fandomhigh | Hubris from Revelation: the Social Engineering of Ultimate Truths [Monday, Period 2]

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Hubris from Revelation: the Social Engineering of Ultimate Truths [Monday, Period 2]

As the students arrived at the Danger Shop as ~~handwavily~~ instructed, they would find a feast set up. Long tables surrounded by large pillows and low couches, piled with heaps of food. "Last week we spoke briefly on Islam, so today I feel free to bump polytheism in favor of celebration," Ghanima said cheerfully, waving for them to take a seat. "Today is Eid ul-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid."

"Eid is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal."

"Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., a caravan trader named Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca while thinking about his faith. One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed, Muhammad found himself speaking the verses that would be transcribed as the Qur'an. At many mosques during Ramadan, about one thirtieth of the Qur'an is recited each night in prayers known as tarawih. In this way, by the end of the month the complete scripture will have been recited."

"While celebrations vary worldwide, there are some common themes to the day. Typically, Muslims wake up early in the morning and have a small breakfast -- as a sign of not being on a fast anymore -- before attending a special Eid prayer, or salah, that is performed in congregation at mosques or open areas like fields, squares etc. Many wear new clothes for the occasion if possible, otherwise it is expected to dress in your best. The Eid prayer is followed by the khutbah -- sermon -- and then a supplication asking for forgiveness, mercy and help for all living beings across the world. The khutbah also instructs Muslims as to the performance of rituals of Eid, such as the zakat. It is then customary to embrace the persons sitting on either side of oneself, whilst greeting them. After the prayers, people also visit their relatives, friends and acquaintances, and some people also pay visits to the graveyards."

"Before the Eid prayer begins, every Muslim who is able must pay Zakat al-fitr, an alms for the month of Ramadan. This equates to about 2 kilograms of a basic foodstuff such as wheat, barley, dates, or raisins, or its cash equivalent, and is typically collected at the mosque. This is distributed to needy local residents prior to the start of the Eid prayer. It can be given at any time during the month of Ramadan and is often given early, so the recipient can use it for Eid purchases. This is distinct from Zakat based on wealth, which must be paid to a worthy charity."

"So embrace your neighbor, have some lamb, and pass the vegetables," Ghanima said, gesturing at the table. "Your assignment for today is to go out and pay Zakat al-fitr as best you can after class. Give a friend a cookie, make pancakes in the common room, break the fast, and spread joy and goodwill to all. There's some handouts by the door if you're interested in learning more, but for now, eat."

[OCD up!]

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And Jono found himself clothing his eyes and taking in the sound as though it was a prayer, breathing it in even though he couldn't breathe. Music was to him almost a living entity, and so if what he usually listened to was simply alive, this was immortal.

When the music finished, he lingered for a moment, his eyes still closed, before he finally spoke up again.

//That was brilliant.//

Edited 2009-09-21 15:45 (UTC)

She smiled. As much as the two of them competed at certain things, she was glad he had his music. She was glad her brother was good at something like that and she knew how much it meant to him.

"That's Eliot. If he can come for Parents Weekend, you'll get to meet him."

Jono considered that for a moment, and then his expression shifted into something that was very nearly a smile.

//Will he bring his violin?//

Jono totally had priorities. Truly.

"He doesn't leave it anywhere. It's his pride and joy. Our father gave it to him."

And it still burned a little that he hadn't given her anything. Then again, she hadn't really done so well with the last gift from that side of the family. And she had her yo-yos already.

Lucky. All Jono's family ever gave him was an ugly tattoo. Which was gone, now, so he was pretty much over it.

//Well, I might have ter keep an ear out for 'im, then.// A pause, and then he was right back on the original topic. //So, yer can pick out instruments well enough, but yer really don't have much of an idea about genre, hm?//

"Well, it's just him and the violin," she said with a shrug, "so not too hard to pick out. I know some of them, what they look like and how they were made, that kind of thing, but no, nothing about genres."

//We might have to change that,// Jono replied, a smirk lingering in his words, somewhere.

If he kept this up, he was going to end up just organizing a class and making people sit and listen to things. Because he said so.

The smirk made her smile.

"Going to educate me on musical genres?"

She could understand that desire.

//If yer haven't any complaints about the idea, anyhow.//

Someone didn't know what the difference between ska and rock was! Not all was right in Fandom!

"No complaints," she said with a lift of her head.

"I like to learn about things."

//And if my teaching means sittin' around, listening to good music for a few hours a week, who am I to turn down the opportunity?//

Because... Music. It wasn't as though Jono was going to have any difficulty handling that, really.

"Exactly. Though not everyone feels the same way about the kind of topics I could teach people about," and that came with a wry grin.

//No, luv?//

And now Jono was properly curious, yes.

"Interesting childhood. Mostly full of books and a lot of rules. But if you want to discuss rare African sea-slugs or need to know where Tristan da Cunha is, I'm your girl."

//In the South Atlantic,// Jono replied, easily.

Hey, it was part of a British territory. He had to learn these things on principle, really.

//Never was very interested in sea slugs, mind.//

That actually got a smile out of her. A happy smile.

"It was just an offhand reference. My brother--"

Explaining vocabulary insult would be a little difficult.

"Listening to the music had me thinking about him and he made a reference to slugs the last time I saw him."

//Ah, an inside joke, then. Say no more.// Jono waved a hand dismissively, and then started idly dabbling in the water again. //Miss havin' yer family about?//

"Not my 'family' so much," she had to admit with a glance at his fingers in the water.

"My brother. We're twins. Homeschooled, kept pretty much away from everyone. Eliot's... Eliot. The only person I had for most of my life. Kind of weird being without him. We keep in touch" and she waggled the phone for a moment before tucking it away, but it's different."

//I can imagine.// The water went 'splish splish.' It was therapeutic, really. It helped him keep his mind off of the wonderful smells coming from the food that he'd never be able to eat. //Bit of a shock, then, suddenly being without somethin' that yer've had for yer entire life.//

"A shock after a bunch of shocks," she agreed, "We were supposed to go to school together, but plans got changed."

//Plans have a funny way of doing that.// Splish. Sigh. //And typically in the worst possible way, too.//

She shook her head just a little.

"It could have been worse. We were both supposed to go to the Paxington Institute in New York. Ended up here. Made friends. Could be so much worse."

//And if yer say that too loudly,// Jono mused, //then some piece of the universe will up and decide that it has to make things, worse, in order to make up the difference.//

He was such a sunshiny optimist!

Edited 2009-09-21 17:31 (UTC)

"It does that anyway around here," she said wryly.

"No one told you?"

//Wot? About Fandom Island's bloody sense of bloody humour?// Jono had apparently been educated in it already, yes. //Between flying pudding and homicidal ducks and the fact that everybody and their cat appears to be able to talk telepathically, I think I managed to figure it out, luv.//

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