Janmashtami Mubarak - Lord Krishna's birthday

Krishn Janmashtami Mubarak

Celebration of Janmashtami is honoring the man who gave us so much wisdom in Bhagvad Gita. The book is an encapsulation of Krishna’s advice to Arjuna when he goes through different phases of thoughts and actions. It is one of the best self improvment books to read. Today is Janmashtami, the celebration of Sri Krishna’s birthday, the Hare Krishna devotees prefer to call it appearance of Prabhu rather than birthday celebrations.


Perhaps it comes from the conversation in the Bhagvad Gita, ‘Whenever the balance of the universe is disturbed by external interference from any of its parts, then I reveal myself as the Power of eternal balancing. For the protection of those who are in harmony, and the rectification of everything disharmonious, I incarnate myself at every juncture of time.’ So, it is assumed that the form of God will return back on earth for the establishment of peace, religion and prosperity in society once again when required.

The other version of the same quote is. “Whenever Adharma (un-righteousness) takes root in the society, God will infuse himself and restores the dharma (righteousness) to the society. In other words the operative word is the self balancing mechanism.

Celebration of Janmashtami is honoring the man who gave us so much wisdom in Bhagvad Gita. The book is an encapsulation of Krishna’s advice to Arjuna when he goes through different phases of thoughts and actions. It is one of the best self analysis books to read.

Indeed, my life is greatly influenced and affected by one single verse from Bhagvad Gita “finding the truth is one’s own responsibility”. I owe my critical thinking to this verse and I owe my return to Islam to this verse, it is very dear to me and there is not a week that goes by without quoting this truth in one context or the other. As I am writing this, I recall the famous couplet from a song by Sahir Ludhanavi in Urdu/Hindi language;

Quraan no ho jis may o dharam tera nahin hai
Gita na ho jis may o haram tera nahin hai

Your religiosity and your righteousness in incomplete without Quraan
and most certainly your worship place is incomplete without Gita.

It is one of the most powerful interfaith couplets I have read and often think about it and sing that song. India has a long history of Pluralism and diversity. It is one of the oldest nations on the earth that has welcomed every one that was persecuted elsewhere; and those who found the freedom to be themselves such as Jews, Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians and others, besides giving birth to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism an Sikhism, it is indeed home to one of the top five Bahai shrines in the world.

If you are a good Hindu, then you are automatically a good Muslim, good Bahai or a good Christian, if you are a good Jew then you automatically are a good Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Wicca or a Zoroastrian or a follower of the native traditions. Essentially religion and the rituals lift you up to become boundless, universal and God like; where distinctions of color, religion, ethnicity and race fade. You feel a sense of relief and freedom. Bhagavad Gita says, the whole world is one family, just as every religious text calls out loud to be one universse and one world.

Perhaps this is what Krishna meant, “Surrender to me” and Jesus meant, “Follow me” and the Quraan asks to "submit to the will of God". Urging and goading us to become like God, to be free to be a part of the ocean and yet have out unique identity as a human, as a follower of one tradition or the other, live in one geographical zone or the other and born with one skin color or the other.

The other Sholoka Shri DD Maini shares with me frequently is - do your work, and don't look for the fruit. kaam kiye ja kiye ja... something very reflective of Buddha’s teachings.

When I was a baby, I was dressed up as Krishna and a matka (clay pot) with Makhan (butter) was placed in front me and apparently I did just like Sri Krishna did with the Makhan; ate it. My pictures were in many homes, I have to go find them... after 58 years!

I visited Brindavan, the birth place of Sri Krishna, it was very inspiring to think about the man who changed so many lives, and I was privileged to see that place where he was born. Sri Krishna is one my mentors and inspirations in life and I hope to learn a lot from reading about him.

Indeed, one of the best teachers in Bhagvad Gita in Dallas is Swami Nityananda Prabhu at the Hare Krishna Temple. He shares the Pluralistic vision of the Sri Krishna. He and I reviewed the whole Bhagvad Gita on my radio show in about two plus years every Thursday of the week, where we learned the wisdom of a religion, every beautiful religion, every day in the morning.

In Brindavan, I bought several tapes but still could not find the original song... . I was frustrated because I could not find the song by Rafi and Lata and instead had to be content with Sonu’s copies. After walking all over Brindavan, I found it.

