Fasting: A Habit or an Act of Spiritual Devotion?

It is related that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“Good conduct is a habit, and bad conduct is just obnoxious.” (Ibn Hibban & Ibn Majah)

This Prophetic statement brings up the question of the extent to which our formal worship is prescribed to us to positively develop our personalities and cultivate our spirituality.

This role for our worship is further reinforced by the Prophet’s words:

“A man continues to speak the truth and verify the truth until it is written with Allah that he is an honest man… And another man continues to lie and chase after false reports until it is written with Allah that he is a habitual liar.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

When we do an act over and over again, it becomes a habit. Carrying it out becomes part and parcel of our personalities and identities. When a person strives to be honest by deliberately and consistently choosing to speak truly (even against self-interest), then honesty becomes a character trait. Ultimately, God elevates that person to the status of Siddīq (One who is truly honest).

For honest people, honesty is indeed a habit. However, this does not negate the fact that speaking the truth remains an act of worship and pious devotion.

Be Consistent

When Allah’s Messenger practiced a good deed, he would do so consistently.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not separate between habituation and devotion. In fact, he did the opposite.  He said:

“The most beloved of good deeds with Allah are those which are practiced with constancy over a long period of time, even if the deed is small.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

Also, Aisha relates that: “When Allah’s Messenger practiced a good deed, he would do so consistently.” (Muslim)

Habituation becomes a problem when people begin carrying out habitual acts unthinkingly. Some habits – like the manner of combing one’s hair, or moving one’s hands, or biting one’s nails – become so ingrained that the person ceases to be conscious of doing the habitual act. People might even deny such a habit if it is brought to their attention.

At the same time, some positive habits have a tangible good effect on a person’s character and outlook on life. For instance, a person who has a habit of devoting a certain hour of every day to the remembrance of God or to reading the Quran has integrated these virtuous acts into daily life. They become, as a consequence, resulting in greater blessings and spiritual growth.

Once a man came to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said: “All the Islamic rites have become so many for me. Give me something I can hold fast to.” The Prophet replied: “Keep your tongue moist with Allah’s remembrance.” (At-Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah)

This is a recommendation to turn the remembrance of God into a good habit.

We should therefore not use the word “habit” as if it is a bad thing, like when some of us say: “Prayer is an act of worship and not a habit.” Certainly prayer is an act of worship, and if it is our constant habit as well, then all the better.

It is a good thing that it is a person’s habit to pray, as long as we do not mean by “habit” that the person is just going along with the crowd or is praying absentmindedly. The positive connotation of habit we intend here is that of constancy and dedication, along with presence of mind and sincerity. A habit is something a person is comfortable doing. Leaving it off is something that makes the habituated person uncomfortable. How good it is for worship to be easy and comfortable for a person so that it never feels like a burden.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said:

“O Bilal! Call the people to prayer. Give us our relaxation in prayer.” (Abu Dawud)

This shows us that for the Prophet and his Companions, the performance of prayer was a source of comfort and solace.

The Prophet also said: “Prayer has been made the sweetness of my eyes.” (Al-Nasa’i)

Ramadan and Positive Change

Devotion and piety can themselves become habits. When a person starts concentrating in prayer, it is difficult at first to keep focus. The mind is easily distracted. However, after years of persistence, devotion and presence of mind in prayer become second-nature.

Ask yourself honestly: Do you feel happy about the arrival of Ramadan? Or does it get you down? Or do you have mixed feelings?

Ramadan will become the beginning of a change for the better. It will be an experience of faith that will bring joy, new hope and greater happiness to your life.

If you have any negative feelings, then take some time to read about the virtues and blessings of Ramadan. Then think of your own life and your shortcomings. Think of how much you need God’s mercy and forgiveness. Know that fasting in Ramadan was prescribed by the one who is most generous, most kind and most forgiving. He did not prescribe fasting to punish us, but rather to purify our minds and hearts, and to make us more generous, compassionate, and healthy people. You will come away from such thinking looking forward to the arrival of Ramadan, thankful that you are able to fast.

