I cannot believe how quickly Ramadan has flown. May Allah help us reap the benefits in these precious last few days.
My latest articles on MuslimMatters are up here:
Quran Culture in Malaysia : Connecting Little Hearts To Islam
Tag: Ramadan
My very first IG giveaway win and ARC!
Ramadan Mubarak to one and all!
Fasting with three small kids close in age is not for the faint for heart, so this beautiful book, Misfits In Love, arriving today (thank you Sajidah, Aisyah and Irdina!) was such a treat. I’ve been loving what I’ve read so far and the notes on the margins by the author and fellow readers like me! I’m so thrilled to get to write my own responses in the margin too!
I’ve been listening to audiobooks since my very first newborn and I forgot how gratifying it feels to hold an actual book in my hands. I’ve always wanted an ARC but have no idea how to get one, so being part of S.K. Ali’s Street Team remedied that hehe.
Also, I highly recommend deleting Twitter from your phone for a calmer Ramadan (and life, overall) experience.
I still have IG though and am AMAZED at the magic of reels, gorgeous #bookstagram…wow. Wow! What magic is this?! Such beautiful pictures of stunning books on decorative fabric along with fresh, glowing faces of bookstagrammers!
Plus – book swag! (I managed to take this photo without any of my kids sticking their hands, feet or faces in woooo)
I’m also so excited that Alhamdulilah, I won S.K Ali’s giveaway for Once Upon An Eid hurray. Yet another special gift for me this Ramadan.
If you haven’t already read any of her books – go for it! Love From A To Z is my absolute favourite of hers, being the halal love story that it is.
If you’re a fasting mama of little ones who keep waking up during suhoor/sahur because they just KNOW something is up…you’re not alone. Hang in there! Apparently they all grow up and move away some day. And until then, we’re making memories.
Ramadan is almost here
It’s literally days away from Ramadan! How did that happen? Wow, time does pass. I feel like this amazing owl gif captures my whole 2020-2021 mood.
Speaking of Ramadan, I promised my kids I would try extra hard not to be grumpy and be extra patient with them in Ramadan haha. It’s such a special month, and I can already imagine all three of them joining in our buka puasa/iftar/breaking of our fast after watching Upin and Ipin. I’m hoping the Ramadan bazaars will be back because they’re such a treat….but with SOPs like masks and social distancing in place. Wait and see, eh.
My three kids are already almost 6, 3.5 and 1.5! Part of me is like noooooo they’re growing so fast and the other part is calculating when all three will be in preschool/school :p My 3.5 yo made me smile today by telling me, “Narwhals are beautiful!” AW. She’s not a fan of manatees. Yes, my 6 yo is currently obsessed with Octonauts. My husband and I cannot get “Creature report!” out of our heads gahhhhh.
There’s been a lot of really awful racist book twitter happenings (click here) reflecting very real-world harm. BUT! If you’re a BIPOC author like me, please, please, please, keep writing your stories. They matter. You matter. Your stories matter. Our stories matter. Flood the gates of traditional publishing with our stories until more and more change happens.
Note: I don’t need to eat Pocky to feel more Asian. I BLEED POCKY.
Stay tuned for more updates!
SeekersHub Ramadan Podcast and lesson sets!
How is your Ramadan going? Alhamduliah for these first ten days of Allah’s Mercy. Drinking soaked chia seeds after iftar and during suhoor has really helped me. Try it out and see 🙂
Check out these fantastic downloadable lesson sets at SeekersHub. Please share widely!
Planning For Success: Steps To Raising Righteous Muslim Children with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Zakat: Everything You Need To Know On The 3rd Pillar of Islam
Getting Married, with Ustadha Shireen Ahmed and Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
The Higher Aims of Fasting with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Stories of the Prophets of Allah with Shaykh Ahmad Saad
Understanding the Hadith: “Religion is Sincere Concern” with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
The Divine Opening: Surah al-Fatiha Explained with Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
You can play these while at home, in the car, or wherever else suits you. May Allah reward the SeekersHub team for putting these together.
SeekersHub’s daily Ramadan Podcast has also been so inspiring and beneficial. For a sample, click on Allah’s Mercy Over His Wrath: What Does It Mean For Us? by Shaykh Muhammad Adeyinka Mendes.
Ramadan!
SubhanAllah, time really flies. Ramadan is literally just around the corner! May Allah grant us all the ability to honour this blessed guest, and help us restore ourselves through the winds of mercy.
Last Ramadan, I gave birth, alhamdulilah. This time around, I’m nursing an active 11 month old baby. The minimum requirement for me is to give an honest attempt at fasting. I’d love tips from experienced mothers 🙂
Here are some useful links from the SeekersHub Global answer service in regards to nursing/pregnancy and Ramadan:
Fasting Ramadan: Pregnancy, Breastfeeding & You
My Friend’s Baby Breastfeeds Throughout the Day. Is She Exempt From Fasting?
Pregnant Women & Fasting
Pregnancy & Making Up Fasts: Does She Really Have To?
May Allah bless the team behind SeekersHub global, who all work so hard!
*On that note, if you have any Shafi’i fiqh/general counsel questions you’d like me to answer, please post it directly on the SeekersHub answer service, and not through my Facebook account, blog or twitter. These are my personal accounts, and what I blog/tweet is not endorsed by SeekersHub Global. Thank you and may Allah reward you!
Ramadan Mubarak/Selamat Berpuasa!
Today marks Day 1 of t
he blessed month of Ramadan 2013/1434 AH (after Hijrah). Welcome, O Month of Mercy! May we live to see many, many more.
Here’s a beautiful reminder of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) sermon during Ramadan.
Looking back on my globe-trotting life, I’ve fasted in a range of different countries: Singapore, Jordan and Australia. From the northern hemisphere, to the equator, and then the southern hemisphere lol. Fasting in the heat of the Arabian summer sure wasn’t a breeze, but something about Ramadan and its winds of mercy made things a lot easier. There’s also something to be said about the body acclimatizing to wherever we happen to be. Ramadan Mubarak to my friends in Jordan! May we be reunited soon 🙂
Coming back to the present, it’s yet another cold winter day in Sydney, which make it a lot easier to abstain from food and water. Back in the 90s, when I was in highschool, we broke our fasts around 8 pm. That was hard, especially compared to the 5:30 pm iftar of the winter months.
Here’s a list of some of my Ramadan goals:
1) Read Qur’an daily, and aim to complete it.
2) Have iftar with my family and in-laws twice a week.
3) Be nice to people.
4) Go to Auburn mosque for tarawih.
Aside from seeing my family and Irfan’s family at iftars, we’re pretty solitary during Ramadan. I think it’s because time is short – by the time Irfan gets home from work to break fast with me, we pray maghrib, eat some more, then get ready to leave for isha and tarawih prayers in Auburn. I apologise in advance to those gracious enough to extend iftar invitations to us!
On another note, I LOVE AUBURN MOSQUE. Let me just add that in caps. I feel like I’m in Turkey, for a start, and hearing the salutations upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) as we rest in between tarawih sets is so, so beautiful. For those who wish to pray there, isha prayer starts at 7 pm. Have a blessed month!
Raidah Shah Idil, MG Author 