Natasha Prepares for Ramadan
By Anwar Khawaja
Natasha Preparers for Ramadan’ is the title of a book written for children of Ist Grade to tell them all about Ramadan, the religious month of Muslims. The format of the book is appealing, and the story told in simple language describes what a Muslim is ordained to do during the holy month of Ramadan. The illustrations are graphic and easy to understand by a young mind.
The main character of the story is Natasha, daughter of the author, Tasneem Sana Khan and her husband Waseem Khan. It also features Tamoor, Natasha’s brother.
Like any other child of her age, Natasha is inquisitive, playful and spirited. She is keen to know about fasting and insistent on helping her mother decorate the family room with sparkling banners of “Ramadan Mubarak.” Besides taking extra care to keep the house spick and span, especially during the holy month, Natasha’s mother prepares delectable dishes every evening for iftar – break of the daily fast - at sunset.
- The iftari consists of several assorted food items – spicy pakoras, chicken with apricots, almonds and chickpeas, and drinks. For Natasha, “Rooh Afza” – soul refresher - a concentrated squash of rose water and kewra mixed with milk is especially inviting. She relishes it. Her parents, too, savor the drink and say iftar is incomplete without a glass of Rooh Afza.
They also prepare a spicy pastry stuff with ground beef and cooked in oil. Opening of the fast is an enjoyable occasion. Soon after iftar Natasha joins her mother and father and offers prayers in the company of her brother. Natasha learns what Ramadan is all about: fasting, i.e. abstaining from food, praying, doing good deeds, and breaking the fast at Maghrib – sunset – with a glass of Rooh Afza and pakoras.
Ramadan is a holy month. If you google, you learn a lot: During Ramadan, Muslims ask to be forgiven for their sins, and they pray for help in stopping them from doing bad things. Muslims believe Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Ramadan imparts upon us numerous lessons: How to develop our manners and moral fortitude, how to treat our fellow human beings with respect, how to strengthen our brotherhood, how to maintain unity among the Muslim community, and how to be welcoming to all the non-Muslims who share this land with us. Not everyone has to observe Ramadan. Children do not have to fast.
The writer of this children’s book, Mrs Tasneem Sana Khan, is a prolific writer both in English and Urdu languages. She is a columnist and short story writer.
She writes great humorous prose in Urdu. Her collection of columns has been published under the title “Asslamo ’alaikum America” meaning Salam to America. The book became very popular in America as well as Pakistan and India. She is also an excellent moderator and writes regularly for Urdu Link. We wish her good luck and hope she will continue writing books about children and educating them about various ethnic communities living in America.
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