With the same spirit, you will be motivated to perform the nightly Taraweeh prayers, or at least to observe of those prayers daily what is easy for you. Think of the great number of people who are praying with you. Look for a location where the positive atmosphere is most conducive. Find a mosque where the imam reads most beautifully. There is nothing wrong with that.

Observe the prayer as much as your heart stays engaged with it. If you find yourself growing weary, then depart. Keep in mind that God’s mercy is descending upon the congregation and you are among them sharing in that blessing. “They are such an assembly, that one who is in their company is not bereft of blessings.”

When you are prostrating, disclose your troubles and sorrows to God while beseeching Him to forgive you and overlook your sins. No matter how great your transgressions might be, they are nothing in comparison to God’s generosity and mercy. Be optimistic that God will accept your prayers, despite the shortcomings in your devotion and presence of mind. Everything in life requires striving, and we all have our shortcomings and difficulties. We place our hopes in God.

Remember that God says: “I am as my servant expects of Me to be.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

Ramadan will become the beginning of a change for the better. It will be an experience of faith that will bring joy, new hope and greater happiness to your life.

Make it your habit in Ramadan to spend in charity. When you are shopping to choose nice foods to break your fast with, consider those who do not have enough to eat. Think about the mothers in the world who do not have enough food to feed their starving children and whose decision is to determine which of them is presently closer to death.

Make it your habit in Ramadan to be with your family. Make the atmosphere at home one of love and kindness. Ramadan gives us many occasions to spend quality time together and to share memorable experiences with our children. We should likewise make it our Ramadan habit to cement ties with our relatives, neighbors and friends, even by making phone calls, sending an e-mail, or giving Ramadan greetings by Blackberry!! Let us not make it our Ramadan habit to overeat at night.

Let us not make it the month where we eat more than at any other time of year.

Instead, make it your habit to show kindness to others, to keep your anger in check, and to forgive others their faults.

May Allah accept from us our worship during this blessed month.

How to Teach Kids Ramadan Isn't Just About Eating

It is a very poignant question for the age we are living in. It reminds me of an article I read last year about Ramadan in Egypt, and how the month was becoming a time of excessive eating (at night), sitting around doing nothing and watching TV.

In the country where I reside, although the traditions of fasting and going to the mosques at night for prayers are still alive and well, it too seems to have become a time of more gluttony rather than self-denial.

Therefore, it is important to realize that this phenomenon that we are dealing with is quite prevalent in other parts of the Muslim world, not only in your country and culture.

It is unfortunate, however, because Ramadan is the best time of the year for those who believe in the promise and mercy of Allah. It is a time re-charging our spiritual selves and batteries, and returning to simplicity and taqwa (piety). 

As for your question specifically, there is nothing wrong with preparing a niceIftar(meal to break the fast); however, there should be some attempt made by those that see what is happening to make suggestions to the others to maybe make breaking the fast a more simple exercise. The feasting is for the `Eid.

In addition, it is always important that we be truthful with our children regarding these matters. There is nothing wrong with explaining to them that what is practiced as culture in your country is not exactly according to the teachings of Islam. We don't want to put down any of our fellow Muslims specifically, but it is important that children understand early on that what they see Muslims doing, is not always according to the faith.

I do this with my children as well when they ask me questions about things that they see. For example, even when my daughter tells me that her religious teacher sometimes makes fun of her name, I remind her that in Islam it is not good to do that actually. Allah reminds us in the Qur'an specifically to not make fun of others, particularly by giving them unpleasant nicknames. Of course, I'm sure the ustaz doesn't mean any harm by it, and I certainly don't bad mouth him, but I always try to explain to her what we should be striving for, rather than what she might see. Then, of course, I - as the parent and primary example - must put that into practice.

So in your case, maybe YOU can set an example for your children by breaking fast in a more simple manner by not over-eating, for example. Then, YOU can set another example by doing the tarawih prayers every night, and by reading the Qur'an, etc. etc. I believe that it is always best to start with ourselves as examples, and as parents, that means that we will almost always have an impact on our children, at least in some small way.

