ephemeral

rules of joking in islam

2011-10-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Source: IslamCan.com

Two men were on a plane on a business trip when a Muslim couple boarded the plane and were seated right in front of them. The two men, eager to have some fun, started talking loudly. "My boss is sending me to Saudi Arabia", the one said, "But I don't want to go...too many Muslims there!" The Muslim couple noticeably heard and grew uncomfortable. The other guy laughed, "Oh, yeah, my boss wanted to send me to Pakistan but I refused...WAY too many Muslims!" Smiling, the first man said, "One time I was in Iran but I HATED the fact that there were so many Muslims!" The couple fidgeted. The other guy responded, "Oh, yeah...you can't go ANYWHERE to get away from them...the last time I was in FRANCE I ran into a bunch of them too!" The first guy was laughing hysterically as he added, "That is why you'll never see me in Indonesia...WAY too many Muslims!" At this, the Muslim man turned around and responded politely, "Why don't you go to Hell?", he asked, "I hear there's not very many Muslims THERE!"

Rules of Joking in Islam

Some people joke too much and it becomes a habit for them. This is the opposite of the serious nature which is the characteristic of the believers. Joking is a break, a rest from ongoing seriousness and striving; it is a little relaxation for the soul. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Fear joking, for it is folly and generates grudges.”

Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The kind of joking which is forbidden is that which is excessive and persistent, for it leads to too much laughter and hardening of the heart, it distracts from remembrance of Allaah, and it often leads to hurt feelings, generates hatred and causes people to lose respect and dignity. But whoever is safe from such dangers, then that which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do is permissible for him.”

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas said: “Set a limit to your jokes, for going to extremes makes you lose respect and incites the foolish against you.”

The amount of joking should be like the amount of salt in one’s food.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not laugh too much, for laughing too much deadens the heart.” (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7312)

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever laughs too much or jokes too much loses respect, and whoever persists in doing something will be known for it.”

So beware of joking, for it “causes a person to lose face after he was thought of as respectable, and it brings him humiliation after esteem.”

A man said to Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah (may Allaah be pleased with him), “Joking is not right, it is to be denounced.” He replied, “Rather it is Sunnah, but only for those who know how to do it and do it at the appropriate time.”

Nowadays, although the ummah needs to increase the love between its individual members and to relieve itself of boredom, it has gone too far with regard to relaxation, laughter and jokes. This has become a habit which fills their gatherings and wastes their time, so their lives are wasted and their newspapers are filled with jokes and trivia.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” In Fath al-Baari it says: “What is meant by knowledge here has to do with the might of Allaah and His vengeance upon those who disobey Him, and the terrors that occur at death, in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection).

Muslim men and women have to be inclined to choose righteous and serious friends in their lives, who will help them to make good use of their time and strive for the sake of Allaah with seriousness and steadfastness, good and righteous people whose example they can follow. Bilaal ibn Sa’d said: “I saw them [the Sahaabah] jokingly pretending to fight over some goods, and laughing with one another, but when night came they were like monks.”

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) was asked, “Did the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) laugh?” He said, “Yes, and the faith in their hearts was like mountains.”

So you have to follow the example of such people, who were knights by day and monks (i.e., devoted worshippers) by night.

May Allaah keep us, you and our parents safe on the Day of the Greatest Terror, those to whom the call will go out on that great Day:

“Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve”

[al-A’raaf 7:49 – interpretation of the meaning]

islamic joke - moral, be honest! lol

2011-10-19T22:51:00.001-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Two men are in the desert, one called Steve and the other James. They have no water, are very thirsty but suddenly notice a Mosque nearby. They decide to go in with James telling Steve, "I'm going to pretend my name's Abdul, otherwise they won't give us anything to eat or drink cos' we're not Muslims. You change your name too." But Steve refused. "I'm not changing my name for anyone! My name's Steve and that's it."

They go in and meet the Imam. "Hi, my name's Abdullah and this is Steve."

The Imam replies, "Hello Steve and Assalamu 'alaykum Abdul." He turns to Steve and says, "Come and have some food and water Steve."

He then turns to Abdul and says, "Ramadhan Mubarak."

quran vs cellphone

2011-10-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Quran like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around wherever we went?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we travelled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Quran?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Quran being
Disconnected because there is no monthly bill to pay!

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

the key....

2011-02-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Image from I`ve Got it Covered: Prayer The Key

Please check out the aboved link article, and here are some looovely nasheeds about prayer...

I just stumbled across this brothers (Abdullah Rolle) nasheeds today and they are wonderful, check out his site: AbdullahRolle.com

And a great one from No Beats Necessary that I think would be good for new muslims, as it describes wudu, salah, and the names of the five prayers:

May Allah accept from you and from me :)

salams from canada

2010-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

This is a video interview with a brother, Abdullah, who grew up in Toronto in a Hindu family and later in university converted to Islam after being convinced through scientific proofs.

I like the message he would like to share, to "let people know that when they become Muslims they don't loose their identity. They're still who they are, they still have their interests and their likes and their dislikes. And i would like to make it easy for their families - to let them know that person is still them. That's still their son or their daughter or their brother and their sister, and that the only thing that's changed is their outlook. They've just come in touch with a greater reality."

Here is an interesting and detailed website about Islam and Science: http://www.quranandscience.com/

our rizq runs after us

2010-09-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

This is a story taken from an article written by br Naeem on his blog under an article of the same name, which I wanted to share, since we all love stories :)

In a remote village, a young man was asked by his gentle elderly mother to eat his breakfast before leaving home. Bursting with energy and in a rush to begin his day, he declined and scurried off on his way. Being the caring mother she was, she quickly ordered her young daughter to follow after the boy with the plate of food to ensure he ate it. Said the loving mother, ‘Do not let him see you, lest he reject it again. Simply leave the food nearby, so when he becomes hungry, he will eat it at his leisure.’

The sister surreptitiously followed her elder sibling through the forest all the way to the local river, where she watched as her brother jumped in for a morning swim. After he got out, he stretched out under a nearby tree and proceeded to take a nap. Figuring he would be hungry after his nap, she laid the plate of food some distance away from the tree and returned home, certain that her brother would eventually find his breakfast.

Coincidentally, a group of no-good hooligans were convening nearby and discussing plans for their next act of thievery. While arguing back and forth, the gang leader smelled the scent of fresh food and followed it back to the same plate. Desperate for a home-cooked meal , the lot of them eagerly decided to share the food amongst themselves, until the leader paused and reflected. He shared his concern that the plate could potentially be a devious plot concocted by a rival gang.

‘The food may contain poison’, he grumbled. ‘Scout around and see if you find one of them spying on us.’

They ran about looking for anyone hiding away, until they came upon the young man sleeping under the tree.

They immediately pounced upon him and carried him back to their leader, who ferociously demanded the boy confess to setting up the poisonous plate of food. The young man repeatedly denied it until the leader decided it best to ‘test’ the food by force-feeding the hapless lad.

They made him eat every last morsel and eagerly awaited for the poison to kick in. Soon thereafter, they realized that nothing of the sort would occur and so dejectedly beat the boy one last time and went on their way.

The boy limped his way home and upon seeing his bruised face, his mother shrieked, ‘What happened my son?!’

With half a smile, he admitted, ‘Dear mother, my Lord had decreed my sustenance in the form of your hearty breakfast. One way or another I was destined to eat it. I declined the choice to eat it by your blessed hands, so Allah willed for me to eat it by the punches and kicks of those less savory.'

Qadr Allah... part 2

2010-09-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As discussed in part 1, our Qadr (diving destiny) is already set for us. This includes who/when you would marry, when/if you will have children, who you will meet in the life, where you will go, everything... subhanAllah believing firmly in Qadr really helps with patience and avoiding envy as you know each person has their own destiny for when they will receive certain things and how much they receive (of good and of bad)... and like Boona Mohammed said in one of his pieces, "If everything is from above then everything is the same." Whether you receive less or more, good or bad, they are all tests in their own way. What matters is for you to pass your own test, don't get caught up in looking what everyone else has - Allah gave them, and Allah gave you as well other things. And only Allah knows what He will give you and them tomorrow, and what He will take away.

This concept for me kind of makes each day exciting. You go out with your plans, expectations in your mind of what will happen, maybe just a routine day at work or school, but then suddenly something happens you never imagined... the power goes out and everyone get to go home early, or your boss calls you in to tell you you got a raise, or you meet the most amazing person who ends up changing your life. Even the moment of death and how much time you have left in this life is part of this Qadr, it is already on its way. Anything could happen at anytime - you never know what to expect, what Allah's plans are for you. Even over years you look back and see how all the different events which occurred brought you to where you are now subhanAllah.

And His plans can totally override any plans you jotted down in your agenda... so definitely organize yourself but realize we are all in the flow of Qadr... As sister Naima Robert described in her book, From My Sisters' Lips, of her journey into Islam and the places it took her:

"All the while, I was consumed by a strange sensation. I felt like I was floating on the waves of destiny, of the qadr, swimming with the tide, drifting far out to sea." (pg. 19)

Swimming with the tide... mashaAllah I felt that was a beautiful way to put it. We will live out our Qadr whether we accept it or not... so rather then fighting against it, complaining about it, saying "Why did this happen to me?" and trying to battle against the current in vain, we can choose to go with the flow... and find peace in knowing that it is our destiny, accepting it, making lemonade out of any lemon trees that sprout on our yards.

Please understand though this is in terms of accepting Allah's Will for us and that He has full knowledge, not taking a position of fatalism and accepting certain things in this world such as injustice, corruption, oppression, of ourselves or others (e.g. "The situation of the Ummah today, we can’t do anything to change it as Allah will bring the change" or "We cannot stand against the corrupt rulers as Allah has given them power over us"). We don't throw around the term "God's Will" to justify any action that a person wants to do or is doing, as if they do not have a choice.

As human beings we have a degree of choice in our lives. Allah does not compel us to obey Him, as He has given us the ability to choose to obey or not. However, Allah KNOWS what we will chose, because His knowledge is perfect and absolute. He is omniscient, and knows us better than we know our own selves subhanAllah.

We have to strive and make our efforts to be true Muslims as commanded by Allah and exemplified by our Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam, but knowing that success or failure of our attempts is written; it is not the result Allah will judge us by but our intentions and actions.

Finally there is a story about Qadr I want to share with you from the lives of the sahabah (companions of the Prophet):

It is narrated from Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas that, “Umar ibn al-Khattāb left for al-Sham, until he reached Sawgh where he met the leaders of the armies, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and his companions who informed him that plague had befallen the land of al-Sham.

Ibn ‘Abbas said, Umar ibn al-Khattāb said, ‘Call for me the first Muhājirīn’. So they called them, he consulted them and informed them about the plague that that befallen al-Sham, but they differed. Some of them said, you went out for a matter and we do not think you should change your mind about it. Some others said that you have with you some people and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and we do not think that you should expose them to this plague. Umar said ‘Withdraw from me’.

He then said, ‘Call for me the Ansār’, so they called them, he consulted them, and they took the path of the Muhājirīn, so they differed like them. He said: ‘Withdraw from me.’

Then he said, ’Call for me whoever present here of the leaders of Quraish who are of the Muhajireen of the Conquest’, so they called them and even two men of them did not differ in their opinion to him. They all said, ‘We think that you should turn back together with the people who are with you and not expose them to this plague.’

Thus Umar announced to the people, ‘I will be riding (back) in the morning, so you do the same’.

Abu Ubaydah then said, ‘(Are you) fleeing from the qadar of Allah?’

Umar replied, ‘had someone else said that O Abu Ubaydah; Yes, we are fleeing from the qadar of Allah to the qadar of Allah. What do you think if you had camels and you descended a valley that has two slopes (sides), one of them is fertile and the other barren. Is it not true that if you grazed (in) the fertile one you would do so with the qadar of Allah, and if you grazed (in) the barren one you would so that with the qadar of Allah.”

The qadar of Allah here means the determination and the knowledge of Allah, that is, if you grazed (in) the fertile you did what Allah had decreed in the Lawh al-Mahfūdh and what He did know. Similarly if you grazed in the barren one you did what Allah decreed in the Lawh al-Mahfūdh and what He did know.

For some videos that can assist towards understanding Qadr, please check out the following:
Yusuf Estes "Beauties of Islam" on Divine Destiny
Bilal Phillips - Belief in Destiny
Salem Al-Amri - What is Qadr?
Abdullah al-Farsi - Faith in the Divine Decree (Eeman Series)
AbdurRaheem Green answers question about the divine decree

Some articles:
Our Rizq Runs After Us
Clarifying Misunderstanding of Taqdeer (scroll down a third of the way into the article)

If I have said anything wrong, please correct me and may Allah forgive and increase us all in beneficial knowledge.

qadr Allah... part 1

2010-09-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I really wanted to go with another sister (who is sooo sweet mashaAllah!) to participate in the last day of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup... but I woke up with a stuffed nose, cough, and swollen lymph nodes :( May Allah make it tazkiyah (purification of the soul from sins) inshaAllah, as Abu Sa'eed Khudri (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a Mu'min experiences any fatigue, disease, sorrow, grief, hurt or distress, even to the extent that if a thorn has to prick him, Allah Ta'ala wipes away some of his sins for that.' (Sahih Bukhaari)

Qadr Allah - it was the decree of Allah this would happen, it was part of my destiny.

Belief in Qadr is one of the six pillar of iman (faith) which every Muslim believes in, as mentioned in Hadith Jibril when the angel Jibril (Gabriel) asked the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam what is iman and he responded, "Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment and al-Qadr, the good of it and the evil of it."

Another hadith states that "No slave of Allah will truly believe until he believes in al-Qadr its good and evil, and until he realizes that what has befallen him was not going to miss him and that which missed him was not going to befall him." [Sahih at-Tirmidhi and it was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albani]

When a person reflects on the existent of this Qadr, Allah's divine plan, it can have several beneficial effects on a person:

1) It grants its believer the peace of mind and sense of relaxation to know, that which has befallen him, was never meant to pass him by and that which has passed him was never meant to befall him.

2) It gives its believer the will and determination to do righteous deeds and grants him the knowledge of the fact that nothing can harm him or stop him except that which Allah has willed

3) Teaches its believer not to be arrogant and vain but rather to be modest and humble because he realizes that his actions are created by Allah and that such and such an event occurred, not because he was rich or was given beauty and good lineage but rather because it was the Will of Allah.

4) Teaches its believer to do as much as is in his capability and then leave the rest up to Allah, and then to be satisfied with the result as he did as much as his ability permitted him to do so.

[source]

Reflecting on Qadr also reinforces that we should fear Allah alone. For those people, governments, groups, plotting and planning bad things we know that Allah is aware of what they are doing, and it is all already written what will happen - everything is proceeding accordingly. They too are in Allah's hands, so we have no need to fear them and their illusionary "power" because La hawla wa la quwwata ila billah, all power and might is only with Allah.

"And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah." {Sura 3:54}

So instead of getting caught up in all these affairs and becoming overwhelmed by the fact that the world seems to be such a crazy place, focus on what you can control - you are on this path of your own Qadr, your rizq (sustenance) is set, so as a Muslim we need to first look at the bigger picture and realize ALLAH is the one in control... and Allah is not only the Creator and Sustainer of ourselves but of everyone, and we will ALL end up in our graves without discrimination including those who feel themselves "powerful" in this earth who will be brought back to stand in front of Allah on yawm al-Qiyama as helpless as anyone else. So we need to put our love and our fear, our trust and our hope in our Lord alone.

The prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said to ibn abbas: "If an entire nation were to gather together to benefit you they would only benefit you with that which Allah had already written you and if a whole nation were to gather to harm you they could only harm you with that which Allah had already written to harm you. The pen has been lifted and the ink has dried".

Secondly, to set our niyah (intention) for all of our deeds... setting a correct niyah can make the difference between a deed being loved and rewarded by Allah or being a despised sin. The SAME deed. For example giving charity, if a person gives with an intention to sincerely help and donate to gain Allah's pleasure and reward and help others he will have what he intended, whereas if the same person donates the same money with the intention to show off and raise himself in the eyes of others and feels himself superior then this person will not receive that same reward and Allah will not be happy with this action.

Thirdly, to always be excessively grateful to Allah, Ar-Raheem. You may have two children and you give them both the same gift, yet one child is so grateful for it, taking care of it, thanking you for it, whereas the other child is ungrateful, without thanks, saying "Why didn't you get me such-and-such instead of this!" Whatever Allah wrote for us to happen, we need to accept it with gratefulness without complaint or depression, trusting that this is the best thing for us even if it appears to be something bad - with sabr (patience) and constantly turning to Allah all hardships and sicknesses can be a source of tazkiyah for us as mentioned at the beginning. Always remember that this life is merely a test.

Ungratefulness is the way that shaytaan promised to mislead humanity when he was addressing Allah saying "Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You]." {Surah 7:17} Gratitude is not just when we get everything we want, but even when we feel like nothing is "going our way"... even if you failed your exam you still have the ability to breathe, right? That is just one little example. We have an infinite amount of things to be grateful for. Bitter medicine included. We need to turn to Allah accepting the Qadr He chose for us with unconditional love, gratitude, and acceptance.

living in harmony: car-free? & dutch bikes

2010-09-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Yesterday as I was driving back from work, I was reflecting again on fitrah and how when a human being is sincere to their fitrah - by recognizing there is one God and by acting on that knowledge, submitting themselves to their Creator - they become at harmony with their Creator, with their own soul, and with the rest of creation.

