Ramadan 2017

We completed our first Ramadan in Iran. It was our 5th Ramadan away from "home," meaning, living away from our hometown and family in Texas. It was my 12 year old daughter's 4th time fasting in Ramadan, and my 11 year old daughter's 3rd time. MashaaAllah (by God's Grace), they did great! They rarely complained about their hunger. We did change our schedule though, by staying up almost all night, so that we could sleep in half of the day. My husband still had to take a morning class every day, but was home by afternoon.

It has been said that summertime in Qom can be "dull" for Western Muslims. Most of the English speaking community who lives here goes back to their home countries for the summer to visit family and/or friends. So with Ramadan being in the summer these past few years, there are no large English speaking communities that gather for iftar with English scholars giving Ramadan speeches like many of us from the States might be used to. Most of us who stay behind might have iftar with a few friends here and there. My brother who stayed in a Howza dorm this Ramadan along with a couple of other students, was provided a simple sehri (morning breakfast) and iftar (although towards the last week the service was lagging a bit).

There is iftar at the main shrines in Iran of course. To have iftar at the shrine of Lady Masumeh (a.s) one needs to get his hands on a few of the limited supply of tickets to gain entry. The iftar would be a humble serving of fruit and bread with water. We didn't get to partake in that nice experience this year unfortunately.

Those of us who fast know that being able to eat whatever snacks you craved while hungry is one of the best parts of well, eating time! We were a bit worried about it for our kids but were happy to find these "flaming hot cheetoz" that are similar to the ones in the states which really hit that spicy spot.

And my husband missed drinking Gatorade to quench his thirst so he had to settle for making an icy cold drink with one of the various 'syrups' that he found here. 

The shops and restaurants here had different timings during Ramadan. They would open after iftar and stay open until 4 or 5 in the mornings. People go out and eat and socialize at those times also.

I also noticed that the internet was less reliable during Ramadan. We also had a few days with electricity and water outages. Perhaps during Ramadan these things have less staff working to maintain them? Who knows? Maybe it was all a coincidence and/or I noticed these things more.

The 19th, 21st, and 23rd were the days that Imam Ali (a.s.)'s martyrdom was commemorated. Black "Ya Ali" banners were on nearly every corner. It is nice to live somewhere that honors truly great historical figures.

On the last Friday of Ramadan it was Al-Quds Day. My husband went out to rally in the hot sun of Qom and took a few pictures.

The Eid moon was "sighted" first in America so they celebrated Eid al Fitr a day before us here in Iran. It's all based on a lunar, moon-sighting calendar. Some folks get bothered that not all Muslims celebrate on the same day for a few reasons. It's hard explaining why and when you'd need a day off from work or school since it's really touch and go at times. But that's not a problem here I'm sure!

Also, it "seems" like Eid is celebrated on different days among Shia and Sunni often, which can create some tensions and inconveniences! This time, some Shia celebrated first in the U.S. while we Shia in Iran did so the next day. So for some, Ramadan lasted for 29 days total while for others it was the full 30 days. It's really not the big of a deal, it's just a common thing.

My husband went for the early morning Eid prayers in the beautiful shrine of Lady Masumeh (a.s.) and he took this lovely pic though I'm sure it was even more lovely in real life. 

Some shops were closed on Eid, some for a few days after. My husband had the week off from his summer classes. We noticed families and friends gathering in our apartment complex, one of our neighbors in particular had a lot of guests over and sent us a plate of sweet halwa.

I definitely missed my family back in Texas this Eid. Though I've never been big on socializing during Ramadan or on Eid, this time it was close to the 8 month mark of us being away from America, so it did hit me a little harder this year. Couple that with not knowing if and when the next visit will be, I'm really starting to feel homesick for the USA.

Still, we try to stay positive and enjoy what we can. Here's our humble Eid table and decor :

Au Revoir 

Settled

Several things have happened since I last updated this blog.

Trump was actually inaugurated as the President in the United States and has caused pain to millions around the world with his ugly rhetoric and executive orders. I'll only say that America needs a Mockingjay to inspire its people in seeing that The Capitol is run by The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. 

Now...on to more simple matters.

