One of my favorite things about building Storitopia has been discovering such a variety of kids' podcasts. What is equally wonderful has been meeting and connecting with so many of the creators. This past week I reached out to Mrs. Hashimi, the wonderful mama, educator, and creator of the podcast, Once Upon a Crescent. I knew that Ramadan was coming up this week because Mrs. Hashimi had posted a link to her Instagram about her Ramadan read-aloud live event. I knew this was an important month for Muslims, but I wanted to know more. Here's what Mrs. Hashimi shared to help us learn about Ramadan. The Basics Ramadan is a month-long time of fasting, introspection, and religious observance with a focus on different acts of worship. Fasting is from sunrise to sundown (which means no food or drink - not even water). Only healthy adults fast, not kids, the elderly or ill, or pregnant or nursing women. The month of Ramadan ends with Eid-al-Fitr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast) which lasts for 3 days. During this time children receive gifts and money.
What are a couple of the most important things non-Muslims should know about Ramadan? Muslims try to be mindful of their time and energy to conserve energy because of the long fasts. We stay up at night during this month too. The mosques are usually filled with people at nighttime! How can non-Muslims be supportive of their Muslim friends and neighbors during Ramadan? It's nice to know that others are thinking of you. Maybe just a friendly check-in could go a long way to see how the month is coming along 😊! How old are you when you first participate in Ramadan fasting? Kids who have hit puberty begin to start fasting. Personally, I remember in middle school many of my Muslim peers were fasting. What kinds of questions have you been asked by neighbors and friends that would be helpful to share? Some people have asked why do we fast and the answer I like to give is because it's a command from God. Fasting has been prescribed to us, as it was prescribed to people before us so that we may become mindful of God. Truly, fasting does bring about that inner transformation to bring God to the forefront of your mind and tap into a deeper sense of spirituality and connection with your Creator. It's a beautiful experience that makes me feel inspired because I finally see some level of self-discipline in myself that I don't see all year long. It's also the month of the Quran as we like to refer to it. The Quran was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during this month. We honor the Quran, the word of God, by engaging in its recitation more during this month :).
Here is a link to a Ramadan episode of Once Upon a Crescent written by Mrs. Hashimi.
✨ Ramadan Mubarak ✨ Ramadan Kareem
✨ Happy Ramadan
Thank you, Mrs. Hashimi for sharing more about Ramadan with me and for your wonderful podcast.