By being culturally aware, you can recognize and appreciate other people's beliefs, customs, and values to interact with them without prejudice or judgment. This leads to more cultural connections and fewer interpersonal conflicts arising from cultural differences.
Evening of Wednesday 22nd March 2023- Evening of Thursday 20th April 2023.
Evening of Thursday 20th April 2023 - Evening of Friday 21st April 2023.
For Muslims, Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection, and prayer.
The naming of Ramadan is derived from the Arabic root 'ar-ramad,' meaning 'scorching heat'.
Muslims believe that in A.D. 610, the angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the Quran, the Islamic holy book.
The event is celebrated as the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran
Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset each day during Ramadan.
They also pray, recite the Quran, act selflessly, and abstain from gossiping, lying, and fighting.
The aim of Ramadan for Muslims is to grow spiritually and build stronger relationships with Allah.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered the holiest time of the year. Muslims believe this is the month that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) received the first books of the Qur’an so they honour this time in prayer and fasting. The end of the month of Ramadan is then celebrated with feasting during the festival of Eid Al-Fitr.
During Eid Al-Fitr, Muslims greet each other by saying 'Eid Mubarak’ meaning ‘Have a blessed Eid’. They eat special meals with family and friends and give gifts to children. During Eid, Muslims also honour Allah (God) by taking part in special prayer mornings.
Class 3 Trip to Oxford Synagogue.
A synagogue is a Jewish place of worship. People go there to pray and study the Torah. When it is not being used, the Torah is kept in a special place called the ark. Above this, is the ‘Eternal Lamp,’ which is a light that is always kept burning to symbolise that God is there.
A synagogue also usually features rows of pews for worshippers and a bimah, which is a raised platform that is used when reading from the Torah. Some synagogues have separate areas for men and women to worship, but some are mixed so that everyone can worship together.
Shabbat (also known as Sabbath) is the Jewish holy day. It happens every weekend, beginning at sundown on Friday and ending before sundown on Saturday. This is an exciting day and Jewish people look forward to it all week.
Hanukkah is one of the many holidays in the Jewish calendar, usually falling from late November to December. Also known as the festival of lights, Hanukkah takes place over eight days. Each night, a candle is lit on the Menorah (or Hanukkiah).
Shavuot is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated seven weeks after Passover. It marks the start of the wheat harvest and the end of the barley harvest.
According to tradition, it is on Yom Kippur that God decides each person’s fate, so Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for sins committed during the past year.
Purim is a Jewish festival that remembers and celebrates the survival of the Jews. They had been condemned to death by Persian rulers. It comes from a story in the book of Esther, which can be found in the Old Testament and the Torah. It is a bright and vibrant celebration.
A kippah (plural: kippot), yarmulke, skullcap, or koppel is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfill the customary requirement that the head be covered. It is worn by all men in Orthodox Jewish communities during prayers and by most Orthodox Jewish men at all other times.
The ten commandments are a set of rules that Jewish people believe were given to Moses by God.
They are:
1. There is only one God.
2. You should not make or worship any representations of false gods.
3. You should not misuse or disrespect the name of God.
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it as a holy day.
5. Honour and respect your mother and father.
6. You should not murder.
7. You should not take someone else’s wife or husband.
8. You should not steal.
9. You should not lie.
10. You should not be envious or jealous of others.
Class 5 Trip to Oxford Mosque.
A mosque is an Islamic place of worship for people of the Muslim faith. The Arabic word for mosque is ‘masjid’ and it means ‘place of prostration’ to God. In the UK, there are over 1500 mosques and 2.5 million Muslims.
The Muslim religion is Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religion that believes in just one god, Allah. The Muslim religion has a holy book named the Qur'an that is believed to contain the exact words of Allah as they were told to the prophet and messenger, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
There are two main types of mosques: masjid jāmi which means ‘collective mosque’ and is a centre of community worship and where Muslims attend Friday prayer services. There are also smaller, private mosques that are attended by various people within the community.
Mosque buildings have large open spaces inside, with mats or carpets covering the floor. Men perform prayer on these mats, under the guidance of an imām, who is a worship leader in the Muslim community. When women pray in the mosque, they must be in a separate space or chamber.
No music or singing is allowed inside a mosque, though professional chanters (qurrā) may chant the Qur'ān.
There is also a place with running water for ablution, which is a ceremonial act of washing the body before prayer.
The only decorations in a mosque are inscriptions of verses from the Qur'ān and the names of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and his Companions. There are no ritual objects, statues or pictures inside the mosque.
Outside the mosque, there is a minaret (or maʾdhanah) - this used to be any elevated place, but is now usually a tower. It’s used by a muezzin (muʾadhdhin or ‘crier’) to announce the call to worship five times a day.
Inside the mosque, there is a miḥrāb and a minbar. A miḥrāb is a semicircular space pointed in the direction of Mecca that is reserved for the imām to perform a prayer, and a minbar is a seat to the right of the miḥrāb that is used by a preacher (or khaṭīb).
Traditional dress for Muslim men has typically covered at least the head and the area between the waist and the knees, while women's islamic dress is to conceal the hair and the body from the ankles to the neck. Some Muslim women also cover their face. Not all mosques will ask female visitors to cover their heads, but it's a sign of respect to have one ready.
Muslim religion believes that:
Most Muslims can be classified into one of two denominations, Sunni and Shia.
Sunni focuses heavily on the traditions of the Muslim religion (Islam) and the prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and his friends. Unlike Sunni, Muslims who follow the Shia branch of Islam believe that Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) requested, and later appointed his son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor.