Monthly Archive

Two polygany stories in the news.  One seems to show a brother who does it with honesty (if illegally) in the US among others who do it wrong, and one is Safa’s story of how it can all go horribly wrong with deception.

Philly’s Black Muslims inreasingly turn to polygany

GTA’s secret world of polygany

I’m losing the strength to argue on internet forums. Post conversion, that was my jihad – to seek out where ever Islam was being slandered online and debate. I did this almost from the very second I converted. I learned a lot in doing research for my arguments, but there were definate holes in my understanding. In recent years, I’ve dialed back the internet confrontation and concentrated on learning the deen and doing ibadah, and alhamdulilah, it’s really helped my iman.

In January 2004, I joined christianforums.com to participate in a thread about deaths during the hajj. I’ve hung around there on and off, accumulated an obscene number of posts. However, I’ve lost the will to participate in verbal spates. The structure of the forum doesn’t allow for open discussion in several subforums, so most of the islam bashing can happen free and clear of any muslim interaction.

So at this point, I’ve fallen back to duas. And, I’d like to ask that ya’ll make dua with me for the participants in one specific thread. Words cannot express the disgust I feel at the blatent falsehoods being spewed about and cardboard cut out perspectives on islam being offered. It’s pointless to log in and post, because those posts will just be deleted.

I also find it despicable that some insist on studying THEIR religion from positive sources, while OTHER religions should only be studied from polemicists. I was a religious studies gal in college. I took a class on eastern orthodoxy, talked with priests, read books written by eastern orthodox scholars. Shouldn’t they have the courtesy to do the same for my faith? Heck, if you want to read the negative stuff, be my guest, but read something from the believers too. I always start the study of a faith with the central texts, commentary on the texts by the believers and with books recommended by practioners. Then I can delve into the critics. I even did this with scientology, a religion perhaps even more reviled than Islam.

When the husband came to the US and wanted to study christianity in order to refute it, I insisted that he actually pick up the bible and read it before he started slinging polemic negatives around. It just seems like good adab. Ah, but what do I know, I’m just a muzzie who’s only hope in the hearafter is to be one sex slave among many for the husband.

Greetings from backhomelandia aka cheesecurd central aka the land of 10,000 Prius. As has become a tradition, I trek across the border to spend the extended memorial day weekend with family.

First up was a visit with my grandma in the land of 10,000 Prius aka Madison, Wisconsin. Seriously people, I should have counted. 3 minutes didn’t pass while we were driving about town when I didn’t see one of these little hybrids zipping around.  Ah, my people, my hippy dippy tree hugging people, how I love you.

And now, we shall digress, but I promise this will come back to my grandma and my weekend…

…growing up, I never wanted to rock the boat.  I was terrified of upsetting people, so I always laid low and tried to avoid conflict.  I ordered always ordered the cheapest thing on the menu, so as not to be a burden on my parents.  I never asked to go out, because I didn’t want to bother my parents for a ride.  I only hosted parties on my birthday and later when my mom saw that I was a hermit and insisted that I invite friends over.  I played oboe in junior high, which requires reeds that needed to be purchased every so often.  However, I hated to ask my parents for money, so I went away to band camp with one old reed.  It broke 2 days in and I had to beg the oboe teacher to make me one.  I came away looking like a fool, all because I didn’t want to upset my parents by asking for money to buy new reeds.

It is with this background that I’ve approached my conversion vis a vi my family.  Not wanting to rock the boat, I didn’t tell anyone I had converted.  I was waiting, waiting, waiting for the right time.

I transfered schools a few months after I converted, and there I wanted a fresh start.  Part of that fresh start was being known as a muslim on campus.  And part of that was donning the hijab.  One small problem – my sister went to the same university.   Granted, there were tens of thousands of students, so the chances that I would run into her were small.  I worked my way into the traditional hijab, and switched to a bun style when I had lunch with my sister.  One evening, we went to see a lecture by Ben Stein.  I wore my undercover bun style hijab, and when we went up to get our books signed, Ben Stein asked me if I wore a scarf for religious reasons.  I said yes without even thinking.  Crap, I was caught.  He asked me what my religion was, and I meekly said Islam.  He must have thought that I was nervous, as he is jewish, so he smiled warmly and told me that his best friend as a child had been muslim.  Ah, but it wasn’t him I was worried about.  No, I was worried about disappointing my sister.  She turned out to be cool with it, except for the occasional digression into “OMG, what happened to you?  You used to be such a feminist, blah blah blah.”

