augusti 31, 2009

When do you start fasting?

There is something called 'imsak'. It's a timeperiod before the morning pray people have set to be on the 'safe side'.
Well I've found something about it saying that we shouldn't follow imsak. But the time to start fasting is actually when the morning pray comes.
For me personally it doesn't matter this Ramadan since I usually eat more than 1 hour before the morning pray. The other years I've never considered googling about imsak so I didn't have a clue that some people said it was wrong to follow imsak... Well here is what I found....

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Starting a Day of Fasting
(click to open the website)

Q. When should we start our fasting day? Some people say that it starts 10 minutes before Fajr prayer is due; some say only 5 minutes before that; others maintain that it is at the point when Fajr is due and the call to prayer is made. Please advise.

I. Merchant

A. God has defined the start of the fasting day, saying in the Qur’an: “Eat and drink until you can see the white streak of dawn against the blackness of the night. Then resume the fast till nightfall.” (2: 187) So, the start is at dawn, when Fajr prayer is due, and the finish is at sunset when Maghrib prayer is due. There can be no further argument. Yet people have introduced something called Imsak, which means abstention from eating and drinking, and they established various beginnings for it: they put it at 20, 15, 10 or 5 minutes before dawn. They do so out of a desire ‘to be on the safe side’. Yet all this eagerness to make sure is unnecessary. God defined the time and we should keep to it.

Suppose a person wakes up five minutes before the Fajr prayer is due. He can manage to have a drink of milk or water and a bite before Fajr is due. If he does so, is his fasting valid? If those people who speak about observing Imsak time say that his fast is valid, then why start earlier? If they say it is not valid, they commit a huge error.

The point is that Islam does not like this idea of ‘keeping on the safe side’ in matters of worship. It opens the door for rigidity and adding hardship to acts of worship. What is very important about Islamic worship is what God says in the Qur’an, within the context of fasting: “God desires that you have ease. He does not desire that you be afflicted with hardship.” (2: 185) Thus scholars say that if you happen to be drinking a glass of water and you hear the call to Fajr prayer, do not stop your drink. You better finish it. This is because God desire what is easy for us.
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If you want to follow imsak or not you better do research about it..I dont suggest you to follow or avoid imsak..It's up to you. Iam just giving you some info:D

Once again...

Iam feeling the 'winds of change' ahead of us. I just have this feeling tingling in my body that something is about to change. I can really feel it. Subhanallah.

How to tell when someone is tired...

If you're not yawning every second or having other problems like finding it hard to keep your eyes open, the following is a pretty clear sign of your tiredness: trying to wash your face with your glasses still on. Ehm...

Now I've just finished eating suhoor and reading the message of the holy Quran and Iam really struggling with staying awake. The morning pray isn't till after a whole hour. Why do they wake us up more than 2 whole hours BEFORE the morning pray??? Why do people need 2 hours to eat? Do they cook a whole meal of meat cassaroul and rice? Do they??? Well, I don't understand...More than 2 hours??? I wish that they woke us up about one hour before pray. That's enough isn't it? All you going to do is eat anyways....

*yawn* Iam superduper sleepy. I don't know what Iam going to type next.... Oh, that's right! Now I remember.. Do you know what Iam missing? You won't believe it! Or if you know be IRL, you might. What I miss is cleaning up. Get it? I miss CLEANING UP! How sick is that? I know Iam going to regret ever 'saying' that 'how can someone miss cleaning up'??? Well Iam going to explain it for you. Cleaning up isn't just about cleaning. Cleaning up is taking CARE of your HOME. And that is really what I miss the most. A home. MY home. To clean-LOL. No but seriously, I really miss having my own place. My OWN home. My own stuff, my closet, my bed, my sofa, my everything. The place where I feel comfortable and 'safe'. I hope I get the time to land and make myself comfortable in my new home before the 'whole world' comes knocking on our door:P

Thoughts about Tuesday the 1st of September

It's hard to believe August is almost finished......
Well anyway, on the 1st of september, that's on Tuesday, Iam going to the dentist and in the evening we are going to a charity dinner. Or so are the plans till now anyway. I have no clue what to wear. And I want to go to the hairsalon before and let them fix my hair. I know everyone else going to do it, so why not me aswell? Actually Iam so fed up with my hair. So bored with it. Why do we have hair??? Oh well, I was going thru some photos today and I kinda miss my "old hair". Well it's the same hair just another style. I miss it..

