{"_id":"69a057f3c9219e85377684ee","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Is decorating with lights for Ramadan considered imitation of non-Muslims?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Is putting up lights for Ramadan considered imitating the kuffār or copying Christmas traditions?\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Muslims have historically used lights to express joy and highlight the significance of Ramadan long before modern decorations became common. In Fatimid Egypt around the 10th century, the fanous (lantern) emerged as an enduring symbol of the holy month, with people, especially children, carrying them through the streets, while mosques hung large ornate lanterns to signal the times of iftar and suhoor.\\n\\nIn the Ottoman Empire, this tradition reached an even higher level of artistry through a unique practice known as mahya where skilled craftsmen would string oil lamps on ropes between the minarets of grand mosques such as the Blue Mosque and Suleymaniye in Istanbul, forming illuminated words and phrases visible across the city.\\n\\nThis was not limited to one region either. In major Muslim cities throughout the medieval period, town squares and markets were adorned with torches and oil lamps during Ramadan and other blessed occasions.\\n\\nThe use of lights to celebrate Ramadan is therefore not something foreign to our tradition, nor is it a blameworthy innovation. On the contrary, it is praiseworthy — a natural outward expression of joy for the occasion and a sign of its great importance in the hearts of the believers.\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fde0b76658b4c232774","tag":"Fasting: Ramadan","count":97},{"_id":"668d9fff0b76658b4c232b60","tag":"Worship: Other","count":54}],"createdOn":"2026-02-26T14:25:55.538Z"}