After an inspiring panel of speakers our guests were asked to make their very own Ramadhan Plan using the tips shared by our speakers. We were then led in the evening adkhar by Dr Fatima and we welcomed in Maghrib and Iftaar time with a beautifully performed Adhan (call to prayer) by our young brother Saad ibn Dhuha. Sisters and children, for some of whom it was their first full day of fasting, opened their fast with dates and water (and some with Aunty Fatma’s scrumptious cupcakes).

The prayer mats were set up and time for congregational prayer began, the seventy plus women and children gathered on prayer mats from each of our households and Sister Dhuha began with a loud and beautiful Allahu Akbar, instantly the room fell quiet, only the sounds of small children shuffling as they stood in prayer with their mothers and the powerful recitation by our Imam could be heard. Utter peace consumed the room.

When the prayer was over, within moments, prayer mats were tidied away, sisters rolled up their sleeves and began in a quick and orderly fashion to serve the freshly delivered food, getting the pizzas to the kids first, and the rice and chicken to the sisters sitting patiently and happily at their tables. We all tucked in with a relieved Bismillah, grateful for the company and the delicious hot meal.

The evening wasn’t over just yet, with all hands on deck, the scurry to tidy up and set the place for the congregational Terawih prayer was well and truly under way. All the sisters swung into action, in their own Mission Impossible-esque mission to have the room fully tidied so that our distinguished Imams of the evening, Sister’s Dhuha, Abeer, Huda and Fatima could begin the prayer on time. As the sisters prayed, the children played, and the evening rolled to an end. The hall was emptied looking unused, not leaving a trace of the beautiful evening behind except for the beautiful memories we now all share of CICC’s 1st Sister’s Iftaar. InshaaAllah the first of many.

It may be too soon into Ramadhan to say this, but it truly was the best night, in the best company, with great food and most importantly an inspiring and spiritual experience. Alhamdulillah. We pray all the sisters enjoyed it us much as we did. Ameen. It just shows how an idea that started in a sister’s kitchen became my favourite night of Ramadhan…. So far. Ameen.

By Maria Tonnessen

SubhanAllah, it has been over 12 years since I became a Muslim, and when it came to fasting for the first time, I was scared and nervous – no food and water for the whoooooole day! Like Dr Sarah mentions in her blog, eating strategically for suhoor is important, something I quickly learnt after having toast with jam the first day!

We all have busy lives, so after my first experiences of fasting I went on a mission to try to find a way to make the most out of Ramadan, whilst also balancing all other responsibilities.
So how do we balance it all? Here are 6 practical tools to help you get the most out of your Ramadhan.

1. Make a plan

You need to know yourself. What do you struggle with? Is it hunger, or sleep? Make a plan to help you to allow yourself to make the most out of Ramadan to make this your best Ramadan yet.
Make a plan of your normal day and look at where you can fit in extra Ramadan activities. This could be reciting Qur’an, dhikr, salowat, or addition Salah, etc. If we think about it Allah has already given us a way to structure our day by the 5 daily prayers – Fajr, Zhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.

Where are you going to be at each prayer of the day? Structure your day around the prayers, if you are going to be out at Zhuhr time, make sure you have wudhu, or that you can easily make wudhu when you are out, whether it be school/college or work.

At Fajr, why not get up an extra 15 minutes early to fit in tahajjud and witr before eating suhoor?
If you commute to work via train or bus, read/listen to Qur’an, or have a nap to energise yourself for the day. If you drive or walk, why not listen to Qur’an recitation or an Islamic lecture?
Map out your day so you can find the times where you can read Qur’an and the times when you can have a nap, or whatever activity it is that you want to accomplish. Plan your day according to your needs so that you can function at your optimal and get the most out of Ramadan.

2. Set yourself a goal

Again, know yourself. We are all different and we are going to have different goals based on our abilities and where we are in life.
For some people reading the whole Qur’an once or twice is an achievable goal, whilst for others it might not be. As we know Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an, so connect with the Qur’an in whatever way you can, whether that be by reading it in Arabic, English, listening to it, reflecting on the Qur’an, and so on. Connect with the Qur’an to build Taqwa, consciousness of Allah.
Reflect on whether there are things that you need to or want to improve on, it could be your character, become more generous, offer more prayers like Taraweeh and so on.
Again, know yourself, and set your goals accordingly so that you can make the most out of your Ramadan.

3. Dua

We all make dua for the big things like forgiveness and Jannah, and of course we should. But along with your Ramadan plan, make dua that Allah makes it easy for you to make the most out of Ramadan, make it easy to improve your character and attain your goals. Depending on your situation, make dua to Allah that your kids behave so that you can follow the plan and achieve the goals you have set. Make dua that your work/studies become easy, so that you can take your lunch break and rest or read Qur’an, and so on. Know yourself and your situation and make dua to Allah accordingly.

Don’t forget to speak to yourself in a positive manner. If it doesn’t go to plan, don’t fret, try again, make dua again, plan for a better day tomorrow, take action to tackle routines that do not work. For mothers with kids, or students studying for exams, or those with demanding jobs, do what you can – plan your day to utilise the free time you do have, and know that there is also reward in the work you do. Make the intention of pleasing Allah with everything you do. Ameen.