My eldest daughter turned 12. My second eldest daughter turned 11. I had a birthday party for them and invited several friends with their children to our apartment. It was the first time in a long time that I hosted a party at my own place with new friends. In Texas, I had a party for the kids every year. It was a nice way to focus on crafting decorations and gathering friends and family together. The party went well! I had hoped to cook some classic Iranian food, but due to lack of time and ingredients, I made a few simple meals. Turns out I live a lot farther away then my guests realized. They are all living in Qom, while I am in a nearby town. Still, it was a nice time!

A couple of weeks later, my whole family were invited to a friend's house for lunch. It was interesting to visit another apartment building in Iran. It was slightly different from ours of course, but also had some similarities. Their apartment had a lovely view of Qom and mountains from their balcony! 

I wish I could go out and explore Iran more, but for now, the kids and I stay close to home. You can follow my INSTAGRAM to see the photos I don't publish here on the blog.

I can say that we are definitely settled now. The first week I arrived, some people would casually ask if I'd gotten settled yet. I don't know if there are different definitions of settled, but I know for sure I didn't feel that way for the first few months. It's been 5 months now and thankfully, we are settled nicely! We have a routine. Our furniture and household items have a place and function that work (That is, do cardboard boxes as side tables count as furniture?). My husband bought a study desk, we put up a privacy curtain, a handful of shelves, bought a huge round plastic bucket and fashioned it into a bathtub, and even got a mobile Western style commode to place over the eastern toilet (ha)!  

Our internet and devices are on a stable schedule and easily accessed, so that helps our daily living a lot! We've had no major problems with electricity, plumbing, water, or heat thankfully. At first I really hated the way the shower room (it also has an installed Western toilet and sink) was so small and how the water goes all over the floor, but again, it's something that I've gotten used to now, and doesn't bother me AS MUCH (though it's still annoying of course). 

Another issue that has been resolved is our need for English entertainment. Although I was glad to watch familiar Western shows and movies here in Farsi, nothing beats being able to enjoy a show in your own language. A friend of ours mentioned that he has an extensive collection of popular English films and shows we could use. I was very relieved to be able to watch these during our free time. Since then, we've watched Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Hunger Games--all movies that I wouldn't have even wanted to watch in the U.S. since I was content with my cooking and design shows there (which they don't really have in Farsi either). But I'm glad to now be able to see what all the fuss about such films was about. It's the little things that make life comfortable, you know. 

Speaking of The Hunger Games (haha), the kids daily meals have become established as well. In America, frozen waffles, frozen pizza, pasta with sauce, etc. were quick and easy to give to them. Now in Iran, I spend a lot of time making things from (semi) scratch: pancakes, pizza (without a stove!), pasta sauce, and even popcorn the old fashioned way. We are more easily able to purchase and cook halal meat here so I am cooking with those more often now. We've found some snacks to be as "good as in America," such as "Ramen" noodles, pickles, chocolates--but my children are still very discerning when it comes to other things such as popsicles and pasta sauce. And the cakes here are good, but they all seem to contain nuts inside which my kids don't like. It's true, America has an easier line up of tasty treats! But that's only because it was what we were used to for so long. I personally was sad at first that the chocolate here was not the same as it was in the States, but have found some here that's equally enjoyable. You can find it all here in Iran, you just have to be patient enough to look around since there's not a big box store like Walmart that has everything under one roof. Oh, there're loads of ice cream and sweet shops here though!

One of my younger brothers is set to arrive here in Iran to study soon. I am glad to be able to have another familiar person here! Since he's coming from America, we've asked him to bring a few things along for us. If you're ever traveling to Iran from America, we expats will always appreciate some of the "good stuff" that your bring for us. It saves us the time and effort in having to seek similar things out here. And of course, there is something comforting about a familiar product that comes from the land where you were raised. 

We've been to the Holy shrine of Lady Masumeh (p) a couple more times.  Also, I bought a chador to wear. I feel like a sort of superhero while wearing it, as if putting on armor--yet still feminine. In this bottom photo, I am wearing it while facing toward a mihrab (prayer niche) in the wall of the shrine's courtyard.

It's always a great privilege to be able to visit the shrine and its surrounding courtyards, and I hope to spend more time there just sitting and contemplating the meaning of life.

