Ramadhan 1435H

Alhamdulillah, we get to meet Ramadhan again. As age is inching upwards, being able to prepare meals for my family for sahur and iftar itself is a blessing. Yesteday, I took a break from all the cooking because dear husband was cooking creamy pasta and baked potatoes for us. Yeay!... It's the 9th day of fasting today. Dear husband has been performing solat terawih diligently every night without fail nearby our house. Me and kids? We only go with him on weekends. Last Saturday, we went to Masjid Assyakirin because Ustaz Hafiizh Rapiee was giving a post-terawih talk. I've attended classes conducted by Ustaz Hafiizh. He is a young ustaz, very knowledgeable and witty. The world today is full of challenges. One of the challenges is to raise my children to be successful Muslims and Muslimah. I always share stories of my growing up years with my children; how strict my parents were, how I was grounded whenever I reached home past my curfew eventhough it was a group outing, how my dad insisted that I recited the Quran every night in front of him no matter how tired we both were, how my parents controlled the my attire, etc. Looking back, I am so glad that I was brought up that way. My husband is a strict father to our children, hence, the need to emphasise to our kids why we, as parents, do what we do sometimes. To my only girl, I am glad that she is a very simple girl. Her academic results in both secular and madrasah have been impressive since she was in Pri 1. She is uncomfortable showing off too much skin in her dressing. Most of the time, she prefers to wear jeans and pretty T-shirt blouses. At times, she would don the hijab. I don't put pressure on her. I just educate her. It's a pity that I myself took so long to don the hijab like how every Muslimah should be dressed in upon puberty but I thank Allah SWT for His hidayah. Dear husband set some terms and conditions before he agreed to me donning the hijab. (1) Once I've put on, I must always put it on whenever I go out and whenever we have guests at home. No changing of mind no matter how hot the weather is. (2) My clothes must not be tight-fitting. All blouses must be below the hip level, preferably covering the buttocks. I do not have that many roomy blouses, so I am trying my best here. Need to shop a bit for that 2-3 more pieces of roomy blouses.(3) My hijab must cover my chest area. This is not an issues because I love to put on long shawls. With long shawls, why would there be an excuse not to cover up the chest? Covering our aurat is not just for the sake of covering. The definition of covering aurat has been misinterpreted in recent years. May Allah SWT give guidance and hidayah to our Muslim sisters. As for me, I must always istiqamah. There is still so much to learn about this beautiful religion. It is time to log off now as an e-mail has just come in. That means that I have a business insurance quotation to prepare now. May we all receive his barakah in abundance in this holy month of Ramadhan. Amin... PS:- It's the Youth Day school holiday today. With a nice and cooling weather since this morning, I am letting my kids play some computer games in-between their revision. Everyone needs a break, right? :-)