Here it is on you tube my favorite Janmashtami Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKy_OtSbNFo

Murli Wale Murli Baja Suraiya in Dillagi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCCA0MHVQAc

Kanha Kanha aan padi my tere paas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTWB3BlgKCQ

Radha kaisay na Jale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=872LRkujZ3E

Tere Bharosay ai nand lala
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh6UVSx_o2A&feature=related

Govinda Bolo Hari Gopala Bolo – my 2nd favorite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEAdHRsU3-w&feature=related

More Songs at the end.......................................................


God in Quraan has said that he has sent a messenger to every nation, every community and tribe to restore righteousness in that society. I am pleased to pay my respects to one of my mentors Sri Krishna today. I continue to learn and emulate a fraction of wisdom from Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Nanak in particular and many in General including Bahaullah, Ali, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Aga Khan, Rev. Moon and Obama. No confusion, I am a Muslim and I do not worship any one except the invisible, formless creative cosmic energy called God by different names.

Please go get yourselves a copy of Bhagvad Gita by Chinmaya Mission or the Hare Krishna temple and a copy of the Quraan, translated by Mohammad Asad..and if you have the money to buy the Torah, Bible, Gurugranth Sahib, the Kitab al-Muqaddas and other holy books. it is a gift to yourselves to enrich with the spiritualiy. Read the books as God's guidance for us to live in harmony, honoring the uniqueness of each other. All the books are pluralistic, have the mind set to see it.

Janmasthami Mubarak!
Happy Janmashtami


Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, religion, Islam and India and is a frequent guest on the media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. His work is expressed in 22 blogs and 3 websites listed at www.MikeGhouse.net

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Note: This article is a compilation from various sources including the Bhagvad Gita

Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna in the battle of Mahabharata and contains all that is knowable in whole cosmos and particularly as a human being. The knower of Bhagavad Gita becomes omniscient. One gains enlightenment and finally salvation Moksha in Hinduism. It is one of the best self help books.From the very first verse to the the 700th verse, Bhagavad Gita teaches one the true essence meaning of life. The knower of Bhagwad Gita becomes an enlightened being. Prophet Muhammad had suggested metaphorically, if you want to learn and improve on your life go farther.The content of the Gita is the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic[5] and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Lord Krishna reveals His identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam Bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form.

The direct audience to Lord Krishna’s discourse of the Bhagawata Gita included Arjuna (addressee), Sanjay (using Divya Drishti gifted by Rishi Veda Vyasa) and Lord Hanuman (perched atop Arjuna’s chariot) and Barbarika, son of Ghatotghaj who also witnessed the complete 18 days of action at Kurukhsetra.


Historians calculate that the birth of Lord Krishna goes back to the Dwapar Yug. It is in the year of Visvavasu around 3227 BC when Lord Krishna was born. He was born on a dark, stormy night on the day eight day of the second fortnight of the month of Shravana which now corresponds to the month of August-September in the Gregorian calendar. Born in the prison of Demon Kansa, from Kansa’s sister Devaki and Vasudeva, Krishna was declared to be the savior of mankind and the end of Kansa even before his birth. Krishna, right from the day of birth exhibited that he was a special child and there was extraordinary powers with him. Throughout his childhood and adolescence in Gokul, he did many things which made people believe that he was a form of God. Since then, the people of Nandgaon celebrated the birth of Krishna as a day of fortune.

Even thousands of years after his heavenly abode, people observe this day as a day of fortune and commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna by fasting and feasting. People believe Krishna to be the ultimate savior of the world. One who unlike other gods, can be regarded, as a lover, friend, divine guru or one’s own child. People mesmerized with Krishna’s persona and deeds can be seen singing and dancing in the name of Krishna to eternity on the day of Janmashtami. It is the deep faith and devotion of people towards him that the festival is still celebrated with a great honor, joy as well as elation as it was celebrated thousands of years back.

Krishna Janmashtami Rituals & Traditions

FastingThe most common and essential ritual followed on the day of Janmashtami is the fasting by devotees. Most of Lord Krsihna’s devotees fast for on this day and open the fast at midnight when it is assumed that Lord Krishna has been born. At the time of midnight also, the people who have observed fast whole day prefer to have only milk and milk products as they are considered auspicious as well pure. Some of the ardent devotees of Krishna observe the fast for the entire day even without consuming water- it is called ‘Nirjal Vrat’. There are other devotees who observe two day fast in the honor of Lord Krishna.

ChantingIt is said that chanting Lord Krishna’s name with entire devotion brings immense joy and pleasure in the life of the devotee. So, on the birthday of Lord Krishna, devotees indulge in continuous chanting of Krishna’s name for the entire day. They chant sholkas, mantras, richas from the Veda. They also read Bhagvad Geeta and sing bhajans in the name of Krishna. It is said that chanting 108 names of Lord Krishna brings auspiciousness in one’s life.

