Ramadhan During The Covid-19 Pandemic

For many people, Ramadhan is the time to connect with the Muslim community in the mosques, to reach out to the poor and needy, and to hold sahur or iftar gatherings with friends. And many have lamented on missing out so many things in this Ramadhan. 

While I do miss doing tarawih prayer in the mosque, for me, Ramadhan is the time to reflect and improve, all of which could be done alone during quarantine. I am sure I would get protests from a lot of people to say this, but I really enjoy this year's Ramadhan. 

Here are some things I am grateful about experiencing Ramadhan during the pandemic:

1. No need to attend iftar gatherings at the shopping malls

Many friends and colleagues always hold iftar gatherings at the shopping malls, and I have been skirting around this issue for more than a decade, but the pandemic solves this in a second. I never liked like doing it because malls are always full during iftar time, we have to queue for quite some time to do Maghrib prayer in the mall's tiny praying room, and in the end, we can't have a proper discussion with said friends, because other patrons also want to have iftar.

2. It is more relaxing to do tarawih prayer at home

Since we are staying at home, we can do tarawih as many rakaat as we want. But I'm still doing the 8 tarawih-3 witir, though, lol. Staying at home means I can take breaks in-between the 2 rakaat. I usually spend the breaks to memorize short surah, so I have more surahs option to recite. I love Al Ikhlas, but sometime I feel guilty for using it excessively.

3. You focus on the basics of Ramadhan 

The basics are sahur, iftar, and tarawih. No need to go find new clothes for Idulfitri, because judging from the current situation, this pandemic will still definitely be around on 1 Syawal. No need to make too many cookies or food, because there would not be any family gathering on Idulfitri anyway.

4. More opportunity to do good 

I have heard many news about people losing jobs, not getting THR (annual bonus) or salary, and the struggle of essential workers working around the clock on the frontline. We can help them anytime, not just in Ramadhan, but of course any kinds of help given in this holy month would not only benefit the recipients, but also the giving persons.

5. The pandemic paints a different perspective in life 

With the pandemic going strong worldwide, I always have the feeling to finish my obligations as soon as possible because I may not have the opportunity later. This may seem like negative thinking to some, but the pandemic really gives an awareness that time waits for no one.

What are you grateful for this Ramadhan?

On Placing Your Hopes And Expectations To God

Last year I saw a YouTube video on an ustadz (male clerics) giving a sermon on the importance of marriage. The ustadz cited a hadith saying The Prophet said married people were already achieving half of the religion. From that hadith, the ustadz deduced that the unmarried people had yet to reach anything worthy for the journey to afterlife.

I remembered feeling helpless after hearing the sermon. As a single Muslim in my late 30s (this year is the last year of my 30s), I believe that Allah would not let anyone feeling left behind and that Islam embraces people from all walks of life. So I looked up Al Quran to find solace.

What I found in Al Quran were verses on marriage, to be kind to spouse (how husband should treat their wife and vice versa), to be kind to those who have less, and other advises on being kind to other humans. Reading the verses on marriage resulted in even more helpless feeling, because they emphasized the aforementioned hadith.

As I turned the 30th juz, I stumbled upon Q.S Al Zalzalah (The Earthquake). The 99th surah in Al Quran consists of 8 verses and the last two verses say: "Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it."

It reminded me of a hadith as told by Abu Hurairah ra about the poor people who asked The Prophet that the rich could do sholat and fasting, just like the poor do. But the rich can give alms, free slaves and donate their wealth for good deeds, while the poor can not do that. At the end of the hadith, Rasulullah SAW said that Allah gave blessing to whoever He wanted to give.

And then another verse of Al Quran jumped out before my eyes: "And to your Lord only should you direct your longing." (Q.S. Al Insyirah-94: 8).

I still needed some validation on the hadith mentioned on the first paragraph of this post, so I asked another cleric, who I knew well that he would pick his words carefully. He said that marriage was indeed already half of the religion (insert sad sigh here). However, he added, those who were married still had to pursue the other half, which is taqwa. He reminded that people should always place their hopes and expectations to God, and not being complacent with the good deeds they have done or achieved.

