Sunday, 25 April 2021

Ramadan Resources

 Hello Everyone,

Ramadan Mubarak!

Since Ramadan has started I thought for this month's post I'd share some resources you could use, to make the most of the month itself. I'm not sure about you, but I start the month with high expectations, but don't end up doing as much as I hoped. Also regardless of whether you're working from home or not, it can be difficult to balance work and making the most of Ramadan. Which is why this post will have things you can use throughout the course of the month, to do that. 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: the words "Ramadan Mubarak" in large white joint up text in the middle with white lanterns on the top right and bottom left hand sides, between the start and end of each word. Below it says "May this Ramadan bring everyone health, wealth and peace!" in joint up italics. The background is a dark burnt orange colour that becomes lighter in the middle, where you can see the shape of a mosque behind the letters. 

1. Reciting the Qur'an:

One thing that we all do during Ramadan is read the Qur'an, after all “The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:185). Not only are we rewarded for each letter we read, but it can also provides us with guidance and calm the soul because it was made easy for us to recite. Since I'm visually impaired, I grew up reading a large print version of the Qur'an, I have all 30 chapters divided into 6 separate books (5 chapters in each book) and for me 1 chapter is 64 pages. Other people I know learnt from memory, by listening to other people recite. Some were even taught Arabic braille so they could read a braille version! 

Different people choose to read and recite it in different ways. One way you could do that is with an app, such as Muslim Assistant which is a good alternative to Muslim Pro is accessible with Talkback on Android and has a similar layout to it. Just a heads up, I've found that during Ramadan it doesn't give the correct prayer times so now use a different app to check that. There's another app called Islam By Touch on IOS with accessible ebooks about Islam and an English version of the Qur'an. So I thought I'd also share audio recordings of the Qur'an, which you can listen to and recite straight from your device. Plus, it could be something you listen to as you work. 

2. Videos to watch in your free time:

YouTube is one of the most popular video platforms, we can use it for pretty much anything. So, one way you could use it this Ramadan is to watch Islamic videos that were made specifically for the month, such as the Yaqeen Institute's Qur'an 30 for 30 series, they have a trailer for season 2. Last year, I enjoyed watching their Angels in Your Presence series, which were a series of short videos about Angels and how to be praised by them. So this YouTube channel is worth checking out to increase your Islamic Knowledge, they've got loads of other videos too! This year they have a new series called Meeting Muhammad (SWS): 

3. Book Recommendations:

I've seen a few book recommendations for people to read during Ramadan. Unfortunately I couldn't find any audio book versions of these books, but I have found Kindle versions which are compatible with screen readers. One good thing about Amazon's Kindle books is you don't need to have an actual kindle to read them, you can just download the kindle app on your phone and have the book on it that way. Before you buy any of the books below, I would recommend you download a free sample of each book and read that to decide if it's the right book for you:

4. Forms Of Worship To Make:

During this time of year a lot of us wake up before Fajr to have suhoor, if you have time after eating you could perform the night prayer Tahajjud. It's the perfect opportunity to feel closer to Allah (SWT), have your duas answered and ask for forgiveness. Another important prayer you could do during this month, is Istikhara to ask for guidance. Some common misconceptions about Istikhara are that it's a prayer you do for marriage, or big important decisions in your life. It's actually a prayer you can do for anything you need guidance in and the answer facilitates what's best for you. Also, you don't always get a dream or a feeling as your answer. Most of time it's something that Allah (SWT) makes easy for you, or takes away from you and makes you happy with the outcome. Here's another video about the best forms of Dhikr to do during Ramadan. 

The other day, I saw a post on Instagram about short duas you can make during Ramadan. I'm aware that not everyone adds alt text to their posts on Instagram for screen reader users, so here are some YouTube videos of these duas: 

5. Charitable Gifts:

There are some charity organisations that let you buy gifts that will help families in poverty. For example, Penny Appeal offers you a chance to buy gifts like an olive tree to give a Palestinian family reliable income, or a water tank to help farmers in Uganda. Each item has a different price, so there's something for everyone to be able to afford. I could be wrong, but I think I was able to buy an olive tree in my friend's name last year. Also The Date Project allows you to buy someone important to you dates to break their fast with, but also ensures the boxes help different countries that are in need. This can range from Dates for Yemen, Palestine, Rohingya or Orphans. Also different postcodes have different types of boxes available to them. Share The Meal is another organisation I recommend, with the app you can pay as little as 65p to buy a meal for someone in need. You can also make a gift donation, where you pay to feed a family for the whole month in someone else's name, you enter their email address and they find out you've done this. 

Remember Ramadan is for everyone to find themselves in this beautiful month, so use the days to let go of what's keeping you troubled. That's all I have for this post. I hope you find the information useful. 

Nanjiba 
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