bismillaah

alhamdulillaah semalam sempat singgah ke dua masjid di sini, satu kat Hawthorne dan satu lagi kat San Gabriel Valley. MashaAllaah ramai dan meriah umat Islam meraikan Ramadhan. Hajar dan Adam seronok dapat main di playground dan jumpa other kids. Plus, dapat toys from a generous person yang donated toys untuk kanak-kanak yang ikut parents berterawih. Jazakumullaahu khayr.

Harapnya Hajar, Adam dan Maryam dapat menghayati dan seronok dengar Quran recitation during the teraweeh too! The 3 of them sat quietly thru the entire teraweeh. MashaAllaah.

bismillaah

"puasa!!," tapi tetap makan juga, minum susu juga :)

itulah Hajar dan Adam. ALhamdulillaah mereka seronok dengan pengalaman Ramadhan kali ini, biarpun belum pernah terjaga sewaktu ibu dan abah bersahur. Sudah dua kali Hajar dan Adam ikut ke masjid, merasai kemeriahan beribadah di malam hari. Biar mereka belajar dan tahu bahawa Ramadhan bulan istimewa, biar mereka juga jadi penanti yang setia dan hamba yang menggunakan Ramadhan sepenuhnya.

"Ramadhan bulan orang Islam berpuasa..." sabar abah menerangkan kepada Hajar bila Hajar dengan muka penuh ingin tahu bertanya "Ramadhan?" bila abah menyebutnya. Hajar senyum saja, faham?kurang pasti.

:)

"...and there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah"

bismillaah

alhamdulillaah, semalam kami berkesempatan ke Islamic Center of Irvine. Dari maghrib sehingga habis terawih, yang diimamkan oleh Shaykh Mishary al-Afasy!! MashaAllaah.

Hajar, Adam, Maryam dan Ibu kena duduk dalam side rooms, prayer hall yang dikhaskan untuk sisters with small children. Alhamdulillaah, the room was very nice and comfortable, not a dingy, cold room..ehe. The sound system was loud and clear, allowing us to follow the recitation clearly despite the sound of excited kids playing and talking.

Hajar did not join the kids group. She just watched the other kids playing and their moms praying, while standing up still and quietly. As for Adam, he also stayed quite, but not still...ehe he quitely joined the play group, grabbed a coloring book and a crayon, and sat beside Ibu coloring the book. Alhamdulillaah the sister and her son who owns the book and crayon happily let Adam played with the book and crayon.

1 juz of qur'an, 20+3 rakaats of teraweeh and witr prayer. Alhamdulillaah!

bismillaah

Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment ... al-Qur'an 2:185

surely Hajar, Adam, and Maryam do not understand what Ramadhan means yet. However, they have heard the words 'Ramadhan' and 'puasa,' inshaAllaah that should be good enough at this point. InshaAllaah they will hear lots of Quran recitation both at home and during the teraweeh prayer at the masajid we will be visiting throughout the month. Last night, abah attended the teraweeh prayer at Masjid Omar near USC, but we didnt joined abah since kids are not allowed in the masjid during prayer. Alhamdulillaah, not all masaajid have the same policy. Islamic center of Southern California on Vermont even offers free childcare between maghrib until after teraweeh, mashaAllaah. A famous Quran reciter, Sh. Mishary is the visiting imam at Islamic center of Irvine, and inshaAllaah tonight we will be heading there :)

bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah, Maryam is in her 3++ weeks, still adjusting to her 'schedule,' so do Ibu :)..have to follow Maryam's.
Hajar loves playing pretend, singing, and observing! She silently memorizes the zikr that ibu often recites when soothing Maryam, and Hajar will recite the zikr to Maryam whenever Maryam cries.
Adam is at the peak of his curiosity and exploring stage. He loves climbing up to the highest place he could, grabbing anything and experimenting with the items. These past few days, he poured a bottle of chocolate syrup on the flour, a jar of water in the kitchen, and a can of iced tea mix on the carpet. Uhuhu....mashaAllaah its very interesting to watch the kids learn and grow.

abah is busy with his projectS..Alhamdulillaah...coaching, fundraising for alFruqan(well, securing slots during ramadhan for a rep from alFurqan at as many masaajid as possible around the LA county actually), meeting with people, helping some of them, etc etc...sometimes, ibu & the kiddos joined abah during his trips to the nearby areas, but most of the time we just stay at home :)

bismillaah

a gift of breath, a life
given free, with terms and conditions applied
its temporary, for a short time

a gift of breath, a life
through crucial moments between life and death
I thank Allaah, though my thanks will never be enough

for all moms,
thank you for your sacrifices

for all dads,
thank you for your hard works

for all parents,
may Allaah bless you with righteous children
may Allaah reward you tremendously for loving and nurturing us all