Celebrating a Global Ramadan at Home - 40 Ramadan Programs to Follow this Month
The Global Muslim Weekly #3
We can’t all be so lucky to live in a Moroccan riad during this Ramadan in retreat in our homes, but we can dream.
What a beautiful month this is wherever we spend it as we turn away from our daily desires and to the worship of fasting, prayer, and charity. We have been placed in retreat in our homes, the question for each of us, as it is every Ramadan, is how do we connect with Allah? How do we know God experientially in my worship and in my life? While most of us can’t leave our homes we are blessed to be able to access the world and to access scholars we would otherwise not have access to this month. Mosques and Muslim institutions around the world have worked tirelessly to put up a unique set of programs in the month and we wanted to celebrate them below.
Connecting the Diaspora of Hearts - Building the Center for Global Muslim Life
In 2018 as I was living in Kuala Lumpur, I was reflecting on how little we actually know about the diversity of Muslim life around the world. We know about our crises, the wars, and Islamophobia but what do we know about the leaders in our community building the collective future of the world’s largest and most diverse faith? What do we know about Muslims making a social and spiritual impact around our world? What do we know about diverse narratives about Muslims being produced around the world? The diverse startups growing around the world to serve Muslim communities?
What we are building can best be described as connecting the diaspora of hearts across the world through research, symposium, and cultural production. Check out our launch film, “Connecting the Diaspora of Hearts - Building the Center for Global Muslim Life.” You can support the launch of the CGML at our donation page and on our LaunchGood as part of the Ramadan Challenge, the campaign is launching tomorrow, May 1st.
This Ramadan we have produced a diversity of programs including our 24-hour streaming Ramadan Radio (available on our website), our new podcast Ummah Classics, and our new Live streaming show, Ummah Builders. We are also still taking submissions for our Eid Virtual Film Festival that will be taking place online from May 24th to June 7th.
40 Ramadan Programs to Follow this Month
Local Mosques
Most of our local Mosques are having digital programs in our cities and this is important to get a taste of our community at the time we break our fasts, and into our night prayers. I’m watching the Islamic Center of San Diego stream locally, as well as MCC East Bay, and the Maryam Islamic Center in Houston who have a group of really beautiful Qaris reciting the Qur’an this month.
Rabata - US / Global
Rabata is one of my favorite digital institutes lead by Shaykha Tamara Gray and working to revive female scholarship in Islam. They have an incredible set of Ramadan programs you can check out on their social media pages and below.
Need More Support this Ramadan? - Sanad Collective - Ottawa, Canada
Sanad Collective is offering a program with spiritual mentors, daily support, weekly challenges and special live classes, the Fellowship of the King is here to empower your warrior within.
The Most Global Streaming Award Goes to - Cambridge Muslim College
Cambridge Muslim College has an incredible set of classes streaming live this month from Australia, the US, Cairo, Turkey, and throughout Europe. Check out the full schedule below, times are in British Summer Time. Check out all their programs here.
The Cambridge Mosque Built a Digital TV Channel
The Cambridge Central Mosque would have been celebrating the first Ramadan in their beautiful new building this year. They have made the best of the situation by building a 24 television station, Ramadan TV, playing beautiful documentaries and lectures throughout the day. You can also watch the live programs from the Cambridge Mosque here.
The Ramadan Challenge - Global
Where else can you give to charity campaigns around the world during the month or Ramadan? Now you can even make a list of programs to support and automate it throughout the month. Almost 17,000 people have joined the challenge this year, Mashallah.
Building a Community in Guinea-Bissau - Reviving Dawah Project
In Guinea-Bissau, almost 2,000 people from one of the most remote and untouched villages have recently accepted Islam. Led by Shaykh Muhammad Hydra Al-Jilani and Dr. Umar Faruq Abdullah the Oasis Initiative has raised nearly $100,000 for this community. You can learn more about the project on the recent reviving dawah webinar.
Ummah Ramadan from throughout the US
Beautiful resources and diverse Qur’an recitation from Ummah Ramadan here.
