Posted by Project Sakinah National 6/10/2013 11:12 AM

Let's Team Up with Ramadan!

Project Sakinah and Ramadan are natural partners. We go along the same lines.

Ramadan requires one to be loving and merciful not just toward family and neighbors but towards all creatures while fasting and focusing on one's relationship with the Creator of all. This extensive control on one's negative behavior and longer worship hours during taraweeh prayers and throughout the day bring tranquility (Sakinah) in people's minds and lives who actually indulge themselves into fasting and other routine rituals of the month with sincerity.

Ramadan also brings family, friends and communities together in a big way. People open their hearts and homes for each other. People share not only their meals but also their time, wealth and other blessings with the community members. This is why, Ramadan gatherings are the largest and the most meaningful gatherings of the year.

Project Sakinah too gathers community to talk about growing strong, violence free families. We team up with organizations and community members to bring programs and workshops to the communities that would help individuals in controlling their anger, resolving their family conflicts, raising their children and taking care of their elderly with love and mercy. We aim to bring sakinah, the tranquility, in each household through our team work, inshaAllah.

It's only natural for the two of us to team up.

This is why , this Ramadan, we are urging all community members to help us in raising more awareness about the family issues within our communities. Let's dedicate this Ramadan to strengthen our families. Following is a list of a few ways to get the best out of it.

Supplications & special duas: Ramadan is a special month of all different types of voluntary prayers and supplications. The prayers in this month are more likely to be accepted than those made at any other time of the year. It is only logical to make a lot of prayers throughout the month to strengthen our families, to resolve our conflicts, to protect and guide our children and to help all those suffering due to family violence within their own households.

Family Iftaars could be very productive for strengthening families. Iftaar prep and clean up time could be used for bonding with family members. Families can spend time before iftaar in discussing about the ways to strengthen their relationships along with the ways to address family issues within the Muslim community. Group supplications could be very powerful right before breaking the fast.

An extended-family iftaar could even open a chance of a larger discussion about the type of actions needed to strengthen families and& to empower our parents and youth.

Khutbahs: Asking our imams to deliver khutbahs that would address various aspects of family life throughout the month would be a great way of educating our commuting.

Short talks between Taraweeh prayers: If our mosque organizes short talks after first four rakahs of Taraweeh prayers, then we can ask the speakers to talk about family issues, healthy relationships, taking care of the elderly, etc.

Community Iftaars: Almost all masajid and community organizations hold community iftaars . We can ask our masjid or organizations to dedicate at least one of them to Project Sakinah. A short talk about Project Sakinah, family issues and a need of taking action along with the distribution of supporting material would make it very beneficial for all community members.

Awareness Tables: Setting up tables at large gatherings (Iftaars, Taraweeh, Eid prayers and gatherings) would be another way of engaging community. We have some really good stickers and bookmarks (great gift ideas) along with general informative material (check here) that can be distributed during and after Ramadan. More information here .

Itikaf Nights: Many communities organize Itikaf night for young and adults. Most Itikaf nights are planned night-long programs with good speakers and imams. Including family and gender issues in those talks would be a great way to spend Ramadan nights in learning and teaching about the real core of the Muslim character and Muslim family life.

Charity: Ramadan is also the month of charity. As most of us choose to pay our zakat during this month, this becomes a great opportunity for organizations to raise money to support their causes during this month. Among all others organizations, Muslim social services organization suffer the most because of lack of funding. As a community, we must make sure that a portion of our charity goes to support the organizations who are dedicated to preserve Muslim families and individuals through direct services or preventive programs to reduce family violence. Project Sakinah is one of them. Please click here for more information.