Ramadan 2008

[Tunisia216 2]

These websites should help you as you can put in Seattle and get prayer times, sun up and sun down times for your specific city :

http://www.guidedways.com/prayertimes/salat_world.php

http://www.islamicity.com/prayerTimes/

For the suhoor you eat before Fajr enters, it does not have to be 30 minutes before, but just to be safe finish eating around 10-15 minutes before Fajr.

You break your fast as soon as the ahdan (call to prayer) for Maghrib prayer is made, so sunset time.

The site should give you both sun up, sun down, and times for prayer in that region. If you have a local mosque with a website, check their prayer schedule as well.

Just best to eat and be finished 10-15 minutes before fajr and you can break your fast at sundown, one minute after the prayer time... but I think it's better to pray maghrib and then eat.. you could eat and then pray though, whatever is easiest for you.

I thought this was interesting, just something I found when I was looking around

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/878613

Question:

If Muslims have to wait until sundown to eat on Ramadan, how do they cope with their fasting regimen in Iceland, Northern Scandinavia, or any region known as “The Land of the Midnight Sun?”

Answer

This is actually an easy question but a good one.

It's sundown at mecca. Every year there is a post at mosques with the times of sun-up and sun-down at mecca and then it's transferred to your time-zone. If the sun goes down at Mecca at 7:30pm, even if the sun is up in ice-land, you can eat at 7:31 since you went through the fasting at the holy mecca.

2. ok sun up to sun down...... what times are these???

[nunyab 0]

I got the call for prayers it's just i wasn't sure when fasting actually begain and ended .. thanks

[Tunisia216 2]

No problem.. Glad to help another muslimah and I know it can get confusing.

Begin to fast at "sunrise" and make sure you have eaten whatever you are going to eat before fajr (first prayer) some say be done 10 minutes before, others say 30 minutes, but that is semantics.

And end your fast after you hear the adhan (call to prayer) for maghrib .. Again you could eat as soon as you heard that finish (or if you aren't near a mosque, see the clock pass the time they will call those to prayer) or you could pray and then eat.

I really can't wait for you to have your hubby here for you during Ramadan and I know that you are going to benefit so much from his instructions, experience and information!! Best of wishes to you Rajaa!!!

This is actually being talked about a lot right now with my local Muslims friends here.. It's going to be a truly long fast as it's starting in September and the sun is going to be rising early and setting late here... Where as previous years it's been later in the year, running to the end of October and such.. I wonder what next year is going to be like as it shifts even earlier. Why it's so important to make sure you are drinking a lot of water after maghrib and before fajr !!!

I got the call for prayers it's just i wasn't sure when fasting actually begain and ended .. thanks

Edited August 22, 2008 by Ash * Habibati

[nunyab 0]

MEEEEeeeee TTTooooooo i so would value his help with it all but I do have you wonderful ladies to help too. I hate that i'll be in La Vegas sept 30 to oct 4 for work right on the strip. I would rather be with my family in Morocco!!! But it is Allah's wish not mine. can you imagine fasting in June??? it's be here soon enough

[Tunisia216 2]

I feel like being there amongst the temptations of what they call sin city and showing your devotion to fasting, prayers, and things not considered 'haram' will be most heavily rewarded by Allah (swt)

I know the feeling though.. I'm just waiting for the day and time when life and money allow Ramadan to be spent in Tunisia!! Hang in the girl and we are all here for you!!!

Fasting in June is going to be hard, yes!! Especially in places where the weather is so hot!!! But inshallah we'll all make it through!!

MEEEEeeeee TTTooooooo i so would value his help with it all but I do have you wonderful ladies to help too. I hate that i'll be in La Vegas sept 30 to oct 4 for work right on the strip. I would rather be with my family in Morocco!!! But it is Allah's wish not mine. can you imagine fasting in June??? it's be here soon enough

[Nothing1234 2]

Yes, like fasting in June is Phoenix, Arizona...in June where its 118 degrees...makes me wanna pass out thinking about it~

I feel like being there amongst the temptations of what they call sin city and showing your devotion to fasting, prayers, and things not considered 'haram' will be most heavily rewarded by Allah (swt)

I know the feeling though.. I'm just waiting for the day and time when life and money allow Ramadan to be spent in Tunisia!! Hang in the girl and we are all here for you!!!

Fasting in June is going to be hard, yes!! Especially in places where the weather is so hot!!! But inshallah we'll all make it through!!

