Surah Rahman Ayat 60 (55:60)

هَلْ جَزَآءُ ٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلْإِحْسَـٰنُ ٦٠

Is there any reward for goodness except goodness?

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Eid Mubarak to you and yours! We have come to the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a period observed by Muslims worldwide as a time for fasting, prayer and community. It is believed that in this month the Quran (the central religious text of Islam) was revealed.

I am forever grateful that Trinidad and Tobago is a country where so many can practise their religion openly. One of the most beautiful sounds is hearing the call to prayer echoing in the early hours of the morning. It is a beautiful reminder to start the day with prayer.

This year my husband and I viewed the Quran exhibition in Gulf City Mall organised by the Caribbean Dawah Association. The surah that I share at the beginning of this post is a favourite by one of their members who shared that this is what Eid is for him, Ramadan being a time to do good deeds, to fast and pray and to be a reminder of how to live life throughout the year and to know that these actions will be rewarded with goodness in equal measure. It is interesting to see the similarities between cultures. I am reminded of our own practices in yoga - of tapas (purifying practices) and sādhanā (spiritual discipline).

Today is also Earth Day and I thought I would share with you these resources:

• 52 ways to invest in our planet - This year’s theme for Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet” - a reminder and a push for everyone to be involved in caring for our Earth.
• The Alhamdulillah Series - which is aimed at highlighting the simple blessings found in nature. The goal is to pause and reflect on the small things in our lives, and express gratitude for what is in our space.
• Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth - this is a collaborative work which Muslim thought leaders worldwide contributed to under the umbrella of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Faith for the Earth Initiative.

I hope that you find these resources as interesting as I do. There can be so much heaviness in the world but there are also so many working towards lifting us up.

peace,

Renee Arundhati