*** So arm yourself with knowledge of Islam and the appropriate way of observing Ramadan, and then teach your children what we should be doing, rather than what might be happening around us. Then, and most importantly, put it into practice and invite your kids to practice it with you. In sha’ Allah that will be a more powerful example for them then what they see around them.

Exams vs. Ramadan

A child is not required to fast before reaching puberty, so give up any idea of forcing a pre-pubescent child to fast.

As for exams, the answer will also depend on the school system. Is this an end of term or year-end exam? Or is it just a weekly spelling test or a test at the end of a chapter or unit? How much of the child’s grade depends on this exam? Is there just one test or a series of tests over a week or more? Also, will the test be in the morning when the child is likely to be fresh, or in the afternoon when the child will be more tired?

A young child (7 to 10 years) should not be expected to fast every day. (However, if the child strongly wants to do so, I would encourage it.) So, it would not be wrong to have the child not fast on a day when there is a test or exam. However, you should talk with the teacher to find out how important the test is and what time of day it is. If it is one of many tests for the final grade (and thus not a lot of weight is placed on it) and it will be held in the morning, I see no reason why a child should not be allowed to fast that day if the child wants to do so.

Another option is to let a young child eat breakfast at the usual time and then fast the rest of the day. This way the child doesn’t have broken sleep from waking up for sahur and is fasting a few hours less than the adults.

An older child (10 and up) should be expected to fast every day as training, even if it is not yet obligatory. Again, if the test is one of many that will determine the final grade and is held in the morning, there should be no problem. If it is a heavier test or is held later in the day (or both), an older pre-pubescent child can take the option of not fasting on that day without incurring any sin.

However, I would discourage such an action because of the need to train the child. It is better to take a positive attitude and help the child deal with the challenge. Make sure the child gets enough sleep the night before and eats a high-protein sahur (pre-dawn meal).

If there is a series of exams, such as at the end of term, the greatest problem might not be the fasting per se, but a lack of sufficient sleep. The child might want to stay up late studying and having to get up for sahur then breaks the sleep. If you do allow an older child to stay up very late to study, encourage him or her to take a nap in the afternoon. Prepare a nutritious sahur that the child can eat before sleeping, then allow him or her to sleep until near the end of the Fajr (dawn) Prayer. I think that such a situation would be most likely to occur for a teenager in secondary school, and most likely that child would be required to fast. Let the child take responsibility to adjust the schedule of eating, studying, and sleeping to fit his or her own body rhythm.

As regards physical education (PE) class, again, the young child doesn’t have to fast, so you might want the child to skip fasting on days when PE is scheduled. I would definitely advise you to talk to your all of your child’s teachers before Ramadan and inform them that your child might be fasting. Ask the PE teacher, in particular, to give your child lighter tasks for this month. If the weather is not very hot, your child might do better than you think. Remind the child that it is OK to wash the face and neck to cool off after PE class (or any other time) but not to drink the water if he or she is fasting.

As for the child feeling hungry, that’s part of the reason for fasting, isn’t it? We learn to empathize with the less fortunate by feeling their pains. When the child complains of being hungry, try to distract him or her. Remind the child that the worst hunger pains only last for a few minutes and after 10 or 15 minutes the child will not feel so hungry. Encourage the child to wait a while and not to eat at the first feelings of hunger.

But if the child is showing signs of tiredness, have the child sleep for a while. Most likely a child would not reach this stage until late in the day, after school. If for some reason that is not possible and you really think the child might pass out, offer the child some juice or milk. If the child insists on continuing the fast, you will have to decide whether there is any real danger from hypoglycemia. If there is, you may have to order the young child to eat or drink something. Do it in an encouraging way, praising the child for what he or she has accomplished, and reminding the child that there is a reason why Allah did not make fasting obligatory for small children.

Many people who were raised Muslim tell me that they fasted as early as 7 years old with little difficulty. I think that parents who have converted to Islam and thus have never experienced fasting as a child worry more. Have a positive and encouraging attitude at all times.

Are Your Children Ready for Ramadan?

