Ramadan Mubarak

The blessed month of Ramadan has come around once again bringing with it mercy, forgiveness and blessings in abundance.

The month of Ramadan can be split into three ten day periods, the first ten days are for mercy, the second ten days for forgiveness and then the final ten days  for asking Allah SWT to keep us in his protection and  away from the hellfire.

The benefits of this blessed month are endless and if we were to recognise these benefits we would wish that it were Ramadan all year round.

Here is a list of some of the benefits of this month-

01. Taqwa:

1. Fearing Allah (SWT)
2. Practicing the Revelations of Allah (SWT)
3. Accepting the little things that one has achieved
4. Preparing for departure from this world to the Hereafter
5. Self-discipline
6. Self-control
7. Self-restraint
8. Self-education
9. Self-evaluation

By accepting these criteria and by practicing them, the Muslim will achieve the concept of Taqwa in his private and public life.
02. Protection:

1. Avoiding Immorality
2. Avoiding anger/outcry/uproar
3. Avoiding stupidity
4. Avoiding all makrooh/mashbooh/haram

By achieving these good manners, a Muslim will come out of fasting a better human being in the society.
03. Revelation of Holy Quran: The Holy Quran was revealed during the month of Ramadhan. The Holy Quran is meant to be:

1. A Guidance to mankind
2. A Manifestation of right from wrong
3. A Summation and culmination of all previous revelations
4. A Glad-tiding to the believers
5. A Healer
6. A Mercy

04. Doors of heaven are open
05. Doors of hell are closed
06. Devils are chained down
07. Fasting with Iman (faith) and expectation: Such type of intention leads to forgiveness by Allah (SWT) to the individual's sins.
08. Door of Rayyan: There is in Paradise a door called Al-Rayyan. It is for the fasting Muslims. Only those who fasted the month of Ramadhan are the ones to enjoy the bliss of Paradise inside that area.
09. Rejoices: There are two types of rejoices for the Muslims who fast. These are:

1. When breaking fast
2. When meeting Allah (SWT) on the day of Judgment

10. Mouth Smell: The smell of the mouth of the fasting Muslim will be better than the smell of musk during the day of Judgement. (Bad Breath)
11. Glad-Tidings: These glad-tidings are given to the well-wishers while the ill-wishers are to be stopped during fasting.
12. Ramadhan -to- Ramadhan: Whoever fasts two consecutive months of Ramadhan with good intention will receive forgiveness for the mistakes committed throughout the year.
13. Multiplication of Rewards: Doing good = 10x, 70x, 700x or more during the month of Ramadhan.
14. Feeding Others: Whoever invites others to break the fast, and whoever takes care of the hungry, needy, during the last ten days of Ramadhan will receive equal rewards to the fasting person(s).
15. Blessing of Iftar: Dua is accepted by ALLAH (SWT) at Iftar time.
16. Blessings of Sahoor (The late night meal): This meal time gives the opportunity for:

1. Night Prayers
2. Zikr, Remembrance, Contemplation
3. Recitation of Holy Quran
4. Fajr Salat in Jamaat
5. Dua of Fajr

17. Night Prayers: Whoever performs the Night prayers with sincerity and good intention will receive forgiveness of his past mistakes.
18. Shafa'at (Pleading One's Case for Forgiveness): Whoever fasts Ramadhan will receive on the day of Judgement the Shafa'at of:

1. Ramadhan
2. Holy Quran

19. Ihya (Passing Nights Awake): Last ten days of Ramadhan. When a Muslim makes this type of effort, he will get rewards, forgiveness, and multiples of blessings.
20. Itikaf (Retreat): A Muslim who performs Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadhan will get:

1. Blessings and rewards
2. Peace of mind
3. Contemplation and evaluation
4. Better citizen

21. Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Power): Whoever observes it with sincerity and good intention will get the following benefits:

1. Forgiveness of mistakes
2. Better than 1,000 months
3. Dua
4. Zikr
5. Prayers
6. Reading Holy Quran
7. Rewards
8. Blessings
9. Better human being

22. Generosity: Kindness, hospitality, visitation, etc. All of these and many more are among the benefits of Ramadhan.
23. Zakat al-Fitrah (Charity on Eid Day): The benefits of paying such as charity to the needy are tremendous, among which are the following:

1. Purity
2. Feeding the needy
3. Sharing happiness
4. Improving human relations
5. Improving society

24. Sadaqah (Charity): The benefits of paying sadaqah are many. These are summarized as follows:

1. Purity
2. Flourishing of wealth
3. Improving economy
4. Circulation of wealth
5. Elimination of inflation
6. Elimination of poverty

25. Fasting and Health: By fasting, one gets the following benefits:

1. Purification of body from toxins
2. Reducing of weight
3. Purity of brain
4. Rejuvenation of body
5. Living of life with happiness
6. Looking younger

26. Change of Lifestyle: By living a different life style, one gets rid of the monotony of life and hence enjoys his life span.
27. Sharing: Of hunger, thirst and rituals with others in the society.
28. Eid-ul-Fitr (Feast): Sharing of happiness and visitation of one another as members of the society.
29. Graveyards Visitation: One will get the following benefits by visiting graveyards.

1. Dua for the deceased
2. Preparing oneself for departure from this world
3. Feeling respect for the deceased
4. Making the person to be humble in his life

30. Every breath is Tasbiih. Every breath and even sleep is Ibadah and awarded.
31. Umrah in Ramadhan: Visiting Makkah during the fasting month of Ramadhan is:

1. Equal to one Hajj (pilgrimage)
2. Equal to one Hajj with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

32. Historical Successes and Victories in Ramadhan: Muslims throughout their history received many benefits during Ramadhan the month of fasting, among which are the following:

1. Battle of Badr
2. Battle of Khandaq
3. Opening of Makkah
4. Battle of Tabuk
5. Tariq Ibn Ziyad opened Europe
6. Salahuddin liberated Jerusalem from the crusaders
7. Egypt and Israel, 1973 - Egyptians kicked the Israelis out of Egypt during Ramadhan the month of fasting, etc.

33. Learning lessons from historical incidents that happened during Holy Ramadhan the month of fasting, e.g.

1. Wafaat Hazrat Khadijeh (as).
2. Wiladat Imam Hassan bin Ali (as).
3. Shahadat Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as).
4. Youm-al-Quds.

Taken from http://www.qul.org.au/islamic-occasions/holy-month-of-ramadan/1083-33-blessings-of-ramadan-fasting-benefits

Trifle

A colleague at work told me a quick method of making a really delicious trifle. I thought I would share this with you.

Cut up a Madeira cake into small slices and put at the bottom of the bowl. You can use Madeira cake or sponge fingers or anything of the sort. Soak the cake with orange juice (use good quality orange juice like Tropicana). Add raspberries or strawberries if you like.

Leave the cake to soak for about 15 mins, the longer the better. Add more orange juice if you feel like the cake is still dry.

Empty the contents of one mascarpone cheese into a bowl. Beat until the cheese is soft. Add one 500ml tub of custard; you can use vanilla pod custard or just normal flavoured custard. Make sure the custard is cold. Beat the mascarpone and custard together until the two have mixed.

Add the custard topping to the cake. Finish off with raspberries.

Leave in fridge for an hour or so before eating.

Slippers for sale

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Such a beautiful reminder. Jummah Mubarak everyone :)