Ramadan Journal 2013: Day 2 - Prayer/Forgiveness

Finding peaceful prayer time is often challenging for mothers and this has not been an exception for me.  My thus far angelic little eight month old is starting to find her voice and her feet.  She manages to bounce forward and lunge for whatever catches her attention and loves to babble.  

Recently she has decided that she likes to be carried around, so whoever is standing or walks past is expected to pick her up.  All good fun, except I am finding that she often cries through my prayers because she wants to be picked up whilst my attention is elsewhere.  She cried through most of the first night of the taraweeh prayer.  On the second night I changed tactics and tried to get her to go sleep before I started prayers.  This meant I didn't start till about 11:30pm and didn't get to bed till about 1am.   A case of helping her find a routine that helps me too I think. 

One of Darlings many naps throughout the day in readiness to keep me busy in the evening.

Yesterday Little Lady kept her first fast.  I initially was not keen as she is only ten, but she insisted and we agreed she could fast if she was sensible and stopped if she felt unwell at all.  She managed it and I was quite impressed.  Her school have been fabulous.  They agreed to support the older children if they wanted to fast (year five and six who are aged 10-11) and agreed to let them use the IT suite during breaks, have a space to pray at lunchtime, sit out of physical education lessons and also to get priority in the covered seating area during outdoor play times.  Small things which really add up to help the fasting children's day easier alhamdulillah.

I agreed with Little Lady she would have to take some responsibility for her prayers as usually I have to keep prompting her at prayer times.  My husband and I have a common understanding as parents about children and prayer.  From the age of seven we encourage them to pray and from the age of ten we insist on it.  This is so that by the time they reach puberty a few years later and prayer becomes an obligation, it is not too difficult for them.

So I have been working with Little Lady and now that Little Man is eight, we are trying to encourage him.  I have been asking hubby to take him to the masjid on weekends during quieter times (sometimes it is not appropriate to take children when there is barely space for adults).  I have been asking him to pray, sometimes he listens, sometimes he will skulk off.  So this Ramadan we will both be reminding him, a lot.

image source

I really enjoyed Kooks entry for this challenge for day two, you can read it here.


Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The first matter that the slave will be brought
to account for on the Day of Judgement is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." ~ At-Tabarani

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Salah is a pillar of the religion (Islam).
He who establishes it, establishes religion; and he who destroys it, destroys religion." ~ Tabrani

‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “There is no Muslim man who attends a prescribed prayer and does wudu’ for it well and is humble in it and in its bowing, without that being expiation for the sins before it as long as he did not commit any major sin. This will always apply.” ~ Muslim