poke poke

Poking myself out of my antipathetic slumber:

Fasting: the Book of Assistance by Imam Haddad

You should work only for the hereafter in this noble month, and embark on something worldly only when absolutely necessary. Arrange your life before Ramadan in a manner which will render you free for worship when it arrives. Be intent on devotions and approach God more surely, especially during the last ten days. If you are able not to leave the mosque, except when strictly necessary, during those last ten days then do so. Be careful to perform the Tarawih prayers during every Ramadan night. In some places it is nowadays the custom to make them so short that sometimes some of the obligatory elements of the prayer are omitted, let alone the sunnas. It is well known that our predecessors read the whole Qur’an during this prayer, reciting a part each night so as to complete it on one of the last nights of the month. If you are able to follow suit then this is a great gain; if you are not, then the least that you can do is to observe the obligatory elements of the prayer and its proprieties.

Muslim devotees offer “Tarawi” prayers on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta on August 31. Families across Indonesia are having to cut back during Ramadan as rising food and fuel prices limit spending power for the nightly festivities. (AFP/File/Jewel Samad)

A Lebanese Muslim man prays during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at a mosque in Sidon, southern Lebanon September 3, 2008. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/ Sharif Karim (LEBANON)

An Egyptian boy looks up as his father prays on a street during the first day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan in Tukh, about 60 km (38 miles) north of Cairo September 1, 2008. Muslims around the world congregate for special evening prayers called “Tarawih” during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when they abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset. REUTERS/Amr Dalsh (EGYPT)

Blind Muslim women read the Braille Koran during Ramadan in Jakarta September 3, 2008. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Dadang Tri (INDONESIA)

standing before your Lord

From Flickr

Pre Ramadan Pic

Yaay, it’s time to start one of my favorite Ramadan rituals - Ramadan picture gathering. Started years ago when I was a solo muslim, lonely and longing for some connection to the rest of the ummah, I would search yahoo news photos of pictures of Ramadan around the world. These pictures would then end up on my yearly Ramadan pictures thread on whatever islam-oriented forum I happened to be frequenting at the time.

Since I have a blog this year, inshaAllah I’ll post these pictures here.

Egyptians walk past displays of traditional tin lanterns known as Fawanis Ramadan in old Cairo, 16 August 2007 as preparations begin for the fasting month of Ramadan. (AFP/File/Cris Bouroncle)