Ramadhan Day 7, and my legs are feeling it!
After almost a week of praying Taraweh in the masjid I'm feeling pain... but there's something sweet about feeling hardship for the sake of Allah ta'ala that keeps you going even when you feel your legs can't carry you anymore. I was having a moment of "shall I shan't I sit down after takbir" the other night when I remembered how our Prophet, the best of creation stood in Salat until his feet bled, and somehow I just couldn't bring myself to.
Fasting, so far has been relatively easy.. I mean, we're fasting... going without food and fluid from before sun-up till sun down... we're going to feel it but relatively speaking despite the heat and the length of the day; we're having it pretty easy mashallah.
We had planned a rough Ramadhan routine, but realised with day 1 that it wasn't going to pan out quite as we had expected it to....
The first adhan here is at roughly 3:30-ish in Algiers, and by the time we get home from Taraweh it's about 11:45.... we've chosen to stay up till subh rather than sleep for a couple of hours and risk not waking up in time for suhoor.... After reading Qur'an after Subh it's almost 4:30!!!! and then we hit our pits like the bleary eyed weirdo's that we are. It's gruelling, but it's beautiful... does that make sense?
It's the one month in the year when we pull out all the stoppers and really strive to do things that are pleasing to Allah... and I love it.
Of course it's not all been plain sailing.. I live in a house with 8 other people.. there is quite often conflict and everyone is doing their best to control their own fragile fasting tempers... but my general policy is, that Allah wont hold me to account for what you do or say to me but I will be held to account for what I do and say... I can't control everyone and nor would I want to... I believe in a certain amount of autonomy, it's how we develop as individuals and learn about respecting boundaries. So I'm concentrating on my own best behaviour, and I'm trying not to let it bother me that I have grumpy fasters in my midst... I don't get grumpy fasting..I'd get grumpy fasting if you were doing for the sake of a flat stomach and to kick start a diet.. I don't get grumpy fasting in Ramadhan...
And on that note... as much as I'd like to explore the realm of the grumpy faster.. I have to pray dhur and get some soup on the stove...
After almost a week of praying Taraweh in the masjid I'm feeling pain... but there's something sweet about feeling hardship for the sake of Allah ta'ala that keeps you going even when you feel your legs can't carry you anymore. I was having a moment of "shall I shan't I sit down after takbir" the other night when I remembered how our Prophet, the best of creation stood in Salat until his feet bled, and somehow I just couldn't bring myself to.
Fasting, so far has been relatively easy.. I mean, we're fasting... going without food and fluid from before sun-up till sun down... we're going to feel it but relatively speaking despite the heat and the length of the day; we're having it pretty easy mashallah.
We had planned a rough Ramadhan routine, but realised with day 1 that it wasn't going to pan out quite as we had expected it to....
The first adhan here is at roughly 3:30-ish in Algiers, and by the time we get home from Taraweh it's about 11:45.... we've chosen to stay up till subh rather than sleep for a couple of hours and risk not waking up in time for suhoor.... After reading Qur'an after Subh it's almost 4:30!!!! and then we hit our pits like the bleary eyed weirdo's that we are. It's gruelling, but it's beautiful... does that make sense?
It's the one month in the year when we pull out all the stoppers and really strive to do things that are pleasing to Allah... and I love it.
Of course it's not all been plain sailing.. I live in a house with 8 other people.. there is quite often conflict and everyone is doing their best to control their own fragile fasting tempers... but my general policy is, that Allah wont hold me to account for what you do or say to me but I will be held to account for what I do and say... I can't control everyone and nor would I want to... I believe in a certain amount of autonomy, it's how we develop as individuals and learn about respecting boundaries. So I'm concentrating on my own best behaviour, and I'm trying not to let it bother me that I have grumpy fasters in my midst... I don't get grumpy fasting..I'd get grumpy fasting if you were doing for the sake of a flat stomach and to kick start a diet.. I don't get grumpy fasting in Ramadhan...
And on that note... as much as I'd like to explore the realm of the grumpy faster.. I have to pray dhur and get some soup on the stove...
masha`allah i`m glad that all is going well ... i have to say it`s been pretty relaxed here too ... but then again our little up starter is only starting her first days fast today so i will have to get back to you on that
ReplyDeleteInshallah the fasting is still going well in your neck of the woods... My grumpy fasters are still pretty grumpy.. but malish.. it all adds to the fun!
DeleteDear Kate, it's always so nice to read your posts. You have a simple, humorous, yet deep way of expressing yourself that I enjoy and resonate with. Insha Allah you can continue praying and fasting and reading...you've inspired me right now to get off the puter and read my bit of the holy book.
ReplyDeleteLove from Marrakesh.
Nora.
barakallahu fiki for such a nice comment...It's nice to hear from an outside source that I make sense sometimes... Inshallah you're having a good ramadhan in your part of North Africa...
DeleteFiamanillah
Kate
xxx