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Dua’ (Prayers) when breaking fast in Ramadan

A boy in Allahabad, India prepares iftar bowls for breaking fast in Ramadan.

A boy in Allahabad, India prepares iftar bowls for breaking fast in Ramadan.

Dua (Prayer) at the End of the Fast

Here are three beautiful duas from the sunnah, that you can use when breaking your fast in Ramadan. You can say only one dua at iftar time, or you can say two or all three.

You can also make dua for whatever is in your heart. The time just before iftar is highly blessed and is a wonderful time for dua.

Please share this article with friends and on social media, jazakum Allah khayr.

Dua 1:

Transliteration: Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa alayka tawakkaltu wa ala rizq-ika-aftartu

Meaning: O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance. (Abu Dawud).

Dua 2:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَ ابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ، وَ ثَبَتَ الأجْرُ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Transliteration: dhahabadh-dhama’u wab-tallatil ‘urūūqi, wa thabatal arju inshaAllah

Meaning: The thirst is gone, the veins are moistened and the reward is confirmed, is Allah wills. (Abu Dawud 2:306)

Dua 3:

ramadan dua 3

TransliterationAllahumma innee as’aluka bi-rahmatikal-latee wasi’ath kulla shai’in an taghfira lee.

Meaning: O Allaah, I ask You by Your mercy which envelops all things, that You forgive me. (Ibn Majah 1/557)

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Ramadan Announcement 1442 AH / 2021

Ramadan announcement 1436 AH

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan Announcement by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA):

First day of Ramadan will be Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” Qur’an 2:183

The Fiqh Council of North America recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of Lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal. FCNA uses the criteria of European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), which are that somewhere on the earth, at the sunset, the elongation should be at least 8 degrees and moon should be at least 5 degrees above horizon. If these conditions are met, the new crescent will be visible somewhere on earth. Hence the new lunar month will start the next day, otherwise it will start on the day following next.

On the basis of this method the dates of Ramadan and Eidul Fitr for the year 1442 AH are established as follows:

Ramadan 1442 AH:

The Astronomical New Moon is on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 2:33 Universal Time. On that day, everywhere in North and South America at sunset the elongation is at least 8 degrees and moon is at least 5 degrees above the sun. Therefore, first day of Ramadan 1442 is on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, insha’Allah. Tarawih prayer will start on Monday night April 12.

Eidul-Fitr 1442 AH:

The Astronomical New Moon is on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 19:02 Universal Time. On that day there is no place on earth where at sunset the elongation is 8 degrees and moon is 5 degrees above the sun. Therefore Shawwal 1442 cannot start the next day. Hence first day of Shawwal is on Thursday, May 13, 2021, insha’Allah. Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Thursday May 13, 2021.

May Allah (SWT) keep us on the right path, and accept our fasting and prayers. Ameen.

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Ramadan: the Greatest Opportunity

Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan Mubarak

Wael Abdelgawad | Zawaj.com

Zawaj.com wishes all of you a Ramadan Mubarak. The greatest month is almost upon us, a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is a protection from the fire.

Abu Hurairah (raa) relates the Messenger of Allah (saws) said when one Ramadan came: “A blessed month has arrived. Observing it in fasting is mandated on you. During this month, the gates of Paradise will be opened and the gates of Hellfire will be closed. The evil ones (Shayaatin) will be handcuffed. In it there is one night during which worship is better than worship in a thousand months. Whoever is denied its blessings has been denied the biggest blessing.” (Related by Ahmed, Nasaae and Bayhaqi)

All praise is due to Allah for guiding us to Islam, and for allowing us to witness another Ramadan. Let us use this month as an opportunity to perfect our prayers, beg forgiveness for our sins, and purify our souls from our mistakes and flaws.

Let us also thank Allah for all of His favors upon us, which are too many to count. There is so much we take for granted, so much we forget to thank Allah for. If we have security from violence, a roof over our head, and food on our table, then we already have more than many people in the world. Let us take stock of our lives and try to number our blessings: we will see they are limitless.

Palestinians during Ramadan

Palestinian women walk past men (on the other side of the fence) waiting to cross a checkpoint to get into Israel in order to pray for the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill) #

This is a month when prayers are answered, so all of you out there reading this, always remember to call upon Allah on behalf of our Muslim brothers and sisters who are struggling all over the world:

  • Call upon Allah to help the Muslims of China, who are being terribly persecuted by the Communist government.
  • Call upon Allah on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Syria and Palestine, who are struggling in the cause of Allah for freedom and dignity.
  • Ask Allah to relieve the suffering of the Rohingya people; they are being targeted for genocide by the government of Myanmar (Burma).
  • Remember in your du’aa the Muslims of Yemen, Somalia, the Congo, and every place where the Muslims are struggling for their deen, their freedom, and their lives.

