MWA's Isahah Janette Grant reminisces: my 14 Ramadans

By Isahah Janette Grant 

If someone had told me fifteen years ago that I would be celebrating my 14th Ramadan this year, I may not have believed them. I was a practicing Christian at the time, actively participating in my journey towards spiritual discovery and content in my religion. In retrospect, Islam was the natural next step for me, but at the time, I was so involved in reading the Bible and reforming my lifestyle to reflect the values and standards illustrated in the Old and New Testaments, that converting to another faith was the farthest thing from my mind.

MWA's Jennifer Kabir shares her thoughts on the last ten nights of Ramadan

I can't believe that Ramadan is nearly over subhanallah. Tonight during tarawee I could feel the wave of the words of Quran passing through me. I was overcome with a feeling of gratitude to Allah for the sweetness of his mercy. Evoking his names, side-by-side with other believers and just giving all up to Allah is feeding the soul and lifting burdens away. Mind, body and spirit are in the complete act of submission to Allah.

MWA's Eren Cervantes-Altamirano shares a Ramadan memory

Edmonton’s Al-Rashid Mosque. Image via Flickr.

The First Ramadan

By Eren Cervantes-Altamirano

Six years ago, I moved from Mexico City to Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada. Although I moved here to study, my trip to the north resulted to be a whole religious experience. Having grown up in a nuclear family that had left Catholicism and had sought dogmatic atheism, I was largely unfamiliar with religious diversity. Thus, coming to Canada quickly sparked my curiosity, and here I am six years later with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies.

My first contact with Islam was when I was still learning English at the University of Alberta. Since Alberta is the centre of petroleum exploration and petroleum engineering education in Canada, I studied in classes where half my classmates were from Saudi Arabia and the other half from China. My first encounters with Saudi classmates, especially males, were quite frustrating. Many of them felt the need to show some kind of pious superiority, while others felt attacked in an environment where their religion was often being connected to 9/11. (Click here to read the rest at Muslim Media Watch)

ABOUT EREN CERVANTES-ALTAMIRANOV
Eren Arruna Cervantes is a University student in Canada. She specializes in gender politics and feminist religious movements, particularly Islamic Feminism. She is a convert to Islam since 2009 and hopes to become an Islamic scholar in the future. In addition to being a member of Muslimah Writers Alliance, Eren also writes for Muslmah Media Watch and hosts a travel blog.

Our Ramadan So Far by MWA's Jennifer Kabir

A few days before Ramadan officially begins our family engages in arts and crafts together.  My husband and I began doing this five years ago and now that our children are a little older they sit with us and add their creativity.  This year it was my youngest son who played nasheeds from the pc while we all listened and enjoyed our activities.  Around mid-month the boys enjoyed decorating cupcakes and handing them out to friends.  I find it’s best to just cook and prepare everything ahead of time and just let them enjoy the fun part!

(More Here) 

MWA's Saba N. Taylor asks: to Suhoor or Not?

On a regular day, I don't often take breakfast. I know, I know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for some reason, I always feel iky if I have something on my stomach early in the morning. I usually don't take breakfast until around 8:30 or a little later when my stomach is actually awake! So Ramadan is especially hard on me when I have to get up before dawn to have suhoor. What makes it even harder is that now, suhoor comes in really early in the Northwest, like 4+ hours before I have to get up to go to work. After prayer, I usually have 3 hours and often go back to sleep. Not good on even on a remotely full stomach.

This Ramadan, I considered skipping suhoor so that I would not have to feel the iky effects of an early morning meal through out the day. But I was reminded of the importance of the suhoor meal by a few hadiths I read regarding fasting.

MWA's Khulood Arendse shares a favorite Ramadan recipe

Hot Chili Tuna and Cabbage

1 onion chopped
30ml cooking oil
1 quarter finely cut/shredded cabbage
2 tins (170g each) tuna in water
Spices of your choice, I used paprika, breyani masala and chili powder (the stronger, the better :D)

Saute onion in cooking oil, add cabbage, and cover pot till soft.
Add your spices and let them sing to the cabbage and onion on medium heat.
Now for the tuna, do not drain, add as is, stir through, and simmer on low heat.