So I was feeling all good, seeing the trees, the birds, the sky, as I rolled homebound along the highway... all at peace with nature, when suddenly I realized wait - I am harming nature! While driving my car it is releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, and even the process to extract oil, fossil fuels, is damaging (BP Oil Spill, anyone? Alberta Tar sands?... and the rest of it). I initially went to college to major in Environmental Geography so we studied a lot of the effects of our auto-loving-dependent societies on not only "nature" including flora, fauna, air and water, but also the direct and resulting effects on other human beings - locally and around the world.

How is it I am in harmony with the rest of creation, yet I am doing something that I know is harmful to it? I am not looking at this in the frame that taking myself off the road will make a a difference in the world, as it is only a drop in the ocean, but rather how my actions speak to my own sincerity of not wanting to do harm to others. I am not implying any sort of fatwa by saying this (I am completely and totally not in a position to do that), but just reflecting... considering if I can make alternative choices to drive less, such as walking and biking when possible.

At first I was looking into loads of websites about the car-free movement mashaAllah... I am totally in support of their vision actually, of gearing cities to be more conducive to walking, biking, etc. through urban design... having more close communities that have everything available nearby for example. As much as I would like to try the car-free lifestyle, the fact I am in a contract position at work (which is a 45 minute drive from home) means I am stuck to my Dodge until the contract date is up... after that, if I choose to work somewhere else, inshaAllah I will choose something close to home. Not just for the car reason, but also the time spent in traffic, the fuel costs, the traffic jams and frustrations,... these I can all do without.

What about public transit, you ask? Well,... yes, I did consider that. But as a Muslim it was like choosing between two undesirable things... because for me transit is full of fitna (this is my experience after many years busing/skytraining it around), especially at rush hour. Just thinking back my mind floods with memories of being crammed in like sardines surrounded by non-mahram men, of fellow transit-goers talking/swearing loudly or making out in public (eww), of psychologically unbalanced people screaming or threatening your personal space, of having to walk from the train to home late at night feeling unsafe and kicking myself for staying out until after dark without a ride home. So, while transit IS fine sometimes (ie at non-peak daytime hours) its not a viable alternative for daily commuting for me personally, as alhamdulillah I do have the choice to drive instead.

So while I can't commit to car-free I aim for car-light... driving only when necessary, combining as many errands as possible into one trip, walking when possible (staying local :D)... and my dream... to get a Dutch bike! This is something every abaya/skirt wearing muslimah should know about! It is a bicycle with a step-through frame (ie you can wear a full skirt without having a centre bar push it up) and a completely covered chain (ie no abaya getting caught up and mangled! no need to tuck pants into your socks!) and a skirt-guard on the back wheel .... check it out:

They are actually becoming very popular nowadays... the cheapest 8-speed one I found in my area is around $550.00 (you can find cheaper 3-speeds, and you can custom design your own colours at Republic Bikes - $399 USD for a single speed) however I think if it is going to be well used it is a worthy investment... not only is it great for transportation, but for leisure and exercise mashaAllah. Back-in-the-day when it was scandalous for a proper lady to show her ankle, women all wore full-length skirts and dresses and such bikes were designed to let them ride while preserving their modesty. Even the higher handle bars and size of peddle had this in mind so ladies could sit up without having to bend over too much and without having to raise their knees too high when peddling (which could cause an ankle to be flashed - 'ayb!) Check out these historical photos...

German Postcard, 1915:

From 1895:

And if you google "dutch bike" and check out the images, you will find lots of interesting things especially for carrying many items or for accommodating children (like this one with two child-seats behind or this one with a stroller attachment in the front ~ love it). InshaAllah I really want to try a Dutch bicycle out soon, so I'm thinking to ask the bike store if I can test-ride one or rent one from one of the many downtown bike rental places if they have them.

yusuf estes tid-bit: fitrah

2010-09-19T17:01:00.001-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
About fitrah in terms of babies being born pure - in Islam we do not believe in the concept of original sin, and thus there is no need for a saviour to die for our sins as a "lamb of God" - in Islam each person is responsible for their own soul, they are accountable for their own deeds and no soul shall carry the burden of the sins of another.

‘And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another] to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be carried, even if he should be a close relative. You can only warn those who fear their Lord unseen and have established prayer. And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to God is the [final] destination’ (Surah Fatir 35:18)

fitrah

2010-09-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
"Muslims consider accepting Islam to be merely 'reverting' to the human being's natural disposition of acknowledging and worshipping the One God, thus the use of 'revert' instead of 'convert'." (authors note, From My Sisters' Lips by Na'ima Roberts)

While reading and reflecting on my notes form this book, this point made me think a lot about the fitra - the natural disposition.

Before I didn't really care about using the term "covert" vs "revert" - usually I would say "I became Muslim" or something like that... but now I feel like yes, I was born on fitrah,... believing and being as a Muslim is the natural state of the soul. So when I am in the state of Islam... that is the natural state, the soul is in harmony with the created universe... it is at peace with itself and with the creation and with our Creator.

I was always a created being, with Allah as my Sustainer, Creator, Ilah.... even when I didn't know that. It was Allah that formed me in my mother's womb, and breathed into me my soul (ruh, in Arabic).

"Then we formed the drop into an alaq (embryo) and formed alaq into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh thus bringing forth another creature. Blessed be God, the Best of Creators!" (Qur’an 23:14)

"Allah brought you out of your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing at all, and gave you hearing, sight and hearts so that perhaps you would give thanks." (Qur’an 16:78)

"He is the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, the Almighty, the Most Merciful, who perfected everything He created. He originated the creation of the human from clay, then He made his offspring from a clot of weak water (semen). Then He created him and (caused the angel to) breathe into him his (created) spirit. He gave you eyes and ears, and hearts, yet little do you give thanks." (Qur'an 32:6-9)

I feel happy, and less like a "convert" - Islam is not something I discovered and then accepted, and it only entered my life at that point, rather Islam was always around me, part of me... Allah always was aware of me, Sustaining me, but I only really saw that later on. And everyone was created, whether they are living as "muslims" or not, each person was created in the same way and is sustained by the same Lord, inside of each child is the same fitrah.

"The Fitrah" by Brother Dash, performed at Napoleon's Darkness2Light event:

goodbye habibti

2010-08-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Asalam alaikum wa Rahmatullah... not that I am saying goodbye to you, my dear readers, but today is the day a very very dear sister to me is leaving to return home to her country... she became muslimah just 4 weeks ago and mashaAllah has learned so much and has a strong iman and is soooo sweet... may Allah preserve her and help her and let her family and friends become muslim, and surround her with good people, as in her country Ecuador there are very few muslims. Please send your duas for her.. my dear sister DG, I will miss you and love you forever <3 may we be reunited all together in jannah

Its always hard to say goodbye to good friends, sisters... but, as the saying goes,... "Dont cry because its over - smile because it happened."

claiming love

2010-07-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalam alaikum wa Rahmatullah! InshaAllah hope you are all doing well - it's hoooooooot over here in Canada, I'm feeling sweaty and lazy today :p but alhamdulillah everything is going good. I actually have a few things to blog about but as mentioned feeling lazy right now ~ ~ so will blog them later (including a very sweet award from my sister Hajar - thank you!)

For today I will leave you with a little story that is in the preface of the book Ashraf's Blessings of Marriage, which was narrated by Shaykh Ihtishamul-Haqq Thawni:

A young intelligent maiden was once walking through town, when some unscrupulous male cast an evil gaze and became enchanted upon her beauty. He followed her out of town some way.

Sensing mischief, the young lady abruptly turned around and confronted this man behind her, demanding sternly, 'Why are you following me?'

'I have fallen in love with your enchanting beauty!' replied the male.

The wise maiden commented, 'No big deal, a human falls in love with a another human, but I shall tell you a small secret... look yonder, comes my sister; younger and more pretty than me, if you were to fall in love with her that really would be something!'

The fool turned around to have a look, whereupon the lady gave him a big kick up the backside... 'Scoundrel! So is this upon what you claim love? The first news of somebody more attractive than me... and you are willing to goggle and incline towards her!' Walking away, she left the idiot to sulk at his stupidity.

Now off to make banana bread inshaAllah!

canada day

2010-07-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalam alaikum wa Rahmatullah

Alhamdulillah after two cups of coffee and many hours of preparation with the help of ALLAH subhana wa Ta'ala I finished my projects and midterm - now just waiting for the next round of final projects/exams :)

Today was a cloudy canada day, raining a little here and there. Tomorrow work and then alhamdulillah the weekend, and hopefully some time to relax a bit.

I love reading this little book called "More than 1000 Sunan Every Day & Night" and wanted to just share a section from the authors introduction:

It is interesting to note that if one of us lost some money, how concerned and worried we would be and how much effort we would exert in trying to find it. But how many sunan have we lost in our lives? Does this sadden us? Have we strived to revive them in our lives?

One of the problems we suffer from is that we have begun to value and admire the deenar and dirham more than the sunnah. If people were told that whoever observed a sunnah from the sunan of the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) would recieve a certain amount of money, then you would certainly find them wanting to and striving to observe the sunnah in all of their affairs, from morning to evening.

Why? Only because they would gain some money for every sunnah practised. How will this wealth benefit us when we are placed in our graves and the earth's dust is poured on us?"

The translator also wrote in his introduction a quote from Imam Maalik who said that "The Sunnah is like the Ark of Noah - whoever embarks on it reaches salvation and whoever refuses is drowned." May Allah increase us in our practice and revival of the sunnah in our daily lives ameen.

the life of a college student

2010-06-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Looks like it is going to be another long night of studying (midterm tomorrow) and assignments (3 due tomorrow plus 1 lab)... however, my brain has different ideas and doesn't want to co-operate with all this processing - it keeps sending me "I need sleep!" memo's. Patience, patience,... tomorrow after classes are finished then is the time for sleep. For now, it is coffee time!

My husband keeps telling me not to start relying on or getting addicted to coffee, but at such moments it seems like the only way (after seeking help from Allah subhana wa Ta'ala of course).

However I was pleasantly surprised (and thoroughly distracted) when I wandered over to Blogger and saw they have a new "Template Designer" feature with so many options! Alhamdulillah cus I like Blogger but the range of "official" templates which were offered was kind of "meh" in my opinion which led to many hours searching for external user-generated templates that sometimes worked and sometimes not-so-much.

Anyways, inshaAllah hope this finds you all well :) Off to brew another cup and try again to tackle the books so I can get to sleep at some kind of decent hour!

Ma'salama

niqabi's speak

2010-06-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
SubhanAllah :) These days have been busy, alhamdulillah, and esp today ~ Im taking summer semester at school and trying to be very studious this time around so there have been a few days of sleeping from 4am-7:30am (including last night ;p) but before bed I was just browsing some youtube clips and am enjoying this one about niqab...

It reminded me of a speech by sh Khalid Yasin:

"I mean now, let's not ask Barbra Walters about how muslim women feel. You know let's not ask Tom Brokaw, how muslim women feel. Let's not ask CNN, ABC, FOX... let's not ask the London Times, or the Australian Times; let's not ask non-muslims about how muslim women feel, how they live, what are their principles - what are their challenges. If you want to be fair, ask a muslim woman."

ahlan wa sahlan, open for blogging again

2010-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Wanting to make a fresh start and take a break I totally privatized this blog about a year ago - no one, not even friends etc. were invited so don't feel left out ;D -as a way to put it on hold, and to cocoon myself at a time of my life where many things were changing.

I tried to start a new blog after awhile... but it just didnt feel the same.

So here I am, back at Ephemeral, inshaAllah to continue posting ~ keep in touch and may Allah always give you the best khair in dunya and akhira...

PS. I imported all the posts from my other blog, around 18 or so,... check it out, esp the "for the love" video (i love it <3)

priceless - everything has its costs

2010-04-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Just reserved this book from the library (as well as this one):

"The egg industry claims humanely produced eggs will cost up to 25% more. True, most certified humane eggs are more expensive than those that are factory farmed. So? In his new book The Value of Nothing, Raj Patel refers to cheap food as cheat food, full of hidden costs -- the cost to the environment, the cost of unfair labor practices, the cost of animal abuse, the cost to our health. There's no such thing as a free lunch, ace."

... quoted from an article on The Huffington Post, "Cracking the Egg Label Code".... If you find yourself wanting to purchase humanely produced eggs (inshaAllah you will get lots of ajr for making efforts to not support the torture normal laying-hens endure) you can also check out How To Buy Humane Eggs , whose best suggestion is to check out local farmer markets for happier hens and much better taste, and WSPA Guide to Humane Food Choices that breaks down what all the vocab on those egg cartons means and more...

battle in seattle

2010-03-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Last night we watched Battle in Seattle, a movie based on the real-life protests against the WTO that took place in Seattle in 1999 and escelated to full blown riots and a state of emergency.

I really like this movie actually, because it was a little bit docu style and even interspliced real footage from the protests - I thought a lot of the characters and casting choices were well done, and it carries a real political message instead of just being a movie of mindless entertainment.

links to reality

2010-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

"O you who have believed! Respond to (the call of) Allah and
to the Messenger when he calls you to what gives you life."
(Qur'an Al-Kareem, Surah Al-Anfal 8:24)

I have started working on an Access to Qur'anic Arabic, a set of three books and four CD's that has the aim to learn Arabic with a prime focus on understanding the Qur'an mashaAllah. I hope to be steadfast in my studies. The author made a comment in his introduction that stood out for me subhanAllah:

"We pray that Allah Almighty accept our efforts and that this attempt will be helpful in taking us along the way of discovering the Qur'an - the human being's only authentic link with Reality - and patterning our lives by it. And when the Hour comes, may the Qur'an be a testimony for us, and not against us."

info overload

2010-01-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Asalaam alaikum wa Rahmatullah....
I am OVERWHELMED by information... my RSS "starred" list is 1950 items! (And counting.) So I am sitting here munching away on raisins, drinking water, and wondering... what to do with all these posts? Isn't information something we should act on? Am I supposed to extracte all the act-able items from this collection?

Not sure, not sure...

Anyways, just wanted to try and get back into posting and let ya'll know I am still on the radar. Hope all is well with you and your families inshaAllah ~

fresh fresh fresh

2010-01-01T01:12:00.000-08:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Asalaam alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

Mmmmmmm fresh new layout... alhamdulillah. I felt I had been neglecting my blog lately... what happened? I used to be such a blogger before (on my old site)... I guess just married life, things became busy ~ alhamdulillah. However I still keep up with the RSS even if I don't comment too much (or do so as an anon sometimes :p)

I might try again... to keep the posts coming. Even if they are short-ish. I guess the issue has also been figuring out "the line" - how much of my personal life, location, feelings, thoughts, daily happenings, do I "expose" on the web? That is partly the reason for locking off my previous site... time to reflect while feeling covered and concealed totally (in the digital sense... like donning an eHijab ;D)

Anyhow... it's past one a.m. ~ and I really should be sleeping! Once I start browsing blogger templates...... it becomes an epic quest that won't stop until I find the ONE (for now...) SO finally, fresh updates, templates, and thoughts... Hope ya'all are doing well, wherever you are out there in this big crazy world... May Allah's blessings be on you and your families, ameen...

muharram mubarak

2009-12-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Today is... the fourth of Muharram, year 1431. Kullu 'am wa entum bikhair ~! A new year has begun..... So much has changed for everyone this year subhan'Allah; the selves and lives we knew give way to new lives, new selves.

Our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salaam said: “Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free-time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death.” (Hakim)

InshaAllah we need to grab all the opportunities we have in this upcoming year, really reflecting on the weight of RasulAllah's advice and warnings.

for the love

2009-12-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Sorry I have been MIA - life has got me busy these days alhamdulillah. He's got some other good stuff too, check it out...

The Essence of Islam: Are We Missing the Point?

2009-10-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

I came across a link on German Muslimah in America to an article hosted on Suhaib Web's site.....

The Essence of Islam: Are We Missing the Point?
By: Yasmin Mogahed | InFocus News

To some, a Monet is only a collection of dots. To others, it is a perfect masterpiece. To some, Islam is nothing but a code of rules and regulations. But, to those who understand, it is a perfect vision of life.

As Muslims, we often focus so much on Islam’s dos and don’ts that we miss the bigger picture. Islam came to perfect our manners, and yet we are willing to scream and shout to win an argument about zabiha meat. Islam came to build our bond with our Creator, and while we wear our hijabs and kufis, we delay our prayers.

Islam came to establish a community of believers, and while we decorate our masjids with gold and silver, our prayer rows remain empty. Islam came to teach us about God, and while we wear His words on our necklaces and decorate our houses with them, when those verses are recited to us, our hearts remain unmoved and our lives unchanged.

And Islam came to make us one brotherhood, yet we divide ourselves and alienate one another over issues like moon sighting and voting.

This is not to say, of course, that the do’s and don’ts are not important. They are crucial. The problem is we have forgotten what they stand for. For example, the wearing of Islamic dress should never be minimized. But we have forgotten that the hijab and the beard are only symbols of our greater devotion to God. For us to wear the hijab and the beard while it has no bearing on our character means we have missed the point.

If we spend thousands decorating our masjids but use it only to display status and win arguments, we have lost its intended purpose. And if we’ve memorized every haram and halal ingredient of facial soap but we own businesses that are based on interest and sell alcohol, have we not made a mockery of Allah’s deen?