Ramadan is an opportunity for us to help our brothers and sisters through the power of dua’.

Finally, when you are fasting and you feel the pangs in your stomach, and later when you break your fast, remember:

  • If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep … you are richer than 75% of this world.
  • If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace … you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
  • If you woke up this morning with more health than illness … you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
  • If you can attend an Islamic meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death … you are more blessed than many of the people in the world.

May Allah accept this Ramadan from us, and may He make this Ramadan a time of purification, growth and strength for all of us.

– Wael Abdelgawad, Zawaj.com Founder

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15 Beautiful Ramadan Photos 2017 / 1438 AH

Man makes dua on a boulder in Kashmir, India.

Man makes dua on a boulder in Kashmir, India. Very beautiful subhanAllah.

It is the holy month of Ramadan, and Muslims all over the world are fasting, sacrificing, praying,
and striving for Allah’s pleasure. Here’s a selection of lovely photos of Muslims all over the world in Ramadan:

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The Power of Fasting – BBC News

Pakistani baker makes traditional Ramadan food

A baker makes traditional food for Ramadan at a shop in Karachi, Pakistan, on Aug. 1. Science, it seems, is discovering that Ramadan fasting has been good for our health all along!

Michael Mosley
Reprinted from BBC News online

Scientists are uncovering evidence that short periods of fasting, if properly controlled, could achieve a number of health benefits, as well as potentially helping the overweight, as Michael Mosley discovered.

(In other words, what Muslims have been doing all along in Ramadan. – Editor)

Intermittent fasting

Michael Mosley fasted for two days every week (P.S. – Fasting twice a week is Sunnah).

I’d always thought of fasting as something unpleasant, with no obvious long term benefits. So when I was asked to make a documentary that would involve me going without food, I was not keen as I was sure I would not enjoy it.
But the Horizon editor assured me there was great new science and that I might see some dramatic improvements to my body. So, of course, I said, “yes”.

I am not strong-willed enough to diet over the long term, but I am extremely interested in the reasons why eating less might lead to increased life span, particularly as scientists think it may be possible to get the benefits without the pain.

How you age is powerfully shaped by your genes. But there’s not much you can do about that.

Calorie restriction, eating well but not much, is one of the few things that has been shown to extend life expectancy, at least in animals. We’ve known since the 1930s that mice put on a low-calorie, nutrient-rich diet live far longer. There is mounting evidence that the same is true in monkeys.

Growth hormone

The world record for extending life expectancy in a mammal is held by a new type of mouse which can expect to live an extra 40%, equivalent to a human living to 120 or even longer.

It has been genetically engineered so its body produces very low levels of a growth hormone called IGF-1, high levels of which seem to lead to accelerated ageing and age-related diseases, while low levels are protective.

Growth hormone deficiency

Professor Longo has investigated growth hormone deficiency in humans.

A similar, but natural, genetic mutation has been found in humans with Laron syndrome, a rare condition that affects fewer than 350 people worldwide. The very low levels of IGF-1 their bodies produce means they are short, but this also seems to protect them against cancer and diabetes, two common age-related diseases.

The IGF-1 hormone (insulin-like growth factor) is one of the drivers which keep our bodies in go-go mode, with cells driven to reproduce. This is fine when you are growing, but not so good later in life.

There is now evidence suggesting that IGF-1 levels can be lowered by what you eat. Studies on calorie restrictors suggest that eating less helps, but it is not enough

As well as cutting calories you have to cut your protein intake. Not entirely – that would be a very bad idea. It’s about sticking to recommended guidelines, something most of us fail to do.

The reason seems to be that when our bodies no longer have access to food they switch from “growth mode” to “repair mode”.

As levels of the IGF-1 hormone drop, a number of repair genes appear to get switched on according to ongoing research by Professor Valter Longo of the University of Southern California.

Intermittent fasting

One area of current research into diet is Alternate Day fasting (ADF), involving eating what you want one day, then a very restricted diet (fewer than 600 calories) the next, and most surprisingly, it does not seem to matter that much what you eat on non-fast days.

Dr Krista Varady of the University of Illinois at Chicago carried out an eight-week trial comparing two groups of overweight patients on ADF.

