List of items for game drive lunch – donations needed!

As I’m sure you know, Fasting For Change is making arrangements to take a group of children from Sabera’s Children’s Home on a visit to the Krugersdorp Game Reserve the weekend after Eid, insha-Allah. This is one of the initiatives we are embarking on as part of the task challenge and as the saying goes, the devil is in the details, so we are working extra-hard to ensure that the children have everything that they need for the day.

So many wonderful people are involved with making this project a reality that I can gladly no longer call it my own task any more – it has grown into a collective effort that everyone involved can be proud of.

One of the things we will need help with is providing lunch for approximately 50 people (33 children and the rest would be the organizers, caregivers and media) so if there is any item on the list you can possibly provide, please let me know.

- Salt & pepper sausages
- Fresh rolls
- Coldrinks & juice
- Disposable plates and cups (donated)
- Mineral water (donated)
- Tomato sauce (donated)
- Mustard sauce (donated)
- Cupcakes (2 batches donated)
- Potato crisps (donated)
- Any other easy-to-serve confectionery or treats are welcome

Obviously you would have to live in or around Johannesburg to donate these items. All food must be strictly halaal. As I receive pledges to donate I will update the blog with a (donated) sign. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

The Quran, the environment and my view of city life

"And the earth We have spread out; set thereon mountains firm and immovable; And produced therein all kinds of things in due balance.

"And We have provided therein means of subsistence for you, and for those whose sustenance ye are not responsible.

"And there is not a thing but its treasures are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.

"And We send the fecundating winds, then cause the rain to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water. Though ye are not the guardians of its stores.

"And verily it is We who give life and Who give death: it is We who remain inheritors.

"To Us are known those of you who hasten forward and those who lag behind.

"Assuredly it is your Lord who will gather them together for He is perfect in Wisdom, Knowledge."

Holy Qur'an 15:19-25

Nothing can compare to the beauty of the Qur'an. This morning before Fajr I came across this and it gave me a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the widsom of these verses that describe how everything placed by Allah swt on the Earth is set in a delicate balance, that he gives us resources on the Earth to use for our subsistence, but that everything should be used in its due measure.

Look at the amazing description of the fecundating winds, rich with seeds to be spread over the soil and the rain that is sent after it to make the seeds grow and provide us with drinking water. We are also pointedly reminded that Allah swt is the sole guardian of fresh water - neither our scientific knowledge or our technology can avert a devastating flood or bring an end to drought.

The Qur'an tells us that our natural surroundings are Ayat (signs) but that most take no heed of them. It is when I am surrounded by natural beauty, at the coast or in the mountains, or looking at a beautiful night sky, that is the time I feel the closest to Allah swt. I feel a beautiful sense of peace that washes over me, a wave of joy, a feeling that everything makes sense. I am at my happiest at these moments. I want to jump up and down and laugh and shout a declaration of love to the sea and the mountains and the sky. Which is considered strait-jacket behaviour among most individuals, but as long as I stop doing it before the police arrive I should be fine.

You can never have that feeling in the concrete jungle, where its inhabitants can be vicious, violent and vindictive. Kind of makes wild animals look like bunny rabbits in comparison... If I had to choose one or the other for companions, I know who I would choose.

Three great task ideas from @tasoo

I received a wonderful e-mail from @tasoo on Twitter (follow her, she knows things about people just by touching their avatars) and she has some really great ideas for her three tasks, which she kindly permitted me to share with the rest of you. Behold the greatness below:

Asalaamu alaikum

Firstly, I'm thrilled to be part of this, its a fabulous idea. My three changes are

1. Community-joined Sister 4 Sister campaign. I am paired with a student from Baitul Ilm and we will be completing a task a week together until Eid. We sent off our 'getting to know you' letters today, and tasks will include things like feeding a fasting or needy child and praying for each other. We will then get to meet each other on the last iftaar insha Allah.

