Day 8 - Ramadan-ing (slightly annoyed and cuckoo's...)

I wasn't a happy camper today, no indeed I was not.  You wonder why?  Well somewhere during the day I came to terms with the fact that I was craving chicken biryani and I'm lucky enough to have spots around here that make it pretty good.  In fact there's a Bangladeshi hole-in-the-wall that offers pretty authentic as well as cheap food.  Also the fact that since Ramadan started I've done nothing but cook, cook, cook, I had no interest in doing the same today.  So mind made up I left work pointing Stella towards the restaurant with single-minded intent. 

So far sounds like I have no reason to be unhappy, right? 

Up to that point I wasn't, not other than the fact that my body was still growling at me for holding back coffee from it.  I slapped it mentally into place and told it to shut up.  My will is greater than my bodies longing, I'm out to prove this to be true...darn it.  I also think that I'm finally settling into the whole not-eating-or-drinking-during-daylight-hours thing.  Yay me.

The bad mood did settle in unexpectedly to be certain.  There had been a bounce in my step, I had energy I wasn't sure from whence it came and iftar was but a scant few hours away.  Two things happened simultaneously though that sent me down the plummeting darkness of unhappiness.  Actually not exactly back-to-back but close enough that one sort of abutted the next.  Oh how dramatic am I?

As I was on my way to the B-deshi store, the windows open, sunroof also pouring in the heat of the day, I was feeling pretty okay.  I had escaped work without incident while the blackberry pressed to my hip was not vibrating.  These were all earmarks to the possible good ending of an already long day.  I was willing to embrace the inevitable with open arms, albeit weak ones as long as biryani waited at the other end.  *Sigh* that was when, thanks to the windows that had been lowered, I smelled the mouthwatering aroma of something scrumptious.  It blew in, swirled around me before fluttering off.  I stiffened, senses immediately heightened.  I didn't have time to identify what it was precisely but my stomach rumbled in response.  It was quick and harsh.  I did a mental 'oh well damn'. 

Can you say 'bloodhound'?  That's what I think we become during Ramadan.  Total bloodhounds.  We can sniff out food at about 100 paces, possibly more and given a bit of a chance not only identify what it is but when it was prepared, who was eating it and where the ingredients came from (not to mention what those particular ingredients are).  Pretty impressive, right? 

That was the first thing.  I ignored it successfully, even entered a restaurant that absolutely wreaked of all sorts of delicious smells and felt as if it wasn't bothering me, anyhow I was busy yacking away with my mommy on the phone so the distraction was welcome.  Things seemed to level out a bit as I hopped back into the car in order to make my way home.  That's when the second 'incident' happened.

I was waiting for a light to turn green when I look over and see a family of 4 in a silver car.  Nothing noteworthy except for the fact that the three passengers were all busy eating ice cream cones.  I really disliked those folks instantly.  I immediately shot S a text and told her of my negative feelings and like a true blue buddy she suggested that I honk my horn really loudly so that they became startled and dropped the icy treats.  I told her that although it wasn't an unreasonable suggestion, having a lot of merit to be honest, the action itself would go against the whole idea behind why we observe the fast.  One of the bullet points from the earlier blog (I think it was like day 1) about how we should love thy neighbor or some such nonsense as that.  Tolerance, obedience, blah, blah, blah.  Good lord how inconvenient for my sense of outrage at that moment to have to remember all that.  Meh.

By the time I squealed the car to a stop at home I was pissy, hungry, frowning and my pants were sticking to me uncomfortably.  I wanted to run inside to jam my head into the freezer (for the heat relief, not the food although if a samosa, even if it was frozen, was to sneak into my mouth, would it really be my fault?) however my desi neighbor couple was out with their adorable little 2 year old so I had to go over and chat for a minute.  The little one was splashing around in a kiddie pool.  Boy was I ever jealous of her but didn't think they would take too kindly to me plucking her out and flopping into the cold water. 

Since then things have gotten better.  I prayed for patience and iron will.  I scarfed chicken biryani as if I had never eaten before (as well as yack it back up which has been a persistent problem I've had for the last 3 years while fasting) and now am chilling.  I have also decided that the best bet for me is to keep the windows of the car closed...at all times.   The evening has been peaceful and P had been puttering around the house doing this and that.  I watched him from my perch on the sofa feeling zero compulsion to lift even one finger.  From tomorrow I would be elbow deep in cooking hence today I decided would be my 'day off'.  I do not feel guilty. 

Oh, also Ammu bought this beautifullllllllllllllllll handmade cuckoo clock for me back from her trip to Europe.  Amazing German mastery is this adorable thing and I'm in awe of it.  P finally put it up and guess what?  It actually cuckoo's!  Imagine my shock as the air was rented by this soft little sound.  But then, 15 minutes later, another cuckoo...and then another 15 mins... :|  Um...right.  Get it?  P comes down after about an hour and I tell him of this phenomenon and what does my man do?  What does this perfectly grown adult do in the face of a wooden clock?  He goes up to it and softly mimics 'cuckoo'.  I think he actually expected the darn bird to fly out and sing back to him. 

I turned from my spot on the sofa, stared at him pretty much wide mouthed and croaked out, 'babe, you realize that thing isn't real, right?'

He cleared his throat, ignored me pointedly, smiled at the clock and disappeared back upstairs.

Just another night at our pad.  You so wish you were apart of this, don't you? :P

Day 7 - Ramadan-ing

You know the one thing that I do most during Ramadan?  I dream up all the foods that I want to eat and plan to eat after breaking.  I mean seriously it’s like food porn.  I will go through the internet looking for recipes, slightly drool over glossy pictures of luscious cakes or spicy nibbles and plot.  There is a lot of plotting going on I assure you.  I will make up grocery lists and before getting home stop by to snag all the ingredients.  Last year I believe I never actually made it as far as the cooking stage of those foods.  On occasion yes but for the most part I would get inside, see my couch and flop down onto it almost unconscious.

This year seems a bit different.  I’m cooking.  Let’s stop right there and take a moment to ponder what I just wrote.  I AM COOKING.  A few can argue that for me the act itself is not unusual but I can assure you during this month it is.  I may dream about all the yummilicious things I will make as soon as I get home but my laziness often throws a dark shadow over all the good intentions.  Only rarely have I been reduced to chopping onions manically, boiling and sautéing potatoes or mixing flour with water to make something or another a half hour before iftar.  That’s pure desperation.  This year I willingly go to the kitchen...huh…weird.

