By Zahra | This year’s Ramadan is going to be like one we’ve never experienced before. No Taraweeh prayer at the mosque, no elaborate Iftar gatherings. And, the most painful of all, no Salat Al Eid prayed in congregation. If there is something I’ve learned in life, it’s that limitations can bring immense opportunities and sometimes even clarity. Last year I’ve written several articles on the month of Ramadan. In this article I’ve brought them all together–I hope they will be of benefit to you.
Wake-up call
As gloomy as this may sound, but the whole situation we are in reminds me of the following hadith: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Verily, Allah does not withhold knowledge by snatching it away from his servants, but rather he withholds knowledge by taking the souls of scholars, until no scholar remains and people follow ignorant leaders. They are asked and they issue judgments without knowledge. Thus, they are astray and lead others astray.”
When I look around me and at myself I cannot but feel that we are far removed from our beautiful religion and its norms and values. Unashamedly chasing this world and not assigning the next world its due importance. ‘Killing time’ and forgetting that we will be asked about our life and how we spent it on the Day of Judgement. This beautiful month that is just around the corner has come as a purification for our soul and body. Let us use this new situation we are living in as a wake-up call to change our ways. To draw closer to our Creator and remember clearly why we are created in the first place.
‘And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.’ – Qs 51:56
I wish you all a very blessed and mindful Ramadan. One that will purify not only your body but also your soul. One that leaves an impact on you that you will carry with you well beyond this holy month. Allahoumma ameen. And I leave you with the following articles:
Why Muslims fast
I always like to start my endeavors with finding out the ‘why’ behind them. The beginning, if you will. For the month of Ramadan it would be, ‘Why do we fast?’ It is for this reason that my first article on this subject is the following: Why Muslims fast and what you need to know about fasting. For Muslims it can serve as a reminder and for anyone interested in the Islamic faith it will in sha Allah serve as an introduction.
What to eat for Suhoor
Fasting during the month of Ramadan requires Muslims to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn till dusk. It is for this reason that the moment of Suhoor, the moment just before dawn when Muslims can eat a meal to fast upon, is an extremely important one. The question is, what will we put into our body as fuel to get us through a large portion of the day? The following article gives you five ideas on what to eat for Suhoor.
What to eat for Iftar
Because of the use of the Islamic lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan rotates throughout the Gregorian calendar. It is for this reason that the month of Ramadan goes through all seasons. This way, it proves to be a very considerate pillar of faith with long fasting days when it falls in the summer months and short days when it falls in the winter months. In the Quran Allah says after all: ‘Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship’ (Qs 2:185). This is a verse that befittingly talks about the fasting month of Ramadan.
Whatever season the month of Ramadan may visit us, the fast must be broken with a meal when the sun goes down. This breaking the fast meal is called Iftar, and in the following article you can find five ideas on what to eat for Iftar.
Three soup recipes
While fasting, we lose a lot of fluids throughout the day. Making soup a part of our breaking the fast meal is a good idea to replenish those fluids. An added benefit of consuming soups is that they also provide us with much needed nutrients. And I haven’t even mentioned that you can endlessly vary.
You could try this creamy zucchini soup to start with. If you’re more into spicy, this spicy corn and bell pepper soup will be the soup for you. And if you like a soup with a thicker consistency and happen to love leek, this leek and potato soup will definitely help ‘quench your thirst’.
Also read: Simple steps to eating healthier
What have you been preparing for this Ramadan?
Much love,
Zahra
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