I hope and pray that this Ramadan brings many blessings for everyone and that we all increase and strenghten our Imaan.
I have assigned a Ramadan Project for my Friday class and hope to discuss the outcome of that project here. I hope that inshaAllah it helps everyone in the class and anyone who reads about it here.
Basically, we all made a firm commitment, inshaAllah, to improve our ‘ikhlaaq’ (manners) to such an extent that everyone around us feel and notice a change in us. Since, our family members are the closest people to us and are the first ones to notice a change in us, I told my students that I will be calling their mothers and ask them if they noticed any positive change in their daughters. So be prepared, here goes the list:
1. Parents: Absolutely no talking back to parents. Show them utmost respect and no matter what happens and what they ask for, the answer must be positive and respectful.
2. Siblings: Treat the siblings with love and respect. If they are older, be respectful and if they are younger be kind to them. No rude answers!
3. Teachers: Be respectful to your teacher at school. YES to your teachers girls!
4. Neighbors: Do something special for them. Cook/Bake something and take it to them especially to the mean ones!
5. Language control: no bad words, mean words or even silly words. Absolutely no usage of stupid, pissed off, idiot etc. etc. (I think I only allowed silly and dumb).
6. Tongue in Check: No back biting, period. Just don’t talk about others.
7. Anger Management: It is obvious that we cannot stop ourselves from getting angry but our reaction in anger must be different. No fights, bad mouthing, screaming etc. Whatever we do, it must be different then our usual reaction i.e. come up with some positive way to release your anger.
8. Smile: Just keep the two ends of your lips a little more extended then their usual place. It is this simple. This is not limited to Muslims only but everyone that you see!
All this may seem hard to accomplish, but keep in mind that it is only for 30 days. Just THIRTY.
Lets get busy and let us know how it works out everyday.
Contemporary Contemplation 
JUST THIRTY?!?
so far I started off real bad, just plain cranky. I felt like i was being real mean to my family yesterday (key word FELT). I hope they didn’t realize it but I think my brother did. But, I didn’t get cranky for no reason though, my older brother was annoying me to an extent where I was just like,” Oh my goodness, can you be quiet?!” and I didn’t yell I said it in an annoyed manner. I am smiling more. I am also trying to forget anything bad that happened prior to Ramadan. THAT REALLY HELPED! starting fresh basically. so, far thats how my first two days have been.
<33
Assalamualaikum!! My first day of ramadan was good alhamdulillah, the fasting was fine but its my attitude that was a little off. I was just a little bit crabby but I controlled it as much as possible and I helped out at home, was nice to my parents (I wasn’t that crabby cause my mom made me sleep) and overall I tried to control my attitude and it worked 🙂
Ramadan Day two…
Today was good alhamdulillah, I tried my best and my attitude was better at school except for a few “words” which I realized I shouldn’t have said right after saying it. Also before iftar I was a little mean to my parents but I think I redeemed myself after I helped out after iftar. Inshaallah tomorrow will be a little bit better and I will try harder. I hope everyone else will to.
Anonymous, thats a good start. Every night when you go to sleep, tell yourself you can do better tomorrow and inshaAllah you will be satisfied with your achievements! 🙂
:D!!! (that’s a nice name) 🙂
It is easier to control our anger/attitude when we can eat and drink, but the “real” test is to control our attitude in an empty stomach and dry throat!
What you did was good that you kinda made up for your attitude by helping them out after iftaar. In fact the best thing to do when we slip and do something that may hurt our parents is to make it up to them by helping them out and speaking to them kindly!
Keep it up!
I have my journal too. InshaAllah I will post it soon. Since I don’t have parents here, I guess I should replace them with my husband…haha! 🙂
So far my last 3 days of fasting were good. I dont remeber saying anything bad to anyone or giving an attitude.The only hard part waz when i had 2 run 3 miles in school but i somehow managed it.I waz ok during school hours but when i came hoem i began 2 get a little cranky. As much as i tried 2 hide it i dont htink it worked out but hopefully 2day will go by much better.