Ramadan is always a very special time for Muslims all over the globe.

It’s a time for closeness to our Creator, for spiritual healing, for asking for forgiveness and seeking Allah's content with us.

But sometimes we don't really know how to make our children feel the uniqueness of this holy month; some other times it is even difficult to make them accept the rituals of Ramadan and understand the real meaning behind it.

We consult the advice of a range of counselors on this issue and they provided a wealth of ideas which we can all share.

To begin with, it is important for children to understand what Ramadan is all about and how it fits into the overall life of a Muslim. That’s why parents should sit with their children and have a talk about Ramadan.

1. Choose a relaxed time with your child before Ramadan, and introduce Ramadan so that he can understand. Think of a friend or family member who is dear to your child’s heart. Ask him how he would feel if this person comes to visit you for a short while with all the presents and sweets he or she brings along. Would this visit make him happy? why? Link this to the arrival of the holy month, which comes only once a year with a lot of sweets too, this time from Allah Most High.

2. Prepare a simple action plan to get ready together for the arrival of the dear guest. How would you plan for your guest? Put the action plan together for preparing the house and yourselves for the arrival of the holy month.

3. Talking to your child about the doors of Paradise being open in this holy month is highly recommended. You can even make a tour every night into Paradise and take a closer look at what Allah, the Most High, has prepared for those who obey Him in this holy month.

Remember also to help the children make the most of Ramadan by getting them excited about the fasting and the breaking of the fast.

4- Take the children with you to the masjid; depending on your masjid policy and your child's age.

5- Get your children help-prepare of the suhur and iftar meals.

6- Get them to give in charity so that they realize all of the blessings of Ramadan. Teach the kids to make du`aa’. Let them know they can ask for anything they want. Teach them to ask for things for others as well as for themselves. 

Ramadan in the West

Ramadan for children in non-Muslim countries can be a challenge. Children in general have a natural need to belong, to belong to a family, a school or to a group of friends.

To be able to fit in and belong in a certain place or to a certain group, one feels he/she has to be the same, the same in attitudes, in habits, etc. During Ramadan, children cannot help but be different and this can be difficult.

The challenge lies in the fact that children may feel they will be risking rejection by being different. The challenge is also magnified when other children in the class start asking questions about the reason for fasting, and thus highlighting this difference and making Muslim children feel self-conscious and sometimes embarrassed.

Questions non-Muslim children ask Muslim ones may be about the reasons for fasting and whether the purpose behind fasting can still be achieved while eating some sweets or drinking a cup of water only or not.

They may also ask questions on whether Muslim children feel tired or exhausted due to fasting and show feelings of being sorry for them. It is not easy for children to cope with such feelings and remarks, such situations can be challenging to young adults as well, not just children.

The question is how can we equip our children to help them deal with this difference?

1- Build Confidence: Confidence is a child's best defense against peer pressure. When we arm our children with a sense of self worth, by highlighting their strength and determination to choose fasting and to continue fasting, we help them cope with outside pressures.

2-Encouragement: It is important to continually remind your child of how proud you are of his fasting and how Allah will reward him. This way we are teaching our children that self worth and strength comes from the inside not the outside. This confidence will be a safeguard against peer pressure in general and will greatly help in Ramadan.

3- Direct the Child as to Whom We Should Please:The child must know that in our life we only seek Allah's love and our deeds should please Allah, and when Allah is pleased then people will accept you ISA.

4-We need to teach our children that people are different and that it is normal to be different .

Allah has created us with much difference and diversity and us as human beings should accept each other and respect differences between us.

5- Involve them with Muslims : Being together will give them the support and strength.

And now is your child ready to fast? (General tips)

Talking to your child about it all will help you see how he or she feels, and to give the child a chance to make decisions. Involving children in deciding whether to fast or not helps give them a lot of pride in their action when they fast, as well as a lot of stamina to continue fasting, because they made the decision.

The years before fasting is obligatory should be used properly to give children confidence in their physical capabilities to fast, as well as confidence in their decision-making abilities.

