In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Kind

A blessed month is casting its shadow upon us

A night of this month is better than a thousand months

Bear with patience for the sake of Ar-Rahman

It's a continuous training to strengthen our Imaan.

Glory be to Allah who sent Ramadan as a mercy to mankind

Its a purification of our soul, our heart, and our mind

With the most sincere devotion and love we fast

To be cleansed and free from sins of the past

Glorified is He, who choseth this holy month,

To test our sabr and fill our hearts with warmth

Of his Divine Light, His blessings shall glow,

The Seer of the unseen, all He does know

Ya Allah! For thee, let my breath be more pleasant than musk

Ya Allah! For thee, let me be thankful when day turns to dusk

My thoughts and heart are purified, my eyes truly see'

This blessed month, the month of spiritual rhapsody!

Ya Allah! For thee, my life I shall live!

Ya Allah! For thee, my soul I shall give!

In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Kind,

Praise be to Allah, who sent Ramadan as a gift to mankind

Ya Ramadan!, by Noor Syed..

moon of ramdan kareem

195,564 items / 1,597,595 views

Most of the food lanes have carts selling dates in Bandra you cant escape them, they are the flavor of Ramzan..and you will see similar hand carts with exotic Arab dates in Bhendi Bazar Pydhonie Null Bazar areas..

And God is great even though I dont have a camera I am yet able to document Ramzan 2011 without stealing pictures from the Internet.. I have shot Ramzan for so many years that the freshness of Ramzan pictures never fade , a picture shot last year becomes a blog for this year Ramzan 2011..

I shoot with respect and sensitivity , being a Muslim I know how to adhere my shots I shoot women in Hijab but I shoot and show them as pride of our community, and I shoot a mother as a mother ..

I am helpless without a camera it is a limb that I used extensively attached to my minds eye losing it for 3 days makes me handicap but not an invalid as a blogger..

And I blog in the dark without a lamp using the light of the monitor , without disturbing my wife .. who will get up at 3 am to freshly cook the sairi..our Iftari too is homemade..

And soon after the potholes lose their quintessential charm in DNA and Hindustan Times two children almost identical twins that got lost in a Mela , and with some place for the new floating abandoned ship MV Pavit , you will see Iftar party photos , the despicable typically Un Miya white fur cap on fat Hindu politicians huge bellies camera grin hosting the Roza for more sleazy looking Miya guests made to wear the same white fucked oversize furry vely funny caps , licking ass of Ministerji this is the flip side of sycophancy in the name of Ramzan..I almost puked what I ate as dinner...

Every person has his own metabolism at work I had my Iftar but by 10 pm I was not in a position to eat my dinner I am a diabetic and so I took 4 morsels of rice and some salan that was my dinner.. a cup of black tea..hit the sack.

I got up a few minutes back..Nerjis Asif Shakir and Marziya both not being well it unbalances me and I see their mother trying to pacify them , I took Nerjis in my arms while Marziya was being forced fed and so life continues in the twilight zone as a concerned grand parent.

And blogging is not trying to meet a dead line , blogging is not sensationalism, blogging luckily is not newsprint, blogging is not going down under an editors you know what...blogging is assimilating thoughts and bringing them down as human emotions that you feel too and honestly blogging is encouraging you to blog your thoughts too ,man is a lonely animal he loves to lunch on other peoples thoughts as they are almost akin to what he feels my personal opinion , so a date cart becomes a catharsis ..and a single date and Allah Huma Laka Sumto breaks your fast.. and you look forward to the next one and the next one after that..

195,564 items / 1,596,234 views

This picture was shot two years back outside my old workplace at Bandra , and if you see Marziya you see the passion of a street photographer even without a camera and I never even now ever considered the camera an instrument that takes pictures , Marziya shot the Awakener without the camera..

The Awakeners are Muslim beggars but during Ramzan they do this additional service of waking people for the Holy Fast..a superlative service for those poor needy living in the slums tenements in narrow dingy lanes and pigeon holed cubicles.