Day 7 I decided to take some time out for myself.  After working for a short bit, I was home debating what I wanted to eat for iftar.  Yes it was but 11am and I was already wondering feverishly at my options.  Tempted to sleep but not wanting to let the day go to waste, I hopped into a fairly steaming hot leathered interior Stella in order to make my way (a 25 minute drive) to a Pakistani boutique where gorgeous dresses are sold.  Check out my handy dandy sketch in case you didn’t know what a Salwar Kameez is *smiles and pats self on back*. 

Which other blogger would provide you with such visual information, hmm?  Wait don’t answer that K

I found nothing, less than nothing in fact.  Oh no, I’m wrong.  What I managed to procure was a great big headache.  Not only was it blazing hot outside, enough so that I was left panting, but also the act of taking off and putting on and taking off once more and putting on yet again a few outfits was just simply too much.  Within minutes I lost interest as I listlessly gazed at the varied amounts of lovely creations that may have suited me but I did not wish to find out for sure since it meant more activity than necessary.  Within an hour I left with nada to show for all that effort other than the dizziness. 

Stopping off at the Bangladeshi grocery store (and may I repeat how bad an idea it is to do this) I chit-chatted with the owners younger brother (while I was busy eyeing all the beautiful food about me) who was bemoaning to me about the lack of jobs here in the USA and then professed that his family was trying to set him up (think arranged marriage) but that there was no chemistry between him and the girl in question.  I gave him the only sage advice I could.  I said:  don’t get married then.  With that I thanked him and left.  

Sigh, I wish I was that abrupt.  I’m not.  I actually listened to him with as much thoughtfulness as could be muster under the circumstances, then told him to not rush into marriage, it’s a long life commitment and yada yada yada.  To be honest, considering how wiped out I was, I didn’t do such a bad job of offering up sage advice.  Off I went home feeling just a smidge good about myself.

Once home I started to cook, again.  Yes, more cooking and I didn’t even mind.  The other day I had made samosas by the dozen for my party.  I actually believe in Bangladesh they are known as shingara’s while samosas are smaller wrapped in the same stuff that egg rolls are and often filled with meats.  I had a hankering for them and besides I had some ground chicken left over from the patties so there I was preparing them in anticipation of sinking my teeth into the triangular golden crispy scrumptiousness.    Along with them I prepared Broust.  What’s that?  Basically desi version of spicy tangy fried chicken and darn it I’m drooling again just recalling L … I also made saag (spinach) so that P gets his daily intake of greens.  The day before I had made curried eggs so there were left overs.  All in all the food was varying and I wasn’t totally unhappy with the options.  In fact I was pleased enough that I told N to come over.

Only bummer was that Abbu called and said he was canceling music class, which made me do a mental jig since I was unsure as to how to sing while half starved, but the really bigger ‘bummer’ part came in when Ammu called me a little while after that and told me that she had cooked scads of food for me, P and my cousin N for Iftar and had planned to send it with dad.  :\ 

Boo.

N joined me and P to break fast and afterwards we, she and I, went to the local coffee place, sat outside and chatted.  It surely was nice to catch up with her, watch others laugh, eat, joke and socialize like normal folks.  I can tell you that for me, it’s hard to feel as if I’m truly apart of society during this time.  I am not exaggerating one bit when I say I turn into a veritable hermit.  I do.  I have no interest in interacting with other humans particularly because my temper is short (see, a spiritual aspect of this month that I have yet to master) and my fuse is even shorter.  So in order to retain a bit of the spirituality of it all, I stay away from too much of anything which involves other human beings.  So?  Sue me. 

This only applies of course through fasting hours.  Afterwards, once the energy level in my body slowly increases the feeling of dehydration decreases and I’m once more able to smile, the thought of rejoining society is downright pleasant.  Last year N and I took to going to this coffee shop, quickly turning it into one of our more favorite escapes.  This was our first opportunity to revive the habit from last year and it indeed was pleasant as we procured chamomile tea, our favorite cookies (a toffee chocolate mocha something or another that’s pure sticky sweet nirvana) and snagged seats outside.  And it was so nice to sit there, breathe deeply, sip that mild hot brew and feel my body go nearly boneless. 

I glanced up and saw the moon and smiled.  Okay, bring on the next day, I thought mentally stealing myself.  I’m ready.

Day 6 - Ramadan-ing

And Day 6 was worse by all measures.

Getting up I forgot that I was fasting, which is easy enough to do a second after gaining consciousness however as I stood in the shower I heard my stomach grumble and reality dawned.  That’s right, no eating.  Shut up stupid stomach, shut up.

Driving to work I was very anxious about the impending moment that I would walk into the building.  You think it’s because of the piles of work that had to be tackled?  Perhaps I had oodles of emails that needed responding which was quite a daunting task?  Nope, either of these things mattered to me…this wasn't the reason why my size 7 feet were dragging all way to my office.   And like a hammer to the head, there it was…the seductive sultry smell that tickled my nose and overwhelmed my senses.  Oh, hello coffee, my love, I murmured with a slight mental sob as I fled down the hall to lock myself in to my office.  Sadly, to some degree my body anticipates that first sip of hot java, heck it demands it, but that morning I was going to deny it (yet again) and I just wasn't sure how my pudgy self would seek revenge (upon me).  Yes, I was scared of my own body’s reaction.  It could be as vicious as my consciousness, which is pretty scary when it plots.   

For the first few hours, as I watched the minutes tick by slowly, there was a bit of relief that nothing was happening.  Meaning I wasn't feeling the after effects of denying my body it’s morning fix, so relaxing, I gave into what I like to call ‘busy work’.  I usually will capitalize upon this particular month to catch up on work that I otherwise had pushed off, that stuff which was mindless and there was little rush to complete.  Also this sort of work kept me from having to walk around and exert any more energy than was absolutely necessary.  I wasn't too keen upon being found passed out somewhere in a filing room, what if they never found me?

To my vast relief things seemed to be sailing pretty smoothly for the first few hours sans any sort of urge to clutch my belly in agony from hunger pangs (seriously as if I have any real clue as to what true hunger is even like...seriously I sicken myself at times!) although the clock wasn't being totally uncooperative but by 2 pm things started to go downhill as I was convinced that the minute hand just refused to budge.  I kept picking up my cell phone, then glancing at the computer time, last at the telephone stand just to ‘double-check’.  Amazingly enough they all read the same time.  Was this a conspiracy?  What in the world was going on?  Were we moving backwards in time?

