thehalalgirlofficial

[thehalalgirlofficial]

عيد سعيد

عید مبارک

happy eid

however you happen to say it, have a wonderful day!

may Allah bless all of us and our families and make this eid a means of getting closer to Him ﷻ

[thehalalgirlofficial]

Ramadan 2024, Al Madinah Al Munawarah

[thehalalgirlofficial]

reblogging for myself getting it DURING TARAWEEH ON THE 29th 😭 right before the khatme 😭😭 Allahs plan is perfect perfect perfect

for my sisters who can’t pray during ramadan

my dearest sister,

your efforts are still valid. ramadan still remains just as blessed as when you were praying. please don’t let this precious time pass you by. seize every opportunity.

here are some ideas to (hopefully) help:

azkaar- just because you can’t pray or read the quran doesn’t mean you can’t engage in lots of azkaar and durood upon nabi ﷺ

duasss- this is the perfect opportunity to make all the duas you forget to make when you’re praying. in place of taraweeh, spend an hour and a half asking Allah ﷻ for every little thing you can think of

cleaning- if you can get it done when you aren’t praying, that’ll leave more time for other ibadah when you are. plus, cleaning is a huge part of faith, so you’re still receiving rewards!

cooking- or any type of meal prep. if you can’t fast, still reap the reward of fasting by giving someone else food or drink by which they may break their fast. as the hadith goes, whoever breaks someone else’s fast receives the full reward, without taking away anything from the fasting persons reward (‏أو كما قال ﷺ )

studying- ramadan is the month of the quran. just because you can’t touch the quran doesn’t mean you can’t keep a connection with it. brush up on some tafsir, or if you’d rather, delve into a new aspect of islamic knowledge

quran- and on that note, your ears aren’t impure. you can definitely listen to lots of recitation and get a feel for which qiraah style you are most drawn to

work/school- if you have assignments that will be due within the next few weeks, just knock them out now rather than have to stress about end of semester projects and deadlines during the last ten nights of ramadan

good character-this isn’t a break from trying to be your absolute best self. keep up with the good habits you’ve been trying to instill within yourself and try your best not to revert back to any bad habits just because you aren’t fasting

so just remember: you are a daughter of adam ﷺ and Allah ﷻ has chosen this for you. there is definitely khair in the which the Creator ﷻ has decreed for His ﷻ beloved creation

[thehalalgirlofficial]

for my sisters who can’t pray during ramadan

my dearest sister,

your efforts are still valid. ramadan still remains just as blessed as when you were praying. please don’t let this precious time pass you by. seize every opportunity.

here are some ideas to (hopefully) help:

azkaar- just because you can’t pray or read the quran doesn’t mean you can’t engage in lots of azkaar and durood upon nabi ﷺ

duasss- this is the perfect opportunity to make all the duas you forget to make when you’re praying. in place of taraweeh, spend an hour and a half asking Allah ﷻ for every little thing you can think of

cleaning- if you can get it done when you aren’t praying, that’ll leave more time for other ibadah when you are. plus, cleaning is a huge part of faith, so you’re still receiving rewards!

cooking- or any type of meal prep. if you can’t fast, still reap the reward of fasting by giving someone else food or drink by which they may break their fast. as the hadith goes, whoever breaks someone else’s fast receives the full reward, without taking away anything from the fasting persons reward (‏أو كما قال ﷺ )

studying- ramadan is the month of the quran. just because you can’t touch the quran doesn’t mean you can’t keep a connection with it. brush up on some tafsir, or if you’d rather, delve into a new aspect of islamic knowledge

quran- and on that note, your ears aren’t impure. you can definitely listen to lots of recitation and get a feel for which qiraah style you are most drawn to

work/school- if you have assignments that will be due within the next few weeks, just knock them out now rather than have to stress about end of semester projects and deadlines during the last ten nights of ramadan

good character-this isn’t a break from trying to be your absolute best self. keep up with the good habits you’ve been trying to instill within yourself and try your best not to revert back to any bad habits just because you aren’t fasting

so just remember: you are a daughter of adam ﷺ and Allah ﷻ has chosen this for you. there is definitely khair in the which the Creator ﷻ has decreed for His ﷻ beloved creation