For a sweet chili taste, add a tablespoon or 2 of smooth apricot jam, depending on you of coz.

A nice salad, like coleslaw and sliced cucumber, will go lovely with that, it takes some of the bite out of the chili.

MWA's Jennifer Infante shares a favorite Iftar recipe: Mediterranean rosemary herbed lemon chicken

Mediterrean rosemary herbed lemon chicken.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 whole chicken cut in quarters or 8 pieces
• 5 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs seven spices
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 small branches of fresh rosemary (remove leaves from branches and finely chop)
• 3 small branches of fresh oregano (remove leaves from branches and finely chop)
• 1 whole onion sliced
• 2 carrots cut in big chunks
• 3 potatoes thickly cut (quartered or halved)
• 3 lemons (juice 1 lemon) and quarter the other 2 lemons.

MWA'S Janette Grant offers insight on children's book 'Ramadan' by Farah Kinani

Farah Kinani.

When a friend of Farah Kinani's daughter, Leila, told her classmates that she would not be joining them during lunch one day, no one understood that Leila would not be eating with them because it was the beginning of Ramadan; the Muslim Holy month of fasting between sunrise and sunset, also known as one of the pillars of Islam. Leila's classmates, instead, implored her to hide and eat, or to at least drink. Some even thought she was being punished or given a time out.

Leila's mother, concerned about the confusing and stressful situation her daughter had fallen into – due to the lack of understanding among her peers – decided to prepare and deliver a small talk at the school on the subject of Ramadan.

During her presentation to the 4th graders at the middle school her daughter attended, Ms. Kinani answered basic questions about Islam, shared anecdotes about Ramadan's first-time fasters, and made a brief comparison between fasting traditions within various other religions.

The feedback Ms. Kinani received was both encouraging and inspiring.

MWA's Isahah Janette Grant shares poem Quiet Dawn

The Quiet Dawn

A gentle stillness surrounds me
while the world quietly sleeps
the sun makes its climb towards the horizon and I offer a solemn prayer
thankfully greeting the morning and silently uttering my intention to fast this day of Ramadan
for the sake of my own soul
for the sake of Allah Ta'aala
for purity of heart and in appreciation of the many blessings of My Lord, The Sovereign
the quiet dawn, so beautiful, refreshes my soul

Isahah Janette Grant
July 27th 2012



____

Isahah Janette Grant is a founding member of Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA), where she serves as the organization's membership coordinator. She also runs her own small business, Mindworks Publishing Inc., in addition to writing for the Houston Islam Examiner on Examiner.com. Ms. Grant is also the author of the children's book, Sameerah's Hijab and the First Day of School and is in the process of completing her first work of fiction. She also enjoys writing poetry. She studied at Boston University in Massachusetts, majoring in print journalism and currently resides in Missouri City, Texas, just outside of Houston, with her son and husband. Ms. Grant can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/isahahjanette

MWA's Eren Cervantes-Altamiranov shares a favorite recipe, Kibbeh Charola

Growing up in Mexico City, one of my first interactions with Arabs and Muslims was through the Lebanese community in Mexico. Although Mexico is a largely multicultural country and its cuisine has been largely recognized as a mix of different cultures, the dominant identity discourse these days is the mix between Indigenous peoples and the Spanish colonizers (mestizaje). (Read More)

    Kibbeh Charola
    Ingredients:

    500 gr. Extra lean ground beef or lamb

    1 cup of corn semolina

    Half an onion diced

    Salt (according to taste)

    2 table spoons of olive oil

    1/3 cup of pine nuts

    2 table spoons of pomegranate molasses (if you don’t find them just use one spoon of regular molasses and one spoon of pomegranate juice)

