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Daily Life

Tumah

Veteran Member
I'm sure your right. Keeping in mind that I am an outsider, that's why I said "it seems". And again I'm not trying to be disrespectful. But again "from an outsider", it looks like a whole lot of touch this but not that. Wash this first and never this and especially not that on this day. I'm curious about the what and why's of such ritual things, and your right that your faith is not the only one that has seemingly odd rituals. That is why in my post I didn't single out a particular religion by name.
No, you're right, some of these other religion's rituals do seem odd to me as well. But I guess coming from my religion and knowing why my religion has these rituals, its easier for me to understand that other religions probably also have their own understanding of why they do what they do.
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
No, you're right, some of these other religion's rituals do seem odd to me as well. But I guess coming from my religion and knowing why my religion has these rituals, its easier for me to understand that other religions probably also have their own understanding of why they do what they do.

Thank you Tumah. :)
 

Sakeenah

Well-Known Member
There being different religions represented here, I thought we could share what our daily/weekly/monthly/yearly/... life looks like in terms of religious obligations, rituals and the like.

Things like "We have to love G-d" don't count as I'm looking more at "a day (month/year) in the life of", rather than a full dissertation on your religion. I don't think its necessary to include things that might or might not occur like births and deaths.

Hi,

As muslims we have rituals that are obligatory such as the five daily prayers, fasting in the month of Ramadan,giving zakat (alms)and performing the major pilgrimage once in your life to makkah if you're able financially. The rest of the rituals are recommended. Personally I do all the obligatory and try to do the recommended rituals.

So this is what my daily rituals schedule looks like:


Morning:
- I wake up before dawn, say the supplication after waking up.
"All praise is for Allah who gave us life after causing us to die, and unto Him is the resurrection."

After this I get up to prepare for the prayer by performing the small ablution before prayer to pray the Fajr prayer( prayer before dawn. This prayer takes about 5-10 minutes.

When I finish praying I read the morning supplications(adkhar as-sabah),Praising God and asking Him for protection,blessing,guidance and in general a productive day. ( takes about 10 min)

If the prayer is at 4-5 am I go back to bed. Wake up around 6:30 am..before eating breakfast I'll say Bismillah( in the name of God)
After I'm done with my breakfast, I recite and study a few pages from the Quran.

Afternoon
Throughout the day while working or other activities, I make time to pray (dhuhr) the noon prayer,(Asr)afternoon prayer and(Maghrib after sunset prayer. (5-10 minutes each) The purpose of the prayers during the day is to strenghten your connection with God.

Again before eating a snack,lunch etc. I'll say bismillah (in the name of God) and when I'm finished eating I say

"All praise is for Allah who fed me this and provided it for me without any might nor power from myself"

Evening:

In the evening I perform the last prayer of the day which is called Isha.
This can be done about 1 hour after the sunset prayer. I perfer to pray before going to bed.

Before sleep I read supplications , last 3 chapters of the quran.

Weekly:

- Fasting on monday and thursday. We fast from dawn untill sunset.

- Friday prayer: This is done in congregation every friday in the mosque The imam gives a talk and leads the prayer. This is done just after noon instead of the Dhuhr prayer.

Yearly

- Ramadan: This is the ninth month of the muslim calendar. We fast 30 days from dawn to sunset.During our fast we have to obstain from drinking,eating and intimacy. This is one of the 5 pillars of Islam.

- Eid ul Fitr :
Islamic holiday,to celebrate the completion of fasting in the month of Ramadan.
- we give zakat al fitr ( alms) to the poor before the Eid prayer.
- perform the Eid prayer together as a community.
- spend time with loved ones,gift-giving,feasts.

- Haij : the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, which takes place in the last month of the year and which all Muslims are expected to make at least once during their lifetime if they can afford to do so. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Fasting on the day of Arafah:
The ninth day of Dhu'l-Hijjah (the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar) is the Day of'Arafah. It is the day when pilgrims stand on the plain of 'Arafah to pray. On this day, Muslims all over the world who do didn't go on Haij should spend the day in fasting, in preparation for the three days festivity following 'Eid ul-Adha

Eid ul Adha: (3 days)
Marks the end of the Haij and the sacrifice of Abraham.
- charity to the poor
- Eid prayer
- celebration with friends and family

Fasting on the day of Ashura:
We fast on the 10th of muharram because we believe that Moses fasted on this day to show gratitude for saving him and the children of Israeel from the Pharaoh.
 