[thehalalgirlofficial]

so you’ve fallen off track this ramadan

first thing’s first, it happens. beating yourself up now won’t change what’s already been done (or hasn’t been).

secondly, know that Allah ﷻ is the most forgiving, so if He ﷻ wants, He ﷻ can choose to overlook all the mistakes you’ve made and turn them into good deeds, so never👏🏻loose👏🏻hope

now, the most important thing is that you still have time. ramadan isn’t over yet. let’s work on making the absolute most of whatever’s left.

wrote down your goals- this will make them more tangible and once you place them somewhere visible, it’ll serve as a reminder of what you ought to be doing. be realistic about how big you make your benchmarks, but don’t completely dismiss your ability to give it your all once you get down to it (inshaAllah ﷻ)

make a plan- so, you know you want to recite the entire qu’ran this month, and you don’t have a full 30 days to do it anymore? that’s ok, plan out how much you can recite daily in order to complete your goal. similarly, have an approach for each individual goal so you’re not left wondering how to achieve them.

hold yourself accountable- this varies widely for different people. some like to use a chart or app to ensure they stay on track whilst others need a buddy to check in with. some need a variety of methods. figure out what works best for you and then commit to not letting yourself slide anytime you fail to complete an intended task

time is everything- as stated in sura asr, man is at a loss with time. it’s truly the one thing we can never get back. try to keep this in mind for the rest of the month, so that as soon as you feel you’re about to waste time on an app or doing something unnecessary, you snap yourself out of it. there are only 720 hours in ramadan, and out of that, you need time to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom. after that, every hour counts and we can’t afford to waste even one.

lastly, turn to Allah ﷻ for help- make dua to Allah ﷻ to help you make the most of this ramadan and keep firm faith in your ability to do so. if you have hope in Allah ﷻ’s mercy, He ﷻ will definitely take care of you.

there’s a lot more to be said on this topic, but these are just a few tips that i feel are basic necessities. may Allah ﷻ grant us all the tawfiq to reap the most benefit of this most blessed month. ameen

[thehalalgirlofficial]

taraweeh tips for praying at home

a major element of ramadan is the nightly prayer known as taraweeh and many of us are accustomed to praying together in the masjid. however, this year, with the masaajid closed and no one to lead us at home, we’re on our own. you may find it difficult, but here are some tips to (hopefully) help:

staying motivated:

one of the most difficult parts about praying alone is finding the drive to actually get started. there are two major ways to combat this:

holding yourself accountable- if you know that you’re going to have to report back about whether or not you prayed taraweeh, you’re more likely to pray them. either have a taraweeh buddy who you text/call once you’re done (or even as you complete 2 rakaat) or choose a family member to pray alongside you. alternatively, you can be your own enforcer by keeping a log of how much you prayed that you review daily.

rewarding yourself once you’ve completed your goal- this may sound childish, but there was a reason our parents would treat us when we did well as kids: it works! set a particular personal reward for yourself that will drive you to complete your prayers. it doesn’t have to be something positive like getting to eat ice cream (although that’s certainly motivating me right now🤤). in fact, you can go the negative route, like no screen time until i have prayed all of my salah. this is a great way to get rid of distractions as well.

which bring us to our next point,

focus and concentration:

a major difficulty in praying for so long is remaining attentive throughout. we want to not only be concerned by quantity, but also the quality of our salah. get rid of distractions like your cell phone and laptop. focus on the meaning of what you’re saying. and take your time. there’s really no way to concentrate on the salah when you’re trying to set a world record for fastest qaari.

it’s not a competition:

it’s not a quran competition to see if you can recite all of surah baqara. if the only surahs you know are the last ten of the 30th juz, that’s perfectly perfect. in fact, those are some of the most profound and beautiful surahs of the quran. it hurts my heart to know that some people look down on reciting surah ikhlaas in salah just because of its length. surah ikhlaas is one of the most beautiful surahs in the quran.

