Ramadan for Women: Making it Special, Making it Spiritual

[beespreeteam]

by Saraji Umm Zaid

http://www.modernmuslima.com/ramadanwomen.htm


Ramadan was never meant to be about food. It's natural that human beings will want to focus on food after spending half of the day avoiding it, but our focus in Ramadan should be to pull ourselves away from these dunyawi desires and habits and achieve a higher level of awareness and living. Many Muslims are in danger of making Islam a part of their culture, something hauled out twice a year at Ramadan and Hajj. It's time for women to stand up and reclaim our religious duties, responsibilities, and rights, especially in Ramadan. We're the vanguard of Islam in "Masjid al Bait," and we need to take it seriously.

This is good because it outlines some very important points:

1] We keep expecting Women to be cooking all throughout Ramadhan - they need time to develop themselves and enjoy Ramadhan too

2] Ramadhan is NOT about the food. We shouldn't be wasting time so much time on it and placing so much emphasis on it.

3] Other advice for the Sisters

I think this is important because we see it happening a lot. Any of the Sisters here see this around?

[Sunni_warrior]

I don't know if this is off topic maybe not...

But you have a good point. Take cooking, Men usually do it better. My mother always asks me to cook when guests are coming. And Iv noticed that its common that men cook better than women.

At the same time all women that have been politicians have been our best. Margaret Patcher in the UK. Heidi in Finland. Queen Elizabeth that made poor England the worlds superpower. Olsen in Norway.

[beespreeteam]

I don't know if this is off topic maybe not...

But you have a good point. Take cooking, Men usually do it better. My mother always asks me to cook when guests are coming. And Iv noticed that its common that men cook better than women.

At the same time all women that have been politicians have been our best. Margaret Patcher in the UK. Heidi in Finland. Queen Elizabeth that made poor England the worlds superpower. Olsen in Norway.

My wife cooks far better than me, that's for sure hehe

[UmmZaid]

Salaam 'Alaikum

I'm really glad you found this article useful and think others will as well, but... I'm sorry, but um... why not link readers to the article directly on my site (http://www.modernmuslima.com/ramadanwomen.htm) (which you do on your own site) -- as I requested in the pop up that comes up on the text if you try to copy it, or in my copyright notice at the bottom?? You don't even put my name up here as the author, which is about respect and acknowledging someone else's hard work.

I don't ask for a lot from the Muslim community...

[sufireader]

1] We keep expecting Women to be cooking all throughout Ramadhan - they need time to develop themselves and enjoy Ramadhan too

Culinary duties are not a bad thing. Men and Women are equal but different, aren't they?

And let's admit, cooking doesn't take all day. My mum on the other hand spends a lot of time cooking, and a lot of time in prayer. I don't know how she manages it but she does, whilst l do very little work. But that is just an exception, l reckon. I think most men are out there, doing Office work, Factory work, etc. Well, at least, those are the traditional roles, and it's the traditional roles you are challenging?




2] Ramadhan is NOT about the food. We shouldn't be wasting time so much time on it and placing so much emphasis on it.

It's not about the Battle of the Sexes either.


Ramadan was never meant to be about food. It's natural that human beings will want to focus on food after spending half of the day avoiding it, but our focus in Ramadan should be to pull ourselves away from these dunyawi desires and habits and achieve a higher level of awareness and living.

By not eating ... food


Many Muslims are in danger of making Islam a part of their culture, something hauled out twice a year at Ramadan and Hajj.

Why fault a person for Fasting or Hajj. In fact, it's marvellous when a rudeboy stops what he is doing to fast or make some other decision based on a higher consciousness. I wouldn't throw the book at him.


It's time for women to stand up and reclaim our religious duties, responsibilities, and rights, especially in Ramadan.

They were never taken away as far as l know, and they were certainly not taken away by their husbands. So no need to split the nuclear family.


We're the vanguard of Islam in "Masjid al Bait," and we need to take it seriously.

Vanguard? There is no war in the home, although when Dajjal finally arrives, there will indeed be fitnah in every home.

"People learned from them how to separate a man and his wife ... " (Surat al-Baqara, 102)

Oh by the way, Re: "Masjid al-Bait" - a home isn't traditionally meant to be a Masjid.

Guys, the first 10 days of Ramadhan are of anger, so you will have another week of this from me, l'm afraid.

