Category Archive

Ok, let’s see here.

Beginning of the month – fajr comes in at ~5:00 a.m.  Here’s my plan for intensive ibadah days, which I hope to have at least 2 of during the week:

• 4:15 – wake up, pray a little tahajud, eat iftar
• 5:00 a.m. – fajr
• 5:10 a.m. – dhikr
• 5:20 a.m. – back to bed
• 6:25 a.m. – wake up for work
• 6:50 a.m. – leave for work, read quran on bus
• 12:00 p.m. – take a walk over lunch hour, listen to Qur’an and lectures on ipod
• 2:00 p.m. – break, pray zuhr
• 4:30 p.m. – leave work, read quran on bus
• 5:45 p.m. – return home, play with cat
• 5:55 p.m. – pray asr
• 6:10 p.m. – nap
• 7:45 p.m. –  wake up, heat up iftar
• 8:00 p.m. – maghrib, iftar
• 8:30 p.m. – ibadah – read book with AbuS, listen to lecture together, read quran, take breaks to play with cat
• 9:30 p.m. – isha
• 10:00 p.m. – taraweeh
• 11:30 p.m. – sleep (inshaAllah!)

Non intensive ibadah days:

• 4:45 a.m. – eat iftar
• 5:00 a.m. – pray fajr
• 5:10 a.m. – nap
• 6:25 a.m. to 5:45 p.m – same as above
• 6:00 p.m. – asr
• 6:10 p.m. – some ibadah, spend time with cat (and husband), clean house
• 7:45 p.m. – heat up iftar
• 8:00 p.m. – maghrib/iftar
• 8:30 p.m. – ibadah
• 9:30 p.m. – isha
• 9:45 p.m. – sleep

This will of course change as the month progresses.  Fajr will move from 5:00 a.m. to 5:30, and isha will move up from 9:30, to 8:30, making it much easier to pray taraweeh.

…in the month of shaban.  A short talk by Sh. Husain Abdul Sattar that everyone should have time to listen to.

…until Ramadan!  (more or less)

Today is the 30th of Rajab (here in the US according to physical moon sighting), which means tomorrow is the 1st of Shaban.

If you haven’t gotten your fast on, do it now!

1.  Bloody heck, it’s cold!  I hope I left a sweater here at work last winter, cuz I’m shivering.   I can’t imagine how cold it must be for the people wearing short skirts and short sleeves.  Turn down the air conditioning!

2.  Ramadan in the summer is going to be haaaard.  I envision coming home after work and sleeping until an hour before maghrib.

3.  Suhoor is veryimportant in the summer.  Up until now, I’ve managed to do fine just drinking water for suhoor.  But when it’s hot, you need a little extra something something in your stomach to give you the energy to persevere.

4.  Aspirin does not cut it for fasting headaches.  Note to self – get aleve for suhoor and iftar.

5.  It is possible to fast with a headache.  But it takes all the fun out of it.

6.  Is there more baraka in fasting long hot days?

7.  Isra wa Miraj Mubarak!   Currently listening to this talk by Sh. Abdul Sattar on Isra and the Miraj and inshaAllah will dig out this Hamza Yusuf CD when I get home.

Practical Tips in Preparation for Ramadan (from soundvision with added links by moi)

Ramadan is an event that occurs in the life of the faithful, as individuals and as an Ummah, once a year. It is intended by Allah to help us to recharge our spiritual batteries and thus prepare us for the great mission of realizing His will on earth. Therefore, in order to benefit from Ramadan, we may do well to prepare for it by opening our hearts and minds to embrace it. Let me offer a few tips:

1. We should empower ourselves by learning as much as we can about the precise laws as well as the benefits of fasting. Fiqh of Fasting Hanafi, Basics of Fasting – Shafi’i, Maliki book on Fasting, Fiqh us Sunnah on Fasting, general

2. We should ensure that we gain true benefits from our fasting, let us make sure to realize the spirit of fasting: this can only be done by abstaining, not only from food, drink, and sex, but also by strictly restraining our minds, hearts as well as our eyes, ears, hands, tongue, and so on. Inner Dimensions of Fasting by Imam al Ghazali

3.We must embrace the spirit of fasting as stressed in Hadith: to be charitable and compassionate as much as we can. The Concept of Charity in Islam, Muslim Character by Muhammad Ghazali

4. We should strengthen our relationship with the Qur’an; for Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an. Way to the Qur’an, Ulum al Qur’an

5. We should engage in dhikr and condition ourselves to make it second nature. My page of dhikr resources

6. Last but not least, we should build up our community through acts of charity and compassion and extending help to those in need as much as we can. Agenda to Change our Condition

Let us pray that we come out of Ramadan with our faith recharged, gaining strength in our faith and commitment and relationship with Allah.
 

*doing a happy dance complete with a pot stir*

Allahumma baariklanaa fee rajabi wa sha’ban wa ballignaa shara ramadan

O Allah! Bless us in the holy months of Rajab and Sha’ban and make us reach the holy month of Ramadan!

Which means only 2 more months to Ramadan *it’s almost raaamadan, it’s almost raaamadan*

Time to amp up your fasting and get your prayers in order!

T-minus 100 days until Ramadan (give or take  a few days)!  That’s only 3 months away   It’s never to early to get psyched and start preparing.  I have heard that the companions of the Prophet (ra and saws) would spend the 5 months after Ramadan asking Allah (swt) to accept their deeds from the month and the next six preparing for the forthcoming Ramadan.

Well, we’re definitely in the six months preceeding Ramadan, so now is the time to prepare.  What are you going to do to get yourself psyched up?  I’m currently reading through al-Jumuah magazine’s Ramadan issue from last year and man oh man, August 22nd (or 21st or 23rd) can’t come fast enough!