Sanad Trust - Free Sanad Trust Prep Classes - Miami, Florida
Sanad Trust has opened its doors with the digital transformation all schools have had to undergo quickly. They have made their K-12 classes free, you can learn more here. They also have a series on “Falcon and Finch,” a book-length narrative children's poem, written by Ustadh Rehan Mirza, inspired by his children and guided by Habib Umar bin Hafidh's "Clarification of Noble Character.”
Umran TV - Malaysia
Umaran TV has a beautiful Malay language TV station, now they are pushing to build English language content. You can check out their YouTube channel at the below link for diverse voices from Malaysia to South Africa.
Beautiful set of lectures from Shaykh Muhamad Adenkiya Mendes from the Greater Princeton Mosque
Full list of programming is here: https://www.facebook.com/mcgpnj/
The Majlis - Southern California
The Majlis is a beautiful place with a powerful and growing community, that feels like a home in Southern California. They have a very deep Ramadan lineup with almost daily programming led by Shaykha Muslema Purmul and Shaykh Jamaal Diwan.
Dar al Mustafa Livestream - Yemen
One place that is still not on a full lockdown is Yemen, and you can listen to the nightly Livestream from Habib Umar Bin Hafiz’s school, Dar Al Mustafa, from Tarim, Yemen at this link - http://mixlr.com/nooralemanfm/ and you can also look for English translations at the Muwasala page.
Alchemiya - London
Looking for great documentaries, global Muslim films, and children’s content? For $5 a month you can have access to over 300 films and TV series on Alchemiya. They are also launching Majid Majidi’s film, Muhammad The Messenger of God this week for the first time for a global audience.
Rafiq and Friends - Los Angeles, California
One of my kid’s favorite Ramadan toys/content the book and doll comes with 30 activity cards for Ramadan. Check out their website here.
Al-Maqasid - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Beautiful set of courses on our relationship with the Qur’an with Shaykh Yahya Rhodus and other teachers from Al-Maqasid.
Noor Kids - Minnesota
For all the parents scrambling to find new relevant content for their children while we are all at home together, Noor Kids has produced some really incredible content quickly. In the last seven weeks, more than 40,000 families have become members of Noor Kids. Beyond the live content and books, they also have animated Qur’an for children with their favorite Noor kids characters. Noor Kids is also doing a crossover program with other children’s content creators with Helping Hands Humanitarian Relief, like this program with Rafiq & Friends.
Muslim SG & the Ba’alwie Mosque - Singapore
Beautiful digital resources for the month from Muslim SG and the Ba’alwie Mosque in Singapore, including this important video guide to praying Taraweeh at home.
NYU Islamic Center
The Islamic Center at NYU has six to seven programs going on every day with teachers like Shaykha Iesha Prime, Imam Khalid Latif, and Imam Suhaib Webb.
30 Days of Ramadan Parents Guide - Marwa Aly
Yaqeen Institute - Dallas, Texas
Really beautiful series on the presence of angels in our lives and in our world by Imam Omar Suleiman. Yaqeen Institute also has a nightly reading and reflection on a different Juz of the Qur’an.
Qur’an for All Seasons Podcast by Joseph Lumbard - Doha, Qatar
Joseph Lumbard was one of the lead authors on The Study Qur’an and in this new podcast, he is going in-depth one surah at a time from the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha.
Medina Institute - Global Istigfar
The Madina Institute led by Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy is a global Islamic studies college with campuses in the US in Atlanta, South Africa, Canada, and the United Kingdom. They have global classes throughout Ramadan including weekend intensives and nightly reflections on the Qur’an with Shaykh Ninowy. They also are having a global istigfar program to seek forgiveness from Allah in light of the coronavirus.
