As Ramadaan draws closer by the day and its on our doorstep we hope you enjoyed the workshop and benefited from the information shared.
We need to return to our natural fitra and it is now more than ever essential to focus on our relationship with Allah.
We hosted the workshop to discuss essential aspects on how to prepare for Ramadaan. This recipe book is a practical guide on some recipes that can help you make that lifestyle a reality.
We linked up with social media influencers and community members to make this possible. We would like to specially thank them for their contribution in this regard.
To access the FREE recipe book in electronic form
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Each year, we as Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for an entire month. So, why is Ramadan such an important month for Muslims and why do they fast?
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle or phases of the moon. Healthy adult Muslims are required to fast in the daylight hours of Ramadan, which involves abstaining from eating, drinking, immoral acts and getting angry. For Muslims, it is a time for piety and spirituality; an opportunity to get closer to God.
Why is Ramadan so special?
Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) in A.D. 610. The timing of revelation is given special significance and is known as Laylatul Qadr or the Night of Power.
To commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan – aiming to grow in spirituality by building a stronger relationship with God. They do this through fasting, praying, reciting the Qur’an, making their actions purposeful and selfless, as well as refraining from lying, gossiping and fighting.
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We wish you a fruitful and blessed Ramadaan
Food is medicine – Your Ramadaan Guide
“Blackseed is a cure for every disease except death.” (Sahih Bukhari)
During the Holy month of Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims practice daily fasting from dawn until sunset.
Fasting during Ramadan can improve one’s health, but only if done in the correct manner. But if done incorrectly, it can cause more harm than good. This Ramadan, we give you a wide range of nutrition tips to follow. Learn how you can eat healthy at Iftar and Suhoor and ensure adequate nutrition and continued good health. Follow our Tips to make a few lifestyle changes to get the best out of this Ramadan.Let this season be a time of revival in spirit, soul and body.
We are currently running a Ramadaan Sale on spices and more. Click onto the online store, fill your cart and enter the Coupon code (RAM1443) to redeem your 20% off selected products automatically.
Jazakallah Khair for all the amazing support. We really appreciate all the duas and pure hearts that has supported us in this new venter Algamdulilah. May Allah increase you in abundance and grant you all your hearts desires during this blessed month of Ramadaan In Shaa Allah
Tip 1: Starting your Iftar meal with a warm soup comforts the stomach after a long day of fasting, replenishes your body with fluids and help prepare the digestive system for this blessed meal.
Tip 2: A balanced main dish at Iftar should contain a source of carbohydrates like rice, pasta, potatoes or some source of protein, as well as some form of protein like beef, chicken or fish, in addition to cooked vegetables. Balance and moderation are key to good health.
Tip 3: Don’t forget to drink plenty of water during the holy month of Ramadan. At least 8 glasses distributed in small quantities so as not to feel bloated.
Tip 4: Some people tend to eat more during Ramadan and this can lead to weight gain. Eating a healthy Iftar, eating starters and sweets in moderation, choosing more fruits and vegetables, avoiding sweetened beverages, and being active every day will help you maintain your weight.
Tip 5: Some people tend to be more sedentary during the month of Ramadan. To burn extra calories, make sure to be active by at least going for a walk every day, two hours after having Iftar which allows you time to digest your meal.
Tip 6: Suhoor is a vital meal during Ramadan. It gives you strength and vitality for the day and can make fasting easier and tolerable. Make sure that this meal is rich in slow-releasing carbohydrates such as whole grain bread, rice and whole grain cereals that can help maintain your blood sugar levels.
Tip 7: Delightful sweets during Ramadan are hard to resist. To avoid consuming too many calories, indulge and enjoy with your family the tasty and creative delights, while making sure you always practice portion control and moderation.
Tip 8: Choose dates, dried fruits and nuts as part of your diet during Ramadan. These provide healthy nutrients and are packed with energy, thus helping you keep your vitality during this month.
Tip 9: To make your dishes lighter during Ramadan, adopt healthy cooking methods such as grilling, boiling, simmering and roasting and add taste to the food with a wealth of vegetables, herbs and seasonings.
Tip 10: For balanced nutrition, try not to rely solely on Iftar to give you all your nutritional requirements. You can have other light meals before bedtime such as low-fat yoghurt and a whole-wheat cheese sandwich, or some dried fruits and nuts. Not to forget your Suhoor that can include a glass of low-fat milk, whole wheat bread and some legumes.
Here are some additional Ramadan nutrition tips you may wish to consider, especially if you’re thinking about what to eat in Ramadan to not get hungry:
It is traditional to open the fast with dates and a glass of water or milk; aside from the religious recommendations, there is also great reasoning behind this.
