Ramadan 2008

[S and S 12]

Is it still looking like Monday to fast?

jJ

I think so, that is what I'm going with.

Thanks Ash, and I totally agree with you. Ramadan Mubarak to you too!

[Henia 11]

Ramadan hasn't even started but it's mad house here! Ufffffffffffff!

[Henia 11]

Bismillah ir rahman ir rahmin!

Esalaamu Aleikoum rahmat Allah!

The most important message of Ramadan is that we are not just body. We are body and soul. And that what makes us human beings and that determines our value as human beings is the soul and not the body. During Ramadan we deprive the body to uplift the soul. This is all simple and familiar. But we can understand its significance if we remember that the message of the materialistic hedonistic global pop culture that has engulfed every Muslim land today --- just like the rest of the world--- is exactly the opposite. It says that body is everything. That the materialistic world is all that counts. That the greatest happiness -- if not virtue-- is in filling the appetites of the body. This message produces endless appetites and consequently endless wars to fill those endless appetites through endless exploitation. It produces endless frustrations since the gap between desires and achievements can never be filled. It produces endless chaos and endless oppression. Yet this trash comes in such beautiful and enticing packages that we can hardly resist it. We equate this slavery with freedom. We consider this march to disaster as progress. And with every movement, we get further and deeper into the mire.

May the *real* light that we celebrate at Ramadan show us the way and lead us together on the path of peace and social harmony.

May this Ramadan bring you the utmost in peace and prosperity. May lights triumph over darkness. May peace transcend the earth. May the spirit of light illuminate the world!!!

Wishing you and your family a wonderfully benefical and blessed Ramadan!

[RAKASA 0]

Actually, I have it loaded as a read-able file. It has the transliteration and the translation. There are supposed to be audio files to go along w/ it, but I haven't figured out how to get them on the iPod yet. Rahma sent this to me and I downloaded it here:

One really cool thing for the ipod is this - theonlyword.com - download this and a little text file, and you can listen and read the Qur'an on your ipod

Thanks!

Hey - if you figure out how to get the audio files on, let me know.

This link is really great and the files loaded for me with no problem. The sound files took awhile longer to figure out as their directions weren't really good for me. After some work, I have got the sound files on my ipod and you can play them in conjunction with reading the verses. Here is what I did:

1) Load the text files first according to the directions on the site.

2) For step 6 where it says "download the mp3 file" click on it

3) Go to your desktop and create a new folder and name it something like "Quran sound files"

4) Once you have the folder created you can close it

5) Go back to the list of sura files on the website (here is the fun part)

6) Now like the first part of the directions say, you must right click on each sura individually, then click "save as...."

7) This will open a window where you can select where the file will go, you must look under desktop for your new folder you created and click on that folder

8) This should give you the blank page since there would be nothing in your folder yet, after that click save on the lower right part of the window

9) You will repeat this step for each file (I couldn't find a way to save them all at once). It took me about 5 to 8 minutes maximum since after the first one you just keep hitting the right click on the next sura file and clicking save. Just so you know, your computer can load multiple suras at the same time so you don't need to wait for each one to load so long as you don't have dial up (that would be too slow).

10) Once you have all 114 suras saved in your folder then you are done with the website.

11) Go to I-tunes next.

12) In the top left corner click on file

13) Then click on "Add folder to library"

14) A new window will open, find your new folder in the window under desktop and click "okay"

15) This should load all the files onto your I-tunes play list. After this you just have to synch your i-pod and it will load all those files onto your i-pod.

On a side note, I noticed that it takes awhile for the i-pod to load "Notes" as the files are rather large. Maybe 20 or 30 seconds. Once you go to notes on your ipod and you select a sura, you should be able to click on "hear it also" and it should work. At first the i-pod will just show the sound file starting but you can just hit menu and it will go back to the text. After that you just scroll down as you hear each line of the sura. I hope this helps everyone.

Thanks so much S & S, I'll try this today!

[RAKASA 0]

Thank you Henia for this beautiful post. However, last night, Jackie combined all the Ramadan threads, so let's try to keep it all in one place w/o starting new ones. Have a blessed day sis!

