Ramandan Karim

Dear Allah
My heart is so hard.
The earth’s crust has formed a shell around it.

I plead You to shatter the shell that makes my heart unable to move for You.
I plead You to break the shell that makes my heart unable to submit completely to You.
I plead You to shaken my heart with a mighty quake so it is in full awe of You,

so it is not neglectful of You,
so it beats only for You.

Ya Allah

My heart is so dry.
The sun’s heat has burnt it alive.

I plead You to melt the heat that makes my heart unable to cry for You.
I plead You to freeze the heat that makes my heart unable to wail hysterically for mercy from You.
I plead You to moisten my heart with a flood of faith so that it is in full awe of You,

so it is not neglectful of You,
so it sees only You.

Ya Allah

My heart is in need of You,
save me.
Save what is dear to You.

I beg of You.
For I am nothing; nothing without You.


Ameen Rainbow In The Grey Sky

Khubz (BREAD)

I wanted to make khubz tagine but my tagine has been spoiling my cooker so i am not using it anymore on the hob.
I mixed 2 cups of fine semolina
2 cups of plain flour
some grated lemmon rind and some salt
Yeast to rise and water to mix

Shaped them out into rounds and sprinkled the trays with a little semolina , pierced with a fork and baked at gas mark 6 for around 20-30mins.

A dense bread

Another Friday Already

Subhanallah that week passed to quickly for my liking, we headed off to for salat al jummah and to meet up with a dear sister i met during my hijrah. She said i looked out of place in London and that i somehow didn't belong here in her image and experience with me. May be she ws right but all is qadr and i acept what my lord offers me .By the time we got inside the kutbah had already started , here they have the same kutbah in English, Arabic and Bangla. The masjid was crowed mashaallah but i was not squashed and prayed with ease. Allah blessed us with the chance to pray a janazzah prayer for 3 women and 1 man. Exiting the masjid we were offered dates , water and a bag of ramandan goodies mashaAllah.


The emphasis of the kutbah was on helping the needy and charity this holy month, just as inflation has risen here for us so has it world wide and this should not make us stingy in giving to those who need it. we should still give inshaAllah. When these needy raise their hands let it be in dua and not for begging, even if you give little do give.
http://www.islamic-relief.com/seasonal/ramadhan/Default.aspx

During the kuttbah the iman also said if ramandan fall on Sunday we will be praying salat al tarawiyyah today subhanallah , Tabbarak Allah it hit home yes RAMANDAM is upon us, I would like to wish you a a RAMANDAN KARIM may you all benefit and be blessed with piety ameen.

Just beacause

A favorite cheese (port Sault) of mine was on offer at the super market and i have not had this cheese for well let's just say a long time, well when i got home i couldn't wait to scoff it down and this is how i did it

I love cheeses with red grapes, i sometimes eat them with cous cous too. It's the small things that make me happy!

Reading

some reading i am doing at the moment and i have successfully cupped recently alhamduillah. i dry cupped my own foot this morning , i was going to wet cup it but became worried as the skin thee is tough and i know we have a major artery there so dry cupped to be safe, i must say i feel instant relief with the dry cupping and really benefit from it mashaAllah.

another thing i have been looking into for 2yrs now is cure to sickness by rukkiyyah. when the Dr.s fail to diagnoss illness and its unexplained then rukiqqah can help. i will do a more detailed post on this soon inshaAllah.

Here is a link to rukkiyyah , lay down and listen to it attentively http://download.media.islamway.com/lessons/agmy/014-Alroqyah_Al3gmy.mp3

What's in my garden?

A frog yes a frog
As i went to do some trimming of the bushes something leaped in amongst them and i ran back in thinking it was a mouse or a rat! after much prodding and poking the bushes , me , DS and DD2 we learned it was a frog there hidden in the bushes subhanAllah so we have named it Mr Frogy very original i must add. Just two nights ago we spotted the neighbours cat sitting in wair by the bush for this wee frog, my ds soon moved her along by means of a jug of cold water.

Other things in my garden plants to share with you

I don't know what this is but has taken 4 yrs to grow and bloom.


i don't know the name of this one but it smells Devinne really lemony and it has just recently reveled some white flowers mashaAllah.
This is mint that i planted yes mashaallah sucess for once its for my kitchen and my dh mint tea!


Here are some ivy's

Finished

Mashaallah ok i finished my first crochet project well first by following a patern and here it is
It is a jug cover and i am using it for a lidless jug i have and now with itcthing fingers i have started another project a scarf for dd2 (6yrs) and the orders are flying in fast now the kids can see i can do it loool. i like this two tone cotten i saw a while ago insha Allah it comes good.

Cornflake Crispy's

A very quick and easy snack , the kids make this for me and i for them. You will need Cornflakes, butter, golden syrup and cooking chocolate you can also do it with coco. Melt in pan and mix together.



