Eid-al-adha is celebrated by Muslims all around the world. It was a hot day in London this year, but my family all came together for food, gifts and games. Here’s a few photos I took to mark this year’s celebrations.
Ramadan has started this weekend for Muslims around the world. I pray that this month is a beneficial one for all of us, that we are forgiven our sins, are able to re-connect with God, find peace and receive blessings. I pray that Muslims that are in hardship find ease and that we all be as charitable as possible to help those that need it wherever and whoever they are.
These pretty boxes were sent to me and my family for Ramadan. Filled with dates they are not only a staple for Ramadan, the money raised by buying these boxes go to important causes.
Ramadan Mubarak everyone. May God accept from you and us.
The holy month of Ramadan begins this week, and all around the world Muslims are fasting from sunrise to sunset. This year will be a unique one for us all, as there will be no gatherings at the mosque for evening prayers and no iftars (breaking of fasts) with extended kin, friends and the community. Instead we will all be spending more time at home with family, spending time praying and reflecting on our faith and it’s teachings, and to hoping to re-connect with God. I pray that mankind gets through this difficult time in good health, keeping our selves and our loved ones safe, and that our we all are kinder and more generous to each other when this is all over. Ramadan Mubarak to you all.
My cousin’s wedding day finally arrived. It was a much anticipated event as we don’t have many big family weddings here. The wedding was an evening event, which was a good thing as it turned out to be the hottest day on record here in the UK! Having got dressed in our finest we drove to in our much needed air conditioned cars to the other side of London to the wedding venue.
The venue was beautifully decorated and the stage was adorned with pretty flowers and rose petals for when the bride and groom arrive.
The wedding cake was set up with matching cupcakes which I thought were great, and the favours were placed on tables for each guest, which consisted of a small pot of honey and small bottles of zamzam water, which is considered holy.
As guests started to arrive they were greeted with welcome drinks and asked to write a note to the bride and groom in their guestbook. The bride’s sister looked lovely with all her matching jewellery and the rest of the family all looked dashing too. My little nieces had matching pink and gold outfits that looked really cute.
Finally the groom and his family arrived and the bride walked in on her brother’s arm to take her side with her husband. My cousin looked beautiful in her traditional red wedding dress; her hair, make up and outfit looked perfect and her henna a dark red as it should be.
The wedding went well with good food and it was nice to see the family and relatives all together. It was an emotional affair, especially when the bride had to say goodbye to her family and go home with the groom, but all the hard work that everyone put in paid off. The reception traditionally takes place a few days after the wedding so I’ll see them again soon.
Ramadan Mubarak everyone. I pray that this month is a beneficial one for all of us, that we break old habits and create new ones, that we have an increase in peace, blessings and mercy and that we all come closer to God. Ameen.
Afternoon tea is quintessentially British, and it seems to be a big craze at the moment in London. I’m not particularly keen on it (how in-British of me, I know) as I don’t particularly drink hot drinks and I prefer a big tasty lunch to sandwiches and cake, but when I was came across afternoon tea on the River Thames with a guide that would inform me of Muslim history in London, I thought it would be quite fun. As a cruise linked to Eid I decided to buy myself and my mum a ticket hoping she’d enjoy it too. My sisters, my sister in law and her mum also joined us.
The meeting point was at Tower of London and after we were all checked in we were able to get on the boat. Once we were in our seats we had tea to start with and then the some delicious looking food.
As we enjoyed our food and the view, the guide started telling us about some of the connections of Muslims to the city of London, which was quite interesting. When we reached Westminster Bridge the boat turned around to go back towards the port. By this point I’d had enough to eat so I grabbed my camera and went above deck. The sun was out and with the cool breeze it felt so refreshing. We passed some iconic landmarks that sit on the banks of the River Thames.
After spending some time above deck taking in the sights and some photos we headed back downstairs. The organisers held a competition that my sisters and I (and it seems no one else) entered so we won a big box of chocolates, as the odds were definitely in our favour!
As we docked back into the port we gathered our things and headed for the exit. It was a lovely afternoon that we all really enjoyed, and I thought it was a real treat to actually go on a boat down the River Thames instead of just watching the waves from the shore.
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.
Ramadan Mubarak to Muslims around the world who are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and this year in England the days will be quite long as Ramadan is over summer, but I will try to make the most of it and take things a little slower than my usual hectic pace. I hope that everyone fasting during this special month makes the most of the days ahead to shake bad habits, create new ones and purify heart, body and soul
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