Until next time, thanks for reading. 

Go to Qom

I'm not one that sustains faith through spiritual highs. I push my faith through the strain of thought until my heart feels solid and strong. So that is why I can not describe my experience being at the courtyard of the Lady Masumeh (p) shrine with poetical metaphors or cliched stocked phrases. But I believe in angels and saints and life after death, and I felt all those things were completely real there. I felt calm, which for those who really know me, is not a usual feeling I have when doing something brand new.

We arrived at a parking garage and took a ticket, the fee was minimal. We found a decent spot to park. We began to walk towards the shrine area. There were many small vendors selling items from shoes, pants, house decorations, big stuffed animals, to religious prayer beads and rugs. I didn't stop to take pictures of these because we wanted to get to the open courtyard of the shrine quickly. There were lots of people walking, cars and motorbikes edging through the crowd. The weather was cool and bright so I didn't feel bothered at all. The walk was about 10 minutes until we got to a large set of stairways. When we got to the top, there was an open area where I felt it was a big enough space to pause and take some photographs.

At this point, I can't remember if we had already crossed a small street to get into another large space, but eventually, we found the entrance to the main courtyard of the shrine. There were separate entrances for the women and then men, but they were near each other and once we stepped through those, the large courtyard was open to both men and women. 

As we walked through the entrance there was a quiet crowd of folks slowly approaching turnstiles to pass individually. At each one of those turnstiles was an official female guard with gloves on who pat down everyone who went through. It seemed as if she was checking us for suicide vests. Later someone mentioned to me that it was only recently that the guards were added at these points, when the threat of Daesh (a.ka. ISIS) became more apparent. Daesh hates us Shia and we are often targeted by them. However, I was not frightened at all. Qom has always been the refuge for the Shia of the world, a place where we feel at home and safe. 

As we entered the main courtyard, all the images I'd seen before on the internet came to life and felt familiar. It was a place where I could have spent all day, sitting and walking. There are shops right outside the courtyard and a place within where there is free cold water and cups for drinking. There are several hadith about this great city that I will include with the photographs. 

Imam Sadiq (A.S.) has said:

"There is an angel for Qum who has spread his wings over it and any tyrant who intents bad for Qum, Allah (SWT) melts him down as the salt is melted in water."

(Bihaar al-Anwar, vol. 60, p. 217)

"Salutations to the people of Qum, Allah (SWT) will shower their cities with the required rainfall and will bless them and turn their calamities into safety and goodness. The people of Qum are devout performers of Salat (Namaz). They are jurisprudents, scholars and explore the realities and perform good worship."

(Bihaar al-Anwar, vol. 60, p. 217)

Affan Basri quoted : Imam Sadiq (A.S.) said to me:

"You know why it has been named Qum? I replied "Allah (SWT), His Prophet (S.A.W.) and you know better." Imam (A.S.) said " It has been named Qum because its people will be along Qa'im (the Upholder) from the family of Muhammad (S.A.W) and will support him in his uprising and will remain steadfast."

(Bihaar al-Anwar, vol. 60, p. 216)

Imam Musa al-Kazim(A.S.) has said:

"The heaven comprises of eight gateways and one of it is exclusive for the people of Qum. They are the best of the Shi'ites among all the cities. Allah (SWT) has endowed our love in their nature."

(Bihaar al-Anwar, vol. 60, p.216)

Imam Ali (A.S.) has said:

"A man from Qum will invite the people to the right path. A group of people will gather around him who are of iron will and determination and the heavy winds will not deter them and they are not tired of the war and only rely on Allah (SWT) and the righteous will attain the salvation."

(Bihaar al-Anwar, vol. 60, p. 216)

We didn't enter into the inner portion of the shrine where people can get very close to the burial sites because it can be rather daunting and confusing the first few times, so we will take it slow God Willing. We had come to pay our respects and give our salams to Lady Masumeh (p) and the Ahlul Bayt (p), and to pray for ourselves and others. Mission completed, Alhamdulillah. My next goal is to get inside to see more. InshaaAllah.

My husband and I in the courtyard of our Lady Masumeh (peace be upon her).