Ramadan 2008

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

This year I have a lot of questions and I am curious to know more about it.

How do you section off reading the Quran?

Do you read as much as you can each day?

Which versions do you read the English one or the Arabic one?

What do you do about children and fasting? Do they have to fast too? What do you do if your children are not Muslim?

What do the women do who are having babies during Ramadan? They can feed the babies right? Do the new mothers get to eat so they can support feeding the new babies?

I have so many questions. Sorry if it's bothersome.

[doodlebugg 10]

I normally don't cover because of my work (I keep praying for strength to not care about work an and just cover) - but in the holy month I do cover and I let everyone know.

You know, that was my mindset kind of last Ramadan but I just kept it on after that and no one gave it a second thought. I never told anyone beforehand but I had worked up to that point by wearing the underscarf only for a few months in the summer so people were used to seeing something on my head. Once people got over the shock, if any, of seeing me on that first day I never got any more looks. Alhumdulilah that the looks I did get were nice smiley ones though

Amal this would be the PERFECT time to start! Just do like lion is doing and tell people (if you want...you don't HAVE to tell anyone imho) that you're doing it for Ramadan and then if you like it keep it on!

This year I have a lot of questions and I am curious to know more about it.

How do you section off reading the Quran?

There are sections already there for Ramadan I believe. I don't have one in front of me but you can see clearly when to start and stop each day.

Do you read as much as you can each day?

No, I just read the sectioned off parts unless I skipped a day and then I read two sections.

Which versions do you read the English one or the Arabic one?

I can't read arabic so I read the english one but it has the arabic right next to it.

What do you do about children and fasting? Do they have to fast too? What do you do if your children are not Muslim?

I think most muslim children fast 1/2 days during ramadan until they are of a certain age...not sure what that age is though. This is my third ramadan and my kids are not muslim but they do want to fast 1/2 days. Could be because I told them last year no presents unless you fast 1/2 days though.

What do the women do who are having babies during Ramadan? They can feed the babies right? Do the new mothers get to eat so they can support feeding the new babies?

I have read that they don't have to fast if their doctor thinks it would be harmful to the child but I believe it's not a blanket statement, i.e. depends on the health and overall condition of the pregnant woman or breastfeeding mother. Personally when I"m pregnant I have 0% willpower to any and all food and I cannot even IMAGINE fasting for a month unless it was during that first month where you don't even know you're pregnant yet.

[amal 4]

This year I have a lot of questions and I am curious to know more about it.

How do you section off reading the Quran?

Do you read as much as you can each day?

Which versions do you read the English one or the Arabic one?

What do you do about children and fasting? Do they have to fast too? What do you do if your children are not Muslim?

What do the women do who are having babies during Ramadan? They can feed the babies right? Do the new mothers get to eat so they can support feeding the new babies?

I have so many questions. Sorry if it's bothersome.

I don't know all the answers but I'll answer what my take is on the subjects I can.

I have no idea how to section off the Qura'an so I just start at the beginning and stop at the end in the hopes that I get the message.

I do read as much as I feel comfortable with each day. I try to complete many short surahs OR 1 or 2 long surahs but I try not to complete a full one and not stop in the middle...(that's just me)

I read in English first so as to get the basic idea. I can't understand my religion if I don't understand the language. Even though any translation is not the exact interpretation of the original Arabic, I still get a really great idea. After completing it in English, I read the transliterations.

We believe in starting slow with children. They don't typically start until around 9 or 10 years old (this is just how we feel). We start by explaining why we're fasting and what it means. Then we ask my son if he would like to start without food or start liquid. He usually opts to leave out liquids first. We let him have a drink with his meal. Then the 2nd week we give smaller portions of food so he gets used to it. By the end of Ramadan he is almost completely fasting. We like to ease into it and he is slowly learning.

This is how I understand the women issue. It's only my interpretation so many of you may have other ideas.

