PLEASE MAKE DUAA' FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I entered the Quran Contest in our masjid and I'm supposed to do Ar-Rahman. Today is the test!!!! PPPPLLLLEEAAASSSSSEEE make duaa that I pass and win inshaAllah!!!!!!!!!!!

OMA!!!!!!!!!

OMA subhanaAllah!!  2 or 3 more days till Eid.  Can you believe it?  Ramadan really went by fast for us this year. I mean, like, in a blink of an eye. I really regret not using my time more wisely. Oh, well, i guess I learned my lesson. Gotta do better next year inshaAllah.

I'm gonna bake a cake for eid, and I want to use fresh fruits in it. What do you think I should do?

My Apologies

Dear sisters

I am very sorry I haven't been posting for so long. It's just that, with Ramadan and everything, I've been a little busy..................or maybe a bit lazy.

But please forgive me. I'll try to get back after Ramadan inshaAllah.

Ramadan High Way Code

Daily Account

Today went fairly well alhamduliAllah. We (as in me, my sisters and my father) went to Kohles. They had a very good sale going on mashaAllah. On most of the clothes, they had, like 60%-70% off and stuff like that. And they  had not tax!! Also, if you spent $50, you would get a free gift card with $10!!! I bought a cute lunch box and a really nice water bottle. Last year, i put water and froze it, and it cracked. I thought that, because it was stainless steal, nothing would happen. But, I was proved wrong.

So this year inshaAllah, I shall do nothing crazy like that. I really want to post the pics, but I am too lazy to go downstairs, get the camera, download the pics and then post them. I could take it with the camera on the computer, but it won't turn out good. I promise that tomorrow inshaAllah, I'll post pics.

Today I wore my pink/purple skirt. My aunt bought it from Malaysia in an Indian flee market. I wore my pink think kamis on top. And a purple hijab. Plus a silver ring and heart bracelet.

I am very tired now, so I shall retire to my book.


My salaams to you all!!!

Ramadan Day 6

I'm sorry I didn't post for two days. I was just so tired. And I had pains. Well, there's really not much to say. Except, yesterday, instead of coming home after iftaar, my sisters and I stayed at the "babysitters." We don't usually stay, as my father is pretty protective and he thought it woulf be bad for me to be here "all alone". I don't mind it much, I know that it's his way of caring for me, except sometimes I REALLY want to do something and then I can't do it. Well, yesterday, I did some old fashioned begging. I a very sad tale indeed, and in the end, I was about to cry. I didn't stray from the truth though. In the end, he gave in and let us stay. I gave a big bear hug, a huge kiss on his cheek, and a beautiful, "JAZAKALLAHU KHAIRAN BABA!!!"

So, we stayed at the "babysitters". It was actually where the children that were too old for toys but too young to play basket ball with the big boys (who surprisingly did not pray taraweeh. I was shocked I tell you. SHOCKED. I mean, I know the kids in our majid don't practice Islam perfectly, but, this was just too much for me. Me, I had girl reasons. Them, ummm, I don't think there's anything that stops boys from praying. Especially if it's about 15-20 boys.)

 So, at the "babysitters", there was a lady, who turned on The Lion King for us. I hadn't watched that movie for years, so I enjoyed it. My heart ached for poor little Simba when his father died. It was sssooo touching. There were actually tears in my eyes. I know, it's just a movie, but, I saw it with fresh eyes, and I felt myself in his place. It's ssssooo sad.

When the movie was almost done, Baba came to take us home. As usual, one of my sisters started crying. My father just picked her up, comforted her a bit, and she was done. Then we came home.

Oh yes, I wore my pink paisley hijab and black abaya. They went pretty well together. But my hijab was annoying me a bit.

Today we went to the library. I gots me LOTS of books. then we came home and went to Ross. we went there to look for a lunch box, but didn't find one. Instead, I got a pretty laptop bag. I take my laptop to school often, and I don't really need one of those professional ones. (personally, I think they look horrible). So, i found a very nice maroon one. It looked very sophisticated. And I took it. I'll post a pic later.

Baba didn't feel good today, so we didn't go to iftaar. I was pretty disappointed, but, AlhamduliAllah.

