Assalamu 'alaikum to all my Muslim friends and supporters. I know it has already been a few days but I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a blessed Ramadan. Things are really rough now, especially with having to be stuck at home. Ramadan is going to be different for a lot of people this year. Those who attend the masjid for taraweeh prayers will be spending their nights praying at home. Many families depended on community-provided Iftar dinners at the masjid, but with everything going on, it has become difficult for them. There are even many converts who attended the masjid for Iftar and prayer to get a sense of belonging because their families don't approve or accept their conversion to Islam. Having to stay home has undoubtedly affected many people and families, creating many different challenges or difficulties. Let us keep them in our prayers this Ramadan. May Allah make it easy for us all.
Each Ramadan I make an effort to refrain from spending time on social media, as I find it to be one of the greatest distractions during this holy month. For a while I would deactivate my accounts when Ramadan came around, however, this year I have not. The only reason I have not done so this year is because the last time I deactivated my account I experienced serious issues with logging in, which ended up being an endless saga of contacting support and those with the authority to help. It took days to finally be able to get back into my account. So this year I simply removed the apps from my home screen to avoid any temptations to open them. The reason I mention this is because I have been getting messages or mentions on Instagram and Twitter since Ramadan has started. As I am avoiding social media this month, I kindly request a brief pause in attempting to communicate or interact with me on social media. I have been on and off a few times already, for short periods, just to take care of minor things, but I do not plan on spending any further time on any of the apps this month. If it is an urgent matter that you wish to discuss with me, please look to contact me by other means. I check my emails on a daily basis and I am using WhatsApp to keep in touch with all family and friends. Avoiding social media on Ramadan is an annual goal for me and it is really important to me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope the rest of your Ramadan goes well and you and your family are showered with blessings.