Ramadan Day 29

I'm off to pray isha'a now and read the Qur'an until I'm going to bed.
Subhan'Allah, my sisters in Islam - and in this blogging world - have helped me so much today with their support.
You could actually make some studies on how online communication and support sometimes help people in difficult times!

And sshh, I'll try to find a delicious recipe for ginger cookies which I want to bake for my neighbor and my mother-in-law and put them in beautiful boxes :) I myself love homemade gifts :)

Ramadan Day 25

This day has been so beautiful with a fantastic blue sky, no clouds, no wind and just this peaceful pre-Autumn atmosphere, masha'Allah. I can't thank Allah (swt) enough for the beauty He has created!

My sister stayed at my place this night, which was great.
Tonight I'm all alone, which I haven't been since January ('cause that was the last time my husband was gone for a few days). I enjoy the silence...and I see now how healthy it is to be away from your significant other sometimes and actually feel that you miss the person! And he misses you too :-)
I'll spend the evening in worship, insha'Allah, which is also very great when you're all alone... And looking forward to Laylat al-Qadr tomorrow night, insha'Allah.
I'm just having rice pudding, fruit and bread for Iftar, 'cause I'm all alone and nobody expects from me to prepare something special :-)

Tomorrow I'll be doing charity work in my city for a couple of hours, collecting money for the organisation Save the Children. They have one day every year where people can walk around in their neighbourhoods collecting money for that year's project.


I hope you sisters out there are also having a great evening, insha'Allah.

Ramadan Day 24

Oh I'm too tired today, but I shouldn't complain 'cause the Ramadan has been amazing, masha'Allah.

I think my tiredness started when I saw how much I have to study till Monday - where the lessons at my University start again! Whew, suddenly I realized that I can't just continue learning new duaa's, offering salat, studying Islam every day as i did this Ramadan... But insha'Allah I'll find time for it this semester aswell. I'm glad that I'm going to attend lessons every Sunday to learn reading the Qur'an, 'cause then I learn something more from Islam at least every week, if you know what I mean :-) I love educating myself in Islam, Alhamdulillah. My husband is gone till Sunday, which happens very seldom - it's fun to have the apartment for myself. But actually I invided my lil sister over for tonight. I have food left from Iftar, which I want to share with her - although she's actually not a Muslima. Insha'Allah...

I'm going to the library aswell to pick up a book about crochet. I did some crochet last year (and when I was a kid I learned it from my grand-grand mother!) and would love to create something for the apartment. Something useful - and not just little stuffed animals like the ones below (althought they're cute!).

<-- This was my first try...since the early 90's!

And that one --> was the 2nd try, which made me feel a bit sorry for the 1st one, since everybody thinks the 2nd one is cuter. Hehe. This crochet-style is called Amiurumi by the way.

Ramadan Day 23

Although the morning is grey here right now it's still a beautiful morning with fresh air, which seems to whisper about Autumn which is coming closer.

I want to share this beautiful duaa with you:

I'm happy these days because I feel the blessings of this Ramadan. I hope you sisters out there feel them too, insha'Allah!

Translation of the morning duaa: 

The morning has come to me and the whole universe belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, O Allah, I ask of you the good of the day, it's success and aid and it's nur (celestial light) and barakaat (blessings) and seek hidayah (guidance) and seek refuge from the evil in it (this day) and from the evil of that which is to come later.

(Hisn from Abu Dawood)

PS: If anybody knows the transliteration of the duaa (in Arabic) I would love to see it ('cause I can't read Arabic yet, but would like to say my duaas in Arabic)...

Ramadan Day 22

This morning feels good because I immediately put on a recitation of the Qur'an and afterwards learned a duaa by heart.
I found the website called Mount Hira and used their great turorials:

And then a thought, which isn't actually that special, occured to me: that if we really recon the meaning of the words that we use so much: "insha'Allah", I believe that times when we feel disappointed, angry - or any other disturbing feeling, would stop having power over us because we actually understand and live the meaning of insha'Allah. For He knows best!!

Ramadan Day 21

If you dont' know what to make for Iftar yet, I'll share with you what I am preparing: Bhindi. I hope my husband will like it! I'll serve it with raita and a middle eastern dish from yesterday with rice and lentils and fried onion rings.
It didn't say anything about chili, kurkuma or garam masala - all great spices - but I added them anyway to spice the bhindi-recipe up a little.

And before I go I want to thank Allah that we are so privileged to be able to have Iftar every evening of the Ramadan, which many people in the world aren't... :-(

Ramadan Day 18

I visited my dear neighbour today and had a great talk with her about life and our deen. She's a very strong woman - others think this of her too, and I think it's because her faith in Allah is so strong, masha'Allah. She is a great example to me and many other sisters.
In times of pain, sadness or anger I sometimes find it hard to just trust in Allah, but I want to be able to rely even more on Him. Reading the Qur'an, offering salat and making dhikr help. Allah gave us so many remidies to help make us remember him, to purify our hearts and to become devoted and happy, insha'Allah.
This Ramadan has brought up many challenging topics - but challenge mostly brings great change with it and thereby you grow as a human being...

