I wanted my kids to feel that magic with Ramadan, especially since we're a minority in this country. So we kind of do big parties, Welcome Ramadan parties, and we count good deeds … and I really try to make it extremely fun and extremely big so that, Insh’Allah, they have good memories of it when they grow older”.
… the pandemic has actually helped us do Ramadan right. Because Ramadan, often in our communities turns into a party every night, and it's not supposed to be like that. Of course, community, family, and friends are important. But Ramadan is really about withdrawing yourself from a lot of material things and having more time for contemplation.
“When I was born, my parents couldn’t figure out what to name me, so my dad went around different mosques in Brooklyn, where I was born, asking “What should I name my daughter? I want something unique, not something very common.” And someone said, “What about Maeda from Sura Maeda?” It’s a chapter in the Quran. The guy said it’s like “feast” with an abundance of food”…
“During Ramadan, people will get off work early – before Iftar the streets are very crowded with people making their way home. But the minute the sun sets, if you step outside, you will see the streets completely empty and quiet. You will hear the Adhan more clearly than at any other time of the year, it is absolutely beautiful.
