So it’s Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow (or today depending on when you celebrated it) or actually since it’s three days, technically everyone has Eid together (on one of the days at least right?)..

I read that the Prophet (p.b.u.h) stayed awake all night the night before Eid and was therefore renamed as ‘The Night of Reward’ or Lailat-ul-Jaiza.

Interesting huh? 21 years I’ve been alive and I never knew that until Sehri this morning (my mum actually shoved the article under my nose – I almost got a paper cut!). And the reason for title of ‘The Night of Reward’? Well according to the Hadith, Allah (swt) rewards those who have spent the month of Ramadhan following the Shari’ah (and doing good I’m guessing). How come I didn’t know this? Maybe my mum or someone told me but I chucked it on the ‘information that needs to be digested’ (sooner or later) pile.

Yup so the prophet (p.b.u.h) said:

" Whoever stands up (in worship) in the nights preceding the two Eids expecting rewards from his Lord, his heart will not die when the other hearts will die." (Ibn Majah)

So here we are putting Henna (or Mehndi) on and celebrating that it’s going to be Eid the next day – oh and getting clothes ready (I’m wearing my tailor-made Jilbaab, a sort of shiny maroon colour with patterned gold cuffs and the Hijaab my amigo bought me from Saudi – yay!) and showering anddd - ok I don’t need to provide a checklist but you know what I mean!

Anyway we do all of this but not wake up for the Nafl Salaah. Ok we should wake up to pray Tahajjud usually, but I don’t know this seems different. Special, a hint of the Lailat-ul-Qadr hype.

I’ll try it this year – InshaAllah. So yeh tonight’s when the Mehndi is going down. I personally love it (Alhumdullillah I like something that you know was liked by the Prophet (p.b.u.h) – don’t like honey or dates much or um that’s it – I wish I did but alas)

Anyway, I’m off to my friends after Iftaar (oh what fun!) to put on precisely that! It’s weird that people don’t like Mehndi. Although I assume it’s the same, not liking dates or honey (honey is ok though ..in Crunchy Nut or sticky ribs or something – not on it’s own though) hmm speaking of which I wonder what the feast’s going to be tomorrow, ooh and giving presents – I’m so excited: this is probably the same feeling they show on TV – you know for all those Christmas magic, Christmas films that come on usually at um Christmas.

Ok so got to get a move on with the things on the To Do list -

First off: Ironing.