Ramadan Day 16 & Duaa

This evening was my first Iftar alone because my husband was out. It is indeed a blessing to have loved ones or other people you care about to break the fast with.
My day was great. I threw some stuff out that has just been lying around in my closet and I cleaned the apartment and put things in order. I also cleaned and refilled this beautiful rose water sprinkler that my mother-in-law gave us.

Now I'm listening to one of my favorite duaa's, which I want to share with you here. It is the first part out of 2:

 

I hope to be able to go to the Friday-khutba tomorrow. Last week I found this hidden mosque in my city, where the khutba is given in my language :-) A lot of reverts come there.

Oh there are always new things to explore in Islam. New things that I didn't know. Sometimes it irritates me because I feel I know too little, but insha'Allah I will know more and more and Allah will open the necessary doors. I also hope that I will be able to join the Qur'an-lessons every Sunday after the Ramadan. I want to be able to recite the Qur'an, of course.
Today I thought about the fact that when you revert to Islam, it's like falling in love... And I keep falling in love (with Islam) over and over again, masha'Allah!
It's such a beautiful deen.

What do you sisters do to achieve more knowledge about Islam?

Ramadan Day 13

I feel dizzy and funny today. I've slept two hours, been awake two hours, sleps two hours, been woken up for half an hour and slept three hours :-/ I feel like sleeping again... but there are things I need to have done like buying groceries at the store for tonight and the other days in this week.
The recipe for naan bread that I tried yesterday was great. Only I had to use a lot more flour than it said in the recipe. But my husband and I really enjoyed the bread :-) and also the aloo jeera. Now I need to find something else to cook for tonight. Sometimes I can't think of something to cook... I hope I'll know before too long ;-) insha'Allah!

Yesterday was a very special day where my husband and I had long serious talks about inner work and awareness, both achieving new insights in ourselves. I can't say it enough times: this holy month is amazing, masha'Allah.

Ramadan Day 12

I'm a bit tired right now, because of the fast. But masha'Allah the Ramadan is very giving when it comes to taking steps concerning self-development. - New insights and helpful thoughts almost every day.

In a few moments I'm going to prepare this Iftar's food. I'm going to make aloo geera and naan bread and insha'Allah it'll be a success :-) I found this recipe for naan bread and really hope it is as great as it looks.

Goodnight

My husband and I visited another married couple we know for Iftar this evening. It wasn't much of a happy experience though and I also concluded that I actually don't really enjoy being outside late in the evening especially in the month of Ramadan. I appreciate staying home :-) also because I easily get affected by people's different energies outside. Perhaps you experience that too.

Before going to sleep I want to share this with you :-)

Ramadan Day 9

How much I love Ramadan. It's such a blessed month and everything around you and inside you seems to change. All 5 senses seem to become more pure. I don't like being among many non-muslim people during the Ramadan... I like to stay at home, offering my salat five times a day, read the Qu'ran and talk about it with my husband and also going through Allah's 99 beautiful names, Subhan'Allah. I'm thankful for having someone to fast together with (my husband), so we can share our experiences and study Islam together. My family are non-muslims - non-believers and everything about Islam (which they actually seem to have no right knowledge about) seems to scare them. They don't understand why I want to fast and why I became a Muslim, primarily. Insha'Allah He will make them understand one day.
Now I'm going out to get something from the bakery for later. I've been cooking a lot these days, so the refrigeator is booming :)

Have a blessed day, insha'Allah. I hope to hear from some other Muslimahs here some day :)

My Sister Next Door

At times I'm not really satisfied with the area I live in. Too much of a bad atmosphere. But the fact that I have such a great neighbour makes me want to stay here just a little longer. Spending the Ramadan next to her is a great pleasure. She always has a big smile on her lips and is very welcoming at any time. Two days ago she rang our door bell and had prepared some samosa's for my husband and I. How I love this tradition among Muslims - to think about your brothers and sisters and share food or other things with them. Of course I returned her gesture the next day with some of my homemade couscous dish. It really warms my heart, when people are kind to each other in this way. Alhamdulillah. I miss having Muslim sisters close to me, but in insha'Allah they will come into my life some day. Till now I'm thankful for my sister next door.

RAMADAN MUBARAK

I hope all of you are having a beautiful and blessed Ramadan, insha'Allah.

This is such an exceptional month, which I look forward to every year.
Let's pray for the people suffering around the world and especially the people in Pakistan at the moment.