That deen is what transforms humanity from the lowest of the low to the representatives of God on earth. The Quran tells us: “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth …’ ” (Quran 2:30)

As a representative of God on earth, we are given a very great responsibility. It is a trust so heavy that even the mountains rejected it. Allah tells us in the Quran: “We did indeed offer the trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; he was indeed unjust and foolish.” (Quran 33:72)

As believers, we should never lose sight of this responsibility. It is the fulfillment of that mission that transforms us from asfala safileen, the lowest of the low (Quran 95:5), into khaira ummatin ukhrijat lil naas, the best of peoples arisen for mankind. (Quran 3:110)

But how can we be that best of people? Allah describes how in His book: “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah…” (Quran 3:110)

The essence of that struggle is the belief in Allah, the struggle for truth and the struggle against evil. As soon as we give up that struggle, we will become among those people who Allah describes in surat Al-Asr as being in a state of loss. Allah describes the ones who will be saved from that state: “Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” (Quran 103:3)

And, so, if we continue to abandon this greater mission and purpose, we will have transformed the perfect vision of existence into nothing more than a collection of dots.

busy little bee

2009-10-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

MashaAllah mashaAllah the life these days is very busy... latest update is I left Casablanca and am back in Canada. It's chilly fall season so I am enjoying my boots and coats :D We went for a walk today through the forest and the leaves were soooo pretty...

Right now I am just catching my breath between housework and cooking... learning to manage a household is not easy! Right now Im just trying to settle into the daily life and make an actual schedule for cleaning and cooking - plus build up recipe repertoire. Tonight is.... inshaAllah pasta with either meat balls (if i use tomato sauce..) or kebabs (if I make a cheese sauce). So time to turn to my cooking RSS collection to find out how to spice this stuff.... alhamdulillah for the internet ;D

InshaAllah I will try to keep updating.... and please make dua for my cooking success ;D

fishy

2009-10-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Lately I have been thinking about a white + orange hijabi set... originally I was imagining a white or orange long flowy skirt with loose white t or tunic with a large orange goldfish or japanese koi design wrapping across the front diagnolly, with a white or orange longsleeve t underneath and a white underscarf with orange shayla (or visa versa ;D) then pair it with white or orange purse, flats, and cute accessories. But polyvore cant always fulfill the imaginition, however I am really like the tunic + white blazer idea.

The only problem is I never felt orange was one of my colours... but I love the colour because it is so fresh and citrusy... I can almost taste and smell my favorite setusma oranges just looking at it. Alhamdulillah we have a big bowl of them in the kitchen which I will be raiding as soon as hitting 'Publish Post' inshaAllah!

at the door of jannah

2009-10-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

I sat down at the computer with my salad and tiny fork juuuust about to type in the URL for a Korean drama episode fix when my MIL (mother-in-law) asked me to change the tv channel. Morocco channel 2 had some guy singing about conserving water, so we switched it up to Iqra. I was back in front of the computer with my apple earbuds in but the English subs on the tv caught my interest... and alhamdulillah I was so touched by words of Mustafa Hosni that I abandoned Hana Yori Dango and instead was googling for more episodes of 3la Bab Al-Jannah or in English, At the Door of Paradise.

Satellite TV is one thing I will miss about being in Casa, being able to watch Huda TV, Iqra, MBC Max/Action/2 (movies), and browse randomly a bunch of Arabic channels when bored. Iqra, which translates to "Recite," was founded in 1998 and promotes itself as a "Muslim family's safe haven." Their stated mission is "to meet the viewers’ needs through presenting a number of serious programs on the viewers’ everyday life problems, serving their spiritual, cultural, social and economic interests, from an Islamic perspective with a modern vision." Browing their offical site I just discovered I can still watch it live online here alhamdulillah. Except sometimes it seems to lag quite a bit which would be annoying :p Some channels also seem to work at MuslimCo...

Mustafa Hosny has an offical site but unfortunately there is not yet an English version, however I am enjoying his YouTube channel which has English subbed eps of At the Door of Jannah. He speaks with a lot of passion, sincerety, and hand gesturing, in such a way that my attention is grabbed and I totally connect with what he is speaking about mashaAllah.

Unfortuntally not all the episodes are subbed, and it only shows the first 10 minutes... SO look out for the subtitle bar in the video preview, and in this series he is in the red chair as shown in the above clip. To get the rest of the episode, click the link in the video description and it will take to to the offical site in Arabic for that video and all you have to do is choose on of the options (RealPlayer in low quality, Mp3, RealPlayer in medium quality, and in high quality - respectively... the second column lists the file size).

fold a tshirt in 2 seconds

2009-10-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

One skill I have had to slightly upgrade since getting hitched is my folding skills - husbands professional collered shirts and linen pants and whatnot require more finess than my typical laid back folding style... also when travelling everything has to be ultra folded for space and organization in the luggage. So, as usual, I did a little Googling...

Here is the first video I stumbled upon courtesy of Lifehacker, How to Fold a Shirt in 2 Seconds:

There are a bunch of videos by Expert Village on folding but nothing ground breaking for me; this one shows how to fold a tie and some other items. Real Simple shows the basic way to fold a dress shirt in their How to Fold Anything category. AskMen has some tips as well as the site Life123 throws in their two cents. Folding laundry may seem like common sense, but I believe that for every task in life there are always ways to improve and polish our technique inshaAllah.

And after all that house-worky stuff sit back and relax with an episode of Shaun the Sheep and some sweet mint tea ;D

easter egg ninja

2009-10-01T04:13:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

For all those gReader addicts, check out this easter egg... if you want to be suprised instead, just open your Google Reader and enter the KONAMI code (up up down down left right left right b a) and be sure to toggle the 'like' button ;D

Other than drinking a mug of bottled water and monitoring my RSS feeds as Iqra tv babbles in the background, I am not up to too much this morning. Feeling kinda lazy... Only a couple weeks left in Casa, we might make the trip up to check out Fez before we go (and Agadir?)

Other gReader keyboard short cuts i just discovered by accident while writing this post:

'a' for search
'r' for refresh
'u' to toggle the left sidebar
space bar to scroll down and open the next post
shift+space bar to jump to next post
backslash to view all keyboard commands (i knew that would be somewhere lol)

the fig

2009-09-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

I love fresh figs. My first memory of them is eating fresh, green figs we picked from a garden in 'Amman at fajr time. Here in Casablanca we ate the dark purple ones ("Black Mission fig" variety I believe) but lately we've only had the dried ones which I don't fancy as much... plus you are supposed to open them each before eating to check for tiny worms just in case (eww!)

Serious Eats recently had a feature about figs which spurred this entry :) Check it out for some tips on buying, storing, and other info. As mentioned in their post, figs have a rich history...

The fig tree was a common theme in the Bible, and the Egyptians considered figs to be sacred, often burying the dead with baskets of figs. In ancient Greece, Plato wrote that athletes were fed figs to make them stronger.

This fig is also mentioned in the Qur'an, where there is an entire surah (chapter) named At-Teen which means "The Fig"... Here is an english translation of the meaning:

By the fig and the olive.
And [by] Mount Sinai
And [by] this secure city [Makkah]
We have certainly created man in the best of stature
Then We return him to the lowest of the low,
Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds,
for they will have a reward uninterrupted.
So what yet causes you to deny the Recompense?
Is not Allah the most just of judges?

For a deeper look at Surah At-Teen, click here for the tafseer (explanation) and here for an analysis of the Arabic Grammar.

Healthwise, figs are known as a sweet low cal, high-fibre, nutrient rich fruit which make a yummy and healthy snack. FitSugar shared a quick appetizer idea, and That's Fit also touched on some benefits as well as mentioning that fig trees reduce formaldehyde in the environment.

And figs in Morocco? The fresh ones are called karmose and the dried ones are called shariha. Also here there are many Indian figs that are sold by street vendors and can be seen when driving through the country growing by the roadside. And can't forget the beauty stuffs like Moroccan Fig Perfume Oil and Moroccan Blue: Sweet Fig & Argan Body Lotion.

2009-09-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

بسم اللة الرحمن الرحيم

Right now it is nightime in Casablanca. I can hear the traffic outside through the open windows, a backdrop to the french dub of The Bourne Supremacy on Morocco Channel 2. It's a bit hot tonight... other than that not much to report. Except that I started this new blog - a fresh start.

Stay tuned.

and from among His signs...

2009-06-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between you; verily in that are Signs for those who reflect." [Quran: 60:21]

Insha'Allah I will be getting married soon alhamdulillah :) Very exciting but also lots of things to do (the bridal party, etc.) ~ all of your duas are appreciated!

the ease

2009-06-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him,
He will make a way out for him (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine.
And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him."
Al-Quran 65:2

“Surely with every difficulty there is relief.
Surely with every difficulty there is relief.”
Al- Quran 94:5-6

Sooooo true subhanAllah.... many times I will be wanting something, and suddenly it comes via an avenue that I never would have perceived, more abundantly than I even expected. Alhamdulillah such a thing happened today in regards to... clothes & other stuff :) But also so many things lately... subhan'Allah...

summer shukr picks

2009-06-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalam alaikum wa Rahmatullah. I just woke up and checked my inbox to find an email from Shukr about their new summer collection. What I love about Shukr: lots of selection and unique designs, they have high-quality photos of all the color options for an item, and they just recently launched Shukr Canada alhamdulillah (altho all their old stock is only on the USA/UK sites). The downside is they are pretty expensive. Last week at the masjid I saw a sister wearing a corduroy hooded jilbab, masha'Allah it was really nice! I asked her about it and she said she got it from Shukr,... hmm should of asked her to let me try it on for the size :D

Anyways I couldn't resist "window shopping" through the summer line-up and here are my five favorites:

Anjum Top, pink, mauve, or black without that tie-y thing on the neck
Short Moroccon Djelleba, in black or taupe
Tencil Denim Badia Tunic, in ash colour with a skirt (I dont like the look with pants :p)
Tencil Denim Trompe L'Oeil Tunic, in ash (seems popular, small is already sold out :D)
Spanish Summer Skirt

birr al-walidayn

2009-05-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Honoring and being good to our parents. I don't have a lot of time to write, but I wanted to share somethings with you... awwww this video made me cry! Check out the links bellow as well.

Feeling the Love, 60+ Ways to please your parents
My Mother, very cute nasheed
Uncomparable Love, amazing khutba by Yasir Qhadi
When Your Parents Look Up to You, by Sh. Ibrahim Dremali from the Texas Dawah Convention (need to log-in for free to download the lectures, but it is totally worth it ;D)

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be excellent to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young."

[Qur'an, Isra 17:23-24]

yay

2009-05-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Aaaah finally the much awaited day has arrived! ... Any guesses?....... Marriage? Uh, no. Convocation? Uh...no... The fifth dentist caved and now they're all recommending Trident? Lol no, and yes I did steal that from a really old Friends episode. ... So what is it then?

My Star Scarves order finally arrived! FINALLY! It didn't take that long but I was sick of checking my mailbox everyday only to have my hopes dashed. Well, I guess when I succumbed to even checking on Saturday I was kinda asking for it :) I love online shopping... its like buying a present for yourself and there is all this excitement waiting for it to arrive and take it out of the package. I got three under-scarves (navy, black, and dark brown); alhamdulillah the fabric is so nice and soft and the fit is good and not too tight. I'm happy because I found the tube-style ones are harder to find, especially if you dont want them lacy or beaded. For some reason I never found the cap-style ones to be comfortable...

I am thinking to order more, they even have a whole-sale deal where you can buy a pack of ten for $40 USD, and then use some for myself and sell/gift the other ones since sisters are always asking me where they can buy them. Honestly though it doesn't seem that complicated to sew.... hmmm... I'll have to check into that too, I know some friends who are pretty good at that kind of thing. I'm actually not bad at sewing, but I really dont know which kind of stitches to use for what. I meant to learn about this so I could sew my own hijabs too... basically just need to know how to seal the edge properly. Insha'Allah maybe this can be a summer project (...wait, I think I was talking about the same thing with Hiku last summer... and possibly last-last summer LOL).

Ma'salama!

PS. Still checking mailbox everyday for my IslamicBookStore.com order ;)

you cannot please everyone

2009-05-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullah): ‘The people sit around you so that they may find fault with you!’ So he said, ‘Indeed, I encouraged my soul to aspire for Paradise so it aspired for it. Then I encouraged it to aspire for salvation from Hellfire and so it aspired for it. Then I encouraged it to aspire for salvation from the people, but I didn’t find a way to that. Indeed the people were not pleased with their Creator although He provides for them, so how can they be pleased with another creation like themselves?’ [Al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya 9/318 ]

Prophet Musa (’alayhisalam) said: ‘O my Lord, the people say things about me which are not (i.e. not true)! So Allah revealed to him: ‘O Musa, I did not make that (privilege) for Myself, so how can I make it the case for you?’ [Al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah by Ibn Muflih 1/38]

This post on Umm Aslam's blog actually inspired me for last weeks halaqa, alhamdulillah. Jazak Allah khair ukti for the reminder.

oxford union debate

2009-05-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I blogged about Malcolm X, may Allah bless him, twice previously. Today I was just browsing through my YouTube favorites to cheer me up and came across this speech by the brother which I really thought was masha'Allah. He is so strong on his point and just a great speaker.

randomized

2009-05-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Sabah al-Khair, I'm just drinking a big cup of tea and noshing on choco-oatmeal cookies while checking out this Qur'an program for Mac, Zekr, which was linked from comment section of a recent MM article. It seems they also have it for PC and Linux as well alhamdulillah.

It seems easy to use, good search functions (you can search even by root letters :D), and my favorite function: random aya. I love these types of things because often I would just like open a book to random page and read it, or choose a random post out of RSS subscription archives, or search a random word in Flickr, and so forth (you get the idea). So here is today's random aya, translation of the meaning:

"And obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering: For Allah is with those who patiently persevere." [An-Anfaal, 8:46]

Subhan'Allah.

shopping online

2009-05-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

It's just past midnight and I am currently drinking lemon-water an auntie made for me and listening to Allahu, calming Arabic/Urdu nasheed by Zain Bikha, contemplating going to bed soon. As fajr gets earlier and earlier, I'm falling back into the bad habit of staying up too late and saying "Well, now there is only an hour and a half until fajr... probably should just stay up" and don't end up sleeping until four in the morning :( This has already happened three days now and I am feeling justifiably exhausted. Alhamdulillah alhamdulillah though tomorrow is a holiday so no work.

My latest "addiction" is online shopping. Well, it's mostly "window shopping" but I have bought a couple things so far, mostly just Islamic books and am currently waiting on the delivery of three under-scarfs and black hijab pins from Star Scarfs. Over the past couple months I have received a book on tasweer and Arabic letter stickers for my laptop keys, and just today I ordered three books: one of them my friend lent me and I lost so its a replacement, the other is a small book recommended at a sisters halaqa recently called Why Not Cover Your Modesty? and the third is Believing as Ourselves, which is the main book I was wanting.

It's convenient and shopping therapy is available 24/7 lol. But really, it is nice to be able to get items that are not available here and without having to go out when feeling a bit lazy or to avoid the crowded shopping centers, etc. alhamdulillah. Usually the same item is featured in many shops, just check for the ones with the best shipping. I find it's often cheaper to order from the states than from Canada, and there was even one book I ordered where the best deal was from a UK site, SimplyIslam.com, and was shipped super fast :)

I find it hard to shop for hijabs online though, since I am very picky about the size and the fabric, but I was trying to find some nice half-niqabs... there was a store I saw awhile ago with a selection of colors and really good price but I thought I would just order later and now I can't find the site again :p So my niqabi-wearing friend here hooked me up with a Pakistani sister who will sew matching hijab-niqab set for you if you bring her the fabric alhamdulillah. Now two of my friends wear niqab, they are both sooo sweet Pakistani girls who are going to university ~ they really inspired me to not be shy to wear niqab when I like to (right now I am wearing it part-time, when I feel comfortable, which is okay bcos I follow the opinion that it is mustahab, not wajib alhamdulillah). I really like niqab, insha'Allah will blog about it later tho... got to go to sleep before its "almost fajr" again ;)

bayt RasulAllah (sallalahu alayhi wasalam)

2009-05-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalaam alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

I just came across this awesome link on Umm Yusuf's blog, it is a scrollable 360 view of a representation of the house of the Prophet Muhammad, sallalahu alayhi wa salaam.

“The picture shows a replication of The Prophet Mohammad’s (peace be upon him) House. The model of the house was built to give people a glimpse of the way the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived. This house is just a part of a bigger exhibition of the life of the prophet (peace be upon him). The house was reproduced based on authentic narrations that describe the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) house. The Exhibition is held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.”

If you have trouble loading the page, you will need to upgrade your Shockwave plug-in here.

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beauty of Islam

2009-05-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Masha'Allah nice short talk about the balance of peoples rights in Islam, especially your parents :)

subhanAllah

2009-05-07T21:18:00.002-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ibn Al-Qayyim said:

"When a person spends his entire day with no other concern but Allah alone, Allah the Glorified will take care of all his needs and take care of all that is worrying him; He will empty his heart so that it will be filled only with love for Him, free his tongue so that it will speak only in remembrance of Him (Dhikr) and cause all his faculties to work only in obedience to Him. But if a person spends his entire day with no other concern but this world, Allah will leave him to sort himself out, and cause his heart to be distracted from the love of Allah towards the love of some created being, cause his tongue to speak only in remembering people instead of remembering Allah, and cause him to use his talents and energy obeying them and serving them."

another thing to be paranoid about?

2009-05-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Someone from work recently forwarded me this email...

HANDBAGS

It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day?

We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake, and then we set out to test the average woman's handbag.

Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared. Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their handbags were at least a little bit dirty.

It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.

Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.

In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. 'There is fecal contamination on the handbags' says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception: The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had the worst contamination of all.

So the moral of this story is that your handbag won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen counter top.

Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. 'If you think about putting a pair of shoes on your counter tops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag on the counter tops. The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help. Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags.

three thirty six a m

2009-04-27T03:22:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

.......Well, I was supposed to go to sleep about three hours ago, yet I am still catching up on my GoogleReader subscriptions. Masha'Allah sisters, some very interesting stuff that you kept me up this late lol. I haven't seriously blogged lately due to crazy busyness with some major Islamic events going on here, as well as work and family stuff. So, here is a quick and random update...

