Month: May 2020

Every year, when the month of Ramadan knocks in our doors, there is a very special atmosphere around. We all accept that. Each Muslim feels blessed when reaching Ramadan, because we consider it as a wonderful time of spiritual reflection. Being occupied into consistent worship, and maybe more focused than ever before, raises our iman levels so high. And eventually we are all more inspired to put more effort in our worship. What you can expect from Ramadan in terms of spiritual benefits is:

A HEART FULL OF EMAAN

Being concentrated on the best way possible when praying, asking Allah forgiveness and also regularly asking from Him a place into Jannah, makes your heart bloom into emaan. During this month there is a sweet mixture among fear and love for Allah. The air feels better, it is hard to explain that wonderful feeling, such that every worship that we act, we feel like we want to keep praying all day and night. Ah, there are no shaytans around to make us lose distraction! Can you imagine a dunya without the shaytans? It’s just you, worshiping your God, in peace. And this is so rare and special to be lived only 30 days during the whole year around. This month is a unique experience where hearts truly enjoy the taste of regular perfect worship!

CLOSER TO ALLAH

We love Allah and never stop hopping on His mercy. They say that when you want to talk to Allah, pray. And if you want Him to talk to you, read Qur’an. If there’s something that we do in a greater dose than usual, that is reading the Quran during Ramadan! That is praying late night salat during Ramadan! We are consistently talking with Allah, and Allah is talking to us. And what is the result when you’re talking so often to the Almighty? A very strong connection! How wonderful and unique is, having a connection with the One Who owns the Universe! How special is being closer to the One Who is the Only One who can save us from the Hell Fire! How special is that, tell me…

CULTIVATE TRUE LOVE

And when talking about true Love, that is only one! Love for Allah! He is the only one Who is irreplaceable at all times! He is the Only One, that our heart cannot live without! I don’t know if there can be any greater feeling in terms of spiritual mood, rather than having your heart in peace. Ramadan enables you to get that feeling, like never before! It enables you the feeling of being totally completed and not being attached to any human kind in an obsessive way. The only one we cannot live without is our God!

BECOME BETTER

Do you know what happens when you’re so connected with Allah? You become better. Positivity and hope is the only thing that finds a place in your heart. You work harder, you dream big, set goals for Akhirat and this dunya without being obsessed with the short term life. You give your best and try to give impact with the hope of making Allah pleased with you. Becasue this is what Islam teaches us; to be benefical for humans around us. To help and work on improving what’s around us. To care for our community, the environment, our family, everything!

Can you see the difference? How does your life change during Ramadan? The change is so meaningful that we would wish to have an eternal Ramadan life. Being connected with God, injects you values and eventually you spread them wherever you go. And the key of all this, is performing constant worship, the best way possible, by just remembering that Who He is, the one you’re worshipping. 

Valbona Brahaj

If you want to taste and embrace Ramadan in different colors and tastes, you must combine fasting and traveling which will lead you to an awesome experience. My intention here is not to advise young people to start a journey on the first day of Ramadan and finish it for Eid, but to discover this precious month in a different perspective by experiencing the taste of Ramadan in other countries and cultures. 

The aroma of Ramadan is translated in different vocations in different times and places. During the time of the Prophet (p.u.b.h) and sahabas, from what was narrated to us, Ramadan was a journey of spiritual fulfillment and a contest of good deeds. 

During the Ottoman Empire, sultans and pashas during Ramadan used to open their doors, castles, and royal palaces for an open invitation to whomever wanted to attend their iftars so they could also have the opportunity to be close with them. A remarkable example of this was Melek Ahmed Pasha (1650-51), who used to open the door of his house every Monday and Friday to whomever wanted to attend those iftars and listen Quran from the best reciters of that time, invited from the vezir to make hatme until the end of the Month. At the same time he used to donate or give presents such as jewelry, clothes, and other precious gifts while greeting them after iftar by thanking them for having accepted his invitation. 

