Realty of fasting and the practice.

FASTING AND THE REAL PRACTICE IN TAMIL NADU

In practice what is happening?
It became an advertisement to say that they are fasting and practicing the religious method.
When they invite their wealthy friends and relatives to open fasting only to show their strength and wealth.
A common man and women use to spent more money on fasting time than the normal time.
A Common man use to take more food in the fasting period than the normal days.
This fasting time is used to collect money and materials from bride groom in the majestic way.
Instead of giving food and money to poor, collecting money, food and material became very comman in villages in the name of Sheer (சீர்).Mostly the women who has more religious practice are the one begging for this.
In the fasting period lot of Ghee are wasted by burning without utilising.
In the fasting period lot of milk are wasted.
In the name of fasting man and women use to take rest without doing their regular job.
In the fasting period ladies use to sleep more time in the day time.
Any family who has more female are the sufferers and those who has more male are the looters in the name of Custom and practice without touching the religious logic through womens only. No one will open mouth. To be ashamed. Men kept quit to enjoy the free items.
Normally on the fasting period more chickens were killed.
Normally on the fasting period more Sheeps and Goats were killed.

The Month of Ramadan :

The month of Ramadan is a great month. It is the month in which Allah revealed the Quran as a guidance for the whole of mankind. It is the month in which Allah gave the Muslims victory in their first and greatest battle at Badr. It is the month which has Laylat al-Qadr, a night which is better than a thousand months.

In Ramadan the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the shayaateen (devils) are tied up and the reward for good deeds, acts of charity and acts of worship are multiplied in this month.

Definition of Fasting :

Fasting means abstaining from several things, from just before the starting of dawn (i.e. just before the start of Fajr) until sunset, with the intention of fasting.

A Muslim fasting must abstain from the following :
Food and Drink
Sexual intercourse
masturbation (most scholars say this not allowed even when not fasting)
deliberately causing one's self to vomit

If these four things listed above are done deliberately a persons fast will be broken.

The purpose of fasting is not to just get hungry and thirsty but it is to become pious. So one should stay away from Un-Islamic things such as:

Getting angry
Using Bad language
Back biting and gossip
Arguing and fighting with Muslims.
Being rude and impolite
Looking, touching , flirting with non-mehrems of the opposite sex.
lying and cheating
Engaging in riba (interest, usury)
women non wearing Hijab
men shaving beards and having cloths below ankles
allying with the enemies of Islam against the Muslims
promoting Un-Islamic ideologies such as democracy and socialism.
basically staying away from anything that is Haram

Zakaat al-Fitr is a kind of charity (sadaqah) that is obligatory at the time of breaking the fast of Ramadaan. The word zakaat is connected by idaafah (genitive structure in Arabic grammar) to fitr because the occasion of breaking the fast is the reason why this zakaat becomes obligatory.

Purpose :
Reason of Fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan is that by Fasting we will feel pain of poor who cannot Buy Food because he has no Money. Today Millions of People in Every Country of the World Sleeps Hungry because they have no money to buy food. When we will Fast in Ramadan and feel the pain of poor you will try to help those poor people.

Hindu fasting :

The ritual of fasting is a part of almost every devout Hindu household. Though chiefly undertaken by the women folk, fasting is also undertaken by men. The premise being that fasting contributes to a clean living. as the persons fasting are expected to indulge in exemplary behaviour, moral thinking, make sacrifices, and such like.

Hinduism believes in purification of the mind and body. Regular fasting ensures purification, as it monitors the five senses of the body. Thus the tenets of fasting are devised very scientifically, spread all through the year, to enable a simple fasting plan as per convenience. In fact, this proves more effective than any new-age dietary plans.

It is a misnomer that fasting is difficult, for there exists a wide range of fasting options to suit one's requirement and aptitude.

There are basically four types of fasting :

Fasting by Festivals
Fasting by Lunar days
Fasting by Weekdays or Planetary influences
Fasting by second half of the lunar month, or waning moon (Shukl Paksh)

Buddhist spiritual practice :
Fasting in the monastic community is considered an ascetic practice, a "dhutanga" practice. (Dhutanga means "to shake up" or "invigoration.") Dhutangas are a specific list of thirteen practices, four of which pertain to food: eating once a day, eating at one sitting, reducing the amount you eat, on alms-round, eating only the food that you receive at the first seven houses. These practices are adopted by individuals voluntarily, they are not required in the normal course of a Buddhist monastic's life of practice. The Buddha, as is well known, emphasized moderation, the Middle Way that avoids extremes, in all things. Fasting is an additional method that one can take up, with supervision, for a time.

