Thursday, July 3, 2008

Tanabata, the star festival

Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

During Tanabata, Japaneses write two wishes on two colorful pieces of paper (called tanzaku), and hang these pieces of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree. They believe that the wishes will become true.

I remember that my sensei during the extensive Japanese course explained to me why they put their wishes on the bamboo tree, she said that the tree will take these wishes to god. She asked me then to write two wishes and put them on the tree. So, I said that I cannot because my religion forbids me to do that, if I want to ask something from god, I should ask him directly. Elhamdulileh, she respected my opinion ^_^ without any problems.

The problem with Tanabata is that Japaneses celebrate it in schools, teachers asks children to hang their wishes on bamboo trees and tell them different stories on Tanabata. For a muslim child, believing that the tree will make their wishes true is not good. It is very difficult to raise a child islamically in Japan, since Japaneses still believe in such matters. The good thing with Japaneses is that they respect other religions, when a muslim asks teachers that his child will not participate in such celebrations, they accept without any problem.

History of Tanabata:
Tanabata originated more than 2,000 years ago with an old Chinese tale called Kikkoden. Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, they were playing all the time and forgot their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River (Milky Way). The king allowed them to meet only once a year on July 7th. This is why tanabata is also called the Star Festival. People say that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't meet each other if July 7th is rainy, so they pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves. From (http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/tanabata.htm)

13 comments:

Biraru said...

السلام عليكم

Thank you for the information about this festival ^^
I applaud you for your attitude about things that disagree with Islam .. I love Japan very much and wish to go there to study but our love for Japan shouldn't make us forget our God's commands .. I have many friends there but I heard that they hanged a "tanzaku" .. I didn't expect this in fact .

And for children .. I think parents should teach them always the right Islamic commands and warn them about what they shouldn't do , the great thing is that Japaneses accept & respect our opinions without problems .. really this is good ^^

sorry for this long comment but I felt like I want to talk about this topic after what happened ^^;

ogenki de ^^

Anonymous said...

Nice post Hafida :)
I now realize how it is delicate to rise a child in Japan. Gambattene!

Anonymous said...

alsalam 3lekom
vthx for information about the festival my sister i asked allah to help u and blthabat

Anonymous said...

Thanks Hana-San for your nice comment.

Amani AbuQdais أماني أبوقديس said...

Biraru san,
Sorry for the shock I caused you but I am not that simple minded.
I didn't expect that you will take it that way.

Hafida san,
I hanged one but that doesn't mean I believe in it.
You are forgetting the most important thing in anything you do :النية (Al-Niyya/ your intent).
Plus Japanese people (Adults)don't really believe in this tanabata thing. It became like a matter of culture...You can compare this to santa clause in the west.
And of course I am against making kids believe in it.
What do you think? Would like to hear your response on this:)

Hafida said...

Salam
Thanks for your comment Kanji-Chan.

If a muslim hangs a Tanzaku and believes that the tree will make his wishes true, here it is clear that he is considered as a Polytheist (SHIRK).

If a muslim do not believe in the power of the tree (the niyya as you said), so why does he hang the tanzaku? by his act he is just doing the work of the Polytheists (mushrikin), and our Prophet (PBUH) has forbidden us from doing so.

Amani AbuQdais أماني أبوقديس said...

Hafida san,

Thanks for your response.

>>If a muslim do not believe in the >>power of the tree (the niyya as >>you said), so why does he hang >>the tanzaku?

For me, it was for setting goals,share the things I aim for with the people around and for the mere fun of it.
I can write(and I did) "nihongo jouzu ni naritai" on my blog too, does that mean I believe it has a super power to make this come true?

To convince you more in this, a lot of us hanged one that says :
"panda ni naritai"

In one of the lessons our sensei was explaining how seeing the kids wishes will warm your heart or make you laugh. One of the ones that makes u laugh was "panda ni naritai" hanged by a kid in a kindergarten.
So we went a head and put one.
Does that mean that I believe in the tree power? Of course not, because If i did I will be in trouble by now!;)

Now what do you think?^^

Hafida said...

Salam Kanji-Chan

When I wrote about Tanabata, it was just to share my own experience with the readers, I do not have the right to judge what the others do and I do not want to do it.

I am always trying to avoid to do what the Mushrikin do because I believe that as a muslim I must not follow the mushrikin in their actions. So, my family does not celebrate birthdays, valentine, chrismas and all the other celebrations. It was hard for me in the beginning but now elhamdulileh I do not feel the need to celebrate them ^_~.

Hafida said...

I forgot to say that I have never celebrated chrismas and valentine but I was celebrating birthdays.
In the last few years some muslims started to celebrate chrismas and valentine, this why I mentioned them.
Sorry for the confusion.

Amani AbuQdais أماني أبوقديس said...

Hafida san,
>>When I wrote about Tanabata, it was just to share my own experience with the readers, I do not have the right to judge what the others do and I do not want to do it.<<

I am totally aware of that from the beginning. I was just explaining myself because biraru san was referring to me in his comment.
So after I did so I wanted to hear your opinion too.
I am glad that you are going 100% with what you believe in.
I respect this in fact.

Biraru said...

Kanji chan ^^

sorry for not being here because I had - & still have - internet problems in my house at Irbid ^^;

You said : " because biraru san was referring to me in his comment " ...

in fact I wasn't referring specifically to you but I'm glad that you described your view point ^^

Amani san .. does AL-NIYYA mean that if I believe in something then I can do the opposite as long as my niyya is good ?!
I KNOW you don't mean to ask the tree & I KNOW you don't believe in this ( because in fact this will be a much bigger problem if anyone do ^^ ) & I of course KNOW that you are not simple minded ... but .. WHY ? why making things that had been forbidden in our religion if we are originally don't believe in them ?!!! why don't we make others do our habits and believe in our thoughts ? did you see any non-Muslim slays a sheep at al-Adha Eid for example ?!! ... I like to share memories with others but not if they - the memories - have anything opposite to my beliefs .

I think there's no need for any muslim to keep arguing about any religious topic if there's a simple and specific order to DO or NOT to do something ..

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " إن الرقى والتمائم والتولة شرك " ، وقال : " من تعلق تميمة فلا أتم الله له " وقال : " من تعلق تميمة فقد أشرك " صدق رسول الله

And before anyone asks me ; I'm not trying to make myself "mofti" or showing people how much I know in religion .. it's just that I always wonder .. Why don't we just take these matters simply & just obey ? .. Why don't we just ask ALLAH directly without papers or intermediary ? if our prophet clearly ordered us not to hang a paper with wishes written on it and not to celebrate un-Islamic festivals ; why don't we just follow him without questioning or making excuses ? ......................... Am I wrong ?!

Amani san .. sorry for the long reply .. I just hope that you'll consider it as a little advice from a brother who cares about you; more than just a reply for the purpose of posting or replying ^^

Ogenki de ^_^

Amani AbuQdais أماني أبوقديس said...

biraru san

ohisashiburi!
Glad that you replied on this.
I can understand your viewpoint now.
But I am still not convinced.
Anyway, I know what I had in mind at that time and I know that it was not against Islam :)

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