The Ramadan Calendar

  
  
  

That is this year’s Ramadan calendar in our home.

I sewed a garland out of old denim trousers and made a string of pink fabric (it’s the type of garland which is so well known by all my fellow crafting bloggers and which originally came from Soulemama, I think).
Then I wrote with white fabric paint and in big single letters “RAMADAN” on the pennants. In the spaces between I hung little notes for every day. On these notes I wrote little religious reminders or task to do for the kids on the following day (such as drawing Noah’s ark, reciting an Ayat, etc).
I didn’t hung the gifts directly on the string because I know the kids would try to open them out of curiosity in advance… so I keep the gifts aside and offer them every evening after the call to Maghrib prayer the one of that day.
The gifts differ; we have little books (from my own childhood), cassettes with kid’s stories, sweets, stories from the Qur’an, a world-map and pencils.
Now the kids are looking forward every evening to get the gift, they become excited about the whole atmosphere, they learn patience and to wait during the day just as the adults do while fasting and they feel that the month of Ramadan is a special blessed time during the year, subhan’allah.

(If you like to do a calendar as well, I think you could use this year the last ten days of Ramadan as an occasion…)

…and a verse from the Qur’an

  
  

Salamou alaikoum friends,

While having so many ideas in my head I would love to write about, time is precious and not available as I wished to… Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an and so I am reading most of my free time in His holy book.

That’s why I decided to share with you at least every once in a while some of the ayat (verses) that touched me the most during my daily lecture together with some pictures out of daily life.

“Verily, it is Allah who causes the seed-grain and the fruit-stone to split and sprout.
He brings forth the living from the dead; and it is He who brings forth the dead from the living. Such is Allah, then how are you deluded from the truth?

He is the Cleaver from the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

It is He who has set the stars for you, so that you might guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea… “ (6, 95-97)

I wish you a blessed and peaceful weekend.

Easy Covering-Up

  
  

Do you also keep old cotton-stocks with some holes in, thinking you will maybe mend them one day?
Do you like these long tops with three-quarter-length arms?
Do you sometimes just need a quick thing to cover your arms to be properly dressed for prayer or unexpected visitors?

I recently got the idea to use these old stocks, which honestly I will never ever mend, otherwise. I simply took scissors, cut off the lower-foot-part and got some great gauntlets!
I didn’t even sew the cut-off line, its works well like this and it is such an easy thing to do, sustainable and very convenient.

Now, on these hot summer days, instead of putting long sleeve-shirts, I just have to wear a light tank top under my tunic at home; and when it comes to prayer or to welcome some guests, I quickly pull over my gauntlets and a headscarf (the Amina-style ones are very quick to put over) and I am properly modestly dressed, alhamdulillah.

Ramadan and a three months Baby

    

 Assalamou alaikoum,

-          loving all her giggling and the “ahhhs” and “ grrrrs”

-          feeling a deep womanly-connection with baby 

-         being very sad about not being able to fast (it unfortunately just isn’t the same spiritual atmosphere)

-         getting lost and distracted with all the have-to-dos, the want-to-dos and the feeling-to-dos

-         loosing all the extra hair I gained during pregnancy

-         having been very exhausted the last evenings when all three are in bed

-          but growing also a deep thankfulness about having them in my life – seeing them peacefully sleeping all together just makes my heart jumping, alhamdulillah!

-          hoping to get more focused on religious things to increase my faith during these blessed weeks

-         praying for changes concerning hubby’s work and our upcoming projects

-         … wishing you a blessed week!

The Ramadan To-do-List 1430/2009

  
 
  

Tomorrow  Ramadan, the blessed time for Muslims, will begin.
As every year, we are really looking forward to it. Preparations are nearly done and we are in the last steps to welcome this beautiful month (I still have to do some work tonight on our kid’s calendar).

Here I’ve listed some things I want to accomplish and achieve even though I am not fasting this year due to fully breastfeeding baby. Things are still new around here and my hormones are not stable and I feel not balanced at all. So I keep it “smart” and simple this time not to get exhausted by all of it. I’ve listed religious but also worldly stuff – to keep the balance.

But however successful I will be in following all these good intensions, the most important is to do it only for the sake of Allah.

