DP Daily Prompt: In Good Faith Post by Ranu

My daughter applied for a scholarship. She was concerned.She did not think she will get it. I promised her I will pray for her.

English: Faithful praying towards Makkah; Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. Português: Damasco (Síria) – Homens voltados para a Cidade de Meca se reúnem para rezar, na hora do almoço, na Mesquita Umayyad, a mais importante da Síria. (Foto Antonio Milena/ABr – hor – 08) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I prayed for ten days and asked God for help.Months went by,my daughter lost hope. I told her she will get it, because I prayed for her. The announcements of the recipients were supposed to come out in the month of February. I was firm I knew she will get it.Instead of February the announcements of the recipients came four months late. My faith did not diminish,I knew my daughter will get the scholarship and she did. Faith,religion and spirituality was in full force.These three have to be there I believe to get one’s wish granted. If one doesn’t have faith,success will not happen.

Sachal Sarmast

English: A view of Sachal Sarmast Shrine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sachal sarmast (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to Sachal:  Thy first duty is to give up faith,unfaith,Islam and all religions.

He was born in Sindh,Pakistan in 1739,his real name was Abdul Wahab,he adopted the name Sachal Sarmast for his poetry

which means truthful mystic.He wrote mystic poetry in Arabic,Sindhi,Seraiki,Punjabi,Urdu,Persian, and Baluchi. Sachal urged people, rather than blindly following tradition,to seek truth directly.And like Ibn Arabi and others ,he taught a vision of unity called Wahdat-al -Wujud.He died on the 14th day of Ramadan in 1829 at the age of 90.

Sachal’s poetry.

Friend,this is the only way

to learn the secret way:

Ignore the paths of others,

even the saint’s steep trails.

Don’t follow.

Don’t journey at all.

Rip the veil from your face.

‘Tis not in religion I believe

‘Tis love I live in.

When love comes to you.

Say Amen!

Neither did I roll rosary nor did I ponder and pray,

I went to no mosque or temple,nor bow in adoration to any,

Sachal is lucky everyday,love is all around him.

You by yourself,know what is in your form!

Why chant ‘Allah! Allah’? Find Allah within you.

You listen,you see, Allah’s word is witness,

There is no doubt O Sachal! that the Lord is one!

We are,what are we?

We know not ,what we are!

For a moment we are blessed

For a moment we are accursed

Some moment we pray and fast

Some moment we are free spirits

Now we declare,’Only we exist’

Now we declare,’we don’t exist’

For a bit, our heart is calm

In a bit, we weep rivers

Now we say,’We are self-realized’

Now we ask , ‘Who are we?’

‘Sachal’ we are only That eternally

What other contracts can we make here?

I was sitting by the roadside ,

When the path became clear to me;

In the palace the Beloved I saw;

a glimpse the Beauty gave;

Through the window was the vision,

a glimpse the Beauty saw;

Take care of the ignorant;

Our bond was made for a reason.

I truly recognized the Lord,

My companion He sure became;

‘He is the creator of all

and intrinsic to all,

All doubts in this perished;

With happiness shall I carry

Sisters, if your trust I have.

All the journeys,all the manifestations

The Dear one’s own;

Friend Sachal  Know this correctly,

Slumber has created illusions.

Sachal regarded love as the path to spirituality:

‘Tis not in religion I believe

‘Tis love I live in.

When love comes to you,

say Amen!

‘Tis not with the infidel

that love resides,

Nor with the faithful.

Translation by Gul Agha and Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani

Posted by Ranu

Eid al – Adha–The major festival,The Greater Eid

English: Map of the Muslim Population by Percentage in the World (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Qurbani campaign in Somalian refugee camps, Eid Al Adha 2011 (Photo credit: IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation/TURKEY)

Quran Passage (Photo credit: jmortonscott)

Let the Quran Speak (Photo credit: umar nasir)

English: A picture of people performing (circumambulating) the . This picture taken from the gate of Abdul Aziz seems to divide the Kaaba and the minarets into mirror images of one another. Français : Pélerins en train de réaliser la Circumambulation (ou Tawaf) autour de la Ka’ba. Photo prise depuis la porte Ibn Saud, d’où la vue présente une symétrie en miroir presque parfaite. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A plate served to guests during Eid-al-Adha, in Turkish traditions. It contains dolma (sarma, stuffed vine leaves), börek (a traditional Turkish pastry), and kavurma with a little piece of traditional home-baked bread… kavurma is a meat meal served during Eid-al-Adha and almost always made from the meat of the sacrificed animal (Eid-al-Adha being the Muslim holiday of sacrifice). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the Twenty sixth of October the Muslim world celebrated Eid al -Adha.It is also called ‘Feast of the sacrifice’,the greater Eid and Bakri Eid. It is an important religious holiday,celebrated by Muslims worldwide.It is to honour the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his young first-born son Ismail,as an act of submission to God’s command and his son’s acceptance to being sacrificed, before God intervened and provided Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead.

