THE CITY CIRCLE

The City Circle is pleased to present 'The Inner and Outer Significance of Ramadan'; the third in a series of spiritual talks leading up to Ramadan. 

O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you 

As it was prescribed for those before you: 

That you may attain consciousness of God. 

(Qur'an, Surah al-Baqarah, Chapter: The Cow) 

How many people gain nothing from their fasting except hunger and thirst? 

How many people gain nothing from their standing in prayer except exhaustion? 

(The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) 

Over the next month, over a billion people will observe the lunar month of Ramadan. Rising early for the pre-dawn meal, those fasting will abstain daily from food, drink and sex during daylight hours. Mosques will be busier than usual, as the five daily prayers are supplemented by communal iftar or "break fast" meals at sunset every day. (Most Muslim homes will have iftar meals and occasional iftar parties for family and friends.) Special extra prayers will be held every night, lasting one or more hours, in which the Qur'an will be recited in its entirety over the course of the month. Ramadan is also a month of charity, and many Muslims will pay their annual obligatory zakat (alms) during this time. Charities may collect more during Ramadan than throughout the rest of the year. The month will climax with the search for Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Power, Destiny, Majesty, Honour) during the last third of the month, when worship is intensified. Further, many ordinary people will perform the monastic practice of I'tikaf or seclusion in a mosque for 10 nights and days. The month will immediately be followed by the joyful celebration of Eid al-Fitr, literally "the Festival of Breaking the Fast." 

In the Islamic tradition, all the above practices have outer (physical, legal, social) as well as inner (spiritual, psychological) aspects. The latter include the development of patience, perseverance, gratitude, forgiveness, internal balance, empathy for the poor and starving, unity, spirituality and God-consciousness. According to Islamic spirituality and mysticism, these inner and outer aspects are not to be separated, but unified in a holistic approach to one's whole life, including Ramadan. 

Join us to explore these meanings and for advice and discussion as to how to make the most of the blessed month 

Shaykh Haytham Tamim is a well respected scholar from Lebanon. He has devoted most of his life to the acquisition of knowledge and specializes in Fiqh, Usool and Hadith. He identified a specific need to make authentic Islamic knowledge accessible in a clear and simple manner in the UK and founded Utrujj UKs leading Islamic Education Service combining knowledge and creativity. 

Dr Usama Hassan is a senior lecturer at Middlesex University, planetarium lecturer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, and a part-time Imam at Masjid at-Tawhid in Leytonstone, London 

All welcome. Free entrance 

For further information contact Rabia contact Rabia Malik on 07733932134 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.