[Henia 11]

Ahh ok I must have not have been paying attention LOL!

[Tunisia216 2]

Thank you for the IPOD tips!!!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Download Ramadan cards from deviant art!

http://artiki.deviantart.com/art/R-a-m-a-d...-a-r-d-96494549

http://rizvigrafiks.deviantart.com/art/Ram...r-Pack-96448936

[Tunisia216 2]

very cool They had card for sale at the local MENA store but the were uber expensive... like $8-10 a piece

Download Ramadan cards from deviant art!

http://artiki.deviantart.com/art/R-a-m-a-d...-a-r-d-96494549

http://rizvigrafiks.deviantart.com/art/Ram...r-Pack-96448936

[UmmSqueakster 54]

This hadith was mentioned in my class this morning. Since today is the last or second to last day of Sha'ban (Allahu Alem), it's a good time to read it:

Salman (ra) reports, "On the last day of Shaban the Prophet Muhammad (saws) addressed us and said, 'O people there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made Fasting compulsory by day. And has made sunnah the worship (taraweeh) by night. Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any supererogatory virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a obligatory act in any other time. And whoever performs a obligatory act, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy obligatory acts in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Paradise. It is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer's sustenance is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast at sunset, for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Hell, and for such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who Fasted (who he fed) without that persons reward being decreased in the least."

Thereupon we said, "O messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast." The Prophet (saws) replied, "Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk."

"This is a month, the first of which brings Allah's mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of Hell."

"Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Hell."

"And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (i.e. La ilaha il Allah) and make much Istighfaar (beg Allah's forgiveness with Astagirfirul-laah)." And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah, entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from Hell."

"And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink where after that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Paradise."

Ibn Khuzayma & Al-Bayhaqi

[~Jackie~ 30]

Still, you manage to move me. Thank you my sister.

[nunyab 0]

uuughhh i have to go to work.. than tonight insha'allah i am shopping for Ramadan food.. (got my dates already lol) i have monday off and tuesday insha'allah it will be a good time to focus and read these last posts...

Mabrook Ramadan everyone!!

[~Jackie~ 30]

Check this out! www.mediahopper.com On the left, click on Saudi then in the next column, click on Saudi 2

It is live now as they prepare for Ramadan.

jJ

tasha, melinda and rajaa..can you pm me your email address?

Edited August 31, 2008 by just_Jackie

[Tunisia216 2]

Jackie :luv:

Thank you so much for that website!!! Not only was Jihed thrilled to be able to see KSA and Ramadan preparations but we found it also has Tunisia Channel 7's news broadcast 2 times every day - the morning and night news in arabic, french, and english!! GIRL YOU ROCK!! we had been trying to find things like this and only found hannibal tv.com for Tunisia but this is much better!! Thank you thank you. He said he feels like he's at home! We use TVU Player and sopcast sometimes but it's usually only when good football games are on and someone wants to broadcast it, so for this he can watch more things from home!!

:luv:

Check this out! www.mediahopper.com On the left, click on Saudi then in the next column, click on Saudi 2

It is live now as they prepare for Ramadan.

jJ

tasha, melinda and rajaa..can you pm me your email address?

[Tunisia216 2]

Has anyone tried this program / website? (I'm sorry in advance if it's been mentioned before)

http://islam.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite....hanDownload.php

the Download (go from server 1 ) - http://www.download.com/3055-2135_4-108761...l?tag=pdl-redir

It's by IslamicFinder.. And gives athan for any city.. as well as lists the daily prayer times.

I installed it and it works very well. We put in our town and a few other preference selections and let it be and at 1:10 PM here on the east coast the computer started adhan for Dhuhr (scared us at first, we were in the other room ) hehe

Jihed really likes it.. There isn't a mosque close enough to us that he could hear the call to prayer, so this seemed like a really good program.

If you have a constant internet connection and a computer that you can leave on, it's a really good solution.

The best is that it is free. There are lots of interesting features too

If you upgrade and pay for the pro version you get even more, qiblah finder, quran recitation with any language, etc. (We may do that later depending on how much we like it)