I had to make more of an effort but in the end it was worth it for day three because I was nice to my parents and I didn’t complain. I think that day three was probably the best so far.
salaam,
sorry i haven’t been keeping up with my posts but inshaAllah, i am much more able to manage them now. The first week alhumdulilah of ramadan was much of a surprise vs. struggle for me. Many surprises led to the struggle of keeping my emotions together and praying for the better. I realized that a bit before ramadan started I wasnt taking care of my islamic responsiblity leading to some hardships during ramadan now. But alhumdulilah I have realized my mistakes and I WILL take over my nafs, Ameen! I offered smiles to people i dont even know, and I am planning to make or bake something for my neighbors with my little brother, offering him some time and my neigbors a little snacking time. Also, my special plans for school will be unfolding inshaAllah.
Masha-Allah six days of Ramadan has passed, its already the ninth day! Alhamdulillah I am in the full system of Ramadan now and I have definitely been trying hard to earn reward. Its easier to control my anger and I don’t get as impatient. I hope everyone else’s Ramdan is going as successful as mine.
1, 2 3 and 8 are kind of difficult for me to apply. 8 because no one can see my face when I am outside so even if I smile, people can’t see that I am!
5 & 6 are going well.
I am working on 7.
And inshaAllah I will be baking something for my neighbors. Actually, Reem will and she wants to deliver it too, so I will let her!! 🙂
I am really waiting for the mothers to tell me that they have noticed a ‘major’ change in their daughters…now it doesn’t mean that y’all bribe your mothers to do that. Let it come naturally… 🙂
omg my whole comment just got deleted!!! it was sooo LONG! i cant retype everything I did type!!!! AAAHHHHHH!
Oh abc123…can u please try again! I am curious to know what you said!!
Alhamdulillah, everything for me is going well. The only thing that I am having trouble with is number 2 because of my little brother. He just makes me so mad sometimes, but I’m trying harder to be more patient with him.
thankz Saba Baji 4 puttin me on blast yesterday but its ok ill try much harder now that my mom nows lol but im not so sure about #4 but lets c wut happens later
sooo, today was good. i have everything down except number 4…. i don’t really know what to do.
ok well, the whole thing that got deleted was way too long to retype and it was such a good journal too!! but just to abridge that deleted journal, i alhumdulilah got through a lot of the list we were required to do AND some.
past few days have been pretty good, but i have been lazy and tired because of fasting so much. I get cranky a lot but alhumdulilah i am able to suppress it. I have constantly been mumbling duas and dhikr throughout the day. Helping around the house has been down to bare mininum for me because I get tired real easily. Now i am veyr sick, throwing up and my stomach going topsy turvy keeping me yet again in bed. I havn’t said any bad words!! which is great mashaAllah. it;s funny how my big brother has been being unsually annoying which is not normal, making my whole cranky-but-be-nice-to-your-family situation even harder. School has been hectic too. TO show my teachers my appreciation towards them and my school, i volunteered at the open house my school was having. I sold desserts to incoming parents visiting their children’s teachers, giving directions, and keeping my teachers lively from a hard days work.
ps. i was wondering we should have an outing to go eid shopping for each other soon? what do you all think?
i was sick all day today, but alhumdulilah got better after maghrib. didn’t do much since I was only at home. I read some quran and then the translation. i’m tired, im gonna go to bed.
asalamoalaikum
i didn wake up 4 sahri but im still fastin nd im really hungry! I helped my mom out by ironing clothes and doin little things around the house witout her askin me.My brothers are really annoying me but im trying 2 pretend as if they are not there
Cool…I baked some walnut pie and will be sending it to my neighbors today inshaAllah.
asdf; alhamdullilah that was very good effort. And may Allah make you feel better.
:] hang in there…i have a younger brother too. Of course you have to go through twice as much pain though!