Eid al -Adha is the latter of the two Muslim holidays,the former is Eid al-Fitr.The basis for the Eid al -Adha comes from the 196th verse of the second Surah of the Holy Quran.The word Eid appears in the 5th Surah of the Holy Quran with the meaning “Solemn Festival”. The three days and two nights of Eid al -Adha are celebrated on the tenth,eleventh and twelfth and the last month of the lunar Islamic Calendar.In the international Gregorian calendar,the dates vary from year to year, it is approximately eleven days earlier each year.

The Eid al -Adha celebrations start after the descent of the Hajj from mount Arafat,it is a hill east of Makkah. The ritual observance of the holiday lasts until the twelfth day of Dhu-al Hijjah. Eid sacrifice may take place until sunset of the thirteenth day. The days of Eid has been singled out in the Hadith, as “days of remembrance.”

In many Muslim cultures the graves of the deceased are also visited during the day of Eid al-Adha. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Istiqlal Mosque, Indonesia

islamic_cosmology (Photo credit: williamcromar)

Pancasila Sakti – Indonesia (Jakarta) (Photo credit: Chez Julius Livre 1)

In the name of Allah (Photo credit: Hossam Rida)

Eid ul-Fitr prayer at Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Indonesia 日本語: イド・アル＝フィトルのお祈りする信者達、イスティクラルモスクにて (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The interior of Istiqlal mosque. The grand domed prayer hall supported by 12 columns covered with stainless steel plates. The design is minimalist, simple and clean cut, with minimal adornment of alumunium geometric ornaments. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Jakarta, taken from Istiqlal mosque Jakarta panoramic view around Medan Merdeka (Merdeka square), the center of Jakarta and the nation. Monas (National Monument) on the foreground with rising Jakarta skylines on the background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Southeast Asia Mosaic (Photo credit: Recovering Vagabond)

Istiqlal Mosque (Photo credit: Matthew Kenwrick)

English: A fountain by the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta 日本語: イスティクラルモスクの噴水 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: mosque in Jakarta (Indonesia) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural,historical and geographic influences that has shaped Indonesia as a whole.Invaders,colonizers,missionaries and traders brought cultural changes that had profound effect on building styles and techniques.Traditionally the most significant influence is Indian.However Chinese,Arab—and since the 18th and 19th centuries —European influence have played significant roles in shaping Indonesian architecture

Istiqlal Mosque or Masjid is in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the largest Mosque in Southeast Asia in terms of capacity to accommodate people and building structure. This national Mosque of Indonesia was built to commemorate Indonesian independence ,as nations gratitude for God’s blessings.The name Istiqlal is an Arabic word for independence. After the independence of Indonesia from the Netherlands in 1949, the idea became popular to build a Mosque for a country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

There are seven gates to enter the mosque,each named after Al-Asmaul-Husna the names of God in Islam. The number 7 represents 7 Heavens in Islamic Cosmology. The ablution fountains are located on the ground floor.The main prayer hall and the main courtyard are on the elevated first floor. The main rectangular prayer hall is covered by 45 metre diameter central spherical dome. The number “45” symbolizes the year of proclamation of independence 1945.the main dome is adorned with stainless steel ornamental pinnacle that took form of a crescent and star,the symbol of Islam. The smaller secondary dome is also adorned with stainless steel pinnacle with Arabic calligraphy Allah.

The dome is supported by twelve round columns and the prayer hall is surrounded by rectangular piers carrying four levels of balcony. Twelve columns represent the birthday of Prophet Muhammad on twelfth Rabi-al- Awwal. The main building of Istiqlal consists of five floors,’5′ represents the Five Pillars of Islam .It also represents Pancasila ,the five principles of Philosophical foundation  of the Indonesian nationhood.

On the main wall on qibla there is a mihrab and minbar in the center. On the main wall there is also a large metal work of Arabic calligraphy of Surah Taha 14th verse in the center.

Wudu at the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Indonesia. 日本語: イド・アル＝フィトルのお祈りの前に身を清める信者達 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The dazzling alabaster marbled Istiqlal mosque of Jakarta, Indonesia, seen from the base of its tower. The national mosque of Indonesia, also the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Imam Reza Shrine

Mashhad, the holy shrine of Imam Reza (Photo credit: Arian Zwegers)

Tomb of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in 1848. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Imam Reza shrine Imam Reza stone grave (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Author: IA Source: Taken at the shrine of Imam Ali Reda in Mashad, Iran, in August, 2005. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Imam Reza shrine is in Mashad ,Iran.It is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Imam Reza ,the eighth Imam of twelve shiites.It is the largest mosque in the world in dimension.It is the second largest in capacity.Within the the complex there are the Goharshad Mosque,a museum,a library.four seminaries,a cemetary ,the Rezavi university of Islamic Sciences,a dining hall for pilgrims,vast prayer halls and other buildings.