One coated place into paper cases and refriderate for about 10 mins

Mactoweem Algerian dish

Now i made this last night mashaallah very quick and easy a bit rich mind you as i am not accustomed to eating 2 meats in one dish in my book RICH but Algerians often cook two meats in one dish. This one is from http://culinaryxcouture.blogspot.com/2008/04/mthouwem.html
here is my version i changed the spices a little to suit our palet, added some chilli's and ommited the chick peas for Almonds.

Sisters

Aggression

My son was stalked and attacked in the super market by another child (around 10yrs old).Whilst my dh and dd had gone to another aisle this all happened in 2-3Min's, alhamduilah his karate training came in handy and he was able to defend him self. Now since i have returned i have noticed when my son is out with me other children looking at him in an aggressive way and almost provoking him to confrontation, my son is a is raised by me and is mashaallah a very kind and caring soul. At first i though i imagine it but no he told me sometimes when i turn my back the other boys stick their fingers up with a V sign not meaning peace. Now this angers me as its provocation, they are forcing him into trouble. what is this British Society like, what with a recent http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1047592/Help-help-pleaded-boy-clung-balcony-falling-seven-floors-death.html pointless murder of a young life and the countless stabbings here in the Capital LONDON, suddenly i am worried for my son and he is only 9yrs old. Anyone else experience something similar? what do you do in this society i want to know if the other mothers with boys have experience this?

It's that Friday Feeling

Yes yaum al jummah alhamduillah Rabi Alamin, what a blessed day jummah is for us .........subhanallah here is how mine went. I came down to cook lunch but discovered not much in food wise so i looked through the cupboards and spotted the cous cous and i had some peas to pod and what came to mind? Yes 'masfouf' also it reminded me of our old home Algeria 'sigh'. As on jummah day in Algeria people cook cous cous as a cultural tradition as its the only full day at home for all the family so they make a special meal to share bit like a Sunday Roast for some of the European cultures. It reminded e of my neighbours and how some jummah days i would end up with difernt bowls of cous cous sent to me by different families mashaAllah.
If i was in algeria and making this i would add foul (flaver beans too) and have this with a glass of Laban (buttermilk). Firday is the day i try to read quran esp surah al kaff as it is highly recommended so i do it first in arabic with a qari via online but i normally get lost alhamduilah its the effort that counts. Then i read it again in translation to make sure i understand what i am reading alhamduillah. I actually became quite tearful at some ayats i read that really penitrated my heart mashaallah TabarakAllah. We didn't get out to the masjid this week alhamduillah. Later in the day i went shopping for my hijamah essentials

I was hoping to show you some pictures of me in action but my dh has been to busy for me to pin him down for a session sadly but soon inshaAllah. I would also like to thank my dear sister who taught me and i pray allah give her the ajar aswell as me for teaching me and sharing the knowledge to help others ameen. Seeking Taqwa these are for you hunny just beacause you are my sister and i love you for the sake of Allah ukti!

Now while we were out shopping there was a punch up , yes a fight now this totally angered me. There were spectators of up to a crowd of 70 peep's and no one intervened, no one went into break it up, no one cared enough instead they were heckling 'fight' 'fight' this is the GREAT British society I live in. There was 4 teenagers beating 2 men who were out shopping with family his wife has 2 young babies in a double push chair and was wearing a hijab. The crowd was to big for me to actually see all but i could hear her screams and this drawed me nearer as i thought she was being beaten, she was screaming for her husband and other family member being beaten to a pulp. Then someone asked me what had happened there , i turned around and said shame on you, everyone is spectating the least you can do is call the police by then my dd had already done so. It makes me sick, it angers me, this is the non caring , afraid society we live in? the standby syndrome, i am discus ed sick to the pit of my stomach, i wanted to intervene , i wanted to slap the agressors , i wanted to help! What is wrong with these non caring people Britian was not like this before in the past i mean growning up, i remeber an old asain lady got mugged and most of the neighbours chassed the man down the street. In Algeria everyone steps forward and breaks it up, if i trip inthe street people rush forward to help me at the very least make a dua for me, for allah to protect me subhanAllah i miss my security alhamduilah. Later we saw the 2 men who had been beaten to a pulp , blood everywhere.

Other stuff i have been doing these days Al-hamduilah I have become fustrated with the crochet and following paterns , why? just can't do it but after another atempt 'bingo' i am on my way al-hamduilah this is going to be a jug cover lets see what gets made i have got my sights set on a afgan with 192 squares inshaallah looking forward to that one inshaallah need to get my hands on some yarn first inshaAllah.