And Iam a little bit nervous about going to the dentist. I have some holes to fix and some beauty "construction work":P Kinda... Well enough said about dental work.

My right eye is tired. Ye, only the right one, I can notice when I put my hand over it that I don't feel any pain. But when I use it I feel pain and pressure. Strange...Hope it passes.

Now-going to try to sleep.....................

augusti 28, 2009

7th of Ramadan

So here Iam awake, waiting for fajr(morning pray). It's after approxiametly 40 minutes..
I woke up 1½ hour ago, after 1 hour of sleep...Zzzz feeling very tired. But I forced myself to wake up and go to the bathroom and perform wudhu(ablution) to be able to pray. To be honest I wasn't planning on eating suhoor today. But I remembered, after bathroom action that we have some cake..So that's going to be my suhoor. Cake and water. Hmmm I hope I don't gain a lot of weight during Ramadan.....Well the risk of that happening is so high. Not because I tend to overeat during Ramadan but because I don't do any excercise and we eat pretty late, at 7 at night and also in the morning and go back to sleep afterwards, of course after performing morning pray. Not all of us do this of course, Iam just talking about myself:)

Well this is all for now, my brain feels mushy. Not really mushy but as if someone poured syrup in it. Very sloooow and tired:) Going to finish my cake and hope that I don't fall asleep before the adhan for fajr comes.

augusti 27, 2009

6th of Ramadan *It smells funny*

I'm sitting on the bed reading blogs, blogging and soon I'll be opening the translation of the Holy Quran. I just had a shower, finally:)

I hear the adhan for the afternoon(asr) pray and there's a smell coming from the kitchen teasing my nose. It smells veggies. I think it's the same kind of soup as we ate before yesterday when we broke the fast. It's a lot of boiled veggies that gets smashed in the mixer and turned to a smooth green/brown coloured soup. Doesn't smell very nice, doesn't look very tasty, and no it isn't very tasty either. BUT it's filled with vitamines and minerals(I guess, veggies do contain minerals don't they???) so I am going to eat it with pleasure to fill my belly with this healthy soup that do good for my body:) We shouldn't always eat what our eyes want or what our tongue wants. Sometimes, more often than we do, we should eat what's healthy for us. But that's easier said than done:)

Well, todays fasting is going pretty good so far, hamdella. Just 3 hours left. Iam going now to pray the afternoon pray, then come back to read Quran. I missed some pages during the last couple of days, so I have some catching up to do...Kheir inshallah. According to my calculations I should read 32 pages each day to be able to read it all during the holy month of Ramadan. Inshallah

6th of Ramadan

So here Iam, awake of course. Iam going to prepare suhoor soon. Its 2.10 at night and I hear the man beating on his drum down in the neighbourhood waking us up for suhoor. May Allah reward him for his doing.

So the reason I haven't been blogging for the last week is that we have been out of internet. It just wasn't working. But today finally the "phone/internet-guy" came and fixed it. He fixed one of 3 phones and then wanted to leave.. No way José, that probably wasn't his name since he is an arab, but anyway, I kept him here till I made sure everything was working. Iam so happy right now hehe. I missed the world out here in cyberspace:)

So ramadan began on saturday, hamdella the days have been going good. Well of course Iam struggling with the fasting and the lack of fluids during the day. What Iam struggling the most with is not being allowed to drink. I feel lightheaded when I don't get enough to drink during day. But that's nothing to complain about, Iam just saying;) Lots of people have it MUCH worse than me, and don't even get to drink/eat after a whole day of fasting. So hamdella.

Not much is going on over here really, Iam too tired to get involved in anything. I prefer just to stay home, pray the prayers on time, read from the Holy Quran and take it easy. At night we gather and break the fast together. My routine is: 3 dates, some water, then some soup. Later the main meal.

