Growing up, I was a part of a big North Jersey Muslim community. There were Quran classes, sunday school, iftar parties, Ramadan and Eid prayers, and gatherings of all sorts at the masjid. On occasion, I would attended funeral prayers at our mosque. Sometimes it was for an older auntie or uncle I knew, but not too well. Sometimes it was for a stranger. In my carefree, unaffected, and apathetic youth, these funeral prayers were just another gathering. That all changed as I started to grow … [Read more...]
The Ramadan Sale
August 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I love a good sale. When I had my second daughter I started what has become a close and personal relationship with online shopping. I was able to try things on in the privacy of my own home and when things didn’t work out I simply returned them. But most of all the deals were great. I reassured my husband on more than one occasion that I was saving money, not spending it. But I’ve stopped online shopping now. I’ve given up online sales for an even better sale: Ramadan. Siraj Wahhaj once sa … [Read more...]
Celebrate Ramadan in the Prophet’s Way
August 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Everyone knows that Ramadan is full of blessings and benefits for our minds, bodies, and souls. Even the little ones are aware of how special this month is. They eagerly want to get involved in the planning and preparing for all the festivities, participate in fasting, and join in the prayers and gatherings in the mosque. If we make it exciting and welcoming for them now, they will grow with beautiful memories of Ramadan being full of happiness, blessings, and togetherness. Some simple ways to … [Read more...]
Cave of Solitude
July 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The other day a friend of mine was lamenting the fact that she was unable to fast this Ramadan because she is nursing her three-month-old baby. She remarked that because of that and her other demands as a mother of five she was finding it difficult to catch the Ramadan spirit. It reminded me of the first Ramadan I was unable to fast. I had a two-month-old son and was breastfeeding. As the blessed month approached I felt a little sad and confused as to how to capture the feeling of spiritual … [Read more...]
My Purple Carpet
June 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I was told when I first got married, that my relationship with Allah would be different. That I would find a new "normal" and get accustomed to it. And that after having kids, a woman doesn’t have the time she used to have, to sit down for hours reading the Quran, or get up and pray every night while everyone else sleeps. But no one ever told me I wouldn't find my purple c … [Read more...]
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