Eid ul-Fitr – the Eid festival is based on the sighting of the new moon and can only be estimated at the beginning of Ramadan. As such it is common for Muslims to request a flexible two or three days of leave to make way for this but may not use all days requested.

Ellis: I’m totally okay with this. I’m the one that’s fasting, so I should be practising self-control here. Maybe celebrating Ramadan here is not as easy as it would be in a Muslim country. However, I would argue that it is more meaningful. We as a Muslim community must work that much harder to implement and institute our religious traditions in a non-Muslim country. In making space for ourselves now, we are also making space for others that come behind us. If that is not in the spirit of Ramadan than I don’t know what else is.

Inspiring Themes

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. 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. Ramadan Reflections starts with an easy-to-read introduction in which she gives readers ideas on how to interact with the book and its journalling prompts this helped me a lot as I find it hard to write in books. The introduction had me tear up as it rekindled hope in my heart. 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. Imam Ali (as) received the gift of the birth of his first son, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (as) on the 15 th day of Ramadan, 624 A.D.

I’ve never been a fan of guided journals. I felt it would be like a chore doing as the journal tells you. But I was proved wrong by Aliyah in the Ramadan Reflections journal. Wow. From the very first day where we learn to reflect into our past. How often do we truly sit and think about our actions? Think about how we have sinned in the past and how it has affected our lives. I’d say hardly ever. But Day 1 — there I was sat dwelling deep into my past sins. Reflecting truly on myself on a whole new level. This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members. With a chapter set aside for each day of Ramadan and divided into parts, representing how The Holy Month is divided – it makes it so easy to digest but fulfilling every crevice of your soul at the same time. There is space for journaling – and even for someone like me who finds this difficult, Aliyah’s pointers are very easy to follow and make you interact with your own emotions. She takes you on a journey of story-telling, reflection and making Duah as you go along. But there is no compulsion in any of it and you will find that through taking it in your own pace you will achieve more, than you set out to, with this treasure of a book. It’s clear there is a growing need for this work. We’ve even had calls from Muslim single mothers who couldn’t afford to buy their children winter clothes.

Greetings from our Muslim colleagues!

Whist reading, each chapter resonates so deeply, touching every chord within me. The perfect, meticulously chosen words have a profound effect. I found myself on a soulful journey, hand in hand, with a companion by my side. A journey of self discovery, spiritual healing, to find purpose & a passage to reconnect with my creator. This guided journal is divided into three parts which focus on the past, the present and the future respectively. There is a chapter with its own topic for each day of Ramadan with some prompts/questions at the end for the reader to write their own reflections and thoughts. Curiously, the Qur’anic injunction for fasting the month of Ramadan touches on a similar thread of commonality. God says, “...fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God.” (2:183) Let’s break this down.