 It should always be stressed however that there is a choice because they have not reached the age when fasting is compulsory, and how merciful Allah is in that.

It should also be stressed that the time will come when there will no longer be a choice because Allah knows best that then it will be within their capabilities. Physical capabilities and age are the main factors in deciding whether your child can have physical activities while fasting or not. Whether the child can have an exam while fasting or not is a different issue.

If your child is physically able to go to school every day and concentrate, then exams shouldn’t be a problem. On the contrary, you can encourage the child to fast during exam times based on the fact that Allah will bless the day and effort because he or she is fasting. As for feeling of hunger, once again, it really depends on your child’s capabilities and choices.

If it is only a short time until iftar, then you should encourage the child to go on fasting. Perhaps your child feels hungry because he or she did not have a filling suhur. So, try to make sure that your child gets a good amount of food during suhur.

Finally, remember always that we, parents, are the models for our children. If we raise our iman and succeed in that, we will give the needed example to our children. and remember also that we ourselves took some time to internalize the real value of Ramadan.

The older you are, in sha’ Allah, the more you are ready and, hopefully, willing to explore the inner meanings of Ramadan. I think that concentrating on making Ramadan a warm, positive, and happy experience in the whole house is a priority and the main objective is the general air of the house, which will pave the way to all other objectives

May Allah link our hearts and the hearts of our children to Iman (faith) and grant us, and them his mercy and forgiveness and accept our fast and good deeds. Amen.

Spiritual Readiness for Ramadan

Preparing for The Best Month of the Year

“I won’t eat or drink from dawn to dusk, for the entire month.”

This is the most basic declaration of what Ramadan is all about. But there is so much more to this Holy Month. What it means, what has been ordained, what the blessings are like, and how Heaven opens up its doors to us.

Ramadan indicates an opportunity for a spiritual upgrade, a chance for betterment, to increase good deeds and to jointly shun those that do not benefit us, and one of the best opportunities to strengthen our relationship with God.

Ramadan isn’t just about abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk and if it is seen as just a daily fast for 29 or 30 days, it can become one that is cumbersome and done without much spiritual zeal. Here are ways to achieve a spiritual boost as the month of Ramadan begins to reel in.

Study Ramadan

The first spiritual step in preparing for Ramadan is to start studying it. It’s not just about reading up on Ramadan (which is also necessary), but to understand and reflect upon the meaning of the Quranic injunctions and the Hadith that mentions the importance of Ramadan.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) announced on the last day of Sha`ban:

"Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; a month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in this month shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in this month shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time." (Al-Albani)

Prophet Muhammad’s prelude to Ramadan is an eye opener as to why Ramadan is so important. As believers, we are obliged not to merely fast through the month and continue our lives as if it were any other month, but to understand why Ramadan is singled out as an intrinsically Holy month and how the rewards will be heightened over and above whatever has been prescribed throughout the other months. Savoring the blessings of Ramadan allows us to transit into the month with spiritual zeal and excitement rather than dawdling through “obligatory” worship without understanding fully how they benefit our faith.

Step Up on the Good Deeds

There is so much mention about good deeds during the month of Ramadan and pleasing God with an open heart. But there is no time like the present to step up on good deeds in order to cultivate good habits as a prelude to Ramadan. The more good deeds a person engages in, the closer God guides him/her towards the right path, and the good deeds become compounded as Ramadan reels in.

"In Ramadan, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." (Al-Mundhiri)

Ramadan is a great time for charitable deeds, in order to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s generosity.

With more blessings during the month, sincerity coupled with determination to please God, will open a wingspan of Mercy as well as hearts that will continue to accept the Quran.

Take the Opportunity to Perfect Your Faith

In narrations by Prophet Muhammad, Ramadan was a good month to reestablish a strong sense of tawheed (oneness of God). Whether it was about the month, or the Quran, or the moon, or the obligatory fast, Prophet Muhammad would always link it back to the oneness of God and how God had created and decreed all of the above.