To do before Ramadan:

1. Pray every single fard prayer on time between now and the beginning of Ramadan (and inshaAllah throughout and after Ramadan as well)
2. Add duha prayer in July
3. Add tahajjud at the beginning of August
4. Begin fasting Mondays and Thursdays in Rajab and Sha’ban
5. Brush up on the fiqh of fastingaccording to the shafi’i school
6. Browse through my past posts on Ramadanto find more inspirational and iman boosting things to read and listen to, especially my ramadan linkage mega post from last year.  Also, FYI, there appears to be a bug in my layout, so that when you select a category, it only shows one page of results.  To circumvent this, use the search function at the top o my blog.

[happy happy joy joy]  I’m positively giddy right now thinking about Ramadan. [/happy happy joy joy]

Spiffy or too cluttered?  Does the amazon widget look wacky to anyone else?  It doesn’t have the cool ferris wheel of books, just the corner of one book in the corner from the looks of it here.

Mr. Moo is a genius:

farewell Ramadan

another year come and gone

another year wasted

goals set, advances anticipated

but for naught

heart aches for lost opportunities

khalas

farewell Ramadan

next year inshaAllah

*disclaimer*  I am not a poet.  I have never claimed to be a poet.  Please excuse this pitiful attempt at poetry as a desperate attempt to get my feelings out.

Alhamdulilah, the husband found a masjid that has women’s itikaf.

‘A’isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do i’tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan until Allah Almighty caused him to die. Then his wives did i’tikaf after him. [Agreed upon]

Itikaf is a spiritual retreat.  It was traditionally done by the Prophet (saws) in the masjid during the last 10 days of Ramadan.  However, it can be done for a shorter period of time, and women can do it at home.

inshaAllaha ta’la I’ll be making one day of itikaf this year.  I haven’t done anything like it since college, so I’m uber excited.   I’ll be making it for 24-25 hours, from the evening on Friday until after magrhib on Saturday, my b-day, inshaAllah.  I’m going to bring a bunch of stuff to keep me occupied, since I have the attention span of a flee.

•  Quran – Muhammad Asad and Bewley translations
• Keys of the Garden by Habib Ahmad Mashur al-Haddad
• A biography of the Prophet (saws)
• Blissful Marriage: A Practical Islamic Guide
• My ipod containing only Qur’an, nasheed and lectures.  No NPR.
• Pillow and sleeping bag

Here’s the schedule I’ve worked out in my mind:

• Stay up until fajr
• Pray fajr
• Sleep until mid morning
• Stay up until itikaf is done

And here are my goals:

• Read entire Qur’an in english
• Read at least a juz in arabic
• Make up at least one day’s worth of prayers every hour I’m awake, if not more (soo many missed prayers to make up)
• Make 10 minutes of dhikr each hour
• Read through the first half of Muhammad by Yahiya Emerick and come up with discussion questions for my book group
• Fill the rest of the time either listening to Qur’an or listening to lectures

Yaaay, sooo excited!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said; Three supplications will not be rejected: the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler. [al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih]

The prophet (saws) declared, ‘Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: when a fasting person breaks fast (in another narration, the fasting person until he breaks his fast), the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.’[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]

Are you taking advantage of this month in your dua?  Are you supplicating your little hearts out?  Please include these people in your dua:

Cairo Rockslide Deathtoll Climbs

At least 47 people are known to have died in a rockslide at a shanty town in Cairo, the Egyptian capital.

Some reports say hundreds more people may be buried beneath the rubble. Hopes of finding more survivors are fading though rescue efforts continue.

The authorities have been criticised for a delay in sending heavy machinery.

Ramadan Curbs Imposed on Muslims in Western China

The rules include prohibiting women from wearing veils and men from growing beards, as well as barring government officials from observing Ramadan. One town, Yingmaili, requires that local officials check up on mosques at least twice a week during Ramadan.

…

They include barring teachers and students from observing Ramadan, prohibiting retired government officials from entering mosques and requiring men to shave off beards and women to doff veils. Mosques cannot let people from outside of town stay overnight and restaurants must maintain normal hours of business. Many restaurants close in daytime hours during Ramadan because of the sunrise-to-sunset fasting.

Alhamdulilah, the RNC is done, and the republicans and inshaAllah rioters have gone home.  Thursday was another eventful evening.  The city of Saint Paul made a huge mistake – they granted limited permits to march and gather.  The permit for Thursday’s gathering ended at 5.  The protesters wanted to march after 5, so they marched.  Thus, the streets of downtown Saint Paul were all jammed.

So the bus let us off up north of the capital.  No one knew anything.  No communication.  Were the buses running downtown?  Should I walk the 3/4 of a mile down there only to find out there were no buses, and have to hike out the mile and a half I hiked on Monday?  I decided to just walk straight to that point at University and Lafayette that I did on Monday, in my dress shoes.  Alhamdulilah I don’t wear heels.  Alhamdulilah it wasn’t 90 degrees.  Still, it took me 2 hours to get home, when it normally takes me just one.

I have several regrets about this week:

1.  I didn’t get tickets to the daily show.  Dur.  This is a regret for 2 reasons.  One, I *heart* Jon Stewart, and the shows this week were awesome.  Two, I shouldn’t be so upset about missing this during Ramadan.  I should be spending this time focusing on Allah (swt), but no, my heart is tied to the dunya and to Jon Stewart.
2. I was too attached to the dunya all around.  I fell behind miserably on my ibadah goals.  Usually I don’t lose momentum until midway through the second week.  This time, I had no momentum from the get go.

Ok, I guess it’s just a few regrets, not several, but still.  Some things did go well however:

1. Prayed fajr at the masjid on Saturday.  There were only 2 other people there besides my husband and I, and no kids, so it was very quiet.  This gave me uninterrupted ibadah time.  Unfortunately, this messed up the husband’s sleep pattern, which in turn made him sick, so he’s not too keen to go and spend the dawn hours out again *sigh*
2. Iftar at the masjid.  I’m usually quite shy, and as such, I haven’t interacted too much with people at the masjid iftars.  This year I’m doing it different.  I’m saying salaams to everyone and striking up conversations.  Imagine that, it’s working
3. The Egyptian iftar.  I’ve been trying to get in with the women who make the egyptian masjid iftar for years.  This year, I was actually invited to help cook.  Huzzah!  2 saturdays from now, inshaAllah I’ll be elbow deep in egyptian food.   I make a pretty mean grape leaf mahshy (stuffed grape leaves), and inshaAllah I can learn other dishes as well.

