Ramadan « Peacespective

On Seizing the Last Moments of Ramadan

The amazing opportunity of Ramadan is quickly slipping through our fingers; this is not the time to cry over the days that have passed. It is not too late and every second can be made to count. Here is a partial list of ways to make use of the incredible spiritual phenomenon called Ramadan: 1) Maximize doing those deeds that are unique to Ramadan and can be only done in this month: taraweeh, iftar sa’im (breaking the fast of the fasting), qiyam (nightly prayer) and seeking the night of Qadr. 2) Turn in every spare moment to Quran for this is the month of Quran, and Quran is a banquet. Partake of its feast by reading, memorizing, reading the explanation of and most importantly reflecting upon. 3) This is the month of empathy when the feeling of goodwill towards all, should spill over to generosity in words, actions and giving to: your relatives, friends, neighbors and total strangers. Give in to the feeling and act upon it. 4) It follows that this is the month in which Allah makes it easy for you to forgive and forget and free yourself of ugly feelings and grudges. Let Ramadan rinse out your heart of all emotions that muddy the waters of your heart thus making it impossible for you to reflect the noor and barakah of this month. 5) Take advantage of the most fantastical fantasy come true: answered prayers! Just before iftar begin your session of dua’ and continue till after breaking your fast. Maybe you have used up your chance at wishes coming true in the past days on everyday common matters. For the days left make dua primarily for your Iman. Turn in burning fervor to Allah asking him to show you what is right as right and to allow you to follow it; and to show you what is wrong as wrong and to allow you to avoid it. Ask for steadfastness as well. I plead with you to do so in the remaining days. Times are such that as Muslims we are bombarded with so much hurt from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Madness seeks to prevail and sadly it has seeped through the cracks of our Iman spreading poison into our system. Never before have the given principles of Islam been so attested and attacked. Never before have so many sincere and religious Muslims been so confused and disillusioned. Dua at iftar in Ramadan can break through the layers of doubt and disorientation. Make dua that Allah cure the eyes of your heart, the judgment of your heart and then grant you the needed self-discipline to heed your guided heart. 6) Pay your fitra with your heart atremble, ‘has my Ramadan been accepted?’ 7) Remember eid is not about you celebrating and joining the festivities of your community. Seek out now and make a list of those who have no family, no means of celebration or no access to a community; make it your job to bring joy to all especially the children. May this Eid bring a healing to the broken Muslim hearts all over the world, a new sense of clarity and a renewed drive to reach out to our fellow mortals in help and care – ameen.

Eid

Early dawn flush with excitement Rushed showers Children’s eyes now lit with wonder Voices hushed in awe at splendor To the background of takbeer The eager struggle with new clothes, Brand new shoes, Buttons, buckles and berets Snapping price tags, peeling stickers To the background of takbeer

Our Homes in Ramadan: abodes of peace

Laylatul Qadr. This night hidden in Ramadan, or in the last ten days of Ramadan is a night that tantalizes the heart of every Muslim. Its obscurity reminds us of the “hidden” hour of answered prayer on Friday and the hidden Great Name of Allah amongst His names. It is as though Allah wants us to put forth effort to seek out such special hours or times or Names by doing much, rather than just do good deeds on a pinpointed date. And its description as equaling a thousand nights or eighty three years makes it deserving of one’s full endeavor.

Character

Ramadan is the month of Quran. It is the month in which the Quran was first revealed. It is the month that angel Jibreel would review with the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, all the Quran that was revealed until then. Sayidah Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked about the character of the Messenger (s) and she answered simply, “His character was Quran.” In celebration of this special month and in recognition of the one whom Allah designated as our good model, we will explore in this section, certain ayahs in Quran that deal with manners and behavior and observe how Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alayhi was sallam practiced them. Read part 1: The Night Prayer.

In Preparation for Ramadan

As Ramadan approaches, there is a need to prepare ourselves to take advantage of this blessed month in order to get closer to our Lord. Muslim scholars, and people with a strong relationship to Allah, would take this month off from their students and followers and use it to restore and further develop their iman. Unfortunately, the scholars and teachers of today do not have this luxury, on the contrary they await this month in which people’s hearts soften in order that they may help them further develop their faith. Therefore most teachers today, cannot afford to go into seclusion themselves. As for us ordinary people, who are not responsible for hundreds of students and followers, we are the lucky ones in this day and age because we can focus on strengthening our iman and aqeedah during Ramadan.

The Ummah’s Prescription: moving a step beyond mundane motherhood

Umrah’s Life Lessons #9: The Ummah’s Prescription: moving a step beyond mundane motherhood Muslim women amazed me on this trip. I was impressed by their eye for beauty. The head covers they wore for instance mesmerized me. The fabric, chosen with such care and love: swiss dot sparkles, flower print, eyelet, pure silk and airy open-weave cotton. The hours of embroidery apparent in the tiny blue flowers spreading from the hem in every direction, in the intricate lace-work of gold and brown sequins and beads, in the red rose sprigs and pink blossom sprays unfurling from the top down. And the colors… reflecting the wearer’s personality, or the trip they were planned for in the loveliest manner: snowy white, minty green, summer blue and pale corn-silk yellow, light lavender and lilac leaves, and deep swirls of bold African batik. Their crisply starched and ironed appearance, the ruffles, the lace and the tailored or crocheted trim, were details that only one who had a deep appreciation for beauty would take the trouble to have.

To teach: understand… experience… respect

Umrah’s Life Lessons #8: To teach: understand…experience…respect I do not regard myself as one living a pampered life. Yet my age is an advantage. With grown daughters I can always count on someone to help out at home, and with grown sons, there is someone to fall back on for an errand I simply can’t face. At work, there are people whose job it is to carry out my orders, and my trusted car of eleven years still burns the road to get me quickly to where I want to go. Still, it’s not like my life is devoid of difficulties, but it was the combination of so many hardships this umrah that overwhelmed me and made me think. It occurred to me as I walked on the same ground, under the same sky, feeling the same heat as the sahaba that I was also going through some of the same adversity they did, as well. One imagines, as one reads the seerah that she has understood the alienation and persecution that the sahaba underwent to hold onto their belief and to deliver the message to oncoming generations. The truth is, not only do we not fully appreciate their suffering, we have ceased to comprehend the physical limitations of a human body in terms of ability and in terms of endurance of pain.

Burning passion required to accomplish…anything worth accomplishing

Umrah’s Life Lessons #7: Burning passion required to accomplish…anything worth accomplishing I have always been the expert in child-rearing in the family, but in matters of prayer and Quran, my husband surpasses me by far. While I think of creative ways to enforce prayer, he would be calling them to stand with him and giving them attention and demonstrative love after each prayer; while I tried to write up the best memorization schedule, his daily sessions with them after every fajr had gotten them hooked. Every so often he plans a spiritual experience “to improve the prayer of so-and-so” or “encourage so-and so to memorize more”. I respect and admire this in him, so when he announced that the main reason he was thinking of Umrah was to get Fatimah working on her sunna prayers and to increase her focus in prayer in general, I couldn’t object. But, I was ill-prepared. There was so much going on in my life. What with my daily worry about each member of my family, the deadline for a project I am part of a team for, the girls I was seeing daily for taraweeh, I couldn’t feel excited. But then, there was very little chance that it would come to be. Ramadan had begun, we had no reservations, my mother-in-law who is extremely attached to my husband was very sick, and my husband was surprised with a sudden trip he had to go on.

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