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Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
I believe that God is an educator, not someone who demands mindless performance or repetitive prayers.
I believe that he would rather hear a few words from our heart than lots of words from our memory.
I believe that he would rather see us serving his interests by telling others about him than going through the motions of a ritual.

I don't see how the micro-management of everything we do in life could possibly be something God even wants to do.
He requires obedience to his commands, but for someone who loves him, that should present no problems. He is a Father whom we want to please. Taking our queues from Jesus Christ, we serve our God with intelligent faith, based on sound knowledge of the scriptures.

JW's normally begin the day with our daily text....a Bible passage with a brief commentary on the text...something spiritual to start the day. We say prayer with meals, or any time we want to take our concerns to God or to thank him for an unexpected blessing. We have times set aside for meeting preparation and personal Bible study. That is something I especially enjoy. Family worship is also something we set aside one night a week to do.

We gather for meetings twice a week where different Bible subjects are studied so we have a lot of variety in the content.
Some of our meetings are interactive so the congregation shares in commenting and we actively involve our children in the discussions. It is never boring or repetitive. We also train for the ministry which all JW's participate in as often as their circumstances allow.

We also gather 3 times a year for assemblies that include brothers and sisters from neighboring congregations. We have a large spiritual family and we love to catch up with them.
There is little in the way of ritual and more in gaining a personal relationship with God through the teachings of his son and enjoying fellowship with one another.

Our worship is an important part of our week, but we manage to fit everything else in too. Its a busy but productive life. :)
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
I believe that God is an educator, not someone who demands mindless performance or repetitive prayers.
I believe that he would rather hear a few words from our heart than lots of words from our memory.
I believe that he would rather see us serving his interests by telling others about him than going through the motions of a ritual.

I don't see how the micro-management of everything we do in life could possibly be something God even wants to do.
He requires obedience to his commands, but for someone who loves him, that should present no problems. He is a Father whom we want to please. Taking our queues from Jesus Christ, we serve our God with intelligent faith, based on sound knowledge of the scriptures.

JW's normally begin the day with our daily text....a Bible passage with a brief commentary on the text...something spiritual to start the day. We say prayer with meals, or any time we want to take our concerns to God or to thank him for an unexpected blessing. We have times set aside for meeting preparation and personal Bible study. That is something I especially enjoy. Family worship is also something we set aside one night a week to do.

We gather for meetings twice a week where different Bible subjects are studied so we have a lot of variety in the content.
Some of our meetings are interactive so the congregation shares in commenting and we actively involve our children in the discussions. It is never boring or repetitive. We also train for the ministry which all JW's participate in as often as their circumstances allow.

We also gather 3 times a year for assemblies that include brothers and sisters from neighboring congregations. We have a large spiritual family and we love to catch up with them.
There is little in the way of ritual and more in gaining a personal relationship with God through the teachings of his son and enjoying fellowship with one another.

Our worship is an important part of our week, but we manage to fit everything else in too. Its a busy but productive life. :)
This post would have a lot more value to this thread without the first two paragraphs.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Since I'm in a "mixed marriage", our life involves attending both Jewish and Christian functions, and this also involves our kids and grandkids. Our oldest daughter and her family are Jewish, our youngest daughter and her family are Catholic, and our son is secular and his wife is Pentecostal.

We attend each other's major ceremonies, and we never argue religion as an unspoken rule. Our 6 grandkids (ages 11-18) have picked up on that, and gladly attend our various functions.

As long as we're fed, we're a happy family. :)

Speaking of which, I hope each of you here in the States have a Very Happy Thanksgiving, and for each of you not in the States I wish you a Very Happy Thursday.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere (which doesn't mean very much), but my understanding is that it would be like trying to peel an orange from the inside out:
- The right side represents a spiritually higher plane than the left. In order to raise the left up, the right has to move up first.
- When you bring down the influence of the water, it has to pass through the right in order to get to the left.
- So long as the impurity has a hold on the higher plane, it can render the levels underneath it impure again.

