Ramadan Reflections, Pt. IV

In probably my last Ramadan Reflections post, I just want to share a few quotes and sayings that have resonated with me. I hope they will provide you with some inspiration and a few moments of reflection.

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In our tradition, we find a narration that speaks of a funeral procession that once passed in front of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Prophet stood out of respect as the procession passed and was then told that it was a Jewish person who had passed away, not a Muslim. His response? "Was he not a living being, a living soul?"

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"For he who is living in the Light of God,

The death of the carnal soul is a blessing."

~ Rumi 

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"Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die, they weep for you, and if you live, they long for you." 

~ Ali ibn Abi Talib 

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Finally, for those who know I've been busy this past weekend, this is a brief explanation of what was keeping me occupied :-)

Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power or Destiny, is the climax of the Islamic month of fasting, commemorating the night when Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, received his first divine revelation through the Archangel Gabriel in 610 AD. These revelations continued for more than two decades and form the Quran, meaning 'Recitation' in English, which is a composition of God's message to humanity.

Many Muslims around the world will spend Laylat al-Qadr in prayer and quiet reflection, some secluding themselves in mosques in devotion to God, hoping to seek the unparalleled benefit of a night when sincere worshippers are forgiven all sins and angels descend on earth.

**Sourced from various posting by Imam Khalid Latif

Ramadan Reflections, Pt.III: "Charity conquers the greed of our souls."

Borrowing this quote from Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, the subject of this edition of Ramadan Reflections will focus on charity & giving.

As you hopefully are already aware, East Africa, particularly Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia is facing its worst drought in 60 years. Around 3.6 million people are at risk of starvation. The UN recently shared that 29 000 children have already died and 600 000 more are expected to perish during this period of hardship.

Islamic Relief is one of few organizations on the ground and has been doing tremendous work this past summer. And until September 16, the Government of Canada is matching dollar for dollar donations made to this cause. So the time to act is now! (UNICEF is also a great organization to donate to).

Take a look at this informative interview by CBC's Mark Kelley for an update on what's happening on the ground, some background on previous famines in Somalia and a brief history of the country.

Also, please take a moment to read this wonderful blogpost from Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. He brings up some very thought-provoking points, which I have copy and pasted below.

Such tragedies make some people ask, “Where is God?” But God may very well answer with a question: “Where are you?!” After all, these catastrophes are avoidable. A recent study of global food wastage indicates that we waste millions of tons of food each year. Even a portion of that would ward off any potential famine.

Do check out this article from rabbi emeritus Dow Marmur, entitled "Making Fasting Relevant during Famine", for more on this subject.

With all the blessings we have been bestowed with, it is imperative that we all do our part to help alleviate some of the suffering where possible.

Neat Ebay Finds!

I LOVE ebay! I've purchased many different items from it over the years including makeup, clothing, electronics, etc! I even got defrauded once! With paypal's buyer protection, that situation ended well :-)

I often spend time on ebay searching for cheap and interesting finds- beauty related and otherwise. So, I thought I'd share some cool items I've purchased before and some new ones I recently came across. Take a look.

☮ Clean & Clear Oil Blotting Sheets, two packs for 4.88 US. If you've ever used these before and bought them at your nearest drugstore, you're probably used to paying at least $6 before taxes for a single pack! Getting 2 packs for less the cost of one is a dang good deal! Here is another version of the oil blotting sheets which I haven't tried, but are worth trying.

☮ Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, one pack of 10 strips for 4.48 US. Purchasing these on ebay, you're still saving a few dollars. I love using these strips once in a while as I do find that they work! Last year, I posted a Michelle Phan video where she showed us how to make our own pore strips! The Biore strips are a little more convenient system, but equally effective.

☮ Hair Removal Coil, 99 cents US. I have yet to try this item, but what reviews I have read for the brand name version of this- it seems as if it is an effective facial hair remover, especially for the upper lip area. I have very sensitive skin, and I find I often break out when using wax strips on my upper lip area. Tweezing seems to aggravate my skin a little less. I'm intending to buy this soon.

City Hunter (Kdrama): Final Thoughts

* Spoilers Ahead *
Earlier yesterday, I wrapped up the final episode of City Hunter. I'd been putting off completing the drama because I was really enjoying watching LMH as Lee Yun Seung and all the action that was unfolding! Watching the last few episodes was gripping and I had my fair share of gasps and screams!

There were a few surprises that were revealed in the final few episodes, but, it did feel a bit rushed as we got closer and closer to the end. I just wonder why they couldn't spend the last few episodes expanding on the storyline, rather than compacting it into the very last two.

I was satisfied with the way things were wrapped up with Lee Jin Pyo/Steve Lee. I think you always knew things weren't going to end well for him. His death and subsequent declaration gave him an opportunity at redemption with his adoptive son Yun Seung. Not that anything he did would absolve him of his crimes against him, namely his kidnapping!

For my first foray into more 'serious' dramas, I was quite impressed that the action sequences, storyline weren't too cheesy. There were of course weird inconsistencies that bothered me throughout: such as how calling 911 wasn't an immediate response during life or death situations, or how sometimes characters responded to situations very unrealistically.