Next week, here are the goals inshaAllah:

1.  Read a juz every day
2. Learn one new surah
3. Go to taraweeh prayer at least once

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)

I think what I’ll miss most when I finally give up television (inshaAllah) is the PBS cooking academy. Saturday morning, I plop down for a good 2 to 3 hours, and watch show after show, attempting to gleen recipes and techniques. Almost every weekend, I come away with something new to cook.

Yesterday, I found it on Sara’s Weeknight Meals – Quick Asparagus Lasagna. As always, I futzed with the recipe. I made the dish twice as big as called for – 12 square wantons rather than 6 per layer, doubled the veggies, but didn’t double the cheese. This was mainly a result of the fact that the only pan I had available would fit 12, and that I had frozen broccoli in the freezer to add for the unplanned expansion. The first layer I laid down the broccoli, and the second was the asparagus and the onions. Tasty tasty tasty. Definitely in the “will make again” pile. Next time, I think I may add a light tomato sauce to give it a little more flavor.

If anyone is looking for a quick and easy iftar recipe, this is definitely one for the books.

On a related note, went to the Saint Paul Farmer’s market on Saturday to get veggies for the iftars I’ll be making this week.

You really can’t get a good sense of size from this picture. Everything but the tomatoes and eggplants are massive. The cauliflower is seriously bigger than my head. The tomatoes, peppers and green peppers are for the Huevos Rancheros (another cooking academy find) I’m going to make for the first suhoor Monday inshaAllah, if Ramadan really is Monday that is. If it’s Tuesday, I doubt we really want a bunch of beans before we go to work.

Finally, my dear beloved dates. I went to Holy Land last weekend to stock up on grape leaves and other ME cooking essentials. The date section was well stocked, but what was this?? No majdool dates???? Oh, I nearly had a heart attack. It just isn’t ramadan without these dates. Nothing else tastes good to me. Luckily, I tracked down an employee and pleaded with her, where are the majdool dates? Apparently, they weren’t done boxing them up yet, but she went in the back and got me some. Alhamdulilah, now ramadan can start!

Ooo, it’s almost here!  Ramadan will start either the 1st or the 2nd, inshaAllah.  For working women, Ramadan can be a nightmare.  You work hard all day long, and then come home and try to whip up something for the family to enjoy.  Even if they’re not expecting anything fancy (alhamdulilah the husband isn’t one who demands a 5 course meal, which is good, cuz he’d never get one), it can still drain away the little energy and time you have, and there’s not much left to dedicate to ibadah.

This year, it’s going to be different.  inshaAllah I’m going to do the bulk of the cooking/baking on the weekends. Then, during the week the husband and I can take a walk after work, spend some time with the Qur’an and just heat up the iftar. 

So now I’m planning what I’ll be making this weekend.  It’s Farmer’s Market day here in downtown Minneapolis, so I’m hoping do a lot of with fresh veggies.

Cauliflower with Tomato (Arnabet Ba AL-Tamatem)

There should be some cauliflower at the FM.  I always make this with much less butter than is actually called for , 1 or 2 tablespoons as opposed to half a freakin stick.

Mulukhiya

I’m so not a fan, but the husband is, so he can “enjoy” all of this green, snot-like dish.  bleck.  I use a variation first recipe with frozen mulukhiya.  I don’t actually use a chicken.  Instead, I use chicken stock.

Huevos Rancheros and Refried Beans

This is actually what I’m planning to make for suhoor of the first day.  I saw this episode of America’s Test Kitchen last weekend and have been dying to try it.  You have to register to see the recipe, but it’s well worth it.  It’s done with homemade salsa and refried beans.  It calls for pork fat, but I’ll just substitute butter. 

The husband loves foul (mashed fava beans), so I thought he would love refried beans.  I was shocked to find out that he didn’t.  Then I saw this episode last week, and they tasted premade canned beans and hate them all.  Ah, perhaps it is the fact that I’ve only served premade beans, and he’s used to homemade foul.  So, perhaps he’ll like the refried beans that I’ll be making from scratch, inshaAllah.

Chicken

No recipe here, just the same ol same ol.  I have to prep it the *egyptian* way, otherwise it apparently smells too much like chicken.  Um yeah, too much like chicken.  So, I rub it down with flour, let it sit awhile, rinse it off, and then rub it with grated onions, pepper and lemon juice.    Then I’ll pick a spice from my collection (oh, it’s lovely, I’ll be blogging about that eventually), rub it in, and bake in the oven until it’s done, at 350. 

Vegetable Lasagna

Haven’t tried this one yet, but I can get zucchini, eggplan, squash and possibly mushrooms at the FM.

Quick Moussaka

My great aunt gave me some old Everyday Food magazines, and this is one of my favorite recipes.

Curried Shrimp

I don’t leave the tails on.  bleck!

Yup, I think that looks good.  More than enough food for a week.  Add to that a bag of salad and a bowl of watermelon, and we’ll be good to go inshaAllah.

I’m an online kinda muslim.  I learned about Islam online.  I nearly converted online.  I met my husband online.  And for the most part, my interactions with the ummah are on the interwebz.  I’m quite shy in the real world, but when I log on and start typing, all that shyness evaporates.  

It’s not that I don’t enjoy the real world masjid scene.  Ok, no wait, I don’t really enjoy the real world masjid scene.  I could go on and on about the issues I have, but inshaAllah I’m going to focus on the positive.   I enjoy the wonderful food the aunties cook for iftar.  My first fond memories of the masjid were the weekly iftars during college, where the community cooked copious amounts of delicious backhomelandia food for the hungry students.  And jummah prayer during Ramadan is awesome.   The hall is usually stuffed, and the energy is at its peak. 