Yes Guys and Gals, the Ramadan Delusions were starting to settle in.  What are these?  I can’t define it really but as I write on over the course of the month, you’ll probably start to figure it out.  Regardless, it is horrible.  My friend came in to ‘checkup’ on me sometime mid-afternoon and as I turned to look at her, I went slightly dizzy.  For those of you who also observe, you know what I mean, right?  It’s this instant of ‘woohoo’ that makes you fear that the head will literally flop clear off your shoulders.  This isn't a good rush I assure you.

From that point forward I could think of nothing but sleep.  I wanted to just lay my head down and snooze till it was time to break the fast.  But work came first.  At one point as I went to the bathroom, I did have to wonder how in the world I even had the urge to go (#1) when there was no liquids in my body.  Didn't make sense to me in the least or maybe I was put out because the actual act of walking to the facility and doing the deed employed energy which was precious to me?  That was probably it. Besides it's amazing the nonsense one can think up when ones brain isn't fully engaged.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m quite the hermit during this month.  I stay in my office, away from the possibility of encountering any aroma of any sort and tune out the world unless its work related.  I avoid the kitchens like the plague, circumventing it as much as possible just to avoid delicious smells wafting my way and I will not, I simply refuse, indulge in any conversations regarding meals.  BTW, this is for only the first few days until my body adjusts, after this I’ll be more normal.   I swear it!  You just wait and see.

At 5 sharp I grabbed my purse while making sure the bberry was slipped into my pocket and jetted out of the firm at impressive speeds.  I would have run had the dizzy spells still not persisted.  I got home and after that everything was blank.  No really, I can’t remember what I did.  I believe I actually made dinner…no not iftar food, but dinner.  Did I make it in anticipation of my consuming it?  Nope, I did it for P.  I realized that there weren't enough green veggies for him to eat so how amazing a wife am I that I actually cooked thinking of him?  Boy that man best thank his lucky stars and do a few extra raka’s of prayers.  He don’t even know…

You want to know the best moment of any day particularly during Ramadan?  The instant you take that first sip of water.  HEAVEN!  And the worse part of it?  The few minutes before as the food stares at you and the clock decides that it won’t even tick anymore, just to spite you.  As kids, Ammu used to insist that we all sit in front of the food for at least 3 minutes prior to breaking, if not more.  Um…what kind of torture is this you wonder?  It’s bad enough that all day long you have to beat down the baser urge to jump some hapless innocent passerby who is in possession of a muffin but then your own parent decides that you need to show one last push of faith and obedience, you must endure endless minutes of sitting in front of food that’s just waiting to be consumed?  Huh?  What?

Let me tell you, not once during our childhood have we ever fully understood this or accepted it with grace.  To this day I still do not get it even though I sit there like a ninny trying not to drool on the pakodas or samosas.  Actually I understand the reasoning, I just don’t agree with it or my mind refuses to, either way I'm about the crabbiest during those few minutes.  Don't talk to me, don't think I'll be congenial and answer you if you have questions for me.  I have one objective in mind and that is to get food into my mouth.  

Do I hog usually at breaking?  Shockingly enough no.  I'll explain in detail more during another blog. Oh BTW, my body did exact its revenge upon me by producing a headache of mammoth proportions which didn't ebb even the slightest bit no matter how much I hydrated after breaking.  That was miserable and I admit the dizziness is truly a constant companion but I’m used to this by now. 

Yea, so day 6 wasn't all that awesome but I murmur a prayer all the time in thanks to the Almighty that I am able to observe Ramadan regardless of how much a challenge it is. 

So as they say (who is they I'm not sure but anyhow): On-wards and upwards… : )

Day 5 - Ramadan-ing

Apparently the beginning of the last blog was a wee bit…um…unintelligible?  The person who told me is one who I trust and therefore I haven’t even bothered to go back and read to confirm.  She’s probably right.  I know that by the time I had posted it, I was mentally done in.  It was almost out of a sense of desperation that I finally hit the ‘publish’ button just so that I didn't have to look at it again.  It’s not that I didn't like what I wrote (Sort of sounds arrogant doesn't it?  Liking my own stuff?) But it took me so long to write that paltry little entry that I felt it a waste of breath.  Still I carry on trying to fulfill my promise.  I apologize if your eyes bled and your brain hurt after reading Day 4.  Don’t throw fruit at me because I’m liable to pick it up and eat it.  That wouldn't be a good thing.

You will note that I have been unable to keep up with my promise for a daily blog, not well or in a timely fashion at least.  Blame Saturday and Sunday please.  If not for those two days I surely would not miss.  But alas right now I’m basically playing catch up.  So here goes:

Day 5 – Sunday I woke up feeling exhausted.  That’s never a good sign.  May be it was all that samosa making.  If I saw one more samosa again ever, I probably would throw a massive fit or curl into a ball and weep like a baby.  That gives you a fair idea of how much time I spent the day before rolling out, stuffing and modeling (the dough, not me).  Then there was the electricity outage that served as a bad lullaby.  I may have slept but it was fitful and full of sweaty dreams.   I don’t think, upon awaking that morning, my body was in any mood to listen to my mind which was reciting the long list of things that needed to be done.  In fact my body mass was pretty much dead weight as it laid there, eyes trained onto the ceiling, all brain commands being ignored.  P at one point came and peered at me closely to see if I was awake or asleep.  When I sluggishly blinked, he pulled back in surprise.  He told me I was lying too still for a person who was indeed in her senses.    That about summed it up. 

Finally my subconscious was kicking up a ruckus which grated on my nerves enough to cause me to really ponder again the to-do list that was even then being added to mentally (I think I hoped that I had enough time to go back to sleep if it wasn't all that tedious…fat chance) which in essence sent me into a spiral of freaking-out-ness.  That isn't a word or phrase but it is for the purpose of this blog.  I had a pile of things to do and by lying like a sloth in bed was not going to get any of it done.  So I climbed out giving it one last mournful, pitiful, I-so-love-you-and-shall-miss-you-desperately look at the soft mattress that was literally calling for me to come back to it and off I went.  That day the agenda was to make chicken patties.  Those are basically puff pastry pockets stuffed with ground chicken.  My mission was to make and freeze around 60 of them them so that on the day of my big shindig all I would have to do was throw them on a baking sheet, paint them with a little egg wash and bake to golden perfection until puffy.  (Dang, my mouth waters no matter if I’m thinking about chicken patties or even a granola bar.  Drat)

Pretty much all of Sunday was spent in this endeavor and by the time I was done my being was covered in flour from head to toe.  Seriously, somewhere between start to finish, the flour bag attacked me.  It was an epic battle but I came out the winner however the bag gave as good as it got.  At the end though I did a few fist pumps much like Rocky Balboa and ran around the kitchen island victorious. 

