Eid Mubarak! (Late Again...lol)

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh...

...surprise surprise, I'm late again, but I just wanted to say Eid mubarak (or as they say it here, mabrook l'Eid) to all of my sisters and brothers around the world! Insh'Allah everyone enjoyed their Eid!

Eid was Wednesday for us here in the maghreb (the land of one day delay lol)...and to be quite honest...Eid for me was kind of cruddy unfortunately :( Honestly, the highlight for me was getting to wear my new djellaba (the very first for me to own!). Lol, call me shallow or whatever you want...but there's always something so refreshing about putting on new clothes :)

So, what made my Eid so cruddy, you might ask? (warning: if you're someone who doesn't like reading complaints...please just skip over the list)

1. I couldn't pray Eid prayer...and therefore was kept from going to the mosque (not by my husband, mind you, because he was at work...more on that later...but by his family). I didn't want to actually go IN the prayer area...because you're not supposed to do that when you can't pray...but ladies are still obligated to go to the mosque on Eid, regardless of whether or not they're menstruating. This was the first Eid I couldn't pray, so I don't really know how it technically works, but when I went for Eid al Adha prayer last year, I saw that the ladies who couldn't pray just sat outside the prayer area on the steps, so I figured I'd just do the same. Not the case. All of my female in-laws were like "no, you're on your period, you can't go!" So...that kind of soured my mood right from the start.

2. My husband worked the night shift the night before...and didn't get home until 11 am because the person who was taking over for him showed up late (which my husband had okay-ed, because the guy has young children and he wanted to have some time to spend with his family in the morning...understandable) However...I was just shocked that some people are still required to work here on Eid. Anyways, that meant that my husband pretty much slept all day when he got home (again, understandable...he was up all night working), and by the time he woke up, there were only about three hours left before he had to leave to go to work again (but he was really nice and made a point to spend some time talking to me during those three hours <3). So, I didn't really get to see my husband that much on Eid. Again, say what you want, but I don't like when I barely get to spend any time with my hubby all day, especially when it's on Eid :'(

3. I spent a considerable amount of my day at one of my hubby's great aunts' apartment because she had invited a lot of people over for Eid. Her husband (also one of my husband's great uncles) died the second week of Ramadan (inna lilahi wa inna ilahi raji'un)...so the atmosphere was understandably a bit depressing. I don't mind visiting my husband's family; it's actually nice to see people, especially people that you haven't seen in a while (which means in a couple weeks/months by my husband's family's standards). I just don't like spending the majority of the day there, because that inevitably means that I am stuck in a room full of women who I only half-understand (if even) what they're talking about...and most of it is talking about what happened/is happening to so-and-so in the family...not exactly what you'd call scintillating conversation (okay, again, call me whatever, but I just don't find it interesting). So, what I end up doing is sitting there for hours on end just staring at the wall, or the floor. Yeah. Fun.

So yes...that is why I didn't really enjoy my Eid. I really hope that insh'Allah everyone else had a better experience. What did you do for Eid?

Feed a Hungry Child in Only a Few Minutes!

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone, insh'Allah you're all well and are in the best of health and high iman. Well, it's here already, we are in the LAST 10 DAYS OF RAMADAN! Let's make the most of it; may Allah(swt) grant us all pardon for our past sins, and may He(swt) shower us with His mercy and blessings, and accept our fasts and all of our acts of worship, ameen!

A sister on facebook shared this link, and I thought I'd share it with all of you...

For every person who takes this short quiz, a child will receive a warm meal thanks to an anonymous donor to WFP. It'll only take a few minutes out of your day, and who knows, you might learn something about hunger at the same time! I know I did, subhan'Allah!

Click here to take the quiz and feed a hungry child

It would be lovely if people would share this as well...let's get as many people as we can to take this quiz!

See you all soon, insh'Allah! Salaam alaikum!

Just A Reminder

Salaam alaikum everyone, insh'Allah you're all doing well, and you're enjoying your Ramadan!