2. Environment-well these were ideas I had before I read about your FFC project. I have bought fabric to make shoppers, really nice ones in funky colours. Now I'm just battling to find someone to sew them for me. The idea is to empower a person who does not have a job or needs a supplementary income - its not easy, but I know I will get there. And I'm also starting a herb an veg garden to promote healthy eating and also save some dosh :)

3. Spiritual-a para a day (not easy with 2 kids) and my 4 year old wants to be taught 'how to write quraan'. My goal this year is to spend an hour alone every day and think only about Allah and why I'm fasting.

Shukran

Will keep you updated

Tasneem

Fasting For Change – finally, a decision on my three tasks! [Updated]

Ramadan Kareem to everyone out there that is about to embark on a month of fasting, praying and generally trying to get closer to the Almighty. Everyone who has signed up for Fasting For Change holds within them a desire to achieve something a little different this year. As I’ve said before, I don’t want to go through the obligatory motions and then end up feeling disappointed or disillusioned that I didn’t do all that I felt I should.

I wanted to get into the true spirit of Ramadan and for me it’s not about isolating yourself from everyone and just fasting, praying and reading the Qur’an. It’s about doing all of the above and sharing the positivity from it with everyone else you come into contact with. It’s about not being grumpy when some inconsiderate individual does something that would ordinarily make you lose your temper. It’s about not spreading stories about others. It’s about not just paying your zakat into a charity, but rolling up your sleeves and saying “what else can I do to help?”

So for all those people who are genuinely going to set themselves three tasks this month with me, I say may the blessings of Allah be with you and may He open doors this month for you that you never dreamed were possible.

When it came to my own three tasks, I procrastinated a bit (my best skill) and then I got into the whole self-doubt groove (which is also something I do frequently at almost Olympian levels), but the day before the 1st my brain mercifully kicked in again and a massive idea struck me. I got on the phone and schmoozed a bit and the results have astounded me – people started offering assistance and I was blown away by the way that things just came together in my lap.

So the three tasks I have picked for myself are as follows:

1. Spiritual: well, I decided to change this one after realising that my seven-year-old daughter puts me to shame in the Qur'an recitation department. She already knows about three times as many Surahs as I do. So I have vowed to make her teach me some (whether she wants the job or not). Some of the easy ones. So I am going to resolve to learn as much as I can and let you know how my slow silly muggaj fared. Hopefully, my daughter won't hand in her resignation for this job before the end of the month.

2. Environmental: plant a small vegetable patch in my garden in a small step towards self-sustainability. Mostly I chose this one because I can’t bear paying R20 a kilo for tomatoes and R10 for a cucumber.

3. Humanitarian (with a touch of environmental too): take the kids from the Sultan Bahu Children’s Home on safari to the Krugersdorp Game Reserve for the day.

I still have to meet with Oom Japie Mostert from the Krugersdorp Game Reserve to finalise the arrangements for the kids, but it is most certainly in the works and is being planned for a few days after Eid-ul-Fitr.

This trip will be wonderful in so many ways. The children will have a fun day, they will get to learn about nature conservation and any media interest generated from the trip will be directly beneficial to the Game Reserve which has suffered the loss of all their rhinos from poachers as well as their hippos being under threat from the Acid Mine Drainage toxic water tragedy in Johannesburg.

If anyone can offer any help in terms of transport or food for the children, please contact me, but please kindly note that we will not be able to accommodate extra people on this trip as space is extremely limited, although I imagine anyone that would like to come along and pay the Game Reserve’s entrance fee for the day would be most welcome.

So now you all know what I am planning to do – I am waiting for all of you to tell me what you plan to do now! And remember to encourage friends, family and colleagues to join in too…

Happy fasting!