Um…maybe that’s all a wee bit of an exaggeration but I was mighty pleased with myself as I slipped the last of the unbaked patties into the freezer and equally horrified when I gazed into the mirror.  How someone gets flour behind their neck will remain a mystery to me.  After showering, cleaning up a bit and praying, I sat down to watch something nonsensical on television.  I was aiming for mindless, like any Mel Brooks flicks (and if you know me, you know that I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Brooks!).  However by now most can figure out that I never do quite what I intend hence when P came down to announce that he was going to bed, he stopped short and gaped at the television.  “You like foreign films?”  He asked in astonishment. 

It irritated me that he seemed so darn shocked (clearly he didn't think I had depths when it came to watching of movies…hmph, after 16 years one would think the fool would though, right?)  but I didn't have the strength to even scowl so I nodded as my eyes stayed glued to the movie I had chosen.  A Korean flick about a woman, who weighed 200 lbs., loved to sing and ended up having plastic surgery because she was just so miserable with her weight and of course wanted to get the guy…okay sounds stupid but really it was good.  And I watched that till it was time to go to bed and let me tell you, I again pondered whether sleeping somewhere on the stairs wouldn't be so bad.  P would just wake me up in the morning, hopefully not trip upon me as he was heading off to work.  These were the thoughts that often go through my head.  Yes, I’m special that way.  Don’t be judging.  Suffice it to say I made it up to bed no worse for the wear (actually I was gasping with exhaustion as I literally flopped into bed) and fell off to sleep without another thought. 

Onto Day 6…

Day 4 - Ramadan-ing

Day 4 fell onto a Saturday and it’s so much harder to update when I’m home.  Not because I don’t want to be because I don’t have a minute to myself.   Let me backtrack for a quick minute.

I went to have iftar with my mom in B’more on Friday night right after work and naturally a few fam showed up.  Fighting traffic was not fun but nothing could bring me down when faced with the wonderful prospect of breaking fast eating my mother’s yummy homemade iftar.   And she never ever disappoints.  The amount of food she prepared was mind-boggling but this is nothing new.  Anyone who knows my mother could attest to the fact that is an amazing cook who also overdoes it all the time.  Again, not complaining.

That evening, after iftar, between Maghrib and Isha prayer, we sat around the table, my aunt, uncle, 3 cousins, mom and brother.  Everyone was idly nibbling on this or that, full but unwilling to get up and start the cleanup process.  Tea had been made and was also being sipped giving the fast breakers a welcome kick of caffeine that had otherwise been missing all day long. 

My little blogger mind was working overtime at that point as I made note of everything that everyone did, said.  I was somehow, and I admit I was doing this unconsciously, indexing it all away to retell here but even that wasn’t enough for me.  So as I sat there sipping on mango juice, I asked my family to indulge me in a request.  It was that all would share their favorite Ramadan related story.  At first everyone seemed a little skeptical but within a few seconds tongues loosened up and where I thought nothing would progress beyond a few words, those sitting at the table started to spill.  There we were, smiling, reminiscing and laughing (a lot) as all regaled.  Am I going to go through and narrate all those stories again?  No, not now at least but eventually yes.  There is, after all, plenty of time.     

That evening I came home at 2am and on Saturday I woke up with a mild sense of panic.  There was so much to do in anticipation of the Iftar party P and I would be hosting next weekend.  Between work and fasting, time and energy are both severely lacking throughout the span of the weekday which is why for me the weekends are so important.  This weekend no less and I had a mountain of work to get done.  Leaving P to do whatever it was that he did, I jetted off to run a boat load of errands all the while making lists in my head. 

So why am I nuts enough to have a party during this month specifically, particularly when I can’t taste anything because I will also be fasting the whole time and I’m not making just one meal but in fact two (Iftar plus dinner).  I suppose it is a bit loco and seems daunting, right?  It is.  But let me also assure you that it is so worth it.   Actually I admit I’m a bit selfish also, a lot selfish if I have to be honest.  One garners super-duper mucho mondo blessings from God if they feed a faster.  Oh yea, like you’re golden and God’s pretty darn pleased.  So each Ramadan I’m all about scraping together all the brownie points that I can regardless of how physically taxing it may be.  There is also the minor added bonus of having those I adore over to my place so I can feed them, Ramadan or not.  : )

Anyhow, there are a lot of small things that I can get done, as well as preparing a few dishes ahead of time and freeze.  These are strictly those items which will be fried on the day of and served piping hot.  Spending a whole day on my feet making samosa’s from scratch wasn’t fun but the payoff will hopefully be worth it with ‘yums’, ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of appreciation.  By Magrib off we went to enjoy iftar with our dear friends N and A, who had invited us over (also wracking themselves up some dua), after which we returned home only to discover that there was no electricity in my neighborhood.  Let me tell you how weird this is when one considers that throughout all sorts of crazy weather from howling storms to piled up snow, we have never ever lost power but all of the sudden, some random evening when nothing was happening outside, not even the whisper of wind, poof the world goes dark.  So strange.

I didn’t even have the energy to get worked up over this.  May be I was secretly happy since I had planned to come home to do some more work but since there was no light I couldn’t carry out my intended plans.  Oh well.  Lighting a candle I curled up by it and read until I drifted off to sleep.  

Day 3 - Ramadan-ing

And the day looms ahead seeming very long.  It’s another dreary morning here in DC and last night the air was rented with nothing but thunder along with the sounds of torrential rain.  I briefly thought of those who may still have been out there and thanked Allah for having given me all that I have so I could stay dry and safe.

So today, on day 3, I've decided to write quickly about those reasons which exempt us from having to observe the fast.  As you know, nothing about my writing is ‘quick’ therefore don’t be counting on this to be a short read. 

As a child, I think I viewed Islam as a very rigid, tedious and difficult religion to follow.  The things we were required to do, multiple times a day, the tongue twisting language which it was (is) written in that was not of my own understanding, the night long prayers, and the fasting…all these things led me to believe that the rest of the religions around the globe had to be a bit easier to follow.  I had, in my more youthful silliness, wondered why I wasn't born as something else. 

