MWA's Aishah Schwartz: Iftar ala cat

Spaghetti bolanaise with red cheddar and milk - ala cat.

Dua for breaking the fast:

Transliteration:

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

Source: Abu Dawud

What is a good deed? Listening. A journal entry by MWA's Aishah Schwartz

وَلِكُلٍّ وِجهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلّيها ۖ فَاستَبِقُوا الخَيرٰتِ ۚ أَينَ ما تَكونوا يَأتِ بِكُمُ اللَّهُ جَميعًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ

اور ہر ایک کے لیے ایک طرف ہے جس طرف وہ منہ کرتا ہے پس تم نیکیوں کی طرف دوڑو تم جہاں کہیں بھی ہو گے تم سب کو الله سمیٹ کر لے آئے گا بے شک الله ہر چیز پر قادر ہے

And every one has a direction to which he should turn, therefore hasten to (do) good works; wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things. (Al Baqara 2:148)

Today I did a lot of listening.

What's for Suhoor? Hmm...here's what MWA's Aishah Schwartz is having!

Oatmeal, toast, cherries, coffee and water. Bon Appetite!

Dua at Suhoor
Transliteration: Wa bisawmi ghadinn nawaiytu min shahri Ramadan.

Ramadan Virtue of the Day: Charity

Photo - Kris via Flickr under the Creative Commons License

Charity is a virtue that is greatly valued in Islam. In fact, zakat (fixed charity) is one of the five pillars of the faith. Charitable giving is considered an obligation on all those who can bear it, as it is considered the duty of Muslims to ease the hardships of the less fortunate. It is also a way for Muslims to avoid becoming hard of heart, as is said in Quran, "So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey and spend in charity for the benefit of your own soul and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity," (Surah 64:16).  History records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was a generous man, but during the month of Ramadan his charity was unmatched. (Read more)

Ramadan day one in Egypt: Look what MWA's Aishah Schwartz found!

A Giant Quran!

Attending taraweeh prayers at Uthman Ibn Affan Masjid.

Tips for Ramadan Taraweeh (Tarawih) Prayers

MWA's Aishah Schwartz: Ramadan is not an eating contest!

Ramadan Virtue of the Day: Spirituality

Photo - Mashahed via Flickr under Creative Commons License

The month of Ramadan has one adjective that is constantly and almost automatically attached to it: holy. It is the holy month of the Islamic calendar, one when Muslims are reminded that all worldly pleasures and pursuits are not worth losing their faith over. This is the time when Muslims allow themselves to slow down, filter out perpetual worries of life, and strengthen their connection with God that weathered eleven months since last Ramadan. (Read more)

10-Top-Tips for a Happy Ramadan by MWA's Eren Cervantes-Altamirano

In the past few years I have realized that the one-Ramadan-arrangement-fits-all actually fits none. The Ramadan experience is as individual as each one of us, and in order to be successful we need to identify what works and what does not. These are things that I have learned in the past four years. (Read More)

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.
 

MWA's Zainab John Reviews Children's Book: Ramadan by Farah Kinani

Leila, the daughter of one of Kinani's friends, was the inspiration for this book. Leila told Kinani what happened one day at School when she told her friends she would not be joining them for lunch. Her friends who at the time did not know nor understand anything about Ramadan,the Muslim holy month of fasting, encouraged Leila to hide and eat or have something to drink, and some even thought Leila was being punished or on a time out. Kinani, shocked by the children's response, decided to visit Leila's school to give  a short talk about the holy month of Ramadan. Hence, this book is the author's attempt to educate and answer questions about Ramadan and to give mainly the non-Muslim reader, primarily children and teens, some idea of what Muslims do during Ramadan.

It is a well-informed piece of writing with several colourful illustrations, a glossary and Islamic calendar at the end of the book. The language and writing style is simple and very descriptive, making it easy for children to read and understand. Therefore, I  think it's a wonderful and smart choice of book for both Muslim and non-Muslim children alike to learn about Ramadan, its significance and the different rituals practised by Muslims during this month. I think it would also be very useful to teachers who wish to educate their class of majority non-Muslim children about Ramadan.

The Importance of Gratitude in Ramadan and Beyond

Often we seek Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala during difficult times or perhaps more often when we are seeking fulfillment of our needs. However, we should ask for and seek Him steadfastly, particularly when things are going well in our lives.

During times of ease is our time to thank Him and praise Him for all the blessings He has provided us.

"And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you' [in favor]…" (Qur'an 14:7)