When Prophet Muhammad saw the crescent, he used to say:

"Oh Allah! Cause it to appear over us with prosperity, faith (Iman), security and Islam. (Then to the moon): My Lord and your Lord is Allah." (Al-Albani)

Qatadah said that he was informed that Prophet Muhammad used to say when seeing the crescent:

"A crescent of goodness and orientation, a crescent of goodness and orientation, a crescent of goodness and orientation. (To the moon): I believe in Allah who created you." (Three times), and then he would say: Praise be to Allah who has taken away such- and-such month and brought such-and-such month." (Abu Dawud)

In relation to this, a great spiritual step would be to contemplate the oneness of God by reflecting on all of the creations of God how He is the Master of the universes; how God is to be worshiped and worshiped alone in the way prescribed in the Quran and the Sunnah, and reflect upon His 99 Attributes.

Emulate the Generosity of Prophet Muhammad

"Prophet Muhammad was the most generous of all people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan. Prophet Muhammad was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds)." (Al-Bukhari)

Ramadan is a great time for charitable deeds, in order to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s generosity. Engaging in charity helps wash away sins by cleansing earnings and mitigates any form of arrogance (in one’s heart) as one is able to relate to those who are less fortunate. By engaging in charitable deeds as a prelude to Ramadan, there is greater chance that giving to charity during Ramadan will also become easier as charity if cultivated even before Ramadan arrives. Reminding oneself of God’s Mercy and the Prophet’s generosity is a great way to continue in the path of God and to make the best of Ramadan.

Take Time to Make Tawbah

Repenting for one’s sins before Ramadan will make the Holy month that more meaningful

There is nothing like spiritual readiness than a clean heart that is open to the blessings of God as the doors of Paradise are open to the good deeds of believers. Repenting for one’s sins before Ramadan will make the Holy month that more meaningful, especially when the opportunities for repentance are better then. Asking for forgiveness from God on a daily basis reminds how important God is, and how fragile our lives are. It will also act as a basis that moves into an important continuum throughout Ramadan.

Abu Hurairah narrated that Prophet Muhammad said:

"Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven." (Al-Bukhari)

The reason for repentance is that we can be unaware of our sins on a daily basis. So there is no time like the present to start cleansing our hearts in order to fully embrace the fasting month. It will also encourage us to constantly repent as Ramadan unfolds and keep our intentions clean and pure to engage in the obligatory fast and prayers and all complementary forms of worship throughout the month.

Start Reciting the Quran

Reciting the Quran helps us center ourselves on God’s presence and reminds us of the messages that God has sent us. Try to start reciting the Quran on a daily basis, even if it's just a page a day, as a little consistency goes a long way. During the month of the fast, you may have more time to concentrate on the Quran and that is also a great way to indulge in the blessings of Ramadan.

Narrated Anas:

Zaid bin Thabit said, "We took the "Suhur" (the meal taken before dawn while fasting is observed) with the Prophet and then stood up for the (morning) prayer." I asked him how long the interval between the two (Suhur and prayer) was. He replied, 'The interval between the two was just sufficient to recite fifty to sixty Ayahs. (Al-Bukhari)

Imagine being able to recite fifty to sixty verses of the Quran during the short time frame. Surely these are the benefits of Ramadan and the same benefits may be reaped by believers who fast with sincerity.

Stepping up spirituality for Ramadan is a must for all Muslims as it will make the obligatory fast not only lightweight, but a pleasure for the believing Muslim. It takes a little effort and a lot of cleansing to get there, but with God’s guidance, we try to make the best of this Ramadan, just by taking time to work on our spiritual readiness.

"No religion is higher than humanity" - Abdul Sattar Edhi(Must Watch!!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfKn2vUiQuc

The Charter for Compassion

The best idea humanity has ever had…

The Charter for Compassion is a document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. Supported by leading thinkers from many traditions, the Charter activates the Golden Rule around the world.

Charter for Compassion

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

To visit go to http://charterforcompassion.org/the-charter/#charter-for-compassion

And Affirm the charter.

YouTube for more info must watch!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCG4qryy1Dg

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wktlwCPDd94

I hope you all will surely lend a hand in saving humanity.