“If you were sticking to your fast days, then in terms of cardiovascular disease risk, it didn’t seem to matter if you were eating a high-fat or low-fat diet on your feed (non-fast) days,” she said.

I decided I couldn’t manage ADF, it was just too impractical. Instead I did an easier version, the so-called 5:2 diet. As the name implies you eat normally 5 days a week, then two days a week you eat 500 calories if you are a woman, or 600 calories, if you are a man.

There are no firm rules because so far there have been few proper human trials. I found that I could get through my fast days best if I had a light breakfast (scrambled eggs, thin slice of ham, lots of black tea, adding up to about 300 calories), lots of water and herbal tea during the day, then a light dinner (grilled fish with lots of vegetables) at night.

On my feed days I ate what I normally do and felt no need to gorge.

I stuck to this diet for 5 weeks, during which time I lost nearly a stone and my blood markers, like IGF-1, glucose and cholesterol, improved. If I can sustain that, it will greatly reduce my risk of contracting age-related diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Current medical opinion is that the benefits of fasting are unproven and until there are more human studies it’s better to eat at least 2000 calories a day. If you really want to fast then you should do it in a proper clinic or under medical supervision, because there are many people, such as pregnant women or diabetics on medication, for whom it could be dangerous.

I was closely monitored throughout and found the 5:2 surprisingly easy. I will almost certainly continue doing it, albeit less often. Fasting, like eating, is best done in moderation.

Michael Mosley presents Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer on BBC Two at 21:00 BST on Monday 6 August. Watch online afterwards via iPlayer (UK only) or browse Horizon clips at the above link.

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Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan 2016 / 1437

Ramadan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem

Ramadan Mubarak!

The month of Ramadan has just begun, by Allah’s grace.

It’s a strange time right now. Everyone I know is still emotional over Muhammad Ali’s death two nights ago – may Allah have mercy on him.

Ali’s passing was not entirely unexpected: he was elderly, and suffering from Parkinson’s for decades. But there are people who are such towering historical figures that you almost expect them to always be there.

Muhammad Ali inspired an entire generation of youth by standing up for what was right; he spoke out proudly as a Muslim, as an anti-war icon, and as a self-thinking black man at a time when that kind of strength was desperately needed.

But this is the life of this world. Everything and everyone ends, and in the ends are beginnings, though they may be hidden at first. In a purely chronological sense, Muhammad Ali’s life ended, and – like a soothing balm or a consoling embrace – Ramadan begins. Is there a better time to pray for his soul? Is there a better time to be inspired by his strength?

My daughter, who will be ten years old soon, will attempt to fast the entire day for the first time this Ramadan. The days are long and the weather is hot here in Central California. Insha’Allah she will succeed.

Meanwhile, the suffering in other parts of the world continues unabated. I’m thinking particularly of Syria, where some cities have been under siege for years, and populations are starving.

Every Ramadan I have a mission for myself, something I want to work on and change. My mission for this year is charity. Ramadan is a time of sacrifice, giving up what we desire for ourselves so that others can eat, be clothed and survive.

I want to ask you, brothers and sisters, to please donate generously to those for whom even a meal, or a roof over their heads, or the promise of security, would be life-changing.

Here are some organizations that assist Syrian refugees, Palestinians in crisis, people suffering from drought in East Africa, Haitians still homeless from the earthquake, and others.

Will you help them? Remember that when you give to Allah Most High, He gives back more to you. It’s a guarantee, and I have seen it in action in my own life.

Global Giving Foundation

International Rescue Committee

Islamic Relief USA

Life for Relief and Development

American Refugee Committee International

Save the Children

UNICEF

Together we can make a difference, Insha’Allah.

Oh Allah, make this Ramadan a time of peace and faith and safety. O Allah, for You do we fast, and in your name we break our fast. All praise is due to You, who fed us, and gave us to drink, and made us Muslims. Purify us during this month, relieve us from our burdens. You are the Most Forgiving, so forgive us and and guide us forward. Ameen!

Wael Abdelgawad
Zawaj.com Editor
Fresno, California, USA

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Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan 1436 AH / 2015

Ramadan parade in Indonesia

Ramadan parade in Indonesia

As-salamu alaykum dear readers and fellow editors. On behalf of Zawaj.com I wish you all a happy, blessed and successful Ramadan.

The world needs change, and it needs hope. The world needs individuals capable of self-sacrifice, righteousness in the face of greed, compassion instead of cruelty, and love to conquer hate.

