Welcome to muslim tea room 2.

[defuse]

Peace to you all

Ok, well here it is again...we have moved to room 2 now

Discuss whatever aspect of islam you like my lovely sisters - this is a place for muslims and non-muslims too, to share experiences, raising kids or just having your say!

The kettle is on.... We have loads of herbal teas, coffee and guava juice .... I like guava juice so welcome!

Wali kum asalam orange, I have two young children, think I always approach Ramadan with a mixture of excitement and trepidation! We found that changing the kids routines helped last year, so they stayed up later and we all had an afternoon nap. I don't think I can cope with these long days without an afternoon nap!

Just a quick post before battery dies.
Welcome back Crescent! Yey!
Welcome Orangeflower
I've been clearing out and have some stuff for the charity bins (ours go to Syria I think) thanks for the reminder Crescent, I shall renew my intention to be giving for the sake of Allah SWT (rather than selling on eBay which I would never get round to) and Inshaallah will make it a pre Ramadan thing each year. I read something on a housekeeping thread that the best way to keep a tidy house is to halve your belongings!
I'm trying to remind myself now that Ramadan is the name of the month, and not to get too hung up/nervous of the fasting and remember all the other things we should be aspiring to, I think being in a majority non fasting country, everyone's perception is that fasting is all the month is about? I want to set an example to my family that it is about so much more than that. I think when people ask me how I'm getting on with ramadan I shall try not to talk about the fasting and instead mention some of the other things I've done, like given to charity, done something neighbourly, memorised some Quran, or not gossiped for a day etc and Inshaallah how I feel my Iman strengthening.
Back later to catch up properly Inshaallah

Salam again!
Rambling warning...! Can anyone advise on how to calculate zakat amount, I saw a few calculators online but I'm a bit confused. I run my own business and I'm not sure what I declare from that as I don't know what it's worth... I draw a regular wage though. Also I have started two savings accounts, one for DC and one for a mortgage deposit. I don't know if I declare zakat on the DC account and also how much to take from them as I read the money has to be in your possession for a full year??? Very confused, DH has taken care of it previous year but DHs family just say to pay £15 each but I don't understand that?

I have a CD of surah Al Baqarah and I have been playing it over and over the last few days. I'm going to make one of my Ramadan goals to memorise the first ten verses Inshaallah. Which surahs are on your lists?

Salaam everyone, sorry real life has got in the way so I haven't been around much.

Welcome orange, nice to see another face and another sister who we can all encourage during Ramadan.

As for me, I've given up with the deep cleaning temporarily. My next mission is to sort all the clothes out for charity again, that seems to be a never ending task.

I really don't have anything constructive to add as usual, I'm just popping by to say hello. Does anyone else have those amazing tan lines? I've got them on my wrists and feet too.

Has everyone had their school sports days yet? I used to get so annoyed with the competitiveness, but now I'm one of them. Dd1 seems to have bit of a talent for sprinting, she's the fastest in her year and she's part of our county athletic squad. Sports day is supposed to be a bit of fun, but oh no there's lost screaming like a banshee . Still, she won all her races, and she's was 4th leg on the relay and even had chance to smile and wave as she crossed the finish .

How's your prep coming along diet? So far I've made one meal for my freezer, I'm going to have to do some batch cooking at the weekend.

Haven't read back.

But just want to say a big assalamoalaikum to all my lovely sisters xxx

Rememember me in your duaa's x

Sorry betty I posted my light hearted post before I saw yours, I'm not sure how you work out zakat, I always had h do it for me. Although our local mosque just asks for £5 per family member which I don't think is right at all. So I'd be interested to see how to work it out.

Oh peaceful I've just read your post, congratulations. Another tearoom baby on the way .

Lost there are 2 types of zakat, I'll find the names when I get a chance (or maybe someone else knows!), so what your mosque asks for is one thing (and is correct), but your personal zakat, which you can pay any time but many Muslims choose to pay during Ramadan, is another. There are some useful zakat calculaters on the web, but rulings vary slightly beween madhabs so worth doing a bit of research before using one. I am glad I can now leave this to my husband, before I always used to overestimate to avoid making a mistake.

