Craving #1– Mrs. Field’s Cookies-and-Milk-Shake

Back in the fall of 2006, two perfect mates finally became one.  Cookies and Milk were married together into the Cookies-and-Milk-Shake to be sold at Mrs. Fields stores across the nation. What a blessed union.  I want some so bad right now.  For my two cookies I usually pick the standard semi-sweet chocolate chip and the M&M sugar cookie.  I’m formulating and plotting and scheming up a way so that I can get some today after I break my fast, insha’Allah.

Craving #2– Arab food

Living in Michigan I took Arab food for granted.  There were times when I’d have to eat it, rolling my eyes and begrudgingly because I was so sick of humus, rice, meat, and salad.  But now, 300 miles away from Dearborn, I think my eyes have stopped rolling and started tearing because I WANT SOME STINKING ARAB FOOD.  I don’t care if it’s a shawarma, or rice and kafta, or chicken fatoush salad, or humus and bread.  I just want something.  Ammi… abbu… Fati… if you’re reading, PLEASE next time I come to Michigan let’s have some Arab food PLEASE!!

Today’s kaana was EXCELLENT.  If you’re reading this while you’re fasting, I’m sorry.  But don’t worry, there aren’t any pictures.

The old husband and I got in our car at 6:45pm and headed North on 294 towards Skokie to visit my brother and sister-in-law and join them for iftar.  My brother’s been in Illinois since January, but his wife just moved here this past weekend.  So this was the first time, after much anticipation, that my husband and I got to go hang out with my brother and his wife, not in Michigan, but here in Illinois.

I was really looking forward to something to hit the spot after a long day of work (see post below) and man, did my bhabi deliver!  The moment we got off the elevator at their new apartment the hallway was filled with the smell of what I could quickly, easily, and lovingly identify as Chinese chicken.

Hunno had prepared egg rolls, hot and sour soup, Chinese chicken, and white rice.  The egg rolls were perfectly fried (thanks to Ahsan, her brother) and the hot and sour soup was legit– we’re talking wood ear mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots, and other things of hot and sour soup nature.  The “appetizers” alone were so good that some of us were stuffed after those.  For those people, they missed out on truly enjoying Chinese chicken.

Chinese chicken. *sigh* Wa ma adraka ma Chinese chicken?  Since 2004 my bhabi has been impressing my family with a very simple, yet delicious, Chinese chicken stir fry dish.  It includes chicken (of course), bell peppers, green onions, and a lot of salty, brothy, saucy… sauce!  It’s peppery, squishy, firm, crispy, slippery, and wonderful on top of white rice.  It is just what you’re looking for in terms of a hot meal after a long day of work.

So for you, Hunno, hats off for a meal well made and welcome to the Chi!  I look forward to more delectable meals shared between the two of us, insha’Allah.

Walking around the school during Ramadan you can see a clear difference in everybody’s faces and attitudes.  If you think it’s joy and excitement, unfortunately I have to tell you to think again.  People are dazed, confused and of course, tired!!

Not only are the students losing focus during instructional time, losing motivation to do homework, and slacking off more and more, the teachers too are starting to lose their “umph”… and it’s only the 3rd day of fasting!

I used to think it was hard to stay awake in school during Ramadan, so during lunch breaks, instead of going to the cafeteria, I would go to the library to put my head down.  Little did I know that it’s even harder as a teacher.  Because as a teacher, not only do you have to keep yourself awake and going, you have to somehow motivate your students too.

I’ve already heard countless complaints of “too much homework” considering it’s Ramadan.  I know, and my students know, that they don’t use all their time after school for extra ibadaat (unfortunately), so a few extra math problems won’t really get in their way.  But dude, I don’t want to do the work, even if it is just grading “a few” math problems!  I’d rather not teach or grade or instruct or motivate.  I just want to sit at my desk and pass out… again, it’s only the 3rd day of fasting!

Maybe insha’Allah with time our bodies will adjust to the new schedule, and life will go on and pick up speed again.  Isn’t that how it always is?  At the end of Ramadan your body is so fine tuned to your new habits, and it feels like the month came and went by too fast.

May Allah make each moment of the next month sweet, fulfilling, and blessed for us all, ameen.

A few Fridays back I attended a short evening lecture given by Imam Suhaib Webb at UIC.  The subject of his talk was, of course, preparing for Ramadan.  He went over the basics– why we fast, how we fast, who needs to fast, etc.  And he also went over the spiritual aspects of Ramadan:  the do’s and don’t’s of actually reaching the goal of increasing our taqwa.

One of the things he mentioned was to set some goals for ourselves during the month.  It doesn’t have to be something enormous, but just something.  Whether it’s giving something up (because we don’t have the time to waste on it) or if it’s adding something to our busy schedules (because we’re learning to prioritize deen in our everyday life).  He said though, no matter what, after we adjust our life to a “Ramadan schedule” we should try our best to hold on to atleast one good habit, and also to continue to let go of one bad habit.

As he was talking, I was taking notes, and wrote in short hand what he had said.  Now, keep in mind that I’m a math nerd (at least self-proclaimed) so I was thinking in terms of numbers.  So, how did I translate and evaluate the verbal expression of neglecting one bad habit and adding on one good habit?

- (-1) + 1 = +2

What does that mean?  When we give up something bad and at the same time strive for something better, not only are we adding one good habit, but because we’re subtracting a negative, we’re also adding another good!

Who knew math and Islam had something in common?? I think I have something to talk about in class tomorrow with my students!  Hurrah

Prescription from: Ar-Razzaq

Patient: Al-Mumineen

Rx: Fasting

Dosage: One daily x 30

Instructions: Do not fulfill bodily desires from Dawn until Dusk

 O you who have believed prescribed for you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous (2:183)

Here it is! A month to relieve your heart of all its ailments.  A cleansing for your souls diseases.  An eraser for all those black spots on our hearts.

Ramadan is finally here, so let’s use it for what it’s worth: a purification for our hearts, and a builder of imaan and taqwa.  I hope everyone has a wonderful month filled with many blessings.