Devotional Songs & DancesBhajans are a vital custom of the Janmashtami celebrations. Devotees sing and dance with fervor in the name of Lord Krishna. In many temples of Mathura and Vridavana, you will find devotees mesmerized and overwhelmed with their love and devotion for Shri Krishna. In the midnight celebration, people gather at a place and sing several kinds of bhajans to highlight his feats and his divine characteristics.

Plays On Lord KrishnaVery much like the Ramleela, devotees of Lord Krishna organize plays on the life of Lord Krishna called Krishnaleela. In these plays organized by professional as well as amateur artists, several important deeds and legends associated with Lord Krishna are staged.

Offering SweetsIt is known to everybody that Lord Krishna was extremely fond of sweets and dairy products. So on the day of Krishnashtami, devotees of Lord Krishna prepare umpteen varieties of sweets and dairy products and offer them to the idols of Krishna. This ritual is called ‘bhog’. Later, these sweets are distributed amongst the devotees as ‘ Prasada’.

Swings At many places in the country, devotees tie swings on the trees and take rides on that. It is said that taking a swing ride on the occasion of Janmashtami is considered auspicious. This ritual is extremely popular in the rural parts of the country.

Bhajan

Radha Na Bole Na Bole Re - Azaad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQUrbFsHJuw&feature=related

Mere Shyam Tera Naam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ty_WykHhPw


radhike tune bansari
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbpVwopnohE&feature=related

Darshan Do Ghanshyam Nath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYtyMXwEuo&feature=related

madhuban mein radhika nache re
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIWtdQwaoz0&feature=related

Man Tarpat Hari Darsan ko Aaj
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyLdgQinxpY&feature=related

Baat Nihare Ghanshyam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhIl5LGGr3I

Kanha too ne peer na janany
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91qC_0p77NA&feature=related

Gokul ko choray gaye ghanshyam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBRkGxBpJ1g&feature=related

Day 19 of Ramadan 2011

Day 19 of Ramadan 2011 at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church

http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-19-of-ramadan-2011.html

Friday, August 19, 2011 | Ramadan 19, 1432

Terminology: At the bottom of this write up.

Church: Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, Dallas
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal at home): Cereal with Yogurt
Iftaar (refreshments): Straight Dinner
Iftaar (Dinner): Salad, Rice, Non-spicy stew like lamb, Dolma (Grape leaf rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice) and Baklava for dessert.
Culture: Interfaith Dinner- Christians and mainly Turkish Muslims, perhaps I was the only Subcontinentan there.

PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam.

THE PLAN: Visit a mosque a day and be with every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

......................................... ...
If you think of sharing your own Ramadan experience, time is to start now.

The Dallas Islamic Center, an organization supported by Fateh Gulen, a Turkish Muslim reformer is doing a great job in the Islamic theme of “knowing each other” to create a better world. http://www.dallasislamiccenter.org/

A few pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157627477918142/show/



Hamidullah, Imam Yesil
and Mike Ghouse

Over the years they have done a fabulous job of reaching out to neighbors, conducting interfaith dialogue, dinners and classes on Quraan. I am yet to visit their center in Richardson and now I have the incentive to really be a tiny part of the good work they do. I discovered today that Imam Nihat Yesil and I have met some 4 or 5 years ago, fortunately both of us remembered my effort to connect him with Dr Kavakci, another Turkish Imam whom I brag about.

Now this is a different experience altogether for Muslims.

About 250 people attended the dinner event, mostly the guests were the congregation of the United Methodist Church and some 50 Turkish Muslims and few others including me, perhaps the only one from the subcontinent ethnicity.

Yasin moderated the event, he was amazing when he walked up on the stage and shared the three things Pastor Dr. Copeland had talked about in their meeting originally at the Dallas Islamic Center. (OMG, I had that last night, and I have lost it this morning). I will add back if it comes to the mind.

Hamidullah, a PhD student from Afghanistan opened the evening with Azaan. I wish I had recorded it, it was simply beautiful. It is an art in how you call the prayers in a melodious voice and I loved ever moment of it.

Ok here is a major difference in pronunciation. Much of the world calls the prayer call “Azaan” including Turkey, Iran, the Central Asian Muslims, the Subcontinentian Muslim and elsewhere in Philippines and Indonesia. Whereas the Arabic speaking people call it “Adaan”. The pronunciation of the word “Ramadan” in Arabic is “Ramzaan” in most of the world. All the speakers were toggling from one pronunciation to the other as most Americans respond to the word Ramadan rather than Ramzaan.

