On a lighter note, here is an “Eid take” on a classic email that get floated around. Feel free to add your 2 cents worth in the comments.

You know it’s Eid when…

• Your more senior relatives call “back home” for an Eid chit chat which ends up lasting the whole day and costing more than the price of a flight home.
• You’ve gone to a friend or relative’s house to wish them Eid Mubarak and they are actually at your house looking for you.
• Your kids go to school and tell their teacher that after a Month of Fasting in Ramadhan it is the “Day of Eat” and you tell them it’s actually “Eat Al Fritters”.
• You get to the Mosque late for the first Eid Salaat and miss the beginning of the Kuthba and have to get the next Jamaat. Dohh! (Eid Salaat has the Kuthba at the start and prayer at the end).
• You sleep in and forget to set your alarm and have to go to the last (graveyard) Jamaat at 11am, Double Dohh!
• The person next to you in Eid Salat has put too much Itar (perfume) on.
• You forget to iron you Eid clothes the night before the early start.
• You get 1001 SMS text messages of Eid Mubarak (some which are well crafted and obviously copied from somewhere).
• Your Shalwar doesn’t have a “izar-bund” and you have to use elastic (one for the Pakistani’s).
• You wake up for the time of Sahoor by accident and go back to bed (until fajr hopefully).
• You forget the format of Eid Salaat and watch the person next to you (2 Rakats, 6 Takbeers).
• You eat way too much for lunch and end up needing a nap in the afternoon.
• You forget to give Fitrana before your Eid Salat.
• There are no more Taraweeh Prayers (obvious).
• You have to carry a lot of £5/$5 notes to give “hard cash” by younger relatives.
• You get force-fed food from “big round” cheek pinching Aunties.
• Muslims never decide to do Eid on the same day (I have a dream..).
• Someone in some remote Muslim country decides they have seen the moon even though it’s not technically possible.
• Your mum cooks too much food thinking that you have the same size stomach as before Ramadhan (be warned, don’t waste food as you’ve just fasted for 30ish days).
• Although it’s Eid someone it still fasting.
• Some Muslim youth decide to embarress the Muslim community by driving up and down major high streets hanging out of car windows and playing loud music (this is not the way to celebrate Eid).
• The Baklava/Jalaibees and are in full flow.

Eid Mubarak!

Did you see the other publications MyAdhan has been advertised in this Ramadhan?

It’s been a tough call to decide where to advertise this year and as you may have guested our focus was to try TV instead of print media. It’s really good to experiment and we hope in the coming months we can work on a few more imaginative campaigns.

MyAdhan will provide the SMS text message voting platform to allow viewers the ability to vote for their Mosque to help progress it to the final.

“Model Mosque is a national competition to find the best mosque in the UK. The ultimate aims of the show are to improve standards within UK mosques and to share best practice amongst mosques. The show has nothing to do with the size, layout or architecture of a mosque. It has everything to do with the services the mosque provides for its local community and how well the mosque manages relations with the local host community”.
IslamChannel Model Mosque Website

MyAdhan is also powering the SMS text voting for the National Qir’aat Competition which will also hold it’s finals at Global Peace and Unity 2008. The competition is now in it’s third year and has gained popular status amongst younger viewers who aspire to read the Quran like some of the contestants.

The National Qiraat Competition is a competition on Islam Channel where viewers under the age of 16 are encouraged to recite their favorite verses of the Quran which is judged by a panel of Imam’s. The Imams score on Tarteel, Tajweed and knowledge of the Quran. The season starts with general phone callers and then on to studio recitation, leading to the final at the Global Peace and Unity Event.

Here is an Islam Channel recording of the runner up of NQC 2007 Nusaiba Mohammed:

Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, “better than a thousand months” (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr.

Allah’s Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time. (Muslim). Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari).

The Prophet said: “Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira).