So washing the left first wouldn't be so effective. That's what I think although this is not the type of question that I'm equipped to answer.

Cool. Makes sense ;)

Ciao

- viole
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
This alway confused me with some protestants about not doing for god.

Per Galations 4:10-14 Christians are not required to observe special days and months and seasons. So I do not.

Your reply. In my humble opinion, it sounds selfish. Do you have a relation-ship with christ? Christ did a lot of things. He even died for christians. His whole passion was that christians act in their faith. I dont understand why you dont do anything in gratitude for what he has done for you.

Nope, I don't have to do anything but only devote myself to the apostles' doctrine, to fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.
Prayer is an action. If you go to communion, thats an action. Why do you say you do nothing when prayer is an action sonis worship?

Breaking of bread is done during Mass and known to most as communion, most people on here know what that's about.

Prayer is praying to God. Pretty simple,

Prayer to god may be simple to some. I know when I prayed tk god it was an intense act. It was as him in me (galations 3:16 I have died in christ...I believe the verse say) and I in him. If prayer is so simple, what meaning does it have, if you dont consider it an act of worship?

No disrespect toward anyone intended, but it almost seems like some of these rituals were made up by someone suffering from a severe case of OCD.

How so?
 

Reggie Miller

Well-Known Member
This alway confused me with some protestants about not doing for god.



Your reply. In my humble opinion, it sounds selfish. Do you have a relation-ship with christ? Christ did a lot of things. He even died for christians. His whole passion was that christians act in their faith. I dont understand why you dont do anything in gratitude for what he has done for you.


Prayer is an action. If you go to communion, thats an action. Why do you say you do nothing when prayer is an action sonis worship?



Prayer to god may be simple to some. I know when I prayed tk god it was an intense act. It was as him in me (galations 3:16 I have died in christ...I believe the verse say) and I in him. If prayer is so simple, what meaning does it have, if you dont consider it an act of worship?



How so?

You missed my point. My point is that I don't need a calendar to tell me when to observe the apostles' doctrine, pray, break bread or have fellowship. I do all of those things all the time or am supposed to be doing them all the time.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member

Maybe just part of each individuals makeup perhaps. Religious rituals have always seemed a bit odd to me. I know their would be differences in perspective and purpose between different traditions such as Buddhism or Christianity, or Judaism for example. I do understand however that they are sometimes beautiful parts of a tradition.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
You missed my point. My point is that I don't need a calendar to tell me when to observe the apostles' doctrine, pray, break bread or have fellowship. I do all of those things all the time or am supposed to be doing them all the time.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Think of it this way. If you go to work and need to work at a certain time, you do so not just because you want to but you are also obligated to. If you depend on work to feed your family, work would be important.

If you made at appointment at X time on X day, you wouldnt be spontenous and show up whenever you want.

Jesus was a jew. He followed jewish traditions. He (not Peter, John, and Mathew) did not put his traditions over god. The traditions coinside with worshiping god. He didnt saw dont follow traditions. He says in the gosples if one person wants to follow the Sabath on sat and another sun, who should critize him as a brother of christ. Thew jews, he claimed, where putting their traditions Over god. In scripture, Jesus did not do that.

He prayed on certain days. He prayed certain prayers. He ate certain things and said not to eat others. He didnt ignore the OT command. He said christians no longer need to sacrifice animals as scapegoats for their sins. No other time I read as he displace his own traditons. He displaced the People who abused those traditionz he says (via Moses) god told him and followers to uphold.

As gentiles, you are not required to follow jewish traditions. If you do, it does not go against god since he is the one that created those traditions. If it doesnt help you in your spiritual walk, as above, jesus doesnt punish you for it.

I just find it benefial to find discipline to follow christ. If you eat at a specific time in the morning as in evening, why is your spiritual practice discipline any different
 

Rational Agnostic

Well-Known Member
There being different religions represented here, I thought we could share what our daily/weekly/monthly/yearly/... life looks like in terms of religious obligations, rituals and the like.