Again and again though, as knowledge was imparted upon me, I came to realize that Islam best fits me; a religion which actually isn't meant to be inflexible to follow, not if you don’t make it so.  I admit enlightenment is a pretty cool thing.

One of the things I believed as a kid was that no matter what, one had to observe the fast.  It didn't strike me that there were a myriad of ailments and circumstances in this world that would prevent one from this particular undertaking.  But alas one learns, then learns some more.  So here they are the accepted reasons as to why a person doth not have to suffer from hunger.

1.)     God has bestowed upon woman the wonderful curse of having a monthly visitor.  Sure, even as I write this I’m wincing a bit.  This epic jinx hails back to the misdeed of Eve and I must say the punishment seems a bit severe to me since we are still, so many eons later, paying the price.  And boy what a number this particular curse has done, if you really think about it for it’s not just women who suffer, men as well.  Ask any guy who has to deal with a female as they traverse through the lovely world of PMS.  Not fun.  But yea, this is one excuse as to why the fairer sex does not have to fast.  It’s rational also.  Don’t make me have to spell out why it is there is no nice way of putting it so just go with it.  However that being said, it’s not like we’re excused forever, as in if you miss, you miss.  No indeed, one has to make it up before the next Ramadan.  Hey, you have a long time in which to do so; it’s not that big of a deal.  (Err…no really, it’s not).  Oh and guess what you men out there, this does NOT apply to you (rather stating the obvious here) so even if you act as if you’re PMS-ing, which some sure do, you can’t use it as an excuse.  Seems unfair?  Well would you switch sides with women, even for a minute and go through the pain and discomfort, never mind the whole ugly rest of it? Think about it.  No, right?  Okay then.

2.)    Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s Off to ______ we go.  Oh I know the lyrics to this song but I left it out simply because ‘work’ isn't appropriate in this reference.  Just because you’re working doesn't excuse you from the fast.  Sorry buddies, suck it up.  This of course means slugging through an endless day of watching other people eat, drink and be hydrated.  Oh the unfairness of it all!  But, if you’re traveling anywhere for less than 5 days, you can give it a rest.  Basically, if you have a bag packed and going great distances, no worries, you can make up your fast later.   Again proof that God is all knowing, correct?  I mean even the Big Dude is like ‘well that’s not reasonable, the persons going to be traveling, putting up with some physical discomfort and not even I know where they’ll be during the time of fast or whether they’ll have access to food…shoot I’ll just cut them some slack.”  Again may be not a verbatim quote from the Quran but that’s about right (I think).   You guys know I’m all about taking a bit of creative license.  It’s far more amusing and less hard to understand.  Okay, so moving on…

3.)    Oh, you’re pregnant, how nice…what’re you having?  Yea so if you got knocked up and are happily glowing away to infinity and beyond, guess what, you probably have to eat, or at least take meds.  In this case you can rest easy (or I bet uncomfortably from what I heard) with the assurance that after your bundle of joy makes his/her appearance; you have the chance for a do-over (ahem…of the fast *winks*).  It’s good because you’ll have to lose some weight anyhow right?  BTW, I hate those women who look like they haven’t gained an ounce through their pregnancy, its super annoying.  Bleh.  Sorry I digress.  Again, another example of how things in Islam are really just common sense.  You have to sustain the lil tyke that’s growing inside of you, which counts on you for sustenance and being healthy for it to do what it needs to do.  What I don’t get, and have never understood, are those women who insist upon still observing the fast even when there are dispensations.  It’s silly.  God has said its okay then who are you to negate it?  You ain’t actually gaining any brownie (mmmm…brownies…) points for this so quit hurting yourself as well as the baby.  This also applies to women nursing.

4.)    I’m always physically ill, what then?  Well this is an interesting one.  If you are sick, physically unable and if doing the fast would put your very life in danger, then you are not required to fast.  In fact, those who are infirm, too old or count on taking medicine every single day, these people are completely excused and no, they do not need to make up either.  So what do they do?  Well they feed one poor person for the whole month.  To break it down, if I can’t observe, then I will basically sponsor someone else for a day’s worth of food for every day I miss.  This too is nothing but fair.  And convenient as well if you ask me (which I’m assuming you are)

5.)    Oh, you’re off to fight the Huns?  Yes you soldiers you, guess what?  You don’t have to either.  Isn’t that handy?  I’m not sure though if you’ll have to make it up later, I guess my research hasn’t gone that far.

And you don’t have to start the act of fasting until after puberty.  Listen up kids, you just don’t know how good you got it, take your time in growing up, seriously, it ain’t all that it’s cracked up to be anyhow. 

A few things that you should refrain from during this month are:  eating (of course), drinking (well duh), vomiting on purpose (so you bulimics stop it) and sexual relations (no comment)…all these things at least during the times of the fast.  You should also refrain from the following:  violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, angry/sarcastic retorts, gossip and you’re supposed to be more kumbaya with your fellow human beings than you otherwise would be.  You don’t believe me regarding this list?  Check out wikki.  I have to say though; it seems like all the really good things are taken away from a person, doesn't it?  But the return is far greater…I mean heaven is a fairly good payout.

To summarize:  Life is important, the life that Allah bestows upon you.  And even though it seems like popular sentiment is that Islam is rigid and harsh, it is in fact quite the opposite.  These few rules above prove that Allah isn't out to make things problematic for us.  God isn’t some mean-spirited all-knowing damning entity who looks for ways of sending you to hell in a hand basket, in fact quite the opposite.  God, to me, is compassionate, loving and most of all, forgiving.   You have a problem; there is a way to get around it.  You need advice, trust me you can easily find it.  You need a bit of understanding and compassion also?  It’s all there in the Quran.  Just take a look see for yourself if you feel inclined.  If not, that’s cool, you can just believe me.

Alright, I’m off.  I think I did my share of doling out wisdom and ample information.  

Day 2 - Ramadan-ing

Day 2 and things are cruising with mild headaches settling in.  The real challenge is always the non-consumption of coffee in the AM.  I don’t drink much of it anyway, usually I’ll get a small and drink half but it’s essential to the function of my body.  It takes a few days for the body to go through the complete cycle of caffeine withdrawal.  Bleh. 

Anyhow, today I’ll explain why it is we observe the fast.  I’m not going to get uber technical; frankly it’ll just make people go ‘huh?’ and besides all the details are also lost on me.  And since there are a good (probably) healthy amount of folks who may be Muslims and read my blog, as well as know the mechanics and reasons behind Ramadan better than myself, I figure it would be redundant to them.  I’m no religious scholar so I shall do what I always do, give my point of view (as well as stick to the facts).