Here are some tips to make the most of the last 10 days of Ramadhan:

1. Take a vacation for Allah
   We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator. If this is not possible at least take a few days off if you can. This can make it easier to stay awake at night to do extra Ibadah, not having to worry about getting to work the next day. It will also facilitate doing Itikaf.
2. Give, give, give
   Good deeds are normally rewarded tenfold, in Ramadhan this is multiplied by seventy or more. What better time to make an investment in the “real bank account” that will benefit. No investment on this Earth will ever give such returns. Make time to give Zakat, Sadqah, Lillah all for the sake of Allah. Giving also means giving your time. Spend time with people you love and also the people who you “don’t get along with”, who know’s you may find something good about them.
3. Do I’tikaf
   It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for I’tikaf. Those in I’tikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs. I’tikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well.
4. Make this special Dua.
   Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?’ He said: ‘Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.’ “(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi). The transliteration of this Dua is “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee”




5. Recite the Quran
   Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite. If you attend a class where the recitation of the Quran is taught, this is a great time to put your knowledge into practice.
6. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran
   Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you’ve heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level.
7. Get your sins wiped out
   Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven. [Bukhari and Muslim). Don’t just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray. Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs. This is a good way to develop the habit of concentration, even in regular prayers, where many of us tend to be fidgety and/or easily distracted.
8. Make a personal Dua list
   Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things:
   • Ask Allah to give you those things
   • Think about what actions you have taken to get those things
   • Develop a work plan to get those things in future
9. Evaluate yourself
   Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah’s sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above.
10. Make long, sincere and deep Duas
    One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said: When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Bukhari, Muslim). That means for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction.
11. Memorise a different Dua every night
    They don’t have to be long. They can be just one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don’t know the exact translation in English.You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then practice them at night in prayer.
12. Have Iftar with the family
    If you’ve spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you’ll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely.
13. Take the family to Tarawih
    Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih most of Ramadan because you weren’t there to drive them to the Masjid, which is too far away to walk to? If so, do all of yourselves a favour and bring everyone for Tarawih in these last ten nights.
14. Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation
    Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night’s Tarawih prayer with your family. See if you can attend different Masjids’ Tarawih prayers the night they finish reading the Quran.
15. Finish reading a book on the Prophet
    Read about the Prophet’s life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah’s sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice.
16. Plan for the next year
    Once you’ve done a self-evaluation, you can plan on where you want to go, at least in the next 12 months. Laylatul Qadr is a great night to be thinking about this (without taking away from your worship), since you’ll Insha Allah, be in a more contemplative state. You may choose to dedicate one night of power for evaluation and one night for planning for the next year.
17. To do list for the Night of Power
    Make a to do checklist for each Night of Power. This should define how you would like your night, the one better than a thousand months, to be used. Pick things from this list and define the sequence you would like to do things in. This will help you avoid wasting your time in unproductive chats which common in the festive atmosphere of Masjids at the Night of Power.

Keep us in your Du’aas.

Cageprisoners - Another Ramadan 2008 - Fundraising Dinner (7th September 2008, 6pm)
Imprisonment without charge or trial is one of the greatest injustices facing Muslims today. Help Cageprisoners, during this blessed month, ‘when the doors to Paradise are open’ to open the doors of justice for those wrongfully imprisoned.

Speakers
Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki (via video conference)
Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham
Moazzam Begg
Yvonne Ridley

Tickets Prices
£50 per person
£40 per person when booking a group of 6-9 persons
£35 per person when booking a table (10 persons)
Children under 2 free

See the event’s promotional video:

In the blink of an eye Ramadhan is upon us again! If you hadn’t noticed we’ve been busy at MyAdhan.com getting new services set up in new countries along with a big marketing campaign on TV and in some of the Islamic press. Look out for follow up postings on our new TV advert, events we are supporting and other activities during Ramadhan.

Remember to check out our Guide for making the most out of Ramadhan.

Be sure to keep us in your Duaa’s and have a successful Ramadhan. More to follow soon…

The competition will be open to UK residents only and can only be entered by text message. Standard network sending charges apply. All winners will be notified by text if they have won. No response means that you’ve been unsuccessful. All winners will be announced by 1st December 2008. Good luck.