Ramazan in Spirit! Our HERCULEAN ramazan scrapbook:)

• AN EFFORT BY KHADIJA(WITH MY GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE) TO GATHER THE JOY AND SPIRIT OF RAMAZAN

  

  why is ramazan special?

      

  

  Who can we help?

  
  

  

  RAMAZAN IS ABOUT SHARING AND HAPPINESS!

  
  

  

  HOW CAN WE BENEFIT FROM RAMAZAN?

  
  

  

  SHE WAS EXTREMELY DELIGHTED AND EXCITED TO KNOW THAT SHAITAAN IS LOCKED IN PRISON AND WAS MOST EAGER TO MAKE THIS PAGE:) WAS IN HIGH SPIRITS THAT DAY KNOWING THAT THE DEVIL IS IN CHAINS

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  

  A FEW GOOD DEEDS OF KHADIJA(GREEN)AND MARYAM(ORANGE)
  WE ARENT MENTIONIND THE BAD ONES:)

  
  

  

  KHADIJAS BRAVE RESOLUTIONS (INSHA ALLAH)   

  
  

  

  WHEN STATING THE BLESSINGS OF ALLAH, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL THAT SHE THOUGHT OF HER SISTERS FIRST. TO BE A MUSLIM AND PROPHETS(saw) LOVE WAS ENTIRELY HER IDEA TOO. AN INTERESTING THING WAS WHEN SHE WROTE TEACHER AND THEN EDITED IT AND ADDED "FRIENDLY" TEACHER!!!!(SADLY, SHES SEEN THE OPPOSITE TOO)

  
  
  

  

  TREE OF FAITH THAT BEARS FRUITS OF COMPASSION, GENEROSITY, PATIENCE, HONESTY, FAIRNESS, RESPECT, HUMILITY

  
  

  

  ALLAH MADE EVERYTHING

  
  

  

  HOW CAN WE HELP? WE BRAINSTORMED AND CAME UP WITH IDEAS LIKE FEED THEM, FIND THE WORK, GIVE THEM TIME, MONEY, MEDICINE, GUIDANCE, TEACH THEM ABOUT ALLAH, EDUCATE OR TEACH A SKILL. THE BEST WAS WHEN KHADIJA SAID, "TRUST THEM" AND TO MY CONFUSED EXPRESSION SAID, "YOU KNOW WHEN THEY SAY THEY ARE NEEDY, WE CAN TRUST THEM THAT THEY ARENT LYING!"

  

  FINALLY, THE MUCH AWAITED EID DAY FROM OUR SCRAPBOOK, KHADIJAS HAND AND MY MEHNDI ART:) DOLL OBV IS KHADIJAS:)

  If I may admit, I wasnt too excited about Ramadan this year, infact quite the opposite. i was fearful of the long, hot and humid days of fasting that waited ahead and was trying not to think too much about how the fasts would go although I've witnessed Allah's special mercy and blessings in this month as the fasts are never as challenging or testing as one at times dreads they would be. What else would you call it if not Allah's utmost rehmat!
• Anyway, so my excitement was low, the idea of waking up for sehri and preparing iftar overwhelming enough, when a friends facebook status reawakened the true spirit of Ramadan for me.

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  "I never realized that we should be "welcoming" the month of Ramadan with utmost joy instead of just embracing it by fasting for 30 days! As this year it approached and I saw the gleam in Minahil's eyes when we mentioned Ramadan...her delightful squeals, her excitement that "its a very special month (she's been telling her papa all day today that tomorrow is very special)"...made me realize that amidst all the other days we celebrate and make so much effort for, this is one that calls for the biggest celebration! Because this is the month when opened are all gates of forgiveness and countless blessings." (Muzna fahad)
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  And I realized that we really don't excite our kids about Ramadan that way. If we did, they would be much more excited about Ramadan than about their birthdays even but since we turn birthdays into a big affair, they learn to get thrilled about birthdays more than about Ramadan, and so i set to amend my ways. I started discussing Ramadan with my kids, telling how its a very important month and how reward for every deed is multiplied in this month. However, we see reward as power in our family, that the more good deeds you do, the more power you will get to do more good deeds so that they don't believe that their reward is stored somewhere far away and can only be accessed after a very long time but that Allah doesnt keep 'udhaar' and pays instantly and the pay is in the form of more 'taufeeq' to do good deeds.
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• And so I intend to teach my kids that while they are still too young to fast from food, they can still fast from bad manners, meanness, lying, laziness, fighting, being selfish, being disrespectful, being impatient, being inconsiderate, being unthankful and as they do this, I plan to join them in this fasting and gather the endless blessings of Ramadan insha Allah.

  
  

  Thankfully internet is full of ideas of how kids can be involved in the Ramadan spirit. From scrapbooking about good deeds to gift boxes for the financially struggling, there's so much that kids can do to get involved and it is so much more humane than to drop off some money in a box!  

  
  

  Rather than to excite kids about just one Eid day, why not excite them (and our ownselves too) about the whole month that leads to that one day. Allah is most raheem, Ramadan is a gift in itself yet He blesses us with the beautiful Eid day as a celebration of Ramadan. He keeps giving and giving, hope we all get the hint!!