I must also add that it is not necessary all those who do this sublime job are beggars there are those who do it voluntarily as service to Muslim society, they get paid on Thursdays or on the eve of Ramzan Eid .. people give them generously I also give them as their contribution is immense and they are the beauty of Ramzan..

Their greatest enemy are the stray dogs that hate strangers waking them up from their sleep so they charge at these Awakeners , but the stick in their hands keeps evil canine intentions at bay.

Most of the hafiz kazi lower level Koran teachers of kids , are totally occupied during Ramzan , housing societies invite them to lead the namaz and take care of the roza proceedings.

As I am barefeet and not heavily decked I go to town and break fast with the beggar community , it is a moment snatched from a moment in eternity and I am crying as I write this their frugality hits me hard and not to belittle them , I hand them quietly some money after I have broken my fast.. for me this is the poetic life lasting moment in Islam and as Ramzan.

And I have in all humility captured Ramzan through a poets eyes , human eyes shown you places where angels dare to tread and I might if possible go to Lucky Compund at Byculla to break fast with the hijras..

Of late because of the advent of Ramzan and other personal reasons of pain I kept the hijra profile of my blogs on low key, but here I must add my dear friend Khushi the prettiest most beautiful transgender in the world , sends me her Ramzan message , and keeps all the fast she is a Namazi , she does charity and for me she is a devout Muslim..

I am not God to judge anyone for their life's chosen path, I know of hijra prostitutes in the red light area that stop their business for a month to be one with God.. and this is what I try to show with or without pictures as the humanity of a blog.

And those dear Hindu friends who fast along with us..their support solidifies my own faith , and the messages I received from all of them I bow my head and thank them.

And today is my first fast , and it is the first fast of all us Mumbaikars and it is a great start a great dawn of hope harmony brotherhood..

And I add words of my dear friend Hassan Shirazi he just sent them in my inbox at Facebook

Hassan S Shirazi

Firoze bhai - i tell my sons and even posted here - Pehle Insaan ban phir ban jaa Muslamaan - kya pata neik amal tuje Ek Momin banaa de ... we need to be human first - no hindu no muslim - only humanity then later muslim and who know how sinful we are as to become a MOMIN - sirf shia bolne se shia nahi banta hai - aur Imam Ali (AS) is not ameer ul Shia - but Ameer Ul Momineen .... Prophet (PBUH) came as rehmat ul Aleemeem not for sunni nor shia nor for wahabbis - Islam came for sake of Humanity then those who followed it are Muslim - height to reach the peak is MOMIN

Jazakallah.

195,558 items / 1,594,151 views

The Muslim community welcomes Ramzan , month of piety charity and a month dedicated to the beauty of the Almighty , only a month mind you after Ramzan after Eid it is back to normal..

And I am not belittling Ramzan just the reality of the followers of Islam , and the poor find hope in Ramzan , and good days in Ramzan touch the beggars life too and during Iftari time you can see all the beggars in Muslim society outside the various mosques Holy Shrines waiting to be counted.

Ramzan finally comes to an end Chand Rat , happiness joy sighting of the Moon and the following day the Eid Namaz I shall shoot the Namaz at Bandra Sunni Mosque near Bandra Station..once the Namaz ends Eid will be cerebrated hugging and best wishes and a little ahead the beggars life continues only the Beggars Ramzan does not get over Eid is an extra working day with the same wounds sores smelly clothes and wait for the few coins some crispy stingy notes in the beggars bowl..

I dont celebrate Eid I am a beggar too I show my solidarity with the beggars I am barefeet the same look the same old clothes.. and I will shoot the beggars , their lives dont change from one Eid to the next, and some beggars will wait near Jamatkhana so that someone buys them a plate of sheer korma , hotels do brisk business the surmawalas attarwala the scarf and topiwalahs all celebrate Eid save the beggars .. and than I wonder perhaps God forgot to make Eid for the beggars completely..

Yes there are many sects in Islam the only two sects in Islam on Eid I see are the rich affluent Muslim and the very poor and beggarly Muslims.. forgive me for my moderation as poets we see a picture much before a photographer shoots it..