4. Food

As mentioned in Dr Sarah’s Blog, choose your food wisely. There are only a few hours to eat and drink. Here we go again, know yourself and your body. Figure out what food sustains you for the day. Experiment with how much water you need in order to keep hydrated and not just running to the loo every 5 minutes after suhoor.

5. Social media

If you find yourself getting lost spending hours on social media, this might be something to re-assess in Ramadan. How does this fit into your daily plan and with the goals you have set yourself? Social media can be used for good (edit your feed to only show good stuff!), or it can waste time – know yourself and take actions accordingly!

6. Keep good company

Keeping good company is important all year round. Having friends who remind you of Allah and encourage you to do good is incredibly beneficial. In Ramadan, a fellow fasting Muslim will know exactly what you’re going through, and why you are doing it – you can share this beautiful experience.

Why not try out these 6 tools and see how effective and fulfilling your Ramadhan becomes.
May Allah swt accept all that we do in His Path. Ameen.

Image source: https://zaahara.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/10-tips-for-the-working-mom/

By Dr Sarah Maan

Ramadhan is such a sacred time, a month full of mercy and forgiveness. We’ve all been blessed with the opportunity to observe this special month and its paramount that we try and make it as productive as possible.

When we feel tired, grumpy or down, it becomes difficult to engage and do things that we want to do. On the other hand, when we feel good, both physically and mentally, things are different. We’re more motivated, energised and capable of completing tasks that in other circumstances, we may have found difficult. It becomes easier to push ourselves, whether that be in resisting the temptation of food and drink, biting our tongues and being more patient or staying up later to pray.

Therefore, its really important we make it a priority to look after ourselves in Ramadan and engage in behaviours and habits that help us.

Here is some guidance on how we can help ourselves achieve the most out of Ramadan InshaaAllah.

5 ways fasting is good for us

1. Weight loss

There is lots of research out there looking at the benefits of fasting. Diets such as the 5:2 diet and intermittent fasting have been taken up by athletes and celebrities to reap the medical benefits that fasting gives, including weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight. What is even more insightful is that whilst this practice of 5:2 fasting has only just started to be on trend, for us Muslims it has always been ‘on trend’, as our beloved Messenger Muhammad SAW would fast on Mondays and Thursdays on a weekly basis.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Deeds are shown (to Allaah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 747; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1041.

2. Increased blood sugar control:

The main body of research agrees that fasting is especially good for improving blood sugar control. It helps to regulate the level of insulin in our blood stream (The hormone which helps to control blood sugar). When we abstain from food and drink, we don’t have spikes of insulin throughout the day which means when we do need insulin, our bodies are more sensitive to it and less resistant to it.

3. Improved heart health:

Research has also found benefits in heart health through a reduction in blood pressure and a lowering of cholesterol.

4. Reduces inflammation:

Fasting has also been shown to reduce chronic inflammation which is a key component in many medical conditions including cancer and arthritis.

5. Improved mood:

Animal studies have shown an increase in the happy hormone (endorphins) in the fasting leading to an improvement in mood.

These are just some of the many benefits that research has validated.

10 Health Tips to make the most of you Ramadhan

It’s important we fast properly in order to attain these benefits.

1. Wake up for suhoor:

It’s really important to wake up for suhoor. Not only is there blessing in it but eating something at this time will make the rest of the day go a lot easier.

2. Choose wisely:

We should be consuming complex carbohydrates at this time, things that will slowly release energy throughout the day and keep hunger at bay. e.g. brown/wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, porridge.

3. Stayed hydrated:

Remember to hydrate yourself. The lack of water can cause headaches, dizziness and make your fast difficult.

4. Keep active:

Ideally we want to keep active, this in turn makes us feel more energised. Ramadan is not an excuse to become sedentary.

5. Have a routine:

Try and keep to your daily routine and incorporate some activity into it, eg going for a walk, stretching, yoga.

6. Portion control:

At iftaar time try not to overindulge, overeating tends to make us feel sluggish and slow, making it much easier to just fall asleep rather then stay awake and pray taraweeh. Stick to a regular meal portion or just under that.

7. Avoid the following:

Avoid fatty food, and anything that is too sweet or salty. These tend to dehydrate you.

8. Be colourful:

Lots of fruit and veg! Get those nutrients and vitamins in. Make your plate as colourful as you can.

9. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate:

Milk or water is the best for re-hydration.

10. Keep a food journal:

I’ve personally found that keeping a journal of what I’ve had for suhoor and iftaar and how challenging the fast was for me has really helped. That way I can identify what foods work for me.

InshaaAllah these tips have been a timely reminder for you all. I hope you can put them into practice and have a productive Ramadan. Ameen.

24th March 2018

CICC held our first fundraising dinner on Saturday 24th March and it truly was a night to remember. The event was sold out, hosted 130 guests and was sponsored by 18 generous local and national businesses, each taking either a bronze, silver or gold sponsorship package.

