[ampaterry]

Thank you, BlackEagle, for telling us what we DON'T hear on the news - it is appreciated!

Today is another Muslim holiday. This one is called Lailat al Bara'a, and it is also called Mid-Sha'ban.
By now, you are aware that the Muslim calendar is not true to a solar year. Due to this inaccuracy, all Islamic holidays come eleven days earlier each year on our calendar, 12 days earlier in leap years. Due to this movement, all holidays move all through the year in our calendar, and can come in any season.
But there is much more uncertainty about today's holiday than merely the date for it. Today's holiday is one which Muslims observe, but they do not agree on why they observe it.

In the Shia view, today is the date when Imam al-Mahdi was born. Shias believe him to be the twelfth, final and current Shia Imam and also the Mahdi, a very important Islamic figure who is believed by all Muslims to bring absolute justice to the world by establishing Islam as the global religion.

We know this to be false, because the Word of God is clear concerning the coming age of a one world religion, and how it ends:
Revelation 19:19-20 (KJV);
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

In the Sunni view this is a day for worship and salvation, commemorating when Noah and his family were saved from the deluge, and the time when God prepares the destiny for all people on Earth for the coming year. For this reason it is sometimes called the Night of Emancipation (Lailat ul Bara'at).

We know this to be false, because God has prepared our salvation before the founding of the world, ready and waiting for us to accept it:
Ephesians 1:4-5 (KJV);
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will . .

May God bless each one of you -