Hajira

What Islam says about caring for the environment

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." [Narrated by Tabarani]

I’d like to think that Fasting For Change isn’t only about Muslims doing something good during the month of Ramadan. I’d like to see people of all faiths and from all types of backgrounds join us on this endeavour. And I would like to see it as a rallying cry to all my fellow human beings out there to pull our heads out of the sand and realise that some of our habits as consumers and members of the society we live in are unsustainable and inequitable.

Do we really need designer labels and V6 engines? When the time comes to settle down and build our own houses, is it really necessary to live in a six-bedroom mansion?

Is there some way we can build that will take less of an impact on the environment around us and consume less energy resources? Why shouldn’t we say no to genetically modified foods in our supermarkets? What can we do to touch the life of someone who really needs empowerment?

Islam prescribes kindness to all animals

"There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end." - Qur'an 6:38

This verse clearly explains that every kind of animal in the wild lives in communities with social structures just as humans do, and implies that they are not so different from us after all, thus deserving of our respect and protection. The last sentence is clear in its meaning: just as human beings will be raised up on the Day of Judgement, so will all the animals be returned to the Creator.

“We were on a journey with the Apostle of Allah(s), and he left us for a while. During his absence, we saw a bird called hummara with its two young and we took the young ones. The mother bird was circling above us in the air, beating its wings in grief, when the Prophet came back and said: 'who has hurt the FEELINGS of this bird by taking its young? Return them to her'.” - Narrated by Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Mas'ud. Muslim.

This hadith demonstrates the empathetic nature of Muhammad (s) towards all living beings and shows that we should not only worry about the physical well-being of animals, but their emotional well-being as well and that we should not upset the natural order of things.

And another hadith states that:

“The Prophet(s) was asked if acts of charity even to the animals were rewarded by Allah. He replied: 'yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive.'” (Narrated by Abu Huraira, Bukhari, 3:322. Also Muslim, Vol. 4; Hadith No. 2244.

Islam entrusts care and protection of the environment to human beings

Allah says: "Lo! We offered the trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it and man assumed it Lo! he is a tyrant and fool." Qur'an 33: 72

“Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men's hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.” Quran 30:41

The Qur’an often discusses the beauty and majesty of our natural surroundings and orders us to pay heed to them as a sign and a warning: the sky, the stars, the moon, the sun, the seed, the rain, the oceans and the mountains are all mentioned repeatedly and we are asked to understand the signs that are in them. But how can we be appreciating these signs if we are systematically destroying them?

Another injunction in the Qur’an is against waste:

“But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters” Quran 6:141

With six billion souls alive on the planet, jostling for resources, can we really afford to be so wasteful? Islam forbids us to waste water, food or spend of our wealth on unnecessary things. Each one of us is responsible for wasteful behaviour and we will be held accountable for it spiritually.

Reward for those who strive for good

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way." Qur’an 2:188

This Ayat was revealed to Muhammad (s) to let his followers know unequivocally that Allah is with us, listening to our pleas for help. He is also reminding us that although he does personally care for each of us, we also have a responsibility to reciprocate that love by trying to do the right thing in all aspects of our lives.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a Hadith, quotes Allah as saying:

"When a worshipper moves closer to me by good virtues and voluntary acts of worship (nawafil), I will be his hearing by which he can hear, I will be his eyes by which he can see, I will be his hand by which he can act, and his feet by which he can walk. If he asks Me [to give him] I will give him what he wants, and if he asks for protection I will protect him." (Al-`Asqalani, 1959: 11, 341)

So it is obvious that Islam is not just about going through the motions of obligatory prayers and other things which we feel we have to do. It is about giving of yourself freely and striving to be a better person and making the world around us a better place. By doing this we attain a closeness with Allah that is akin to Oneness.

On that note, I wish all of you a Ramadan Mubarak and I urge you to take this opportunity to do three things: one that will benefit another human being, one that will help the environment and one that will uplift and refresh your own soul. Let it be a springboard for changes in your life long after Ramadan 2010 and let it be the line that ties you to your Cherisher, Sustainer and Provider.

