Ramadan Kareem and Welcome to the New School Year

Ramadan Kareem and Ramadan Mubarak to everyone! It has been pretty busy around here lately.

For the past month or so, I've been gathering our books and trying to figure out which path to take for our homeschool. I've read countless blogs to get fresh ideas and mapped out my own. The biggest challenge for us is creating a proper history/geography course and a literature curriculum that is not too far advanced but offers a challenge to my oldest.

My son is using Saxon Phonics I and Saxon Math I and he's doing quite well with both. I purchased their kindergarten math last year for him and I think it was mostly a waste of time because the lessons were too easy and stretched over two books so it became tedious. He likes the grade one program and looks forward to the lessons, and the routine helps him sit still, lol.




For calendar time, I have set up our old calendar and converted it into a hijri calendar by using the downloads from A Muslim Child is Born. MashaALLAH, go and visit that blog if you haven't - there are so many resources, AlhamduLILLAH.

In the mornings, we start off the day with Qur'an, Arabic and Islamic Studies. We slacked off a little on Juz 'Amma so we have to finish it up, InshaALLAH. I purchased some thin silver wire from the dollar store and hung it across the front of the classroom so that we can use it as a sort of word wall.




Right now, we're using it for Arabic. Currently, I am using clothes pins to hang our "laundry".



I think we may also use it for the 99 Names and Attributes of ALLAH as a visual reminder, InshaALLAH.

Well, it's getting late here, InshaALLAH I will explain some more in detail later. Have a safe and beneficial Ramadan, Ameen. Read More...

Ramadan and the Workplace for Muslims

Ramadan 2010 is coming in few days. Prepare yourself to welcome the month of Ramadan. Muslims fast every day from sunrise to sunset for 30 days of Ramadan. Muslims men and women are working in the offices for the whole month and continue their fasting with the work. This makes them feel not relax and unhappy. The working people lack in their prayers and worshiping due to the load of work.

Ramadan is a spiritual and physical cleansing for Muslims. In Muslim countries people do prayers in the night and thus they start their work late in the morning which doesn’t effect. But for the Muslims in non Muslims countries, it is much difficult for the Muslims to maintain their fasting and prayers.

There is nothing differ in the month of Ramadan in non Muslim countries. They continue their routine as it was. But in Muslim countries the routine goes change; the working time goes less than normal routines by government.

Businesses have lack of awareness for the cultures. People know what Muslims are but don’t appreciate Muslims for what they do. There are many cases you will see in non Muslims countries that people invite Muslims in lunch while they are fasting but never give break for their fast to over at sunset. Respecting the cultures and religions is not anywhere in the workplaces. But it should be and is very necessary. Everyone should have freedom to follow his/her culture. If the cultural diversity is excluded in workplace then all the employees feel happy, relax and they would be encouraged to do something for the company. This makes business successful.

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Ramadan the Month of Fasting, Forgiveness and Blessings

Ramadan is a month of fasting. In Ramadan we read Quran and learn different aspects of life. There are 30 days in Ramadan and Quran has 30 Suparah. Muslims easily recite all the Quran in 30 days of Ramadan and understand what it says then implement the teaching of Islam in their lives. Quran tells us the right way. Ramadan is a month when ALLAH showers his blessings on Muslims. ALLAH forgives Muslims and saves them from the fire of hell. Ramadan is a month when Muslims forget all things and worship ALLAH for his forgiveness and blessings. It is the month when Quran was revealed to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Ramadan makes us more and more close to ALLAH and is a good practice to recall our deeds for all the year beyond. And we can save our year ahead from the sins and wrong way. ALLAH wants us to do all this in the month of Ramadan.

ALLAH said in Quran (2:61) "And recall when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allah [upon them]."

ALLAH said in Holy Quran “And we send this month to you, the month of Ramadan is better than thousand months”.

Ramadan is also good for our health. It makes our mind relaxed and saves us from the Evil. The beauty of Ramadan is that Muslims fast because their lord ALLAH has said them to. Ramadan not only does spiritual development but also physical development. Muslims should be cheerful when Ramadan came. Ramadan provides opportunity to strengthen faith.

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Toronto is Having a Muslim Homeschool Conference

InshaALLAH it will be in five days, check out the link.  Read More...