And this picture of my two year old grand daughter Marziya Shakir shot last year at Bandra , was my way of showing her, her worldly roots as a Muslim , the poor on the streets , I exposed Marziya to pain , to the slums to the world of beggars she shot hijra beggars last Bakra Eid and I took her to Mahim when she was very small introduced her to Appu the beggar without hands or legs, she has never forgotten Appu , and it saddens me he has disappeared I searched for him , because Marziya told me on seeing his picture Grand Pa when will I shoot him , I told her she has to wait , for if I find him and Marziya shoots him that will complete the cycle of her street photography of pain.

She has shot Moharam the Zanjir matam of the kids and the only Holy Month in a Shia household that never ends is Moharam...

non muslim poet

pandit brijnath parshaad makhmoor says

mit nahi sakta kabhi makhmoor gham Abbas ka

naqshe sajda ban chuka hai har Qadam Abbas ka

gar jahan walon mein dekhenge Aqeedat ki kami

hoke HINDU ham uthayenge Alam Abbas ka

salam ho imam e hussain a.s aap ki mazloomiyat par..... aap ne

sirf deene islaam hi nahi sari .....insaniyat ko bacha liye

Minara Masjid on the night of 27th Roza, 18th Sept 09.

These food lanes or khau gullies of 'Ebrahim Mohd Merchant Road' or 'Mohammad Ali Road', Mumbai - India are probably the only open air eatery area in the whole world where people from all over the world gather in the holy month of Ramazan to eat delicious, mouth watering non vegetarian dishes.

Making it one of the most prominent landmark of the world.

These shops are thronged by hungry and happy shoppers.

These small joints sprung up only for & in the month of Ramzan and vanishes exactly on the last night of the 30th Rozas or fast.

Just for the information Mohd Ali Road comprises of 4 major junctions and 14 traffic signals.

Hand held shot - ISO 2500.

Thanks Babul. I hope you like it.

196,217 items / 1,608,712 views

And in Muslim society there are no healers as though a few coins will suffice for her bad days to go away, I know a beggar woman on Bandra Hill Road two children her husband drops her opposite the Tata Fire Temple and she begs in the night ..She requested me not to shoot her or her husband will beat her.. I dont shoot her at all..

Yes I shoot beggars .. and sometimes I think the hijra is much luckier than the Muslim beggar woman on the street.. so I decided to shoot both..

Ramzan time two important things can be seen the hasty run not to miss the Tarawi.. and the slow paced hand of the beggar as it rises for begging..

I dont sell pictures either of the hijras and I am bemused when somebody says Sal Garibon ka photo leke bechta hai..

Because media prefers shooting potholes to wake a somnolent government I shot beggars to show you they exist.. and luckily I dont have to wake you up for sairi...

Wishing you a very Happy Ramzan

Blessings from the Beggars I shot

life is water flowing out of a broken

clay pot ,..life is a blank you fill in

the dots ..in cosmic captivity of

pain Muslim beggars got caught '

Ramzan is the only time even a

miserly Muslim rich man gives a

few coins a twist in the plot

outside every Sunni Shia Wahabi

mosque Muslim beggars you

will spot ..their lives will never

change thanks to society that

need beggars to appease the

rich mans God ..

Minara Masjid on the night of 27th Roza, 18th Sept 09.

These food lanes or khau gullies of 'Ebrahim Mohd Merchant Road' or 'Mohammad Ali Road', Mumbai - India are probably the only open air eatery area in the whole world where people from all over the world gather in the holy month of Ramazan to eat delicious, mouth watering non vegetarian dishes.

Making it one of the most prominent landmark of the world.

These shops are thronged by hungry and happy shoppers.

These small joints sprung up only for & in the month of Ramzan and vanishes exactly on the last night of the 30th Rozas or fast.

Just for the information Mohd Ali Road comprises of 4 major junctions and 14 traffic signals.

Thanks Babul. I hope you like it.