Cherryculture Haul!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I took advantage of a family member's trip to the US to do some online shopping! I had never ordered from Cherryculture before, not wanting to pay Canadian shipping. My sister and I were lucky enough to be ordering at a time when they were running a 20% promo. They shipped our items quite fast, and thankfully the order was completed without error. I had read some blogs that warned of cherryculture's poor customer service and proclivity for order errors, so I was very happy that everything went smoothly! I love all the products I bought. Take a look!

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, in the Dark Knight Rises (First Photo)

So a picture of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman was posted on the official Dark Knight Rises website. I'm not sure how I feel about it from this angle. I have some major doubts about Anne Hathaway being able to pull off such a pivotal role in the Batman franchise...but I have faith in Christopher Nolan. I'm glad her outfit is toned down and unlike the previous incarnations of the character. Take a look!

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

Ramadan Reflections, Pt.II

Browsing through Huffpost's Religion section, I came across a similarly titled- 'Ramadan Reflection' series from one of North America's up and coming Imams, Khalid Latif. 28 year old chaplain at NYU, and Executive Director of the NYU Islamic Center, Imam Latif's message of inclusion and social harmony is penetrating the masses! He articulates a perspective that is very appealing to young western Muslims who have been born and raised in Canada, the US, etc. He is an imam in our own image, of our own generation, who has grown up with similar cultural and social norms and this is precisely why he seems relatable. His 'Ramadan Reflection' series is an interesting read. It discusses some of his 'reflections' on the hidden beauty and common challenges he (and we) is experiencing during this month.

I also came across two hadith (statements or actions of  the Prophet SAW) that I felt like sharing.

A believer is not stung from the same hole twice -Sahih Al-Bukhari & Muslim. An excellent quote that speaks to how we should try and learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.

Two blessings which many people waste are health and free time -Sahih Al-Bukhari. There ain't nothing truer than these words.

This is a bandwidth eater, but Muhammad Al-Shareef has put up a link on his facebook page of a live stream from Masjid al-Haram. Tune in to Taraweeh prayers for a chance to hear some Qur'anic recitation.

Ramadan Reflections

I wanted to share a few links and videos with you, just some stuff that is keeping me occupied now that Ramadan is officially upon us :-)

Last year, I posted a link to this website, about two American Muslims brothers who embarked on a journey across the US- visiting 30 mosques in 30 different states, during the month of Ramadan. It was an interesting blog to follow- for readers to catch a glimpse of how various American Muslim communities live and spend Ramadan. The boys are back for another trip, this time visiting the 20 states that they did not visit the first time around, and re-visiting some of their favourite spots from last year. I'm looking forward to following them, and you should too!

Also around last year was a daily vlog from Muhammad Al-Shareef, founder of the Al-Maghrib Institute. In the daily segment, entitled Taraweeh Truffles, Al-Shareef discusses various topics, hadiths and verses from the Qur'an, offering unique perspectives. You'll be sure to come away from watching these videos learning something new each time. Here's the first video of the month! You can search for his videos from this season and last on youtube.

MAC Blush Palette

With my MAC blushes accumulating, I decided to purchase the pro palette to streamline my blush application process and to minimize clutter in my makeup corner! I attempted to search for cheaper alternative palettes to the MAC one, but could not find anything less expensive. Taking advantage of a family member's trip to the US, I shipped a pro palette to my aunt's house, saving me quit a bit of money! The palette retails for $14 US, and $17 CA. Coupled with a few pan blushes, I definitely benefited from their  lower prices and low taxes :-)

I removed the divider in the palette using a butter knife.

None except one of my blushes were depotted, and it was surprisingly easy to depot my MAC and Milani blush (there is an annoying mirror that you need to pop off, but other than that, you would follow the same procedure for depotting Milani blushes as you would MAC blushes!)! There are a ton of videos on youtube and if you follow their instructions, you really can't go wrong. My own suggestions for depotting include:

☮Take your time, move slowly and do NOT rush!

☮Be sure your candle has a strong flame

☮Don't be afraid to apply a bit of force when poking out the pan
☮Pick up some Goo Gone to help you remove the glue residue

☮Most importantly, have fun!

Old Time Candy Haul!

I ordered some items through the Old Time Candy website recently and had it shipped to my aunt's house in California. I finally received them just in time for when I started fasting. Great timing, eh?

There are some really tasted treats in this haul. The best part about eating them of course is that they take me right back to my childhood! I haven't eaten some of these sweets in over a decade!! The cigarette gums, tiny size chiclets and the cry baby tears...absolutely delicious, and totally worth the price! YUM.

Amateur Gardening Delight!

With it (water) He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those of you who reflect (16:11, Qur'an)

I tried growing some herbs and vegetables in planters this past summer though I didn't have much luck due to a few issues...but, my potatoes actually grew! Quel Surprise! I pulled them out a bit early, but they tasted absolutely delicious in a Bombay Biryani I recently made with my sister! I don't know if it's all in my head, but eating organic potatoes sure tasted and felt good :-)

Hopefully next year, I'll have learned a bit more about gardening and will have more to show for my efforts, iA.