By Anum Ali
Part 1
The Holiday Season
Part 1
Bismillah
The Holiday Season
The best bit about the cold season is that it is the holiday season as well. This means two things: food and family, that both come in all shapes and sizes!
Though Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all non-Muslim festivities, they bring in holidays and good food for all of us, Alhamdulillah. So you need to think about where you will get your caramel apples from and how you will brew your apple cider at home. You cannot deny the food lovers in your family a juicy, stuffed, Halal turkey either. The idea is to plan out a variety of menus for your loved ones in Fall. Try out the exclusive fruits and vegetables of the season. Allah (swt) has created these gifts and hidden remedies in them to combat the harmful effects of each season.
A brilliant kitchen reading I would recommend, right off my own kitchen counter, is Medicine of the Prophet, an English translation of Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya’s work. It lists down properties, advantages and disadvantages of various foods and how they can be utilized for healing. I learned from there that gourds e.g. pumpkins and bottle gourds are the most harmless foods, honey when added to milk can neutralize its ill effects, and milk itself can soothe mental disturbances. The book is a must have to plan your meals according to the Sunnah. So next time when you use ginger and garlic, you’d know that unless you cook them fully they harm your digestive system!
The Spirit of Giving
Remember that as we Fall Clean our cozy homes, there are the poor and the needy out there living in shelters, orphanages, old homes, and even on the streets who could use some of our generosity. It is pointless to hoard worn out sweaters, old blankets, faded bedding, and out-sized socks and mufflers when you could donate them to warm somebody in the chilly season. Launder what you don’t need, make an effort to locate the nearest non-profit organization and enjoy the warm feeling of giving away in the cold season.
Leaving You with a Creative Thought
Never stop being productive no matter what season it may be. I take on photography to capture the beautiful scenes Allah (swt) shows us in this season. The pink and gold skies after Fajr, the crispy leaves, and the gorgeous full moons are a must to capture on camera. You can indulge into cooking and enjoying the exotic, flavorful Fall. If you happen to visit craft stores in your area, you’d come across some really good Fall crafts like knitting woolen goodies, weaving straw baskets, making scarecrows, and etc. It is always a memorable seasonal experience when you are creative and involve your family members into activities as well.
Happy Fall everyone!
Leave your thoughts about fall cleaning in the comments section below :)
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