MEEEEeeeee TTTooooooo i so would value his help with it all but I do have you wonderful ladies to help too. I hate that i'll be in La Vegas sept 30 to oct 4 for work right on the strip. I would rather be with my family in Morocco!!! But it is Allah's wish not mine. can you imagine fasting in June??? it's be here soon enough

[Henia 11]

No problem.. Glad to help another muslimah and I know it can get confusing.

Begin to fast at "sunrise" and make sure you have eaten whatever you are going to eat before fajr (first prayer) some say be done 10 minutes before, others say 30 minutes, but that is semantics.

And end your fast after you hear the adhan (call to prayer) for maghrib .. Again you could eat as soon as you heard that finish (or if you aren't near a mosque, see the clock pass the time they will call those to prayer) or you could pray and then eat.

I really can't wait for you to have your hubby here for you during Ramadan and I know that you are going to benefit so much from his instructions, experience and information!! Best of wishes to you Rajaa!!!

This is actually being talked about a lot right now with my local Muslims friends here.. It's going to be a truly long fast as it's starting in September and the sun is going to be rising early and setting late here... Where as previous years it's been later in the year, running to the end of October and such.. I wonder what next year is going to be like as it shifts even earlier. Why it's so important to make sure you are drinking a lot of water after maghrib and before fajr !!!

I got the call for prayers it's just i wasn't sure when fasting actually begain and ended .. thanks

Well what we do is: I wake up around 4am make the suhour ... everyone eats ... until we hear the athan for fajr. Then the fast begins ... later on in the day ... when we hear the maghreb athan, we break the fast by eating a date and glass of milk/lben ... then go pray magreb then have our "iftar" dinner.

For the "new" fasters I would suggest avoiding things like too much sugar, caffeine and salt during the month ... sugar increases dehyrdation and gives you that up and down effect, salt makes you thirsty and again caffeine makes the blood go up then down! and fasting is only difficult the first 4 days... after that your body gets used to it ... slowly you will eat less and crave less! Also suggest power packed juices to make up for the lost vits you lose during fasting!

Headaches. From ketones–your body breaking down fats due to lack of carbohydrates. From toxins not being flushed out due to dehydration. From low blood sugar. Stay hydrated. Pay attention to your body. Some people generally need more carbs in the morning, some need more protein. Carbs from whole grains and natural products—breads and rice, beans and vegetables—will stay in your system longer than white bread, white rice, waffles or pastries. Keep a couple of large bottles of water near your bed. Drink just before you go to sleep and anytime you wake up during the night

Stomach pain. Your stomach has to “shrink to fit”. Let it, then leave it. You’ll feel better. Once your stomach has shrunk, you will feel less hungry and the days will be easier. The more you stretch out your stomach with big meals, the more it has to shrink again each day. Don’t make yourself miserable

Vomiting. If this is from something you ate, you will feel better after it’s out of your system and you should continue your fast. You will be hungrier, but there is no harm in it. Vomiting on purpose breaks the fast.

Heat. Water is your friend. Showers, baths, wet towels, fans, air-conditioners all help us through. Be careful not to get water in your nose or mouth where you may swallow it reflexively and break your fast.

Excellent read: http://www.victorynewsmagazine.com/4TheMus...tandBodyPt1.htm

[S and S 12]

Too much salt is bad, but you definitely have to have some salt because that is what helps your body to retain water. If you have no salt, you will not retain much of the water you drink. Then you will be dehydrated regarless.

Fajr is not sunrise, it is dawn. Fajr is when the first rays of the sun begin to touch the land in your area. Usually it is a little over an hour before sunrise. This is why when you use the Ilsamic finder adhan player on your computer you will see Fajr played awhile before the actual sunrise (you can see the two times on there). So actually you begin your fast at dawn, not sunrise.

On a funny sidenote for those of you who have fasted Ramadan before, how many of you overslept for Sahur? Last year I overslept and it totally messed me up. I had just driven accross part of the country the day before (for 10 hours) and had been too tired to hear the alarm. Because I had been traveling I just added that day to a travel day and hoped Allah would forgive me. There were a few other mornings (on the weekends) that I didn't wake up until 15 minutes until fajr. I just tried to quickly eat a piece of bread and fruit, drink a bunch of water and brush my teeth. Those were definitely tough days to fast, but thank God I made it.

I am not sure how others do it, but you must put water in your mouth and nose in order to do wadu for prayer. The key is to make sure you spit or blow out all the water. There is no way around it as it is required for wadu, but you should be careful to not ingest any of the water.