Been having alot of insomia lately subhanAllah so one night i joted down a list for Ramandan goals for the kids as i am starting to home school the younger 2 again. conteplating my being and my own achievements for the days ahead in order for a better hereafter inshaAllah.

Bassbousa

I made it finally courtesy of Mimi @ http://culinaryxcouture.blogspot.com/2008/07/basbousa.html A very rich and Delicious recipe i know seeking Taqwa will like this one. Will post photos later inshaAllah. Sadly my dd1 has lost my bassbosa pic's , seeking tawqa will have to give you a review inshaallah.I found the pictures

Tasty Corn Snack

boil the corn for about 5-7mins drain , coat in butter ,squezze some lemon, sprinkle with salt and pepper. serve warm for a delicous snack!

Fennel Soup

My dd1 seems to have lost my picture of the fennel a veg which i discovered to eat in Algeria mashaAllah a very beneficial veg and tasty too.

LYou wil need
butter, stock cubes, water, onion, corgette boil al this together till tender and hand blend.

Harrissa homemade chilli sauce

You will need
fresh chilis about 30, juice of half a lemmon, garic cloves to taste, a little coriander,3 tomatoes, salt, 2 table spoons of chili powder, tomato puree about 2 tablespoons, 2 small onions.

Method
Finely chop half an onion and put in a small pan with some oil and start to sweat it, dont allow it to brown. In the meantime blend the everything else. Except for the spices, lemmon and puree. Now add the blended veg to the pan of sweated onions. Add the spices and puree ad allow to simmer on a low heat covered for 20mins , stir well and add the jucie of lemmon allow to cool and you can frezze jars of it if you have made too much as it will start to cool in hotness from the 3rd day after so best eaten with in 3 days.

Al-Hijamah: Cupping Therapy

Al-Hijaamah is an authentic tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that has been used throughout history. There is volume of anecdotal literature present however few scientific trials have investigated the effect of Cupping at various levels to the health. Evidence thus far points favourably for the use of Cupping as a treatment tool for a spectrum of medical ailments.

We pray to Allah to give us the ability to apply the knowledge he has given us in the best possible manner and that we continue to seek a better understanding in order to find cures for the illnesses he tests us with.



This is something i have been intrested in for a number of years and have felt the bennifits of hijamah in the past. Blood cupping, dry cupping and i hope to try fire cupping too insha Allah.
The Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) said “There is not a single disease for which there is not a cure”, and we all know that there is no cure for death. One of the many remedies the Blessed Prophet informed us about was that of Al-Hijamah or Cupping Therapy as it known in the west. There are numerous ahadith concerning Al-Hijamah; many are considered sahih (authentic) whereas the authenticity of some has been questioned by scholars such as shaikh Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albani and shaikh Abu Bakr Al-Jaza'iri. However, what is accepted unanimously is that Al-Hijamah was practiced by the Prophet (saw) and he encouraged others to do so. It is also documented that he paid the cupper his wages.


So what exactly is Al-Hijamah?
Cupping is an ancient method of treatment that has been used in the treatment and cure of a broad range of conditions throughout the Eastern and Western cultures of the world. Conditions such as blood related disorders; haemophilia and hypertension for example, rheumatic conditions ranging from arthritis, sciatica, back pain and migraines through to psycho-social applications in the treatment of anxiety and general physical and mental well-being. Traditional theories advocate that the primary aim of Cupping is to extract blood that is believed to be harmful from the body which in turn rids the body of potential harm from symptoms leading to a reduction in well-being.

Home Schooling ummi again

Looks like i will be home schooling (HS)the younger two , 6 and 9 yrs. After much searching for schooling it just didn't emerge due to a number of factors namely location , cost. I didn't feel like doing this after almost 7 yrs break from doing this full time and i was not sure how the kids would respond to this after having a taste of school life in Algeria. Well they seem up for it inshaAllah and i have ideas on the approach , as an ex expierenced HS alhamduilah some aspects should not be so challanging. One thing i did notice , when i embaraked upon this adventure over 10yrs ago, not much out there for us HS but now allah has made it easy for us HS subhaAllah, i am happy to find the wealth of info and help out there mashaAllah.

I a a lil nervous and anxious embarking upon this task , as the eductor you always feel are you giving the kids enough is the balance right? Also the kids will be with you 24/7 ummi not getting a break day in day out. Anyhow inshaallah i will give it my best shot.

Trip to the hospital

On Saturday we had to go into town for dd1 and her MRI scan , as i didn't have childminding for the othersI dragged them along too, this is our day in pictures, dd had the camera so lets see the day from her thoughts. My DS spotted the peace protestor Brain Haw http://www.parliament-square.org.uk/defendanalysis.htm we also stopped by the dungeons asi had free tickets but the ques wee masive so we didn't stop but the kids enjoyed the afternoon in Westminster