MWA's Janette Grant hopes you'll be inspired and connect this Ramadan; learn how!

By Isahah Janette Grant

As Ramadan begins, many Muslim families prepare for the month of fasting and self-restraint by turning off their t.v., setting the alarm clock for at least an hour earlier than Fajr to have enough time for Suhor, and making a better effort to hold their tongues and forgive others if conflicts arise. Ramadan is a favorite time of the year for Muslims not only because of the blessings that abound during this time but because of the camaraderie and joy evident amongst the believers. It is said in the hadith, the collected traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), that the Prophet (pbuh) was most generous during the month of Ramadan. Whether Muslims intentionally emulate his behaviors remains to be determined, but regardless, there is a generosity of spirit and good will most prevalent amongst the Islamic community during this time of the year.

In our current media age where many Muslims are now online, believers are able to interact with one another globally during this blessed month. If a Muslim is unable to attend the mosque or if there are no mosques established in the areas in which they live, there are websites and social media groups available for staying involved in the Islamic community during the month of Ramadan.

One of the most popular global initiatives surrounding the celebration of Ramadan is that of 30 Mosques. It began in 2010 with the 30 Mosques in 30 States endeavor where Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq’s Ramadan decided to visit a different mosque every day during the month of Ramadan. Their road trip across the United States has since become famous and held dear to many Muslims around the world. The trip spotlights Br. Aman and Br. Bassam’s travels, but supporters of the donated more than $12,000 in online donations to make the project a success.

Last year during Ramadan Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq visited a different state each day and blogged about their experiences each night, highlighting stories about the people they met, the mosque they prayed in and the food that they ate upon breaking their fasts. This year, 30 Mosques will be releasing short films throughout the month of Ramadan and invite others to get participate and share their stories by contributing through their social media websites using hashtag #30Days. Visit their website at 30mosques.com for details.

Another great way to stay abreast this Ramadan is by following the Celebrating Ramadan Blog with the Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA). The writers of the MWA Celebrating Ramadan blog share their Ramadan experiences, journals, pictures, poetry and even recipes as a way of uniting the Muslim community and inspiring one another towards working good deeds. MWA was established in 2006 and is an internationally based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working together to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions regarding members of the Muslim community and Islamic faith.

The Productive Muslim organization will be providing a Ramadan series through their affiliated website Productive Ramadan where their free e-book, 30 Tips to Stay Productive, can be downloaded. Productive Ramadan provides daily reminders, weekly emails, online courses, clever animations and lots of Ramadan resources for staying productive and healthy throughout the month. Visit their website at productiveramadan.com for more information or Like the Facebook page.

Locally, Maryam Masjid Islamic Center (MIC) in Sugarland will have Isha and Taraweeh prayers nightly as well as Iftar dinners every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the month. This weekend, Hamza Ghia will give a talk entitled How To Get Closer to the Quran: Looking Deep Into Our Hearts on Sunday, July 22nd 45 minutes before the start of Maghrib prayers. MIC will also host Usama Canon, Parvez Ahmed and Ubaid Evans after Taraweeh prayer on Saturday August 1st who will give the talk, Daily Dose of Dawah: Islam Through Your Actions.

And The Muslim American Society, MAS Houston will be hosting their annual Ramadan Iftar community dinner next Friday, July 27 at 6:30pm. The dinner this year will be held at Maharaja Restaurant located at 3711 Highway 6 South in Houston. For more information call 281.717.4622. Zakat and Sadaqa donations can be submitted to MAS Houston and their renowned Houston Quran Academy at donate.mashouston.org.And MAS Houston will be hosting their annual Ramadan Iftar community dinner next Friday, July 27 at 6:30pm. The dinner this year will be held at Maharaja Restaurant located at 3711 Highway 6 South in Houston. For more information call 281.717.4622. Zakat and Sadaqa donations can be submitted to MAS Houston and their renowned Houston Quran Academy at donate.mashouston.org.

(Reprinted with permission of author.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isahah Janette Grant currently resides in Missouri City, TX and is the author of the children's book, Sameerah's Hijab and the First Day of School. She is a founding member of Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA), an internationally based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions of members of the Muslim community. Her published works include poetry that has been published in three anthology collections and articles that have been published in the Providence Journal Bulletin newspaper. She currently owns and runs Mindworks Publishing, a community based desktop publishing business, and is working on completing her first work of fiction. She studied at Boston University in Massachusetts majoring in Print Journalism and writes poetry in her free time.