Today was my first fast of Ramadhan, I was awake all night yesterday ,. as Ramzan is a moment with its own uniqueness..I had spoken to Raju Langewal the Pandal committee member, that I wanted to shoot the Raja , he told me to come by 12 pm...today.

So barefeet I hopped into a cab and reached the pandal at Lalbagh , I was carrying my Bandra Samachar Press Card too..

I shot the Raja extensively , my efforts to shoot on the stage were unfulfilled..but I will some day.

Lalbagh Cha Raja for the Hindus and Ramzan for the Muslims as a Mumbaikar are two heartbeats of a single heart.

The Raja touches everyone, there were Sikhs , Parsis Gujratis all standing for hours in the queues , some had stood all night, some had walked from the suburbs barefeet..but the most enduring were the kids with excitement and smiles on their faces and senior citizens too..

And it had rained generously , but the rains did not dampen the spirits of the lovers of Lalbagh Cha Raja..He is the Ultimate , he is Lord who removes Obstacles , He removes Ignorance , he is the Lord of Sweet Success and Poetic Prosperity.

I have just broken my fast as I write this ..I came home not before shooting Ganesh Gully ka Raja and the Tejukaya Ganesha, also sharing space with Lalbagh Cha Raja within walking distance from each other.

On my way towards Dadar TT..I saw the Dharavi ka Raja patronized by the Tamil migrants of Mumbai, going on a bullock cart , he had already gone a long distant , I jumped out of my cab and ran after him, I shot pictures of him..

So this is my tribute as a blogger to those who cant make it to the Pandal for some reason or the other , they can have a darshan through my pictures shot with a passion and devotion bound to humility.

I also remember my photo guru Prof BW Jatkar who passed away recently ..I hope Lalbagh Cha Raja grants his soul eternal peace ..the Professor was a devotee of the Raja.

This is a part of my series on Hope and Hindutva a message of Peace.

89,863 items / 544,489 views

195,564 items / 1,597,710 views

This was shot in Ramzan last year but does it matter nothing much has changed .. perhaps she has another child the Muslim man even married to a woman , he forces to beg has the leisurely time to make babies.. Allah ki den hai bhai.. woh deta hai ham khushi se lete hain

And there is a lady every evening at Bandra Hill Road opposite the Tata Parsi Agairy with two children in a hijab , I shot her once but I am ashamed to shoot her , comes with her husband who makes her sit there and moves out .. so life goes on ..

I am not a judge of her life or the lives of people I shoot ...and below the madrasa guys are shouting for donations for the Mosque ceiling that fell off in the rains.. and he has a loudspeaker so he can be heard and a huge tempo to collect the loot .. if I may call it so..

And I showed all this to a two year old child Marziya Shakir my grand daughter , now she is three and a half and shoots the beggars like I do.. she shot a beggar mother and her child outside the Shia Mosque too..

Yes street photographers are poets that write incomplete poems leaving you to end it with your own thoughts too..

195,564 items / 1,597,459 views

This was shot last year and this aspect of Muslim women begging on the streets on the first day of Ramzan last year ..made me stop my rickshah and I asked Marziya to give her money while I took this shot..Marziya knows most of the beggars in and around Bandra and they know her too..

I exposed Marziya to street life when she was barely 6 months old and now with my camera she shoots all this too..I made her see pain and relive it and than capture it on camera too..

And as both my Nikon D 80's are at the repairer I have not shot pictures since Saturday..so I am fast forwarding old posts as new and adding new text too..

Both my grand daughters are not well.. both went to the Doctor today but the desired relief has not come to them..

Happy Bokeh Wednesday, Friends !!!

"EID MUBARAK" for the flikr friends who celebrate "RAMZAN"

Explored.

View On Black

the value

of motherhood

is a few coins

in her palm

her mental

state a

few coins

wont calm

like last ramzan

on the streets

invoking Allah

she begs for alms

the touch of

charity serves

as balm

her child hungry

for dried up milk

seeks love hope

motherly warmth

People Praying Namaz on the First day of Ramzan in Jammu.