Dates contain many nutrients and health benefits including reducing blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and colon cancer, and relieving constipation. Dates also fill you up pretty quickly and are a great source of slow-release energy – keeping you going for longer. Try opening your fast with a handful of dates and a glass of milk before taking a break to recite salaah; you’ll find you won’t feel as hungry after you pray.
Due to the slow energy release in dates, it is a great idea to introduce this into your suhoor meal too. The ideal suhoor meal would consist of oats or porridge and some dates.
Ramadan is an amazing opportunity that Allah SWT gives us to spiritually recharge, and improve ourselves.
If you are wondering how you can get the best out of this month, here are a few tips to get you started:
Tip #1 Make a plan
As the famous saying goes” if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. This Ramadan set yourself a plan that is both achievable and beneficial. The simple act of writing a plan, will in fact help you manage your time to ensure your goals are met and that leave this month feeling accomplished.
For example, write down how much Quran you want to read this month and set aside time each day to do this.
Tip #2 Manage your time
Your time, is the most valuable asset you have this month, and if you manage it wisely you will reap the rewards.
Avoid wasting time on things that are unbeneficial like hanging out, excessive Iftar parties, watching tv and addiction to social media. When you take advantage of your spare time, and use it to perform acts of worship, such as Salah, reciting Quran, and Thikr, you will experience the beauty of this month, and feel closer to Allah. If you find yourself sitting with nothing to do, you can say Athkar like Subha’Allah, Alhmadulilah, Lailaha ilallah, and Allahuakbar.
These words that are light on the tongue, but very heavy on the scales.
Tip #3 Consistency is key
The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if they’re small. Yes, even if they are simple and easy to perform, so as long as they are consistent, and this is your secret to success. Ramadan is a perfect time for change. Develop a good habit, or apply a new sunnah this month that you know you’re going to be able to continue, not only throughout Ramadan but also in the months ahead.
Tip #4 Seek out the right environment
In the same way that a plant requires the right amount of water and sunlight to grow, the environment that you place yourself in, has a big impact on how your Iman will grow this Ramadan.
Make an effort to attend Salah in the masjid, join a Quran halaqah, seek out gatherings of knowledge, because these are the environments that will help you make the change towards the better.
Tip #5 Push yourself to the limit.
Finally, Make this Ramadan better than your last. Never underestimate your potential, and always remember that Allah SWT is giving you this opportunity to shine. The more effort that you put in this month, the greater the benefit – think about the forgiveness of sins, being saved from hell fire, drawing nearer to Allah SWT, and make that your motivation to keep going.
Push yourself to the point you surprise yourself.
May Allah grant you all success this month, and may He be pleased with your fasting and worship.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you1—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.
Bay leaves come from the bay laurel plant, an evergreen shrub that grows slowly in warm climates. The plants are grown for ornamental use and dried and used in cooking. The thick and leathery leaves are elongated with pointy ends. Most often, recipes call for dried bay leaves, which have a slightly stronger scent than fresh.
Many ladies add bay leaves to their foods, especially in the cooking of red meat and poultry. Many don’t know why bay leaves are added to food!
When a woman was asked why, she said, “to flavour the food”.
If you boil the bay leaves in a glass of water and taste it, it will have no flavour. So why do you put bay leaves in the meat or other food?
The addition of bay leaves to meat converts triglycerides to monounsaturated fats and, for experimentation and confirmation:
Cut a chicken into two halves, cook each half in a separate pan and place on one a bay leaf, and cook the other without a bay leaf. Observe the amount of fat in both pans after cooking!
If you have bay leaves and other natural health spices, there is no real need for a pharmacy, as recent scientific studies have shown that bay leaves have many benefits.
The benefits of bay leaf:
They –
▪Treat digestive disorders and help eliminate –
Hot bay tea regulates bowel movements –
Additional uses are:
▪ By eating them, or by drinking bay tea for a month, the body is able to produce insulin
▪ Eliminates bad cholesterol and relieves the body of triglycerides.
▪ Useful in treating colds, flu and severe coughs, as it is a rich source of vitamin “C”.
▪ You can boil the leaves and inhale steam to get rid of phlegm and reduce the severity of coughs.
▪ Protects the heart from seizures and strokes, as they contain cardiovascular protective compounds.
▪ Rich in acids such as caffeic acid, quercetin, eigonol and bartolinide, substances that prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body.
▪ Helps eliminates insomnia and anxiety. If taken before bed, helps you relax and sleep peacefully.
▪ Drinking a cup of boiled bay leaves twice a day breaks down kidney stones and cures infections.
