Ramadan

So I am sorry I have not been keeping up I found that one I have been so weak and two very busy.

I posted the first 10 days then I had to take time off for my monthly, Then I got right back on the fasting train. I also have been doing all 5 of the mandatory prayers everyday. Most mornings I have had toast, muffin or a bowl of cereal along with a piece of fruit, my coffee and several glasses of water. Today I had a big muffin (you know the ones from Walmart) about 6 dates my coffee and water.

One of the things that I was thinking about last night after Isha prayer, was in the beginning of Ramadan after every prayer I asked God for blessing for everyone I know naming them all. But in the last few days I have really shortened this prayer to "Please except my fasting and my Prayers, and guide me in the right path and give me patience to deal with a two year old." Fasting makes people cranky.

Yes more cranky then normal. Nyla is going through a phase right now that all two year olds go through. She is learning limits and when Mommie is cranky the limit is not very far. Right now she has snuck into my bedroom and since its early in the day, I am not so cranky that I have gone in to see what she is doing yet, but if it was say 6pm tonight, I would have had her back in the living-room before she even thought about going in there.

I gave her a few mins I want her to explore some but she has to learn where its ok to explore and where not too. My room mostly isn't ok.(Oh by the way she took down a bunch of hangers in my closet she is a fast one.) There are no locks on the cabinets in the bathroom and she has gotten into the lotion on the dresser too many times already. Anyhow the point was if it had been later in the day this would have been a big issue, but because its earlier in the day I only said that its not a nice thing to do and directed her back to the living room.

So to tie this up fasting makes Mommie cranky!! LOL

EID and What our family has planned.

What I really want to talk about is what it’s like for a revert on EID. Please remember that I grew up Christian with all the Christian Holliday’s and looked forward to them every year.
I am trying to show my husband how it can be such a great thing for teaching kids to behave. For the last week, I have been telling Nyla that she will not get any EID gifts if she is bad.  I know this is against what his family is used to. They do not believe in correcting children the way I do. And they give kids stuff all the time and don’t make them wait for a special reason for them to get stuff.
When we were growing up all year long we knew we had to behave or we would get coal in our stockings. This was reinforced on all of the TV shows and cartoons and books about Santa Claus.
But in Islam there is no Magical person who brings gifts and watches you all year long. With a naughty or nice list.  Yes!! God (Allah) is watching you all year in fact he is watching all your life but we do not find out until judgment day if you have to pay for your sin. So children can’t conceive of judgment day. It’s so far in the future.
Ok back to what really happens or I should say what happens in our family.. Everyone in the house rushes around doing the last min stuff for the EID party. Along with getting all dressed up in our fancy new EID clothes, Then we go to pray, either at the big mosjc where you have to fight over parking and a spot on the floor to pray. Or we go with my in-laws who go to a smaller mosjc that holds their pray in a different location knowing that they have more people show up for this prayer. (I liked this last year even though it was the tennis building at OSU it was really nice everyone brought sheets to put on the floor to sit on for the halaqa (lecture) before the prayer. I had room for Nyla to be in her stroller right next to me, Where as the big mosjc there isn’t enough room for strollars they are all parked in the downstairs hall way. 
I am having an Open house again for EID this means that any of my friends can come over and visit and eat between the times I have stated. I am having it kinda early so that I can go to other open house later in the day. This will be my third one. The first one was only supposed to be just family and I was just planning on making breakfast stuff. But when we were at the prayer we invited friends home with us. So the Next EID I planned to do the same but to have it more of a brunch and hold it just a little later so I could have time to go pray and come back and cook, but that didn’t work out and I ended up missing prayer to have everything ready. But this year I am trying something different I am planning a lunch. I am serving:


Appetizers- Cold Shrimp, chips and salsa, a relish tray.


Main course- Cold sandwiches like (egg salad, chicken salad, and Kema meat), Green Salad, Deviled eggs, Veggies and dip.


Dessert- Pink Stuff (Jello Fluff), Seviya Kheer, Rasmalai.


I can prepare all of this ahead of time so I can go to prayer and then just come home and put it out on the table.

Day 11-

I know I said I would post about what breaks your fast today, what I forgot to calculate was that I am hosting an Iftar at my house tonight and I most likely will not be on the computer very much. So if I don't get it posted today I will post it later with todays date. May God forgive me for promising something that I might not be able to do.

I dont want to just not post anything so here is a copy of http://www.islamfortoday.com/ramadan01.htm#valid
May God bless them for sharing with us. This goes over what I was talking about yesterday also.