* The cherry blossoms are blooming here now, sooo beautiful masha'Allah.
* One very beloved sister is returning to KSA on Tuesday :(
* My mama came back from her nearly four month yoga retreat.
* I had a really lovely chat with a friend last night over peppermint tea :)
* I'm currently reading "Great Women of Islam" by Mahmood Ahmed Ghadanfar.
* Realized there is an Al-Maghrib instructor HERE in my area! SubhanAllah!
* I miss my dad,... and my Hiku who is off visiting her family back home.

Okay imma go to sleep now insha'Allah cus I have work in the morning. Wish I could just sit and enjoy the sunshine and have a relaxed time sipping matcha tea while reading my morning blogs instead of dragging myself from bed and trying not to be too late for work. But khair insha'Allah, actually my work is pretty relaxed and not bad at all, alhamdulillah. I hope everything is well with all of you, and may Allah bless us with the chance to meet in Jannah insha'Allah :)

salaams from London

2009-04-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

three years

2009-04-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

THREE years of blogging, and still going :) Altho posts have been a little few and far between these days... Sometimes I think back to why I started this blog: an outlet to post any interesting or random thoughts, links, or articles, for myself to look over again in the future and also to be available for others (family, friends, random people who stumble across this url...) instead of just collecting digital dust tucked away in some "archives" folder on my C drive. When I started blogging, I wasn't "connected" in anyway to the "blogosphere" - I don't even remember reading blogs... I certainly wasn't thinking of having readers or being part of any kind of community. It was a long time before I actually began to comment on other blogs.

Even tho I am not that connected even now, I enjoy it... reading, learning, being inspired, and knowing people are actually reading (and possibly benefiting or being amused at times) my own writing. Feeling excited when Julissa had her baby or Inspired Muslimah reached her 1-month full-time-hijabi anniversary, or other sisters get married or go on to pursue their dreams. I'm pretty psyched about The Sisterhood of the Traveling Hijab project going on, the online connections spilling over into real life :) So nice masha'Allah...

Anyhow, I was just browsing over my April 2008 entries and I came across THIS post:

Looking over old posts from last April '06 (wow! 2 years! can you believe it? and this blog is still going~) and found this little q&a, time to update it...

So I figured it is time to update it again :)

One word answer only!

1. Your Dream Last Night: forgotton
2. Your Favorite Drink: matcha
3. Your Dream Home: Jannah
4. The Room You Are In: cozy
5. Your Pet(s): purring
6. What You Are Now: thirsty
7. What You Want to be in Five Years: mu'minah
8. What You Want to be in Ten Years: muhsinah
9. What You’re Not: faultless
10. One of Your Wishlist Items: tranquility
11. The Last Thing You Did: reflected
12. What You Are Wearing: relaxed
13. Your Favorite Weather: cinematic
14. Your Favorite Book: mus'haf
15. The Last Thing You Ate: rice
16. Your Life: alhamdulillah
17. Your Mood: mixed

So insha'Allah looking forward to another year or randomness and inspiration, besides, psychologists say blogging boosts happiness ;)

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bliss of the sahabah

2009-04-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The bliss of the Prophet's Companions
from Don't Be Sad by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni

Our Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him) came to all people with a heavenly message. He was not driven by worldly ambition, he had no treasure from which to spend, no splendid gardens from which to eat, and no castle in which to live. Despite all this, his loving followers pledged allegiance to him and remained steadfast, enduring a hard life full of difficulties. They were few and weak, always in fear of being uprooted by those surrounding them, and yet they loved the Prophet (bpuh) wholly and completely.

They were besieged in a mountain pass, and during that time, they had little or no food. Their reputations were attacked, their own relatives waged war against them, and yet their love for him was perfect.

Some of them were dragged over the hot sands of the desert, some were imprisoned, and others were subjected to inventive and innovative ways of punishment - all of which the disbelievers inflicted upon them. Having to endure all of that, they still loved him unreservedly with heart and soul.

They were deprived of home, country, family, and wealth. They were driven out from the playing fields of their childhood and from the homes in which they were raised. Despite all this suffering, they loved him unequivocally.

The believers faced trials because of his message. The very ground under them was shaken violently, and yet their love for him continued to grow.

The best among their youth constantly had swords hanging menacingly over their heads.

Their men moved forward lightly across the battlefield, advancing to death as if they were upon an excursion or a holiday, for the simple reason that they loved him unconditionally.

One of them was charged with the duty of carrying the Prophet's message to a king in a foreign land, and that person knew that it was a mission from which he would not return. Yet he went and fulfilled his duty. One of them was sent on a mission, knowing that it would be the cause of his death, and he went happily, for he loved the Prophet (bpuh) with unmitigated love.

But why did they love him, and why were they so happy with his message and content with his example? Why did they forget the pain, the suffering, and the hardship that resulted from following him?

To put it simply. He epitomized benevolence and righteousness. They perceived in him all the signs of truth and purity. He was a symbol for those who sought out higher things. With his tenderness he cooled the rancor from the hearts of people, with words of truth he soothed their chests, and with his message he filled their souls with peace.

He poured happiness into their hearts, until the pain that they endured from being at his side was made to seem insignificant. And he instilled into their souls a belief that made them forget every injury and every adversity that they had to endure.

He polished their insides with his guidance and he illuminated their eyes with his brilliance. He removed from them the burdens of ignorance, the depravities of idolatry, and the evil consequences of polytheism. He extinguished the fires of malice and animosity from their souls and he poured the water of faith into their hearts. Thus, their minds and bodies became tranquil and their hearts found peace.

They tasted the beauty of life with him and they knew delight in his company. They found happiness at his side, safety and salvation in following him, and inner-richness in emulating him:

And we have sent you [O' Muhammad] not but as a mercy for all that exists. (Qur'an 21: 107)

And verily, you [O ' Muhammad] are indeed guiding [mankind] to the straight path. (Qur'an 42: 52)

And He brings them out of darkness [by Allah's will] unto light... (Qur'an 5: 16)

He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger [Muhammad] from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom. And verily, they had been before in manifest error. (Qur'an 62: 2)

He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the fetters [bindings] that were upon them. (Qur 'an 7: 157)

Answer Allah [by obeying him] and [His] Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life. (Qur'an 8: 24)

They were truly happy with their leader and so they rightly deserved to be. O' Allah, send prayers and peace upon Muhammad, the liberator of minds from the shackles of deviation and the rescuer of souls from the curses of falsehood, and be pleased with his noble Companions as a recompense for their striving and for their efforts.

masjid cats (part 1)

2009-04-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I love cats and have grown up with them my whole life. As I type this, my cute kitty is sleeping on the back of the sofa beside me. What does Islam have to say about cats? I checked out some fatwas from Islam QA and just did some brief googling and came up with some interesting stuff:

"The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, taught Muslims to have mercy for all of Allaah's creation. There are many reports of his love for cats, resulting in their historical acceptance among Muslims. Cats were very common amongst the people during the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he said: "They (cats) are not impure and they intermingle with you." [Source]

Islam mandates kindness to animals, causing unnecessary pain to them is haram - even when slaughtering an animal for food we are told to make the knife sharp and "slaughter well" so as to make it as least painful for the animal as possible. Many hadiths indicate this, such as one narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Umar where the Prophet mentioned about a women who will be punished in hell for keeping a cat locked up until it starved to death, and he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) said, and Allah knows better, that Allah said to the woman "You neither fed it nor gave it water when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth." [Bukhari 553]

Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah narrated that a donkey whose face had been branded passed by the Prophet and he said, 'May Allaah curse the one who branded him.'" [Muslim 2217]

Keeping cats

Source: IslamQA #7004 and #22373

With regard to cats not being harmful, no one disputes that, rather they are useful because they eat snakes, rats bugs and other things that may be in the house or yard.

The great Sahaabi Abu Hurayrah (literally “Father of the Kitten”) was so called because he used to love cats and keep them. He became well known by this name and people forgot his real name, until the scholars disputed concerning his real name and there were nearly thirty different opinions as to what it was.

But we should point out here that what some people do, paying a great deal of attention to their cats and beautifying them, spending large amounts of money on them, is indicative of a lack of common sense and religious commitment, and exaggeration with regard to leisure, when there are millions of needy Muslims all over the world, let alone the fact that we Muslims should pay attention to making the best use of our time and filling it with worthwhile and beneficial pursuits, far removed from this folly... where some people spend more on their cats and dogs than they spend on their own sons and daughters, let alone the poor and needy.

Buying and selling

Source: IslamQA #7004 and #69770

It is permissible to keep cats but it is not permissible to buy or sell them; they may be given as gifts or given away. That is because of the hadeeth of Abu’l-Zubayr who said: “I asked Jaabir about the price of dogs and cats. He said, ‘The Prophet forbade that.’” [Muslim 1569]

Cats are considered taahir (pure)

With regard to cats eating food or drinking water, that does not make the food or water naajis (impure). Dawud ibn Salih ibn Dinar at-Tammar quoted his mother as saying that her mistress sent her with some pudding (harisah) to Aisha who was offering prayer. She made a sign to me to place it down. A cat came and ate some of it, but when Aisha finished her prayer, she ate from the place where the cat had eaten. She stated: The Messenger of said: It is not unclean: it is one of those who go round among you. She added: I saw the Messenger of Allah performing ablution from the water left over by the cat.

Source: IslamQA #25803

Cats are taahir, and based on that, if a cat drinks from a vessel of water, the vessel does not become impure, because of the hadeeth of Kabshah bint Ka’b ibn Maalik, who was in the house of Abu Qutaadah: “Abu Qutaadah came in and I poured water for him to do wudoo’. A cat came and drank some of the water so he tilted the vessel to let it drink. He saw me looking at him and said, ‘Do you find it strange, O daughter of my brother?’ I said ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘The Messenger of Allaah said that they are not naajis (impure), rather they are among those who go around amongst you.’” [al-Tirmidhi 92]

Can you neuter/spay cats?

Source: Islam QA #10502

Causing pain to animals is haraam. Preventing your cat from reproducing is preventing a natural process that Allaah has created in it. Undoubtedly the rulings on animals are not as serious as in the case of humans, but this does not mean violating the rights of the creation of Allaah. If this operation will cause harm, or it will cause complications for the cat, then it is not permissible. The prohibition against causing harm is general and includes harm against both humans and animals.

If there are too many cats and they are a nuisance, and if the operation will not harm them, then there is nothing wrong with it, because this is better than killing them after they have been created. But if the cats are ordinary cats and are not causing a nuisance, perhaps it is better to leave them alone to reproduce.

Masjid cats

"At the beginning of her introduction to Lorraine Chittock's book Cats of Cairo, Annemarie Schimmel wrote: 'When the British orientalist E. W. Lane lived in Cairo in the 1830's, he was quite amazed to see, every afternoon, a great number of cats gathering in the garden of the High Court, where people would bring baskets full of food for them. He was told that in this way, the qadi (judge) fulfilled obligations dating back to the 13th-century rule of the Mamluk sultan al-Zahir Baybars. That cat-loving monarch had endowed a "cats' garden" where the cats of Cairo would find everything they needed and liked. In the course of time, the place had been sold and resold, changed and rebuilt; yet the law required that the sultan's endowment should be honoured, and who better than the qadi to carry out the king's will and take care of the cats? The tradition continues. To this very day, every visitor to the Islamic world is aware of the innumerable cats in the streets of Cairo — and of Istanbul, Kairouan, Damascus and many other cities. ...We often find cats in the mosque, and they are gladly welcomed there not only because they keep the mice at bay."[Source]

When I started searching on Flickr for a picture I came across a lots of shots of cats in masjids or on the masjid grounds. It seems like a very common thing subhan'Allah :) I wish we had a masjid cat here... there one even one photo where a sister was holding a kitten that was one of a "handful of adorable kittens [that] were roaming about, a new litter of the resident mama mouse catcher," and others where they are sitting with the people during Jummah.

To be continued...

dua for driving

2009-03-21T01:40:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Subhan'Allah, driving is such a blessing letting us travel to the masjid, to lessons, to visit family, to help others and do good deeds. However being on the road is also dangerous, as there are many possible accidents that could occur. So like all actions, we should begin every trip in the car with DUA :)

Click HERE for a very nice recitation of the dua for when you get in the car, by Shaykh Mishary Rashid Al Efasy. SO memorize it, print it out and stick it somewhere in your car (or write it on a little post-it note), and share it with others insha'Allah.

Transliteration:

Bismillah, alhamdullillah, subhana-lathiee sakhara lana hatha wamaa kunna lahu muqrineen, wa inna ila Rabbina lamun-qaliboon. -- Alhamdullillah x3, Allahu Akbar x3 -- Subhaanaka Allahumma innee thalamtu nafsee, faghfirlee, fa innahu laa yaghfiru thunooba illa Anta.

Translation:

In the name of Allah, and all praise for Allah. How perfect he is, the one who has placed this (transport) at our service and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord is our final destiny. -- All praise is for Allah x3 Allah is the most great x3 -- How perfect you are oh Allah, Verily I have wronged my soul, so forgive me, for surely none can forgive sins except You

Does anyone have the Arabic for this?

PS. Also, before you even reach the car remember to say dua when leaving your house :)

on a snowy night in London

2009-03-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"This is a short informal interview with my good friend Fayyez outside our local masjid in Hendon, NW London after Salatul Maghrib (the evening prayer), January 2009. He accepted Islam a few years ago after leaving Christianity, finding no answers or even any logic in it's beliefs. We talk about his journey to the Straight Path and his reflections on finding the Truth. This brother loves the Qur'an so much he even has us talking in Marmaduke Pickthall translation English lol....indeed. All this on a beautiful snowy London evening."

beautiful

2009-03-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I just came across a very beautiful recitation by a reciter who is not yet well known, Mohammed ibn Yakoob Lakhi, who lives in Toronto. He is a graduate of the Madinatul Uloom Hifz Program, and won first place in his group at the Islamic Foundation's 2006 Qiraat Competition where he recited Surah Al-Mutafifin. It's been commented that a person "can really tell that he studied his qir'a from Shaykh Abdullah Matrood's because mashallah you can hear it from his voice."

Masha'Allah so peaceful... check it out:
* Ayaat al-Kursi
* Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayaat 152-162
* Surah Ar-Rahman

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ya ahl jannah

2009-03-14T00:46:00.002-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ya Allah make us among that gathering, ameen...

kanadiyah arabiyah

2009-02-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalaam alaikum wa Rahmatullah. Right now I'm at my dad's house drinking ginger tea and trying to kick this cough which has been hanging on for like two weeks... alhamdulillah I am feeling healthy except for like coughing all day. I got a new job that will start on March 2nd, and I will be going to the island this weekend for my cousins wedding insha'Allah.

Not much else to blog about, other then to announce I started a new blog that is more directed then the randomness of Ephemeral, it's called Kanadiyah Arabiyah and is over on WordPress because I like their templates :) As you can see, I was trying to change around the look of Ephemeral again and I got frustrated and just left it very basic for now. Kanadiyah Arabiyah is about "one Canadian girl's quest to learn Arabic" and insha'Allah I will be blogging in and about fusHa (classical Arabic) and 3miyah (colloquial Arabic) as well as about culture, Islam, and occasionally something random. Check it out ;)

I was thinking to put Ephemeral on hiatus since I haven't had energy to give it much attention these days, but I'll leave things as-is for now and hopefully up my energy levels soon. Hope things are going well for everyone! :)

Allah's Mercy

2009-02-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

How many times do we say "Bismillah ar-Rahman ir-Raheem" in a day? And how often do we reflect on these words and seek to understand these names of Allah?

ar Rahman and ar Raheem
October 10, 2008 on 8:56 am | By AmatulWadood | IlmFruits.com

Bismillah.

Ar-Rahman: The Entirely Merciful, Ar-Raheem: The Especially Merciful

Both of the names Rahman and Raheem come from the root Ra-ha-meem (ر ح م), these names are similar so they require a parallel explanation. What is Rahmah? Rahmah is mercy. In the dictionary it means: compassion, kindness and gentleness. Also when a person is kind, compassionate and tenderhearted towards the other. So Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem: The One who has a lot of Rahmah, The One who shows a lot of rahmah, He expresses a lot of Rahmah. There are two Names of Allah with the same root, to emphasize that Allah is really the MOST Merciful, there is no one else who is more merciful than Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Ar-Rahman is structure of fa’laan, Ar-Raheem is structure of fa’eel. They both have mubaalaghah (intensification). What is the difference? Rahman has more mubaalagah (intensification) than Raheem. So ar Rahmaan indicates the One who has extensive and great mercy. Who is Ar Raheem then? He is the One who has extensive and great mercy but He expresses it on the ones whom He chooses. So Ar-Rahman extends to all of His creation including disbelievers, and Ar-Raheem extends to Allah’s special mercy only for the believers.

Examples from the Qur’an

20: 5->Ar Rahman ‘alal ‘arsh istawaa’. The Most Merciful, upon the throne He rose. He established His throne and showed Mercy towards all His creation.

55:1-5-> Ar Rahman, Who is He? ‘alamal Qur’an, He taught the Qur’an, khalaqal insaan and He created mankind. This mercy is not just for the believers, but for everyone (insaan).

Raheem only to the believers: 33:43-> wa kaana bil mu’mineena raheema. One who is especially merciful to the believers.

2:37-> Innahu huwa at-Tawwaabur Raheem. Indeed He is the Greatest Acceptor of Repentance, the especially Merciful. Tawwaab is for those who turn to Allah, ie the believers.