Aisha ‏رضي الله تعالى عنها narrarares that:

The Prophet ﷺ sent (an army unit) under the command of a man who used to lead his companions in the prayers and would finish his recitation with ( Sura Ikhlaas): 'Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One." ' (112.1) When they returned (from the battle), they mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ said (to them), "Ask him why he does so." They asked him and he said, "I do so because it mentions the qualities of arRahman and I love to recite it (in my prayer)." The Prophet ﷺ; said (to them), "Tell him that Allah ﷻ loves him" {Sahil Al-Bukhari: Volume 9: Book 93: Hadith 472}

similarly, many of the smaller surahs have a beautiful meaning, and if we were to understand and ponder over the meaning, we would never underestimate their value.

converse with Allah ﷻ

remember, this time is precious and this is a chance for you to build up your relationship with Allah ﷻ in a way that you won’t be able to do for the rest of the year. regardless of how many rakaat you pray, it’s imperative to rectify one’s intention consistently.

‏ونسأل الله التوفيق

[thehalalgirlofficial]

bidding farewell to ramadan

thirty days have come and gone, and now it’s time to move on...

‏قال الحبيب ﷺ" وَإِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِالْخَوَاتِيمِ ‏"‏‏

our Beloved Prophet ﷺ has said, “verily, (the rewards of) the deeds are decided by the last actions (deeds)"

on this final day of ramadan let us strive to end of ramadan on the best possible note. let’s use this extra time to accomplish those ‏أعمال we wished to do but didn’t.

if you’re feeling down about not having had the best ramadan this year, remember that the success of any ramadan is judged by the change that remains in the servant even after it has gone. so if you were able to eradicate even one bad habit, or you established one good habit, then know that you’ve reaped the fruit of ramadan

i pray that Allah ﷻ accepts all of our fasting, our prayers, our duas, our zakaat, our sadaqah, and all our good deeds, despite how incomplete and lacking in sincerity they were

may this ramadan be the one we look back to and say, “that was the year it all changed, that was the year i fell in love with Allah ﷻ”

[thehalalgirlofficial]

things i learned this ramadan

every ramadan has many important lessons to teach us individually, but this year we’ve all learnt some collective lessons. here are the three that i feel deserve to be the most preserved and internalized:

Allah ﷻ does not reside in the masjid nor in the haram, but He ﷻ is with the believer

a major reason why we feel absolute euphoria when visiting the kaba is because it’s the first time in a long time that our sole focus is our relationship with Allah ﷻ. we pray, read His ﷻ quran, and make every dua that finds its way to our heart.

but Allah ﷻ isn’t only in the haram, nor is He ﷻ confines to the masjid. the reason we feel closer to Him ﷻ in these places is because entering them is the only time we attempt to put aside all of our worldly worries to focus on building a connection to Allah ﷻ. this ramadan, we learnt that Allah ﷻ is as much in our homes as He ﷻ is the masjid. in fact, He ﷻ is wherever we may be when we call upon Him ﷻ.

life becomes blissful when we adopt a mentality of, “Allah ﷻ has planned it out best for me”

much of our day to day stress comes from planning out the future and get rattled when things don’t go according to plan. some of us had travel plans. others were supposed to be getting married. some even lost their jobs or a loved one.

so much has happened in these last few months, but ramadan was our opportunity to reconcile all of our worldly plans with Allah ﷻ perfect predestination. internalizing the thought that, “had it happens the way i had wanted, i would have suffered or lost out on something better” or even better, “i got this because it’s the absolute best for me” is the key to unlocking a more content life. suddenly, stress melts away and tawakul in Allah’s ﷻ perfect plan replaces it.

the best deeds are those that are performed in difficulty

regardless of how much of an impact the worlds current state has had on your individual life, we can all agree that a great burden has taken hold of humanity. the healthy are now sick, the financially self-sufficient are now struggling, and the most social of men and women are trapped in their homes without any gatherings to attend.

this calls for gratitude for whatever state we may be in, and seizing every opportunity because well never know when our condition might change. however, it also teaches us the value of deeds that are performed in spite of adversity. the charity you give when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. the salah you pray when your feeling sleepy. fasting at a time when everyone else is emphasizing the need to stay hydrated. we might overlook these obstacles, but Allah ﷻ doesn’t. He ﷻ sees and values and appreciates and records.

