Nowruz and Cultural Convergence
As one of the ancient national festivities of Iranians, Nowruz, has been and is celebrated in Iran and all the lands to which Iranians have migrated, and while maintaining a deep connection with people it has become a clear manifestation of the extent of the influence of Iranian culture. The extent of this influence is so widespread that in addition to Iran, this great festivity is also celebrated in other countries of the geographical region of the Iranian culture including Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iran’s neighboring countries in the west and east, including Iraq, Turkey, the neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf, Pakistan and even other regions such as the Balkans and the Indian Subcontinent.
Spring of Nature, a Valuable Opportunity for Expansion of Cultural Relations
Spring is just in the offing and Nowruz is the manifestation of victorious life. Each new solar year, which takes place at the time of change in nature and after resisting the cold and hard winter and the flow of life in the fabric of nature is an opportunity bestowed on man to remember the Day of Judgment, to understand the power of the Almighty Creator and to strive for evolving and reforming himself in all aspects of his spiritual, material, intellectual, personal, and social existence.
The Role of Nowruz in Promoting Coexistence and Synergy among Ethnic Groups and Nations within the Region of Iranian Cultural Civilization
Nowruz and its ancient customs and traditions have always been of special importance in the minds of nations and communities living within the ecosystem of “Cultural Iran”, which includes the countries of the ECO cultural region, Egypt, Syria, some parts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Russian Federation. And over time, the celebration of Nowruz, this ancient human heritage, has come to be manifested as a permanent cultural behavior in the folklore and daily life of the people of these ancient lands.
Nowruz is the Pillar of the Eastern Identity
As the identity and intangible structure of each nation, culture is an inseparable part of people’s lives and throws light on their beliefs, knowledge, values, and their way of life. The high importance of culture and its profound impact at national and global levels notify us of the need for preserving it at all times.
The Mythological Foundation of Nowruz
Nowruz festivity can be considered as the outcome of three important mythological foundations the understanding of which could be quite enlightening. These three mythological foundations include creation or genesis, time, and agriculture. Nowruz is a symbolic form of the unity between these three important issues and man has been able to present and narrate them in the form of Nowruz festivity. Nowruz represents a kind of genesis for human beings, because the world moves out of the atmosphere of winter silence and stagnation that had slowed down the movement of life, made some plants take refuge in their roots and seeds, and a number of animals go into hibernation. With the arrival of Nowruz, plants blossom and animals come out of numbness, and life begins to flourish again. And in what better way can one experience genesis and the process of creation.
Training-related Rights of Children over Parents
As we all know, one of the dimensions to the essence of human beings is their learning, which should be taken into account in the process of training and educating children. Thus among the children’s rights upon their parents is their receiving proper social training by their parents so that their talents and potentials can adequately develop in the arena of social life, enabling them to live fruitful lives as active and successful members of not only their own society but of the broader society of the world of human beings. According to Islam, children should be taught and trained on the basis of Divine rules, moral values, and humane manners, so that they learn to be responsible human beings: taking care not to violate the rights of other human beings in any condition and to do their best to fulfill their duties towards all.
Nowruz in the Indian Subcontinent
The ancient Nowruz festivity, which entered the Indian Subcontinent from Iran and intertwined with different cultures of this land, is celebrated among many communities of this Subcontinent; involving special customs. History of Nowruz Celebrations in the Subcontinent
Being a Muslim
As Muslims, each of us needs to study our own degree of devotion to our faith. In other words, we need to constantly check to see how much we are Muslims, whether we live up to the requirements of our faith carefully and with commitment or whether God-forbid, most of the time neglect parts of our duties towards our Creator – Allah – The One and only God. No doubt, all of us desire Allah’s pleasure and a nice place in paradise in the Hereafter, but not all of us might be careful enough regarding the details of our daily actions and thoughts, to see our faults and shortcomings, and to try to remove them.