    ½ cup of fresh mint

    Black pepper to season

MWA's Saba N. Taylor shares her Ramadan day seven enchilada iftar recipe

Masha Allah, I love all things cheesy! Yesterday I was in the mood for enchiladas but did not have all the makings for it so I decided to stop by the store today after work to pick up some things. I have two different recipes that I go between, the more commonly version, meat/beans with cheese rolled in corn tortillas then topped with red enchilada sauce, cheese, olives and green onions. Then there is the newest version that I picked up from a friend that does not require enchiladas sauce. So Good! Masha Allah!

Before I add the recipe, I must admit, I lost the recipe my friend gave me so I kind of winged it from the last two times I made it. I also did not have enough corn tortillas so I stretched it a bit. Here is the recipe I used to make this tasty iftar dish tonight. :) Insha Allah I hope you enjoy it! (should you try it out :D)

A journal entry by MWA member Zainab John; Ramadan Day Six

It's day 6 of Ramadhan. Sleep just won't come, so at 1:15 in the morning I am awake, ready and eager to start my day.

As I sit cross-legged on my bedroom floor typing this post, I find myself reflecting on the days of Ramadhan that have passed so far; anxiously awaiting the days ahead. 

On a personal level, every Ramadhan acts as a reminder of my duty towards Allah (swt), myself, my community and others. It is a month to slow down and focus on what is really important; another opportunity to better myself, seek forgiveness from my Creator, and to say thank-you for all He has done for me and those I love.

Aishah's 7/24 suhoor; this one was, masha'Allah, just right!

Poached eggs, minus the toast because it had molded (ewww!), watermelon, date milk, anise/green tea (mix) and water. Actually, this meal was just right! Al-hamdulillah. :-)

MWA's Nancy Biddle shares a poem 'Oh Ramadan! Day Two'

Oh Ramadan! Day Two!
By Nancy E. Biddle 

Day two is sprung and fasting is again begun
by tomorrow it will be easier as your schedule gets busier
racing to help those in need and Quran of course to recite and read
What bliss is there in all of this
Is found in the closeness drawn to Allah you miss.
Quickly draws the hour of the night of power
Prepare for it ahead by getting out of bed
Every night to supplicate
For the last minute do not wait!
Oh Ramadan the month if mercy and abundance
Allah pour down your blessings on all Muslims requesting
And let us take advantage of this chance
To seek redemption and the open doors of heaven.
Ameen! Ameen!

(c) Cherenancy Poetess 2012
Republished with permission.


---

Nancy Biddle was born in Montreal Canada in 1966, Nancy spent her first nine years raised in the quiet suburb of Pointe Claire until her father was contracted for a position that took the family to Singapore, Australia and Indonesia. It was through the transitional phases of each family move that Nancy formed a foundation of open-mindedness and a passion for world concerns. Nancy received her accreditation in Teaching English as a Second Language from Concordia University where she earned her B.Ed (TESL) in 1992. At the age of 35 Nancy found herself led to embrace the religion of Islam and is currently heading up four projects aimed at making a difference in the world: I Love Islamic Fiction (Branding Islamic Fiction with Fame and Prestige), Cherenancy Poetess (Power Dawah Poetess), Blue Olive Productions and Nancy E. Biddle (Public Figure, Writer, Poet, Rabble Rouser: Tsunami Maker). She is also an award winning poet.

MWA's Aishah Schwartz shares a few thoughts and a poem on the essence of Ramadan

The essence of Ramadan cannot be encapsulated into just one thing; it is, indeed, multifaceted.

For me Ramadan is full of mini-miracles.

Over the past few days I had allowed myself to be taken-in by sentiments of sadness that somehow this evening managed to seep out through my fingertips onto my keyboard -- the result being a small poem. And by the time the poem reached its end, suddenly the memory of someone near to me, who had much greater cause to feel sadness, sprung to my heart. It made me reach out to her, and it made me reach out to another person to whom I needed to express my gratitude.