Pastor Copeland gave a beautiful sermon relating to the hospitality of Abraham, the fountain head for the three religions. It was that hospitality we are carrying forward, to share a meal with others. He mentioned that most of the congregants may have Google Ramadan before entering the hall and he shared the basics with the friends.

The traditional breaking of the fast followed by Prayers and dinner was modified to suit the audience, or perhaps that is the Turkish tradition. If you know about it please share and I will make an effort to learn about it. I was thrilled to find myself not knowing the tradition, and it made sense for me to know about the others. Indeed, I am driven by working and developing cohesive societies, and the emphasis in Quraan to know each other to create a better world excites me.

Imam Nihat Yesil, like Imam Dr. Kavakci, breaks the stereotyping of Muslims about their appearance. He did not have a beard nor wore a Muslim garb (Juan William, there is no such thing) or the cap. He wore a suit. Muslims are not a monolithic lot, each one is different with different traditions and practices, each costume is beautiful to the person who wears it and we cannot but appreciate the uniqueness. The year 2010 witnessed a dramatic change in Muslim presence in the media. Till them, a typical Muslim who spoke on national TV wore a beard and a cap as it had become a trade mark. 201o changed it all, Bill OReilly brought in Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Harris Zafar and Sean Hannity pulled me in and you saw Raza Aslan on CNN and ABC, NBC pulled in Irshad Manji, Asra Nomani and whole new breed of Muslims were added to the Muslim spectrum which truly represented the diversity in Islam. We need more of our young men and women to pursue a career in Journalism and add the accentless category to the spectrum.

Imam Nihat Yesil shared Rumi’s story about humility, how he met a pastor in the market place and bowed to him for his knowledge and did not want to lose the humility. I am losing my mind ascribing the following story to either moderator Yasin or Imam Yesil. It’s about the responsibility to reach out to the neighbors. The neighbors were defined by 4o homes around you and one must reach out to them. The other versions are 7 neighbors around you, and then the circle expands to the town, region, and the whole wide world. He was sharing the origins of Adan to call for prayers to reach the neighborhood and the whole town… and added with a chuckle that if KERA radio relays the Adan, the entire listenership would become our neighbors.

I was thrilled when they showed the translation of the Adan on the big screen, something I had always wanted to do and have debated extensively on the content and the meaning of it. The non-Muslims who object to this, really would appreciate if they really know the meaning of it.

Enjoy this beautiful Adan, there are plenty on YouTube, I picked this one as it shows beautiful mosques around the world, it is a delight to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUHDYlJHaOQ&feature=related

Here it is:

4x	الله أكبر	Allahu Akbar = God is Greatest
2x	أشهد أن لا اله إلا الله	Ash-hadu al-la ilaha illa llah = I bear witness that there is no God except the One God3	.
2x	أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله	Ash-hadu anna Muħammadan rasulullah = I bear witness that Muhammad is God's Messenger
2x	حي على الصلاة	Ħayya 'ala-salah = Come to salat (prayer, worship)
2x	حي على الفلاح	Ħayya 'ala 'l-falaħ = Come to success
2x	الله أكبر	Allāhu akbar = God is Greatest
1x	لا إله إلا الله	La ilaha illallah = There is no god except Allah.

One of the many purposes for me to visit different Mosques and do my Iftaar is to open up myself and share the experience. We have to learn to accept the diversity, no one worships in a weird way, that language needs to be respectfully replaced with … each one of us has our own unique way and each should be respected. To paraphrase what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have advised “Respect your brother or sister as you respect yourselves”. That is the key to successful communities.

I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at: http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
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MESSAGE: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
POLITICS OF RAMADAN: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html

Coming up – Rituals of Ramadan and Spirit of Ramadan
..................................

TERMS:

Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.

Prayers - The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures... I will update the details before the end of Ramadan.

Day 18 of Ramadan 2011

Day 18 of Ramadan 2011 at Dallas Islamic Center, Richardson
http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-18-of-ramadan-2011.html

Thursday, August 18, 2011 | Ramadan 18, 1432

Mosque: Richardson Mosque, the first Mosque in Dallas, Texas
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal at home): Oatmeal and Fruits
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates, Fruits, punch and water
Iftaar (Dinner): Salad, Rice, Broiled Fish and Halwa (Sweetened Lentil Paste)
Culture: Interfaith Dinner- Christians, Sikhs, Jews, Hindus and others

THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam.