Ha! Love the picture, I have those lines.

Thank you for your welcome messages so nice to meet lots of sisters here.

LostHasBeenFound I love your pic it really made me chuckle just now after a particularly troublesome bedtime with the kids.

I'm considering doing something like you suggested MrsAtticus but my one big stumbling block with that is that sometimes the little tykes will wake up in the morning extra early if they go to bed late the night before. I might just bite the bullet and do their normal routine and get them in bed before the iftar each day so at least me and DH can break the fast in peace and crash afterwards.

Salaam all!

RL took over for a lot longer than i expected, but now i have escaped its clutches for some escapism on MN! This place is addictive! I was SO having withdrawal symptoms.

So nice to see new contributors and also old ones coming back too. I have skimmed through some messages. diet sis, i really would love some vegetarian recipes please please pretty please. crescent. Dont you go doing an awol thing too! This place would not be the same without you. You are officially banned from leaving this thread for more than 2 days!

peaceful sis.....many many congratulations , hope you are getting to put your feet up loads.

betty i would strongly recommend that you memorise the last 2 verses of surah baqarah too. They are amazing. Will post reasonings shortly. I think what you and lost are referring to zakatul fitr which the local mosque usually specify the amount for. Tends to be around a fiver per family member. Then if course there is the yearly zakat to be paid, as mentioned by mrsatticus

lost i have been running around trying to get school plays and sports day stuff for the DCs. Well done to your dd for being the little champion that she is mashallah . You are allowed to be chuffed

There are loads of weddings going on and coming up too, so busy with that stuff too. But i shalt not go missing again as i have most of the stuff sorted now.

Somebody asked about trying to fast during pregnancy/breastfeeding, i am a wuss and havent fasted when expecting/breastfeeding. In-laws never said anything, but i am certain they thought i was a lightweight! I must admit, I myself could never shake off the feeling that i was somehow not trying hard enough - though i didnt even attempt to try fasting

I would however attempt to fast if not Pregnant or BF, even with little kids as i find that once you keep one or two, the rest become easier. I dont like the interruption during ramadan when Aunt Flo arrives, it really spoils my flow!!!!! Having said that, allah doesnt burden anyone beyond what they can bear, so make dua that Allah helps you and listen to your body too.

Here are the merits of the last 2 verses of surah baqarah. By the way, i am not telling anyone to memorise them just emphasising how wonderful they are.

Here it is...C&P from islamweb.net

Prophet Muhammad pbuh said “Whoever recites the last two verses from Soorat Al- Baqarah at night, they will be sufficient for him.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

It was said that the meaning of ‘sufficient for him’ is that they are sufficient for him instead of night prayer; it was also said: sufficient as protection from the devil, and it was further said: sufficient as protection from calamities; or possibly all those meanings put together. This is said by Imaam An-Nawawi in Sharh Saheeh Muslim.

So reciting these two verses can equate to tahajjud inshallah!

for zakat you pay 2.5% on any savings you have had for a full year that are £1,000.00 or more. This is not everyday money needed for day to day living like your salary it's on wealth.

there's zakat on gold too.

I'm sure sites like Muslim hands etc have zakat calculators.

I'm really looking forward to Ramadan, feel really excited in the run up to it!

Salam all.

Thanks for the replies.. I'm a lot clearer now and I'll call my mosque and clarify their amount. My husband attends taraweeh most nights and donates but I'll check with him that he's making intention as zakat for the correct amount and sadaqah for the rest... I'm also interested to find out how the mosque distribute the zakat, as I noticed on some of the online calculators you can pay it direct to causes such as Syria.