Here is my 1430 / 2009 Ramadan-Goals-List:

-          To read the entire Qur’an (I will read again the German translation because my Arabic is still not good enough to understand the original text, masha’allah), I want to read every day 2 Hizb, inchaallah.

-          To read the following books: “In the early hours” and some children books with the kids (you can see them in the picture above) and for sure also the new “Sisters Magazine”.

-          To change my rhythm, to go to bed early and to wake up with Fajr prayer in the morning to pray calmly and then stay up to have some time for devotion, to reflect and for myself (blog etc.), inchaallah, before the kids wake up.

-          To sew a new long headscarf, called khimar or jilbab, and to try some new binding techniques.

-          Not to watch TV expect for some religious shows on Huda TV.

-          To keep the kids and my food quick and simple during the days and to restrain from sweets until the evening.

-          To do some Islamic unschooling and crafting and to read prophetic stories with the kids. Here and here are some really nice websites.

-          To invite guests for breaking-the-fast-meals (called “Iftar”).

-          To give the obligatory charity (called “Zakat”) before Eid-Day.

-          To learn some new surates (verses of the Qur’an) in Arabic by heart.

-          To play at least 15 minutes per day with the kids (I mean really playing and fully consciously being with them…). 

-          Not to neither backbite nor listen to gossip and not to complain. Trying to keep my heart, my tongue and my soul pure and clean and to make every single deed as worship to God the Almighty.

-          Not to bite my nails.

-          Trying to better myself day by day to become the best Muslima possible, inchaallah.

The list is to be continued and I will add some personal/private things.

I pray that the fasting of all Muslims will be accepted and that the holy atmosphere of this month will enlighten our hearts and souls. Amin.

Ramadan Kareem Friends!

In the Woods and under the Trees

  

For a comfortable afternoon in nature you’ll need:

a basket or rucksack with a huge picnic blanket, drinks, some sweets and cake, fruits or sandwiches, a good read or something to knit, little cars or toys, binoculars, paper and pens and a lot of curiosity…

… I can tell you that’s so much better sometimes than to stay at home. alhamdulillah, it clears your mind, lifts the spirit and leads eventually even to some funny unexpected “unschooling” lessons …

Tatatataaaaa!

  

 

Here you see my first real finished knitting project: a cowl for winter in beautiful kiwi-green soft mohair-merino wool.

This is so practical by just putting over your head, to cover the neck and to keep warm in a very easy way…
Inspired by here, here and here.

Happy Monday, friends!

Joy in a Jar

  
  

Take some eggplants, cut them in slices, salt them and fry them in olive oil; Put them into big jars and add a lot of herbs like rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme and others; Also some garlic and a lot of olive oil until all is well covered; close the jar – ready to be stored in the fridge.

Yummy! They are great as “antipasti” and we love to eat them for an easy-made dinner with fresh bread and some salad.

Happy weekend!

Summer Bliss #2

  
making fresh marmalade

  
crafting in lovely sunny places

 
enjoying picnics with friends and barefoot walks

Light behind the clouds….

  

In general I do not like to write about the dark side of family life, I’d rather like to focus on the good and joyful moments.
But I do not want to tell you tales as well and the truth is that sometimes life is really grey even here in that happy valley.

The boys and I have been through two very difficult days, moments when no parenting advice you’ve ever read about helped and the only thing you wished is to run away. Astafirghullah!
I think teething, changing hormones and full moon influence made things worse and so we entered a vicious circle and found nearly no way out, mashaallah.

Looking back, everything doesn’t seem that difficult and I feel better now after having been out in nature the whole afternoon.
But when you are in these struggles, it just feels so overwhelmingly bad:

boredom – aggression – yelling – crying – fights – weakness – blame – old wounds – pain – sadness – tears – feeling lost – name calling – jealousy – provocation – tiredness – depression … “aoudhu billahi min a shaitan…”

I know these moments go away, and we are not the only one having them, I know that the sun shines even behind the darkest clouds and turning to Allah always helps.
So I prayed for inner self acceptance, for love and a big sense of humour.

And yes, I think maybe that’s the key:
L O V E yourself and then you are able to spread out your love to others!

I leave you with these thoughts wishing you a lovely peaceful weekend, friends.