Those kind words reminded me of another surah, Q.S. Al Ashr, which is my namesake actually. The last two verses say: '"Indeed, mankind is at loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience."

Please note that I am not a scholar on Islamic studies. I am just a Muslim who wants to learn more about my own faith. I know that my understanding on Al Quran is not as much as the people who dedicate their life to learn Islam. Feel free to give comments and suggestion. 

May we be able to reach our full potential in this year's Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak!

I'tikaf In Masjid Baitul Ihsan (Masjid BI) And Masjid Agung Sunda Kelapa

Disclaimer: I wrote this as a self-reminder should I want to do another i'tikaf in the future.

Before I start, allow me to write a definition of i'tikaf. I hope I get it correctly. I'tikaf means staying in a mosque for a period of time, devoting the time for ibadah (praying, reciting Quran, reading Hadits etc) and staying away from the worldly affairs. 

In some countries, women are not allowed to do i'tikaf in the mosque. But in Indonesia, women do i'tikaf. So I guess it is a cultural thing, just like women in Indonesia are not allowed to perform Jumat prayer but actually women can do Jumat prayer in Masjidil Haram. Correct me if I'm wrong :).

OK, back to this post. Last Ramadan, I did i'tikaf in two mosques: Masjid Baitul Ihsan and Masjid Agung Sunda Kelapa. Here are my recount of the experience.

Masjid Baitul Ihsan or Masjid BI

Built in 2001, the 1.087-square meter Masjid Baitul Ihsan is located inside the state bank Bank Indonesia's complex and can house up to 4,000 people. It has a parking area, shoes shelves, toilets and ablution area, and best of all, it is air-conditioned.

Logistics. The second best thing about this mosque (beside it being air-conditioned): it provides drinking water. All you need to do is bring your own water bottle. 

There are some food vendors near the entrance gate. But if you want the real deal, you can always run to the 24-hour McDonalds in Sarinah. To have a proper sahur, you can register for a rice box at the entrance after Witir and pay Rp 20.000.  

Accommodation. It has wall-to-wall carpet. The ground floor has thicker carpet than the second floor. Since I was taking a spot on the second floor, it was a good thing I brought my Deuter Dreamlite500 sleeping bag.

The number of toilet can be improved. But as a person who doesn't pee much during fasting month, I can survive.

I'tikaf Program. The mosque holds Maghrib, Isya, Tarawih (8 rakaat) and Witir (3 rakaat), which usually conclude at 9 p.m. There is a sermon for about one hour. Then you are left to do personal activities (either praying, reading Quran etc) until 1 a.m. when they wake you up to do qiyamul lail. The night prayer is done in 8 rakaat. Each night of the last 10 days of Ramadan the imam will read 3 juz. When I did i'tikaf it was juz 7-9.

Masjid Agung Sunda Kelapa

Built in 1970, the 9.920-square meter Masjid Sunda Kelapa is located behind the National Development Planning Board and can also house up to 4.000 people. MASK has the same facilities like Masjid BI, however, this mosque is much older and not much modernization.

Logistics. There is no drinking water. So you must buy bottled water. Or in my case, I brought a refillable water bottle, asked a food vendor to refill and pay for the water. It's the least I could do to reduce the plastic waste.

There are a lot of food vendors outside of the mosque's gate, and you can choose from satay (meat on skewer) and soto (clear soup) to ketoprak (vegetable, vermicelli noodle topped with peanut sauce) and dimsum (meat dumpling). All is delicious and affordable!

The mosque gives free rice boxes for ifthar and sahur, which they receive from donors. On that particular dawn, the mosque distributed 2.130 rice boxes for sahur and not everyone received. I happened to bring my own meal, so I gave my rice box to an elderly lady.

Accommodation. Women can occupy the multi purpose hall. But I found it too cramped, so I took a spot at the roofed terrace, which is not air-conditioned. Sleeping bag to the rescue!