😀 u make good brownies…why dont you take some of that to your neighbors…
^^ my last comment was for the one with colon and “D” but when i put that symbol, it came out as a smilie…
So it’s been 5 days since I put up my last post. Alhamdulillah, the past 5 days have been good. I have definitely been trying to keep up with everything. I can even handle my little brother now! I still haven’t done anything for my neighbors. I’m not sure what to do…?
i started fasting again on monday because i was sick for a while. Alhumdulilah yesterday went very well and quick for me! but the funny part was i woke up almost exactly at the time of iftaar from my nap and we had a power outage! the whole area was lightless. subhanAllah this made me think as to how dependant we are on electricity. My mother and I woke up and we were worried because we had not food at home and even if we did our stove and microwave wasn’t working. So we went out to grab some grub and the restaurants closed early as well! so we had to skip town and go to the next area where there lights were out. Alhumdulilah we got our food but we starved an extra 45 minutes! I learned a lesson to always have a cold sub for backup or something.
Yesterday i did not fast, but today alhumdulilah i am. so far its been going great but I am very hungry and i have a sore throat. I want to go home now from school because I have no more important classes to cover. I have planned to bake something for my neighbors but i am so shy. but its for the best! I have been patient but i havent laughed in a while! I have been smiling but i havent laughed, we need more funny people in the world!!
im doing much much better then my first couple fasts.The only thing im having difficulty with is #4.I want 2 make somthing but as soon i come from school i do my homework and fall asleep since im always tiered and i ususally go to someones house 4 aftar so that doesnt give me any time either but i still have time.I might make somthin on the weekedn and since my frined is coming over… she can help me!
:] she can help me??!! 🙂
: D!!! It is good to know that you can even handle your little brother now…i would sure like to see that…
asfdl; do tell us when you do bake and drop of the stuff at your neighbors…:)
Alhamdullialh, it is really nice to read y’alls comments. may Allah azzawjal reward you and give you strength to do more hasanaat, amin.
I also have a story to tell but inshaAllah tomorrow.
i did not fast today because i had pain in my stomach again. but inshaAllah tomorrow I will. I have a confession to make though. I back bit yesterday about some old elementary school classmates I had when i was young. My friends from elementary and I were reminiscing on the good ol days and it led to it. I didn’t realize it until we finished. I felt horrible and went home and regret it so bad. SubhanAllah i didnt even realzie I was backbiting which is a bad thing. InshaAllah i will not back bite and i will make sure what i’m saying. I am just glad i confessed because its just bad that i did it. I am makiing dua to get forgiven from it. I have done evrything today. NO BAD WORDSS!! and i have that neighbor thing still left to do.
I think that so far I have been doing good, alhamdulillah.
asfdl; i know what you mean, my friends in school started backbiting and i didn’t realize at first but then i did and i stopped talking b/c i felt so uncomfortable.
besides that though alhamdulillah, ramadan is great!
I am sooooo hungry and my stomache hurts alot but im holding up i cant wait till thuresday and friday because I have no skewl and 1 of those days is EID!!!!!!!!!!
OMMMGGGGG I CANT FAST ANYMOOORREEE!!!!
i feel bad that i haven’t been writing everyday, but i have been so busy and forgetful. i never seem to remember things sometimes. but alhamdulillah i can say that i made an improvement. at leatt i tried to, and with ramadan coming to and end i’m trying to make the most of it. :]
maaan, nearly one more day til shaytaan is released from his shackles…nooooo!!
COME ON GALS!
We have only one or two more days left of Ramadhan…so let your ikhlaaq/manners touch the hight of its perfection with your parents and siblings and fellow Muslims…I know y’all can do it…
give it full force!! 🙂
EID MUBARAK!
Eid Mubarak to everyone. InshaAllah we will see each other next Friday on 26th and will have a long nice discussion over this.
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
Idetrorce, which part of my project don’t you agree with?