30 days is how long the fast runs, from sunup to sundown, one lunar cycle.  If there’s light outside and you’re eating, guess what, you’re not fasting.  Do all Muslims fast?  No.  Are all Muslims required to fast?  Yes, according to the 5 Pillars of Islam (belief, worship, charitable giving, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca known as the hajj).  Are there circumstances in which a person does not in fact have to fast?  Well I’ll get back to this one later.

Let me answer the most important question here: the reason why we are asked to observe Ramadan.   The explanation really doesn’t require a lot of knowledge regarding the religion at all but basic common sense (You would be surprised, as I have been often through my endeavor in understanding my religion a bit better, how many things in Islam are actually simple common sense.  You got a brain?  Well you can figure it out, trust me, it’s not a mystery.).  The following are a few reasons I know as to why:

• The first one is actually more than simple (I have to find another word here, because I've overused ‘simple’ thus far).  We’re asked to.  What?  Seems too unassuming?  I know right!  I've scoured plenty of literature looking for something deeper, something far more profound.  But with time I realized that this reason alone I suppose is profound and deep.  Truth is that religion isn't meant to be all that easy but neither is it meant to be that hard.  True devotees in practically every religion is required to give up astounding amounts of personal comfort to become pious leaders in their community (or just for themselves in most cases).  If we could all do it so easily, wouldn't we?  Of course!  But we don’t so the rest of us do what we can.  I think even Allah (swt) acknowledges that for the majority of us, just living is a challenge so somewhere along the way I like to think that Allah (swt) decided just to make it easier.  Like, Islam for Dummies version.  And after all it is all based on faith right?  God will ask you to do something to display this faith and if you believe, you’ll do it. 

Why are we asked to?

• Besides the all mighty important ‘because I say so’ part of it that I just mentioned above, there is the basic faith part.  You believe, you do (which I also mentioned above but is worth a re-mention).  This is the time of the year since you’re not overtly busy hogging (sorry for the use of the un-halal word) that you sit and really think of God.  Not that you shouldn't have been doing this all along but I’m at least willing to admit (if no one else will) that day to day I’m not necessarily thinking about the word of God nor the Quran.  I am sadly human enough not to crack open to re-read passages that I should be reading in the endeavor to make myself better nor do I follow the prayer as closely as I should.  Folks, I’m not saying this is a good thing, I’m just admitting the truth.  Every year I strive to get better, this much I will admit.  Anyway, this month since one has quite a bit of time on their hands to do other things other than eat, it is encouraged to do a bit of learning and re-learning.  Basically, grab a Quran and read a few chapters, or grab your fellow follower and talk about your religion.  You can even simply sit there and pray to your heart’s content (or until your knees hurt) and ask for whatever it is you wish as many times as you wish.  The point is to get in touch with your more spiritual side, heck, you got the time, now don’t you?

• I hesitate to say sacrifice but any other really good alternative word right now eludes me.  Basically though, we are sacrificing in the name of God.  Sounds extreme but not really.  It’s just one month without food or water.   Again it goes back to what are you willing to give up for your faith.  And that too, are you willing to let go of something that is so basic, so important to yourself?  Can you do it?  You got it in you?  Huh?  Do you?  DO YOU???...err…okay I calm down now. 

• Cleansing of the mind and soul, yea we all got one of them, go figure.  Believe it or not, when you don’t have that much energy due to not eating, you don’t have much thoughts of a more wayward nature.  You can’t help but cleanse that otherwise dirty little mind of yours.  I suppose God figured that that you have 10 other months in which to be all un-halal, at least u can go 1 month being a bit more…um…clean.  Oh, in case you’re wondering if the “10” was a typo, it isn't.  The Islamic calendar works on an 11 month cycle, not 12.  To sum it up:  Clean minds = godliness.

• Cleansing of the body.  “Hey you!  Yea you!  Get that outta your mouth!”  Well heck, day in and day out we try, god knows we try, to eat healthy and all that but it never works out totally, does it?  So after nearly a year of cramming our bodies full of additives, preservatives, chemicals, caffeine, fats, carbs, blah blah blah…we need to give it a rest and this is where God has smoothly stepped in and said, ‘hey folks, this is an added bonus of the fast.  Put the chicken tikka down for a second and let your body re-group, re-fresh, re-juv…and you’re welcome too!’  Granted this is probably not how it’s written in the good Book but possibly something close if one wasn't going to be all critical and picky about it.  Never mind the tiny fact that at the end we get to gorge on whatever we want…please ignore this little detail, thanks!  (Truthfully no matter how much you do gorge during the night, you will never intake the same amount of unhealthy nonsense that you could fit in through the span of a whole day)

• How about some compassion, huh?  Yes, Ramadan inadvertently forces one to become compassionate, whether you are inclined to do so or not.  How does this happen?  We are ‘required’ for only one month to give up food and drink, that’s it…one bleedin’ month and we have the audacity to bellyache about it endlessly.  Think about those who do not have access to food year long, who are forced to go to bed hungry every single day of their lives.  If by 6pm your stomach is rumbling and you can do nothing but think/plot over all those things you will shove into your mouth precisely at Iftar, ever really stop to think about those who actually don’t have enough food on a daily basis to appease their hunger (or that of their children) much less plan for a grand feast at the anointed hour.  This is the time where we can only imagine how the rest feel.  And that too for one lousy month through a few silly hours.  It's not adequate at all.  It's just a mere taste (no pun intended) of the harsh reality that others face for a lifetime.  Whether you want to be blind to it or not guys, hunger, starvation, homelessness, etc...it's all out there.  Yea, compassion folks, it’s a mainstay of my religion.  Unfortunately it takes the word of God to teach us this lesson most of the time.  We can’t just ‘get’ it on our own.

• Oh wow, check out how much I saved!  Yup, thanks to a whole day of not eating anything, you really don’t waste a lot of money on frivolous nonsense.  Sure you buy food in preparation for the breaking and evening meal, even the meal which you partake in just before starting fast but it’s not like the normal sums you would otherwise throw away.  Like for me, I spend some 4 bucks on coffee in the am and another 4 around 3pm.  Then there is lunch since I am lazy and don’t like carting food to work or warming it up and once in a while I may indulge in something sweet, that depends on whether mother nature has decided to whack me with the ‘happy’ stick…women you know what I mean.  So anyhoo…yes, you save quite a lot of money and what happens with that money?  Well the next bullet point will answer that (BTW, did you notice my efficient and fancy use of said bullet points?   Aren't I super professional?  Aren't you impressed?)