11 PICTURES AT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157627474310570/show/

......................................... ...
Alhamdu Lillah, all praises to the creator for blessing the world with diversity. I am pleased to highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we can cherish it. If you think of sharing your Ramadan experience, time is to start now.

The Richardson Mosque has been in the forefront of dealing with a majority of issues since bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma. This mosque has been a community center for the people of Dallas/Fort Worth fro nearly thirty years. The community has grown in size and we have nearly 30 Mosques and Mussallas (Temp) in the area.

Dr. Imam Yusuf Zia Kavakci has been a pillar of this mosque for over 20 years; the mosque opened its door in the early 80’s. We are blessed to have his wisdom; he is recognized as one of the 500 Muslim scholars around the world.
He and I have had several beautiful interfaith moments over the years and I hope to put them all in the upcoming book. He is also one of the first Imams that we have encountered who wore three piece suits, no beard and no head gear. But over the last several years, he has started wearing the cloak, beard and the cap. He has gone through quite a lot of media scrutiny after 9/11 and particularly in 2003. We had organized a group of 30 people into a group called MRRT, Muslim Rapid Response team to deal with the media and we had over 50 letters published that year in the Dallas Morning News. It was a rough time.

After 9/11, with the leadership of Muhammad Suleman, this Mosque had initiated the Open Houses on Sundays. I was able to contribute in the open house by reminding the organization to coach the volunteers not to jump and start talking the differences when people visited. I remember a few of them welcoming the Christians with a note that “We don’t believe that Jesus was a son of a God but a Prophet”. All of that has improved over a period of time and interfaith understanding has matured since then.

It was also the first time in a US Mosque history that Hindu prayers were chanted along with others and thank God, except one or two Muslims most were gracious. The fingers of course were pointing at me. I have been in just about every place of worship including the Native Americans, but frequently in the Hindu Temples and a few had repeatedly said to me that Muslims don’t invite them to the Mosques and few even wrote in one of my groups; Dallas Indians, that they will not be allowed in a Mosque, that is a myth and perhaps is true in a few places in Asia, but it is not common. So I extended the invitation to ten with a personal note to a few, unfortunately they all had commitments. Next time, I had make the time to call.

I believe until we listen to God’s wisdom – where he says his creation is intentionally diverse, and the best among us are the ones who take time to know each other – so that we can mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill and learn to respect the otherness of other for creating peaceful societies.

Brother Muhammad Suleman pulled off a great gathering this evening and it was such a delight to see so many people out there from different faiths. Glad to see a few Hindu friends in particular, we need to pull all of us into the same tent.

Food service by the volunteers was exemplary, they carried huge trays with several plates on it and delivered the food to nearly 300 people in no time. The Boys and the girls, the men and women had a genuine smile on their faces. It was nice, very nice for Dr. Hind Jarrah and Dr. Nia McKay to get down and serve. As an individual and as a member of the community, I want to appreciate the volunteerism of every one whether some one mentions their name or not. Jazak Allah Khair.

One of the nicest things the Islamic Center did was to honor Peter Stewart who is a pioneer in the intercultural movement. His dream to have a cultural center where all people can come together and pray or share a meal came true 50 years ago in the form of Thanksgiving Square. It was good to see Imam Yahya, who was a leader during the 70's is back in Dallas. Indeed, he led the Friday prayers at Thanksgiving Square some 25 or 30 years ago. Thanksgiving Square is One of our landmarks. I am so happy to see this moment.

Dr. Imam Yusuf Zia Kavakci did something extraordinary… after breaking the fast, he stayed with the group for dinner and many stayed including me instead of going to the Maghrib (evening) prayers with the intention of praying later. I was giving company to Chris Slater, the Executive Director of Thanksgiving Square, loved his spirit of interfaith. Dr. Kavakci understood the priority of the moment and this is a good step forward.

When we break the fast, it is usually with fruit, in particular a date, if you are driving and got stuck in the traffic, you can sip the water (I keep water in my car all the times).

Like most things of life, we have to verbalize our intentions. God knows it, but verbalizing defines our intentions. It is a common practice in all faiths, God wants you to ask him. and how to frame the asking was a full sermon on the American Family Radio, they were promoting a book on the topic. Those who are skeptics can ask a psychologist, he or she would perhaps say that verbalizing clears the dust and brings clarity to oneself; a big relief indeed.

