavor, it is not simply wishing to achieve understanding, it is shaping and re-shaping one’s life in all it’s aspects so that life itself becomes a straight path that leads to comprehension, to knowledge that is internalized in the heart and clear in the intellect. God spoke to the Prophet through the angel, sending the Qur’an down upon the Prophet’s heart as a guidance for us all – the Prophet received it in his innermost heart and so became the “speaking Qur’an”, the one who actualized within his personality it’s transformative reality. The Prophet in turn passed on to us the alchemical words of the Qur’an.

It is for us (with help and guidance) to lift them from the written page and apprehend something of their reality – to approach it as a revelation from God sent down to lift up. He is speaking to us through this Qur’an – our provision lies within it. We activate the Qur’anic speech when the words lift from the page by means of our intellects, settle into our hearts, manifest in our actions, and rise again, lifting us from the dust of the earth towards the “ways of ascent.” Till then, we are slaves of our lower nafs, orphans veiled from the One who made us, the spiritually destitute lying in the dust.

“…and what will make you comprehend what the ascending path is? (It is) the setting free of a slave, Or the giving of provision in a day of hunger, To an orphan, Or to the poor man lying in the dust.” (Qur’an 90:12-16)

source: Irshaad Hussain

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