Readying the Ruh for Ramadan

Posted in: Ramadan Traditions Aug 19 2009

I’m so pleased to have some of my friends guest posting on “Ramadan Joy” this year.

This first post is from my dear friend Hina; she writes as she lives with a lot of heart and intention.

Hina Khan-Mukhtar, the mother of three boys, homeschools her children along with others at the Muslim homeschool cooperative in Lafayette, California, known as ILM Tree.  A former high school and middle school English teacher, Hina was born in New York but grew up in Saudi Arabia and California.  She and her husband now live in San Ramon with their sons Shaan, Ameen, and Raahim.

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The Ramadan moon is only a few nights away from being sighted,
insha’Allah, and I am in the midst of last-minute preparations.  The
bulk of my worldly to-do list has been completed and I am finally
beginning to feel at ease.

The children were fascinated this
past month to see all of the tasks that were being taken care of in the
name of “preparing for Ramadan”.  I finally got around to calling my
trusted carpet cleaning company so that they could take care of the
stains that have accumulated over the past year.  A window washing
company sent out four employees to come scrub the windows inside and
out, upstairs and down, so that the sunlight could finally sparkle
through grime-free glass.  My husband and I spent an afternoon,
paintbrushes and touch-up paint in hand, inspecting the walls and
floorboards for scuff marks and scratches that magically disappeared
with a flick of the wrist.  The boys gave up a few hours of their
carefree summer days to assist me in organizing closets and cupboards
and drawers.  The heart felt lighter as bags of garbage were taken out
to the garage and bins for donations were set up.  I am pleased to see
that the flowers we planted a few weeks ago are now in full bloom
outside of my family room window.  We are currently preparing to
deliver cookies to neighbors and friends.  Our next step is to assemble
the family’s favorite egg rolls for the freezer in anticipation of
upcoming iftars.

When the days of fasting begin, house and
garden will no longer be my focus, insha’Allah. Aside from the
necessary meals, the kitchen will take a back seat on my list of
priorities.  I hope to immerse myself in prayer and remembrance.  I
don’t want anything to distract me from the loftiness of the upcoming
month, so I am trying to “set myself up for success” now.

It is
my sincere wish that when my children grow up to one day run their own
households, they will see Ramadan as a time for not only cleansing the
body, the soul, and the mind…but for cleansing the long-forgotten
recesses of the home as well.  With the world around us in tidy order,
the spirit feels better prepared to turn in complete focus on the
worship of our Lord.  May He grant us all success in our endeavors to
please Him and allow us to live simple, clean lives that free up our
time to do what is most important — remember Him.

Aameen.

Hina Mukhtar