Ramadhan Day 21.

OH MYYY...GOD! One of the hottest day today! Before it got too hot, I went bra-shopping @ Birkenhead Point. Pretty good! It would've been better if it wasn't so hot or if we weren't fasting. But I didn't bring my little boy along, cuz it was boiling! So we left him with his granny. I couldn't wait to get home and see him. As soon as we got home, I saw him and dropped everything then I hugged him as tight as I could. I can't be away from my boy for toOoO long.

I feel so behind in my Qur'an reading! I feel so ashamed!

Every Ramadhan I read the Qur'an from the beginning, but this year I was already half-way through the book and felt like I'm cheating starting from the middle. So I went back to the beginning. The Qur'an is divided into 30 parts- in Arabic it's called "Juz' ". So in Ramadhan you can easily finish the Qur'an by reading 1 part each day. But since females have their menstruational cycle once a month, I couldn't fast OR read the Qur'an. Because in Islam when women are menstruating they are in a state of impurity- not that they are impure themselves, but it's the thing inside which gives us the excuse to not pray, fast, and read the Qur'an.

Anyway, it's Day 21 of Ramadhan and I should be up to Part 21 (Juz' 21) of the Qur'an or at least past it. Rather, I'm only up to the 4th Part- I should be reading more. Especially when the last 10 nights of Ramadhan have arrived. This one special night of Ramadhan, called "Laylatul Qadr", meaning "The Night of Power", falls on one of the odd nights- e.g. on the night of Day 21, 23, 25 & so on. Whatever good deeds we do during these last 10 nights of Ramadhan, for the sake of Allah's pleasure, we receive the reward that is better than a thousand months. That's why it is soOoO important.

I want to post a story about struggle. Turn on the tv, read the newspaper, the sight of Muslims sufferring around the whole world has become common news. Occupation of our Lands, the slaughter of millions of Muslims, the negative propaganda made to make Islam look 'evil'. The torment and atrocities that were thrown upon the Muslims in the past 100 years has never been seen in the history of Islam. However, despite these struggles the Muslims go through, we have still stuck to our Islam, and day by day our convitction only strengthens. This following hadith tells the story of how the Prophet advised his companions on the issue of staying patient.

Don't Complain, Be Patient.
Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "We complained to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was reclining on his cloak in the shade of the Ka'bah. We said to him: "Why do you not ask Allaah to help us (grant us victory)? Why do you not pray to Allaah for us?" He said, "A man from the people before you would be placed in a hole dug for him, then they would bring a saw and cut his head in two, yet that would not make him renounce his faith. They would use an iron comb to drag the flesh and nerves from his bones, yet that would not make him renounce his faith. By Allaah, this matter will be completed (i.e. Islam will be perfected and will prevail) until a rider travelling from Sana' to Hadramawt will fear nobody but Allaah or the attack of a wolf on his sheep, but you are too impatient." Source: Sahih Bukhari.

The conditions of Muslims may go up and down but Islam will always remain on top. We should never lose hope even during the most difficult times as Allah is always in control. Surely, Allah helps those who are patient.

~Peace.