[abuhajira]

Salaam 'Alaikum

I'm really glad you found this article useful and think others will as well, but... I'm sorry, but um... why not link readers to the article directly on my site (http://www.modernmuslima.com/ramadanwomen.htm) (which you do on your own site) -- as I requested in the pop up that comes up on the text if you try to copy it, or in my copyright notice at the bottom?? You don't even put my name up here as the author, which is about respect and acknowledging someone else's hard work.

I don't ask for a lot from the Muslim community...

:salam:

Did the brother correct the link on his page? It does give your web address and a link..

:ws:

[abuhajira]

:salam:


Oh by the way, Re: "Masjid al-Bait" - a home isn't traditionally meant to be a Masjid.


Why? When the prayer of a woman in the darkest corner of the house give her more reward than in Haram, shouldnt it then become a musalla for the womenfolk?

“Perform some of your prayers at home. Do not turn your houses into graveyards.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī (414, 1114). Sahīh Muslim(1296))



Guys, the first 10 days of Ramadhan are of anger, so you will have another week of this from me, l'm afraid.

This is why we all should conserve our time and engage in as much dhikr, inshAllah it will save others from our anger

[beespreeteam]

Salaam 'Alaikum

I'm really glad you found this article useful and think others will as well, but... I'm sorry, but um... why not link readers to the article directly on my site (http://www.modernmuslima.com/ramadanwomen.htm) (which you do on your own site) -- as I requested in the pop up that comes up on the text if you try to copy it, or in my copyright notice at the bottom?? You don't even put my name up here as the author, which is about respect and acknowledging someone else's hard work.

I don't ask for a lot from the Muslim community...

Salaams,

I don't always upload the link to the site, so I link there instead - also so that others can benefit from the other articles. For example, someone else whom I've linked to another article could also benefit from your article because it's there. In fact, many people like it. I also ensured that it linked directly to your article and not somewhere else.

Either way, I'm sorry; I'll fix it to how you like it :)

[beespreeteam]

Culinary duties are not a bad thing. Men and Women are equal but different, aren't they?

And let's admit, cooking doesn't take all day. My mum on the other hand spends a lot of time cooking, and a lot of time in prayer. I don't know how she manages it but she does, whilst l do very little work. But that is just an exception, l reckon. I think most men are out there, doing Office work, Factory work, etc. Well, at least, those are the traditional roles, and it's the traditional roles you are challenging?



It's not about the Battle of the Sexes either.



By not eating ... food



Why fault a person for Fasting or Hajj. In fact, it's marvellous when a rudeboy stops what he is doing to fast or make some other decision based on a higher consciousness. I wouldn't throw the book at him.



They were never taken away as far as l know, and they were certainly not taken away by their husbands. So no need to split the nuclear family.



Vanguard? There is no war in the home, although when Dajjal finally arrives, there will indeed be fitnah in every home.

"People learned from them how to separate a man and his wife ... " (Surat al-Baqara, 102)

Oh by the way, Re: "Masjid al-Bait" - a home isn't traditionally meant to be a Masjid.

Guys, the first 10 days of Ramadhan are of anger, so you will have another week of this from me, l'm afraid.

Maybe you haven't experienced it, but there's many situations where the Women are cooking all day for massive iftaars and great food and not being able to find the time to do their own ibadah etc. I've seen and heard it myseld, from the people themselves. No one's trying to reverse roles, or split the family, but culture impeding on religion is one of the major issues our Ummah faces these days; and this is one of it's symptoms.

[sufireader]

Why? When the prayer of a woman in the darkest corner of the house give her more reward than in Haram, shouldnt it then become a musalla for the womenfolk?

“Perform some of your prayers at home. Do not turn your houses into graveyards.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī (414, 1114). Sahīh Muslim(1296))

Oh right, l thought it was also said that homes must not be turned into a Masjid. So maybe, even though the lady of the house prays there, it is not a Masjid.


This is why we all should conserve our time and engage in as much dhikr, inshAllah it will save others from our anger

Hey, l was actually being a bit too self-effacing there. In fact, l wasn't really very angry at all. I think what l was trying say was "excuse me if this post has been a little presumptious, l do not normally get involved with political-oriented posts such as the male-female divide and halal mortgaging". It normally doesn't bother me, but as it is the season to be especially religious, here l am, commenting away.