I came across this video via Facebook, and I thought I would share it with you all. Mash'Allah, it's a really good reminder for those of us who aren't too good with our salaat/prayers.

Ramadan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem!

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone! Insh'Allah you're all doing well, are in the best of health and the highest of iman, and have been enjoying your Ramadan so far (Ramadan fasting started today for those of us in Morocco...for whatever reason the moon seems to consistently like to show up one day later than it does in Saudi and most of the rest of the world XD...I remember when I was still living in the states I used to call my husband to say Ramadan mubarak, and he would always say, "Ramadan doesn't start for us until tomorrow" lol) Anyways, as I've mentioned before, I'm really excited about this Ramadan because it's the first Ramadan that I'll be spending in Morocco, with my hubby and his family, alhamdolillah! What are you looking forward to this Ramadan?

Goals for Ramadan

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone, insh'Allah everything's well with y'all, and you're in the best of health and the highest of iman!

Do you like the picture? It's me and my SIL on top of the roof of our appartment building close to sunset. I'm not super tall (I'm just under 5'5")...it's just that my SIL is super short lol.

Anyways, it's that time of year again...my favorite time of year...that's right, RAMADAN is less than a month away, alhamdolillah! I had a great Ramadan last year, and I'm hoping that insh'Allah this year will be even better! I'm looking forward to it for so many reasons...it'll be my first Ramadan in Morocco...my first Ramadan with my hubby...my first Ramadan with my in-laws...but most of all, because I'm craving Ramadan. Yes, craving lol. The shaytan is locked away, and it's such a beautiful month that Allah(swt) has blessed us with. A month of inner reflection, repentance, and drawing closer to Allah(swt). I always used to get asked how I could possibly give up eating and drinking during the day for an entire month, and my answer was always very simple: I'm doing it for the sake of Allah(swt). My love for Allah(swt) is what gets me through those days where my empty stomach is violently churning, those days where my mouth is so parched that I feel like my mouth is full of sand. In my hunger and thirst, I remember Allah(swt), and all of the blessings He has bestowed upon me, without even being asked! This will be my fifth Ramadan, alhamdolillah, and, like last year, I've compiled a list of goals for myself for this upcoming month. However, unlike last year, I've tried to keep them a bit more realistic.

1. Pray all my prayers ON TIME: Astighfirallah, it's embarrassing to admit this, but I've been slacking in this area lately. That needs to change. This is something I've been working on before Ramadan begins, because the sooner it changes and I can develop good salat habits, the better.

2. Pray tarawih every night: Alhamdolillah last year this was a goal I was able to complete. I went to the Islamic center (a 15 minute drive from my parents' house) every night I was able to pray tarawih prayer last year, and I LOVED it. Now that hubby and I live a two minute walk from a mosque (literally, it's like 500 feet down the street), I feel like I have no excuse not to go.

3. Read the entire english translation of the Qur'an: This is easy enough to do insh'Allah. It's in my native language, after all. I also want to try reading the tafseer (explaination) along with the translation as well insh'Allah.

4. Follow along with audio recitation of the Qur'an in Arabic: Needless to say, last Ramadan I was NOT able to get through the whole Qur'an in Arabic (only up to Surah Taha I believe?)...and it felt more like a chore than something enjoyable because it was so difficult for me...and since then, my Arabic reading skills have not really improved...so this time around I think it will be more helpful if I follow along with an audio recitation. Insh'Allah it will make it easier and more enjoyable...and will help my reading skills.

5. Memorize at least two new surahs: It doesn't matter which ones they are...I just would like to make more of an effort in memorizing the Qur'an because I haven't been making much of an effort lately, astighfirallah.

6. Make lots of du'ah: Du'ah, or supplication, is something that is such a powerful tool, especially during Ramadan. In fact, one of the best times to make du'ah is right before breaking the fast. I sometimes made du'ah right before iftar last Ramadan, and was absolutely AMAZED by what Allah(swt) blessed me with. Never underestimate the power of du'ah.

