If you haven’t guessed it from all the blog content we’ve been rolling out the past few weeks, Ramadan is almost here! There has been such a vibe around Ramadan throughout the past decade – my adult parenting life with tweens and teens. We can credit the proliferation of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Muslim organizations, religious institutions, businesses and vendors for encouraging us to elevate our worship practices through great programming and our Ramadan spirit through decor, tablescapes, Ramadan kids-geared activities, books and more.

You may not be interested in the latter, not wanting to spend time on the aesthetics of Ramadan and focus wholly on increased ibadah (worship) and fasting. And that’s fine. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the Pinterest boards, printables, tablescapes, Ramadan decor and so on, but that’s probably because I’ve never been a crafty Mamma. But, I’m glad it’s all out there and available now. I’m so thankful Ramadan is actively explored, discussed, explained and hyped up in our communities with our kids (and for our adult selves) in numerous ways.

I came of age in the last century (man, I feel OLD!), Ramadan-ing each year in a small, mainly white-populated Midwestern college town with a strong farming community surrounding it. We were one of the tiniest smattering of Muslim families and singletons, the only kids fasting in our schools. My parents worked so incredibly hard to teach us our faith (without the help of Islamic schools, Sunday schools, any formal curriculum, books or the Internet even). And, we were proud to partake in fasting, anxiously awaiting on the stairs as my father would consult with his brother in Chicago about if the moon had been sighted, signaling the start of the month.

But it was a pretty private affair – our fasting, our lives as Muslims. So different from today’s landscape of Ramadan merchandise at Party City, Ramadan tutorials and decor galore on Instagram and a plethora of Ramadan prep articles (like the ones we are writing and publishing) as well as fantastic webinars, events, and online programs to help us deepen our connection with Allah (S) and maximize our ibadah.

As we approach the start of Ramadan, I pray you find your own rhythm and balance to the holy month, that you figure out for yourself how you want to avail the abundance of blessings that Ramadan has to offer us all. It may not be in the ways we seek or see. But the blessings are there for the taking, in everything we do for each other and our communities for the sake of Allah (S), in our fasting for His sake, in whatever acts of charity we can engage in, in every step we take to strengthen our connection with our Lord.

This is the part in my monthly column where I talk about what’s coming up this month at Haute Hijab by way of product and on the blog by way of storytelling. And yes, we have some pretty cool things coming through the hijab pipeline for you in April that we are all excited about. But more than anything, I am grateful to be in a position to listen to you – our Muslim communities – and share your stories with the world.

So, please do continue to come back to the blog this month. We aim to help those who are new(er) to Islam understand all the basics of Ramadan. We will also be delving into the significance of the first, second and last ten days of the months and bringing you verses of the Quran that speak to Allah’s (S) mercy, renewing our intention and Allah’s (S) forgiveness.

After a year of COVID-19 pandemic living, I am struck by how gracious and merciful Allah (S) is to bring us back together for another Ramadan. We worried and despaired last year over how a Ramadan without a masjid life would work, only to learn what Allah (S) was truly offering us by way of that unique experience. Let us remember that and approach this Ramadan with an open heart and a willingness to quiet the outside world so that we can focus on our inside fervent prayers.

Bismillah my friends.

Editorially yours,
Dilshad