I have been fortunate enough to attend fundraising events in the past. They often vary in style and execution, but all share the same aim of raising as much money for the intended cause.  CICC’s fundraising dinner was a standout event and one I will long remember.

As Master of the Ceremony I had the great pleasure of welcoming our distiguished guests, thanking our generous sponsors and  introducing our excellents speakers. We had an amazing agenda and excellent hosts. CICC Trustees Sohail Choksy and Maria Tonnessen inspired the audience with our ambitious vision and achievements, followed by our excellent guest speaker. We were fortunate to have well known IQRA TV host Moulana Rayan Mahmud, an experienced fundraising host whose charisma captivated the hearts and minds of our generous guests. You only need to spend a small amount of time in his company to appreciate how motivating and charismatic he is as a fundraiser. Moulana Rayan and I had a brief chat where he stated that we could by the grace of God reach our fundraising target.

My first thought was, ‘Wow! There is no way we can do that’.

I had anticipated that we could cover the cost of the event and hopefully raise somewhere between £20,000 to £50,000 for our Mosque and community centre. In that moment I was elated by the thought that we could, InshaaAllah, raise £20,000 to £50,000.  Well let’s just say I was lost for words and inspired when I witnessed the generosity of the community and the motivation our guest speaker instilled in all of us including guests and volunteers.

By the Grace of Almighty God we raised an amazing £183, 960.

This exceeded all of our expectations and demonstrated the immense generosity and commitment our diverse local community has towards CICC’s vision and goal.

My Highlights

The night had so many highlights. The exquisite 3 course meal and Dedham Assembly Rooms gave us a wonderful venue amongst stunning historic surroundings.  The night was truly spectacular.  I would not have imagined we could have achieved such fine dining experience on such a strict budget. The food was beautifully crafted by Silver Service Catering who also provided excellent service.  However, the greatest highlight for me were our amazing guests.

Without the guests the whole event would not have had the success it did.  The guests arrived promptly for the scheduled start time.  They politely mingled before being seated. I noticed our guests were smartly dressed, this caught my eye the moment I entered the hall.  They looked amazing in their dining attire with some going for more traditional customs that added an exquisite level of elegance to the event. From the onset, the atmosphere and energy in the room was electric.

The programme began, and our guests were attentive, latching onto every word uttered by the speakers.  Without hesitation our guests generously donated when called upon.  Very noticeably one our guests took it upon themselves, (after donating) to ask others to match theirs or compete in light-hearted banter to raise even more funds.  This incident was impromptu and done in such a heartfelt manner it could not have been planned any better.   I was even more motivated after this, as were our guests.  With our spirits lifted and the communities support behind us, CICC’s hope and confidence in making our vision a reality was reinvigorated and renewed.

You too can join in this brilliant project and donate towards our goal of a new community centre and Mosque in Colchester. Donate here.

May Allah SWT continue to bless our generous community. Ameen.

By Shoomi

6th July 2018

A massive well done to CICC’s Youth Circle who collected donations over Ramadhan for the Colchester Foodbank. Nearly half a tonne of items were donated.

Earlier in Ramadhan on 2nd June, the Youth Circle visited the Colchester Foodbank to find out how it operates and to briefly help out. 

One of the mum’s said, “It was a really great day. Alhamdulillah. The children really got stuck in, they have such a fantastic attitude towards helping out. MashaaAlllah. 

The full story was featured in the Gazette. Article by Katie Palmer below.

Colchester Foodbank thanks Muslim community

by Katie Palmer

A FOODBANK has thanked generous young Muslims for helping local people in crisis this Ramadhan.

Half a tonne of food and toiletries have been donated to Colchester Foodbank by the Muslim community and young people at the Colchester Islamic Community Centre.

Members had started a Youth Circle’s Ramadhan Foodbank Collection, and has just delivered the food and cash to staff at the Moorside Business Park site.

Michael Beckett, Colchester Foodbank leader, said: “The charity is very grateful for the generous donation of 488kg of food and toiletries and £55 from Colchester Islamic Community Centre. A massive well done to the Youth Circle for leading what is simply a brilliant collection.

“Colchester is having Universal Credit full roll out and recent statistical evidence from the Trussell Trust projects an average 52 per cent rise in demand for the Foodbank in the forthcoming year, so the timing of these gifts of food and money is perfect. Our community is fantastic in supporting our work to help local people facing hunger.

“We know that without your help, there would have been families who would have struggled to put food on the table. Thank you so much for your kindness.”

The Colchester Islamic Community Centre runs a monthly Youth Circle for local Muslim girls.

The group visited the foodbank to help and find out how it operates and then went on to collect donations from their families, friends, neighbours and communities.

Dr Sohail Choksy, CICC Chairperson, said “We want to create an inclusive community, provide much needed services and build solidarity. We hope to achieve a sense of being and compassion within our diverse Muslim community.

We aim to serve the whole community in Colchester, thereby breaking down barriers, building bridges and improving cohesion through interfaith work and partnerships with other charities and organisations.”

The foodbank is always grateful for donations – they currently need lifelong juice cartons, carrier bags, longlife milk, washing powder and washing up liquid.