Elusive Jazakallah for the reminder about the last two verses of Surah Al Baqarah, that was something I read about in the very early days of my journey to Islam and has forgotten. And also about reciting the Quls before sleep.
All this got me thinking about my reversion. When I first showed an interest in Islam my husband took me to the mosque and got me a copy of the Quran, from that very first day good things started to happen to me, my life started to slot into place and I felt it was related to owning a Quran even though I was still a long way a way from believing. The day I took my Shahada an offer I had been waiting for came through and my husband got some good news! Alhamdulilah.

Inspired by another thread I read tonight about life changing moments. I can't share my full story on here as it could out me but there was an absolute moment of 'God consciousness' that I'd never felt before. Any sisters that are not reverts, but perhaps did not grow up practising, did any of you have a defining moment that inspired you to start practising/seek knowledge etc?

Salaam all,

I was wondering, what is the recommended age for children to start fasting full days? Is it when they hit puberty or is it a set age like for salah?

I have collected quite a few kitchen rolls which i am going to cut up to see if i can get 30 bits out of them to make my ramadan calendar. I wish i was the creative sort, but am hoping that even I can follow simple instructions and make this. I need to look up some ahadith too for the DC.

The problem i have is that i am the one who ends up doing all the art and craft activities by myself as the DC tend to be in bed when i get the time to do this sort of stuff!! So they only see the finished article, when really, they would have much more fun being involved in making it!

Better get back to work again.

I think my use of the word 'amazing' about the tan lines was sarcastic, you're right there's nothing amazing about them, I get laughed at by family and I'm quite self conscious about them. I liked the picture though, made me laugh!

Betty I love your posts, I think my defining moment was when I too got given a copy of the Quran. I then got myself an English version and read it all, it all just slotted into place and made sense, like this was the reason I was living my life. I still read the English translation of the Quran every day. I've read it numerous times now and each time I'm still awestruck by it. Subhanallah.

20 hours is a long time for children to fast, I'm not sure when they should start. I'd like dd1 to try a few weekend days this year to see how she gets on inshallah.

Thank you for confirming the zakat payments, I'll start working mine out. I didn't know there were two different ways to work it out depending which madhab you follow.

I'm nearly there with mine elusive as far as collecting the rolls go. I'm honk to enjoy choosing the Hadiths to put in there.

Asalamwalaikum sisters,

Elusive I used to teach (in days gone by before family and children) and the kids used to start fasting whole days during ramadan here and there when they got to about 7 or 8 yrs old. Also my DH says he used to fast just half days as a youngster. But isn't there a hadith which tells us to get children to fast and pray by age 7 and then they must do it by 10? Sorry for not quoting hadith accurately, if any sisters here know of it please correct me, I will try to look it up properly.

Thanks for the reminder about Surah al-Baqarah, I did get such a buzz last year when I learnt how to recite ayat al Qursi, I think you've spurred me on now to memorise those last two verses too

betty moments of conciousness of Allah are a true mercy from Him subhanallah. I can identify with what you're saying and I can say i've personally felt it more so when experiencing hard times and coping much better with difficult circumstances than I would have before reversion. Since marrying my DH I have had to move house with him LOTS and cope with endless politics from family on both sides, in laws being tricky with money and my own family trying to undermine my religion for me and the kids. Life is a true test but alhamdulillah I coped with it by keeping my intention honest and making continuous dua in my prayers.

Salaam sisters!!!

Welcome sis orange

I can't keep up with this threads for some reason!!!!

Mabrooks to peaceful

islamqa.info/en/65558

This is a detailed answer about children and the ages when they should fast, inshallah you find it helpful Elusive.

I think there were a series of defining moments that brought me to Islam, but I remember one, which is probably a bit unusual. I saw a young Muslim boy kiss an old Muslim mans hand, the respect of that little act really struck me, and I knew that was what I wanted for my own children (I didn't have any at the time)! Obviously there were many other things, but I've never forgotten how I felt in that moment, like a yearning for something pure and right.

My last post links to earlier posts about defining moments, sorry it looks a bit out of context now