Saudi students in Brisbane:
There are about 1000 students in Brisbane coming to
study. They are studying different majors from
Bachelor to PhD At UQ, Griffith, QUT and CQU.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or KSA is an Arab
country and the largest country of the Arabian
Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest,
Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar,
Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east,
Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The
Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea to
its west. Saudi Arabia is the birth place of Islam. It is
sometimes called "The Land of The Two Holy
Mosques" in reference to Mecca and Medina, the two
holiest places in Islam. In English, it is most
commonly referred to as Saudi Arabia. It has an
estimated population of 27.6 million, and its size is
approximately 2,150,000 square km (830,000 square
miles).
What this festival called?
Eid Alfeter
Eid Alfeter is a gigantic Muslim celebration that
marks the end of fasting Ramadan. It starts on the
first day after the holy month (Ramadan). In the
beginning of that day, Muslims give money and
food to the poor people then wearing their new
clothes and perform the celebration prayer at any
large open area. Eid Alfeter has a significant
meaning for all Muslims around the world. It is a
joyous occasion with important religious
significance, celebrating the achievement of
enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral
victory, and peace of congregation, fellowship,
brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate not
only the end of fasting but also thank God for the
self control and strength that Muslims believe God
gave them. It is a time of giving and sharing.
If you would like to have
further information you
may visit:
www.sct.gov.sa
www.islamqa.com/en
WHY MUSLIM FAST DURING RAMADAN?
Fasting in Ramadan:
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is
one of the five pillars of Islam which is
of paramount significance. The Prophet
Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon
him) said, “Islam is built upon five
pillars: testifying that there is no god
except Allah and that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah, performing
Prayer, paying the Zakah, making the
pilgrimage to the Sacred House (Hajj),
and fasting the month of Ramadan.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Moreover,
Fasting is called sawm in the Qur'an. The
word sawm literally means "to abstain".
In holly Qur’an, Allah tells people
about Mary, the mother of Jesus, that
she said, (I have vowed a fast (sawm)
for the sake of the Merciful, so today I
shall not speak to anyone. ) (Qur’an 19:
26) The meaning is “I have vowed to
abstain from speaking to anyone today”.
In Islam, the word sawm means to abstain
from all those things that are forbidden
during fasting from the break of dawn to
the sunset, and to do this with the
intention of fasting. The forbidden things
during fasting are eating, drinking,
deliberately causing vomit, the beginning
of menstrual or post-childbirth bleeding
even in the last moment before sunset
and any sexual activities. In short,
Fasting helps people get their priorities
straight and helps them gather spiritual
energy for doing good.