So when we break the fast we always say the grace, a short prayer. The Shia and Sunni versions (Ahmadiyya is same as Sunni) are very similar with a variation in few words. There is a slight variation within the Shia denominations, the Dawoodi Bohra verses are little different as well. This is a mere statement of Intention in Arabic. I used to do that in Urdu language and now I say that in English.

(APOLOGIES - I gave up adding the Arabic version of the short prayers, here it was just not coming through)

Allahumma! Laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqiqa aftartu wa a'yalyka wa alayka tawakkaltu. O my Allah, I fasted for You and I believe in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance

Allahumma! Laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqiqa aftartu.
"O Allah! For you I have fasted, and with what You give me I break my fast."

Allahumma! Laka sumna wa 'ala rizqiqa aftarna, fa-taqabbal minna. Innaka antal-sami al-'alim. "O Allah! For you we have fasted, and with what You give us, we break my fast, so accept it from us. Indeed, You are the one who hears, who knows."

One of the many purposes for me to visit different Mosques and do my Iftaar is to open up myself and share the experience. We have to learn to accept the diversity, no one worships in a weird way, that language needs to be respectfully replaced with … each one of us has our own unique way and each should be respected. To paraphrase what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have advised “Respect your brother or sister as you respect yourselves”. That is the key to successful communities.

I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at: http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
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MESSAGE: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html

POLITICS OF RAMADAN: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html

Coming up – Rituals of Ramadan and Spirit of Ramadan
..................................

TERMS:

Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.

Prayers - The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures... I will update the details before the end of Ramadan.

Day 6 of Ramadan

Day 6 of Ramadan 2011 - Ahmadiyya Mosque, Allen http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-6-of-ramadan-2011.html

Saturday, August 6, 2011 | Ramadan 6, 1432

PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam.

THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

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Alhamdu Lillah, all praises to the creator for blessing the world with diversity. I am pleased to highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we can cherish it. If you think of sharing your Ramadan experience, time is to start now.

DAY 6 OF RAMADAN

Terms: Meanings Listed at the bottom
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal): Fruits and Vegetables
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates and Rooh Afza (Refreshing drink)
Iftaar (Dinner): Salad, Naan, Lentil and Goat Korma (curry), Ice Cream
Mosque: Ahmadiyya Masjid Bait-ul-Ikram, Allen, Texas
Culture: Muslims from Pakistan, India and Indonesia.

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The tradition is to gather and listen to a pre-Iftaar lecture (Dars) based on verses from Quraan. The talk was about Prophets Moses and Khizr (knows as the Green man, apparently because of the legend that he lived a long life) and obedience to God’s commandments. A similar tradition is followed at the WD Muhammad denomination.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has initiated a blood drive with a lofty goal of donating so many bags of blood by 9/11. It is a symbolic gesture of giving to America the most precious item one has; blood. We are working on having the announcement to be made on the Unity Day on Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 5:00 Pm at the Unity Church in Dallas. Details are at www.Unitydayusa.com you are invited to join us. The Muslims of the Bay area are also doing something similar there per the Shia Imam I met last night. These are great initiatives.

Breaking the fast :: About 8:26 the guest speaker finished his talk (Dars) in time for breaking the fast, they brought trays full of Dates for each one of the congregants to grab a few, utmost three. It was a tradition of Prophet Muhammad to snack-on up to three dates prior to the prayers. I cannot get over the math– 3 x 1.6 Billion Muslims, i.e. 5 Billion dates on any given day and for 30 days you are looking about 150 Billion dates consumption. As much as I know most every Muslim around the world observes the fasting and snacks on the dates. The dates from California, Morocco and Madinah (Saudi Arabia) are delicious, popular and meaty.

The Evening (Maghrib) Prayer consits of 3 units of prayer (Rakat) and the same verses from Quraan are recited every where in the world. I heard the word “Amen” out loud in unison by the congregation at the end of recitation of first chapter in the first and 2 units (Rakat) of prayers.


The Sunni and Ahmadiyya traditions are the mirror images of each other. In the Ruku (kneeling) posture the congregants quietly recite “Subhana Rabbi al Azeem” three times, simply put God is great and at the Sajda (prostration) “Subhana Rabbi Al Aala” again it means God is supreme and is repeated three times as well. The rest of the rituals are identical including turning the head to the right and to left to conclude the prayers with blessing of peace to the people on the right and the left.

The three units (Rakats) of prayer are the obligatory prayers for the evening (Maghrib) followed by optional prayers of two sets of two or four units of prayers. One thing I noted but not sure about is – after the obligatory (Fard) prayers every one moves to a different spot to pray in the Sunni congregation (Jamaat), here the individuals prayed on the same spot and perhaps because of lack of space.