The number of toilet is enough to cater the whole congregation. But the toilet condition is a bit...hmm...well, there is room for improvement.

I'tikaf Program. The mosque holds Maghrib, Isya, Tarawih (20 rakaat) and then you have a break to do personal activities until midnight, when they wake you up and turn off the light for qiyamul lail. The night prayer is 8 rakaat and the imam reads one juz. 

Conclusion

When doing i'tikaf, I know I should bring these:

1. Mukena (praying outfit), sajadah (praying mat) and other equipment

2. Sleeping bag

3. Tissues (both dry and wet tissues)

4. Refillable water bottle

5. Food (in case no food vendor/free rice box)

June Updates

Eid Mubarak!

My last post was a farewell to the aerial view of Jakarta's main streets, and here I am, a month later, still sitting in the very same cubicle with the view. So what happened in the past 30 days? Here are some updates...

My contract got extended until the end of June

I had prepared myself to be unemployed this month, and planned to take all of my leaves before the contract expired. But lo and behold, a day before Ramadhan commenced, I received a phonecall from the HRM on the contract extension. At first, I said I'd think about it, but the HRM asked me kindly to help them out. And so, I decided to take the offer.

I've completed most of my work a few weeks before May ended, so this June I did the regular tasks and web updating. Lower workload means I had...

A moment of self-reflection this Ramadhan

Prior to the contract extension, I had made plans to fill Ramadhan with lots of self-reflection and ibadah (you know, prayers, read Al Quran and other good deeds). The extension got me thinking that you don't have to wait until you have the time to do all that. As a matter in fact, being alive is a lifetime struggle to balance the world and the hereafter. 

Without any intention to brag/boast/riya, alhamdulillah, this Ramadhan I've managed to do most tarawih prayers, with one night amiss (I'm trying to improve this). I also held a breakfasting event with my campus friend at a small orphanage, near my home. I did twice one-night i'tikaf with my girlfriends. I might post about the experience in another post, just for a self-reminder and in case there are English-speaking people who need information on i'tikaf activities in Jakarta's mosques.

I'm fully aware that what I've done this Ramadhan is minuscule compared to the good deeds that other people had done. But coming from a person like me, those baby steps are huge quantum leaps for me :).

As I don't promote this blogs on other social media (although it's available on search engines if you type the right keywords), I wrote those just for my eyes only, a self-reminder of things to improve in the future Ramadhan. I do understand that there are people who read this blogs. If you know me in real life, I'd very much appreciate it that you don't bring up those things in public or to other people.

The translation work will be published into a paper

The translation work I did last year will be published into a paper, and my name will be mentioned too, that's what the researcher told me. I was floored by the announcement. I mean, I only translated what the respondents said, not really writing the paper. I really need to write my own paper one of these days.

A good news ahead...

A project contacted me. While there is no commitment yet (no contract, whatsoever), the project coordinator had asked me to send some documents. We have also chatted informally on my TOR. I hope to hear more on this project in July. Please wish me luck!

If there is no progress on this project until July, I can always take a break and do some traveling :).

To close this month in a good mood, here is a photo of me and my extended family during the Eid celebration. And they didn't ask 'the question' this year! I love you, my extended family :).

Pre-Ramadhan

Islamic Thinking

I will take a break from posting this Ramadhan. 

May you have a blessed Ramadhan.

Rest Area

Exhausted: Motorcyclists take a snooze at a gas station in Cirebon, West Java, on Sunday. Fewer holidaymakers traveled by motorbike this year thanks to more free buses made available by the government and major businesses in Jakarta. (Antara/Yudhi Mahatma, link)

I'm hitting the snooze button too for my office has declared 'No Paper from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11'. For those who celebrate, Eid Mubarak!

Homebound Travelers

Idul Fitri countdown: Holiday travelers board an economy class train bound for Surakarta, Central Java, at Pasar Senen Station in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. Millions of Jakartans will go back to their hometowns for the annual Idul Fitri holiday that falls on Aug. 8 – 9. (JP/P.J. Leo, Source)

Make The Days Count

From here

Tips For The Last 10 Days Of Ramadhan

1. Do not let your ‘performance’ until now affect your last 10 days. The moment of forgiveness could be today or anytime in the coming days! It is not all lost! If you sincerely wish it could have been better - Chin up and get ready to make it your best yet! Start with a positive, sincere intention!