Ramadan Rules & Regulations
Compiled by Ishaq Zahid

• Introduction
• Who is exempt from Sawm?
• Duration of Sawm
• Validity of Fasting
• Reference

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is compulsory on every Muslim adult. The Arabic word sawm is used for fasting. The word sawm (plural siyam) literally means 'to refrain', but as an Islamic term, it means refraining from food, drinks and sexual activity from dawn to sunset. Allah says in the Quran, in Surah Al-Baqarah (2-183): 

'O you who believe, siyam is prescribed on you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you may become self-restrained.'

The importance of Siyam in Ramadan is clearly expressed in several sayings of the Prophet(S.A.W.). It is reported by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said:

'He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al- Qadr in prayer with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.'(Bukhari and Muslim)

Fasting in Ramadan is practiced by Muslims all over the world. The most significant aspect of Siyam is the development of Allah-consciousness (Taqwa) in the heart and the soul of a fasting Muslim. One must abstain from immoral behavior and attitude as well. Refraining from food and such is essential during fast but it is not sufficient. The Prophet of Allah is reported to have said:

'If one does not abandon falsehood in words and deeds, Allah has no need for his abandoning of his food and drink.'(Al-Bukhari)

WHO IS EXEMPT FROM SAWM?
Fasting is mandatory on every Muslim who is sane, adult, able and resident. The following exemptions apply:

1. the insane;
2. children who are not adolescent yet;
3. the elderly and chronically ill for whom fasting is unreasonably strenuous; Such persons are required to feed at least one poor person every day in Ramadan for which he or she has missed fasting.
4. pregnant women and nursing may postpone the fasting at a later time;
5. the ill and the travellers can also defer their fasting.
   Allah says in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Baqara:

   'But if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period should be made up by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties.'

6. Women during the period of menstruation or of post childbirth confinement. Fasting during these periods is forbidden and should be made up later, a day for a day.

DURATION OF SAWM:
Fasting starts everyday in Ramadan at the break of dawn, which is also the start of the Salatul Fajr time. Fasting ends at sunset or with the call of Salatul Maghrib.  VALIDITY OF FASTING:
The validity of fasting depends on the following:

1. Abstaining from food, liquids and sexual activity from dawn to sunset.
2. The intention to fast must be made every day before dawn. The intention (niyyah) may be made during night before going to sleep or it can also be made at the time of Suhoor before dawn. Suhoor is eating before fasting. It should be as close to Fajr time as possible. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says:

   'Partake Suhoor, for there is blessing in Suhoor.'(Bukhari, Muslim)

   It is desirable to break the fast as soon as possible after sunset. Breaking the fast with dates or water is a tradition of the Prophet. Following is one of the Du'a for breaking fast:

   Allahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala ridhqika aftartu (O Allah! For You did I fast and with Your bounties did I break the fast.)

The things which invalidate fast are of two kinds. The first one requires Qada (only making up missed days), the other one not only requires Qada but also Kaffarah(a penalty). The following are the things that require Qada only:

1. Eating or drinking intentionally. This includes non-nourishing items taken by mouth.
2. Deliberately causing oneself to throw up.
3. The beginning of menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding even in the last moment before sunset.
4. Ejaculation for reasons other than sexual intercourse.
5. Intending to break the fast before sunset even if one changes his mind, since intention is one of the pre-requisites of the validity of fasting.
6. Eating, drinking or having intercourse after dawn on the mistaken assumption that it is not dawn yet. Similarly, engaging in these acts before Maghrib on the mistaken assumption that it is already sunset.

Things that not only require Qada but also Kaffarah are the following:
Sexual intercourse during fasting(dawn to dusk). The penalty is to fast an additional period of 60 continuous days. If one is not able to do so then he must feed sixty poor people-one average meal each. Before the days of the Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.), slavery was a common practice in the Arab world. Islam eliminated slavery from the society in a very short period of time. A useful approach was to allow people free a slave as a charity or as a penalty for a sin. Thus during the time of the Prophet(S.A.W.), setting a slave free was the penalty one must pay as a kaffarah, if he or she had a slave.
What does not break the fast:

1. If anyone forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks, he should complete his fast, for it is only Allah who has fed him and given him drink.  (A Hadith from Muslim).
2. Unintentional vomiting.
3. Swallowing things which are not possible to avoid, such as one's saliva, street dust, smoke, etc.
4. Brushing the teeth.
5. Injection or intra-venous which is solely medical and not nutritional.

