Ramadan 2012

On By TFFIn Islam

Ramadan is upon us, with alarming speed. (And what I wrote the previous year about a solar year accompanying a lunar month still applies.) I wasn’t going to write an entry for Ramadan this year; while maintaining its characteristic celestial quality the month simultaneously feels procedural at this current point. My family, having grown accustomed to following traditions quietly in the routine of calamity, would only half-heartedly appreciate lanterns or soft lights or advent calendars—and anyhow I seem to be unable to muster up the energy for exhilaration. There is something about this summer that is softly grinding, a restlessness festering in the subtly uneven heat.

And so I intend to observe the fast unobtrusively and find substance to fill these days. I don’t know if it’s been obvious from previous posts, but I’ve been disquiet lately—not religiously vacuous, which I’m sure will be a relief—but more harboring displeasure with myself and my seemingly utter inability to cope with reality. I feel that my natural inclination toward essence and ideal over any tangible sustenance that can offer compassionate relief in fulfillment is set to destroy me—someday, it will, not yet. Meanwhile I have grown weary of falling in love with imaginary things. Yet I am still convinced that they are truer than what we know as actuality. Like some dystopic dream it’s as though I’m rounding the same circuit over and over again. Reality and I have a love-hate relationship because I keep wanting it to be something else. And love, between the fear of committing a grievance and confronting abandonment, will always be a fascinating novelty. Accordingly I am measuring my grief this month, as achingly sweet the activity, in the usual calculating fashion, and expectantly lingering for the turning tide.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t begin on a hopeful note; there is always, always space for that. And I would like to pretend (there we go again) that although you are all dispersed across the… world… we can commence the month together in a tying sort of way. A friend of mine requested that I post recitations of the Qur’an here, and since Ramadan has begun I figured I might as well record al-Fatiha, “The Opening” and find some comfort that in other places there are good friends reciting the same. So here you are. Read with me! Unless you don’t want to… that’s cool. (*pouts*)




Audhu billah mina ‘sh-shaytani ‘r-rajeem
I seek refuge in God from the accursed Devil.

Bismillaahi’ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
In the name of God the infinitely Compassionate, the infinitely Merciful—

Al hamdu lillaahi rabbil ‘alameen
Praise be to God, Sustainer of all the worlds

ar-Rahman
the Most Gracious,

ar-Raheem
the Most Merciful,

Maaliki yaumid Deen
Sovereign of the Day of Judgment.

Iyyaaka na’abudu wa iyyaaka nasta’een
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.

Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem
Guide us to the righteous path.

Siraatal ladheena an ‘amta’ alaihim
the path of those who have received Your grace;

Ghairil maghduubi’ alaihim
not those who have earned Wrath

waladaaleen
and who wander astray.

Ramadan chocolate yay

Ramadan Karim.

23 thoughts on “Ramadan 2012”

  10. Shagufta Sifat

    Aameeen !! :D

    Masha’Allah !! Is that really ur voice Nahida ?.. wow so sweet like a baby girl !!.. If it’s really u, then i too did recite it with u ( mentally ) nd later noticed the pronunciation nd meanings given too ( so clumsy of me !! ).. Many many wholeheartedly warm Ramadan Kareem wishes for u nd ur family sweetheart !! :) Please continue to do such grt job nd hey i loved ur ” Nahida ” tab writing !! :p Wat a sense of humor !! :)

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      1. Shagufta Sifat

        thnx for ur generous reply dear !!.. ur voice is so much in my mind that am wondering how sweet as a person u’d b Masha’Allah Masha’Allah Masha’Allah !! :)) Is there any Dua’s / specific recitation i can do as i cant keep the 1st Fast that’s frm tomorrow at my part of the world ?!..

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        1. Thank you! Well, I don’t know of any du’ah that one recites if one is specifically not fasting but during the month of Ramadan there are two I usually recite (other than the usual before/after iftaar du’ahs):

          I wish I could type in Arabic but my keyboard isn’t prepared and I’m using a Mac (I’ve only set up on a PC before!)

