Ramadan 2009 in pictures

Ramadan 2009

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Island style..

i was surfing in the maldives last month.. and every now and then we would catch a boat back to the capitol - male - and do some shopping or walk around.. we would try to get there so that we would hit the ground at around 930 because the shops would close for an hour or so beforehand for the prayer before the fast ended.. the call to prayer danced beautifully through the air and i thought id bring you a few glimpses..


the mosques appeared very modern and very clean.. very welcoming and peaceful.. i know its the end of the month but once again id like to wish you ramadan kareem.. (and take the opportunity to also say shana tova) :)

Lord of Ramadan by "COTU"

Muslims in America fasting Ramadan

What is Ramadan

Ramadan through my eyes

Ramadan (Guest post by L.W Age 13)


As-Salam-U-Aleikum.

The phrase means “May peace be bestowed on you”, it is widely used in the religion of Islam, the Middle East or any other place where Arab cultures or Islamic traditions lie. In the month of Ramadan, we all seek repentance, forgiveness, patience and peace. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. The Muslims were commanded by Allah to fast for 29-30 consecutive days from dawn till sunset. Every sane and healthy Muslim, man or woman, must fast. Obligatory fasting starts at the age of twelve until you are too old or sick to perform.

We usually wake up dawn, or at the call of the Fajr azaan to eat a light meal to start the day called, suhoor. It is recommended to get up and consume at least a glass of water, for waking up and eating/drinking at this time has its blessings. We also must take an oath that we are fasting for the sake of Allah.

During the day, it is expected of an ideal Muslim to perform extra prayers we call, Sunnah along with the 5 daily other prayers.
Quran is to be read a great deal more in this month.

Later on, when the Maghrib call for prayer is read aloud, muslims sit at the table reading a duaa, or a grace prayer before starting the meal. They break their fasts traditionally with dates and a glass of water. Then they continue to eat what else is being served, but the aim is to keep it a light meal.

At the end of the day, when it is time for the final prayer of the 5 prescribed, Isha, the obligatory prayer is read, followed by extra prayers called Taraweeh. This is a practice of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.).
It is usually read in pairs of two, the most common being 8-20 Rakahs.

The last 10 days of the holy month are very important, it is believed that the first verses of the Quraan was sent down to the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) by the angel Jibreel or Gabriel in this time. We know not of exactly which date, but it is in the last 10 days. We are advised to stay up all night, reading extra Quran and prayers.

Another event during the last 10 days is Itikaf, a person is to stay in a room or usually the mosque spending all day with Allah, by reading more Quran and performing more prayers. It is obligatory when one has made his intentions that it must be done, but other wise it is voluntary.

Ramadan 2009 Mubarak

The month of Ramadan has dawned upon us all with its blessings, mercy and forgiveness. The first Taravih was held today in almost all of India and the first Roza (fast) starts from tomorrow.

It is interesting to note the American President Barack Obama making a special effort to reach out to the Muslim world on the occasion of Ramadan. Here is the video:



Wish everyone a Blessed Ramadan.

Baba Ganoush

Stuffing garlic in the eggplant while you cook it makes it extra tasty. It also gives it a very unique smoky flavor. Traditionally this dip is served with pita bread but I have known people to use it as a vegetable dip as well. No matter what you choose I am sure it will be fantastic. You can not go wrong with a great recipes like this.

1 large eggplant
3garlic cloves, smashed
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons tahini

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Prick eggplant all over carefully with a knife, stick garlic inside of eggplant slits. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour turning occasionally.

2. After eggplant has cooled peel skin. Place eggplant in a strainer with small holes and smash with fork allowing extra water to drain.

3. In a bowl add eggplant and continue to mash. Add lemon juice, olive oil and tahini, mix well.

Ramadan in Sweden

"The guest" is arriving tomorrow, at least in Sweden. As every year, we find some countries fasting on one day, and some on another day. Apparently in Sweden the bosnian/turkish community started fasting today (Friday), and the rest tomorrow on Saturday. My husband's Bosnian grandma reacted to us fasting tomorrow instead of today by saying: "Oh you are following the kurds!"

Not quite sure what that meant :)

Either way, it will be a challenging fast for us northerners. Starting the fast at 3.38 am and ending it at 8.26 pm is not exactly a walk in the park...more like a hike in the mountains!

Still, as has famously been pointed out many times before; where there is a will there is a way! And a will there is!

This year will be my first Ramadan as a mom. I am not quite sure how it will affect things... also it is the first Ramadan my husband and I will spend in our own home. I am curious to see what kind of traditions he will bring to the table with his Bosnian heritage!

Will keep you all posted. But for now, I wish all of you out there a blessed and joyous month of fasting and self-improvement, God willing.

Ramadan: a Spiritual Time in Senegal for a Foreign Student

by Ben Hubbard

Northwestern University


EVANSTON, Ill. -- Salaam Alekum. At this time last year I was fasting. For those of you who don't know, this is the month of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim year. It is observed by Muslims worldwide through fasting and increased concentration on purification of the soul and closeness with God.

While not a Muslim myself, this time last year found me in Senegal, the westernmost country in Africa, whose population is 90 percent Muslim. Given that just about everyone I knew was Muslim and would be fasting during Ramadan, I decided, rather reluctantly, to fast as well.

If all my friends had to force themselves through it, I figured the least I could do was try it for myself to better sympathize with what they were going through. When in Rome, do as the Romans; when in Senegal, fast.

While I had resolved to fast for the entire month, I can't say I was particularly excited about it. The prospect of no food or drink from sunrise to sunset for 28 days straight didn't strike me as particularly appealing, especially in a climate much more conducive to thirst than our own.

Senegal is not known for its mild mid day temperatures, which often soar above 90 degrees.

Ramadan started with a bang, a rather large one, that woke me up at 5:30 a.m. as my friend pounded on my door telling me we had to go eat before sunrise or we would never make it to 7 p.m. when we could break our fast.

Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of bed and dragged my half-asleep body to the dining hall where we ate the heavy porridge that was supposed to get us throug h the next 11 hours of non-consumption.

"This is what they have to go through every day," I told myself, proud for being so compassionate and forcing myself to experience the pain and suffering that my friends had to go through every day.

But this is where I got it all wrong. I went into Ramadan thinking that it was a miserable time in which Muslims forced themselves to endure the excruciating discomfort of hunger and thirst out of some cruel religious obligation.

But as the month progressed, I discovered that quite the opposite was true. The early breakfasts I had originally despised became more tolerable. I actually began to look forward to sunset, when we would all gather in friends' rooms to break the fast together while talking and joking about who was hungrier.

As time went on, I discovered that the focus of Ramadan is not, as many outsiders believe, on the pain and self-denial of fasting.

For Muslims worldwide, Ramadan is a time of increased focus on spiritual purity and closeness to God, a time for reconciling differences between people, and a time for visiting with friends and family.

While I had gone into Ramadan thinking that I was "putting myself through it" in order to "better sympathize" with my friends, sympathy was the last thing they needed.

Ramadan was the most treasured time of the year.

When it ended, I was sitting with one of my friends, saying, "I can't believe it's over already." All the fun had just begun.