Shab-e-Barat...a limited phenomenon?

[psyah]

Re: Shab-e-Barat…a limited phenomenon?

@teggy

No doubt in the validity of the Month’s blessings before the most blessed of months begins. No doubt in fasting mid-shaban either.

Question pertains particularly to the ‘theme’ of Shab-e-Barat, and I mentioned limited phenomenon in the title, as well as the first post because I can only speak on what I have personally witnessed first-hand in Pakistan. The fireworks, etc. Where’s the validity of this celebration on the eve? Who else celebrated it like that, and set the precedence for it to be followed? (As mentioned by the brother before, the practices have a foundation that they’re built on…) Unless it’s a cultural/traditional mish-mash, then that’s understandable too because some things run parallel to religion but belong to Culture/Tradition in many countries.

So what is it exactly? Religion, or culture, or both?

Peace teggy bro

Celebration is an odd thing … It has a flavour of artistic license about it … There is not a single nation in the world that celebrate everything we do in the same way … And mostly they stem from a customisation or Islamisation of existing practices.

Just look at how Eid is celebrated throughout the world … When the Chinese Muslims light the lanterns in their streets … No doubt some “hard liner” interpretators will say “lighting lanterns comes from Buddhist traditions … And there is nothing in Islam about this” … This kind of restriction on expression of culture in the name of following religion “literalistically” is the fault that the zealots made … At the time of Christ (AS) …

So if there are some Pakistani norms taking place … It is more about the people than it is about the event itself. Some practices are problematic for they become annoyances, dangerous, or lose the essence of the spirit of the event … Others don’t … Other practices enhance them