[~Jackie~ 30]

[Tunisia216 2]

Hehe I like this... Thanks for sharing!!!

[Henia 11]

Too much salt is bad, but you definitely have to have some salt because that is what helps your body to retain water. If you have no salt, you will not retain much of the water you drink. Then you will be dehydrated regarless.

Fajr is not sunrise, it is dawn. Fajr is when the first rays of the sun begin to touch the land in your area. Usually it is a little over an hour before sunrise. This is why when you use the Ilsamic finder adhan player on your computer you will see Fajr played awhile before the actual sunrise (you can see the two times on there). So actually you begin your fast at dawn, not sunrise.

On a funny sidenote for those of you who have fasted Ramadan before, how many of you overslept for Sahur? Last year I overslept and it totally messed me up. I had just driven accross part of the country the day before (for 10 hours) and had been too tired to hear the alarm. Because I had been traveling I just added that day to a travel day and hoped Allah would forgive me. There were a few other mornings (on the weekends) that I didn't wake up until 15 minutes until fajr. I just tried to quickly eat a piece of bread and fruit, drink a bunch of water and brush my teeth. Those were definitely tough days to fast, but thank God I made it.

I am not sure how others do it, but you must put water in your mouth and nose in order to do wadu for prayer. The key is to make sure you spit or blow out all the water. There is no way around it as it is required for wadu, but you should be careful to not ingest any of the water.

Let me clear that up ... I start fasting after fajr cos I go back to sleep right after praying! And oversleep sahour probably a week in the last part of Ramadan ... but I really don't miss eating/drinking by then.

[nunyab 0]

lol... love it!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I present to you:

rahma's ultimate ramadan linkage

which I put together for the recent Muslimah's Speak Up Ramadan Carnival.

[Henia 11]

Nice Rahma! Thanks!

I thought this was benefical too for the new Muslims:

Eid Etiquettes in Islam

The Sunnahs that the Muslim should observe on the day of Eid are as follows:

1 – Doing ghusl before going out to the prayer.

It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth in al-Muwatta’ and elsewhere that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar used to do ghusl on the day of al-Fitr before going out to the prayer-place in the morning. Al-Muwatta’ 428.

Al- Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the Muslims were unanimously agreed that it is mustahabb to do ghusl for Eid prayer.

The reason why it is mustahabb is the same reason as that for doing ghusl before Jumu’ah and other public gatherings. Rather on Eid the reason is even stronger.

2 – Eating before going out to pray on Eid al-Fitr and after the prayer on Eid al-Adha:

Part of the etiquette is not to go out to pray on Eid al-Fitr until one has eaten some dates, because of the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Anas ibn Maalik, who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used not to go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates… of which he would eat an odd number. Al-Bukhaari, 953.

It is mustahabb to eat before going out to emphasize the fact that it is forbidden to fast on that day and to demonstrate that the fast has ended.

Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) suggested that the reason for that was so as to ward off the possibility of adding to the fast, and to hasten to obey the command of Allah. Al-Fath, 2/446

Whoever does not have any dates may break his fast with anything that is permissible.

But on Eid al-Adha it is mustahabb not to eat anything until one comes back from the prayer, so he should eat from the udhiyah if he has offered a sacrifice. If he is not going to offer a sacrifice there is nothing wrong with eating before the prayer.

3 – Takbeer on the day of Eid

This is one of the greatest Sunnahs on the day of Eid because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most Great)] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him”

[al-Baqarah 2:185]

It was narrated that al-Waleed ibn Muslim said: I asked al-Awzaa’i and Maalik ibn Anas about saying Takbeer out loud on the two Eids. They said, Yes, ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar used to say it out loud on the day of al-Fitr until the imam came out (to lead the prayers).

It was narrated in a saheeh report that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sulami said, “They emphasized it more on the day of al-Fitr than the day of al-Adha.”. Wakee’ said, this refers to the takbeer. See Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 3/122/

Al-Daaraqutni and others narrated that on the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Ibn ‘Umar would strive hard in reciting takbeer until he came to the prayer place, then he would recite takbeer until the imam came out.

