Salaam Page Turners,
Hope you are all well insha’allah. Ramadan has come to an end and I am in that slumpy feeling. This year Ramadan ended on Thursday night so Eid was on a Friday. Am I allowed to say that I really wanted Eid to be on Saturday, just because I wanted to keep the full thirty but also because I really was not ready for Eid to be on Friday?
But I guess Allah knows best because I really enjoyed Eid this year and had a fab time. I guess with Ramadan’s ending you get distracted by the excitement, the food, and the going-outs of Eid that you almost forget that you miss Ramadan.
This year though it truly hit me how during Ramadan how much I am at my happiest and I am the most connected to praying, spirituality and mindfulness. On Sunday when all the excitement of Eid and guests, food and everything had died down I really (and it had been not even two days) realised how much I missed Ramadan. How much I missed that constant feeling of contentment and focusing on praying and being in a constant state of dhikr etc. I am glad that I have my missed fasts to keep and Shawwal fasts as well because one of my goals and reflections I wish to take with me from Ramadan is that I want to be able to keep more fasts outside of Ramadan. I didn’t manage to Qur’an journal this Ramadan or read the Qur’an in translation and I realised that I was only making goals for the month of Ramadan but why am I not taking it and applying it outside of Ramadan?
My biggest reflection on this year’s Ramadan also highlighted to me how much mindfulness is attached to how much I pray and make dua. I have just found it is so good for my mental health but I do need to acknowledge the lows and not be so harsh. My sister also put up a quote on her WhatsApp story saying something along the lines of Ramadan shows what you are capable of doing for a month (praying etc) so why don’t we do this all year round- obviously put much more eloquently but it is a true statement. If we can try to be the best version of ourselves every day in the month of Ramadan why can’t we try to do it all year round?
I really want my biggest goal to be this year is to try to maintain this Ramadan spirit so that when Ramadan (insha’Allah) visits us again next year I can happily say and confidently say I am at the same stage as when I left Ramadan (obviously acknowledging that I will have lows).
I thank God that he allowed us to witness and experience this month and may He accept our fasts, our many prayers, and our struggles and may He allow us to experience it all again next year insha’Allah. Until the next Ramadan don’t forget to keep your missed fasts (if you did miss any) and the six Shawwal fasts. I also intend to insha’Allah get into the routine of keeping Monday/Thursday fasts. Also to be conscious of food- and don’t eat so much.
And on the topic of food let me show you some pics of food that we had over the month of Ramadan because who doesn’t like looking at food pics?
Have to have these biscuits because obviously right?!
Have to have #cakeforsyria annual tradition- this year I didn’t actually buy any but my sister (on behalf of my niece) gifted it to us and I quickly managed to take a picture before it was demolished. Also loved this sticker on the box-smile it’s sunnah (so smile 😊)
Such an amazing initiative a date box (from Palestine)- I picked the South Asian design (but there are other options all over the middle east) and you can keep the tin for your Sadaqah box afterwards. (also the dates were really yummy too)- great for gifting or buying for yourself.
Fruit is always a must for the iftar table, we always have a bigger emphasis on fruit over fried stuff so fruit and dates are always a must for us.
My sister made this Southern fried chicken, really yummy.
Krispy Kreme’s (the best doughnuts ever- but having them gifted is the best)
Samosa chaat- not the biggest fan but listen I eat around and eat the samosa
Iftari hosted by my sister- pizza swirls/nuggets/pakoras chickpea rice mocktail potato scallops
Pizza on naan bread is the best fakeaways ever, also a little something to munch on before reading Maghrib
Fish bites my sister made are also yummy
This is what my sister’s iftari looked like- enchiladas, fries dhal/rice fruit, salad
Taco’s for a Mexican night
Of course, I didn’t take a picture of every single thing (didn’t take a pic of lasagne that was really yummy and the different curries that we had) but you get the picture. Insert some pics (if you managed to take any) of what you had during Ramadan.
I hope you have loved this year's Ramadan Diaries. Comment below on how your Ramadan went, and what goals you intend to carry into Shawwal and beyond. What do you want to see in next year’s Diaries (insha’Allah) your highlights-pros and cons of this year? Thanks for reading and being a part of my Ramadan journey I hope you enjoyed reading and have had an amazing Ramadan too and if you haven’t I hope this was an opportunity for your heart to be healed and to start over. Also, comment below on your Ramadan reflections/food pics I love reading other people's journeys and just being nosy.
May the light of Ramadan continue to shine in our homes all year long. Ameen
With Love and Dua’s
Fiz @Every Page She Turns.
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