Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Video for 2015 Ramadan Crafty Challenge

As 2015 comes to a close, I thought it might be fun to gather all the tutorials we made as part of our annual Ramadan Crafty Challenge into a video.



I'm not very happy with the music, and would love suggestions on improvements, but I think the rest of the video came out fine. What do you think?

To see other A Crafty Arab videos, including last year's Crafty Challenge, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Islamic Calendar 2016/1437-1438 {Free Printable}

In just a few more days it will be 2016, a New Year.

However, for many Muslims around the world, we are still in 1437 AH and the Islamic New Year doesn't start until October 2016.

Trying to explain this to children can be challenging, so I'm always looking for fun, educational ways to teach my daughters how the Islamic calendar correspondences to the Georgian calendar.

Recently I came across al-maurid, a website that sells personalized Islamic ebooks.

They are offering a FREE printable Islamic calendar for download.
Islamic Calendar 2016/1437-1438 {Free Printable}
Each month has it's own page, so you can print it all at once, or as you go. The designer mom, Latifah Ibrahim, who created it shared - 
Important dates are included, for example: Ramadan and Eid. It is a fun way to teach children about The Islamic Calendar all year round. It has quotes about Allah, Islam and using Islamic teachings to help with character building. The calendar is not only for children. I intend to use it myself, InshaAllah.
Email info@al-maurid.com to learn more about the ebooks.

I'm heading to the library to print it out today! I think I'll get three copies, one for each girl. Don't forget to support this wonderful business who is offering this service.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Happy Birthday Prophet(s)!

I would like to wish all my friends who follow the wise words of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) a joyous Mawlid for yesterday.

I would like to wish all my friends who follow the wise words of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) a joyous Christmas for tomorrow.

I would like to wish all my friends who follow the wise words of Others a joyous day for today.

May we all find gratitude in even the smallest of gestures in these blessed three days.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Mawlid Celebrations Around the World


Here we are again, celebrating another Mawlid Al Nabi in 2015.

Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, the holidays move up a few days every year.  This made 2015 have two Mawlid celebrations. Lucky us!

Mawlid in Libya is a very large celebration, one that is based on cultural traditions. Growing up, I remember eating aseeda for breakfast, playing with fireworks, singing a song for Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), running into musicians who would erupt into spontaneous music and buying khamsases to decorate the home.
Mawlid Celebrations Around the World - Aseeda
While a few extremists wanted to do away with this holiday that has been around for 14 centuries in Libya, participants still came out to celebrate this past January.

But I am aware that many do not celebrate Mawlid. In fact, recently I posed the question of celebrating this holiday to my Facebook group of fellow Muslim female innovators that live all over the world.  Eleven said they do, while eight do not. 

Nadine of Reinventing Nadine said

We do and I plan some activities around it such as making cards, learning a new surah and reading every night about the Prophet's (pbuh) life. We all have a really cool game called "What would Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) do?". So I give my daughter hypothetical situations and she should tell me what she thinks our merciful Prophet (pbuh) would do. I also tell her stories about real situations and what the Prophet (pbuh) did. I think it important to to relate religion to our real day life.
Omaira of black board, white chalks said
We do. We read the story of the Prophet (pbuh) and how He was as a child, and about His character, and try to sing a lot of naats and nasheed and attend Mawlid gatherings.
It was fascinated to learn so many did not share in this special day in our house, but this just proves how diverse Islam is to so many Muslims.

Here are ten more interesting ideas that were shared to celebrate Mawlid -
  1. Fast
  2. Wear white
  3. Recite the Qasīdat al-Burda
  4. Eat the Prophet's (pbuh) favorite food
  5. Decorate your home - Make a Free Banner
  6. Perform acts of kindness - Make a Zakat Box
  7. Make sweets and share with neighbors and family
  8. Arrange a play about helping others - Make Muslim Peg Doll Actors
  9. Recite poetry written by the children in praise of the Prophet (pbuh)
  10. Produce a kids craft together - Make a Good Deeds Centerpiece
While I respect many Muslim's right to not celebrate Mawlid, there has to be mutual respect for those that do celebrate. I really enjoy this quote in Mawlid by Moonlight on the importance of teaching positive images of Islam to our children -
“You know, we worry about our children being too slow in this or not good enough at that, but, at the end of the day…if they love Allah and His Prophet (pbuh), what else really matters?  What else really matters?”
The next Mawlid will be on December 12th, 2016. I hope I gave you enough ideas so you will be able to celebrate with us.

Celebration of Mawlid :


  • During Mawlid celebrations, large processions come out on the road and it is a real carnival.

  • Homes and mosques are decorated for the purpose of getting into the mood of Mawlid celebrations.

  • People practice charity and distribute food to others. There is also the practice of narrating stories of the life of Muhammad by the help of recitation.

  • Scholars and poets make it a point to celebrate Mawlid by reciting Qa?ida al-Burda Sharif, the well-known poem of the 13th century Arabic Sufi Busiri.

  • Mostly in all Muslim countries, Mawlid is celebrated. Also the countries which have Muslim presence like India, Britain, and Canada, celebrate Mawlid.

  • The only Muslim country which doe not observe Mawlid as a public holiday is Saudi Arabia. People tend to participate in the ritual celebration of Islamic holidays as they want Islam to revive.
- See more at: http://www.dgreetings.com/mawlid_al_nabi/celebration.html#sthash.8nguHAap.dpuf

Friday, December 18, 2015

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner}

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner}

The kids are out of school today for winter break. They will be home for two weeks.

I'm trying to get all my work done now before their best friends forever "I'm" and "Bored" start visiting them.

One of my tasks is to get to the library sometime today to print out my new free download banner Mawlid Al Nabi. I'm hoping that when their friends visit, I can hand them the scissors and the library printouts and say "start cutting, Mawlid is next week and we have to prepare!"

Mawlid Al Nabi is a Muslim holiday commemorating the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).

Using the simple banner design from my free printable Green Eid Decorations, I changed the letters to read Mawlid Al Nabi. I thought of changing the colors too, but with a limited amount of time before the kids and their BFFs take over, my To Do list is long but my day is short.

If you have a favorite color, let me know and when my life returns to normal in January I can try to do a different look.  No promises. I have paper cuttings I might still be cleaning up.

Enjoy the download and may you have a blessed Mawlid.
Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - m print 1

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - a print 3

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - w print 1

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - l print 2

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - i print 2

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - d print 1

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - n print 1

Green Mawlid Decorations {Free Banner} - b print 1

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Arabic Alphabet coloring pages...Jeem is for Jamal

I'm still, slowly but surely, continuing my quest to take the animals from my Arabic Alphabet Animal poster and turn them into free coloring sheets!

Today's free download is the fifth letter of the alphabet: Jeem (jīm) is represented by Jameela the Jamal, which is how you say camel in Arabic. Jameela spends her days looking at her beauty in the mirror.

Other words that use Jeem are jibal roosiyya (roller coaster), jabal (mountain), and jazar (carrot).

Here is the newest page to print:Jamal Coloring Page.

You can also enjoy these Arabic letters and animals that have been done already -
Arrnab Coloring Page