Ramadan is days away!

Ramadan will begin August 1 this year; just a few more days.  This is our big time, our month, and our holiday that follows.  It is one of the 4 holy months in Islam, and this one is most special because of the fasting.  Fasting is one of the 5 pillars of Islam.  The other four are 1) Saying the Shahada which means declaring there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger, 2) Praying at the fixed times, 3) Giving Charity, and 4) Going on Pilgrimage at least once in your lifetime to Mecca. 

People long ago used to fast more often than people these days do.  It was done by pious people who wished to get closer to God, to give up some of their attachment to the material world, or to sit and ponder their existence.  Allah tells us in the Quran (and this is translating) that fasting in Ramadan is prescribed to us just like it was prescribed for those before us, so that we may become more pious and God conscious. (2:183)  Of course whoever is ill or on a journey should not fast but make up those days later when he can. Whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him.  And that you fast is better for you if only you knew. (2:184)  That last part really motivates me to push through.  Allah is our creator and know us, His creation.  He gave us this month of fasting as a purification, as a way, a path, to get closer to Him, and as a way to help others.  If we have a hard time with it for whatever reason, then we should remember that it is still better to fast b/c we don't know.  He knows.  He doesn't mean hardship on us and he wants ease for us, so if we're not well or going through a hardship like travel then we can just make up those days later, and we can praise Him for his guidance and mercy.

Last year I made a little Ramadan Journal for my older kids to fill out daily.  I recommend this for ages 10+ actually, because the writing prompts are a little lengthy, and if the child isn't fasting most days then it isn't very useful.  Here is the link to the journal.  I printed everything out and put it in a binder for each child last year.  I won't do that again this year since they won't be fasting the whole month.  My eldest will probably fast most of the month so I'll make one for him, but I think I'll print out as needed for the other kids. 

The website is TJ Ramadan is loaded with ideas, recipes, crafts, and lessons. Oh boy! It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you see all you 'could' be doing!  I remind myself to keep it simple and just let the kids understand the essence behind Ramadan.  All those posters, crafts, and lessons are there if you want/need them.  I have printed out several things from this site, though, and we've made a poster and used some of dua' pages.  The kids made their own posters with their friends yesterday and we used some print outs from this TJ Ramadan page.

I wanted to share some of these kid-friendly links with moms out there looking for something to do with their children.  In the end, I think setting a positive example is the best way to set them up for success. 

I hope to have about one hour each day when we can go over our goals, read Quran, and reflect on our fasting.  That's when the journal will come out, too.  I'll have some coloring pages for the younger girls to do as well as some activity pages out of a cute book I bought last year called Ramadan Activities. Sorry,  I forgot where I bought it from.

Have a Blessed Ramadan to my Muslim readers!