Fresh bay leaves can be placed in a sealed zip-top bag and stored in the refrigerator where they will last for a week or two. Dried bay leaves can be stored in a sealed container in a cool, dry, and dark spot, such as the spice cabinet or pantry; they will last up to two years before losing their aroma. You can also store the sealed dried bay leaves in the freezer, which will help the bay leaf retain its flavor and floral potency.
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. SHS is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of SHS and SHS does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Barley crops are cultivated throughout the country during the season of rabi crops and utilized in various forms including the Barley flour. The plants of barley are very similar to wheat and the seeds are elongated in shape in comparison to wheat with a covering of light yellow colour. Prophet Muhammad (saws) liked it very much and used it in various forms such as barley bread, gruel and dough.
“You recently recovered from illness, hence you are weak, hence don’t eat more. Therefore, that lady prepared a dish from barley and beet root. Then, the Prophet (saws) told Ali “eat from it, it is better for you”. (Ibn-e-Maja, Sanad-e-Ahmed, Tirmizi)
This proves that after illness, the preparation made from barley and beet roots is very good tonic for weak persons.
Anas Bin Malik states that a tailor invited the Prophet (saws) to meals. He prepared the barley bread and meat with Pumpkin. The Prophet (saws) very affectionately ate the pumpkin pieces from the curry. (Bukhari, Muslim)
During the period of the Prophet (saws) the people either used to eat the Barley bread or to mix the wheat flour with Barley flour to prepare the bread generally. One lad used to sell the preparation from Beet roots and barley at the gate of Masjid-e-Nabwi on every Friday and it is said that holy companions liked this preparation as much as they used to wait for Friday eagerly. Ummul Manzar states that the Prophet (saws) along with Ali came to our house, we had the dates and those were presented to them. Both of them ate from those dates. When Ali (Ra) consumed a little of those, the Prophet (saws) said
Yousuf Bin Abdullah Bin Salam states that I saw the Prophet (saws) taking a piece of barley bread and put a date on it and stated that was bread’s vegetable (salan). (Abu Dawood)
The barley gruel was especially prepared after boiling barley with milk and sweetened with honey. That preparation was called as Talbina.
Aisha (R.A) used to order preparation of Talbina for sick person and used to say “though the patient dislike it, but it is highly beneficial for him. (Bukhari)
Another narration is found on record from Aisha Siddiqua (R.A). Whenever anyone complained of loss of appetite to the Prophet (saws), He ordered to use Talbina and stated
“By Allah who hold my life, this removes the dirts of your abdomen as one of you removes the dirt of your face by washing it”.
Whenever a person of the family of Muhammad (saws) fell sick then it was ordered that the barley gruel should be prepared for him. Then he used to state
“it removes the grief of the patients heart, removes its weakness as any of you removes the dirt from your face after washing it”. (Ibn Maja)
Powdered barley (Sattoo) was very much liked by the Prophet (saws). At the time of victory of Khaibar, the Prophet agreed to marry to Safia, the very next day he directed to Anas Bin Malik to invite the people to attend the Dawat-e-Walima of Safia.
According to the narrations of Tirmizi and Ibn Majah the walima comprised of dates and sattoo, but according to Bukhari a confection was prepared from dates, barley and sattoo and served before the guests.
In Nisai, Abu Dawood, Bukhari, Ibn-e-Majah, Tirmizi and Ahmed Bin Hambal, there are 21 hadiths recommending the consumption of Sattoo. Besides this the description of Sattoo is also available in other Hadiths.
According to the scholars of hadith barley is very nutritious and provides energy for the body, besides this is also beneficial in pharyngitis and cough. It resolves the inflammation of the stomach (Gastritis), expels the toxins from the body and a good diuretic. It quenches the thirst. Barley water is a good remedy in kidney problem, to quench the thirst and provide the best nutrition for indisposed and weak persons.
Scientists have found the following items during the chemical synthesis of barley- albuminoids, starch, fat, fiber, ash and water. Chemical composition shows that it contains the fat in the form of Leucosine Gluten Albumen, the compound of Nitrogen as palmatic Acid, Salisylic Acid, Phosphoric Acid. Besides, it contains Hypoxanthens. British Pharmacopoeia recommends Malt extract for internal use. It contains 4 per cent Proteins, the enzymes for digestion of carbohydrates and vitamins. Some scientists also indicate the presence of Arsenic in the barley grain.
The ancient physician’s explained various experiences regarding the use of barley. Ibn Sina says that the blood produced by consuming barley is neutral, pure and of low consistency.
According to Firdous Al-Hikmat the suspension prepared from one part of barley and fifteen part of water until after boiling this volume becomes 2/3rd of its basic solution, is beneficial for at least hundred diseases of the body.
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. SHS is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of SHS and SHS does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