Chic Abaya

I just lov this abaya. so stylish and chick. the only thing I would do, is make it a bit looser, and i wouldn't wear such skin tight sleeves. but otherwise, LUUUUV IT!!

HUMPH

I really don't feel like doing anything right now. I just feel like running away from home. I am not in a really good mood. My morning didn't start off well, and I dreamed someone was whining and crying to me, so, I am officially in a NOT GOOD mood.

*SIGH* But it's Ramadan, and I suppose I must overlook and hide the faults of others and ask forgiveness for them. But it's so hard to sincerely do that when they're mistreating you. I feel like I am living in a cell. If stuff get any worse, I plan to take a cell phone and roam around the apartment complex. I think if I do thikr while I'm walking, it's better than being in a bad mood and frowning and being pressurized and staying in your own room and not being able to be with your siblings. And it's better than wanting to rebel. So, If stuff get bad, I'll temporarily run away. Just until Baba comes home. Maybe I'll even take my Quran with me, and I'll read under a nice shady tree were no one will find me. Yup. That's what I'll do.

Ok. So now, I am feeling MUCH better. I'll tell you about yesterday evening.

So, yesterday, I wore a really nice outfit. One of my favorite ones. I wore a long brown shirt (used to be a kamis.) It was a rich chocolate with grayish colored sequence all over it. With it, I wore a white skirt with brown designs. For hijab, I wore a brown one with white designs. On my left hand, I wore an assorted wristbands. Take a look:

Yesterday they had good food for iftaar. Rice, baked chicken, green beans, salad, and a chickpea-bread-meat-and-yogurt-thingy. I liked it. They also had strawberry lemonade, but it was the powder one, and i didn't like it much. I liked the Fruit V8 better.

Ramadan Day 2

Yesterday was fulfilling mashaAllah. As I said, I wore my blue skirt, a light blue top and a blue hijab. I also wore a sliver bracelet with hearts dangling on it. I wonder if you liked it.

I liked yesterday a lot mashaAllah. The only thing was that Ammi and Ibrahim didn't come. Well, first we go there. And then I hear something about a contest. I was itching to find out what. I am always one of the first to enter a contest. I love challenges. Well, sooner or later, I forget about it and get food. Today, for appetizers, they have watermelon and this soup with all these vegetables. It's really thick, and it doesn't look really good to me, so I just fill myself up with water instead. Then I go to pray.

After Salah, a man says something about the contest in the microphone. I get that itch again, but I can't find the paper you need, so I just ignore. But, I ask a woman, "Do you know what the contest is about?" She hands me a paper. Here's what it says

Name two other names for Surah At-Tawba (Other than Tawba):
Name:
Number:
Email Address:

Now, I have memorized Surah At-Tawba, but I never thought of checking if there were any other names for it. When I come and sit on my table, there's a different woman talking to one of my "Aunties". She's talking in Arabic  AlhamduliAllah I can pick up bits and pieces of it, and then I make up that she knows what the answer is and she's telling "Auntie" what it is. When she's done, I ask, "Can I do it too?" She gives me the answer and I write it down on the paper!!! Yes, I know that's not right, but there were no rules. So then I ask her were to put it and she tells me in Arabic that it's ________.  Just before I leave the woman's sister asks me if I know Arabic, in Arabic. I reply a little in Arabic. So I go and put mine and Auntie's paper in the box. What they'll do, is they'll not look and just pick one paper and if it has the right answer the person gets a prize. I don't think I got it, because then my father would get a call on his cell phone.

I didn't notice, but by that time the line for food and grown REALLY long. Oh, well. I didn't really mind. The woman who gave the answer and her sister are standing next to me.When we were half way to our destination, the woman's sister asks me what my name is, in English. I answered, "Samiha." Then she asks what my last name is. I say, "Shaheed." Both she and her sister go wide eyed and she says, "Your name is Arabic!" I just smile.

For iftaar, they had good food mashaAllah. They had:

• salad
• rice
• meat (with lots of meat)
• a bean side dish
• spaghetti and meat sauce

They have extra today, so I bring home lots of food for us and Ammi. I have a little when I come home, and then I pray. Then I have some cherries.