7. Eat healthier: Who would have thought that Ramadan would be a prime time to start eating healthier? Well, guess what? It is! I have so many problems with food I won't even start mentioning them all to you. I will just say though that I will make my best effort to eat a nice healthy, balanced and nutritious iftar and suhoor this year (as opposed to last year's poptarts and icecream and salt and vinegar chips late at night after tarawih...yeah, I know, really disgusting, right? I have no idea how I used to be thinner when I ate so much crap, and then when I came here I gained 8kg in three months...I know, absolute mystery I tell you!)

What are your goals for this Ramadan?

I Know I'm a Bit Late But...EID MUBARAK!

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone, insh'Allah you're all in the best of health and the highest of iman.

So, I'm sorry I kind of went MIA for a couple of weeks, but I was trying to get the most out of the last 10 days of Ramadan as I could. Alhamdolillah I was able to do another itikhaf in a masjid in Boston the 27th night of Ramadan. Subhan'Allah that was AMAZING. I went to ISBCC in Roxbury for iftar, maghrib, isha and tarawih, and on that night they completed the Qur'an. It was really really hot, sweaty and crowded, but it didn't even matter. The imam said such a powerful du'ah that it had me and several other sisters around me sobbing. May Allah(SWT) accept all our fasting, prayers, du'ahs and good deeds during Ramadan, ameen! I'm happy to say that alhamdolillah, I think I had a pretty good Ramadan.

So, anyways, I know it's kind of late, but I want to say EID MUBARAK to everyone. Insh'Allah you all enjoyed your Eid :) I didn't really do much of anything...I went to prayers in the morning (the masjid was so packed that the lady in front of me sat on my head when I was in sujood : / ). and got to socialize for a few hours afterwards. I was pretty disappointed because the abaya I had ordered for Eid didn't come in time (in fact, I STILL don't have it, grr) even though I ordered it back in sha3ban (August 2nd for that matter), and it was guaranteed by Eid. Well, I've sent the company an email about that, but as of yet I haven't gotten a reply. If it's still not to me in another week, I hope I can get some sort of a refund. Ugg. The last time I ordered from them, I had a very positive experience, but this time, unfortunately, not so much : / Anyways, luckily I had a back-up abaya that worked out just fine alhamdolillah. If any of you are interested in seeing a picture of what I wore on Eid, let me know and I'll upload a picture for y'all in this post. On Sunday before work I also got the chance to have a nice breakfast with some sisters...it was a bit rushed, but alhamdolillah it was nice nonetheless ^_^

What did everyone else do for Eid?

Qiyyam in the Masjid

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone,
insh'Allah you're all in the best of health and the highest of iman today...
alhamdolillah I returned about an hour ago from doing a qiyyam in the masjid...and ooof I'm so tired, my back kills, I have a headache, and my tummy's upset, but alhamdolillah nonetheless because it was AMAZING

For those of you who don't know what a qiyyam is...it's when you spend the whole night in worship at a mosque. I read so much Qu'ran alhamdolillah, and got to pray tahajjud with the other brothers and sisters there...and mash'Allah there were some very beautiful lectures in between by a mufti who was visiting...mash'Allah they were so good they gave me the chills and brought tears to my eyes. I really wish I could have recorded them...but insh'Allah they'll be recorded in my memory for years to come.

After tahajjud we only ended up with 10 minutes for suhoor...so that's why I have an upset tummy right now :( Let's just say that nutella and hummus are NOT a good combination...loool, but obviously I wasn't thinking of that at the time when I was hurriedly grabbing food to eat, so I guess it's my fault for not being more careful about what I put in my body : /

So that's it for now...I'll update later insh'Allah when I'm feeling better.

Salaam alaikum!

So...My Life Isn't Terribly Exciting...