Combinations of these Names:

These Names appear many times together. First example, the basmalah, and second verse of Fatihah. They appear together to express a lot of Mercy, Allah is the One who is THE MOST Merciful.

When we look at Ar-Raheem, it appears with other Names:

At-Tawwaabur Raheem, Ar-Raoufur Raheem, Ghafoorur Raheem, Al-Azeezur Raheem (surah Shu’ara). Remember His mercy, but also remember His might.

Ar-Rahman

Appeared many times in surah Maryam and Furqan. Why so many times? These surahs were makkee surahs and they were introductions to the deen, so one of the first ways of how Allah Introduces Himself is by which attribute? The attribute of Rahmah, which is why the Qur’an opens up with these Attributes as well (Basmalah and Faatihah). Why, what’s so important about them? First of all, when people learn about Allah, they shouldn’t learn He is the One who puts them into hellfire but that Allah is ready to accept people and forgive people. This is why messengers are basheerun (giver of glad tidings) and natheer (warner). Of the first ways to introduce Allah ta’ala in da’wah is by His Mercy. Specifically for the believers, they should remember His Mercy then they should abstain from wrong actions. Think: ‘If Allah is SO Merciful to me, why should I disobey Him and do wrong? Allah is so Rahman and I am so disobedient.’ The siffah (characteristic) of Rahman and Raheem remind the believers that they should remain firm on Allah’s Obedience. Allah is So Merciful, So kind towards you, so why won’t you obey Him?

A Hadeeth in Bukhari states: “Verily Allah created Mercy. The day He created it, He made it into one hundred parts. He withheld with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent its one part to all His creatures.” Allah has saved the 99 parts for His true believers on the day of judgment, that is when Allah will be ar Raheem. Allah will say to the disbelievers: do not even speak to Me, remain in hell-fire (23:108). Why? Because they do not deserve the rahmah of Allah. So if a person does not not benefit from His Mercy in this world, they do not receive in the aakhirah. To benefit is not to just receive it in this world, but to accept the guidance and stay away from disobedience.

Some very beautiful lectures about Allah's rahma:

human genome project

2009-02-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Excerpt from CNN article, Collins: Why this Scientist Believes in God, by Dr. Francis Collins who is the director of the Human Genome Project. A former atheist, he wrote a book a few years ago called "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief."

I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views. As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan.

I did not always embrace these perspectives. As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked "What do you believe, doctor?", I began searching for answers.

I had to admit that the science I loved so much was powerless to answer questions such as "What is the meaning of life?" "Why am I here?" "Why does mathematics work, anyway?" "If the universe had a beginning, who created it?" "Why are the physical constants in the universe so finely tuned to allow the possibility of complex life forms?" "Why do humans have a moral sense?" "What happens after we die?"

I had always assumed that faith was based on purely emotional and irrational arguments, and was astounded to discover, initially in the writings of the Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis and subsequently from many other sources, that one could build a very strong case for the plausibility of the existence of God on purely rational grounds. My earlier atheist's assertion that "I know there is no God" emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, "Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative."

virtues of ramadhan

2009-02-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I was just watching this lecture, Virtues of Ramadhan, by sh.Yusuf Estes. It's nice ~ and a lot of it isn't Ramadhan-specific but is talking about the Qur'an, some dawah stuff, linguistic things... and brother Yusuf always presents things in a unique & funny manner (even if a lot of the jokes are corny lol). I originally was watching on Halal Tube, where they have a whole Preparing for Ramadan with Halal Tube section that is worth checking out.

almost half-way

2009-02-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

We are almost half-way to another Ramadhan! Aren't you excited??? Have you remembered to make dua that your last Ramadhan be accepted? The sahabah used to pray for the first half of the year after Ramadhan that Allah accept their fasting, and for the next half of the year that Allah blesses them with the chance to live to see next Ramadhan.

Have you been keeping up with voluntary fasts? If you let yourself slip, it's okay because there is still time left insha'Allah! Just pray Allah blesses you with the ability and tawfiq to be regular in fasting. Need some inspiration? Check out this awesome article: Ar-Rayyan: Are You a Club Member?

PS. I will get around to fulfilling my tag's soon insha'Allah! Please be patient with me.

boycott israel

2009-01-26T20:42:00.001-08:00

كل يوم تتبرعون لاسرائيل .. برافو شي يشرّف / تبرعات لاسرائيل بالهبل من العرب !!!!!, originally uploaded by 【 вήт - εĻ đό7ά 】.

Is Peace Out of Reach?

2009-01-26T20:12:00.001-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

the office

2009-01-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

So, a strange thing happened today: I had a craving for chips. That like never happens. Cookies, cake, chocolate yes. Calamari yes. Chips no. But lo and behold I was at the store and yearned to buy chips, so I bought a bag of Kettle Bakes Aged White Cheddar and have been munching on them since I got home. In other news, I have been working as a temp receptionist at an accounting firm since last Monday. Everyday just as the sun is rising in the backdrop you would see me stumbling out to my car in a hijabified business suit, shivering while I wait for the heater to actually blow hot air instead of cold, and driving off in a frenzied dash to get to the office on time while listening to News 1130.

Insha'Allah I hope everyone else is doing well ~ Other than working, I did read one post (er, on my cell phone when I was bored at work..) by Umm Yusuf, Salaamz Jazakz and Stugz, which I totally agree w 100%. Newest YouTube stuff I've watched are Little Octopus lost it's way and Relaxation Therapy (rly helps me relax, I love the: "It doesn't really matter.." :D). Will hopefully get back into posting soon insha'Allah. Masalama.

MIA

2009-01-22T23:34:00.001-08:00

busy by mia takahara

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalaam alaikum wa Rahmatullah everyone..... Sorry I am totally MIA lately. Thing are really really busy these days... will update when I have the chance, including responding to comments and tags and trying to catch up on everyone's posts bcos I have totally fallen out of the blogosphere these past two weeks and haven't kept up with anything. Not just the blogosphere actually but also phone calls, emails, etc. Anyways, gtg retrieve laundry from the dryer ~ will try n post soon(ish) insha'Allah!

Masalama

the struggle of wakefulness

2009-01-07T23:13:00.001-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Gaza massacres continue and it's affecting everyone's mood, which it should. There were so many good articles I wanted to cross-post and to link to but honestly I am out of energy. My battery has been totally depleted.

There have been many good points raised about looking at ourselves and our own state of iman and relationship with Allah Ta'ala. About how people get outraged now, despite the fact that Gaza and various other places have been suffering for years and years and years. Where was the outrage then?

We live in hard times. Although most of us are living in comfortable houses and luxurious lifestyles (ie. you had enough to eat yesterday and a warm bed to sleep, not to mention clothes, electricity, access to health care...) it is hard times. Hard in a sense because we take such luxuries for granted and even become whiny complainers. Are we really that ungrateful to Allah? But it's hard to not get sucked in and complacent.

When this Gaza thing happened and people became outraged, protests were on, everyone was talking about it,... I felt as if the alarm clock had gone off to rouse me from my slumber. Then I remained in a state of being half-awake, trying not to drift back into sleep, trying desperately with what little consciousness I had to urge myself into real wakefulness.

But being in that state of wakefulness is hard and overwhelming. Because it's not just Gaza. Gaza is bad enough, but there is SO so so much suffering and injustice all over the world that we should "do something about"... subhan'Allah. Back in olden times, people were mostly concerned with the problems in their immediate surroundings. Nowadays, we have Al Jazeera news and BBC etc broadcasting the latest tragedies from all over the world daily. It's overloading.

We wonder how we can continue our lives while at the same time "feeling the pain of the ummah" when the pain is so great. How can we go through our day while realizing there is SO much we should be doing... that is our responsibility to do. We make dua after our salaah and it seems like a deep and never ending abyss of people that need our prayers. One after another after another after another. And we know this life is not but a short test.

As my friend told me on the phone today, may Allah give her khair, wallahi I love her so much, "...it's so hard to eat when you know they are starving, or to sleep safely in our comfortable beds when you know they are awake and afraid..."

It's hard. So much so that a person might wake up and throw themselves completely into caring to the point they become exhausted and just can't do it anymore. Turning to some kind of escapism like movies, novels, or anything to distract their mind from the great and ongoing tragedies. To hit the snooze button and return to the dream world and comfort of sleep, not ready to face the day.

We find ourselves laying there half-awake, so tempted to return to sleep, knowing we have to wake up because there is something important to be done, afraid to "rest our eyes" for a only second. Afraid to forget the suffering of others, of drifting back into the heedlessness induced by a life full of ease and comfort.

May Allah protect this Ummah and give justice and help to all oppressed and wronged peoples. May Allah have mercy on our own souls and make us strong.

local protests in Vancouver

2009-01-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In Vancouver, so far there have been two protests against the Gaza massacre - one last Monday in front of the US Embassy, and one today at Vancouver Art Gallery (which is the main gathering point for a lot of stuff downtown).

Monday was on short notice but drew a few hundred people, however it was nothing compared to Saturday. Although the weather was raining and freezing cold everyone was very pumped up... there was a small group of pro-Israeli's across the street as well (video: here) but alhamdulillah nothing got heated. There was a lot of chanting stuff like "Free Free Palestine" "Viva viva Intifada" "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free" "Canada you decide: Justice or genocide" and "From Iraq to Palestine occupation is a crime" just to name a few.

Today was also very cold and snowy but there were a lot of people, over a thousand... a diverse group that was also very passionate, and they even had handed out some cheap slippers to throw at a large poster of various war criminals (incl. Bush, Olmert, etc). There was also a more of a Islamic tinge to it than Monday; speakers mentioned Allah Ta'ala, and takbir was called more than a couple times.

You can get an idea of the atmosphere through a variety of youtube videos, here, here (by a tourist~), and here (this brother has five posted, just check the "More From:.." drop down.)

Both protests drew a lot of various groups including Palestinian, Islamic, Anti-War, and Jewish. There was everyone from little kids, to elderly aunties, to Palestinian and Muslim youth, to Korean international students and everything in-between masha'Allah...

Comments from protesters:

"...it was so beautiful i felt like crying, the people there and the unity of everyone was just fascinating to see mashallah! there was over 600 people there and from different countries and religions and everyone was in it together that was the awesome part!"

"I had alot of fun screaming and cheering for palestine (my home land) Also It was my first experience to be in a protest like this. I felt very proud for the people that were there, I appreciate the effort that they put into this, coming to this protest in a very bad weather.. That meant alot to me and for the people in palestine."

to a mujahid's wife

2009-01-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Masha'Allah a beautiful and romantic letter written by a mujahid to his wife...

What is a mujahid? A mujahid is one who stands up to fight and defend justice, to defend the people, and does so with pure intention for the sake of Allah.

“And why should ye not fight in the cause of God and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? - Men, women and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!” {Qur’an 4:75}

The media, in its blatant war on Islam, battling for public opinion and the hearts and minds of the people, has made the word mujahid nearly synonymous with "Islamic terrorist fighter" Aka. "the bad guys," "the enemies," the ones who aren't like us. They construct an us vs. them scenario, otherizing, dehumanizing, and vilifying their opposition as evil people who run contrary to all cherished values. Then they pound this into the minds of the people over and over again, shaping their attitudes and creating a fear response to the words "jihad" and "mujahid," because as long as the people are afraid of these constructed "others" - the "bad guys" - they will continue to support the war and oppression of those people out of fear, hatred, and ignorance. And they will continue swallowing the lies and fairytales told to them about how it is "progress" and "making the world a better place."

Is every struggle by Muslims wrong? If they fight against oppression and terrorism committed against them - if they fight to merely safeguard their lives and those of their family are they wrong?

Is it terrorism to defend your children? Is it terrorism to defend your land in your own country? Is it terrorism to struggle and fight against occupation, even when out-numbered and under-supplied?

If these mujahid were on "the other side" of the dialectic, they would be called war heroes. They would be celebrated on CNN as being brave and courageous. They would have Hollywood movies made about them in all their valor and glory, showing the strength of the human spirit in its struggle for freedom and liberty.

I don't want to be afraid to be labeled extreme and worry that my phones will be tapped when I say I support the mujahideen. I don't want to keep tip-toeing around the word jihad because I'm on "the wrong side" of America's "War on Terror." And I won't. Those fighting are not even showing fear in the face of death, they are fearing only Allah. We have to be strong, as building blocks of this Ummah we have to stand up and not be afraid.

People have the right to self-determination, to freedom from oppression, the right to keep their family safe, and the right to fight for that. No one should be ashamed to stand up and say this because it is the truth. No one should be ashamed to say they support those who are sacrificing everything they have in that struggle instead of just laying down and dying, accepting their own oppression.

~ ~ ~

I do not in any way support actual terrorism or killing of innocent people. Another misconception is that jihad is just random killing or blowing things up without rules, which is completely untrue. Jihad does have rules of engagement laid out in the shariah that are not to be transgressed.

Please read Islamic Concept of Jihad, Holy War? on WhyIslam.com; here an excerpt from this article:

CAN TERRORISM BE COMPARED TO JIHAD?

Terrorism is usually defined as ideologically motivated indiscriminate violence that targets civilians, with the intention of inspiring terror in order to achieve political ends. Although this definition ignores the reality of state terrorism, it is clear that terrorism has no place in the noble concept of Jihad. Even Jihad that involves physical conflict is the very antithesis of terrorism, as is clear from the following differences:

1. Jihad can be launched only by an established authority as a policy in order to deter aggression. Terrorism, on the other hand, is committed by individuals or groups that have no legitimacy to speak for the majority. When terrorism is committed by states, it usually depends on misleading the masses.
2. Jihad is limited to combatants while terrorism involves indiscriminate killing of civilians.
3. Jihad, when the need arises, is declared openly, while terrorism is committed secretly.
4. Jihad is bound by strict rules of engagement while terrorism is not bound by any rules.

"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” {Al-Qur’an 5:8}

القدس تنادينا

2009-01-01T17:46:00.001-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

There is a well-known nasheed by Ahmed Bukhatir called Al-Quds Tunadeena, in English meaning "Jerusalem is Calling Us." I was having a little bit of difficulty tracking down the translation of the lyrics so I though now that I've found one I'll post it here. Insha'Allah keep making dua for Gaza... You can get the latest news on Al-Jazeera's Live Updates.

Jerusalem is calling us
Jerusalem is calling us
Jerusalem is calling us

Jerusalem, you are our hope
Jerusalem will return to our nation
We will purify your virgin ground
And will raise our flags over you

Jerusalem is calling us
Jerusalem is calling us

Jerusalem will return to our nation
We will purify your virgin ground
And will raise our flags over you

Jerusalem is calling us
Jerusalem is calling us

Have patience sons of Palestine
Allah will relive our agonies
Jerusalem will return to be our home
And will return to be our country

Have patience sons of Palestine
Allah will relive our agonies
Jerusalem will return to be our home
And will return to be our country

The dark night will never come
Except that the dawn follows it with its brightness

meen erhabe?

2008-12-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I Will Stand

Before you go listening to slanted news saying "Hamas brought it on themselves," spinning it, to somehow try to blame the Palestinians for the murder of more than 300 civilians by the Israeli government, take a step back. What about the 18 month siege and blockade strangling Gaza? What about the checkpoints, the settler violence and usurping of land, the illegal "security" wall, the arbitrary arrest and imprisonments without reason or trial, the destruction of houses and farmland? What about the very creation of Israel - stealing the homes, land, country of the Palestinians? Can you justify that? Instead of listening to Fox, CNN, various politicians, etc. - take them time to listen to the Palestinians.

Here are the infamous lyrics of the Palestinian group DAM's Meen Erhabe (Who's the Terrorist?)...

Who's the terrorist?
I'm the terrorist?!
How am I the terrorist when you've taken my land?
Who's the terrorist?!
You're the terrorist!
You've taken everything I own while I'm living in my homeland
You're killing us like you've killed our ancestors

You want me to go to the law? What for?
You're the Witness the Lawyer and the Judge!
If you're my Judge I'll be sentenced to death
You want us to be the minority?
To end up the majority in the cemetery?

In your dreams!
You're a Democracy?
Actually it's more like the Nazis!
Your countless raping of the Arabs' soul
Finally impregnated it
Gave birth to your child
His name:Suicide Bomber
And then you call him the terrorist?

You attack me but still you cry out
When I remind you it was you who attacked me
You silence me and shout:
"But you let small children throw stones!
Don't they have parents to keep them at home?"
WHAT!?
You must have forgotten you buried our parents under the rubble of our homes.
And now while my agony is so immense
You call me the terrorist?!

Who's the terrorist?
I'm the terrorist?!
How am I the terrorist
When you've taken my land?!
Who's the terrorist?
You're the terrorist!
You've taken everything I own
while I'm living in my homeland

Why terrorist?! Because my blood is not calm...
It's Boiling!
Because I hold my head high for my homeland
You've killed my loved ones
Now I'm all alone
My parents driven out
But I will remain to shout out

I'm not against peace
Peace is against me
It's going to destroy me
Erase my culture
You don't listen to our voices
You silence us and degrade us

And who are you?!
And when did you become ruler?!
Look how many you're killed and many orphans you've created
Our mothers are crying
Our fathers are in anguish
Our land is disappearing

And I'll tell you who you are!
You grew up spoiled
We grew up in poverty
Who grew up with freedom?
And who grew up in confinement?
We fight for our freedom
But you've made that a crime
And you the terrorist!-call me the terrorist!