However, when it comes to pumping myself up for Ramadan, I turn to Sheikh Google to see what the online ummah has to offer.   A few years back, I started a thread on one of the message boards I frequented to share the treasures I stumbled upon in my online wanderings.  I would post these so prolifically that other posters called me the Queen of the Links.  Gradually, that thread morphed into this blog.

With Ramadan fast approaching, the urge to muck around in online material is increasing.  And in honor of my humble beginnings as that crazy poster who could find a link for every occasion, I give you the best of the best (or at least what I could find in the past week from my old ramblings and new searching), my favorite Ramadan related interwebz content that I will be reading and listening to as the blessed month approaches and arrives.

~*~ rahma’s Ramadan register ~*~

Soundvision’s Ramadan Page - everything here is worth reading, although these are my favorites:

• 10 Great Goals to Set for Ramadan

• Inner Dimensions of Fasting - comes Imam Al Ghazali’s Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship, which is a great book all round.

Zaytuna- a veritable treasure trove of iman boosting mp3s and articles

• Ramadan Reflections One One, Two Two and Three Three, Ramadan Preparations, Ramadan Mubarak!,  Approaching Ramadan, Towards Resolving the Recurring Moon-sighting Controversy, Farewell to a Blessed Ramadan and Ramadan Farewell Ramadan Farewell by Imam Zaid 

• Moon Sighting Moon Sighting, Ramadan Khutbah, Cesarean Moon Births and Ramadan Advice Ramadan Adviceby Sheikh Hamza

• Maliki Ramadan Fiqh One One, Two Two and Three Threeby Muhammad Rami Nsour 

• Hanafi Ramadan Fiqh One One and Two Twoby Imam Tahir Anwar

• Virtues of Ramadan One One and Two Twoby Shaykh Salek bin Siddina 

• Holy Verses of Ramadan Holy Verses of Ramadanby Qari Amar 

• Statement Concerning the Beginning of Ramadan, Zaytuna’s Policy Prescription For Determining the Start of Islamic Months

• The Night of the Fifteenth of Sha’baan (Nisf Sha’baan)by Mona Elzankaly

Sunnipath - search Ramadan and Fasting for more

• Ramadan and You – although it’s too late to sign up for this year, put it on your to do list for next Ramadan.  Awesome class.

• An Excellent Article on Ramadan

• Fasting in Ramadan – a Muslim Pharmacist’s Perspective

• Chapter on Fasting from the Book of Assistance

• The Book of Fasting, Its Secrets, Its Tasks and What’s Associated with It

• Prophetic Guidance on Fasting from Riyad al Saliheen

• The Basics of Fasting according to the Shafi’i School

TJ Ramadan Resources - oodles of Ramadan activities for the youngins and not so youngins.  I’m plumbing this resource for the post iftar activities that our masjid will (inshaAllah inshaAllah inshaAllah) be having this year.

In the Shade of Ramadan- a series of videos that went up last year.  There’s one for each day, and make an excellent little listen after iftar.

Yahoo News Photos- I can almost hear the puzzlement at this one.  Ah, but get this – if you search “ramadan,” Ramadan related photos pop up.  There are usually a goodly amount of new ones each day.  When I was an internet only muslim, this was my only link to the ummah.  I lived vivaciously through the joyous celebrations of others that I saw in the pictures.

I Profess – goodies for newbies including Getting Ready for Ramadan.

Ramadan FAQs – Health and Safety of Islamic Fasting

Crescent Life Ramadan Section – in particular Diet During Ramadan

Saudi Aramco World- check the archives under Ramadan for past articles.  Don’t forget to subscribe (for free!) while you’re there.  My favorite article isn’t in the archives, but there is a pdf scan of it (lots of patience required, it’s huge and takes awhile to download) – Ramadan USA.

Path to Peace Ramadan Section

Mutmainaa Ramadan Section

Sunnah Online – in particular Ramadan: Have you got what it takes?

Deviantart- search “ramadan” and “eid” for spiffy art

Islam Online’s Ramadan Section- it’s from last year, but inshaAllah the new one will be up soon.

Ramadan: It’s not just a food fast

Lord of Ramadan Music Video

Teen Imams- PBS piece on teens leading taraweeh

Amr Khaled’s In Thy Name we Live series- done a few Ramadans ago.   Discusses a different name of Allah (swt) every night.  Great to watch before/after iftar.  Viewable with english subtitles at google video.

Ramadan Commercial – good for an LOL.

Ramadan/Eid Cards:

• Your True Greetings

• Sakkal Greetings

• Silver Envelope

to the tune of whiste while you work from Snow White:

Just dhikr while you work (la il-la-ha il Al-Lah*)
Put on that grin and start right in
to dhikr loud and long
Just move your tongue and lips (la il-la-ha il Al-Lah)
Just do your best and take a rest
and praise Allah right now.

*the whistle that went here in the original has 7 consonants.  La ilaha il Allah has 7 consonants.  Kapeesh?

Ah yes, corny, corny, I hear the groans.  But here me out.  My La TV campaign has lost it’s umph.  I try to focus on doing something else, but I get bored easily, and inevitably end up plopped on the couch in front of the tube.

So I need new things to occupy myself with:

1. Taking courses at Sunnipath.  Just got off the phone with the husband, and he’s actually encouraging me to take Ramadan and You course that starts this weekend.  Alhamdulilah.  Usually, I’ll mention I want to take a course, he looks at it and says it costs too much.  Alhamdulilah, this time he actually realizes how good it will be for me and that it’s worth the $$.  inshaAllah I’ll sign up when I get home tonight

2. Ok, this actually explains the post title and corny song, dhikr while you work.  The goal is constant dhikr in all (ok most) actions. 