Women who are pregnant or breast feeding are allowed to eat. They have to have the nutrients to keep their babies healthy. They can make up the fast later or give to charity to make up for it. It's also the same for a woman who is menstruating. She is allowed to break fast for the entire period and can make it up sometime before the next Ramadan.

[amal 4]

This year I have a lot of questions and I am curious to know more about it.

How do you section off reading the Quran?

Do you read as much as you can each day?

Which versions do you read the English one or the Arabic one?

What do you do about children and fasting? Do they have to fast too? What do you do if your children are not Muslim?

What do the women do who are having babies during Ramadan? They can feed the babies right? Do the new mothers get to eat so they can support feeding the new babies?

I have so many questions. Sorry if it's bothersome.

I don't know all the answers but I'll answer what my take is on the subjects I can.

I have no idea how to section off the Qura'an so I just start at the beginning and stop at the end in the hopes that I get the message.

I do read as much as I feel comfortable with each day. I try to complete many short surahs OR 1 or 2 long surahs but I try to complete a full one and not stop in the middle...(that's just me)

I read in English first so as to get the basic idea. I can't understand my religion if I don't understand the language. Even though any translation is not the exact interpretation of the original Arabic, I still get a really great idea. After completing it in English, I read the transliterations.

We believe in starting slow with children. They don't typically start until around 9 or 10 years old (this is just how we feel). We start by explaining why we're fasting and what it means. Then we ask my son if he would like to start without food or start liquid. He usually opts to leave out liquids first. We let him have a drink with his meal. Then the 2nd week we give smaller portions of food so he gets used to it. By the end of Ramadan he is almost completely fasting. We like to ease into it and he is slowly learning. It is ok to do 1/2 days too like Bridget stated.

This is how I understand the women issue. It's only my interpretation so many of you may have other ideas.

Women who are pregnant or breast feeding are allowed to eat. They have to have the nutrients to keep their babies healthy. They can make up the fast later or give to charity to make up for it. It's also the same for a woman who is menstruating. She is allowed to break fast for the entire period and can make it up sometime before the next Ramadan.

lol had to edit some typos but by the time i got there it didn't let me edit..... woopsie.

Edited August 13, 2008 by amal

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

A surah is like a passage?

So in the online version one section is a surah and you read that?

Is that like a whole chapter? Sometimes it can go pages online.

I see there are other fasts to make up during the year. How many fasts are there in a year?

[amal 4]

A surah is like a passage?

So in the online version one section is a surah and you read that?

Is that like a whole chapter? Sometimes it can go pages online.

I see there are other fasts to make up during the year. How many fasts are there in a year?

From what I understand, each surah is a chapter. When I was newer to Islam, I thought of it as the bible "each surah is similar to each book in the bible" and then it made a little more sense.

Correct me if I'm wrong girls, but isn't each sentence (within every surah) called an "ayah"?

Each surah is a different length. Some are only 5 lines whereas some are many pages.

[doodlebugg 10]

A surah is like a passage?

So in the online version one section is a surah and you read that?

Is that like a whole chapter? Sometimes it can go pages online.

I see there are other fasts to make up during the year. How many fasts are there in a year?

From what I understand, each surah is a chapter. When I was newer to Islam, I thought of it as the bible "each surah is similar to each book in the bible" and then it made a little more sense.

Correct me if I'm wrong girls, but isn't each sentence (within every surah) called an "ayah"?

Each surah is a different length. Some are only 5 lines whereas some are many pages.

I don't know my surahs from my ayahs but I do know that there is a stopping point in my printed version that is not in the online version. The stopping point sometimes is in the middle of a surah/ayah/whatever and is carefully measured (I think) to be 1/30th of the Quran. Maybe not all of the Qurans out there have this? I dunno. I just do what I'm told. lol.

There's really only one required fast and that is the month of Ramadan. The other fasts are optional but I think they are the first Monday and Wednesday of each month. I"ll have to ask my husband. He doesn't fast those days but his sisters do. Also I think we might be required to fast before the Hajj Eid but I don't know for sure.

