Archive for the ‘Fasting & Ramadan’ category

Getting Ready for Ramadan

Imam Khalid Latif speaks about making and breaking habits at ICNYU in preparation for Ramadan.

T30X: Taqwa in 30 days – Xtreme

Originally Posted August 2011 A Look into the Secret of Ramadan and Fasting Introduction Fasting is a devotional act performed by the followers of many religions. Christians, Jews, and Muslims all believe in the fundamental act of fasting, although they differ regarding its definition and details. The Qur’an and Sunnah (practice of the Prophet ﷺ, [...]

Intentions: Confidence vs. Arrogance

Imam Khalid Latif presents Getting Ready for Ramadan: Intentions: Confidence vs. Arrogance at ICNYU.

Fasting: The Way to Face the Fitna

By Umm Kulthoom Imagine that you are given a test and told you should write an essay on topic X, and if you are unable to do so then write on topic Y. Yet, you then choose to go down a completely different path, or try nothing at all. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Yet this [...]

Making the Most of Taraweeh this Ramadan

With Ramadan drawing closer to us, preparations for the month of fasting are already underway. The brothers who will be leading taraweeh (optional night prayers during Ramadan), the huffadh (those who have memorized the Qur’an), are revising their memorization to get ready to lead, making sure they’ll be in top form with their memorization. Others [...]

The Sacred Month of Rajab

Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala—exalted is He) has given a special status to certain days, months, places, and people. The Prophets of God are the most honored among mankind; Makkah is the holiest of all cities; Ramadan is the best month; and the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr) is the greatest night of the year. Allah [...]

`Āshūrā’ and the Jews of Medina at a Glance

The Day of `Āshūrā’ means different things to different Muslims. To some it is a day of fasting to commemorate a day when Moses and the Children of Israel were rescued. To some it is a woeful day of lament wherein al-Ḥusayn ibn `Alī, the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ (peace be upon [...]

Making the Ramadan Spirit Last

Our beloved Ramadan has come to an end and our environment is returning back to its norm. We are living life as we always do, 11 months out of the year. Ramadan was our chance to grow, to learn and to experience a variety of different emotions and feelings. If we could hold onto Ramadan [...]

Carrying the Torch of Ramadan Forward

Ramadan has passed. Our Qur’ans have shut. Our masajid have emptied. And our hearts have once again filled with the love of life, the hatred of death, and the desires that consume us. The Shaytan that was once banned has again taken his place in our minds, our homes, at our front, and at our [...]

The Fast of Ramaḍān in the Bible and the Qur’ān

A philological exegesis of verse 2:183 of the Qur’ān. When one hears of fasting in the context of religious observance it could be said with little argument that the first thing to pop into one’s mind would be Islam. There is no question that our dear friends from the Christians and the Jews observe fasting [...]

How do we end our Ramadan?

All Praise and Thanks is for Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) who has blessed us with witnessing yet another Ramadan! The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that actions are judged by their ending [Bukhari]. So while many of us have started preparing for Eid, we should also make sure that we end this [...]

Be Of The Sabiqoon!

I nearly missed fajr (morning prayer) the other day. My alarm rang, and I looked at the time, thinking “the time for fajr prayer has just started, so I can snooze for just a few more minutes.” As we all know, ‘a few more minutes’ always turns into many more minutes and when I opened my [...]

Ramadan: Raining with Mercy

Originally posted in August 2010 Imagine for a moment that it’s raining. It is pouring, in fact. And imagine that you are inside your house, watching as it falls. But imagine that there is something very different about this rain. It is unlike any other you’ve ever seen. On this day, it is not raining [...]

Objectives of Fasting and Ramadan

Discussing the objectives of our actions is an important thing because to do so is to discuss the actions in a true and deep way. It is possible that if we do not know why we are doing certain things, we could miss the entire point behind the action itself. The Prophet ﷺ said about [...]

7 Tips to Control Our Appetites in Ramadan

It’s time to break your fast. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling? Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace and blessing be upon him) says, “The fasting person experiences two joys: one when he breaks his fast, and one when he meets His Lord” (Muslim). That first joy is something we can all attest to. Especially with the long, [...]

Nurturing Spirituality in Children During Ramadan

Ramadan is a special time of the year when Muslim parents, especially in the West, want children to feel excited about its arrival. It is common in Muslim homes to find a festive environment that demonstrates just what a celebratory month it is. Welcoming Ramadan with sparkly decorations in our homes and the anticipation of [...]

Separating the Rows in a Congregation?

The Question The hall that we rented has experienced overflow for the taraweeh prayers (the late night prayers offered in Ramadan). We started to pray outside, but the neighbors complained and we were forced to rent the room adjacent to the one we pray in. Some sincere brothers and sisters mentioned that the prayers of [...]

Five Ways to Green your Ramadan

By Muaz Nasir “And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.”  (Quran 2:30) In Ramadan, there are five simple ways you can make this month more environmentally-friendly. All of these suggestions set the foundation for green habits that can be implemented year-round. 1. Eliminate [...]

Ramadan, the Qur’an, and Us

The month of Ramadan is a time when we, despite the struggle, keep ourselves away from that which is otherwise permissible and a necessity in our life. For the past eleven months, at some level we have given preference to our physical self, in terms of nourishment, than our soul. We’ve done things we shouldn’t [...]

Ramadan Advice: Fasting, Materialism & Time Management

In this lecture, Imam Suhaib Webb gives Ramadan advice to Zaytuna Summer Arabic Intensive students on fasting, materialism and time management.