Ramadan in Macedonia

I have been told that Ramadan in Macedonia was an amazing experience. That the atmosphere can be felt much more there than in my country. Through the invitation of my friend and the insistation of her family I decided to touch this reality from closer. The first night, due to the fatigue from the trip, we decided to have an iftar at home and that was literally the first and the last night we did so. 

Every night, women-only-iftar-parties were organized by different associations, business women, and simple mothers and housewives with a big heart. Before and after iftar it was common to take part in any meeting or seminars. And the night wasn’t over yet. I was impressed by the fact that every night they visited each-others home where they continued the kind of- chit-chat-lectures about islam and conversations about religion topics. Women used to attend taraweeh and after that drinking tea somewhere and from there to other places such as friend houses or NGOs open houses waiting for suhoor. This wasn’t a problem because streets were very crowded although it was after midnight. It seemed like during this month men forgot  all kinds of prejudices about the women hanging out until the morning. Women were almost free from any responsibility and contribution to the family, and men didn’t mind it. Sometimes I used to wonder: what do they do about cooking? Well, during Ramadan it wasn’t a big deal. They were invited to some friends house for iftar, or having iftar with all the other mates in some restaurants. I used to envy women in Macedonia. They were the Sultanas of Ramadan.

Andalusian Taste

For the first time I experienced Ramadan in a European country in Malaga, Spain. As in any other tourist destination, the streets of Malaga are crowded with people walking around. You can only feel that it is still Ramadan only when the sun goes down and at the bazaar with immigrants – mostly Muslims – you can notice people with a bottle of water and a packet of dates near their stalls. While in restaurants you do not see any “iftar menu” and you did not even see Muslims rushing for taraweeh. It reminded me more or less of the atmosphere in Albania. 

I try to find some place with halal-or kosher- or vegan- food, but in the attempt to do so, I hear the adhan of maghrib and take a taxi to the nearest, or better say the only mosque of the town. We break the fast with water and dates. I rushed to take the bus which was taking ages to come and decided I will pick up the first taxi approaching. No taxi on the horizon. In despair and hunger, almost losing hope, a couple in a car stopped close to me. They recognised by being a tourist in trouble and offered help. They just have pizza for iftar as a last moment solution until they will reach home. We had a small chat with this lovely family. I will never forget this little moment of joy, the noise of the children in the back seat with me, the aroma of seafood pizza, the taste of the slice on my hand, the silhouette of the Palm trees which reminded me of my home town. 

Ramadan in Turkey

In Turkey, Ramadan is characterised by the brotherhood, diversity, unity, solidarity and especially humanity. The tradition of generosity during the Ottoman Empire seems to have been inherited even nowadays. For the first time I experienced the feeling of sitting at a table with hundreds of other Muslims. Where the poor, the traveler, the muhacir, the student, the professor, the employee of the administration, the mayor, the deputy, even in special cases the prime minister or the president share the same atmosphere and the same food

Walking on the streets of Istanbul means getting drunk from the aroma of the different spices. In Taksim or other Arab-majority neighborhoods, the smells of saffron, cumin, and other spices invite you to enjoy Palestinian falafels, Uzbek Pilavi, Uyghur manti and Syrian or Lebanese sweets. In this area of ​​the city, the Yemeni coffee aroma is so provocative and irresistible that you cannot stand without having one, despite the cost of you being unable to sleep.

The great bounty of experiencing Ramadan in a Muslim country reminds me the sound of your neighbour knocking at the door to offer Ramadan pie or any traditional dish for iftar; when different associations organize iftars only for foreign students who could not go for holidays in their country, and when the announcement of the pilot in the airline to the travelers that is the time of breaking fasting. And when you approach the airport you hear the captain voice:”Our team wishes Happy Eid to all our passengers”, which gives a pleasant atmosphere to the festive days.

Written by Nada Dosti