If you're really curious about all of this there are tons and tons of websites out there that can answer all of this stuff. One that comes to mind for me is islamicboard.com . I learned a lot by reading a lot of the stickies in the different sections on that site but it has a lot of kids on it and not too many women above the age of 20. Also Islamway is good too but they tend to be uber strict so just keep that in mind.

[S and S 12]

A surah is like a passage?

So in the online version one section is a surah and you read that?

Is that like a whole chapter? Sometimes it can go pages online.

I see there are other fasts to make up during the year. How many fasts are there in a year?

From what I understand, each surah is a chapter. When I was newer to Islam, I thought of it as the bible "each surah is similar to each book in the bible" and then it made a little more sense.

Correct me if I'm wrong girls, but isn't each sentence (within every surah) called an "ayah"?

Each surah is a different length. Some are only 5 lines whereas some are many pages.

Amal, you are correct that each surah is a chapter and each ayah is a verse.

[S and S 12]

Women, at least with all the advice I have been given by the mosque and other muslim women, should not fast during their menstral cycle. It is the same as they cannot pray during those days or read the Quran. I know that women should not broadcast they are not fasting for those days or people will notice and ask why. Then the woman would be forced to give an answer that should be kept private (according to islamic practices). My husband had no idea that his mother and sisters were not fasting during their menstral cycle until he married me. He started to get upset when I broke my fast and I had to keep sending him website links proving I was not supposed to fast at that time. Later that month when I visited his family I discussed it with my MIL and SILs. They actually made sure I knew, lol. Apparently, they like to keep it quiet since it is personal so they eat and drink when no men are around.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I've looked at some of the sites recommended but I get overwhelmed and intimidated by the information made available.

[S and S 12]

I've looked at some of the sites recommended but I get overwhelmed and intimidated by the information made available.

Feel free to ask questions and hopefully we can provide you with good answers.

[tammy2688 1]

I am hoping Insha-Allah to spend the first Ramadan with my husband. I have been wishing to spenf Ramaan with him since 2005. Maybe 2008 we will finally be able to do it. Tomorrow we find out about the visa and I am hoping very badly that he can get the visa and join me for this Ramadan. For me, that would be the most special Ramadan ever.

[NicEgypt 0]

hello Olivia ...

How do you section off reading the Quran?

you can see clearly when to start and stop each day.

Do you read as much as you can each day?

yeah i read as much and sometims i read whole koran 2 time's but if u dont have alot time u can read as u can ..

What do you do about children and fasting?

Children not fasting just teach them if u want but in islam no them dont fasting

What do you do if your children are not Muslim?

i will ask u how them not muslim and fasting ? .... enyways no

What do the women do who are having babies during Ramadan?

many questions i can out from this questions .... i will answer as i can

look if u just have new babi like one month or something like this dont fasting coz u was still parturian and u can't fasting ... if u have big babis u should fasting .... u cant fasting when u have cycle and also u cant touch koran and u can't pray and when u have cycle dont eat as much u should just break ur fasting ........

They can feed the babies right?

yes u can feed then when u fasting....

Do the new mothers get to eat so they can support feeding the new babies?

i answered u this already ... but i will answer again if u very new mother no coz u well be parturian and this like cycle u cant fasting but if them biger like 5 months yes u should fasting just eat good at ur breakfast and ur SOHOR ..........

[Muh and me 18]

Ramadan is new to me this year. It will be kamal's first here. I don't understand much about it, and want to learn. But he is one that when asked to explain something about islam i get all confused even more. So please give me some advice on what to do. I've done some reading, and have been mulling over the idea of converting to muslim. i'm not sure what to do. Any help will be well appreciated! thanks.

[merijan 0]

I was wondering if we could have a thread just for Ramadan and we could all support each other daily for this month. Give new recipes, some different hadiths we learned or just words of encouragement.