Al-hamdulillah for Ramadan.

Al-hamdulillah for everything.

The Tear 
By Aishah Schwartz 

I was sitting here alone,
feeling the gentle glide of a tear...

push itself over
the rim of my eye.

Then I found myself sitting...
motionless...

absorbing how it felt slowly rolling down my cheek.

My head tilted left—

as I sat in a listless slouch—

the trail had no where to go,

but down the seam of my smile-less lips.

Reaching the end,
it tripped down the side of my chin,

to land on my shoulder—

where it was absorbed by the soft cotton fabric of my nightgown.

And I remembered you.

--

Aishah Schwartz, an American Muslim revert to Islam since April 2002, is founder and director of the 2006 established Washington, D.C.-based Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA) and a retired 17-year career litigation legal assistant.
Ms. Schwartz is also a published freelance non-fiction writer and photo journalist whose aim is to counter misconceptions regarding the Islamic faith and members of the Muslim community.
As a woman traveling in the Middle East, Ms. Schwartz's role as a civil and human rights activist has focused on the rights of Muslim women and the plight of the Palestinian people affected by the Israeli imposed illegal embargo on Gaza. She has also been reporting on revolutions in the Middle East as a Demotix photo journalist since January 2011.

MWA's Farah Kinani shares a Ramadan resolution

When I used to work as a full time journalist in Morocco, I loved to have my vacation time during the month of Ramadan. My mom and I would go early in the morning to our neighbourhood mosque for the Fajr prayer. The early breeze used to make me feel so blessed, walking while holding my mom's hand and trying our best to be among the first to arrive in order to avoid praying outdoor.

The same used to also happen two minutes after Iftar, we would almost run to our mosque and recite the Qur'an until the Isha' prayer, then perform the Taraweeh.

Many used to tell me that I wasted my days off, that I should take summer time to travel, but trust me, being off during Ramadan was a blessing.

When I moved to Morocco, things started to slightly change, then, some years and two kids later, it became almost impossible for me to go to the mosque for Taraweeh.

My kids are 10 and 8 now, and this Ramadan feels so promising to me. I may not be able to go to the mosque early in the morning, or even perform Taraweeh there every night, but this Ramadan, I'm promising myself to be the declaration I made - to myself- some days ago. To just be there for my loved ones without trying to control or anticipate, without expectations of high performance; to just be there, loving and accepting without judging - lending a hand when my help is needed and trusting when a need for independence is requested.

I already feel lighter, just thinking about me being that way, and I need you ladies to pray for me to achieve this goal.

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing, there is a field. I will meet you there." -Rumi

Muslimah Writers Alliance Announces its 3rd Annual Adopt a Ramadan Buddy Campaign - with a Twist!

If you think fasting for a whole month is easy, guess again! Fasting can be challenging, but maintaining a commitment to quit smoking is a monumental challenge! Ramadan buddies are there to support and encourage one another.

July 19, 2012 (MWA) In announcing its third annual Adopt a Ramadan Buddy campaign, Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA) throws in a twist this year with the addition of a promotion encouraging Muslims participating in the annual month-long religious tradition of fasting, to also quit smoking cigarettes.

It is common knowledge that in addition to being addictive, chemicals (carcinogens) found in cigarette smoke have been proven to cause cancer. Moreover, it has also been proven that secondhand smoke (SHS) - smoke that comes from the end of a lit cigarette or is exhaled by a smoker - also causes cancer.

So this Ramadan, for your health and the health of loved ones, friends and colleagues, don't the opportunity pass to make this Ramadan different and more rewarding from Ramadan's past. Commit to quit smoking.

And to help you through Ramadan and in fulfilling your commitment to quit smoking, Muslimah Writers Alliance urges you to join its annual 'Adopt A Ramadan Buddy' campaign.

What is a Ramadan Buddy?