Believers Bail Out - May 1st - US
One of the most beautiful annual campaigns is the Believers Bail Out who works every year to bail out people in prison and immigrant detention centers throughout the United States. Where else do you have the opportunity to help free people from prison? Their live program with speakers from throughout the US is on May 1st for more info see: https://believersbailout.org/
Digital Ramadan with MPower Change
It’s important that we think about the political implications of this crisis and MPower Change is leading some of those conversations with three Digital Ramadan iftars as listed below:
IFTAR FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE/ April 30th 6:30pm (Central Time)
IFTAR FOR SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE/ May 7th 6:00pm (Pacific Time)
IFTAR FOR MOVING FORWARD/ May 16th 6:30pm (Eastern Time)
Beni Labs - Stay Home Series on Body, Mind, and Soul - London
Beautiful series from the Nadir Nahdi led Beni labs in London and Germany streaming on IG Live.
Imam Wesley Lebron in Spanish and English - New Jersey
Our brother Imam Wesley Lebron has a unique set of courses during the month of Ramadan in both English and Spanish.
The Message of The Quran with Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi
Dr. Qadhi has taken on a truly ambitious project this year trying to summarize the entire Qur’an in 30 nights.
Jokes & Gems with Moses the Comic & Youssef Kromah
With the best show on Instagram live Moses the Comic and Youssef Kromah have been live almost every night since we all got locked up in this quarantine. They’ve had some amazing guests so far and you can check out their show here.
SWISS - Suhaib Webb
Imam Suhaib Webb’s new platform SWISS is hosting a diversity of free live sessions throughout the month including Islamic studies for different age groups from middle school to high school and nightly Qur’an readings. They also have Arabic classes and more in-depth Islamic studies classes for adults on the paid part of the site.
Al Madina Institute
Al Madina Institute has beautiful media coming out daily on Instagram and YouTube with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui like this stunning piece below. They have also produced a children’s Ramadan journal that you can get here.
The Book of Love - Baraka Blue
The Book of Love is a month-long online exploration of the beauty and wisdom of the Quran with a special focus on the Quranic treatment of Love. Taking the great sages of love as our guides (al-Ghazali, Rumi, and others), we will explore what it means to love God, what it means to be God’s beloveds, and the means to attain that love through walking the way of love, outwardly and inwardly. Special attention will be given to the traits and character of the beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, and those saintly ones who follow his way to Love. Baraka Blue also has a beautiful Path & Present episode with Dr. Abdullah Rothman on “A Ramadan in Retreat: Psychological/Spiritual Wellness & Growth in Isolation”
Spiritual Upliftment with Rumi by Omid Safi
Looking to spiritually engage this month through Mawlana Rumi? This new course, “The Heart of Rumi’s Poetry,” with Omid Safi may be exactly what you’re looking for. “As you will see through this course, Rumi’s poetry is not so much a series of random stories, but a map of the spiritual journey that we can all undertake, moving from a state of brokenness and separation to one of healing and illumination.”
Qalam Institute - Arlington, Texas
The Qalaam Institute is offering a wealth of Remote Ramadan resources this month with lectures, morning adhkar, and Seerah classes for children.
Lessons of the Awliya with Imam Dawud Walid - Detroit, Michigan
Imam Dawud Walid is offering a unique class this month looking at Ramadan Lessons of the Awliya (friends of God).
Language of Light - Wasat - Seattle, Washington
This month Wasat has asked a handful of teachers to share short reflections on the sacred vocabulary of Islam. Throughout the month we will be sharing a series of short videos reflecting on the deeper meanings of the words that Allah has used to communicate with us in his revelation. Insha’Allah, the reflections will be a means for us to contemplate the beauty and depth of the Quran this month.
30 Days with the Qur’an - White Thread Institute - London, UK
Ramadan Resolutions with Celebrate Mercy
This webinar was organized by CelebrateMercy, featuring renowned guest teachers discussing practical lessons from the Prophet Muhammad's life (peace be upon him) to make Ramadan as fruitful as possible for our hearts, families, and communities. SPEAKERS: Imam Omar Suleiman, Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Dalia Mogahed, Shaykha Tamara Gray, Imam Zaid Shakir, & Imam Suhaib Webb.