Who's the terrorist?
I'm the terrorist?!
How am I the terrorist
When you've taken my land?!
Who's the terrorist?
You're the terrorist!
You've taken everything I own
while I'm living in my homeland

So when will I stop being a terrorist?!
When you hit me and I turn the other cheek
How do you expect me to thank the one who harmed me?!
I tell you what!
You tell me how you want me to be!
Down on my knees with my hands tied up
My eyes to the ground
Surrounded by bodies
Houses destroyed
Families driven out
Our children orphaned
Our freedom chained up

You oppresss
You kill
We bury
We'll remain patient
We'll suppress our pain
Most importantly you feel secure
Just relax and leave us all the pain

You see, our blood is like that of dogs
NOT EVEN!
When dogs die they receive sympathy
So our blood is not as valuable as a dogs
No - my blood is valuable!
And I will continue defending myself
Even if you call me a terrorist

'arabiyya

2008-12-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Subhan'Allah the internet is so expansive... so many resources at our fingertips. For example, just going over my morning blogroll I found a lot of information & inspiration; I learned some things about Abu Dhabi and read a lovely article about Muslim's and the Holiday Season.

AND something else I'm excited about which was linked on Mujahideen Ryder this morning is Understand Arabic.com, a teaming up of Al Maghrib Institute and Bayyina, which MR describes as "...the most amazing place to learn Arabic. Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan does an amazing job, and anyone who takes his class loves it. I think Bayyinah has a 100% positive student feedback, well maybe 99%, but you get the point. It’s that good!" So I feel justifiably psyched :D Bayyina also has some free online stuff for dl, insha'Allah I will check it out later today ~ Hopefully it will help me to be firm in my efforts to learn Arabic! I have a bunch of books - the popular Madinah Arabic series, Arabic Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, and Ultimate Arabic - but the challenge is studying regularly! It's hard when you're working on your own, setting your own "deadlines"... with no one to enforce them... Alhamdulillah I did do some studying yesterday, and insha'Allah I will do some more today too.

I really love the books I have - the Ultimate Arabic is cool because it not only has dialogue and vocab, but it had interesting "Cultural notes" at the end of each section and it teaches 5 different dialects - Modern Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Lebanese Arabic, Iraqi Arabic, and Saudi Arabic. But the grammar was a bit hard to understand, so I supplemented it with the Arabic Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, which is really good so far... I had the Madinah Arabic books the longest, but didn't really get too far - because I SO didn't realize there was an "English section" and an "Arabic section" until I downloaded the audio instructions from a website and they're like, "Okay now flip to the English section..." (O_o)~ "WHAT??" I would have figured that out though if I had actually flipped through the book and not just the first pages which are 100% in Arabic.

There are a lot of online Arabic-learning resources that insha'Allah I want to post about soon... ALSO I am considering taking a full-time Taleem al-Quran class from Al-Huda Institute. It runs M-F 9am-3:30pm EST, January 2009 to June 2010, and the cost if $50 USD a month. It's specifically for woman and is personally supervised by Dr.Farhat Hashmi. Content includes: Tafseer of the Qur'an, Tajweed (recitation), Word - to Word Translation, as well as other subjects such as Fiqh of Salah, Fiqh of Fasting, Fiqh of Zakah, Fiqh of Hajj, Seerah, Lives of the Sahabah, Character Building, Life management skills, Hadith studies, Arabic grammar, and more... If you attend your classes and do the assignments, you also finish with an Islamic Studies Diploma masha'Allah.

If you're interested but the full-time is too much for you, there is also a part-time evening course... it runs Tuesday & Wednesday nights, 5:30-9:30pm EST, but lasts just over 3 years. The cost is less at $25 USD a month, and also the content is less and will only include Tafseer of the Qur'an, Tajweed, grammar and duas. It is not supervised by Dr.Hashmi, and you finish with a Certificate instead of a diploma. To check out info for this go to the Al-Huda Canada website and under the "Courses" tab select "Online Courses."

snow update

2008-12-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Verrrry snowy here! They mostly shut down the airport and one of the highways. It's hard to tell in the photo, but there are still many fluffly flakes falling (^_^ ) It's so pretty... but this probably means I can't go to the halaqa about 'Isa alayhi asalam (Jesus, peace be upon him) tonight! I just took this shot from my dad's back porch:

sleep paralysis

2008-12-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Sometimes when I wake up, in those moments immediately after waking, my body is still paralyzed. I try to move, talk, but can't. It's kind of a distressing sensation, but alhamdulillah it goes away quickly. Does this ever happen to you?

I checked out sleep paralysis on Wikipedia and it was really interesting... When we sleep, we experience a state of REM Atonia, where the release of monoamine neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, and histamine) is shut down and thus motor neurons are not stimulated and the body's muscles don't move. This prevents you from acting out your dreams, such as flailing your legs when you dream of running.

"Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain awakes from a REM state, but the body paralysis persists. This leaves the person fully conscious, but unable to move. In addition, the state may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (hypnopompic or hypnagogic) and an acute sense of danger. Sleep paralysis is particularly frightening to the individual due to the vividness of such hallucinations. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as a dream, since completely fanciful, or dream-like, objects may appear in the room alongside one's normal vision. Some scientists have proposed this condition as an explanation for alien abductions and ghostly encounters."

Alhamdulillah I don't have any hallucinations or sense of panic, especially since most of the common hallucinations are quiet unpleasant, as in not cute little bunnies or kittens. The most typical reported sensation is feeling a weight on ones chest, as if a person, demon, or heavy object is crushing or pressing down on them.

The paralysis occurs while falling asleep or upon waking. If a person wakes suddenly, the brain may think the person is still dreaming and sustain paralysis. Even minor body movement is unlikely and hard for a person to accomplish. It lasts anywhere from seconds to minutes, but can feel like much longer.

Some factors are said to increase the likelihood of this phenomenon:

Sleeping in a face upwards (supine) position
^ Another good reason to revive the sunnah of sleeping on your right side!
Irregular sleeping schedules; naps, sleeping in, sleep deprivation
Increased stress
Sudden environmental/lifestyle changes
A lucid dream that immediately precedes the episode.

One of the most interesting things to read about was the cultural folklore surrounding sleep paralysis. Most of them involve some type of demon or evil spirit pressing on ones chest. For example...

In Hmong culture, sleep paralysis describes an experience called "dab tsog" or "crushing demon" from the compound phrase "dab" (demon) and "tsog" (crush). Often the sufferer claims to be able to see a tiny figure, no larger than a child, sitting on his or her chest.

n Malta, folk culture attributes a sleep paralysis incident to an attack by the "Haddiela" who is the wife of the "Hares", the entity in Maltese folk culture which haunts the individual in similar ways as to those of a poltergeist. As believed in folk culture, to rid oneself of the Haddiela, one must place a piece of silverware or a knife under the pillow prior to sleep.

Kurdish people call this phenomenon a "mottaka", they believe that some one, in a form of a ghost or perhaps an evil spirit, turns up on top the of the person in the middle of the night and suffocates him/her. Apparently this happens usually when some one has done something bad.

In New Guinea, people refer to this phenomenon as "Suk Ninmyo", believed to originate from sacred trees that use human essence to sustain its life. The trees are said to feed on human essence during night as to not disturb the human's daily life, but sometimes people wake unnaturally during the feeding, resulting in the paralysis.

You can read more on Wikipedia here, just scroll down. Wikipedia also mentions that in Pakistan it is thought of as being caused by jinn, which is rebutted in an article on IslamToday.com saying it's not got anything to do with jinn but rather is just a biological phenomenon.

natural light

2008-12-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In these Winter months, the days are short. Sunrise is around 8am, maghrib is about 4:20pm. And because there is a bunch of construction still going on we pretty much have the drapes shut all the time. Which means unless I go outside, I barely see any sunlight (-_- ) How depressing!

A lot of people tend to sink into real depression in the winter due to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up." For more info about SAD, check out this website.

Hmmm I have been sleeping a lot lately, and eating a lot of cookies, but I think its just because I can sleep a lot since there is nothing really to do, and my mom keeps baking more and more cookies... cookies which need to be eaten. So far there have been choco chip oatmeal, ginger, and now pinwheel... which is a chocolate-vanilla kind of swirl. She also baked tarts and carrot cake. Talk about a sugar rush :p

I love natural light... it's sooo nice when you walk into a room that is flooded with sunlight masha'Allah. Utilization of natural light is an important feature in "green" architecture, not only because of the ambiance, but because it reduces the demand on electrical lighting. And it's not just about adding a lot of windows - there are many creative ways to channel light and to use it as a unique feature, such as the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, which uses water to scatter sparkling light throughout the interior.

Exposure to sunlight causes people to be more energized, productive, and healthy. I'm pretty sure when sunlight enters the eye it stimulates the release of a neurotransmitter... either serotonin or dopamine (maybe both) that makes you feel happy. There are also studies showing it makes kids smarter. Plus, sunlight contains Vitamin D, which is good in preventing many types of cancers, depression, osteoporosis, and other ailments.

Links out:

aqim salatak

2008-12-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I was just watching a series of short clips on Aqim Salatak.com, designed to encourage people to pray their salaah. They were created by a group of Saudi guys who, in the words of UAE Kitten, "decided to use their creativity and talents into an eternally amazing cause.. & in turn influence 1000s of people in such a positive way.." (Yes, I am too lazy/sleepy right now to even write my own content.) All the clips are available on their website or on Youtube.

“Back in 1999 we thought to ourselves that we have the ability to promote products. So why shouldn’t we try to help people?” - - - “If we can convince people to eat and drink through advertising, then it is even more important to convince them to pray.”

This clip has english subs, but if those annoy you you can watch a non-subbed version here. The scene where Badar goes to pray on the beach looks so peaceful masha'Allah. May Allah make us all steadfast in our salaah, accept it from us, and bless us with closeness to Him in this life and the hereafter, ameen.

the taste of watermelon

2008-12-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the middle of the winter I always start remembering the things I love about summer. Hot sidewalks, sunglasses, mid-day naps in the sunshine, ice-cream cones... One thing I never really liked was watermelon. It was tasteless. That is until I went to 'Amman three summers ago. Watermelon there actually tasted like real watermelon. Sometimes things here seem so watered down... It reminds me of a quote in a novel from my American Lit. class, Jitterbug Perfume:

"No, my friends, what bothers me today is the lack of, well, I guess you'd call it authentic experience. So much is a sham. So much is artificial, synthetic, watered-down, and standardized. You know, less than half a century ago there were sixty-three varieties of lettuce in California alone. Today, there are four. And they are not the best four lettuces either; not the most tasty or nutritious. They are hybrid lettuces with built-in shelf life, the ones that have a safe, clean, consistent look in the supermarket. It's that way with so many things. We're even standardizing people, their goals, their ideas. The sham is everywhere."

Well, at least I am having fun with that flickr mosaic tool. I wonder how those Japanese square watermelons taste? Insha'Allah I will try it one day and post a full report ;) Now back to freezing winter weather and all the lovely things of this season... setsuma oranges, cute gloves & scarfs, snow, sitting by the fireplace, hot chocolate, ice-skating...

good reads

2008-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

And no, I'm not just referring to the GoodReads website :) Even though it is a good way to keep track of all the books you've read and want to read... my to-read shelf and half-read shelf just keep getting bigger, insha'Allah I should go pick-up something to delve into over winter holidays.

Lately I have been reading tons of stuff online - articles, blog posts, etc. Here are some picks of interest:

Prayers in America, on Organic Muslimah, talking about all the random situations we end up praying having to pray in to catch our salaah on time (dressing rooms at the mall, anyone? or how about staff lounge at work?)

Verily I was Filled With Love for Her..., on Islamic Ink, about the concept of romantic love in Islam

Mother of the Martyrs - A Tearful Story, on A Hijabee in DC, subhan'Allah the tests of this dunya...

Mmmm now its already noon ~ time for lunch! After fajr this morning I came out to the living room and was reading in front of the fireplace, then I felt sleepy so I ended up having a nap and subhan'Allah right before I woke up, like in that 5% awake state, something funny happened in my dream and I woke myself up laughing sooo much... my mom was standing in the living room wondering "What is this crazy girl up to?" lol... but really it feels so good to wake up laughing, you feel energized and happy right away :D Did this ever happen to you before?

flickr

2008-12-14T01:18:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I was just about to go to bed when I came across THIS post on afore mentioned blog...
I couldn't resist this one because I am a Flickr addict :)

Rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Good luck.

snow!

2008-12-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Masha'Allah yesterday morning was the first snow of the season ~ ~ but it was quickly washed away by rain! Today was also snowy at night and all the ground became covered :D I love snow! The only problem is my dad says I'm not allowed to drive if its snowy because its dangerous.... but maybe it was only with our old car?

We had to take the bus to go to the masjid today and it was FREEZING! Ya Allah! I was bundled up but still my hands were icy under gloves, and I really had wished I put my extra scarf niqab-style to protect my face from frost bite :p Heheheh maybe this weather is the extra push I need? lol but ya I used to do that last year. Alhamdulillah a friend gave us a ride back, she is rly nice and has two adorable kids masha'Allah...

Right now I am all cozy in front of the fireplace, drinking organic "nighty night" tea and eating ginger cookies that my mum baked a couple days ago... ya on Thursday when I finished writing my last exam (math). The cat is also lazing around looking soooo cute... he has a unique personality and gives the cutest expressions. I always play around with him and annoy him ;) He likes to play but sometimes gives me a seriously irritated glare loool.

Tonight I was reading through some of the archives at *Humble Muslimah. I don't know why but I love reading sisters blogs :) They make me feel all happy and sometimes inspired just hearing about their daily life joys and struggles, all in the context of being a Muslimah trying to get closer to Allah Ta'ala.

Hope everyone is enjoying the wintery weather insha'Allah!

turning muslim in texas

2008-12-09T18:06:00.001-08:00

Richardson, Tx Mosque
Originally uploaded by oohbabyblue

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

If you haven't seen this before I totally recommend you check out this short documentary Turning Muslim in Texas.

Very interesting :) I also love that sisters flower-patterned niqab at the beginning masha'Allah so cute and modest. My friend Hiku has been to the Dallas masjid last 'Eid al-Fitr and said it was really amazing. I SO wish I could check it out myself and hit up the Texas Dawah Convention this December! Oh well, there is always next year insha'Allah ~ I'll have to make due with downloading the lectures from last year for now :)

I came across another article on The Holly Tree about racism & discrimination against Muslims in America, as part of a television spot called What Would You Do? that asks the question "...if you witnessed "Islamophobia" in action and saw someone being victimized because of someone else's prejudices? What would you do?" Here's how it was set up:

"ABC's production crew outfitted The Czech Stop, a bustling roadside bakery north of Waco, Texas, with hidden cameras and two actors. One played a female customer wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf, or hijab. The other acted as a sales clerk who refused to serve her and spouted common anti-Muslim and anti-Arab slurs. The polarity of reactions was shocking, from support to seething disapproval. Never did we expect customers to be so passionate or candid."

You can watch the clip here. For the rest of the article, click here. I don't know why, but reading and watching this made me all teary! Even though I know they're actors, and the Muslim girl stood up for herself well, and I was happy about those customers who stood against racism... Maybe it's because I know that it reflects things that actually happen to Muslim sisters in real life, when there are no hidden cameras or supporters.

The young woman in our experiment was an actor, but many of the hateful words she heard were based on the experiences of Chicago-born Nohayia Javed, who was watching our experiment from the control van. Javed said she has continually suffered verbal abuse and said she has even been physically attacked by fellow Americans — just because she is Muslim. "They always start off with, 'you're a terrorist, Osama-lover, towel-head, camel jockey' on and on," Javed said. "If I tell them I'm American, they're like, 'No you're not. Just because you were born here doesn't make you American.' And I'm like, 'What makes you American?'" ... For Javed, tears of fear were mixed with tears of thanks for those she saw come forward to support Sabina. "In my lifetime, I've never ever had anybody stand up for me," Javed said. "It's very touching to see that because that's the right thing to do, I believe... as an American."

what is 'eid al-adha about, anyways?

2008-12-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

'Eid al-Fitr is easy for Muslims to understand, since it follows the month of fasting Ramadhan. But what about the bigger 'Eid, 'Eid al-Adha? Check out this awesome email I received on FB...

Today is a day of celebration: and as Muslims, we should feel great joy today. However, what is the reason for our celebration, what is the reason for our joy?

Today is Eid Al-Adha – the celebration of the sacrifice. And this is the season of Hajj – when the Muslims have come from around the world to the house of Allah in humility and submission. But let not the meaning of this great occasion be lost on those who have stayed behind.

What does it mean that we celebrate in an event when Allah asked Ibraheem (Abraham) to prepare to slaughter his only son? Why should there be joy in our hearts on this day?

In Islam, we have two Eids, two celebrations – the Eid of Al-Fitr after Ramadan, the Eid Al-Adha that we are in now.

The Eid Al-Fitr is really a celebration that we were able to pass the test of Ramadan – that we submitted to our Lord, followed his commandments, even if difficult, gaining his mercy Insha'Allah. We realized during the days of Ramadan that the greatest pain is from a heart that is empty and preoccupied. We strove to rectify that – as we stood during the nights seeking Allah's mercy, begging him for forgiveness.

Generally Muslims take joy in having held to the commandments of Allah and obeyed him with sincere obedience.

Concerning the act of sacrifice, Allah(S.W.T) says: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him.” (Al-Hajj chapter 22, verse 37).

So Allah has qualified sacrifice as an act that demonstrates TAQWA (piety, god consciousness). And why does sacrifice do this? How does the sacrifice of an animal demonstrate piety?

The essential element here is that Allah asks man to give something up – an animal that he owns, for no reason other than Allah has commanded it. Now many of us would say that sacrificing a sheep does not take very much Taqwa, and this is where the story of Ibrahim comes in, because the sacrifice that we do, is really application of what he had commanded to do.