Encouragement from Greenpeace Africa

I received an encouraging e-mail from the guys at Greenpeace Africa this week with some advice on how to make green lifestyle choices:

Hi Hajira

I think it's amazing that you guys have embarked on this amazing project and including the environment is even better, Climate change is the major issue currently and whether people believe it or not it's happening. we recommend that you initiate an energy efficiency program for you and your group where everyone gets to calculate how much energy they use and if it's all necessary which we call an Energy audit.

Once they have seen how much they use and what is necessary people can then start using less and the energy they do use will be used efficiently and another audit can be done to see how much money and energy has been saved. The key is to start with yourself and then transfer it to those around you. I hope this helps.

Thanks.

Tshepo Peele
Outreach Coordinator
Greenpeace Africa

Task Suggestions from Maulana Aslam

Today I popped on over to the Sultan Bahu Masjid in Mayfair to have a chat with the imam, Maulana Mahomed Aslam Suliman, who is generally an all-round cool and likeable fellow (I should know, since he performed my nikah a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…). Oh, and just as an aside, I don’t follow any particular madhab, I just appreciate religious organisations such as this one for the good work that they do in the community.

He was pleased to hear of the Fasting For Change initiative and happily filled me in on the events the masjid has got planned for the upcoming month of Ramadan as follows:

* Distribution of 500 food hampers to the needy

* Haleem distribution every Saturday during Ramadan between 3 to 5 p.m.

* Iftaar food distributed to approximately 300 men every night in Ramadan

* L’tikaaf program for approximately 30 men – sehri and iftaar meals provided

* Food hampers are also made by the learners at the Sultan Bahu Madressah and given out at a special assembly during Ramadan

* The Sultan Bahu Centre also runs a children’s home for approximately 25-30 orphaned children from a wide range of ages and family backgrounds, and clothing donations are welcome for these kids, as well as any other initiative we might want to take to fill their lives with a little more love and attention.

* Appa Zaybun runs revert classes every Saturday between 10am and 12pm, any enquiries regarding helping out that particular class of ladies can call 011 837 6185.

As far as helping us out with our spiritual task, Maulana Aslam suggested that we check out some of the special programmes being held during Ramadan which include the following:

* Q&A session with Ml. Aslam every Sunday after Zuhr salaat

* Talks and lectures held every night (for the men only, unfortunately) in the last ten nights of Ramadan after Taraweeh.

The Maulana and his team at the Sultan Bahu Centre do lots of good work, so if you are thinking of helping out with any of the above initiatives, please contact him on 011 839 2025.

If anyone knows of any other special talks or programmes being held anywhere in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town that Fasting For Change participants can attend – especially those that include or are specifically geared towards ladies - please put the details up on our Facebook page.

Thanks

Hajira

The Fasting for Change Challenge

After my last blog post on what our aspirations and goals should be over the fasting month, it occurred to me that setting some real, thinking-out-of-the-box goals for the month might be just the thing to get us in the right mood to experience a Ramadan unlike any other. So I’m challenging all my blog buddies – Hamish, Queen Lestat, Azaad, Azra, Zakiya, MJ, Saaleha One, Saaleha Two, Fatima and anyone else on Facebook and Twitter who would like to participate.

The challenge is thus: pick three tasks which have to be done during the month of Ramadan which would make a positive difference to the world, no matter how big or small. Ask friends and friends of friends to do it with you, and then blog about it or if you don’t have a blog, send me an e-mail and pictures describing what you did. I will have a link to all related posts on my blog and we will from there be able to calculate all the good that has been done.

The end result? Before Eid we will have completed a knock-on effect project that will have contributed towards making a real difference, for ourselves, for others and for the environment.

Why three tasks, you might ask? It would be the goal to do a good deed in three distinct fields to make it well-rounded: humanitarian, environmental and spiritual. It doesn’t have to cost you money or take up huge chunks of time. Just three little things that you think might make a difference for the better.