The complex is the centre of tourism in Iran.

In 1818 Imam Reza was murdered by Al-Mamun and was buried beside the grave of Harun.This place was called Mashad al-Rida( the place of martyrdom of Ali al-Rida) Shiias and Sunnis visit  this place for pilgrimage.By the end of the 9th century a dome was built on the grave.This place has been devastated and rebuilt a number of times.In 993 the holy shrine was ruined by Saboktakin,who was a Ghaznavid king.His son Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni ordered it to be repaired.The celebrated Muslim traveler Ibn Batuta visited Mashad in 1333.He reported that it was a large town,it had abundant fruit trees,streams and mills.It was a great dome of elegant construction,the walls were decorated with colored tiles.Opposite the tomb of the Imam is the tomb of Caliph Harun al- Rashid.It is surmounted by a platform bearing chandeliers.

In the 15th century during the Shahrokh era ,it became one of the main cities of the Timurid dynasty.In 1418 his wife Goharshad funded the construction of an outstanding mosque beside the shrine. It is known as the Goharshad Mosque.

English: Goharshad mosque, Mashad. Iran. Photo is supplied (taken) by Zereshk. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The dome of Imam Reza holy shrine, covered with gold-coated bricks, (built:1333 AD), Mashhad, Iran. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Badshahi Mosque,Lahore,Pakistan

All architectural elements in symmetrical harmony (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pakistan_Lahore_mosquée-pr (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: A 4 Megapixel picture of Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Badshahi Mosque or the ‘Royal Mosque’in Lahore,was commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671. The Mosque was completed in 1673. It is the second largest Mosque in Pakistan and South Asia.It is the fifth largest in the world. It epitomizes the beauty,passion and grandeur of the Mughal era. It is Lahore’s most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.

It can accommodate five thousand worshippers in its main prayer hall and another ninety-five thousand in its courtyard and porticoes.It was the largest mosque  in the world from 1673-1986 until the completion of the Faisal mosque in Islamabad.It still is the second largest in Pakistan and South Asia.

To appreciate its large size,the four minarets of the mosque 13.9 ft. taller than those of the Taj Mahal.The courtyard of the Badshahi mosque is the largest in the world.

The architecture and design of the mosque closely resembles the smaller Jami mosque in Delhi, India.The Jami Mosque was built by Aurangzeb’s father Shah Jahan in 1648.

There was a considerable amount of damage under the Sikh rule.The huge courtyard was used as stable for his horses.The small study rooms were used as quarters for his soldiers. Ranjit Singh used the enclosed garden as his official  Royal court of audience.

Mosque under the British rule it continued to be used as a military garrison.The British however sensed the resentment of the Muslims.They set up the Badshahi  Mosque Authority in 1852 to oversee the restoration and return the mosque to the Muslims as a place for religious worship. Extensive repairs began from 1939  onwards.

In 1993 the government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The Badshahi Mosque has architecturally influenced the design of the following mosques:  Sheikh Zayed Mosque,Abu Dhabi  UAE;  Sir Syed Masjid,Aligarh,India,    Taj-ul-Masajid, Bhopal, India.

I was fortunate enough to see this mosque. It is worth seeing!

Worlds Largest Mosques- One

English: Early morning sky in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Holiest site in Islam. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Masjid-al-Haram Interior (Photo credit: transposition)

English: A picture of people performing (circumambulating) the . This picture taken from the gate of Abdul Aziz seems to divide the Kaaba and the minarets into mirror images of one another. Français : Pélerins en train de réaliser la Circumambulation (ou Tawaf) autour de la Ka’ba. Photo prise depuis la porte Ibn Saud, d’où la vue présente une symétrie en miroir presque parfaite. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Greatest Mosque Al-Masjid Al-Haram , Mecca | أول بيت وضع للناس (Photo credit: Hossam all line)

Al-Masjid al- Haram or the Grand Mosque surrounds Islam’s holiest place the Kaaba.It is located in the city of Mecca and is the largest mosque in the world.Muslims turn toward Kaaba while performing any prayer.One of the Five pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage ,at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so including circumambulation of Kaaba.

It was established at the time of Prophet Abraham. the capacity of the mosque is 900,000 and is increased to 4000,000 during Hajj.It has 9 minarets.The height of each is 89 m(292 Feet).

I am hoping to be able to write about the other mosques one at a time.

Allah Hafiz to all of you!