Concerning what happened to Ibrahim, Allah says that: “Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.” (As-Saffat chapter 37, verse 106).

So the trial that was placed on Ibrahim is very clear – and a story that we can gain much from. After his people tried to burn him in the fire, and Allah saves Ibrahim, Ibrahim asks Allah for righteous child. Then Allah grants him this child. soon after Ismail is born, Ibraheem his commanded to leave the baby and his mother in the middle of the desert all alone. But Ibraheem would travel back occasionally to visit the family. And after sometime has passed, and Ibrahim has watched his child grow from infancy into a young man that can now accompany his father – Ibrahim has a dream.

“And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: 'O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!' He said: 'O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Insha’Allah (if Allah wills), you shall find me of As-Sabirin, (patient)'.” (As-Saffat 37:102)

And we know, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, that the dreams of the prophets are true, so as soon as he had seen this dream, he knew that it was true and that this dream was revelation from Allah. What can we gain from this?

We know that Ibrahim had a deep longing for a righteous son, and Allah gave him one – and yet, just as that son begins to blossom, begins to grow into a young man, Ibrahim is asked to give him up. And this is not the first time – as soon as Ismail was born Ibrahim was commanded to leave Ismail and his mother in the desert. So this is the second time that Allah has tested Ibrahim with his love for this child. But this trial is even more severe than the first, because previously, although Ibrahim had to leave them, he still had the comfort of knowing Allah would care for them, and he did have the chance to visit them. But this time he is with the trial of actually separating himself permanently from his beloved son. What does this tell us?

It reminds us that each of us will be tried in that which is most beloved to our hearts. For what is the purpose of a trial other than to test how attached your heart is to Allah. And one of the best ways to test that is take away whatever you love the most next to Allah. In this situation a person can have two responses – if the love they had for the created thing was greater than their love for the creator, they will fall into despair; because the thing that filled their heart has been taken away. But if their love for the creator is greater than anything and that is what fills their heart, they will find comfort in knowing that the promise of Allah is true and that there will come a time that they will be rewarded for their patience. Therefore, Ibraheem's willing to apply the command of Allah, in spite of the fact that it would separate him from what he loves shows how great his love for Allah is. If Ibrahim had been ruled by emotions or had valued his own intellect over the command of Allah he would have begun questioning – questioning WHY? or even Giving up thinking that the test was too hard and falling into disobedience. But no, this is Ibraheem The Khalil, the close friend of Allah. And the one who is close to Allah is the one that recognizes the greatness of Allah over his creation, and the one that submits to him without hesitation, without second guessing Allah's commands. And this is the description that Allah has given to all true believers:

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision." (Al-Ahzab 33:36) And this is what Ibraheem knew. This is what Ibraheem understood. And This, this is what Ibraheem acted upon. This is what made Ibraheem the Khalil (The close friend) of Allah. This is what made Ibraheem an example for us. So the question I would ask to every one of us,

Are we really believers when we find resistance in our hearts to the commands of Allah? …

… But their story does not end there – Allah continues:

“Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead; And We called out to him: 'O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream!' Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinoon.” (As-Saffat chapter 37, verses103 - 105).

So the fulfillment of the dream was that both Ibraheem and Ismail submit to Allah and prepare themselves to carry out his command – once they did this, Allah informed them that they had what he wanted. From this, we see further evidence of what Allah has told us in Surah Ash-Sharh:

“Verily, along with every hardship is relief, Verily, along with every hardship is relief”

When they had both submitted themselves to the will of Allah, the trial was lifted. This should tell us that in any trial our first sense should be to discover what Allah wants us to learn, and then work to bring that change about in ourselves. The purpose of these trials is not to cause pain,

“Allah intends for you ease. He does not want to make things difficult for you.” (AlBaqarah 2:185) and yet at the same time, we will be tested, as Allah says:

“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars.”

Look closely again at the verse we mentioned.

“AND WHEN THEY HAD SUBMITTED THEMSELVES”

This is the essence of our religion.. This is Islam. If we call ourselves Muslims, this level of submission is something we must strive to prove.

So this Eid is a reminder of the essence of submission. What Ibrahim did is what we must do:

Submit to the commands of Allah, and obey him. Wherever that command finds us, in whatever condition, the response of our hearts must be submission.

And if you prove this submission for Allah, look what Allah will prepare for you:

“And the Garden, (paradise) will be brought nigh to the Righteous,- no more a thing distant. (A voice will say:) "This is what was promised for you,- for every one who turned (to Allah. in sincere repentance, who kept (His Law), "Who feared ((Allah)) Most Gracious Unseen, and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him): "Enter ye therein in Peace and Security; this is a Day of Eternal Life!" There will be for them therein all that they wish,- and more besides in Our Presence.” (Surah Qaf 50:31-35)

May Allah accept good deeds of us and yours...

eid mubarak!!!

2008-12-07T17:54:00.001-08:00

εïз●· Eid Mubarak ·●εïз, originally uploaded by šÞîяãℓ.

Kullu 'aam wa entum bilkhair!

as-salaatu khairum minan nawm

2008-12-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A couple days ago I was checking my gmail after fajr, and when I scrolled down to check out the tea house was reminded of a hadith or ayaat (not sure) about those who stand for prayer while most others are sleeping - because even the little tea house fox was sleeping subhan'Allah! Too cute :)

Their limbs do forsake their beds of sleep, the while they call on their Lord, in Fear and Hope, and they spend (in charity) out of the sustenance which We have bestowed on them. {Qur'an as-Sajda 32:16}

Ap Gu Jung

2008-12-02T23:29:00.001-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Today I woke up early to be productive but spend most of the day reading blogs! I did alhamdulillah stick to my tajweed/memorization though after fajr. Tonight I went to downtown with my mom and dad - I really wanted to take them to Kamei Royale but when we got there it was *gasp!* closed for renovations! I was shocked! But the nice girl there gave us a $5 coupon for their other location on Robson & Bute, Ebisu.

Ebisu is under the same company, however the restaurant is so different! First, the atmosphere is a regular modern-style, with pop music blaring, and the typical type of waitresses like at Cactus Club or any of those "trendy" restaurants. Not that they were bad, just nothing special. Second, the menu was pretty much the same but the food was different! I ordered the same Chikuwa Cheese fish-cakes but they we sooooo not as good as at Kamei Royale! (And I found out that the salmon in the Stone Salmon Grill is farmed! Farmed!!! In Enviro studies class they said it is only healthy to eat farmed salmon once a month or less - while wild salmon you could eat healthily daily... Always check with the waitress before ordering!) Third, they make bad tea. They boil the water too hot which wrecks the tea leaves (and maybe they steep it too long too) which makes it taste bitter. Not only that but it was served in glass mugs which was kind of weird, not the cute Japanese style at Kamei Royale.

In summation, I totally don't recommend Ebisu! It's not the same!

I guess my parents didn't want to hear me compare Ebisu to Kamei Royale for the rest of the night so mama suggested we just finish the appetizers and then go somewhere else for the actual dinner. My dad said he knew of this reaally good Japanese restaurant that was just a few blocks down Robson, so we payed for the appies and then took a nice evening walk... however when we reached the restaurant, we realized it wasn't Japanese OR traditional style, it was Hon's a kind of locally famous Chinese food restaurant. We kept walking down Robson and eventually decided to try Korean instead @ Ap Gu Jung.

We were really happy with the choice, we were seated upstairs by the balcony that overlooks the first floor, and all the staff were super friendly and nice. The atmosphere was good and although there was music blaring it was at least Korean music so it fit the theme. I ordered another stone bowl dish (I love them! They keep the food nice and hot!) which had rice, red snapper (I think..), crab, vegetables, and shredded sea weed, with tha egg in the center that you mix in. It was good - not craveably good, but good. The one downside is the menu had lots and lots of meats and not too much vegetarian options - but there was some seafood dishes alhamdulillah. The tea was also good, not bitter, and the little hand cloths provided were really cute too... It was a busy place, lots of people, and a friendly energetic atmosphere. Alhamdulillah it was a nice time :)

THEN if two restaurants in one night wasn't enough we headed over to Red Robins for dessert, their infamous Mud Pie, which essentially this huge slice of ice-cream cake that took all three of us to finish it. Oh that's one thing about Ap Gu Jung though: no desserts :( Too bad bcos I was curious if they would have any special Korean cultural desserts to try out.

On our way walking back, we ended up in they Hyatt I think it was looking at this Gingerbread Wonderland display. It was pretty cool some of the things people had built... there were a looot of entries in the contest, most by culinary schools and secondary schools. I took loads of pictures, of the gingerbread things and the Korean restaurant, but I can't find the cord to upload them to my laptop... and this celly doesn't have bluetooth for some reason. Insha'Allah when I find it I will post some :)

sharla musabih

2008-12-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I was reading an article on Chasing Jannah's blog that linked to a BBC Documentary called Dubai Dreams, which gives a glimpse into the life of Sharla Musabih and the shelter she runs for women and children in the UAE.

Check it out (part 1 of 3):

Want more? Here are some articles....
Interview with Sharla Musabih as she builds the City of Hope
'Hope' for Dubai's abused women

muslimah's in Turkey

2008-11-30T00:59:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Subhan'Allah... I think most people know that the hijab is banned in Turkey for university students and government employees, but watching this video was very shocking for me in regards to the extent of the discrimination. The situation is very sad.

The interview is by Merve Kavakçı, a Turkish and politician (and hafidha masha'Allah!) who was elected as a Virtue Party deputy for Istanbul in 1999, but when she went to the ceremony to be sworn-in a majority of the men stood up clapping loudly and chanting "get out" simply because she wore the headscarf. Eleven days later her Turkish citizenship was stripped.

In February 2008, it was announced that the head-scarf ban would be lifted - however, in June of the same year the amendment was annulled citing that lifting the ban would "run counter to official secularism."

I personally have met many sisters from Turkey who were effected by this and even migrated to Canada to study and work while being able to wear their hijab. I really recommend to watch the video and just see some examples of what these woman have to deal with.

salaams from...

2008-11-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Australia, China, Indonesia, Israel, Greece, Peru Lebanon, South Africa and USA ~
Very nice selection of interviews by One Islam Productions... make sure to also watch part two.

kamei royale

2008-11-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Today me and Hiku went to a reaaally awesome Japanese restaurant downtown - it's called Kamei Royale and is located at 1030 W Georgia St (x Burrard). The layout is so nice, they have like traditional Japanese-style sitting rooms as well. Service is fast and the waitresses are all really friendly and professional ~ always around to refill your cup with hot green tea :D The food is really tasty and the tea is just the right flavor... I recommend the Hot Stone Salmon (I think that's what it was called) and there were these cute fish-cake things with melted mozzarella cheese inside, and the tempura was good too... it had a selection of mixed veggies (yam, sweet potato, onion, mushroom, asparagus, eggplant...) not just the basic yam-type which is pretty much all you get anywhere else. Even the presentation of the food and the sauces are great, and some waitresses were wearing traditional kimono. The prices are totally reasonable ~ especially considering it is us "poor university students" who are endorsing it ;) Definitely will go back insha'Allah...

"Just so comfortable... the tea, and everything, it just felt relaxing and... to sum it up: nice nice nice." - Hiku

balata camp

2008-11-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Today I spent most of my time reading and watching things about Balata Refugee camp, the largest in the West Bank. Balata, located beside Nablus, is "one of the most densely populated locations on Earth. Less than two square kilometers in size, 30,000 people live in its concrete block houses. ...Balata camp today is so dense because these concrete structures were built on the actual plots families had been given for refugee's tents. There are some alleyways in the camp that are so narrow that large people cannot traverse them."

There are plenty of short documentaries and interviews on YouTube about the situation in Balata, including those produced by the Research Journalism Initiative, such as The Sun Doesn't Shine in the Camp and Balata Camp (Nablus): The Alley.

The first page I stumbled across was Picture Balata. Also featured on Electronic Intifada, the Picture Balata project gave nine youth the chance to take photographs and describe their live in Balata. Lets just stop and for a minute imagine that they are our younger bothers and sisters, not just a title of "sister so-and-so" but rather think of them as your real siblings.

"In Balata we don't know how to sleep. When we want to go to bed, the soldiers invade the camp every night. Maybe they will come to your house one night, and if they don't go to yours they will go to your neighbor's house. And it is hard to leave Balata. In any direction you go from here you will find a checkpoint, and crossing those checkpoints is very hard. Basically the situation is like a big prison, the occupation controls our lives in every way." [Fadi, 18]

"The layout of the camp is also not good for children. The houses are very close, there is no air, no sun, no privacy and everyone lives in these kinds of houses their whole lives. There is no place for children to play except in the narrow alleys." [Hadil, 15]

"Sometime they kill fighters who defend the camp against occupation and sometimes they kill people from the camp sitting in their homes. Recently I can think of two 15 year old boys who were shot while drinking tea on their roof of their home and another woman who was shot sitting inside her home. What is the reason for these killings?" [Tahreer, 15]

Sabreen, 17 at the time of the project, described the hardship of the women:

"Life in Balata is hard. Many people from the camp have been injured or imprisoned, and those who resist Israeli occupation by military means are forced to sleep on the street so they don't endanger the lives of their families. The children have no freedom, nowhere to play, no future, and no education. The water is polluted, the people are unemployed. This is the tragedy of Palestine.

Women in the camp have it particularly hard. Take my cousin for example, who was recently killed by the Israeli army. Two months after he was born, his father was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison. His mother had to raise him on her own. And there are many women in similar situations, whose husbands or sons are dead or in prison, and they are left alone to raise their families. They're under a lot of pressure to do a good job so that the kids don't get involved with crime or other self-destructive activities.

When the soldiers invade the camp, they have no respect for families. Before entering a house they often send in their dogs. They don't let the women dress, they force them out onto the street wearing only their nightgown, which in our culture is like going out in your underwear.

Despite all that, many women here lead very active lives. They study, get involved with all sorts of things, and raise families. Without women our society could not survive. I want to show women, how we, the Palestinian women, are living. I want to show them how we are going to universities and working to build this society and taking care of our families and how we are struggling against occupation. And we will continue to struggle until the occupation ends."

What can we do for our family in Palestine?
At the very least, please remember them in your dua.

Too often we end up feeling helpless in the face of global politics and tragedies. We turn to apathy, or simply our attention gets turned to other things, and the horrible scenes witnessed are pushed the the back of our mind while we decide where we want to go out for dinner. Because we think "What can I do?" We might cry over it a bit, feel anger, frustration, make dua, start wearing a kuffiyah and... then what? "It's out of my hands," so we go on with our own life.

Here are some suggestions of what we as individuals can do, however there are people who have the ability to do more than this based on their circumstances, and what we can do as an ummah would be at a different level...

To make dua, and recite dua al-qunoot in salaah - we should never underestimate the power of dua, for all strength is with Allah
Collect charity and send it through trustworthy channels, and/or sponsoring an orphan through a reputable organization (ex. Islamic Relief, Muslim Hands)
Encourage scholars, daa’iyahs, khateebs and writers to explain the oppression that is happening in Palestine and to try to mobilize the ummah to take action
Check on your niyaah (intention), make sure that you are struggling for the sake of Allah to establish justice and to help those who are oppressed, rather than for nationalism, fame, or some other reason
Opposing the oppressors as much as possible by boycotting their products, rebutting them verbally and in writing, and publishing audio-visual and print media about this serious topic whilst also connecting that to Islamic belief and the words of Allaah and His Messenger

I've often heard people respond by saying that the problem is much to big for their individual actions to make a difference - it has to be on an "national/ummah scale." My response is to at least do something even if it is "small." You get rewarded based on intention, remember. When Allah asks you what action you took when you heard about your brothers and sisters being oppressed, you will want to say that you did as much as was within your ability. And small actions can make a big difference on an individual scale to the receiver, in the case of donations or in the case of just showing that you actually care, that you hear and are trying to respond to their calls, that you haven't forgotten about their struggles, rather you feel their pain as if it were your own, and that your dua is going out to them.

"The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and compassion is that of the body; if one part of it feels pain, the entire body joins it in fever and sleeplessness.” [Hadith, narrated in Ahmad and Muslim]

“O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allaah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.” [Muhammad 47:7]

Additional links:
* Balata Camp
* A-Films
* Western Journalists in Support of Palestine

the plot thickens.....

2008-11-05T22:44:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ah yes. Back to the "plotting"... one of these days...

Three-part series from Wired.com: Is it Possible to Live Without a Cellphone?, followed by A Week Without a Cellphone: The Results, and Life Without a Cellphone: Readers Opinions

How to Live Without a Cellphone

Life Without a Cellphone

What if Cellphones Cause Cancer?

Near Death: My Experiences Living Without a Cellphone

CNET Community Poll: Could You Live Without Your Cellphone?

Basically it comes down to whether not having a cellphone will make my life simpler or more complicated. I could go for the only-when-necessary approach and get one of those $10 a month pay as you go things... that pays for like less than 30 minutes actual talk time on Rogers (tho one blogger swears by 7-11's SpeakOut Wireless). FYI did you know that even if you take the SIM card out of your phone you can still call 911? So anyways it is still available for emergencies.... I dunno. Maybe I should do istikhara?

Some people suggest using an iPod Touch to connect to free Wi-Fi and then i guess you can communicate on-the-go via email... actually, checking out google maps would be pretty cool to... among its other features. We'll see how it goes...

Masalama

put the glass down

2008-11-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Lately I have been browsing two blogs, Tea Break Thoughts by Umm Travis, and Healthy Muslimah. Masha'Allah lots of interesting articles and food for thought :)

For example, this morning I read about:
* Prophetic medicine: "milk" soup
* The excellence of the remembrance of Allah
* And the benefits of drinking green tea

Also, here is a nice "reminder" story...

