MWA's Fahmida Sultana shares a few of her Eid photos

Aishah's Eid Feast for One, Al-hamdulillah!

Happy Eid!

Eid ul-Fitr Prayer at El-Mina Masjid - Hurghada, Egypt

Video uploaded by MWA's Aishah Schwartz from her mobile phone.

August 8, 2013 at 5:45AM

Takbir of Eid ul-Fitr at Masjid Uthman ibn Affan Masjid - Hurghada, Egypt

Video uploaded by MWA's Aishah Schwartz from her mobile phone. August 8, 2013 at 5:30AM

The last iftar of Ramadan 2013: MWA's Aishah Schwartz

Lemon garlic chicken with ranch dressing & mashed carrot & potato with onion.

Dua for breaking the fast:

Transliteration:

Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu [wa 'alayka tawakkaltu] wa ‘ala rizq-ika aftarthu

Source: Abu Dawud

A reminder in the last days of Ramadan from MWA's Zabrina Abu Bakar

My dear family and friends,

We have 3 days left so in the midst of our busy schedule, let us fill up the fast depleting Ramadan seconds that we have by making this zikir while we drive, cook, walk, shop, bake, work, type, rest, etc etc., inshaAllah.

May Allah accept all our Amal and enter us into His Jannah without hisab, Ameen.

Please share this poster freely, insha'Allah.

Aishah's favorite recitation of Surat Al - Qadr سورة القدر بصوت الشيخ مشارى العفاسى

This is my all-time favorite, over the moon version of the recitation of Surat Al - Qadr سورة القدر بصوت الشيخ مشارى العفاسى
It plays like a beautiful, catchy melody and sends a feeling through me that really makes you feel Ramadan in your heart and soul. At least that's how it made me feel. Check it out.

Aishah's prayer buddy: Mr. Sakinah, waiting for iftar!

This is Aishah's prayer buddy, Mr. Sakinah.

He seems to always know when it's about time for iftar...

And the "Gang" outside my flat knows when it is time for iftar, too!

MWA's Zabrina Abu Bakar shares a dua for the Night of Power

Dear all, with the help of my lovely Sis Mazalina Maram, she has helped me design this poster of duaa' to be recited during Night of Power.

InshaAllah please keep reciting this duaa' as much as you can throughout the day during this last 10 days of Ramadan.

And please share this poster freely...

Aishah's forgotten iftars and suhoors...Ramadan 2013

Scrambled egg sandwich and peaches.

Chicken Caesar salad and lentil soup.

Lentil soup with kidney beans and crackers.

Chicken Caesar salad and cheese pizza.

MWA's Lonna Amira Bowen shares her collection of Ramadan journals

Day 1 Ramadan: Subhan Allah loved that crazy thunderstorm, took the temp down nearly 20 degrees…little thunder, power driving wind that literally moves you and the beautiful copious amounts of rain to soak you to your bones…thank you God! Later, I was out and saw all the damage from the possible jericho and praying for the family who lost their young son that was killed when a tree fell on him as he made his way home out of the sudden storm.

Day 2 of Ramadan: I walked out of the masjid to go home early (as I had to work early the next day). My husband was standing by my car with a teen boy from Burma. As I approached, I could see two beautiful children with smiles beaming at me from inside my car. They were not my children, but two Burmese refugee children. My husband told me to drop them off at their home. We drove off and they pointed at different things and tried out the English that they have learned since arriving only a few months ago. I listened to their giggles and Hindi in between their outbursts of English words to describe what they saw in the night life of the city. The smiles and joy on these kids faces although they are in a foreign land, trying to learn a new language, having survived a genocide in their homeland made me grateful and blissful. (Read More)

ABOUT MWA'S LONNA AMIRA BOWEN
Lonna describes herself as a light that encompasses being a Muslimah, wife and mama of five. Yet, light has many more dimensions than a prism. She was born and raised in Kentucky to a clan of hillbillies that she loves and adores. Lonna grew up listening, singing and dancing to Bluegrass music and old timey hits. Her papaw used to pay Lonna's twin sister a quarter each for every tune they could "sing" that sounded more like yellin'. Her grandfather and dad made sure Lonna knew how to shoot guns, swim in creeks and rivers, rappel off natural bridges and ride horses. All of these lessons taught Lonna more than just those actions, but more importantly how to be strong and use her voice. Over the years of living for everyone else and forgetting herself, Lonna lost her essence and so blogging became a way of letting herself resurface by belting out her "song" on the keyboard.
 

Quran - the book of timeless guidance: a poem by MWA's Muslimah Poetess

Quran - the book of timeless guidance.

A book of Divine Guidance, a Companion for the slave,
A friend for a lifetime; the only light in your grave,

The ‘Kalaam’ that’s more beautiful than any literature, prose or poetries,
The ‘Kitaab’ that’s filled with hope, mercy and inspiring stories,

The communicating medium with Ar – Rahmaan; the ultimate path to success,
The contemplation of His ‘Aayat’ taking you away from anxiety, sorrow and distress,

MWA asks: what is it about Ramadan and fasting that you particularly enjoy?

[If viewing from the "Home" page, be sure to click on the "Read More" link after the introductory text to read...the rest of the story!]

I'll kick-start the post, and as some of you may already know, I oftentimes lean toward a touch of humor, so this is something silly that popped into my head one evening in Ramadan as I started to peel the toppings off a pizza that just arrived for suhoor. One of the reasons I might particularly enjoy the fasting aspect of Ramadan is that: I have food issues to start with! lol

Food. It bothers me to spend money buying it. It bothers me to spend time putting it away. It bothers me spending time to prepare it. It REALLY bothers me having to clean up after preparing it! And it UBER bothers me that all of that money, time and effort are consumed within 5-10 minutes from the start of eating it! AND THEN!!! And then we flush it down the toilet!!!! WTH?!?!

