- Brain Games -
Ramadan
crossword puzzle Directions: Use the clues to fill in the words above. Words can go across or down. Letters are shared when the words intersect.
ACROSS 1. Lailatul Qadr is called the night of___ 6. The reward in Ramadan for this is only from Allah SWT 8. The longest Surah in the Qur’an 9. 2.5% is obligatory 10. The Prophet SAW in Ramadan was more______
DOWN 2. Fasting is not obligatory for certain people in which month 3. Prayers that are done only in the month of Ramadan 4. This meal has blessings in it 5. Only fasting people will enter Jannah by this gate 7. This Surah is equal to reading one- third of the Qur’an.
Some words are in Arabic - Answers can be found on page 23 14 | Noor Magazine I 2021
New Beginnings, New Normal: Light at the End of the Tunnel By: Afshan Raja
It
is a cold morning. 20° F cold. Maryam’s day has started earlier than usual. With butterflies in her stomach, she goes about her routine, getting her classroom ready for the students. It is more than halfway into the school year and she has yet to meet them in person. For many of them, today is that day. Midyear school openings are interesting - the kids know each other and their teacher, and she knows them. It does not feel like the first day. It is not the first day, yet it is.
Her head spins. Maryam goes out to meet her students at her designated spot. The spots are marked with teachers’ names to guide students to their classes. She is holding a spray bottle with colored water, and she begins spraying the snow, marking spots for students to practice social distancing as they line up. She is out early. As she waits for her students, she starts worrying. How will the students react? Will they race up to give a hug? How will she
stop them? They have had frequent conversations on Zoom about air high fives and virtual hugs. Hopefully they will remember. One by one, the students start trickling in. As they dutifully walk up to the designated spot, she greets them excitedly. They are careful to keep their distance. She is relieved and does not bridge the gap. They look smaller. The Zoom screens had enlarged their personalities and brought them close to the camera.
Noor Magazine I 2021 | 15