PHOTO BY -- PRAVEEN KHANNA

Ramzan Kareem Mubarak.

© 2008. mAAn.Usman Photography

Ramzan Mubarik

Night Market at Charminar, Hyderabad in India.

Breaking the Ramzan Fast Quaid-E-Millath Road, Thiruvalkene in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

(C)H.K.Rajashekar.

The Rocket cracker from the point of its lighting to its Burst!!

Handheld shot thats y the motion is bit zigzag.. :)

Happy Eid.. to one and all..!!

[EXPLORED #374]

Hi frens please leave your facebook page link on my fb page..

I would like and leave my comments there as I am less active here on flickr..

www.facebook.com/sirajuddin.photography

please like and leave your comments on my fb page..

"O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient".

(The Qu'ran - The Cow 2.153)

Today starts Ramzan (Ramadan) in India.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual activities from dawn until sunset.

Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality and is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God (Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual.

During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.

Ramadan was the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

The name "Ramadan" had been the name of the ninth month in Arabian culture long before the arrival of Islam; the word itself derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like "ramiḍa" or "ar-ramaḍ" denoting intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of rations.

In the Qu'ran, God proclaims that "fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you".

According to the earliest hadith, this refers to the Jewish practice of fasting on Yom Kippur.

I take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim friends to live this holy month with great moments of piety, grace and sharing.

May Allah’s blessings be with you on Ramzan and always...

This picture was shot at the upper terrace nearby the Bivi Razaia Masjid, a small mosque located in the chawk of Varanasi (Benaras) and facing Kashi Vishwanath temple (also called the Golden Temple).

View On Black

Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography

© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.

Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).

The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

~Istanbul, Turkey. 2014.

nabila4art Nabila Khanam

Subject:

Re: sallam

That is very kind of you, my Dearest flickr-friend!

I have been thinking of you everyday as I have not posted any pictures since quite some time, (although have several)...also my little granddaughter reminds me of you and your grandaughter each day too... as she is with me all day while her parents go to work...So please know that you both are always in my thoughts.

However, my biggest drawback is just procrastination...but with your testimonial (don't know if I really deserve such wonderful words from you!) you have inspired me to upload pages of a book I made of Niah's first year in pictures...this will be specially dedicated to you and your granddaughter dear Marziya.

Thank you for Ramzan greetings...I had planned on shooting the new moon of Ramzan 2009 to make my greetings, but clouds over it did not let me...Please accept Ramzan Mubarak from me to you and your family.

Once again thank you for your testimonial (to awaken me...!)

It feels good talking to you.

Sincerely,

Nabila

With this picture of a gate leading to the Masjid-i Jahān-Numā, commonly known as the Jama Masjid, in Old Delhi I would like to wish "Ramzan Mubarak" to all my Muslim friends, colleagues and members of my team.

And of course to all of you, Muslims and non-Muslims, who are following my work on internet.

"May this Ramzan bring you the utmost in peace & prosperity.

May lights triumph over darkness.

May peace transcend the earth.

May the spirit of light illuminate the world..."

Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography

© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.

Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).

The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

TIME FOR PRAYERS: Ismail Habib Masjid off Mohammed Ali Road, lit up for Ramzan, stands out against a monsoon sky.

© Rizwan Mithawala/TIMES OF INDIA - All Rights Reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. Unauthorized use or reproduction for any purpose is prohibited.

facebook.com/fahadeephotography

Traffic at Charminar during the Ramzan (22015)

Pic © Rajesh Pamnani 2015

Ramadhan,or Ramzan in some place is the month where muslims carry out their duty to fast from the rise of the sun til the sun set. I have experiences Ramadhan in few countries including my own, but this year the destination is Syria.

The special thing about Ramzan in Syria is that they have this many special sweet desserts that are very tasty. I love most of the sweet and desserts from Syria . It may look very sweet , but it is not as sweet as it looks actually. Most shops that sell the sweet extend their shop to the paving/walkway to attract customers.

Location : Baramkeh, Damascus - Syria

This sunset was taken at Badshahi Mosque, Lahore.