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated with a saheeh isnaad that al-Zuhri said: The people used to recite Takbeer on Eid when they came out of their houses until they came to the prayer place, and until the imam came out. When the imam came out they fell silent, and when he said takbeer they said takbeer. See Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1/121

Saying takbeer when coming out of one's house to the prayer place and until the imam came out was something that was well known among the salaf (early generations). This has been narrated by a number of scholars such as Ibn Abi Shaybah, ‘Abd a l-Razzaaq and al-Firyaabi in Ahkaam al-Eidayn from a group of the salaf. For example, Naafi’ ibn Jubayr used to recite takbeer and was astonished that the people did not do so, and he said, “Why do you not recite takbeer?”

Ibn Shihaab al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) used to say, “The people used to recite takbeer from the time they came out of their houses until the imam came in.”

The time for takbeer on Eid al-Fitr starts from the night before Eid until the imam enters to lead the Eid prayer.

In the case of Eid al-Adha, the takbeer begins on the first day of Dhu’l-Hijjah and lasts until sunset on the last of the days of tashreeq.

Description of the takbeer:

It was narrated in the Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to recite takbeer during the days of tashreeq:

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar, Allah akbar, wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is most Great, there is no god but Allah, Allah is Most great, Allah is most great, and to Allah be praise).

It was also narrated elsewhere by Ibn Abi Shaybah with the same isnaad, but with the phrase “Allahu akbar” repeated three times.

Al-Mahaamili narrated with a saheeh isnaad also from Ibn Mas’ood: “Allahu akbaru kabeera, Allahu akbaru kabeera, Allahu akbar wa ajallu, Allahu akbar wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allah is Most Great indeed, Allah is Most Great indeed, Allah is most Great and Glorified, Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise).” See al-Irwa’, 3/126.

4 – Offering congratulations

The etiquette of Eid also includes the congratulations and good wishes exchanged by people, no matter what the wording, such as saying to one another Taqabbala Allah minna wa minkum (May Allah accept (good deeds) from us and from you” or “Eid mubaarak” and other permissible expressions of congratulations.

It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: When the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to one another, “May Allah accept (good deeds) from us and from you.” Ibn Hajar said, its isnaad is hasan. Al-Fath, 2/446.

Offering congratulations was something that was well known among the Sahaabah, and scholars such as Imam Ahmad and others allowed it. There is evidence which suggests that it is prescribed to offer congratulations and good wishes on special occasions, and that the Sahaabah congratulated one another when good things happened, such as when Allah accepted the repentance of a man, they went and congratulated him for that, and so on.

Undoubtedly these congratulations are among the noble characteristics among the Muslims.

The least that may be said concerning the subject of congratulations is that you should return the greetings of those who congratulate you on Eid, and keep quiet if others keep quiet, as Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If anyone congratulates you, then respond, otherwise do not initiate it.

5 – Adorning oneself on the occasion of Eid.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that ‘Umar took a brocade cloak that was for sale in the market and brought it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and said, “O Messenger of Allah, buy this and adorn yourself with it for Eid and for receiving the delegations.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him, “Rather this is the dress of one who has no share (of piety or of reward in the Hereafter)…” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 948.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) agreed with ‘Umar on the idea of adorning oneself for Eid, but he denounced him for choosing this cloak because it was made of silk.

It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a cloak which he would wear on the two Eids and on Fridays. Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 1756,

Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a saheeh isnaad that Ibn ‘Umar used to wear his best clothes on Eid.

So a man should wear the best clothes that he has when going out for Eid.

With regard to women, they should avoid adorning themselves when they go out for Eid, because they are forbidden to show off their adornments to non-mahram men. It is also haraam for a woman who wants to go out to put on perfume or to expose men to temptation, because they are only going out for the purpose of worship.

6 – Going to the prayer by one route and returning by another.

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to vary his route. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 986.

It was said that the reason for that was so that the two routes would testify for him on the Day of Resurrection, for the earth will speak on the Day of Resurrection and say what was done on it, both good and bad.

And it was said that it was in order to manifest the symbols of Islam on both routes, or to manifest the remembrance of Allah (dhikr), or to annoy the hypocrites and Jews, and to scare them with the large number of people who were with him. And it was said that it was in order to attend to the people’s needs, to answer their questions, teach them, set an example and give charity to the needy, or to visit his relatives and uphold the ties of kinship.

And Allah knows best.

Content provided courtesy of Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

And whole page of links on Ramadan! http://www.hilalplaza.com/ramadan.htm

[Nothing1234 2]

I present to you:

rahma's ultimate ramadan linkage

which I put together for the recent Muslimah's Speak Up Ramadan Carnival.

Thank you