I like that it’s divided into 3 parts (an ode to the 3 parts of Ramadan 🥹). The first part focuses reflecting on the past; the second encourages reader to live in the present; and the last part gives practical tips on aiming towards an akhirah-focused future. Putting the chapters into these parts made it SO EASY to read. I was invited by the Deloitte Muslim Network to join the ‘ Fast and the Curious’ Fasting Challenge. As I wrote in my LinkedIn post at the time of accepting, I am a naturally curious person so how could I resist? But beyond my own curiosity, this was a chance to gain a far deeper connection with a faith and understand more about fasting and its deeper meaning. Ramadan allows a believer to transcend to a higher spiritual plane and draw lessons that shall become his way of life for the rest of the year.

Food shopping is done in advance and again similar to Christmas the lead up to the Eid day is full of excitement and anticipation with the days leading up to it being counted down by the children. Food is at the centre of the day with the menu being planned with precision and very much influenced by my favourite dishes! This is the kind of book that I think would benefit any Muslim in whatever state they are in Ramadan as I think we all need some guidance during this important month and especially for people who might not be able to fast the whole month or at all, this book would be great to keep a connection to Ramadan. The opinions expressed herein, through this post or comments, contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of IslamiCity. These are offered as a means for IslamiCity to stimulate dialogue and discussion in our continuing mission of being an educational organization. Ramadan remembers the month the Quran (the Muslim holy book) was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is written in 3 parts, with different energy levels and 10 chapters (days) in each part. Each chapter is on the important issues that affect us daily such as forgiving others, responsibility, love, life auditing, difficulties, hope and private deeds. The parts and chapters of the book cover our past, present and future and I found this to be very comforting and helpful.The introduction alone stirs the heart and soothes it. The words are comforting which is just as they should be when you settle down to read a good book. And Ramadan Reflections was definitely a good book! Allah subhanahu wa ta'la in His bounty makes certain times and places holy and blessed, and offers them as His special gifts to man. Nothing is holy or blessed unless He makes it so; man cannot do this. I wish I had this book, Ramadan Reflections when I was a teenager. I would have learned concepts and had reflections that would have shaped me to be a better young woman then, leading to a better older woman now. This special book is an ocean of gems and a fountain of hope. In another incident Aisha was gifted with one hundred thousand dirhams while she was fasting, and she distributed it to the poor and needy. Her maid asked her “Couldn’t you have brought a dirham’s worth of meat with which to break your fast?” Aisha replied, “If I had thought of it, I would have done so.” For each chapter (day) she gives us a story with beneficial knowledge via lessons, Qur'an, Sunnah, Islamic concepts, reminders, proverbs and quotes. These have been beautifully woven together in such a delicate and instructional way that blends fear and hope for ourselves as a means of connecting with our Creator.

This is undoubtedly the most joyous Ramadan tradition we’ve come across, full of smiling children, melodic songs, and sweets. Known as Gergaoon in Bahrain, there are other variants throughout the Gulf such as Karkee’aan in Saudi Arabia, Gargee’aan in Kuwait, and Hag Al Leylah in the UAE. Gergaoon is celebrated after the breaking of the fast on the 14th night of Ramadan. It’s a cheerful tradition, half way through the Holy Month, to reward Muslim children for fasting. Youngsters dress up in their traditional clothes, carry decorated bags and walk around their neighbourhoods singing the Gergaoon song, in hopes of some neighbourly treats. The very notion of fasting transcends any one faith community. Beyond the physical benefits — which are all the rage of late — fasting as a spiritual discipline has much to offer and this brings us to the final segment of the verse above. Fasting is more than just being hungry and thirsty, it is not an end in and of itself, rather it is a means to obtain something else. The reason why Muslims fast, according to the Islamic scripture, is to attain a higher level of consciousness, specifically a mindfulness that centers around the Divine. My favourite chapters were forgiving others and life audit. These two chapters resonate with where I am at now in my life. It felt like a book given to me by my older sister/mother - a heartfelt step by step guide for life.

Within each chapter, the author shares her own personal stories and experiences related to each topic. She weaves in ayahs from the Quran, Hadiths, and quotes from Islamic texts. Each chapter ends with a dua, which was my favourite part. We often make the same duas without my variation and we don’t know what else to ask for, but Aliyah has written some beautiful duas related to the messages in each chapter and they really felt meaningful and heartfelt. I appreciate that my team members respect what I’m doing and try to be mindful. They keep an eye on me and encourage me to take a break for a minute or go to a cooler area, no-one judges. They try to avoid asking me if I want tea or coffee and apologise if they forget. We have Cake Wednesday and save me a piece for the evening. My initial thought when I received my copy was on how I am going to combine this with daily tilawa (Quran recitation) in Ramadan as the book was aimed to be a Ramadan Reflection.

Many people also go to the mosque for the evening prayer and there is usually good atmosphere. Many of the mosques provide the iftar meals in the mosques and this is mainly funded from the donations made by the people. This book is an invaluable tool for finding a deeper spiritual connection to the holy month of Ramadan. It is split into 30 chapters, conveniently representing the 30 days of Ramadan, and it is suggested to read a paragraph a day and truly reflect on what is being said. Every chapter connected with me at a different level and allowed to me contemplate and gain a better understanding of myself and my journey. We should all be mindful of this important event for the Muslim community and be respectful of colleagues and students who are fasting and some of the challenges they may experience. In addition to streaming on Paramount+, Star Trek: Picard will also stream on Prime Video outside of the US and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

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Ramadan reflections is a unique compilation- partially biographical. The content is filled with a myriad of Quran references, Hadith, sources from scholars, notable authors & words of ordinary people. The book is divided in to 30 parts; a segment intended for each day of Ramadan. Each day is dedicated to a single topic to reflect & ponder upon, a space for assisted journaling & concluded with a perfectly selected, person centred, prescribed Dua. Each topic seamlessly correlating with the previous & proceeding chapter. Ramadan Reflections: a guided journal is a collection of intimate, healing, Islam-focused reflections aimed at guiding readers through the 30 days of Ramadan.

With Taqwa we can see clearly who we are, where we are, and where we need to get to, and how we can reach that destination. Ramadan is here to ensure that we have this essential provision with which we can stay safe on our journey of life and attain that cherished destination of eternal rest, peace and joy, and most of all, the ridwan of our Creator and Lord.

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Muslims are not supposed to avoid work just because we are fasting. Therefore, I would go about my working day as normal. I tend to have some good days when I don't feel the fast, but I also have off days when I tend to struggle. It's mainly the dehydration that gets me rather than the hunger.