My reference to Sunni is not because it is a standard or some such thing, but simply because that is the tradition I am familiar with and that’s the way I have learned to explain. It also makes sense to share it with the majority of Muslims (85% Sunni) who are not familiar with the other traditions. I must make a point to admire one of my favorite Imams Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci who is an amazing pluralist, he may not relate with the word but I see it that way. When he talks about the dos and don’ts of fasting, he invariably makes a point to say how it is done in the Hanafi, Shafii and other traditions without making the slightest point that one is better than the other, it is simply a different tradition. I pray that we have more Imams like him.

One of the timeless advise Prophet Muhammad shared was to live a regret free life, meaning do not judge people without verifying and regretting it later for being judgmental. Quraan 49:6 “If any iniquitous person comes to you with a tale, use your discernment, lest you hurt people unwittingly and afterwards be filled with remorse for what you have done.” There is a lot of myth created about the Ahmadiyya Muslims from a pure political point of view, and the fodder they get is also from the same myths. It is like the right wingers who keep reading mistranslations of Quraan and for clarification they go back to the same mistranslations again and draw deeper but false conclusions.

I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

The dinner was ready and everyone got their plate and the food. Fresh Salad, Naan, Daal and Goat curry. I went back for the Daal for the second time as it was good. A few of us seniors (LOL I never thought I was one and I am taking that identity without resistance) gathered around the office conference table and shared stories. One of the seniors was the general secretary for the Ahmadiyya mission in the United States, he flew in from California, he is a son of the legendary Muslims of the pre-partition India; the Johari brothers. I completely forgot to take the picture and was blessed to sit with a few Buzurgs (endearing term for the seniors). OMG, I am one of them now! I don’t know how my nieces and nephews view me as a senior... ?

The Buzurg talked about the upcoming conference in California where the people of different faiths read their holy scriptures on a given theme. Suhail Kauser my friend shared about the Quraan conference we held and possibility of the Sharia conference in March next year.

Murabbi (Imam/pastor) Zafrullah Hanjra will be here in Dallas for a week from tomorrow, he is the mission Chief for the South west Region. I have grown to like him, he is man of patience and wisdom and I enjoy visiting him in Houston.


The Ahmadiyya literature has quite a lot of research on science and religion, I believe one of their Khalifas (Religious leader) had said, Quraan is God’s word and Science is his action. Dr. Jari Khan presented a book to me “Revelation and Rationality – knowledge and truth” and I hope to read it in the coming weeks. Meanwhile I am reviewing a book on Peace in Israel and Palestine to be released on the day of United Nations vote for the statehood of Palestine. I hope to contribute a few good paragraphs in the book.

May you be blessed, Insha Allah, I will be at WD Muhammad Masjid tomorrow.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at: http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
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MESSAGE: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
POLITICS OF RAMADAN: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html
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TERMS:

Sahri - Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar - Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm - fasting from sunrise to sunset - No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don't hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals - There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.
Prayers - The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures... I will update the details before the end of Ramdan.

 

Are you Oppressive or Conservative?

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/are-you-oppressive-or-conservative.html

When the Republican candidates thump their chest and say it aloud, I am a conservative, what do they mean? Are they confused between the words “oppressive” and “conservative” particularly when it is applied to LGBT issues?

Do they feel any sense of remorse when they reject the marriage between the consenting free willed adults?  What does liberty mean to them? 

Do they rejoice what Uganda is doing to its LGBT population? By the way Michelle Bachmann you may not be aware of the situation there, and if you are, I want to assure you it is not a “Moslem” country?

I can claim to be conservative if it means I mind my own business, respect the others as I want to be respected, believe in liberty and personal freedom of individuals, believe that government should not butt in people’s personal lives, that people should have the freedom to eat, sleep, wear and believe what they want, as long as those beliefs are not dangerous to the security of America or their personal life.

On the other hand if I were to believe in interfering in other people’s life, and want to regulate who can marry whom, I would consider that to be an oppressive value.  This is something all religious people need to think about. Do they want to Play God or mind their own faith? It is time for the Republicans to re-examine the words Justice, liberty, conservative and oppressive. Who will take the lead paves his or her own way to true leadership to bring Americans together.

Mike Ghouse is a moderate Republican committed to a cohesive America and a frequent guest on Hannity show and other nationally syndicated radio shows. He is a speaker, thinker and a writer on Pluralism in politics and religion, Islam, interfaith, peace and cohesive societies. His work is indexed at www.mikeghouse.net and daily blog is at www.TheGhousediary.com

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Texas Faith - Religion and Art

Where would you take a visitor today to see a modern connection between religion and art? If you have an idea in mind, please explain why you would take a visitor there. If nothing jumps to mind, what do you think that says about the modern relationship between religion and art?