‏ربنا ‏زدنا علما

‏والله أعلم بالصواب

[thehalalgirlofficial]

اللهم اهله علينا بالأمن والإيمان والسلامة والإسلام وربي وربك الله 📿

[thehalalgirlofficial]

Today, 17th of Ramadan, Battle of Badr (624 AD, 2 Hijra) happened.

It was fought in the wells of Badr, around 70 miles from Madinah.

For today, not a long story to share but rather I would like to share some names of the great sahabah.

______

Here's the 14 Muslims that were martyred that day:

1 - Umayr bin Abi Waqqas Al Muhajiri

2 - Safwan bin Wahab Al Muhajiri

3 - Zish Shamalain ibn 'Abdi 'Amr Al Muhajiri

4 - Mihja' bin Salih Al Muhajiri

5 - Aaqil bin al-Bukayr Al Muhajiri

6 - Ubayda bin al-Harith Al Muhajiri

7 - Sa'd bin Khaythama Al Awsi

8 - Mubashshir bin 'Abdi'l Mundhir Al Awsi

9 - Haritha bin Suraqa Al Khazraji

10 - Rafi' bin Al Mu'alla Al Khazraji

11 - Umayr bin Al Humam Al Khazraji

12 - Yazid bin Al Harith Al Khazraji

13 - Mu'awwidh bin Al Harith Al Khazraji

14 - Awf bin Al Harith Al Khazraji

Radiyallahu Anhum (May Allah be pleased with them all)

Those with:

Al Khazraji (are from the Al Khazraj tribe/family)

Al Awsi (from the Al Aws tribe/family)

Al Muhajiri (are from the ones who migrated from Makkah to Madinah)

Both Al Khazraj and Al Aws are also known as the Ansar (the helpers who welcomed and helped the Muhajirun)

____

These may just be mere names to some but these people were the once in the frontlines in propagating Islam and what is right and the truth as Battle of Badr was known as the battle against falsehood.

May we honor their sacrifices by narrating their stories to the next generation so that they may also be inspired by the life and servitude that they have given and contributed to the deen of Allah - Islam.

Zohayma

[thehalalgirlofficial]

Major Questions About Ramadan Answered

so you don’t have to ask your muslim friend

1. What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the 9th month of the islamic calendar in which Muslims typically fast from dawn to dusk. Nicknamed “the month of the Quran,” many muslims read all 114 chapters of the Quran in this month to commemorate the beginning of the revelation to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It is a highly spiritual time in which Muslims increase their charity, prayers, and good deeds in general.

2. Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?

Muslims fast in Ramadan because it has been ordained in the Quran as a means of increasing piety. Following the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, those Muslims who are physically fit and able to abstain from food and drink do so from before sunrise until sunset. The hunger we experience reminds us of all those who are not fortunate enough to have the option of whether or not to eat. Fasting is great for your health and it serves as a boost in faith and obedience. If you can train yourself to stay away from things that are absolutely essential to your survival like food and drink, you can definitely leave things that you don’t need and probably shouldn’t be involved in. There’s a plethora of benefits to fasting but the main reason is simply because for Muslims, it’s what God wants.

3. Who is Muhammad ﷺ?

Great question! I’m glad you asked. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him) is the last prophet in a long line of succession, including Ibrahim, Musa, and Esa ﷺ. Muslims strive to emulate the life choices and characteristics of Muhammad ﷺ to illustrate their devotion to him ﷺ and his teachings. We believe him ﷺ to be a perfect role model for anyone looking to be more kind, confident, and compassionate towards others.