The guy is outside our building now. LOL he is funny. One night he comes and says: Oh the father of (some arab name) wake up, oh the father of(some other arab name) wake up.
Next night he says: Come on sleepers, wake up!
He says more than that but I can't really hear what he is saying since he is banging his drum in the same time. But I heard from others that they use to say: Wake up for suhoor the prophet(sallallahu aleyhi wassalam) is coming to visit.
Well I haven't heard that one yet:)
It is pretty nice to hear this guy at night. I know some people would find it disturbing. But anyway we should wake up and eat something and pray the morning pray(on time). Inshallah we'll get rewarded for it.

My goal for this Ramadan is:
read a part of the Holy Quran each day so by the time Ramadan finish I've completed it all
pray all prayers ON time including sunnah prayers, taraweeh and witr
be more aware of what Iam saying during prayers(often it happens that we just recite the prayer without thinking of the meaning)

Inshallah ya rabb!

Well overall my goal is really just to be a better muslim/person. And inshallah it will last after Ramadan finishes aswell. All of us should strive to become better persons all the time. There is already too many persons in this world with bad actions and intentions.


So Happy Ramadan to you all, and may Allah accept all fastings and prayers made during this blessed month, inshallah.

augusti 19, 2009

It's almost time.....



Ramadan begins in a couple of days inshallah.
I'm pretty confused. Seems Iam confused a lot these days. Oh well, what's a girl to do?
What Iam thinking about is, if I should stay here or go and stay with my parents-in-law?
With them, no internet, but suhoor together.. Maybe here too, but yet I don't know..Maybe I'll eat suhoor alone. I don't mind, but I just don't want to wake up the whole house doing it. Or maybe that's a positive side since I guess all the people in this house are planning on fasting. Well I just don't know. Tomorrow is the day to decide, join my parents-in-law or stay here another night.

I hope I'll be able to fast at all. It feels as if it's been hundred years ago since last time.

I also hope to eat(find) some tasty dates. The tastiest are those that are packed in a paper kartong box usually imported from Iran. The dates I mean, probably the box too:)
The below are the only ones I eat.

Confused but well

So today I've been playing wii. It's been since last wednesday. That's a week ago. Dear Wii-I've missed you. I played for half an hour, but that was pure excercise, no fun games:)
But anyways what I want to say, the thing that is confusing me is the bmi and the weight according to the wii machine. It says that my BMI is 22.88 and my weight is 134 lbs. I checked how many kgs 134 lbs are. And the websites tell me: 60.8 kg. But if I type in 61 kg for the bmi that doesn't add up to 22.88 more like 22, or less... So which to believe?? Iam going to check the settings for my lenght next time. Maybe it's wrong... Well overall I'm pleased with myself wheather I'm 60 kg or 134 lbs or my BMI is 22.88:) I have been feeling 'strange' for 2 days. Strange meaning weak and tired. But today I feel much better hamdella.

I had the privilige to sleep for 5 hours in a row tonight, yey:) That's been a long time ago since that happened. If had we gotten our little visitors in the morning I would've only gotten about 2-3 hours sleep... So Iam more than pleased:) I woke up around 9 but stayed in bed til 11.30. I was just lying on the bed thinking about life and worldly and afterworldly things and what to have for breakfast.

A cup of tea and mankhoushe(bread with thyme mixture on it) It was pretty tasty. I ate the whole one. Usually I eat a half and my husband eats one on his own and my other half. Luckily he wasn't here today cause he would be hungry since I ate a whole one.

After the wii exercise and shower I ate a banana and drank a glass of juice. Honestly, is there anything tastier than mango juice?? A creamy cold mango juice.. Mmm it's color is refreshing and the taste!!!! Ooooh well I guess you get the point. I love mango juice:D

A lot of talk about NOTHING!

What should I say?
I have nothing to say
All I got to say is
NOTHING

augusti 18, 2009

Today I wasn't myself

I have been feeling 'strange' all day. As if my body is yet to decide if it should get sick or fight the virus away.
I've been struggling all day with keeping myself from fainting. Meaning I've been sitting most of the day and if moving, I did that in slow-motion. I wasn't able to do any quick movement. It made the darkness come back into sight...