2. Today, take a little time to read the Tafseer of Surah al-Qadr to understand what actually happens this night! You will feel its power & greatness so much more!

3. Do not wait for the 27th Night to give it your “all". The entire last 10 days should be your target. Stay up each night! Would you want to miss Laylatul Qadr even “by chance"?

4. Do not fall into any innovations/celebrations any masjid or culture might try to promote. Follow the Sunnah! The Prophet SAW guided us simply: “Whoever stays up and prays on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”

5. Memorize and keep asking the dua’ taught by Rasulullah SAW: Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’affu ‘anni (O Allaah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me).

6. Prepare a short dua’ list. Remember this is as awesome as it ever gets for a servant of Allah! The Night of Qadr, of Destiny! Consciously pick each and everything you crucially wish for in this dunya, in your deen, family, and in your aakhirah! Don’t forget to include the brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering and in grief!

7. Take brief naps during the day, if possible. Keep your stomach light and sleep as soon as you have prayed ‘isha. Do not delay! After a brief nap, refresh yourself and get ready for worship.

8. Don’t neglect your family! Rasulullah SAW made it a point to wake up his wives throughout these nights! And yes, your children are not too young to stay up some part of the night - if they can be allowed to play video games or watch TV, they can be inspired to be up atleast for sometime! Prepare them, make them excited, plan some activities for them to do!

9. Look the Part: The way we dress and prepare has a big effect on our psychology. Wear your best, perfume yourself, and feel the energy!

10. Choose a spot, whether in the Masjid or in your home, where you can have peace and solitude. Keep your mushaf, praying mat, and water at hand so that you are not distracted by constantly getting up for this or that.

11. This is not the night to tweet pics or update FB statuses about how amazing the night is and how you are feeling & worshipping Allah! Let that be a secret between you & your Rabb! So switch off those phones, wifi, laptops and computers. Disconnect with the world, and connect with al-‘Afuww!

12. If you find yourself feeling sleepy, vary your acts of worship. Alternate between qiyaam, heartfelt dua’a, reading the Qur’an. Do not spend the night listening to lectures or recitations. Or do it only for a short while when you feel the sleep coming on!

13. Patience is the Key: The last 10 days might be tiring. You might still have work or school. This is the time to bear all that hardship, and keep firm sabr. Think how Allah has blessed you with this tremendous opportunity that might NEVER come again in your life again. If you knew for sure that this was your last Ramadan, if you knew certainly that Jannah was up for grabs, wouldn’t you sprint for it no matter what it takes?

14. This is most important: Keep husn adh-dhann bi Allah (good expectations from Allah). When you ask, remember you are asking the Most Generous King. If you hope for the best, He will give you the best. Don’t hold back. Trust in Him, pour out your heart in front of Him, and let no doubt, no barrier, no evil thoughts keep you away from ar-Rahman, ar-Raheem.

Source

Supplication On Lailatul Qadr

Photo and text from here

`A’ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported that she asked Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), “O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylat ul-Qadr, what should I say during it?” And he instructed her to say:

اللْهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

“Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuh.ibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee – O Allah! You are forgiving, and you love forgiveness. So forgive me.” [Recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmithi. Verified to be authentic by Al-Albani]

Mosques In The Lands Of -Stan

When I was still in the elementary school, my paternal grandpa visited me and then gave me an envelope before he went home to Bandung. Inside the envelope was a piece of paper with names of countries and places across the globe that end with "stan". 

There must be around 20 names he wrote there. Since I have always liked geography, the eight-year-old me already knew some of the countries, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. But I also found other unfamiliar names, like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The names have been haunting me ever since. 

Grandpa did not give any explanation on why he wrote those names or why he gave it to me. He was a schoolteacher, so perhaps he wanted me to find out where those countries are? Grandpas are weird, aren't they? 