          The first,

          Allahumma rabba shahri Ramadhan
          Oh God: the Ruler of the month of Ramadhan
          Alladhi anzalta fihi alqur’ana
          In which You revealed the Qur’an,
          waftaradta `ala`ibadika fihi alssiyaama
          And You imposed fasting on Your servants:
          urzuqny hajj baytika alharaami
          (Please) confer upon me with the pilgrimage to Your Holy House,
          fi hadhaa al`aami wa fi kulli `amin
          In this year and every year,
          waghfir liya aldhdhunuba al izama
          And forgive my serious sins,
          fa’innahu la yaghfiruha
          For none can forgive them save You,
          ghayruka ya dhaljali wal-ikram
          O the Sovereign of majesty and honor.

          and the second,

          yaa dhalladhee kaana qabla kulli shay’in
          O One Who is Supreme Being and has always Been before all things,
          thumma khalaqa kulla shay‘in
          Who created all things
          thumm yabqaa wa yafnaa kullu shay‘in
          And stays while all things vanish
          yaa dhAlladhi laysa kamithlihi shay‘un
          oh God unto Whose like is nothing
          wa yaa dhalladhi laysa fis alssamaawaati al`ulaa
          O That One Who is such that no one in the high heavens
          walaa fil ardheenas-suflaa
          nor in the lowest layers of the earths
          walaa fawqa hunnaWalaa tahta hunna walaa bayna hunna ilaahun yu’badu ghayruhu
          nor above below and in between, worship anyone other than You as God
          laka’l hamdu hamdan laa yaqwaa alaaihswaaihi illaa anta
          To You be praise impossible to count except by You Alone
          fa swalli alaa Muhammadin waaali Muhammadin swalaatan laa yaqwa alaa ihswaaihaIllaa anta
          So, please bless Muhammad and the household of Muhammad with blessings that none can count save You.

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  11. Oh wait I can do it:

    اللّهُمّ رَبّ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ
    الّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ فِيهِ القُرْآنَ
    وَافْتَرَضْتَ عَلَى عِبَادِكَ فِيهِ الصّيَامَ
    ارْزُقْنِي حَجّ بَيْتِكَ الحَرَامِ
    فِي هذَا العَامِ وَفِي كُلّ عَامٍ
    وَاغْفِرْ لِيَ الذّنُوبَ العِظَامَ
    فَإنّهُ لا يَغْفِرُهَا غَيْرُكَ
    يَا ذَا الجَلالِ وَالإكْرَامِ

    يَا ذَا الّذِي كَانَ قَبْلَ كُلّ شَيْءٍ
    ثُمّ خَلَقَ كُلّ شَيْءٍ
    ثُمّ يَبْقَى وَيَفْنَى كُلّ شَيْءٍ
    يَا ذَا الّذِي لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ
    وَيَا ذَا الّذِي لَيْسَ فِي السّمَاوَاتِ العُلَى
    وَلا فِي الأَرَضِينَ السّفْلَى
    وَلا فَوْقَهُنّ وَلا تَحْتَهُنّ وَلا بَيْنَهُنّ إلهٌ يُعْبَدُ غَيْرُهُ
    لَكَ الحَمْدُ حَمْداً لا يَقْوَى عَلَى إحْصَائِهِ إلاَّ أَنْتَ
    فَصَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ صَلاةً لا يَقْوَى عَلَى إحْصَائِهَا إلاَّ أَنْتَ

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    1. Shagufta Sifat

      :)) gee thanx hun !! i cant fast coz am having periods nd Insha’Allah would b able to fast after 2-3 days.. nd my mom’s been askin me as i cant purify my body for prayers my mouth’s pure ( does’nt make any sense to me though !!).. hence i should recite Dua’s if am awake at night til Suhr ( as am a late night owl ) nd continue to do so during the day too instead of wasting time online !! :p so besides being logged in to Facebook, i thought of could read ur blogs too, now that its instantly my fav !! :D

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  13. Dalal

    What a beautiful recitation!! I have never heard a recitation like yours and I live in Saudi. MashaAllah :)
    Discovered your site a few months back and I’m hooked.

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  15. K

    My bad- it does work.
    Nahida! You recite SO beautifully! It would be nice to hear more of your recitations. Such tranquility, and depth. Mash’Allah.

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