And now it's bedtime and I welcome(not at all) the ache in my stomach.....

augusti 17, 2009

Sometimes

I just wish I could feel more motivated to wake up in the morning

Sometimes I just wish to be able to sleep a whole night without waking up each 5 minutes

Sometimes I just wish I could wake up and have my breakfast alone until my real happy self wakes up

augusti 16, 2009

So...

I'm back again here on the sofa in the house that is called home.
It's a home, but it's not my home.
My home is where he is. And he is not here. Right now.



A tough weekend. Not in the mood of blogging. Planning on just being here. Behind the curtains. Reading your blogs...

augusti 13, 2009

Ye....

Iam starting to believe that the more expensive something is the better it is. The pistachio(spelling pls) was the tastiest I've ever eaten.

You probably get a headache if it's too hot and you don't drink enough water.

Kebbeh reheated in the micro isn't a good idea.

Paperwork and some arabs goes everything BUT smoothly.

Nuts are tasty.

Strong tea is not.

I don't want more white bread. I want whole-grain. Please

Showering without water is more than a challenge.

To tell someone: "Congratulations! Which month are you in?" to someone who isn't actually pregnant is a never good idea.

augusti 11, 2009

Ya Allah, I've been tagged!!!

I was tagged by Jaz for this game. I'll tell 10 honest things about myself then tag 10 other people :)

1. I hate my past but I'm thankful for it, because it made me who Iam today
2. I haven't had my own natural haircolor since years ago
3. I care too much of what people say about me
4. I rather read a bad boring book then spend time with bad people;)
5. I used to wear nothing but black for about 5 years
6. I've had my hair in red, black, brown and yellow...
7. I once lost 36 kgs in 10 weeks
8. I always skipped the gym classes back in school
9. I met the boy that became my husband when I was about 11 years
10. We didn't meet for 13 years til 3 years ago

I tag anyone who is reading and who haven't already done the "honest game"

augusti 09, 2009

Question for my readers

Did you make a choice? What did you choose? And why?

Are you all wondering what Iam talking about?

Well of course Iam talking about Islam.
If you don't share the idea of being "just a muslim" but have actually made a choice wheather or not to be a sunni- muslim or a shia-muslim. And more importantly if you choosed to be a sunni-muslim and choosed one of the madhhabs(schools) which one did you choose, and what made you decide this specific madhhab? And if you are a shia-muslim, how did you choose the direction? And which leader are you seeking for help and guidance and why?

Please, Iam sincerely interested to know your reasons.

I'm back!!

Well after a weekend with lots of drama(sorry) I'm back in Beirut. I'm so happy to be back. And yes the AC is working:)
Tomorrow I'm inshallah going to a library with islamic literature. My husband's aunt is taking me.

Just so you know, when Ramadan comes, I'm planning on changing the direction of my blog. Not so much about me. I will try inshallah to type more about what I read about in the islamic books that I'll inshallah borrow tomorrow

augusti 07, 2009

Why oh why oh why!?!?!?!?!

Did you guys wish me to dehydrate and leave nothing but a dried out skin on the bed or what's happening???

I just went inside the bedroom, put the laptop on the bed and arranged my things... Lifted up the AC-remote and directed it to the AC and pushed on button. Nothing happened..No beep, no reaction whatsoever from the AC. I turned the remote OFF... Pushed ON again... No beep, and the silent AC machine just stares me in the face, a really evil and sarcastic stare. Yes, if did the AC have any eyes that's how it would stare at me.

So you guys, Iam sleeping in a closed bedroom without any AC in the middle of Beirut.

I am going to feel so hooooot tonight!!!!

Well for all I know swetting is good for the body. It's like a detox... Very healthy....
Who am I kidding? Yiiiiiiiiiiii I don't like to sleep in a hot room!!!!!

B, where are you??? Come and fix the AC! Puh leeeeezzzzzz!?

Thoughts in the dark lonely night

I was thinking.... How Iam sometimes(often) bored and just surf the net hour after hour reading blogs. Believe me it's not all that bad I honestly find it amazing and amusing to be able to read people's inner thoughts or just get a glimpse of their humour. BUT the blogs Iam reading aren't very educational, and I could learn so much more if I just used my time a little wiser.

