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!

I've been cleaning sloooowly, I've also done my oven was amazed at how clean one can get it!
Will tackle bathroom later this week inshallah and then scrub the kitchen and vacuum top to bottom, change bed sheets and we're done.

I'm not cooking special stuff I just can't be asked, we'll be decamping to my mums half way thro anyway and she always has banquets for Iftar, Alhumdulillah no cooking for a month! Ah the upsides of being divorced lol

BTW touching back to the serious stuff, with regards istighfar there's a hadith where someone asked the Prophet (SAW) why if he was already forgiven he spent so much time in supererogatory worship, to which he replied, 'Should I not then be grateful?'. I find this reply so very touching.

Salaam all, how is everyone feeling about Ramadan, prepared? I have managed to get the house reasonably organised and done some paperwork that needed doing so feeling ready to go!
Probably shouldn't be thinking of Eid already (!) but wanted to get DH a new thobe as a gift, would like something a bit more special than what the local shops have to offer but can't afford Shukr prices, anyone know any online shops that do nice mens thobe?

Salaam a laikum lovely ladies, I've got the ramadan feeling! It's so odd that I only started to see the point of ramadan after XH and I separated...but I'm keen to make it an occasion for DS and I now get a similar to Christmas feel when it's coming up! XH bought DS a lovely outfit when they were in morocco last, it's white and silky and so cute.
Can I ask, if ramadan begins tomorrow does that mean the first day of fasting is tomorrow or Sunday? I thought it begins in the evening when the moon is sighted so first fast is the following day but I'm confused.

Ehric,

if the crescent is sighted tonight, then the first taraweeh prayer will be gin tonight and the first fast begins tomorrow, if the crescent is not sighted tonight the first fast definitely begins on Sunday.

Going by our local masjid I just tune into find out what KSA announce and know in advance of the local masjid announcement what's happening!

Thanks. Most sites are saying it will start tomorrow, meaning the crescent will be sighted tomorrow? I'm still confused :)

Salaam all

ehric. I am not too great with technicalities and dates but this is my understanding. Please someone correct me if i am wrong. The islamic months either have 29 days or 30 days depending on new moon sighting. Yesterday (friday) was 29 sha'ban. The moon was not sighted on friday night therefore it is not 1st ramadan today, it is instead 30 sha'ban. The islamic months do not have 31 days, therefore even if moon is not sighted tonight after 30 days for any reason, then the next day (tomorrow sunday) is considered the start of a new month (ramadan!!!). So saturday night will be the first night of ramadan (taraweeh prayer tonight) and sunday morning will be the first day of fast (date is 1st of ramadan).

If this is wrong, then massive apologies from me too and someone please correct me as well!

Ramdan feeling is a great feeling. A strange calm and peace descends in the first evening of ramadan. I love that feeling. It also gives me goosebumps and the anticipation of the fast in the morning is also a great feeling.

Anyone intending to sit itikaaf this ramadan no matter how long or short?

Salaam sisters. I too have the Ramadan feeling and can't wait to start fasting. I've got the excited butterflies in the tummy today. I ditched the housework and instead have done my meal plan for the next month. I've got all the meat prepared and marinated where necessary, all frozen into portions ready to go. I also chopped and froze ice cube size coriander, mint, ginger and garlic, saves having to do that every day as well.

The only thing I'm nervous about is the lack of sleep, I worked out I'll be getting about 3 hours a night with how late isha is, how early suhoor is and then non sleeping ds added in the mix with him also being a 5am riser! I won't be able to sleep in the day as I normally use ds's nap to do my cleaning and basic housework.

I too have already got the children's eid outfits, well my mil gets them so they're ready to go.

Defuse I would love to sit itikaaf but it just won't be physically possible with the dc. One day inshallah.

Oh no lost that sounds hard! I don't think you will manage to sustain that for long to be honest. I know that you are obliged to get up for suhoor to pray but would it be permitted to skip it and sleep through? Could you make up the prayer later? Sorry I'm a bit hazy on this since XH is slapdash about praying! Otherwise forget doing housework during naps and sleep yourself, fitting it in later when DS is awake?

Epic fail .

Ahem, yes I think I'll have to ditch the housework when ds naps and sleep instead. I think it's sunnah to get up for suhoor, and I'd want to get up for fajr anyway.

I'll have one afternoon off a week as my mum will be having them, so I can sleep then too.

Otherwise I think I'll just have to get on with it and make dua for Allah grant me ease.