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.
He held it up for all to see and asked the students, ‘How much do you think this glass weighs?’

‘50 gms!’…. ‘100 gms!’……’ 125 gms’…… the students answered.

‘I really don’t know unless I weigh it,’ said the professor, ‘but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?’

‘Nothing’ the students said.

‘Ok! What would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.

‘Your arm would begin to ache’, said one of the students.

‘You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?’

‘Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysisand have to go to hospital for sure!’ ventured another student; and all the students laughed.

‘Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?’ asked the professor.

‘No’

‘Then what caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?’ The students were puzzled.

‘Put the glass down!’ said one of the students

‘Exactly!’ said the professor. ‘Life’s problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head and they seem okay. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything’.

‘It’s important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to have trust in Allah (swt) and to ‘put them down’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!’

”He it is who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the
believers that they might have more faith added to their faith”.

Translated from the Holy Quran (48:4)

salaams from the land down under

2008-11-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Masha'Allah I LOVED this brother's story, so nice and really funny lol - make sure you watch both parts.

Ramadhan reminders

2008-11-02T14:39:00.001-08:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Remember Ramadhan? Its been one month already subhan'Allah.
Have you slipped back into your "old ways" already?
Or have you managed to hold tight to those changes you made during Ramadhan?

Have you prayed lately "Ya Allah accept my Ramadhan"? This was the way of the Salaf, to pray for six months after Ramadhan that Allah accept it, and the next six months asking Allah to let them live until the next Ramadhan to reap its rewards.

Think back. Think back and reflect on your state before Ramadhan. Then remember the glorious days and nights of fasting, Qur'an, iftar, taraweeh. Then think about the last 30 days... the afterglow of Eid, and the ensuing rapid dissipation of "Ramadhan spirit." How is it we could be reading Qur'an everyday, be praying daily at the masjid, standing in the night, fasting in the day, and now we can't even find the time or motivation to keep up even one of these habits post-Ramadhan?

Let's try to hold on to that motivation! Even if its only 80, 50, 30 percent - the flame of desire in your heart to struggle towards ihsan, to walk in the footsteps of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salaam, keep it alive! Greet every day with that drive to get closer to Allah, for each one is an amazing chance to earn immeasurable reward.

islam in korea

2008-10-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

After watching a lot of Kdramas (bak in the day) I came to adore Korea, which led to trying out dif Korean-ish food and podcasting Korean 101 language lessons. I also adore Islam. So I put two and two together and began to google: "Islam in Korea."

One story that popped up was about 37 Korean soldiers of the Iraq-bound "Zaitun Unit" who converted to Islam.

"Taking into consideration the fact that most of the inhabitants of Irbil are Muslims, the unit sent its unreligious members to the Hannam-dong mosque so that they could come to understand Islam. Some of those who participated in the program were entranced by Islam and decided to convert."

Another thing I quickly came across was many images of the Seoul Central Mosque, known as "An-Nur" (The Light). It's located in Itaewon, Seoul and was completed in 1967. It is also home to the Korean Muslim Federation, which was established in 1967.

An article by Lizette Potgieter describes the masjid as "[consisting] of offices, classrooms, a boardroom, and a conference hall. The first and second floors have lodgings, where foreign laborers who cannot come to the mosque for prayers during weekdays, can stay over. [Activities offered] extend to a counseling service for underpaid, injured or illegal Muslim laborers, a regular Sunday [school] for local and foreign Muslim children, and lectures and seminars on Islam and the Arabic language for Muslims and non-Muslims. On the last Sunday of every month, a medical clinic with visiting doctors, provide treatment and medicine free of charge."

More pics here and here.

There are several other masjids in Korea, including Pusan Mosque, Chun-Ju Mosque, Kwangju Mosque, and the Islamic Center of Daejeon.

Various sites summarize the history of Islam in Korea.

"Not only are there practicing Muslims living in Korea today, the history of Korean contact with Muslims and with Islam goes back hundreds of years. The Islamic world first became aware of Korea’s existence via China’s Tang dynasty (617-907). Korea, in turn, first encountered Islam during its own Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), when a few Central Asian Muslims moved into the peninsula. However, there was no ethnically Korean community of Muslims until after the Korean War (1950-1953)." [source]

Because of the influence of the Turkish brigade which came to help during the war, Islam has been growing in Korea and has been adopted by an increasing number of ethnic Koreans. It's estimated there are around 40,000 South Korean Muslims. Ayesha Kim, a Korean convert, mentions the influence of the brigade in an article about her choice to become and live as a Muslim.

One really cool thing I found was a halal food guide, My Friend Korea: Food Guide Book for Muslims, which not only lists halal restaurants but also gives information on various Korean dishes that Muslims can safely consume, explaining their ingredients. It also touches on vegetarian foods, spices, and provides a list of Mosques in Korea and useful phrases.

Information on Islam in the Korean language can be found here, or watched on YouTube here.

whats up

2008-10-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

Midnight snack time... eating a cinnamon bagel and drinking ginger tea while listening to rain on youtube. Feeling kind of random. Maybe I watched too many of those Know Your Meme segments... that and this adorable kitten sneeze...aww. So yes as you can see I am making "good use" of my time :p Hope u all are faring better - more productive - and such.

"Dwell not upon thy weariness, Thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire." [Arab proverb]

"Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning." [John Henry Cardinal Newman]

good deeds

2008-10-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

How many times have you heard the hadith: "The deed most loved by Allah is one done constantly even if it is small" ? In fact, it is part of a larger hadith narrated in al-Bukhari. The translation is a bit different regarding the small-yet-consistent-deeds, but the meaning is the same:

Bukhari Volume 7, Book 70, Number 577:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise." (i.e., None can enter Paradise through his good deeds.) They (the Prophet's companions) said, 'Not even you, O Allah's Apostle?' He said, "Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me." So be moderate in your religious deeds and do the deeds that are within your ability: and none of you should wish for death, for if he is a good doer, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to Allah."

Similar to this hadith is another narrated by 'Aisha, may Allah have mercy on her:

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 76, Number 474:
Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him enter Paradise." They asked, "Even you, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Even I, unless and until Allah bestows His pardon and Mercy on me."

We can see the importance of seeking Allah's mercy, and one way of doing this is through doing good deeds - and doing them "properly, sincerely, and moderately," being consistent on whatever is within your ability to do, even if it is little.

PS. Need to search hadith? Try the MSA-USC Hadith Database

carrying an umbrella

2008-10-11T23:31:00.001-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Just listening to a nice talk by sh. Husain Abdul Sattar - Carrying an Umbrella. Very nice and short talk - under 12 minutes. More talks are here. Hope everyone is good insha'Allah :)

salaams from germany

2008-10-07T23:18:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I just really enjoyed this video :)

Finding the Prophet in his People

2008-10-05T01:08:00.001-07:00

by Ingrid Mattson

Ingrid Mattson is a professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary. She is Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America.

I spent a lot of time looking at art the year before I became a Muslim. Completing a degree in Philosophy and Fine Arts, I sat for hours in darkened classrooms where my professors projected pictures of great works of Western art on the wall. I worked in the archives for the Fine Arts department, preparing and cataloging slides. I gathered stacks of thick art history books every time I studied in the university library. I went to art museums in Toronto, Montreal and Chicago. That summer in Paris, "the summer I met Muslims" as I always think of it, I spent a whole day (the free day) each week in the Louvre.

What was I seeking in such an intense engagement with visual art? Perhaps some of the transcendence I felt as a child in the cool darkness of the Catholic Church I loved. In high school, I had lost my natural faith in God, and rarely thought about religion after that. In college, philosophy had brought me from Plato, through Descartes only to end at Existentialism-a barren outcome. At least art was productive-there was a tangible result at the end of the process. But in the end, I found even the strongest reaction to a work of art isolating. Of course I felt some connection to the artist, appreciation for another human perspective. But each time the aesthetic response flared up, then died down. It left no basis for action.

Then I met people who did not construct statues or sensual paintings of gods, great men and beautiful women. Yet they knew about God, they honored their leaders, and they praised the productive work of women. They did not try to depict the causes; they traced the effects.

Soon after I met my husband, he told me about a woman he greatly admired. He spoke of her intelligence, her eloquence and her generosity. This woman, he told me, tutored her many children in traditional and modern learning. With warm approval, he spoke of her frequent arduous trips to refugee camps and orphanages to help relief efforts. With profound respect, he told me of her religious knowledge, which she imparted to other women in regular lectures. And he told me of the meals she had sent to him, when she knew he was too engaged in his work with the refugees to see to his own needs. When I finally met this woman I found that she was covered, head to toe, in traditional Islamic dress. I realized with some amazement that my husband had never seen her. He had never seen her face. Yet he knew her. He knew her by her actions, by the effects she left on other people.

Western civilization has a long tradition of visual representation. No longer needing more from such art than a moment of shared vision with an artist alive or dead, I can appreciate it once more. But popular culture has made representation simultaneously omnipresent and anonymous. We seem to make the mistake of thinking that seeing means knowing, and that the more exposed a person is, the more important they are.

*

Islamic civilization chose not to embrace visual representation as a significant means of remembering and honoring God and people. Allah is The Hidden, veiled in glorious light from the eyes of any living person. But people of true vision can know God by contemplating the effects of his creative power,

Do they not look to the birds above them,
Spreading their wings and folding them back?
None can uphold them except for The Merciful.
Truly He is watchful over all things (Qur'an, 67:19)

If God transcends his creation, it is beyond the capacity of any human to depict him. Indeed, in Islamic tradition, any attempt to depict God with pictures is an act of blasphemy. Rather, a Muslim evokes God, employing only those words that God has used to describe himself in his revelation. Among these descriptive titles are the so-called "99 Names of God," attributes that are recited melodiously throughout the Muslim world: The Merciful, the Compassionate, the Forbearing, the Forgiving, the Living, the Holy, the Near, the Tender, the Wise.... Written in beautiful script on lamps, walls, and pendants, each of these linguistic signs provokes a profoundly personal, intellectual and spiritual response with each new reading.

Deeply wary of idolatry, early Muslims with few exceptions declined to glorify not only God, but even human beings through visual representation. Historians, accustomed to illustrating accounts of great leaders with their images captured in painting, sculpture and coin have no reliable visual representations of the Prophet Muhammad. What we find, instead, is the Prophet's name, Muhammad, written in curving Arabic letters on those architectural and illustrative spaces where the sacred is invoked. Along with the names of God and verses of the Qur'an, the name Muhammad, read audibly or silently, leads the believer into a reflective state about the divine message and the legacy of this extraordinary, yet profoundly human messenger of God.

Words, written and oral, are the primary medium by which the life of the Prophet and his example have been transmitted across the generations. His biography, the seerah, has been told in verse and prose in many languages. Even more important than this chronological account of the Prophet's life are the thousands of individual reports of his utterances and actions, collected in the hadith literature. These reports were transmitted by early Muslims wishing to pass on Muhammad's tradition and mindful of the Qur'an's words: "Indeed in the Messenger of God you have a good example to follow for one who desires God and the Last Day" (Qur'an, 33:21). Eager to follow his divinely inspired actions, his close companions paid attention not only to his style of worship, but also to all aspects of his comportment-everything from his personal hygiene to his interaction with children and neighbors. The Prophet's way of doing things, his sunnah, has formed the basis for Muslim piety in all societies where Islam spread. The result was that as Muslims young and old, male and female, rich and poor, adopted the Prophet's sunnah as a model for their lives, they became the best visual representations of the Prophet's character and life. In other words, the Muslim who implements the sunnah is an actor on the human stage who internalizes and, without artifice, reenacts the behavior of the Prophet. This performance of the sunnah by living Muslims is the archive of the Prophet's life and a truly sacred art of Muslim culture.

I first realized the profound physical impact of the Prophet's sunnah on generations of Muslims as I sat in the mosque one day, watching my nine year old son pray beside his Qur'an teacher. Ubayda sat straight, still and erect beside the young teacher from Saudi Arabia who, with his gentle manners and beautiful recitation, had earned my son's deep respect and affection. Like the teacher, Ubayda was wearing a loose-fitting white robe that modestly covered his body. Before coming to the mosque, he had taken a shower and rubbed fragrant musk across his head and chin. With each movement of prayer, he glanced over at his teacher, to ensure that his hands and feet were positioned in precisely the same manner. Reflecting on this transformation of my son, who had abandoned as his normal grubbiness and impulsivity for cleanliness and composure, I thought to myself, "thank God he found a good role model to imitate."

In my son's imitation of his teacher, however, it occurred to me that there was a greater significance, for his teacher was also imitating someone. Indeed, this young man was keen in every aspect of his life to follow the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. His modest dress was in imitation of the Prophet's physical modesty. His scrupulous cleanliness and love of fragrant oils was modeled after the Prophet's example. At each stage of the ritual prayer he adopted the positions he was convinced originated with the Prophet. He could trace the way he recited the Qur'an back through generations of teachers to the Prophet himself. My son, by imitating his teacher, had now become part of the living legacy of the Prophet Muhammad.

Among Muslims throughout the world, there are many sincere pious men and women; there are also criminals and hypocrites. Some people are deeply affected by religious norms, others are influenced more by culture-whether traditional or popular culture. Some aspects of the Prophet's behavior: his slowness to anger, his abhorrence of oath taking, his gentleness with women, sadly seem to have little affected the dominant culture in some Muslim societies. Other aspects of his behavior, his generosity, his hospitality, his physical modesty, seem to have taken firm root in many Muslim lands. But everywhere that Muslims are found, more often than not they will trace the best aspects of their culture to the example of the Prophet Muhammad. He was, in the words of one of his companions, "the best of all people in behavior."

Living in America, my son's role model might have been an actor, a rap singer or an athlete. We say that children are "impressionable," meaning that it is easy for strong personalities to influence the formation of their identity. We all look for good influences on our children.

It was their excellent behavior that attracted me to the first Muslims I met, poor West African students living on the margins of Paris. They embodied many aspects of the Prophet's sunnah, although I did not know it at the time. What I recognized was that, among their other wonderful qualities, they were the most naturally generous people I had ever known. There was always room for one more person around the platter of rice and beans they shared each day. Over the years, in my travels across the Muslim world, I have witnessed the same eagerness to share, the same deep belief that it is not self-denial, but a blessing to give away a little more to others. The Prophet Muhammad said, "The food of two is enough for three, and the food of three is enough for four." During the recent attacks on Kosovo, there were reports of Albanian Muslims filling their houses with refugees; one man cooked daily for twenty people domiciled in his modest home.

The Prophet Muhammad said, "When you see one who has more, look to one who has less." When I was married in Pakistan, my husband and I, as refugee workers, did not have much money. Returning to the refugee camp a few days after our wedding, the Afghan women eagerly asked to see the many dresses and gold bracelets, rings and necklaces my husband must have presented to me, as is customary throughout the Muslim world. I showed them my simple gold ring and told them we had borrowed a dress for the wedding. The women's faces fell and they looked at me with profound sadness and sympathy. The next week, sitting in a tent in that dusty hot camp, the same women-women who had been driven out of their homes and country, women who had lost their husbands and children, women who had sold their own personal belongings to buy food for their families-presented me with a wedding outfit. Bright blue satin pants stitched with gold embroidery, a red velveteen dress decorated with colorful pom-poms and a matching blue scarf trimmed with what I could only think of as a lampshade fringe. It was the most extraordinary gift I have ever received-not just the outfit, but the lesson in pure empathy that is one of the sweetest fruits of real faith.

An accurate representation of the Prophet is to be found, first and foremost, on the faces and bodies of his sincere followers: in the smile that he called "an act of charity," in the slim build of one who fasts regularly, in the solitary prostrations of the one who prays when all others are asleep. The Prophet's most profound legacy is found in the best behavior of his followers. Look to his people, and you will find the Prophet.

فكر بغيرك

2008-09-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Translation of the words of famous Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish...

As you prepare your breakfast—think of others. Don't forget to feed the pigeons. As you conduct your wars—think of others. Don't forget those who want peace. As you pay your water bill—think of others. Think of those who only have clouds to drink from. As you go home, your own home—think of others—don't forget those who live in tents. As you sleep and count the planets, think of others—there are people who have no place to sleep. As you liberate yourself with metaphors, think of others—those who have lost their right to speak. And as you think of distant others—think of yourself and say, "I wish I were a candle in the darkness."

Insha'Allah I hope you all are having a blessed Ramadhan... already the last ten days are upon us. Think of others as you are making your duas.

Masalama

like a fish out of water

2008-09-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

Bjeff & Kjøtt, by syrtveit

Ibn'ul Qayyim said: "I heard Shaykh'ul- Islam Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah sanctify his soul - say: 'Dhikr is to the heart as water is to a fish; see what happens to a fish when it is taken out of water!'

I once attended the morning (fajr) Prayer with Shaykh'ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, after which he sat down and engaged in dhikr of Allah until it was almost midday. He then turned to me and said: 'This is my morning meal, if I do not partake of it my strength diminishes."

coming soon to an al-Maghrib near you?

2008-09-08T23:55:00.001-07:00

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I really wish there was an Al-Maghrib Qabeelat in Vancouver. Al-Maghrib keeps impressing me... I could go into it in detail, but its nearly midnight and I have to be out of the house before 7:00am tomorrow :p Anyways, the latest thing I stumbled across was Gem Reels, where I have been watching various trailers for Al-Maghrib seminars. It's like box-office quality masha'Allah, so well done and totally makes me excited to attend those seminars... if only! One day insha'Allah! I will put it as part of my mahr heheh ;)