Breaking of fast under exceptional conditions:
Muslims are permitted to break the ordained fast of Ramadan when there is danger to their health. In this situation a Muslim should make up his fast later at any other time of the year.
 
Reference: "Every Day Fiqh" by Maulana Yusuf Islahi, translated by Abdul Aziz Kamal.
COURTESY: Islamic Information & News Network  Vol.4 No.43

Day 10

It’s funny that when I googled Fasting the first page of information was all about Christian fasting and fasting for health reasons.  The second page was all about Catholic fasting. I don't know why it surprised me so much, other then I guess growing up a Christian I only ever heard about fasting relating to Gandhi and prisoners. I am sure it was talked about at church but I must not have understood that was what they were talking about. I also thought fasting or hunger strikes were where the person didn't eat or drink anything for days or weeks but it never made any since to me, because I thought our body's needed water every three days to stay alive.  So when I heard that Muslims fast for a whole month, I am sure my eyes popped out of my head and my jaw dropped open!

Well I found out the truth, Muslims do fast for a month, but it’s from sun up to sun down. They have parties after the sun goes down and most of them gain weight during this month rather then lose weight. I am the type of person who is not a breakfast eater so getting up before the sun comes out and eating is hard for me. This is the first year that I am trying to fast. I am giving 110% effort into it. I have been blogging a little bit about it every day. But I have come across one of the rules that say I am not allowed to fast.  So this has really disappointing for me, so I decided to write about fasting, for the days that I will not be able to fast.  I will write facts I research about.

God gave rules for everything in the holy Quran. Fasting has rules already set for us, Like who can fast, who can't.  God does not make anything a hardship on anyone. God said that certain persons should not fast and who should!  A person should fast if they are healthy, sane, above the age of puberty, but if you are traveling, the elderly, the chronically ill, and the mentally ill you are exempt from fasting.  Also exempt are pregnant women if they believe it would be harmful to them or the unborn baby, women during the period of their menstruation, and women nursing their newborns. If your illness or reason for exemption is a temporary one then you need to make up the fast, or feed a poor person as a recompense for days missed. If your exemption is permanent then you must pay for a person’s iftar for each day of Ramadan. While fasting is not considered compulsory in childhood, many children endeavor to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life.

Muslims wake up before the Morning Prayer (Fajr) early enough to have a meal called Sahoor.  This meal should be large enough to sustain the person all day long. They will also drink a lot of water since fasting is from drinking also.

Once the sun goes down and the Call to prayer (sunset-Maghrib) is heard all fasting Muslims will break their fast with a date and something to drink. After they have said the evening prayer (Maghrib) they will then have their Iftar (dinner).

There are a lot of ways your fast can be broken I will go over this tomorrow Insh’Allah (god willing).

Day 8

It was nice to sleep in and not have to stuff my face so early this morning. But i hate going to the dentist so I think I would have rather gotten up!! So on Fathers day we were out eating and I broke a tooth, it was one that had a root canal in it and the filling had fallen out a few months back and I just kept putting off going to get a new one. Well it has been really driving me nuts so I made an appointment to get it fixed. Yeah boohh booh booh

Home

So everyday I have been posting something on my FB wall about my experences with fasting for the first time. I am sure everyone is getting sick of it but I really like doing it, so I figure if I do it here then no one will be put out.  I am going to copy and paste the ones I have posted so far along with any comments, then we will go from there.

IF you want to know more about what Ramadan, you can check Wikipedia I do not think everything on there is right but its a start if you want more information please feel free to ask me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

I was asked a few questions on FB and wanted to transfer them over here. I am not a scholar but I will do my best to give my understanding if something I post is wrong please let me know.

Q-how long do you have to fast for..and also why are you fasting,, and does every one in the family fast or just you.

A-We fast from sun up to sun down the whole month of Ramadan(lunar calendar). We fast because God told us too. As far as who should fast it says that anyone who is healthy, above the age of puberty, and sane of mind. There is allot of different opinion about things like pregnancy and stuff. I have heard that people start their kids out young but that is not necessary.

Day 8 No Fasting sorry

I want to let everyone know that tomorrow there will not be a blot about fasting because I am not fasting tomorrow due to a dentist apt to get a broken tooth fixed. I have researched as much as I could about the issue and I feel that it is just better to make up the day next month rather then to have to face Allah and say I thought it was ok to fast and get my teeth done. No I am not going to change the apt it took me too long to get this apt.

So I hate going to the dentist!!! It takes me twice the amount of nummbing shots as most people so I feel more of the work they do cause it starts wearing off faster too!! Oh joy !!!