Salman Farsee (ra) said, “If a person remembers Allah in times of peace, pleasure and prosperity, then whenever he is in trouble and difficulty, the angels, being familiar with his voice, recognize him in his helplessness and intercede before Almighty Allah (for his forgiveness); but, if one who does not remember Allah in his time of pleasure and happens to pray for help at the time of difficulty, the angels find his voice to be quite unfamiliar and therefore do not intercede for him.” (source)

To further that goal, I’ve taken up cross stitching.  Um, yeah, and that relates to dhikr how?  See, when one is stitching, each stitch is the perfect opportunity for a praise of Allah (swt).  If you’re doing a project that uses 2000 stitches, there are 2000 opportunities to praise Allah (swt).  Instead of counting your dhikr on beads, you’re counting them in your stitches.  And, when you’re done with the project, it will be full of barakah. 

Since I haven’t stitched since I was a child, I’m currently working on an uber easy Allah pattern in kufic.  I’m about a third of the way done, and when I finish, I’ll post a picture inshaAllah.

I figure that during Ramadan, I can lay out a schedule.  Come home, read Qur’an for x minutes, listen to a lecture for x minutes, then stitch and make dhikr until iftar.  After dinner, read an islamic book with the husband, then force him to read to me to practice his english.  Chock full of time for Allah (swt).  No time for tv.   inshaAllah.

…which means that it’s just 2 months to Ramadan!  *breaks out the Ramadan happy dance*

However, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.  These next two months of Rajab and Shaban are special in their own right, and we shouldn’t forget the blessings that come from them.  Rajab is the month of Allah (swt), so don’t forget to turn to Him with increasing frequency.

Fasting During Rajab by Imam Zaid

Historically, one of the virtuous religious practices of Muslims is voluntary fasting during the month of Rajab. Unfortunately, there are a growing number of Muslims that consider this practice a blameworthy innovation. The following discussion, taken from Lata’if al Ma’rif fi ma li Mawasim al-‘Amm min al-Wadha’if (The Subtleties of Knowledge Concerning the Religious Duties Associated with Each Month of the Year), by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, helps to shed light on this increasingly contentious issue.

Farewell to Rajab by Imam Zaid

The month of Rajab is the key to the months of goodness and blessings that follow it. Abu Bakr b. al-Warraq al-Balkhi said: “Rajab is the month to sow the seeds; Sha’ban is the month to irrigate the crop; and Ramadan is the month to reap the harvest.” It has similarly been related from him: “Rajab is like the wind; Sha’ban is like the water-laden clouds; and Ramadan is like the rain.” Someone else mentioned: “The year in its entirety is like a tree: during Rajab its buds sprout; during Sha’ban it sends forth its branches; during Ramadan its fruit ripens; and the believers are the farmhands who harvest that fruit.”

On the Month of Rajab by Shaykh Ilyas Patel

It has bee mentioned by Abu’l Fath ibn Abi l-Fawaris in his Amali (dictations and transmissions) and Allama Suyuti has also mentioned in his Jami Saghir from Hasan Basri that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

Rajab is the month of Allah. Shaban is my month. Ramadhan is the month of my ummah (followers).

From the above hadith, it shows that it is preferable to make dua, to remain in the coming and following months, in order to perform good actions in them, because a true believer increases in his age with goodness. The best of people is the one who lives long and performs good actions.

Summary of Religious Duties during the Month of Rajab summarized from Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali

Salatul Raghaib

I promise, more substantive posts are coming, but for right now, a bit more fluff…

 It never fails.  Halloween passes and it’s immediately time to start advertising for Christmas.  This makes me ackwardly nostalgic.  I don’t celebrate christmas, but I do miss all of the societal trappings that came along with it.  I suppose I could just celebrate the winter season by decorating my apartment in penguins and snowmen, and eating lots of candy canes and pumpkin pie.  Ooo, and eggnog.  Can’t forget the eggnog.

So I was browsing through Target on my lunch hour today (looking for reflective gear to wear running at night, but alas, no such luck).  I did however, find mighty tempting Target brand (archers) yogurt in “winter season” flavors – eggnog, pumpkin pie, etc etc etc.  I was uber excited, until I read the ingredients, where low and behold, there is gelatin.  Argggggh!  Yoplait uses kosher gelatin, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them come out with eggnog or pumpkin pie flavored yogurt.  Guess I’ll just have to feed my need with the real stuff (in small quantities, cuz I’m watching what I eat, thus the attractiveness of pumpkin pie flavored yogurt).

I wonder if I could just mix some canned pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice into plain or vanilla yoplait yogurt.  Hmm…me thinks a trip to the groccery store is in order.

As you may have guessed, one of my internet obsessions is surfing Islam related blogs and websites. Another unrelated obsession is gawking at insanely cute animals and lolcats. For the uninitiated, lolcats combine a picture of a cat with a humorous internet speak caption. Pictures of cats using internet slang and poor grammar have not crossed with my primary love of Islam related content until now.

There fore, I am proud to present…Mecca cat!

All the more relevant since we’re in Ramadan. Wonder how many people are praying for cheeseburgers during magrhib salat, lolz.

Wow, how time does fly – almost 2 weeks into this blessed month, and again, I feel like I’m missing out.  The trial (well, arbitration really, but who aside from lawyers and their lackeys knows what an arbitration is?) started today and inshaAllah should be finished by Friday alhamdulilah.  That should mean no more long hours and overtime, which should translate into more ibadah time.

The commute is still Allah (swt) time.  Still listening to Qur’an and excellent podcasts.    This morning was Patience Takes Courage, one of my all time favorite Hamza Yusuf khutbahs, and the source of my favorite phrase, nafsi nafsi.  My lunch stroll was Ramadan Reflections Two with Imam Zaid.

The sunnipath short course I’m taking is most excellent – The Supplications of Daily Prayer.  SubhanAllah, I’m not exagerating when I say my attentiveness in prayer has increased 10 fold.  For those who aren’t native arabic speakers, don’t fall into the trap of rattling off strings of arabic you don’t understand in your salat.  Seek to understand every word you say, and inshaAllah your prayer will improve.

