There are only 35 days until Ramadan and I can feel it in the air! My soul has been craving Ramadan.
What is Ramadan?
The holy month of Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating any food, drinking any liquids, smoking cigarettes, and engaging in any sexual activity. We place a big emphasis on performing good deeds during this month. When the sun starts to go down we typically break our fast with an odd number of dates, drink water, pray, and then eat a meal. Each family and culture has its own traditions. Afterward, families go to the mosque to pray a special prayer that’s only performed in Ramadan. Large portions of the Quran are recited during these prayers. Ramadan is the 4th pillar in the 5 pillars of Islam.
How does my family celebrate Ramadan?
My husband and I come from different cultures. I am a convert to Islam that comes from an Indian and American background and my husband is Moroccan. We have created our own traditions.
Our Traditions Include:
- Cleaning and decorating the house for Ramadan with lights
- Putting up our Ramadan countdown calendar
- Performing good deeds together
- Buying dates and preparing food
- Creating a basket of Ramadan related books in the living room for the kids
- Making Moroccan harira soup and lentil soup
- Making homemade breads and Moroccan pancakes
- Praying together as the mosque or home
- Baking together for iftar ( celebration after Ramadan)
What Are Our Homeschool Plans for Ramadan?
This year Ramadan will fall near one of our last months of homeschooling for the 2021-2022 school year.
- We typically don’t focus much on academic work during Ramadan but we are going to try to continue with the basics. We will focus on math, writing, and reading. I will probably make use of Khan Academy and documentaries.
- Decorate and clean together for Ramadan
- Get the children to help me in the kitchen preparing the meals to break our fast
- For my preschoolers, we will Focus on the five pillars of Islam, praying together, crafts, making dua, and the love of Allah
- For my 7 year old, we will finish memorizing Surah Fatiha ( a short first verse of the Quran) ,work on learning prophet stories, discuss the 99 names of Allah, and perform a few half day fast
- Pray together daily and listen to Quran recitations
- Go to the mosque together when we can
- Perform consistent good deeds together
- Read a lot of Ramadan related books together
- Look up some crafts on pinterest or purchase a Ramadan activity book
I’m excited to share more Ramadan-related posts with you all. Stay tuned for posts on my Ramadan goals and a typical Ramadan day VLOG.