For suhoor, I have the leftover suhoor. Because I had no milk, I "substitute" it with about 4 and a half glasses of water. I'm still not sure if that was good or not, because after fajr, I had to wake up 5 times to use the restroom.

I'm not hungry now. Just a little thirsty. I hope you don't think my post was to long

1 Day Done, 28/29 More to Go!!!

AlhamduliAllah, one day of Ramadan has passed, and I have been able to fast it. I was sssssoooo hungry yesterday. I wasn't used to it, and I got a headache. Today, for suhoor, I had a pb&j sandwhich, a glass of chocolate milk, a piece of dried preserved mango, a date, and two glasses of water. It's a rule on our house to always have two glasses of water. SubhanaAllah. By the time I was half way done with my second glass, I was practically bursting. I had sssooo much liquid. After I finally managed to drink the last sip, my father saw me holding my stomach and making groaning sounds. Then he asked me,

 "Did you have some banana?"

"No"

"Did you have chocolate milk?"

"Yes. One glass"

"If you have a glass of milk it's ok. You don't have to have another glass of water."

In my head, I was like, NOW YOU TELL ME???!!!!  I had to wake up twice after fajr to use the restroom. But AlhamduliAllah, it was good for me. I didn't get a headache today, and I'm much less hungry than yesterday.

Last night they had rice with peas and carrots, this type of meat with barely any meat, and this chickpea and yogurt thingy. And they said that they might CATER food this year. I guess they weren't expecting so many people the first day. I don't blame them, because I hadn't either.

Today I'm going to wear a dark blue skirt and a light blue top with thin gold stripes going diagonally. I'm also gonna wear a silver bracelet with hearts dangling on it. I'm going to wear a blue hijab with multi color stripes on it. My mother hasn't finished it completely, but if I put the undone side under, it looks perfectly OK.

Here's a few pics:

I wonder what they're going to have for iftaar today. I hope it's something good inshaAllah. 

Ramadan Mubarak!!!

Wishing you one month of Ramadan,

4 weeks of barakat,

30 days of forgiveness,

720 hours of guidance,

43200 minutes of purification,

... and 259200 seconds of noor!"

Ramadan  Mubarak to everyone! May Allah forgive us and our familes and keep us on the straight path always. Alhamdullilah Allah has blessed each of us with another year of Ramadan, so let's use it to our full advantage InshaAllah.

RAMADAN IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!

SubhanaAllah, I am SSSSOOOO happy!! Last night we were kinda caught unprepared for Taraweeh and i ended up praying only 4 rak'as taraweeh and then 3 witr because it was already 11:30 PM and Baba told me that it's ok and you can start praying all of it tomorrow just start a little earlier. I thought that it would be a little hard, I mean, 17 raka's. But, as I did it, it actually felt good and refreshing. kinda like this:

Last night I kept on waking up because I was so excited to have suhoor (I dont know why.)  When my alarm turned on, I wasn't surprised at all. I turned it off and went to wake up my father. It's usually the other way around, so he was a little surprised.

For suhoor, I had 1 and a half bowls of Cheerios with half a banana sliced into it. Then I had a date. Then I had two glasses of water.

I'm kind of hungry right now. I am thinking of what they will have for iftaar today. They have iftaar at the masjid everyday so we usually go there because it's easier for Ammi. I mean, with the baby and everything, it gets kind of hectic. And, we all have an outing, so, it's good all around.

Clothes are a big part of iftaar for me. I mean, there are a few snotty girls there, and, I mean, I was always teachers pet, so, there's always jealousy and rivalry. I always try to wear good clothes so they can't look down on me and they know that just because I'm "good" doesn't mean I don't have any sense of style. Today,
is the first day, so I'm not going to wear something really fancy, but simple and modest. I have decided on wearing my black abaya and my new black-and-white polka dot hijab that Ammi just finished a few days ago. I can't wait.

Here's a pic:

OMA. I feel so bad about talking about iftaar and my clothes when I think of the Somalian Famine. Baba showed us the video yesterday and, if u haven't seen it, you should. I told Baba to give $200 from my life savings. That will practically cut it in half, but, AlhamduliAllah. At least the poor things will be able to eat SOMETHING.

May Allah help them through their hardship and help us to become closer to him.  Ameen