Isn’t this what Ramadan is about? It is a time of pure connection to Allah, pure worship, and reawakening the fitrah of the heart. It is a time of softening what has become hard in us, and cleansing what has become stained. Of course we do this fee sabeel-illah – in the cause of Allah – but let us not forget also that Islam carries with it an obligation to family, to society and to the world.

I challenge myself to do five things this Ramadan. One, to strive for awareness and humility in my salat. Two, to strive for self-purification. Three, to increase my love and kindness toward my family. Four, to ask forgiveness from whoever I have harmed. Five, to make a sacrifice (whether in money or time) for the sake of the Ummah and the world.

Will you do the same? Together, Insha’Allah, we can make a difference.

Oh Allah, make this Ramadan a start full of peace and faith, safety and Islam. Oh Allah, You are the Most Forgiving, so forgive us and and guide us forward. Ameen!

Wael Abdelgawad
Zawaj.com Editor
Fresno, California, USA

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Ramadan Announcement 1436 AH / 2015

Ramadan announcement 1436 AH

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan Announcement by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA):

First day of Ramadan will be Thursday, June 18, 2015.

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” Qur’an 2:183

The Fiqh Council recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal. FCNA uses Makkah al-Mukarrama as a conventional point and takes the position that the conjunction must take place before sunset in Makkah and moon must set after sunset in Makkah.

On the basis of this method the dates of Ramadan and Eidul Fitr for the year 1434 AH are established as follows:

1st of Ramadan will be on Thursday, June 18, 2015

1st of Shawwal will be on Friday, July 17, 2015

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Ramadan in China – 24 Photos

Happy Muslim women preparing Iftar.

Happy Muslim women preparing Iftar.

Did you know that Islam has been in China for 1,400 years? Muslims are found in every province of China and make up 2% of China’s population, or more than 20 million people.

Half of China’s Muslims are Hui people, who are ethnically and linguistically similar to Han Chinese.

The remainder of China’s Muslims belong to minority ethnic groups in the western part of the country, called the Quran Belt. These minorities have been persecuted by the Communist government over the decades, and have fought for independence at times.

In fact, the BBC recently reported that the Chinese government has banned Muslim officials, teachers and youth in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) from fasting in Ramadan, and has limited visits to mosques.

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Ramadan Mubarak from Zawaj.com!

Wael and Salma

Wael and Salma

Ramadan Mubarak, brothers and sisters!

Alhamdulillah, the holy month of Ramadan has arrived. It’s a time when we strive to purify our hearts and renew our intentions in every aspect of our lives, bringing our lives into the service of Allah the Most High.

What are your goals this month?

Mine are:

  • To grow closer to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
  • To become more steadfast in my salat.
  • To be more patient with my daughter, especially when she is difficult.
  • To assume good intentions on the part of others. Not to be suspicious or to think the worst of the people I love.

These are some of the issues that I struggle with in life. Ramadan presents me with a special opportunity to work on them, Alhamdulillah.

Please make dua’ for me and for my daughter Salma. She is seven years old and will be eight next month, Insha’Allah. Alhamdulillah she is an intelligent, playful and loving child. But I’m a single parent, and sometimes I feel like it’s a struggle to raise Salma as a good Muslim. I do my best. But it’s hard.

The good part is that I believe in Allah, and I regard Him as a Merciful, Forgiving and Loving God. I believe that Allah wants good for all people. He gives us the tools and abilities we need to make this world beautiful. The rest is up to us.

Ramadan is a gift. It’s a special tool in our toolbag, that allows us to transform the world – for one month at least – into a place of worship and light.

Ramadan Mubarak dear friends.

Wael Abdelgawad
Zawaj.com Founder

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New Muslims fast for the first time in Ramadan

Jumuah or Friday prayer at Masjid Eyup Sultan

Jumuah or Friday prayer at Masjid Eyup Sultan

REDA HAMMAD

Friday 5 July 2013

The first Ramadan fast is exciting. The experience is much more exciting for men and women who have just converted to Islam and are beginning their first fasting experience in their 40’s.

What do new Muslims say about Islam and Ramadan? How did they perceive Ramadan before their conversion to Islam? What are their feelings now that they have become Muslims?

“I used to make fun of Ramadan” says Ahmed Moamen

I USED to make fun of Ramadan and the notion of Islamic fasting. I used to ridicule those Muslims who torture their bodies by fasting,” said Marcos-now-turned-Ahmed Moamen, a Filipino.

“I lived in the UAE for nine years as a traditional Christian who irregularly goes to Church. For me and my colleagues, Ramadan was a nightmare. It was a month in which we were all confined to our homes as all bars remain shut,” he recalled.