If ds woke up at 6.30/7 it would be ok, but he doesn't! I remember thinking last year when he was still waking 2 hourly for feeds, that this year would be so much easier as he'd be sleeping through . How wrong was I!

Ramadan Mubarek everyone! lost I wish I was even just half as organised as you!
I am also loving the excited anticipation. I have had it 2 nights in a row, as DH was so convinced that Ramadan started last night, I had prayed tarawih prayer before we realized it was tonight

ramadan mubarak ladies.
&may all your prayers and duaas be accepted

Ramadan Mubarek sisters

Ramadan Mubarak sisters.

Work has been hectic and took over this last week Inshaallah things will be better this week.

Crescent you asked how I was packaging the sweets. I got wedding favour boxes from amazon and filled them with dates, nuts and sweets. Just small ones as a token gesture as the dates and nuts are expensive and I wanted to make a lot for my husband to give to his friends.

I have a huge online food shop coming this afternoon and I'm actually feeling quite motivated to prepare a lovely Iftar for my husband tonight Inshaallah. I know he misses his mums home cooking at times like this. They would have a huge spread with many dishes! After today I think my plan is to eat as normal but in reverse so dinner with lots of veg first and breakfast with fruit last. Break the fast with dates and water and a HUGE cup of tea.

My Ramadan goals Inshaallah are to read through the Quran, memorise Ayat al Kursi and the last two verses of Surah al Baqarah and their meanings. I found a couple of apps with transliteration. If I do this before the end then I will move on to the first ten verses of Baqarah. I know there are other recommended verses by my brain wants to do it in order!

I fear I'm already a day behind. I was so busy gearing up for fasting today I didn't do anything other than suhoor, fajr and a few pages of Quran, them I noticed online that the mosque started taraweeh last night. Did any of you do the first juz last night?

What are you all having for suhoor? I'm having muesli with fresh fruit and dates (and a cup of tea!)

Ramadan Mubarak sisters. Please remember me and my dc in your duas. May you have all have a blessed month .

For suhoor I'll be having greek yoghurt mixed with granola, strawberries/blueberries and honey with a few dates after. I then drink one or two big bottles of water to see me through the day. I'm a huge tea drinker but I go try and go the whole of Ramadan without. This year I've also decided to give up chocolate and sweets inshallah.

Betty please tell us what you're making for your feast tonight?

My only goal this Ramadan is to read the whole Quran inshallah.

Ramadan Kareem my lovely sisters!

You all sound so amazingly organised! And yes I had ramadan butterflies yesterday too. Tried my best with the cleaning, my mum always says that Ramadan is a guest in your home for only one month of the year, so you should make the guest the most welcome and comfort.

I will be honest I am really nervous about fasting when at work. I am not sure I will be able to do it. I guess I will try my best!

My goal though is to pray the Quran fully. I only started really praying a couple of years ago, and now I seemed to be so much quicker and efficient at it. The way I feel when reading the quran is indescribable. It is like a medicine that cures all my pain, worries. It brings such a calm to my being I sometimes sit smiling and content. It has been mazing for my iman.

Crescent I read on the link you posted that you can brush your teeth... I'm erring on the side of caution and brushing just before Fajr. I think I would feel so much better if I could brush them though.. So I googled and found many different opinions.. Is anyone brushing?

Iftar tonight will be dates and water
Then soup and croissants and hard boiled eggs, after I have chicken wings that I'll marinade perhaps with a Chinese style fried rice and a couple of veg side dishes. Relatively small amounts though but more choice. Also a plate with nuts, dates biscuits etc and some fresh chopped fruit to pick on between Iftar and suhoor. Then the muesli, fruit and dates again for suhoor. I'm staying awake from Maghrib to suhoor Inshaallah, is that what you are all doing? What's everyone else having?

Crescent that detox sounds great! I've been cutting down on processed foods and refined sugars the last few months and switched all grains from white to brown, also ensuring we have big portions of
fruit and veg with meals, I'm hoping will stand us in good stead for this month..

Hi all! Fasting going easily so far, though I'm sitting in a field holding ds enormous chocolate ice cream while he plays football, it's dripping everywhere and every instinct is to lick it!
Brushing teeth is obviously questionable but to my mind if you aren't swallowing the water it's ok. Have persuaded XH of that anyway, he never used to and goodness me his breath was foul so really for social interactions and work purposes he needs to (smoker/gum disease!)