• Share the wealth.  Yes, we have built-in social services of sort in Islam.  The rich gives to the poor.  (Oh boy I can’t imagine how many republicans are even now frowning at this.)   But calm down, the poor also gives to the poor.  It’s all about sharing basically.  One of the most important things during this month besides the whole not eating and getting closer to god is Zakat is giving of alms.  We are required (all those who can afford to that is) to give money to the less fortunate.  If Allah (swt) has seen fit to give you enough to make you comfortable, then what's the problem with giving just a very slight fraction of that to those who have nothing at all?  Believe you me, you won't go hungry and God forbid if one day you find yourself in a situation which warrants you to be the recipient of the alms, won't you be thankful?  There are rules we follow regarding how we pay which I really don’t want to go into detail.  If you wanna know… www.google.com .  There you go, bust out your wallets y’all and help out a brother or sister in need.  There is nothing but good in this deed and you may even end up feeling virtuous about yourself.  A total win-win, right?

There you go; I think I've nearly covered it all.  Why do we do what we do, an explanation in its basic most dumb-ed down, utterly ridiculous form.  Don’t misunderstand me guys and girls, I take this month very seriously even though it sounds like I’m joking around.  The method I employ in which to express myself is definitely through humor (sometimes unconventional) as well as possibly conveying thoughts in a 'regular human being' light.  I try to be as accurate about what it is I say while keeping it relate-able.  If I started to type out cold facts like ‘so and so said such and such, during such a time in blah blah AD…,’ I would lose you in two seconds flat.  Hopefully my unique P.O.V. has kept you reading with a smile while you’re actually learning something, right?

Darn, I nearly forgot:  Is it okay for a follower not to do the fast?  Yes.  What are those reasons?   I won’t elaborate upon that now.  I’m going to save it for tomorrow.  Right now I’ll slug my way home.

Happy feasting everyone!

Day 1 - Ramadan-ing

I realized a big mistake I made in my last blog.  Not just big, but like gigantic…no no, GINORMOUS!  Basically I promised, in a fit of passion, that I would blog every single day.  I woke up this morning to S texting me with a triumphant “I’m looking forward to a blog per day”.  My response was “well damn” and hers back was “you said it, I saw it there, black on...apricot”. 

What does this all mean?  Basically whether I want to see through with this promise or not, she’s going to hold me accountable.  How unreasonable is that?  But I’ve also figured out a way to work around this.  You’ll see how as the days go by.  For today I shall write a legit entry.

I mentioned in my last entry that there is another prayer that is performed during this month.  Let me clarify a bit more.   Basically in Islam, we have 5 prayers that a follower must practice.  They are Fajr (just before sunup), Zuhr or “Dhuhr” as it may be pronounced (noon), Asr (afternoon), Magrib (sundown), Isha (night), and also Witr (which is prayed immediately after Witr but can be held off if other prayers are being offered throughout the course of the night).  Then during the month of Ramadan and only this month, we also offer Tarawih (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarawih).  However keep in mind, this prayer is not a requirement but is rather recommended.  Also throughout the course of the month, particularly while reading this particular prayer, mosques will recite the whole Quran. 

Phew.

I mean, wow right?  That’s a lot isn’t it?  Actually, just reading all that makes my head spin, seriously.  And our prayers ain’t about kneeling and clasping your hands, oh no, ours is physical.  Up, down, up, down, bend, stretch, on and on it goes.  I mean, which other religion builds in exercise to your routine?  But I have to be honest, I mean it’s not like I do all normal 5 prayers daily (which yes we’re supposed to do, it is required, and I’m a bad, bad Muslim) but then during this month we get an extra?  How is that fair?  And since I found out that Tarawih is not a must, I have in the past taken advantage of this fact and not performed it.  Yes, here I am admitting this freely.  My mother would not be proud of me right about now, I’m sure.

But here’s the thing, I used to pray rather regularly (regularly is rather a loose term here because it was far more than I do now, which is practically zero), and even the Tarawih, till about 3 years ago when I felt a bit of my life unravel.  It’s a time in my existence that I’d rather not remember and completely comfortable with never sharing the details.  I can tell you that due to it, my whole world shifted and I moved away from not only my religion but Allah.  I do what I have to do, but no more.  This is a mental block I suppose.

However this year something has shifted slightly.  I feel it.  As much as I’ve been dreading the arrival of Ramadan, last night as I was preparing to perform the Tarawih prayer, wondering how I could get away with not doing so, a bizarre sense of zen stole over me.  It was as if all the beauty and reverence of the month suddenly took me in, hugged me close, and assured me that I was loved.  Sounds strange?  I don’t know if others can even understand what I speak of but to me, it was a rush of warmth that stole over me and I was reminded of countless past Ramadan’s that were practiced with fierceness of belief, of the excitement of what the holy month meant, of the absolute love for the religion I followed.  The specter of all that suddenly floated back and there it was this urge to sit on the prayer mat and pour my heart out.

That’s what I did.

Today for the most part my family and friends have started the month long fast.  All day I have received messages and calls from varied individuals who have asked how the day has been progressing.  I respond with a simple ‘good’ and have left it at that.  I too have reached out and asked and have received various replies ranging from "it's okay so far" to "I'm trying not to think about it" to "seriously, what time does this end?".  In this situation though, I assure you that solidarity is definitely found in numbers.  It’s nice to know that although it may be difficult (bordering on torturous at certain times), we are all indeed in the same boat.

Anyhow, let’s see what happens tomorrow. 

Excuses as to Why I've Been a Bad Bad Blogger

Okay I've been quiet for a few days now, not posting much.  Actually I haven't posted anything at all, have I?  Let's not mess with technicalities though, such pesky stuff they be.  There has been many reasons for my lack of writing and here they are...yes, these are all worthy excuses:

 

1.)  I've still been immersed in figuring a few things about my career.  Changes they are a-comin'.

2.)  I haven't been able to come up with a worthy enough blog topic.  Sadly this happens often.  (S, you're still not allowed to suggest any, no matter how much you pout or send me subliminal messages!)

3.)  I have actually been focusing on editing a few books that, given enough time and confidence, I may just one day send to an editor/publisher.  How likely is this to happen in the near future?  Well let's just say Hoffa's body may turn up faster, so I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.