Things like "We have to love G-d" don't count as I'm looking more at "a day (month/year) in the life of", rather than a full dissertation on your religion. I don't think its necessary to include things that might or might not occur like births and deaths.

I am a devout agnostic. My religion requires nothing accept the intellectual honesty and humility to admit that I, a mere speck of dust hominid, cannot know how the universe originated or what happens after I die.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
No disrespect toward anyone intended, but it almost seems like some of these rituals were made up by someone suffering from a severe case of OCD.
I'm convinced some Hindu marriage customs were just made up by people sneaking wine and they just made up the "but it's a tradition" as an excuse.:p
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
I am a devout agnostic. My religion requires nothing accept the intellectual honesty and humility to admit that I, a mere speck of dust hominid, cannot know how the universe originated or what happens after I die.
That's not really a ritual though, is it?
 

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
As a Pagan, I don't have any authority or scriptures telling me what to do. But I value tradition, for what is Paganism but the religion handed down by our ancestors? I also value ritual for, as the anthropologist Zuesse observed, "The deepest form of knowing is through doing. Ritual … is spiritually more profound than any theology …"

Every evening before dinner I'll go to my altar and pray to the gods, offering incense, food, and wine. I'll also pray to particular gods if I need help or have received it.

The calendar, like most religious calendars, is soli-lunar, like the Jewish one. The last day of the month has always been sacred to Hekate, and I've adopted the custom of making the first three days sacred to Hestia, Asklepios, and Tyche.

Each month is dedicated to a particular god or pair of gods. That covers the 12 Olympians, plus Pluto and Persephone. For about half the months, I use the Athenian calendar because that's the one most widely used, particularly in Greece. Next month is Poseidonios, so it will include a festival for Poseidon. It also includes Heliogenna, on the day after the solstice. I also worship two heroes (like saints): Julian, the last Pagan Emperor, and Thomas Taylor, restorer of Hellenism in England.

A festival involves specific prayer and a hymn. For the god of the month, I add an offering of flowers and often a vow to give in the god's honour to a charity: the Lifeboat Institution for Poseidon, for example, or the British Legion this month for Ares.

There are no special foods, although some people offer cakes baked in particular shapes to some gods. I celebrate Heliogenna with solar-looking items — quiche and lemon swiss roll — a little feasting seems appropriate for midwinter!
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
As a Pagan, I don't have any authority or scriptures telling me what to do. But I value tradition, for what is Paganism but the religion handed down by our ancestors? I also value ritual for, as the anthropologist Zuesse observed, "The deepest form of knowing is through doing. Ritual … is spiritually more profound than any theology …"

Every evening before dinner I'll go to my altar and pray to the gods, offering incense, food, and wine. I'll also pray to particular gods if I need help or have received it.

The calendar, like most religious calendars, is soli-lunar, like the Jewish one. The last day of the month has always been sacred to Hekate, and I've adopted the custom of making the first three days sacred to Hestia, Asklepios, and Tyche.

Each month is dedicated to a particular god or pair of gods. That covers the 12 Olympians, plus Pluto and Persephone. For about half the months, I use the Athenian calendar because that's the one most widely used, particularly in Greece. Next month is Poseidonios, so it will include a festival for Poseidon. It also includes Heliogenna, on the day after the solstice. I also worship two heroes (like saints): Julian, the last Pagan Emperor, and Thomas Taylor, restorer of Hellenism in England.

A festival involves specific prayer and a hymn. For the god of the month, I add an offering of flowers and often a vow to give in the god's honour to a charity: the Lifeboat Institution for Poseidon, for example, or the British Legion this month for Ares.

There are no special foods, although some people offer cakes baked in particular shapes to some gods. I celebrate Heliogenna with solar-looking items — quiche and lemon swiss roll — a little feasting seems appropriate for midwinter!


Not being rude (and to others as well) how do you keep up with all of that?
 

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
Not being rude (and to others as well) how do you keep up with all of that?
That's like asking a Christian how they find time for church on a Sunday, or a Muslim how they get round to saying their daily prayers. It's just part of life, like cooking and cleaning.
 
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