“This was not the only thing I detested about the Ramadan fast, but also this tough treatment of both body and soul. I used to believe the body has desires that should be met. Therefore, I only perceived of fasting as an unjustifiable and illogical torture,” Moamen said. “Those were the bad old days.”

“The Almighty Allah guided me to Islam,” Moamen continued. “I had a long time roommate, who once converted to Islam, tried hard to lure me into it. He used to discuss Islam and gave me some translated books about the faith until the Almighty finally opened up my heart. And here I am having my very first fasting experience in Ramadan,” Moamen said.

“After Allah guided me to Islam and after having fasted several days of Ramadan, I found out that all my previous ideas about the rights of one’s body were not true and that straightening our bodies once a year is of great wisdom. That is why Allah ordered us to fast one month of the year and not the whole year,” said Moamen of his new spiritual experience with Ramadan.

“It [fasting] brings the Muslim closer to Allah. I do not exaggerate if I say that I feel a serenity I have never before felt in my entire life,” Moamen concluded.

“Ramadan has its own sense of spirituality” says Abdul-Rahman Yousef

Abdul-Rahman Yousef, a Lebanese who was named Tony before embracing Islam also experienced his first Ramadan.

Sounding delighted about the new fasting experience, Yousef said he was overwhelmed by joy and that fasting helped him feel the serenity that only fasters enjoy.

“Ever since Allah guided me to Islam, I’ve become used to the habit of fasting every Monday and Thursday [following in the footstep of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to make up for my sins which I committed before Islam,” he said.

“But, fasting in Ramadan is a totally different experience because the holy month has its own sense of spirituality and serenity that is absent from other days and months,” Yousef asserted.

“Even prayers in Ramadan are different from the usual prayers,” he said, adding that Allah magnifies the good deeds of Muslims in Ramadan and spares them from Hell.

Yousef lamented having wronged Islam and Muslims in the past, especially during the civil war in Lebanon, and prayed to Allah the Almighty to forgive his previous bad deeds.

“When I read the Quran, I found answers” – Fatma

Muslim woman reading Quran.

Muslim woman reading Quran.

Carol Anoi was brought up in a Protestant Scottish family. She spent her childhood in the countryside which gave her a chance for contemplation and meditation.

After she finished school in London, she got a job in a UAE hotel and spent several years there until she got involved with an Arab Muslim.

“I loved him so much and he started talking to me about Islam. I began with him a search journey. We read most of the books on Islam in English,” said Carol-turned-Fatma Al-Zahra Mohammad (the name of one of Prophet Muhammad’s daughters).

“I realized that Islam is the right faith that dignified the human being and catered for the rights of man, woman and child,” she stressed. “I found it a religion in harmony with human nature,” Fatma said. “When I read the holy Qur’an, I found answers to all questions haunting my mind and soul. Eventually, I converted to Islam and we (she and her Arab Muslim friend) got married,” she recalled.

“As for Ramadan, I cannot describe to you how delighted I am to fast Ramadan this year. “Ramadan’s atmosphere makes us feel closer to Allah. And since it is a month of worship, we are keen on getting closer to the Almighty through prayers,” Fatma added.

“I cannot describe my happiness while performing Tarawih prayers with many other Muslim women,” she said, lamenting that in ordinary days one would not find so many worshipers in prayers.

Amnah found peace in the body movements of the prayers

Amnah Jordon, once Caroline Jordon, from South Africa said it was that unique peace reflected in the body movements during prayers that attracted her to Islam in the first place. “Fasting is a fine way of spiritual and psychological elevation and these were the things that guided my way into Islam,” said Amnah.

“Fasting and Ramadan are the most joyful religious rituals and the closest to my heart,” she added.

“I spent years of my life searching for a way for spiritual satiety. I adored contemplation sessions and read a lot in oriental philosophy but never reached satisfaction,” she underlined.

“I completed my study in the UAE and happened to live by some Muslim neighbors who always performed their prayers by the book.

“I used to sit and watch their Rukou’a [kneeling] and Sujoud [the position when a Muslim worshiper’s head touches the ground during prayers] and it was very touching because Rukou’a and Sujoud are magnificent body and spiritual sport,” Amnah said.

She recalled performing prayers and practicing Rukou’a and Sujoud even before converting to Islam.

“I felt a kind of serenity I have never experienced before, and since that very moment I began a quest to explore Islam until Allah guided me into becoming a Muslim and I was overwhelmed by spiritual peace,” Amnah concluded.

Reprinted from the Arab News

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