I moved to wordpress… September 25, 2008
Posted by itto in : Uncategorized , add a commentSalamou aklaikoum dear friends and readers,
due to some very serious server-problems on this blog, I decided to move over to wordpress.
So I don’t think, I will write any more articles here, but I hope the blog stays visible and accesible as a memory…
You can find me here now: www.ittosjournal.wordpress.com - welcome to my new home!
and barak Allahu fikum dear brothers from myminaret for the great work you did!
hope see you, inchaallah,
yours itto
Days of Ramadan # 12 September 13, 2008
Posted by itto in : Ramadan, Family & Kids, Inspiration, Every Day Life, in english, 10 Things... , add a comment
When did you last…
…. Make a messy art project with your kids?
…. Cook fresh marmalade with self-picked berries?
…. Lie in the grass, watching the clouds above passing away?
…. Make a camp-fire and did some BBQ or fried corn? (Tastes also yummy for iftar)
…. Wrote a nice short message to a good friend?
…. Blow dandelion-clocks in the fields?
…. Wake up during night to offer a voluntary prayer?
…. Tell your children that you love them?
…. Eat a chewing gum making bubbles out of it?
…. Take time for yourself, closing the door behind you and leaving all chores beside?
Hope you enjoy your weekend!
Days of Ramadan # 11 September 12, 2008
Posted by itto in : Art & Creativity, Ramadan, Social Projects, in english, Islam & Deen , 4commentsYesterday we had our weekly felt-meeting with the girls, and as I’ve promised last week, I want to show you the finished prayer mat. The design was totally the girls idea and it shows their innocent-naïve sense of decoration, which I love so much.
Days of Ramadan # 8, 9 and 10 September 12, 2008
Posted by itto in : Ramadan, Inspiration, in english, Islam & Deen , 1 comment so farI had no access the last three days to my blog account, so I used my morning-time to work and to relax. Having a lot to do at home and with high seasonal work in my office, I wanted to send today only a quick reminder on how to give charity (not only during this month). May God bless you all!
Some Ramadan decoration and our kids calendar
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Every partof a person’s body must perform a charity every day the sun comes up: to act justlybetween two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it orhoisting his belongings onto it is a charity; a good word is a charity; and removing aharmful thing from the road is a charity”
Days of Ramadan #6 and # 7 September 8, 2008
Posted by itto in : Ramadan, Family & Kids, Every Day Life, in english , 4commentsSince Ramadan began, the sky is much clearer, the days cooler and it is really beautiful here, subhan’allah; so we’ve spent the weekend outside, discovering the beginning of autumn season and enjoying late summer finds (the kids ate the blackberries while picking them and I stored some for the Iftar meal and did some nice fruit soufflé with it – yummy!)
Hello world, I wish you a blessed week!
Days of Ramadan # 5 September 6, 2008
Posted by itto in : Ramadan, Alternative Living, Inspiration, Every Day Life, in english, Islam & Deen , 5commentsNormally I stay up after the before-sunrise-breakfast (Suhoor) which is at about 04.30am, to read Qur’an, to blog and to have the much-needed me-time. But this morning I just felt tired and needed to sleep. So I just ate my suhoor, prayed, read some quranic verses and went back to bed. I woke up two hours later and the day was already there.
Oh, that really is not the same and I felt bulged and even more tired then. I see it clearly now and I really think it is much better to take a rest in the afternoon instead of sleeping after Fajr prayer.
As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said (reported by Anas): “Take the Suhoor meal, for there is blessing in it” (Bukhari, Muslim) and there is also a blessing in staying up afterwards, in welcoming the very fresh morning, seeing the sun rising up, hearing the birds singing and watching the mountains appearing in front of a steel blue sky.
I remember what I’ve read several years ago, when I really was interested in Ayurveda medicine ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda ): too much sleep and sleep in the false moment causes “tamas”.
Tamas is something like the waste and garbage in our bodies if there is too much of it; it is like a thick- viscous liquid that staunches the body-energies to flow and it produces laziness and apathy.
And that’s exactly how I felt this morning: slow, without energy and not as motivated as normally. In Ayurveda they say you can reduce Tamas by doing massages, by living a healthy life related to nature and the seasons, by eating according to your personal body type, by purifying your body and soul and by doing yoga and meditation.
There are many parallels to Islam and I see more and more how perfect this religion is. I believe that there are blessings and deep meanings in every obligation given from God. I strongly believe that Islam prevents health and the given duties guarantee the best way of life, universal and wise. There is wisdom behind everything and Allah knows best, why He asks us to wake up before the sun, why He lets us doing all the up-and-down-movements during prayer five times a day, why He wants us to restrain from food and drinking during the day a whole month long, why He made some things obligatory, some permissible and others forbidden…
Subhan’allah, I can see the meaning in all of this and even if there are few things I do not really understand yet, I try my hardest to accept and to fulfil Allah’s will and I strongly believe that they are good for something, even if I am not seeing it now.
Subhan’allah I am grateful for this religion, for having been guided to His path and for all the blessings within!
Salamou alaikoum and a blessed weekend to all of you!
