Ramadan 2021

[ZiggZagg]

Asalam alaykum!

Wondered if anyone would like thread for Ramadan?

What does Ramadan look like in your home?

What are you looking forward to most?

What challenges do you have?

I reverted two years ago and this will be my first going "all in". Insha Allah I will do good.

I'm off work for three weeks this year so will have plenty of time to pray, cook and read Quran.

I'm not worried about food/drink just my e-cigarette (hoping to give this up soon).

I have inherited a gazebo from my mum and dad (they moved home and it is too big for their new garden!) so I am hoping to be able to break fast in the garden some nights and maybe do some barbecuing.

Think that's enough rambling for me! Ramadan Mubarak to you all

Salaam!

I think it will be quite strange as per last year with social distancing rules.

Thankfully.....the shortened hours will be a relief! A couple of years ago we had the longest days coupled with the hottest months - 2018 I think.

I've spent more time this year in planning - how to maintain the intensity, best reflections, good habits - and seeing if I can fit in some light resistance weight training, probably around iftar, given it's relatively early at 8.10pm or so.

Asalam alailum

Excellent thread sis.
Ramadan Kareem!!!

I am not fasting, as I just had a baby and am also breastfeeding. However, I will be trying to complete the Quran this Ramadan inshaAllah!.
My husband and teenage son will be fasting though. And am looking forward to the wonderful month of Ramadan to focus more on my Iman and try to pray more as I had my baby and my periods have been all over the place too.

I am a revert too. Have been for close to a decade. My DH is born Muslim though and he was the one who taught me Islam and I fell in love with it.

In all the times,I have been Muslim, I have never fasted. I've either been pregnant or breastfeeding lol. I have several children. Big Muslim family lol.hope Ramadan goes well for you my lovely sisters. May Allah accept your fasts and duas. Ameen.

Do you both complete the Quran every Ramadan too?

Ramadhan Mubarak to everyone. Hopefully we take full advantage of this prestigious month and gain God’s forgiveness and earn paradise.

@H1978 Insha Allah

Ramadan Mubarak everyone!

Hi, can I ask a question? My relatively new neighbor moved in last year about a month before Ramadan, so I had no real idea about it. Only the eating before and after sunset. She was worried because they woke up early to eat and didn’t want to disturb us. That and her family bringing round sweets for us at eid??? That’s the only thing I know. I wanted to do a little something for them this year. Would taking round some nice soap and candles be appropriate??? I know she has had enough is dates, and embarrassingly that’s all I know!

Salam alaykom,

Ramadan Kareem! May we all achieve the fullest benefit from this holy month.

I have made small scale intentions that hopefully will be workable around small kids and honestly, just keeping my fasts! My toddler still wakes in the night so my challenge is staying energetic and patient enough to parent nicely! And avoiding dehydration headaches, I’m stocked up on isotonic fluids!

May Allah make it easy on us all and accept our efforts.

Hi @Jomalaldi this is very nice of you to think of you neighbor. I would say soaps and candles are a lovely gift for Eid but would not be expected from you. I'm sure your neighbor would be happy with this

@Elemzee it's so hard to stay patient when you are tired and hungry! May Allah give you patience and your children behave

@Jomalaldi. That’s a really lovely gesture but it’s not traditional to gift anything at the start of ramadhan. It might be nice to get something on Eid as the main day of celebration.

@Elemzee. Mine are older now but I remember when they were younger it was hard to keep energy levels up. I remember many a day breastfeeding dds upstairs and dh bringing my Iftari so I could open my fast.

Ramadan Kareem, how did everyone find their first fast?

Our traditions are trying to complete one full recitation of the Quran together. I have a Quran with the juz (chapters) split into individual booklets and my older two DC and I recite a Juz each till the Quran is complete.

We also do our own recitations and compete with eachother to see who can complete the most recitations.

We’ve got little fairy lights up and have decorated the house for Ramadan, and my younger DC have taken goody bags to nursery with a little note explaining that we’re observing Ramadan and it’s a month of reflection and appreciating what we have including great friends. It makes them feel included and very excited that they can give their friends gifts.

As we can’t really meet friends this year right before Ramadan we sent gifts to friends, and it turned out friends had the same idea, I have my body weight in Palestinian dates & a friend found a Muslim caterer near me who makes fresh iftar treats to freeze and cook for iftar, and had a massive order sent to me. So I didn’t have to do much pre-Ramadan prep.

And charity wise I’ve signed up to Ramadhan giving which automates your donations over your chosen frequency so a you could donate £1 (or whatever you want) per night of Ramadan or the last ten days or whatever your chosen frequency is and get maximum benefit from Ramadan.

We also try and raise money for local charities as well and give more to food banks during Ramadan. Nobody should go hungry.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and spiritual Ramadan.

salaam all nice to see a ramadan thread. hope it is going well for you all. i struggle at this time as i am now a single parent and my kids are too young to fast so it is very difficult always having sehri/iftar alone. juggling working and everything is hard and i just wish i had some support

Salaam all!

Happy Ramadan.

YUMMYTUMMY I'm sorry to hear your struggling. Being a single parent is so difficult, and it can be particularly stressful when your fasting and trying to be patient with the children. I really hope things improve for you.

I have been starting to get really tired in the evenings now. Iv not been fasting for a few years due to health issues but am responsible for cooking, shopping for the families iftar.

I really miss the feeling of achievement at the end of a completed month. I find the discipline it gives you and the rest it gives our digestive system is amazing. So I try to do the spiritual aspect of ramadhan as much as I can.

I dont know about you but at the beginning of the month I make every fried dish known to man for iftar. But slowly slowly towards the end they are lucky if they get beans on toast.

I guess it's the timing of iftar. Wer so used to eating dinner earlier that it takes a bit of adjusting.

How are you guys now that we over half way through?

I have started to think ahead and plan eid.

Salaam everyone
Lovely thread.
Hope everyone’s Ramadan is going well and we are all able to make the most of these last ten days, InshAllah.
Quality over quantity is my mantra. I’ve rushed through many salah and lots of Quran recitations in the past just to complete an amount with almost zero focus and understanding of what I’m doing. The last few years I’ve tried to make it mean more. So I am going over the surahs I know and re-learning them in detail along with the meaning. I find I get more benefit from doing it this way.
May Allah swt accept all our efforts, Ameen.

Salaam everyone and Ramadan Mubarak and I can completely relate to some of you as I have 3 sons, husband and full time job and can be draining. May you all stay blessed and true to your deen