i.e.A long, but an interesting & important article!: THE MILLENNIUM CRAZE
Millennium might fall on 23rd Ramadan…Lailatul Qadr(Shaab-e-Qadr)..???
Where will we be ?? Partying or praying …???
The Year 2000 - the millennium - is approaching fast now, and crazy people are predicting all sorts of weird things. But even if the world doesn’t come to an end, the Fitnah (affliction) that will take place before and after the clock strikes twelve would be enough to send people plunging into misery and wretchedness in this world and Jahannum (hellfire) in the other. This fitnah will certainly make the struggle to reach Paradise a bit more challenging, especially with all the fun-making, the partying and the free flowing of lots of alcohol, drugs, sex and countless other vices.
Party-revellers and fun-makers can hardly contain themselves as they wait for the final hour to dawn. To celebrate the party of all parties in the most unusual of ways. Preparations for the great millennium bash have been underway for months in advance and the people of this planet want to celebrate it
in a big, big way. Every capital of the world is vying with the other to offer the best in millennium reveling and celebrations. London has constructed the massive millennium dome. Airlines are offering crazy schedules to people wishing to see the ‘arrival’ of the millennium in three continents in one day!
While the peoples of the world will be sunken in some kind of stupor on that hour, even Muslims, sadly, would be caught in this mass hysteria of the Millennium. Quite a few Muslim countries have already planned some kind of celebration or the other to mark this (Christian-based) event. On an individual level, there will be many Muslims who would not like to be left out of this fun and revelry. They would have already made up their plans for THAT evening.
Yet the millennium is simply a Christian-based event, supposed to be marking two thousand years of the advent of Christ (Prophet Isa (AS)). What has a Muslim to do with all of this? Nothing. Nothing at all! Our thoughts, conversations, plans and even our commercial activities seem to be overtaken by and dictated to by the millennium madness. Do we really need to give prominence to this event just because it is hyped-up to the point of hysteria by the media? The dates of the millennium
coincide with Ramadaan 1420.
What a remarkable coincidence and a blessing in disguise for Muslims! Allah Ta’ala has been very kind and merciful to the weaklings of the Muslim Ummah (nation). Knowing fully well the temptations that many would have faced to join in the fun and transgression, it is His sheer mercy that the advent of Ramadaan would come at that time, and serve as a major deterrent from evil and sin, Insha-Allah.
Ramadaan itself, the state of fasting, the acts of Ibaadah (worship) and the chaining of the rebellious Shaitaans are all factors that will help the Muslim Ummah to stay on course. There is a not so remote a possibility that the eve of the millennium may even coincide with the 23rd night of Ramadaan; one of the possible nights for “Laylatul- Qadr” (The Night of Decree) and also a time for I’tikaaf for many.
No Muslim in his sane mind would let up such a beautiful opportunity of catching ‘Laylatul-Qadr’ (equivalent to 83 years & 4 months of worship!), much less for a silly bash or party or just to go or sit around viewing people doing so! An appeal is directed to all Muslims to allow sense to prevail. Please take care to distance yourselves and your children from the ways of modern Jahilliyya (ignorance) on this occasion. Respect the sanctity of Ramadaan. It is going to be the final nights of Ramadaan.
Respect these holy nights and please do not switch on the TV to view the heedless ones drowning themselves in the disobedience of their Maker and Creator! You may be counted among them, if you do so! Millennium celebrations could invite the wrath and 'Adhaab of Allah Ta’ala. Would you like to be caught at the ‘wrong’ places when the unannounced 'Adhaab of Almighty Allah may come down or would you rather prefer to be in the safe sanctuary of a House of Allah or engaged in your devotions of Ramadaan at home?