4. Not even water?!

Nope, not even water. All day. From predawn until dusk. Not a single sip of any drink or a nibble of any food throughout the daylight hours. When we say fasting is an exercise in self-control, we really mean it.

5. How can I support my Muslim friends this month?

First, thanks for asking because it helps show you care. Secondly, there are lots of ways to support! Help give back to the community by donating or volunteering because charity feeds on itself: I see you giving so I give which you then see so you give and so the circle continues. Also, you can make volunteering together your next hangout. You can support your Muslim friends by keeping or breaking fast with us (either virtually or in person if it’s safe) at meals times, especially since this pandemic can be pretty isolating during a month of community and togetherness. If you’re feeling really strong, you can even fast with us for a day in solidarity. Yet, the absolute biggest thing you can do to show that you care is to learn. You’re reading this so it’s obviously a start and we’d love to see you interested in the things that matter most to us. Learn more about ramadan and what it means to us because knowledge is light and light in a time of darkness makes the greatest impact.

Resources for further learning:

https://ing.org/ramadan-information-sheet/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nen4nD3xqCc

and you can always visit your local mosque (or their website) to find out more!

[thehalalgirlofficial]

Jummuatul Wadaa’, Ramadan 1443

[thehalalgirlofficial]

story time:

i was in the masjid praying taraweeh (socially distanced) when the musalla of the woman to my right caught my eye. in that moment, from that angle, i felt as though i was sitting in the haram facing the rawdah, in the exact spot i would usually be breaking my fast in. i was transported spiritually and i felt a peace of heart that i haven’t known for a long time. this is how ramadan is supposed to feel.

after ending the salah with salam, i turned to her and asked her where she had gotten her musalla from since it was so beautiful. she wasn’t sure but i told her that looking at it makes me feel like im in madinah. then we went on our merry ways finishing off the rest of the taraweeh.

as i turned my head to the left to read the last salaam of my witr, a bit of fabric caught my eye. i looked up confused and was met with the woman trying to hurry away. i called out to her, “oh, no! wait! i didn’t want your musalla, just to let you know that it’s beautiful.” yet she insisted i keep it.

this is the spirit of Nabi ﷺ that lives on in every one of us; magnifying this spirit is what ramadan is all about.

now, every time i pray on my new musalla, i don’t only feel like i’m in madinah, i feel the love of Nabi ﷺ thanks to the beautiful gesture of this kind woman.

may Allah ﷻ accept her and all that she does. ameen.

[thehalalgirlofficial]

Sunset in Jeddah, Ramadan 1443

[thehalalgirlofficial]

“i feel far from Allah ﷻ”

when we get tied up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often begin to feel disconnected from our spiritual selves. although salah is meant to keep us on track, we lack in perfecting our salah and our relationship with Allah ﷻ takes a hit.

that’s exactly what ramadan is for. it’s a time to wipe the slate clean. to reconnect with our Creator ﷻ. just because you don’t feel close to Allah ﷻ at the moment doesn’t mean you should feel discouraged about working on your relationship with your Lord. rather, find motivation in the fact that Allah ﷻ is more pleased with the repentance of a sinner than a man who’s camel returns to him after having been lost in an abandoned desert.

when a pious person calls out to Allah ﷻ, He responds, “I am present,” but when a sinner calls out to Allah ﷻ, He responds, “I am here, I am here, I am here.” Truly, Allah ﷻ is with you, even closer than the jugular veins that work to keep you alive.

place your hand over your heart. do you feel that? that’s proof of Allah ﷻ’s immense love for you. He’s given you an opportunity to repent. make use of it.

‏نسال الله التوفيق

[thehalalgirlofficial]

O Allah reward the one who has shown me even an ounce of kindness with eternal peace and felicity in jannah

[thehalalgirlofficial]

it took the pain of losing you to finally wake me up to all the possibilities this life has in store for me