Change Our Condition to the Best of Conditions
This prayer, which we recite every New Year, contains a very interesting point. It says: "...transform our condition into the best condition." It does not say transform us to a better state or better condition. It is a request to the Almighty to transform our condition to the best of conditions. The sincere and dedicated effort of Muslim individuals is the one that allows them to reach the best in all areas and affairs. March 2010
The Spread of New Year
Open the windows, for the spring breeze is celebrating the rebirth of flowers and the spring sunlight has lit a candle on every branch of trees. For us Iranians, Nowruz is a symbol of freshness, re-birth of nature, and the removal of all impurities from bodies and souls and also a symbol of solidarity among the various Iranian ethnicities and unity of the whole nation. These are all values for us. As for the Haft-Seen spread on which seven items are put, (the names of which starts with the letter Seen in the Persian language) it should be said that it is also a custom rooted in the belief of the Iranians in spiritual concepts including the number seven, which is connected with several sacred facts, such as the seven Skies, the seven days of the week and so on. Each item placed on the Haft-Seen spread also symbolizes spirituality and hope for prosperity and strength. For example, Seer (garlic) symbolizes vigor and dynamism. Seeb (apple) is regarded as a symbol of re-birth, recreation, and good health. As I remember, there has always been a copy of the Holy Qur’an placed first and foremost on our Nowruz Haft-Seen spread.
Nowruz Celebrations
Happy Nowruz, happy spring. May Allah - The Gracious give you the best in life, and may He help you make your lives as beautiful and fruitful as springs. As we know, this world’s life has its ups and downs, like each year in our lives in which the refreshing spring and warm summer are followed by a dry or cold autumn, and colder winter. Yet the fact is that Allah, the All-Knowing, has placed innumerable blessings for His servants in each of these apparently difficult times. One lesson we can take from this fact is that we should regard hardships we go through in life as leading to certain blessings, just as cold winters give their place to refreshing springs. Hope and trust in God are really what we need most to become able to tolerate what we need to tolerate, without thanklessness. Our divine teachers have taught us, among others, to rely on Allah - The One and Only God - and to keep our hearts alive and healthy through remembering God. This lesson is most valuable and should be conveyed to all.
FAQ
Dear readers, we wish you all a happy Nowruz and a blissful life. May Allah make your whole life and the lives of your dear ones filled with desirable achievements, especially in connection with raising healthy, promising children. Please read the following question and answer for gaining certain guidelines.
Parvin E’tesami
Rakhshandeh E’tesami, known as Parvin E’tesami (1907-1941, Tabriz) was a 20th-century Iranian poetess and a prominent Iranian lexicographer. Parvin was around seven or eight years old when her poetic talent was revealed. Through her father’s encouragement, she versified some literary pieces which were translated from western sources by her father. In 1921-22, some of her earliest known poems were published in a Persian magazine named ‘Bahar’ (lit. spring).
Spring in Tehran
Spring with all its fragrance and freshness had entered the orchard of our house. As if a chunk of spring had just fallen into our yard. The smell of Farvardin (the first Iranian calendar month) had permeated everywhere. There was warm and pleasant sunshine. I could just see the warm breath of the earth coming out of the soil of the orchard. It was the Sizdahbedar Festival (the thirteenth day of the Iranian New Year).
Sa di, Master of Poetry Describing the Human Conditions
Mushrif al-Din ibn Muslih al-Din, popularly known as Saʿdi, also spelled Saadi, (1213 – 1291 CE, Shiraz, Iran), was one of the greatest figures in classical Persian literature. He lost his father, Muslih al-Din, in early childhood; later he was sent to study in Baghdad at the renowned Nezamiyeh College, where he received the traditional Islamic teachings. The unsettled conditions following the Mongol invasion of Persia led him to wander abroad through Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. In his works, he has also mentioned having traveled to India and Central Asia. He claimed that he was held captive by the Franks and put to work in the trenches of the fortress of Tripoli (now in Lebanon). When he returned to his native Shiraz, he was middle-aged; he seems to have spent the rest of his life in Shiraz. Saʿdi took his nom de plume from the name of a local Atabeg (prince), Saʿd ibn Zangi. Saʿdi’s best-known works are the Boustan (1257; The Orchard) and the Golestan (1258; The Rose Garden). The Boustan is entirely a book of poems and consists of stories aptly illustrating the standard virtues recommended to Muslims (justice, liberality, modesty, contentment) as well as reflections on the behavior of dervishes and their ecstatic practices.
Two Stories from The Golestan of Saʿdi on the advantages of silence
I said to a friend that I have chosen rather to be silent than to speak because on most occasions good and bad words are scattered concurrently but enemies perceive only the latter. He replied: ‘That enemy is the greatest who does not see any good.’