For iftar, I’m making Quick Moussaka.  I still have half a pot of cheddar chowder left for me, but alas, the husband doesn’t like it and he’s all out of the chicken and beef soup I made for him.

And finally, a hadith that I have been reflecting on today, via Imam Suhaib Webb:

Once a man came into the Mosque of the prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم] lamenting over his sins. The man was so overcome and saddened by his state that the Prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم] said to him, “Say this:

اللهم مغفرتك أوسع من ذنوبي ورحمتك أرجى عندي من عملي

Allahuma maghfiratoka awsaa’ min thonoobi
Wa rahmatoka arja ‘andey min ‘amaley

Oh Allah, your forgiveness is greater than my sins and my hope in Your mercy is greater to me than my actions”

The man said this and the Prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم] said to him, “Say it again.” The man repeated it then the Prophet said to him, “Say it again.” The man did it and the Prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم] said to him, “Arise for, indeed, Allah has forgiven you.”*

*This incident was related by al-Hakim with a sound chain that he considered to match the standards of Imam Muslim.

Allahu Akbar, God truly is Greater than everything.

Arggggg!  Of course, it just so happens that the start of Ramadan coincides with trial prep.  Lots of running around, lots of stress, and lots of long hours has definately put a crimp in my ibadah plans.

I’ve been doing two things this year that have kept me sane:

*Ride the bus.  No fighting in traffic jams, better for the environment, and one hour each way to dedicate to me and Allah (swt) time.  I’ve got my bag jam packed with Qur’an and other Islam related books and an ipod stacked full of Qur’an recitations and lectures.

*Cook on the weekends.  I made a huge batch of chicken and baschamel this weekend, so when I get home, all I need to do is heat it up in the microwave come iftar time. 

Trial starts next week.  inshaAllah it will be a short one, then I can relax during the last week of Ramadan.

 Alhamdulilah, after months of obsession, Ramadan is here!   Several bloggers out there have excellent Ramadan diaries.  Sis. Organic’s is one of my favorites.  I love her format, so I’m going to borrow (ehm, steal) from her a bit for my own ramadan reflections diary.

Feeling good health-wise, just a bit of a headache this morning when I woke up.  It really does help to do the sunnah fasts throughout the year, so when Ramadan comes, it’s not a big shock.  I did have a brush with an asthma attack yesterday though.   After work, I was walking to my bus stop when my bus pulled away.  I didn’t want to wait the 10 minutes for the next bus, so without thinking, I took off in a sprint after the bus.  Now, I’m a runner, but I’m a slow runner.  Sprinting in sandels and a skirt is not my idea of a good run.  Two blocks later, I finally caught the bus.   I staggered on board, wheezing, and collapsed into an empty seat.  I focused on my breathing, made dhikr, and alhamdulilah, didn’t need to use my inhaler.  However, I was very thirsty, blah.

Lessons

inshaAllah I’m planning on listening to at least one lecture each day.   Last night, while making iftar, I listened to In the Shade of Ramadan 1 – Taqwa, Good Deeds and Character.  Because it was so short (and making iftar took so long), I listened to it a few times, so that the message really stuck in my head.  The lecture reflects on this hadith by ibn Hanbal from Mu’adh ibn Jabel:

Have Taqwa wherever you are. Do good immediately after a sinful act to erase it, and always be well-mannered in your relationship with people.

Goals

Read one Juz of the Qur’an in Arabic and English.  Pray taraweeh at the masjid on Friday

Menu

I decided to go all out for the first iftar.  Unfortunately, I forgot that going all out requires time, so my ibadah time was severly curtailed.  However, the food was yummy, and now we have enough left overs for a few days.   I made Lesan al Asfor,  Bechamel, Tagin Firakh and Jello Cheesecake from a box.  Alhamdulilah, did well to remember this hadith of our Prophet (saws), which is good advice for all who are fasting.

It is enough to eat few morsels of food to keep one’s back straight.  If you must eat more, be sure that only one third of your stomach is filled with food, one third is left for water and the remaining one third for air.

Way back in the day when I was considering Islam, I used to post on the Islam boards at beliefnet.com.  Since that time, the boards became quite nasty, and subsequently dried up.  While that is unfortunate, some good Islam related content still pops up on occasion.

For example, check out Shahed Amanullah’s Hungry for Ramadan blog.  His first post:

 Muslims often refer to the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this year around September 13, as if it were a guest passing through town and staying at their home. But unlike real-world guests who often overstay their welcome, the presence of this one is savored each day. In Ramadan we fast each day–this means no food, drink, or physical relations from sunrise to sunset–this is accompanied by reflections and readings from the Holy Qur’an and extra congregational prayers given at night.

It might be hard for those who aren’t Muslim to understand how we look forward to a month that seems to have a central theme of self-denial. Even those who understand the spiritual benefit of fasting might think that 30 days is pushing it a bit. But there’s more to Ramadan than just the denial of the eating and drinking instinct. Much, much more. And we’ll be getting into that during the whole month of Ramadan in this special blog.

During Shaban–the month that precedes Ramadan–Muslims begin to prepare themselves both mentally and physically for the task ahead. It isn’t so much to make the task easier as much as it is to maximize its benefit. As the soul begins to quiet, the anticipation builds–until that night when the sliver of the new moon is first seen, marking the start of Ramadan.

For Muslims, Ramadan is a chance to renew their commitment to the religion and to equip themselves with the discipline necessary to stay on the sirat-ul-mustaqeem–the straight path. Being an unapologetic geek, I like to use the analogy of Ramadan being an annual “clean install” of my religion. Fasting clears the body and mind of the accumulations of the past year, and reflections on the Qur’an and sustained prayer rewrite my faith on my soul.

The experience of being a Muslim in America brings its own challenges in particular, and our task is to preserve the benefits of this blessed months while still negotiating the responsibilities of a working life and not unduly burdening those around us. It is a challenge which, I believe, brings additional benefits for the fasting Muslim in America.