So here's what I've come up with:
*Iam in an arab country
*I've seen so many books all written in English about all kinds of subjects in life
*The people are pretty english friendly -Meaning most of the people knows English.

So, where am I going with this? Well I have to get my hands on some books about Islam, of course in English. I don't think that is very difficult? I think all I have to do is ask. Someone.
I am really excited about this now. And what a perfect time to start to read and learn more about our wonderful religion, Ramadan is almost here.

augusti 06, 2009

Let's "pop" the big question *updated*

Should I go or should I stay?

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okey, I'm staying. at least for another day

augusti 05, 2009

A swede's wednesday in Beirut

Okey so what's happening today?
Well for the moment we are 'enjoying' a 3 hours long period of no electricity.. And I'm pampering myself with french manicure. And I just finished plucking my eyebrows aotch.
And before that I had a thrill playing wii for an hour:) Until electricity got cut off. Then I headed directly for the shower to cool down.
Later I'm going out with my sister in law and her cousin. Don't know exactly what we are going to do, I guess just sit in a café for a while. Iam planning on trying to convince them to go to the cinema. We'll see.

Anyways, now its time for the 3rd layer of nailpolish, the most important layer. The white line on the end of the nail. Good luck to me, well thanks;)

Everyone is hot in Lebanon!!!!

Ye, seriously how hot can it get??? Well at least now I got the AC started...I had to change batteries and lots of others difficulties, just hope it still works tomorrow without any fuss.

I just ate mankhoushe. That's bread with zaatar mix in it. Zaatar=thyme(correct me if im wrong Im swedish;)) And of course the usual cup of tea. So now I'm burning hot, not only because of the tea;). I'm planning on drinking about half a litre of water before I get started with the wii routine today. I hope I get to play a whole hour before someone comes home:D

augusti 03, 2009

Don't think it's all bad!!!

When I was living on my own I didn't care too much of food. I didn't enjoy cooking nor eating. Now... Ye, well I can't even remember the last time I cooked a meal. Besides the time when I helpt MIL with the tabbouleh(sallad the lebanese way) And oh ye tabbouleh can indeed be counted even as a main dish. I could eat tabbouleh for lunch any day;) Yummiiii

Examples from today on how lucky I am.,,,
I left the bed around 11. Goes to the bathroom, do what needs to be done, like wash my face and brush my teeth. Goes to the kitchen.... Sees my breakfast being arranged and put on a serving plate. Take it and goes sits down in the sofa in the salon and watch TV.
Lunch: goes to the kitchen, take some minizucchinis and some tomato sauce from the Tupperware and put on a plate, stuff it into the microwave and set the timer for 2 minutes.
2 minutes later: Biiiiiing! My lunch/dinner is ready

So what's the deal?
Well my dear mother in law cooked for me yesterday to bring with me to Beirut for today's lunch. It's possible being spoiled even as a grown-up. I like it;)
Who wouldn't?

Now I can truly say I understand why some arab men are so "according to traditions".. All they have to do is "just" go to work and his wife will fix everything at home. Cleaning, cooking and raising the children... Okey don't take me 100% seriously, but you get the point, don't you? But also thru this experience I understand more what it'll mean for my husband when I'll cook for him. Especially since cooking isn't my favourite thing to do.. But we all have to eat don't we?

So the conclusion is:
I have it rather good in Lebanon with my in-laws afterall

augusti 02, 2009

What do I want? This:

I want to put MY key in MY lock in MY frontdoor and open MY door to MY home.
I want to enter with my right foot into MY home and feel the familiar scent.
I want to enter MY kitchen with MY stove, MY refrigerator, MY furnitures, MY food.
Later I want to go inside MY livingroom and sit down in MY sofa and turn on MY TV.
I want in the evening to go to MY bathroom and use MY towels and MY soap and MY toothpaste.
After that I want to liy down on MY bed with MY sheets, MY blanket, MY pillow and MY HUSBAND.....................



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yes, whatever is mine is his and viceversa...

Lebanon!!

I love you but without my DH you're just not the same anymore... Well actually you are exactly the same but I'm not... Well inshallah we'll be reunited soon DH and I...........

Have a nice day everyone!!