Grandpa passed away in 1999. Unfortunately, I lost that paper when we moved from our old home. In an effort to stop the memories from fading, I go online and search mosques across the lands of -stan. So here they are.

Pavlodar mosque in Kazakhstan

Mosque in Kyrgyzstan

 Central Mosque, Nohur, Turkmenistan

Abu Mansur mosque in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Grand Mosque in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

 

The bottom photo is from here, and the rest are from here

Old Photos Of Mosques Worldwide

As we are approaching the last 10 days of Ramadhan, I'd like to dedicate this week on the beautiful mosques, where we should be spending our nights. Thanks to a random blogwalking, I stumbled upon Archi/Maps tumblr site, which actually has a tag on mosques. So I clicked on the tag and here are some of my favorites :).

 The mosque in Minangkabau, Indonesia

The Great Mosque of Samarra, Iraq

The Mosque of the Pasha, Oran, Algeria

 The Dhurrumtollah Mosque, Calcutta

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Smile, It's Charity :)

From here

Hello sweeties, how was your week? I hope everything went well with you guys. Even if they didn't, there is always a reason to smile. For me, this week has been great, alhamdulillah. I couldn't disclose anything today, but let's just say that I've been blessed with such kind and supportive friends, thank you so much, guys.  

Back to business, this week's events include:

Art Exhibition: Islamic calligraphy. Until July 27, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Galeri Cipta III, Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta. Free and open to public.

Movie Screening: Rabat, July 27, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., Erasmus Huis, Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav S-3. Free admission.

Movie Screening: Pekan Film Anak dan Remaja. Bentara Budaya Jakarta. Check the schedule here

Have a lovely weekend!

Calligraphy Is In The House, Yo!

All of the calligraphy works mean "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful".

The last photo from here, the rest from here

Colorful Calligraphy of Surah Abasa

Found here

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى (1) أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى (2) وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى (3) أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَى (4) أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى (5) فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى (6) وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّى (7) وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَى (8) وَهُوَ يَخْشَى (9) فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى (10) كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ (11) فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ (12) فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ (13) مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ (14) بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ (15) كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ (16) قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ (17) مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ (18) مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ (19) ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ (20) ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ (21) ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْشَرَهُ (22) كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ (23) فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ (24) أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا (25) ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا (26) فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا (27) وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا (28) وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا (29) وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا (30) وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا (31) مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ (32) فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ (33) يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ (34) وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ (35) وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ (36) لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ (37) وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُسْفِرَةٌ (38) ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ (39) وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ (40) تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ (41) أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ (42)   Translation: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. He frowned and turned away because the blind man approached him.Yet for all thou didst know, [O Muhammad,] he might perhaps have grown in purity, or have been reminded [of the truth], and helped by this reminder. Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient to him didst thou give thy whole attention, although thou art not accountable for his failure to attain to purity; but as for him who came unto thee full of eagerness and in awe [of God] him didst thou disregard! Nay, verily, these [messages] are but a reminder: and so, whoever is willing may remember Him in [the light of His] revelations blest with dignity, lofty and pure, [borne] by the hands of messengers noble and most virtuous. [But only too often] man destroys himself: how stubbornly does he deny the truth! [Does man ever consider] out of what substance [God] creates him? Out of a drop of sperm He creates him, and thereupon determines his nature, and then makes it easy for him to go through life; and in the end He causes him to die and brings him to the grave; and then, if it be His will, He shall raise him again to life, Nay, but [man] has never yet fulfilled what He has enjoined upon him! Let man, then, consider [the sources of] his food: [how it is] that We pour down water, pouring it down abundantly; and then We cleave the earth [with new growth], cleaving it asunder, and thereupon We cause grain to grow out of it, and vines and edible plants, and olive trees and date-palms, and gardens dense with foliage, and fruits and herbage, for you and for your animals to enjoy. And so, when the piercing call [of resurrection] is heard on a Day when everyone will [want to] flee from his brother, and from his mother and father, and from his spouse and his children: on that Day, to every one of them will his own state be of sufficient concern. Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness, laughing, rejoicing at glad tidings. And some faces will on that Day with dust be covered, with darkness overspread: these, these will be the ones who denied the truth and were immersed in iniquity.