I invite you to join me this month as I show you a little bit of what Ramadan in America is like, in the hope of sharing a little of its beauty and conveying an understanding of what your Muslim friends might be going through this month. Sometimes the topics will be mundane, at other times uplifting. But it’s all part of the very special and unique experience of Ramadan.

For some reason, the theme to my Ramadan happy dance is a la MC Hammer, which is confusing, as I was never a hammer fan.  Ah well, break it down now, dawh dawh dah dah, can’t touch this! 

 Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith volume 3 Number 122 – Narrated Abu Huraira

Allah’s Apostle said, “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened.”

Hadith – Ahmad and an-Nasa’i

`Arfajah said “We were with `Utbah ibn Farqad while he was discussing Ramadan. A companion of the Prophet entered upon the scene. When `Utbah saw him, he became shy and stopped talking. The man [the companion] spoke about Ramadan, saying “I heard the Messenger of Allah say during Ramadan: “The gates of Hell are closed, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the devils are in chains. An angel calls out : ‘O you who intend to do good deeds, have glad tidings. O you who intend to do evil, refrain, until Ramadan is completed.

Looks like our fast begins tomorrow, pending the moon sighting this evening inshaAllah ta’ala.  I must say, I’ve noticed a definate change in the demenor of our american muslim ummah in the run up to this Ramadan.  Less moon fighting, more adab, alhamdulilah!

From Zaytuna:

Having said that, we never desire to see any divisiveness in our community and request that Muslims avoid disputes and bitter arguments concerning this point. Those who have put forward calculation as a method are doing so with their understanding that it is a way of facilitation for the Muslims in the West. They are scholars in their respective areas of expertise. And while we differ with their attempts at a new Ijtihad, we believe their intentions are sound and that their honor should be respected. Rather, we encourage our brothers and sisters to consider the various arguments and then make a mature decision bearing in mind the prescient advice of our noble Prophet, peace upon him: Leave that which causes you doubt for that which eradicates doubt.

And the alMaghrib email list:

This email is being sent out with one piece of advice – Just Say No to MoonFighting.  Protect your Ramadan by staying away from any and all discussions related to moonfighting.  Make a resolution now that under no circumstances will you get involved with or initiate a discussion that leads to a MoonFighting debate.  Here are my recommendations:

1. When your masjid board makes an announcement regarding their decision, talk to no one about it.  Follow what you’re going to follow, but keep quiet.
2. When people start debating in public about the issue, even if they’re saying stupid things, leave the immediate vicinity.  People saying stupid things is even older than the MoonFighting Debate.
3. When people ask you what opinion you follow, change the subject and talk about the weather.  Talk about marriage.  Talk about Jinns.  Talk about marriage to jinns in this great weather.  But don’t be tricked into talking about the MoonFighting issue.

Ah, time to start another one of my online Ramadan traditions – DeviantArt browsing.  Lots of talented muslim artists on the site, mashAllah, and lots beautiful potential wallpapers for my computer   There’s so much out there, I usually end up changing my background every few days during the month.

Some of the newer pieces this year:

by ~alinet, arizaboy, zoeksa, radhwan, ~snobs, rezki, ~azlah, jojeangel, arabdesign, and aminovish

 

A shepherd smokes next to his camels before escorting a special Ramadan food convoy bound for Europe in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Sept. 7, 2007. A local Istanbul municipality dispatched food convoys for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan for the Muslim minorities in Balkan states and Western Europe’s Turkish immigrants. In a symbolic act, camels escorted the convoy as trucks set out for their journey. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)

 

Muslim worshippers pray inside the Dome of the Rock, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City September 7, 2007, a week ahead of the holy Muslim months of Ramadan. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM)

 

 Muslim worshippers pray inside the Dome of the Rock, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City September 7, 2007, a week ahead of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM)

Via Deenport:

Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide – Print this out and spread it far and wide.   It has some things that aren’t applicable to NA muslims (a 2006 England timetable and UK contacts), but the health info is excellent.

Inner Dimensions of Fasting – from Imam al Ghazali.  There’s more to fasting than being hungry and thirsty.

DeenIslam’s Fasting Section – tons of reads and lectures.

Food for Thought – text of a lecture by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf.

Dur, I know I should not be fatwa shopping.

Shafi’is say that an inhaler breaks one’s fast. Howeva, there’ s an alternate opinion that it doesn’t.

Logically, it makes sense to me that an inhaler should not break the fast, as it’s not aimed for my stomach, but rather for my lungs. This is my first Ramadan as an asthmatic, and although I don’t need to use my emergency inhaler too much, I’d rather not have to break my fast 30 minutes before iftar for an asthma attack.

Definitely something to talk with the husband about and get a third zahari opinion.

Check out this wicked Ramadan planning spreadsheet. I can’t decide if I’m anal retentive enough to actually fill it out though – I’m not known a really organized person.

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)

I’ve come across this list quite a few times in the blogosphere, but it bears repeating here. Only a few more weeks, huzzah!

1. Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it – once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it’s hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we’re supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let’s try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.

2. Give a dollar a day in charity…or five or ten
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let’s open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it’s the intention that counts.

3. Memorize 4 new Surahs
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you’ve started, you’ll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.

4. Go to Tarawih prayers
Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan’s blessings. Don’t miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least one week.

5. Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished
Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran’s recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it.

6. Stop swearing and/or backbiting – with a special box
It’s hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone’s upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn’t the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we’ve got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.
Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that makes it feel like punishment.
At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you’ve backbitten the most against.

7. Call/email your relatives
You’d think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we’d keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life’s “busyness.”
Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.

8. Go on a technology diet
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.

9. Read 5 minutes of Quran a day…just five, not more, not less
Even if you feel you’ve got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.

10. Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it’s also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah’s forgiveness, shouldn’t we lesser beings forgive too?
If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

Despite my best effort not to, I often spend a lot of time during Ramadan obsessing over iftar, especially with what I’m going to make. Well, this year, no more! I’m making up an iftar calendar, planning out all my meals ahead of time, and then inshaAllah, iftars will be less rushing around, and less obsessing, which leave me more time for ibadah.

The set up is simple – 8 rows, 3 columns. The top row is labeled Day/Menu/What is Needed. The first column is labeled down with the days of the week. Here I can type out what I’d like to make each day, what ingredients are needed, and then print it out. Once it’s printed out, I can cross out the ingredients I already have at home and wa’la, it’s an instant shopping list for the week.

Other Ramadan iftar plans include making stuff on Sunday that is easy to reheat during the week, and making a lot of stir fry – it’s easy, has lots of veggies and is filling. Make enough for iftars so that there are leftovers for suhoor, or if your family likes to snack through the night. I also always make gorp/trailmix to leave around for snacking. It also makes a great iftar on the go if you have night classes or won’t be home for iftar. My mix includes cheerios, raisons, craisons, honey roasted peanuts, mixed nuts and chocolate chips.

If you have kids (or if you’re a big kid yourself like me), check out these websites:

TJ Ramadan Resources Ramadan Lesson Ideas

I really like the ibadah club idea, and may make myself a club of one (or 2 if I can convince the husband to join), and the Ramadan bulletin board would be an excellent way of decorating for the month. Plus, the mother’s organizational guide has some fantastic things as well – a place to list all the books and lectures you intend to listen to, as well as a place to write notes and reflect on the stuff you’ve learned.

Alhamdulilah, the long copy and paste nightmare is over! Courtesy of transliteration.org, I now have a word document that consists just of the Qur’an as translated by Yusuf Ali and a transliteration of the arabic into roman letters.

A common site at taraweeh prayers (at least at the masjids I go to) is for the congregants to hold little booklets containing one juz (1/30th) of the Qur’an, so that they may follow along with the imam during the prayer. Unfortunately, all the ones I’ve come across are simply in arabic, and since my arabic reading and comprehension skills are sorely lacking (one day inshaAllah!), I decided to make my own quran for taraweeh this year.

I copied and pasted the transliteration and translation from the website listed above into a word document. I plan to print it out, 3 hole punch and put it all in a large binder. Then, each night during Ramadan, I can take out one juz, stick it in a smaller binder and read from that during taraweeh. I think if I stick my backpack in front of me, during sujood I can stick the book on it so that the quran is not on the floor.

If anyone would like a copy, please leave me your email address, and I’ll email you a copy inshaAllah. It’s kind of long at 600+ pages, and not very pretty format wise, but it’s functional.

Alhamdulilah, only a month until Ramadan!

ps – It’s valid to read from a quran in the shafi’i school, so long as you don’t fidget with it too much I believe. inshaAllah will look in my fiqh books when i get home to post the specifics

Want to know my favorite part of Ramadan? No, well, too bad I’m telling you anyways so tough cookies. It’s not the auntie food, taraweeh or the increased time spent at the masjid. Nope, it’s the takbir. That hour before eid prayer spent praising Allah (swt) and sending blessings on the Prophet (saws) and the ummah is the closest I feel to the Divine all year. Can’t wait for it to come.

Text of the takbir.

Looks like a brother has put up a 30 part series of short videos titled In the Shade of Ramadan. Could be something to watch each night at Iftar time, or watch one a day as we enter the month before Ramadan.

*skips along singing* …it’s the most wonderful time of the year…it’s the hap -happiest season of all…with those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings…when friends come to call It’s the hap – happiest season of all!

Yup, the most wonderful time of year is coming in 2 months, and I’ve already got the fever. No, not santa claus time, silly, it’s Ramadan, baby, yeah! Gotta get my goals sorted out and my stuff in order so I can make the best of the month inshaAllah.

Before Ramadan:

1. Pray all 5 fard with at least 5 minutes of dua and dhikr after.

2. Read through the Qur’an. I have an excellent arabic/english quran podcast on my ipod. The translation is the saheeh international version, which just so happens to be the same translation as my little travel zippy quran (which they apparently don’t sell anymore, much to my dismay after I’ve recommended it to several people who’ve been unable to find it). So, I can sit on the bus, listen to the arabic, and then read along with the english translation. inshaAllah my goal is to get through the end of the podcast, which is now at surah 66.

During Ramadan:

1. Pray witr every day.

2. Pray at least one taraweeh at the masjid a week. This is something I loved to do in college, but have slacked on since graduating and getting married. The husband holds the opinion that praying taraweeh at home is better than at the masjid, so he hasn’t been too enthusiastic about going. But, inshaAllah this year I’m going to make the effort to go, even if it is on my own.

3. Go to the iftar potlucks. So far, I’ve only been a moocher at the community iftars, coming on Saturday and Sunday when people volunteer to make food. But inshaAllah this year I’m going to go to the potlucks that are on Friday night. I’ve been cooking more, and I think I have a few recipes that will satisfy the diverse community at the masjid.

4. Read the entire Qur’an in arabic and english. Since my ability to read the arabic script still sucks, I will rely on my most excellent Muhammad Asad translation, that has the arabic script, roman transliteration, english translation and extensive footnotes. I figure I’ll pick out a recitation I really like, recite along with it for a page (using the transliteration), then go back, read the english translation and go over the footnotes. I figure this will take up a huge chunk of time, so I’ll have to set aside blocks and commit to it. Unfortunately, the book is too large to take on the bus, but maybe I can find just a smaller transliteration, and do the arabic listening/reciting quietly on my hour long commutes to and from work.

I’ve always had reading the entire quran as a goal, but after an initial burst of energy, I peter off. Anyone want to be my quran reading buddy? We can hold each other accountable. Since my available time varies day to day, I thought rather than say a juz a day, the goal could be 7 juz in a week, so that it would be possible to catch up/work ahead on the weekends when there is more time available.

*note, all pictures in this post are from deviantart. Click on the pics to find more from these talented artists*