4.)  I have had a lot of family things pop up that keeps me zooming back and forth between here and B'more, and a bunch of other places as well.  My wallet is crying buckets from how much money I spend on gas :(

5.)  I am noting that I use the word 'I' far too much.

6.)  I also (just) realized that this is my blog so if I sound narcissistic, deal with it.

7.)  I'm digressing, or may be just stalling as I think up more things that I have done to use as reasons for not having blogged for a few days.

8.)  A nice long weekend just went by that featured a fantastically fun family BBQ, a family members housewarming party (oh and folks, you should see their place...only one word to describe it "wow") and I watched a dear friend of mine walk down the aisle to become joined in matrimony to the love of her existence.  Let me just take a moment here also to tell you guys that when she stood there ready to walk down the aisle, I had to literally lean forward and narrow my eyes while whispering frantically to P, 'is that her?  Is that her???' (who else would it have been really?  I mean a woman at wearing a gorg white gown should have been a dead give away, right?) because in all the time I have known her, she has never, ever looked so incredibly beautiful nor radiant.  That's not to say that I haven't seen her look stunning but nothing like the ethereal creature that stood there glowing like a beacon in the night, like an angel come down from heaven, like a...well you get the point.  The girl was a flippin' knockout and her husband is most certainly one lucky guy.   

9.)  A lot of playing of silly games on the handheld.  Alright so this is not in fact a very valid excuse and truthfully a bad habit when I'm up till 2am feverishly playing Bejeweled Blitz or Whirly Words (yes, there is such a game on my iPhone) but I'm slightly OCD when it comes to things like this.  I just can't stop!

10.)  I have been finalizing plans for my impending trip to Seattle for another dear friends wedding.  Btw, I do enjoy the challenge of putting an itinerary together but oh boy is it a pain at the same time.  F is damn lucky I love him so much so that I'd be willing to go through all this for his goofy butt.  Then again, there would be no way in the world I'd miss this epic event either.

11.)  I have been busy jumping for joy with the news of 2 other friends engagements.  It sure does seem as if everyone and their momma's are getting hitched, doesn't it?  This jumping for joy also includes getting all the yummy details behind the romances/proposals.  I'm such a girl sometimes : )

12.)  I have also above all been preparing for Ramadan, mostly all mental.  (I could explain to you what Ramadan is but I'm figuring that by now, most people all over the world at least have some idea, even if you don't know the details.) 

 

Yup, so there you see my 12 solid...okay well may be like 11, um...10...10 definitely solid reasons as to why I haven't blogged in a few days.  You guys can't really fault a sistah in the face of my arguments.  But I can assure one and all that you will see a lot more posts during the next month.  Why is this you wonder?  Particularly armed with the knowledge that I will indeed be observing the fast which translates into my brain functioning sluggishly at best while the energy to type will most likely be non-existent.  Seems almost impossible considering that I don't blog when I'm actually eating, right?  Let me just say that I'm honestly hoping for the best and my intentions are noble at least.  My ultimate plan however, and yes there is one indeed, is to see if I can't post a blog every day during the month of Ramadan.

 

Now hold on a minute.  I'm not going to necessarily start getting all religious on you guys.  No, I realize that a fair amount of people who read this here blog are probably not Muslim and as I wrote before, my religion is very personal to me.  So yea, I won't be suddenly going all 'thou shalt..." on you.  Rather simply it'll be something to do that'll distract me from any possible grumbling of stomach or watering of mouth.  Heck, I think most of the blogging will be done during lunch time when I know I won't be sitting and consuming food.  Sounds good to me, how about you? 

 

All joking aside, I will be sharing memories of past Ramadan's, traditions that I grew up with, and this forum also gives me the opportunity to explain why it is we (Muslims) do what we do, particularly why are we so willing to starve ourselves for the next 30 days between the hours of sunup to sundown.  If you didn't know before, hopefully by the end of the month, you will and possibly come away feeling just a tiny bit more informed.  Look at this as a 'learning opportunity'.  Isn't that nice?  And I assure you I have no interest in converting you, if that's what you fear.  Stay who you are, be who you are, believe what you wish.  The fact still remains that during the next very long month, I will be eyeball deep in the practice of my own so why not let you see what it's like from a practicing (albeit not so great nor dedicated by any stretch of the imagination) Muslim on a day-to-day basis?  I'll try to be as open and honest as possible and share the struggle as it happens.  Let's see how it goes.

 

Okay then!  It's about 1:43am.  I'm up because shortly I'll log off and make preparations for the meal that will herald in the first fast, that will start tomorrow (um, I mean today...like as in July 10th).  If you've heard that some of your Muslim friends have already started the fast on July 9th, don't be alarmed, I'll also explain why this happened/happens in another blog.  Suffice it to say a bunch  started yesterday, while the rest will start today.  Anyhow back to the meal...it's called Suhur (in Bdesh we call it Seheri).  I guess you can look at it almost like 'the last meal' before the starvation begins (we know I'm always trying to find humor in everything so please don't get offended).  The meal must be partaken before sunup.  I'm not going to get into the specifics of every little thing so if you wanna know more, just Google people, Google! 

 

As a child I would be awaken at 3:30am and forced to drink milk.  I've realized that my adult body really, really dislikes this more so than my child body did but the consequences now is that I can't go back to sleep as easily afterwards (never mind the fact that I loath and despise milk and think I may be slightly lactose intolerant)  and I inevitably wake up late, subsequently being late for work.  Instead I elect to go to sleep late after eating something (for me it's pretty much a glass of water or possibly a piece of fruit) and head off to sleep.  I guess my 'preparation' doesn't really require much prepping, does it?  Hmmm...

 

Oh also, there is an added prayer that we have to perform during this month.  It's called Taraweeh.  I'll explain it in another blog but the first time this 6th prayer is performed is the night before the 1st day of fast.  Wait did that make sense?  Phew, I reread it and it did.  Good times.  This info seems out of place and doesn't really flow with the rest of the blog but I mention it only because indeed this additional prayer started tonight.  And yes, I performed it.  Let me tell you, it's long and not easy but I promised I'd share my thoughts so there it is. 

 

So y'all, have a wonderful night (morning, day, afternoon, whatever).  To my Muslim Brothers and Sisters, may Allah (swt) accept all your prayers and wishes for this most blessed of months and may Allah (swt) bestow upon you the ability to observe Ramadan with a clean, pure heart as well as give you strength to see it through to the end.

 

To the rest of you, Muslim or not...Ramadan Kareem!!!!!!!!