Reading Material

Giant Koran: Teachers show a giant Koran displayed at Al-Ashriyyah Nurul Iman boarding school in Parung, West Java,Tuesday. Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, where they refrain from drinking, eating, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk. (AP/Tatan Syuflana, link)

Ramadhan With Those In Need

Emergency period: Children in Ketol Village, Central Aceh, sit around a fire in a camp where they are temporarily living after an earthquake struck the area earlier this month, killing at least 40 and displacing 22,125. Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah has decided to extend the emergency period for the quake until the end of Ramadhan. (Antara/Rahmad, link)

Widespread inundation: Residents salvage their belongings from their flooded home in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on Wednesday. Incessant heavy rain triggered widespread inundation in the province, where flood levels reached 2.5 meters in the worst-hit areas. (Antara/Jojon, link)

After writing last Friday's post, I found these photos. I hope everything goes well with the victims. Since it's Ramadhan, the natural disasters give us opportunities to help them and help us improving ourselves.

From here

Have a magnificent Monday!

Have A Sweet Weekend

Quiet thoroughfare: A trash picker pulls a cart with his children on it, crossing the quiet Jl. MH Thamrin in Jakarta on Sunday on the first week of Ramadhan. The area around the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle was usually crowded with families and communities enjoying sports activities during Car Free Day. (JP/P.J. Leo, source)

Hello, sweeties!

How was your fasting (if you're fasting that is)? This week I attended several breakfasting events at various venues, from a newly-opened restaurant to a hotel. Despite the delicious foods they served, I just couldn't help wanting to go home and had a simple breakfasting with M&D. So I brought a burger from the new restaurant and we shared it at home.

Then I stumbled upon the photo above and felt a bit guilty for not being grateful.

Anyway, for those of you coming here for the Weekender events, sorry I have yet to find any exciting information on this weekend's events. I will just stay at home and be with my folks. If you know anything, feel free to write the events in the comment box.

Hope you have a great one :).

PS. If you're a Liverpudlian, there is something to do this weekend because the lads are coming to Jakarta for the world tour :). How come I miss this one? Darn.

The 2012 Olympic Muslim Women Medalists

Source

Aliya Mustafina (Age 17 - Russian Federation - Gymnastics)
Won gold in the uneven bars, silver in the women’s team final and a bronze in both the floor exercise and the individual all-around final. Mustafina left the Games as the most decorated Russian gymnast.

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Zulfiya Chinshanlo (Age 19 - Kazakhstan - Weightlifting)
Won gold in the women’s 53kg competition.

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Maiya Maneza (Age 26 - Kazakhstan - Weightlifting)
Took gold in the women’s 63kg competition.

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Asli Cakir Alptekin (Age 26 - Turkey - Track & Field)

Captured gold in the women’s 1500 meters.

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Habiba Ghribi (Age 28 - Tunisia - Track & Field)
Won silver in the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase.

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Mavzuna Chorieva (Age 19 - Tajikistan - Boxing)

Won bronze in women's boxing, a sport that debuted this summer. She was the only medalist from Tajikistan

The Muslim women athletes had come a long way from their countries to be in London for the 2012 Olympic Games. They had faced the hardships of training period, the fasting-or-no fasting dilemma as well as the hijab-or-no hijab question. They managed to win the medals, though. 

This post is a bit late, but since this year's Ramadhan also falls in summer, it makes a good excuse to revisit last year's Olympic results.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi

I've posted the 2011 Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman from Yemen last year. So I guest this week should also note Iranian lawyer, former judge and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, the first Muslim woman to receive Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts for democracy and human rights.

Found here

She's often photographed without hijab, but I think she looks prettier with it :)