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone,

Insh'Allah you're all in the best of health and the highest of iman! ^_^

So, I haven't updated in almost a week and...*here come the excuses*

1. I've been kind of busy with work/going to the masjid/trying to get as much sleep as I possibly can

2. I'm just lazy and haven't really felt like writing anything

3. I always feel the need to write about really interesting things that I think people will actually want to bother to take the time out of their day to read...unfortunately for y'all I don't think my life is that interesting :P

So, since we've last met, a few things have happened:
1. I'm on day 3 of my "vacation"...ahemhem...I know this might sound really silly of me...but I always pray that it comes sooner in Ramadan rather than later, just so that I don't miss out on the last 10 days. So I'm happy it came when it did ^_^...LOL...now you're probably all feeling really awkward. On a side note...any other gals out there feel kinda self-conscious during Ramadan when you're on your "vacation" from fasting? I always feel weird being allowed to eat and drink...especially when I have to explain to people WHY I'm eating and drinking again for a week -_-'

2. Alhamdolillah on Wednesday August 18 it was my three year anniversary of me taking my shahadah! I plan to post a little bit more in depth about this later insh'Allah, in the interest of not making this post too long, but I will just say this. Alhamdolillah for EVERYTHING that I've been through over the past three years. I'm so blessed to have been guided to Islam, and I feel like over these past three years, I have grown and matured spiritually by leaps and bounds. I keep learning and growing more day by day, and I am very thankful for the simple fact that I AM A MUSLIM. ALHAMDOLILLAH!

3. I went to the Thursday halaqa at the masjid again, and alhamdolillah this time I felt sufficiently less awkward. I feel like this time I was able to bond a bit more with the sisters there, and I felt more comfortable. Last time I felt really awkward because I was pretty much one of the oldest people there (because they're "youth group" halaqas) and all the other sisters there were high school age...and me being 20, I just felt kinda old and out of place. LOL. But alhamdolillah this time I just kind of let go of feeling like I didn't really belong there (after all the brother who runs it is in GRAD SCHOOL...so I wasn't the oldest one there, and I felt really silly for feeling "too old"...because, after all, you're never too old to LEARN, and that's what I'm there to do after all). This time it was nice, because I kind of felt like I fit more into the "big sister" role, and the other sisters were more comfortable talking to me this time around, which was nice...last time much of the conversation we had was made up of awkward silence...heheh.

Tonight insh'Allah I'll be going to another community iftar, so I'm excited for that!! Even though I'm not fasting, I'm still looking forward to the yummy food, and spending time with other Muslims ^_^

I hope all of your fasting is going well, insh'Allah! Until next time, salaam alaikum!

Ramadan, Day 4

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone!

Insh'Allah you're all in the best of health and the highest of iman today!

So, days 1, 2, and 3 of Ramadan all passed rather uneventfully for me, but yesterday, alhamdolillah, I feel passed rather eventfully.

I unfortunately didn't end up waking up for suhoor...but I was okay nonetheless because right before I went to bed I ate an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (YES I KNOW I WAS BEING REALLY REALLY BAD LOL), and I had also managed to drink around 20 oz of water as well, so alhamdolillah I was all set for the day :P I did wake up for fajr though, so I prayed fajr, then layed in bed a little bit, then I threw on an abaya and a scarf and drove my dad to the airport (the rest of my family is away dropping my sister off at college/visiting my grandparents...so I have the house to myself until Tuesday ^_^)

After that, I came back and slept until one to catch up on my sleep that I've so desperately needed, agggg! After I woke up I prayed dhuhr, I read for a bit, and then I left to mail a package at the post office. Upon returning, I saw that a giant tree branch had fallen over the power lines up the street, which caused the rest of the houses in my area to lose power for about an hour and a half...lol...so that was fun. I prayed asr, read a bit more, played with my cats, and just as I was about to leave to go to the masjid for iftar the power came back on.

