Happy Eid to Muslims around the world celebrating a well earned Eid-al-Fitr after a month of fasting. I hope you all have a day full of happiness, love and blessing as well as lots of delicious food. Lets also be sure to remember all those who continue to suffer around the world, may they find peace and ease soon and may we all be grateful for everything we have.
I love the curves of Arabic writing, the fluid, smooth strokes that form the words ‘Allah Hu’ or ‘God is’, words that look so complex but feel so simple and bring peace to heart and mind.
Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslims. I hope you all have a month of peace, harmony and lots of blessings.
This weekend my sister and I went to the London Muslim Lifestyle show in West London, which was an event bringing together different products and services that are available for Muslims. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was looking forward to finding out.
There was a wide variety of things on offer; from different kind of foods, to jewellery and books.
My favourite things were the beautiful pieces of Arabic art, the stunning bottles of attar/perfume and tasty food on offer. I learnt lots of new things and was genuinely impressed by all innovative ideas that were presented from new phone apps to products that filled gaps in the market.
It was tempting to buy everything I liked, which was too much, but I managed to hold back and stick mainly to window shopping and tasters, treating myself to a few lovely things.
As you can tell I got a bit carried away with my photos, but there was just so much to see. As well as stalls there were fashion shows, singers and workshops that you could attend. My sister and I also had a lot of fun having our photos taken in photo booths wearing silly props. I thought it was an interesting event and meeting a diverse range of smiley people people, both Muslim and non created a great atmosphere.
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some really interesting exhibits, showcasing pieces from all around the world. One of the collections I always stop to admire when I visit is the Islamic Middle East which consists of some really beautiful pieces from as far back as the 7th century.
Some of my favourite and I think most impressive pieces on show are the Ardabil carpet which is one of the largest and finest in existence made in 1540, the second largest Qu’ran in the world from the 14th century and the pretty turquoise coloured tiles from 1358. I love the use of detailed geometric patterns and writings to embellish everyday objects that were placed in homes and places of worship.
My photos don’t do justice to how intricate and colourful some of these artifacts are but if you’re ever in London I would definitely recommend a visit.
Eid Mubarak everyone. Taqabbal Allahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept it from you and us).
Happy Eid to all to Muslims around the world who are celebrating Eid-al-Adha. I pray that all muslims find some happiness and peace whether they are migrating from a war torn country in the Middle East or have struggles that are found in our daily lives. I hope that a blessed, calmer time is ahead for all of us.
My older sister decided to throw an Eid party to celebrate the end of Ramadan and on this occasion she asked the guests to bring along a dish so we could all share something with each other, which was a nice idea. The guests who came were good cooks and really generous which meant we had lots of delicious foods to eat and sweets treats to tuck into.
There were a wide variety of savoury and spicy dishes which went down well; kebabs, rice, chicken curry, samosas and many more.
The desserts that were bought along were just as delicious, my younger sister made a tasty chocolate cake, jelly shots for the kids disappeared in minutes, and the healthier options of a fruit platter or fruit with custard and whipped cream, which looked great, was thoroughly enjoyed. There were also mini gingerbread men and muffins and sweets.
Everyone enjoyed the food, games and prizes and we were all exhausted by the time the guests left, but happy that everyone had a good time.
Eid Mubarak to everyone who is celebrating Eid-al-Fitr after a month of fasting. I hope your day is filled with happiness, fun and thankfulness to Allah (God) for all his blessings.
Above is the Arabic word for Allah (God) and some of his ninety-nine names, beautifully painted on papyrus paper.
At the end of Ramadan muslims around the world have a day of celebration called Eid-al-Fitr. Muslims have a great meal with family and friends, give each other gifts and money, and wear nice, often new, clothes. In preparation of Eid, my sisters and I went to an Eid exhibition in London to see what new designs of outfits were available to buy. The outfits available were designer pieces and more expensive than I tend to buy but it was nice to see what other styles were around. My photos didn’t come out too well as the lighting in the room wasn’t as bright as I would liked, but hopefully they give an idea of what was on show.
There was a nice range of beautiful outfits, from heavily decorated dresses with pearls and diamantes, metal and thread embroidery to less extravagant outfits with just thread work or prints. Some were more suitable for weddings than an eid celebration but it was nice to see the intricate work that went into making some of these outfits.
As well as clothes there was a section that had stunning metal clutch purses and colourful jewellery. And to complete the look there was also a makeup artist on hand to give beauty tips and makeovers to guests, which my sisters trialed. We were also treated to drinks and fancy cupcakes and biscuits to keep our energy levels up.
We didn’t end up buying anything in the end as although many of the outfits caught out eye they were just a bit too expensive and out of our budget, but we did enjoy talking to some of the designers and looking at lots of pretty things.
On Friday all my siblings, along with their families, came over for iftar. Iftar is the arabic word for ‘break fast’ and is the meal that we have when its time to open our fast during Ramadan. My sister’s decided to help out and bring along a dish or two to share. We had a whole range of foods and what was planned as small meal quickly became a feast.
Traditionally dates are eaten to open a fast but with a whole range of foods to choose from everyone found something they wanted to eat. There was some delicious, fresh exotic fruit, chicken sandwiches and creamy pasta, as well as my mum’s famous kebabs. There were also some slightly unhealthy but tempting options such as curly fries and samosas. Other foods to eat were chicken curry, chickpea salad and mango salad, and my sister-in-law’s succulent lamb chops. I would have taken more pictures but there came a point where I had to put the camera down and dig in.
For dessert we had a choice of refreshing mango milkshake, sweet jalebi and pretty cakes.
When we put everything down ready to eat we all had some of everything and were soon full to the brim. It was a nice evening with everyone sharing a much needed nourishing meal and good company. I look forward to Eid which isn’t far away now to enjoy another big meal together.
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