I have compiled a list of suggestions in all three categories to help get the ball rolling, but lots of heads are better than one, so add your own suggestions in the comments below for anyone to use as they wish.

Humanitarian

- Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity to build eco-friendly housing for those who need it most.

- Bake cupcakes or other edible goodies and give them to children who don’t ever get the chance to enjoy treats like this.

- Donate old clothes or toys to welfare organisation or children’s home

- Rustle up some educational toys and children’s books to a crèche or primary school

- Ask Age-in-Action if there is an old age home in your area that could benefit from a visit

- Collect teddy bears for the Teddy Bear Clinic for abused children

- For the school-kids: get people to sponsor you for each day that you fast and donate the money to your favourite charity

Environmental

- Plant your own vegetable garden in time for spring

- Plant an indigenous tree

- See how far you can cut down on your use of plastic packaging, harsh chemicals and energy in the home

- For the creative talents among us: make innovative, funky designs out of junk like this

- Boycott BP – I have said it many times on my Facebook page, but I don’t think it can be said enough – the company that is responsible for spilling five million barrels of oil since April 20th in the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and ecologically sensitive wetlands of Louisiana. Don’t buy their petrol and don’t go to the convenience stores – if the forecourt owner had half a brain, he would already have switched brands to another oil company by now.

- In addition to fasting, why not try to go vegetarian for a week? Eating beef, lamb and chicken has a high impact on global warming due to methane pollution, plus growing the amount of grains to feed these animals contributes directly to deforestation. Eating fish also has a negative impact on ocean life, as overfishing is a problem shared by just about every country in the world, including South Africa. There are plenty of tasty vegetarian dishes out there that could just make you want to give up meat forever.

- Don’t buy plastic bags when you go shopping – they are only partly biodegradable and the ink they are printed with is highly toxic to the environment. Rather invest in long-lasting material bags and take them with you every time you go shopping instead.

- Join Greenpeace and the WWF and become online activists.

*I am also waiting to hear back from Greenpeace Africa for a list of environmentally-friendly tips and possibly some field activities where we could get directly involved. When I get that I will add an update on to this section.

Spiritual

- Attend a halqa or taalim class at your local mosque. You might discover you don’t actually know everything there is to know about your religion

- Get connected to the religious leaders in your area you feel comfortable with and attend talks and lectures.

- Participate in mosque activities and think of ways to get families more involved in the masjid. I was invited to a Shia mosque in the UK during Ramadan and I was blown away by the level of spirituality, participation and togetherness enjoyed by men, women and children alike.

- Write about your spiritual thoughts and experiences during Ramadan. Use the opportunity to share positive stories. Dig deep and confront some of the big issues which are challenges to us as South African Muslims: race, caste, gender issues, extremism, societal ills, greed and wealth.

- instead of stuffing yourself at iftaar time with unhealthy fries and oily curries, why not get personally involved with distributing wholesome food to needy Muslims at iftaar time and eat with them?

For all the cynics out there (viz: those who like to crack wise-ass comments and then go back to fantasising about iftaar time), this is NOT an attempt to jump up and down and say, “look at me and how good I am!” – but rather an opportunity to start something that galvanises us as a group of people into action as opposed to inaction.

This month of fasting and prayer are only the beginnings of the realisation that we are more fortunate than others out there in this world. And yes, we can donate money to charity, something which many of us will be doing before the month is out. But throwing money at a problem can’t always be the solution – there need to be individuals behind the resources who are committed to giving their time and energy to changing the status quo.

Please put your name down in the comments to indicate your willingness to participate and tell me what you are thinking of doing. Get creative and remember it’s all for a good cause. Remember, it’s not fun unless you take pictures (and no disgusting comments from the tuppenny seats please – I know your filthy minds)! If there are enough people on board to make it interesting I will create a Facebook page and let everyone post their own pictures and links.