Days of Ramadan # 4 September 5, 2008
Posted by itto in : Art & Creativity, Ramadan, Social Projects, in english, Moroccan Life , 1 comment so farYesterday we met with the girls and did some Ramadan felting: a huge prayer mat.
We worked on it all together and it just felt so good, doing something united with a spiritual sense.
The mat still is wet, so here you see pictures of the process, and next week I will show you the result, inchaallah.
Days of Ramadan # 3 September 4, 2008
Posted by itto in : Ramadan, Every Day Life, in english, Islam & Deen , 1 comment so farRamadan is known to soften the hearts of the believers.
And yes, it is true, if you are fasting the whole day only for the sake of Allah, not to please someone else, not to be seen as pious in the eyes of the others, not just to do what the whole community does, no, if you fast with the pure intention to please Allah and to fulfil his obligations, then your heart will slowly begin to open itself towards the blessings within.
I feel now, the third day of fasting, that a nice routine is coming up. I feel how my body begins to get used to the new rhythm of the day, how I enjoy the free mind during the mornings, fresh and relaxed and not disturbed by thoughts about what to cook for lunch etc. There is so much more time left for the real important things.
I feel that the afternoon headaches disappear (caused by the body which accepts the new times to drink) but I really enjoy the first refreshing drop of water and the sweet taste of a date while breaking my fast so much. How good it tastes after 15 hours! And I love the peaceful atmosphere right after the Iftar. Alhamdulillah.
Everyday I feel more and more sensitive and prone to see the beauty and meaning within everything. My eyes, my skin, my nose… all my senses are opened and highly tuned to receive the blessings of this world. Subhan’allah.I am grateful for all the gifts in my life, I am grateful for so many things and this gratefulness fills my eyes with tears and overflows my heart with love…Masha’allah, how peaceful this world could be….
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) says, “Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted.” [Narrated by Tabarani]
Days of Ramadan # 2 September 3, 2008
Posted by itto in : Art & Creativity, Ramadan, Architecture & Design, Inspiration, in english , 4commentsWhat an honour!
I received my first blogging award!!! I just stepped over Julia’s honouring by hazard when I visited this morning one of my favourite blogs http://juliafreund.typepad.com .
There I saw a post about blog awards and immediately I clicked on the nominated winners to find out some new inspiration – and see, a window opened and my own blog appeared… (Named My Minarett).
I still cannot believe that Julia choose me and I am really surprised about it! Mashaallah! And thank you very much! It means a lot to me….
Seeing that blogging unites people from all over the world, people of different backgrounds, different religions, different interests, and different ways of life…that’s what I call tolerance and respect and I just love it!!!
Subhan’allah. What great news these are on this second Ramadan morning and what a nice motivation to continue blogging.
So this is the trophy (I do not like the angel-design, but I like the meaning of “Arte y pico” which means something like “Art at its peak”) and the original comes from here: http://www.arteypico.blogspot.com
I now have to name 5 winners I want to pass the award to. 5 is much too less, because I have a huge amount of favourite and regularly read blogs… but here you go, and the winners are:
Melissa: http://tinyhappy.typepad.com
Jana: http://anaj.myblog.de
Seeking Taqwa: http://katescrafts.wordpress.com
Big and Little: http://bigandlittlegreen.wordpress.com
Luckybeans: http://luckybeans.typepad.com
I wish all of you a beautiful day and please know, even that I didn’t pass the award to you;
I love your blogs and am looking forward reading your coming posts! Guidelines for passing the “Arte y Pico“Award:
1. Recipients must pick 5 blogs they consider deserving of this award for creativity, design, interesting material, and for contributing to the blogging community in whatever language.
2. Each of the 5 selected blogs must include the name of the author and a link to his/her site to be visited by readers.
3. The recipient must show the award and indicate the name and link to the blog of the one that handed it to him/her.
4. All Award recipients must include a link to the Arte y Pico site to inform all readers about the origin of this award.
Days of Ramadan # 1 September 2, 2008
Posted by itto in : Ramadan, Every Day Life, in english, Islam & Deen , 2commentsSalamou alaikoum and Ramadan Moubarak to all of you! Finally Ramadan started also here in Morocco: Because the moon has not been seen before yesterday (as in Mecca and a lots of other Muslim countries), Ramadan began today out here in the west.
This means I woke up this morning very early, took a healthy breakfast with lots of herbal tea and waited for the first call to Morning Prayer, to know when to finish the last bites of eating.
This first day of fasting will mean a lot to me: inner reflections, changing the every day rhythm, getting newly used to restrain from eating and drinking until sunset, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere during the day and the busy dinner preparations right before dusk…
Subhan’allah, I love Ramadan and I wish you a blessed month full of peace, love and spiritual richness!
“Allah’humma taquabil minni oua minkoum!” (may Allah accept your deeds and mine) Ameen.
Narrated by Abu Huraira: The Prophet said:”… whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Picture taken by Brother Hassan Bhrz. Barak Allahu fik! And here is a reminder to all my Muslim sisters on how to spend this blessed month better and more beneficial than just staying in the kitchen preparing the Iftar meals…