To understand how Mahayana Buddhists practice fasting, it helps to understand their daily practices regarding food. Many Buddhists are vegetarians, but not all, by any means. This comes as a surprise to many people who assume that Buddhists, being motivated by great compassion, would not eat the flesh of living beings. This issue has traditionally provoked debate among Buddhists. Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists from the Mahayana or Northern tradition are strict vegetarians. This tradition avoids the five pungent plants (onions, garlic, shallots, leeks and chives) as well as eggs, and of course, alcohol and tobacco in any form.

Avoiding dairy, and following a vegan diet is a personal option and not a requirement. Some Buddhists eat only once per day, before noon. This practice accords with an account in The Sutra In 42 Sections, a Mahayana Scripture, that relates how the Buddha ate one meal a day, before noon.

Beliefs and Practices - Jain Religion

Jain monks practice strict asceticism and strive to make this, or one of the coming births, their last. Jains believe that Devas (angels or celestial beings) cannot help jiva to obtain liberation. This must be achieved by individuals through their own efforts. In fact, devas themselves cannot achieve liberation until they reincarnate as humans and undertake the difficult act of removing karma. Their efforts to attain the exalted state of Siddha, the permanent liberation of jiva from all involvement in worldly existence, must be their own.Jain monks walk barefoot and sweep the ground in front of them to avoid killing any insect. Human life is deemed the highest and it is vital to never harm or upset another.
Jain Fasting

Fasting is common among Jains and a part of Jain festivals. Most Jains fast at special times, during festivals, and on holy days. Paryushan is the most prominent festival, lasting eight days in Svetambara Jain tradition and ten days in Digambar Jain tradition during the monsoon. The monsoon is a time of fasting. However, a Jain may fast at any time, especially if he or she feels some error has been committed. Variations in fasts encourage Jains to do whatever they can to maintain whatever self control is possible for the individual.

FASTING – THE SIKH FAITH :

Fasting is prohibited in Sikhism. Sikhism injects discipline in Sikhs whereby ever Sikh is a Saint and Soldier. To maintain such a character Sikh have to discipline themselves throughout the year and Sikhism believes that Sikhs must always recognize the presence of God and follow His path throughout the year.

Sikhism believes in one’s upmanship. Essence of hard work and strict discipline is embodied in the Sikh Faith which becomes a part of the culture of Sikhs Thus Sikh believe in leading a similar life throughout the year. Sikhism believes it is futile to fast for a certain period of time and not other times. It believes that man should never over eat at times but lead a life recognizing God throughout the year.

Contrary to fasting, food forms an integral part of its faith. The third Guru (Enlightener), Guru Amar Das, instituted “Guru ka Langar” –the common kitchen, whereby food is cooked at the Gurudawara (Sikh Temple) by all and is served to all. People from all walks of life, caste and creed all can partake in preparation and sharing of the food. Sikh also contributes a portion of their earnings towards this. So Sikh share what they have with one and all. Even today, be it the Golden Temple of Amritsar or any Sikh Temple in any part of the world, millions of people daily share three meals a day. Sikh don’t fast but through the common kitchen feed millions every day.

4 Expats Killed At ‘10’ To IftarKUWAITI POLICEMAN IN RAMADAN SHOOTING SPREE 6 Aug 2011:

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 2: Four Asians died when a Kuwaiti police officer went on a killing spree in Saad Al-Abdullah, Kabad and Salmi on the first day of Ramadan. Securitymen rushed to Kabad after receiving a call from a water tanker driver who saw the bodies of two Asians inside a barn that belongs to the family of the alleged killer. The officers immediately launched a manhunt for the suspect, who was arrested three hours later from the Sabah Health Area near the Psychiatric Hospital.

During interrogation, the suspect admitted the crime and told police that he used a shotgun to kill the two Asian barn workers — a janitor and a teaboy, because he found them eating 10 minutes before Iftar. He also informed police that he killed another Asian laborer in his father’s house in Saad Al-Abdullah and one in Salmi. He also tried killing his father’s housemaid — an Ethiopian, but she managed to run to her room before he fired at her. However, the suspect did not explain why he shot dead the two Asians in Saad Al-Abdullah and Salmi, as well as his motive for trying to kill the housemaid.