Ramadan Pictures From Madinans 2009

[BrKhalid]

Asalaamu Alaikum  

Those who remember those amazing Boston Globe pictures posted here last year (on the advent of Ramadhan and Eid) will know that it was truly wonderful to see different parts of the Ummah fasting and celebrating Eid.


So with the advent of ever newer technology, and the fact that most of us have a camera on our mobile phone nowadays, I thought it would be a nice idea for us Madinans share images we may come across whilst out and about this Ramadhan.


Are there things that you see which show the true spirit of Ramadhan where you are or maybe there are things from your own locality which you may wish to share. Either way, please feel free to put up a pic and (if possible) explain what it means to you.


Alhamdulillah I’ve added a couple of pictures below to show what life was like pre Ramadhan in my part of the world. The picture in the Masjid was particularly special because I doubt it will be as empty as that over the next 30 days!!!  

[jannah]

Not my pictures but these are from a public album on facebook. Pictures taken by Aaron Sellars looking for the Ramadan Crescent 2009/1430  August 21, 2009.










And there it is!! Shots of sighting the crescent moon in the bay area, california. You can see it in the third pic and fourth even more clearly.

[Eleanor]

Wow! Fantastic pictures. I love this idea! I hope more join in, Insha Allah. BrKhalid that is a beautiful place that you are living in! Something very magical about those crescent moon pictures - it gives me goosebumps!

[jannah]

I wan't to see you guys's pictures!!!!

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OK so here are some pictures from my area.

Tafseer:

This is the average American Ramadan experience. Basically we work/go to school/loaf around all day Then come evening time we hurry driving to the Mosque to catch Maghrib. You'll see a photo there of us driving and the sun setting in front of us. Sometimes we carry dates in the car too in case the time comes in while we drive. While there are a lot of Mosques in the US, they're hardly ever in walking distance so we all drive!

Next pictures are of the Mosque. This is the first Mosque ever built in our area. The biggest and probably the wealthiest. You'll see a line of mercedes, bmws and suvs when you come in in the acre sized parking lot!

Upstairs is the prayer area. There is a small wooden divide and then a bigger wooden screen divide. This is so women who want to be totally hidden can go in the back and others can stay in the front and feel part of the prayer/classes.

Downstairs is where the Iftars are held. This Mosque doesn't have them daily for the public because they're mostly suburb, but people sign up to give Iftars here and they invite their friends and families to attend. There are tables and chairs and usually buffets on both sides for men and women. There is a curtain partition thing which is sometimes used to divide the men and women but usually not. Men sit on one side and women on the other.

After Iftar everyone goes upstairs to pray Taraweeh and that hall is packed all the way to the pack with lines and lines of brothers and sisters mashaAllah. So far I've been to 3 different Mosques in the area and they're all packed! And it's early days yet so Alhamdulillah

Hope that gave u guys an idea of what it's like over here  

Also the pencil shot are some cute pencils and balloons that say Ramadan Kareem at ISNA for the kids  

[BrKhalid]

Asalaamu Alaikum  

That sunset picture was really nice.

Maybe we can get a few pictures of Maghrib from other areas over the course of the month 


The iftar pictures look really serene and mild mannered. Obviously, no bolting and scurrying around for food in Albany it seems

[Shahida]

Salam alaikum

I love the pics!  Jannah, it looks lovely there...

That whole wedding-type of iftaars are just not done here.  and as far as I know, hardly any women are anywhere except their homes at Iftaar.

I would like to have this kind of community feel to ramadaan. mashaAllah.

and I like the prayer area as well.  you can see the Imaam! yayyy:)  or at least you're not totally in the dark when the sound system fails, and you end up being all confused as to whether he's doing rukuu' or sajda etc...

keep 'em coming, the pics are lovely
salam
S.

[Eleanor]

Those were brilliant. What a lovely mosque! I love the way the women are in the same room as the men. That's cool. For the reasons Shahida stated mainly. I'll have my camera phone at the ready when we go to the Mosque next!

[blackrose]

salaam

Agreed the masjid is lovely mA

[UBAB]

Not Sure when these pictures are taken from - but they are not recent... as we discussed the construction that is supposed be occuring on the "top" part of the pictures

[Suleyman]

Not Sure when these pictures are taken from - but they are not recent... as we discussed the construction that is supposed be occuring on the "top" part of the pictures

Sister...this picture is picked up from Zam Zam Tower..you can a rent a studio suit for just 7.500,-USD for 23 yearr/have right to stay for two weeks for  every year...

P.S. i prefer to sleep on desert instead of a buildig higher than Kaba...we are loosing kaba...it is under occupation of lights and higher buildings...

[Jaihoon]

Alhamdulillah I’ve added a couple of pictures below to show what life was like pre Ramadhan in my part of the world. The picture in the Masjid was particularly special because I doubt it will be as empty as that over the next 30 days!!!  

Masha Allah Sharjah looks beautiful on canvas of theMadina

Cool shots, brother.

[Halima]

Asalaam Alaikum,

As I mentioned in Chai Cafe, I moved in July from my former neighbourhood (Eastleigh) to a new neighbourhood (Parklands).  Nearby is a small Masjid - nothing spectacular as the pics will show - but a Masjid that has Muslims from different walks of life, colour and race frequenting and praying in it.  It has a sisters section where we pray Taraweeh every night!

The minarate is so short that we can't even hear the Adhan (Azan) from my apartment and I am on the third floor.  There are plans to rebuild it and I hopefully then, even the minaret will be taller than it currently is.

It is located in a residential area.

Pic No. 2 - I am approaching in my car.  Photo taken from inside the car. Note the small minaret.
Pic No. 1 - Security guards in front of the Masjid entrace. Note the minaret again.
Pic No. 4 - Entrace of the Masjid.
Pic No. 8 - Parking area in front of the Masjid
Pic No. 10 - Inside the Masjid. Note the long table with food on it for Iftar.


More to follow....

[Halima]

Next is the sisters' section..

Pic No. 007 - Entrance to the sisters' section on the right hand side of the metallic green car (which by the way is my car).
Pic No. 011 - Wudu area in the sisters's section.  Beyond the curtain are the toilets (two).
Pic No. 012 - Inside the sisters' section.  Note the open door to your left leading into the brothers' section.
Pic No. 013 - Note the microphone amounted on the wall. On the other side of that wall is the brother's section.
Pic No. 014 - Still inside the sisters's section.

I resized the photos using Microsoft Office Picture Manager.  They were just to large otherwise.

So, that's all of our small Masjid which is full of warmth, love and peace.

Wasalaam.

Halima

[jannah]

Wow those are really awesome mashaAllah It's almost like we're virtually visiting all these places!! BTW why do you have security guards for the mosque??

[Halima]

The security guards are there to ease traffic congestion and generally ensure that things run smoothly, e.g. no parking infront of someone's gate (causing unnecessary blockage), or double parking, etc.  Opposite the Masjid and adjacent to it on both sides are residential houses.  The security gurards are not armed.