Dallas Morning News - 12 expressions including mine at: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/08/texas-faith-modern-connections.html

Click on the pictures to see the enlarged version

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MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Universal integration pillar, Guntur, India
A door for each religion

The Interfaith Peace Chapel on Cedar Springs in Dallas jumps to my mind. There was a dire need for a new religious space that reflects the new values of interfaith and pluralism. The artist has encapsulated the values of modern art and architecture to give a complete new dimension to a place of worship, a trend setter for the future interfaith buildings with a non-religious architecture and religious art pieces.

The Peace Chapel's website describes this beautifully as "a modern masterpiece designed by award-winning and world-renowned architect Philip Johnson. It is a brilliant, inspirational design of 'sculpture as architecture.' Seating up to 175 people, the chapel provides ideal space for intimate worship services, commitment ceremonies and memorial services."

Intefaith Peace Chapel, Dallas

The website further adds that "This sacred space makes a bold and highly visible statement to the world about our commitment to the vision God has placed upon our hearts. We believe wholeheartedly that God will transform millions of lives through this building!"

When the first Synagogue, Church and Baha'i temple was built in Jerusalem, the builders and artists of the time had a huge responsibility to create the space and add artistic value to attract the followers, as well as make them a model for future places of worship.



Dome on the Rock - Bait-el-Muqaddas,
My trip to Jerusalem August 2010

The same goes with the Bait-el-Muqaddas (Dome on the rock), where Muslims developed a completely new form of expression in art: calligraphy. Since Islam encourages one to believe that God is not an entity or a form but energy, the early Muslims could not collapse God into an image or a figurine and out came the transformative creativity - where the beauty was expressed in abstract forms of writing the verses of Quraan in a variety of ways.

Taj Mahal, India - My visit in 2002

Perhaps this is the major form of art in Islam and it is expressed in beautiful themes. The profession is still alive and mosques and tombs like the Taj Mahal are adorned with calligraphy. The Taj is 222 feet tall and the script is written proportionately from the bottom to the top of the arch. The bare eye sees the entire script in the same size, whether from five feet high or from 222 feet on top of the building.

Ismaili Muslims place of worship, plano
been there for its opening by Gov. Perry

New mosques are on the drawing boards that will blend in with American architecture. The Ismaili Muslim place of worship in Plano incorporates the modern architecture with traditional space values.

The modern art will influence all religious buildings; indeed there is a new 37-acre campus under construction in North Dakota where a synagogue, mosque and a church are under construction. Each will have their own space in addition to the shared spaces on the campus.

Mike Ghouse is speaker committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day – much of his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Trust, Democrats and Republicans.

A cursory look at the squabbles within the Republican and Democratic parties on the issue of trust is worth pondering and I hope the media commissions a study on the topic. To a majority of Americans, a good American is a good American, what do the Republicans and Democrats think about it?

Democrats

The Democrats would have no problems in nominating a presidential candidate who is Catholic, African American, Native American, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Woman, Gay or a Lesbian or anyone who is good for America. Democrats' feel secure about themselves and trust the person based on his or her record.

Republicans

Republicans would have problems in nominating a Presidential candidate who is a catholic, African American, Native American, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Gay or a Lesbian or anyone else. The candidate has to have the support from a evangelicals; a few of them are are too insecure to trust anyone other than themselves. Facts don’t matter to them, it did not to President Bush.

They have trusted Colin Powell, Condi Rice and Sarah Palin to a greater degree. However Powel had to lie the story at UN and resign as he could not fabricate any more. I am not sure about Rice. Romney will not make it, the right wing bias stand in his path.  I hope studies  will be conducted to authenticate or falsify the Republican bias.

Mike Ghouse is a moderate Republican, a speaker committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Read the latest on his blog www.TheGhousediary.com and check out his work indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

A call to Republican party

REPUBLICANS WITH GUTS OUT THERE?

Republican fall out in 2012 is preventable,  if they do not let the extremists radical speak up for them. For about a decade Muslims got run over by their extremists resulting in a mess still to fade. I spoke up then, and I am going to speak up now. Any moderate Republicans out there? If you want to save the party and keep the majority in the house, speak up louder than the divisive men and women among us.  Bark in unison, like they do?  Any Republicans with guts?