In the first week I was trying to make iftar and suhoor a little more photo-op-ish (lol) (for the MWA Ramadan blog's photo section), but as Ramadan rolled along this month, iftar's began to slim down to a mug of tomato or lentil soup, a handful of jelly beans (what! no dates?!), a cup of coffee and a tall glass of water (or two) before jumping out the door to pray Isahah and taraweeh. For suhoor, now maybe I'll eat a little more since I went light on the iftar, but light is the pattern that seems to be working best for me going into the second half of Ramadan.

On the serious side, subhan'Allah...it seems I have enjoyed listening Quran more than ever, and I have particularly enjoyed visiting different masjids for taraweeh prayers.

Last, but not least, helping maintain the MWA Ramadan blog has really helped keep me focused on the essence of this Holy Month. Al-hamdulillah. And I'm so grateful for the contributions of MWA's members. Salute!

Tips for the Last 10 days of Ramadan by MWA's Muslimah Poetess

 

Tips for the Last 10 days of Ramadan by MWA's Nihad Gazal

• Be ever ready to make dua'as during the prescribed times and If you are normally busy with chores till the last moment then cut short the du'a list a bit, mark it in your head the Super important ones.
• Complete your 5 - 6 hours of sleep anyhow and take naps if required so that you are active during the mornings and the nights.

On Kinship and Quran: a journal entry by MWA's Aishah Schwartz

16th Century Quran.

I think it was like two years ago that I passed through a familiar local souvenir shop whose management has been somewhat of a heart-adopted family to me during my time here in Egypt. As with many friends these days (especially if they're not online in one way or another), we don't see or hear from each other often, but that doesn't diminish the sense of Muslim kinship we share when I make one of my impromptu visits to their shop.

Fasting Ramadan and Keeping the Momentum Going by MWA's Isahah Janette Grant

Thirty days of fasting from sun-up to sun-set takes discipline, dedication, faithfulness, and most importantly the grace of God. The initial excitement at the onset of Ramadan and the eagerness to begin a month of conscious dedication to Allah for the purification of the body, mind and soul can begin to wane, especially for new Muslims and young people fasting for the first time, once the half-way mark is reached.

Around day 15 or 16 of Ramadan there can be more of a difficulty in getting up for suhoor to eat before the fast begins in the early morning hours; it can become harder to keep one’s patience as hunger pangs develop and escalate during the middle of the day and it can be harder concentrating on salaat and the proper manners that the believers should exhibit when fasting.

Remembering my father on Tariq's second birthday: a journal entry by MWA's Zabrina Abu Bakar

Today, 17th Ramadan 1434 is Tariq's birthday. He turns 2 years old today, alhamdulillah.

I brought Tariq to visit his Grandpa today morning.

I remembered how happy my dad was when Tariq was born. Especially when so many said Tariq has many of his features.

Last year my dad organized Tariq's birthday's celebration by berbuka puasa (breaking fast) at an orphanage home. We all went there to treat the orphans. It was a very beautiful and memorable day.

God has given my dad 2 years with Tariq but God Willing, I will keep telling Tariq stories about his grandpa so that he'd remember my dad, his grandpa.. as if he is still alive...
---
RELATED: 
My dad on how to be a transporter of goodness: a journal entry by MWA's Zabrina Abu Bakar
A lesson from my dad on charity: a journal entry by MWA's Zabrina Abu Bakar
Love and mercy in Ramadan and always, insha'Allah: a journal entry by MWA's Zabrina Abu Bakar

Residents in Hurghada, Egypt gather for outdoor iftar - photo essay by MWA's Aishah Schwartz

This is a photo essay so click on the "Read More" link at the lower left corner of the first image.

Click on any image to view larger size.

 

Her mom insisted on the photo; maybe because our outfits were color coordinated.

A.C. for Taraweeh Please! A journal by MWA's Aishah Schwartz

To be honest? This is a totally impromptu post. I have three other member posts to publish, two other personal journal posts to finalize and another one burning my fingertips to get off onto my keyboard! But I said to myself, "This is a quickie." Well...we'll see about that. Here goes. [Don't laugh. I didn't get this published until July 29...ten days later!]

I'm a collector. I collect mobile numbers, names and receipts; oh, and plastic bottles.

It happened when I started visiting my favorite masjid for taraweeh prayers, that I noticed the women's prayer hall, which has two large air conditioning units, was so humid because the units were not being turned on in time for the prayers.

Uthman ibn Affan Masjid, Hurghada. ©Aishah Schwartz

One evening, I think it was after my July 13 visit for taraweeh prayers, oh, yes! I wrote about that! It was the evening I took photos from inside the men's prayer hall.

Anyways! It happened that the masjid's Imam, Sheikh Ahmed (who snapped that fabulous photo of me standing beside his recitation Quran), invited me for tea (with a few other people, of course), and so, I collected his mobile number. #SansMotive

Thieboudienne: a Senegalese recipe presented by MWA's Queen Sheba Cisse

Click on image to view larger size.

As Salaam Alaykum beloveds, I pray all is well this blessed month.

I was so awaiting this Ramadaan this year for several reasons and the first one is very grateful to be alive to see it, secondly I have been battling some health issues that I previously wrote about and being that Fasting has so many health benefits associated with it I knew medically I would be in good standing. Very early 2013, before the month of Rajab, I had completely divorced bad habits to welcome in my new way of eating and food preparation.

One of the healthiest meals recipes I would love to share is a popular Senegalese meal called Thieboudienne (pronounced Cheb-oo- jen) it is easier to say than it looks, but is also known by the abbreviated "Thieb".