Iftar was AMAZING...it was probably one of the best iftars yet for me this Ramadan! I had rice, two types of chicken cooked Indian style (yumyum, nice and spicy!), some kebab, some salad, some pita bread, and this really delicious pudding that was a lot like rice pudding, except that it was made with long thin noodles. Before eating the actual dinner though, we prayed maghrib (after breaking fast with a date and some juice...btw does anyone agree with me that the first bite of whatever you're eating/the first sip of whatever you're drinking to break your fast with ALWAYS tastes like the most delicious thing you have ever ate/drank? Lol, dates have never tasted so good!) After dinner I drank some chai (lol, the auntie I was with was astounded that I "only" put two sugars in my small cup of tea...this is why I always insist upon making my own chai because if I didn't, it would be mostly sugar and milk :P )

After drinking my chai, I went into the prayer hall to listen to a very beautiful and powerful lecture that was given by a brother. In the interest of not making this post too long, insh'Allah I will write about it in a separate post some other day, but it was really really good, and very motivational, mash'Allah! After listening to the lecture, it was time for Isha. So everyone prayed Isha, and then Tarawih. This time I thought to bring along my Qur'an so that I could follow along with the imam...personally I found it more beneficial for me to do that, because it helped me concentrate better, and it also helped me to read the words in Arabic while seeing them. Right now we're all the way through Surah An Nisa'a Ayah 147. On another note...it's astonishing and sad how many people just up and left right after we prayed 8 rakaat...very few people stay for the 20. Now, I'm not going to get into the 8 vs. 20 rakaat debate...but brothers and sisters, if you're praying behind someone who is praying 20 rakaat Tarawih, it's RUDE to just get up and leave after 8! D: Insh'Allah try to stay for all of Tarawih!

Anyways, after I came home from Tarawih...I caved into my nafs a bit and watched an episode of Project Runway *blushes* After that I drank some hot milk with honey (YUMM) and then went to bed. So yeah, yesterday was pretty eventful...we'll see what today has in store for me ^_^

RAMADAN MUBARAK!

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh,

Alhamdolillah it's day 2 of fasting for me...and I just wanted to say RAMADAN MUBARAK to everyone! Insh'Allah everything is going well, and you're all enjoying Ramadan so far!

I just want to put it out there that I dislike working while I'm fasting. I feel like it takes up a lot of my day that could be used for doing other productive things...and when I come home I'm SO TIRED. However, alhamdolillah that I do have a job...and insh'Allah it will get easier...I've just never worked full time during Ramadan before. It's not like I'm doing anything physically demanding (unless you count lifting 20 pound boxes every now and then physically demanding...) it's just mentally draining. I stare at very crowded jewelry displays for 8 to 9 hours a day and try to organize them, and put more jewelry out...it can be extremely frustrating because lots of things get tangled/put back in the wrong place/broken etc. It seems like sometimes I spend hours fixing something, only to have it be completely destroyed 15 minutes later. I often find myself wishing I could be doing something else more spiritually productive.

I'm sorry for the rather long complaint...I know I shouldn't but I'm just feeling a bit tired. My schedule during the weekdays looks something like this:

3:45 am-ish : get up for Suhoor, find something to eat and drink while trying not to make too much noise so as not to wake up the rest of the house
4:20 am-ish : pray Fajr, go back to bed for a bit more sleep
6:00 am : get up and get ready for work
6:30 am : drive to work
7am - 3 sometimes 3:30 sometimes 4pm : work
anywhere from 3:40-4:30: come home, pray dhohr, use internet, take nap
7:00pm: wake up, pray asr, read Qur'an until maghrib
7:50pm ish: eat iftar, pray maghrib, get ready to go to the masjid
9:10pm: drive to masjid
9:30pm-11:30pm: pray isha and tarawih at masjid
midnightish: arrive home, eat a small snack, drink some tea, collapse in heap on bed

lol I'm hoping that I'll get to work more on my goals during the weekends...right now though I'm just exhausted T_T. Time for a quick shower, then I'm going to the masjid for a halaqa, and insh'Allah I'll be eating iftar and staying for tarawih.

Salaam all! ^_^