My parents suspected something obviously, as I started to cover my hair with bandanas when I was at home.  Eventually, they snooped in my email over christmas break, found the evidence and confronted me.  I sat on the couch, crushed through the confrontation, feeling like crap that I had disappointed them.  For years, I was ashamed to show my Islam around them.  They pretended it didn’t happen, and I didn’t do anything obviously Islamic in front of them.  Gradually, I started to be obviously “muslim” in front of them, even to the point where my mom gave me a beautiful scarf for christmas (ah, how to confront them about the fact that I no longer want to celebrate christmas.  but that’s another story).

Circling back now to my grandma – how to tell her that I converted to this religion that she knows nothing about, beyond what she has seen on television from terrorists?  My solution – don’t tell her.  Sound familiar?  She knew something was up when I started covering my hair when I visited during college, but she didn’t say much aside from commenting on my change in wardrobe.  She didn’t even say anything when she came to visit last October during Ramadan and we took her to an iftar at the local masjid and I went to pray.

No, it wasn’t until this weekend when she actually outright asked me if I had “converted to the muslim religion.”  SubhanAllah, here I am more than 6 years beyond my conversion, and when asked outright, I hang my head and meekly say yes.   Suprisingly, she doesn’t say anything about terrorists, or muslim men treating women like shit.  No, she continues to focus on my dress.  I’ve taken to wearing skirts instead of pants, and will now cover my hair in a more conventional muslim-ish fashion when I go to visit.  That’s what bothers her – not the fact that I don’t celebrate christmas or easter, nor that I no longer believe Jesus (as) is the son of God – no, she wonders why I don’t wear pants and why I cover my hair.   It could be worse.  God bless her.

But even then, confronted with such a mundane little triffle, I can’t express myself well in this regard.  When I speak with people I’ve met after my conversion, it’s very easy for me to explain my choice in dress.  Covering my hair is an act of worship, and it identifies me as a proud, strong, intelligent muslim woman.  I humble myself in front of my Lord every time I put it on, and I shatter stereotypes in my interaction with Joe Schmoe at the office.

But with my family, it’s different.  We never talked about God…never EVER.  We went to church on Sunday, and that was it.  Oh, we went to sunday school, got confirmed, but as a family, we never discussed the Almighty.   That child who was afraid to ask for $3 for a reed lest she upset her mom is still very much in control when it comes to interacting with my family.  Even with my dear sweet grandmother, I cannot work up the nerve to challenge the status quo, to bring God into our discussions, and to express my devotion to Him in my choice of dress.

SubhanAllah, I’m so ashamed.  I’m 26 years old, and I’m more afraid of my family than I am of Allah (swt).  That scared little child inside of me won’t go away overnight, but inshaAllah, she needs to start heading out of town.   I shouldn’t be ashamed of my deen and it’s requirements.  If I cover my head, so what?  If I stop and pray 5 time a day, so what?  If God is a real and important part of my life, and I want to talk about Him, so what?  inshaAllah inshaAllah inshaAllah I am going to quash this shame, and be proud of my faith, with everyone.

Whew, that was more than I’ve talked about hijab in a long time.  I wear it, but I don’t obsess about it.  Heck, I’m even pulling back on my online window shopping sprees.  No more hijab talk for awhile inshaAllah.

Still to come in my backhomelandia series:

• my sister and (no) God
• couldn’t the husband convert to be lutheran?
• on a (salat) roll, and I feel fine
• and perhap more, seeing as how I have 2 days left before I head back home

From Imam Zaid:

Imam Shafi’i is related to have said: “Never do I debate a man with a desire to hear him err in his speech, or to expose the flaws in his argument, and thus vanquish him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently supplicate, ‘O Lord, help him so that truth may manifest itself in his heart and on his tongue. If it be that the truth is on my side, may he follow me; and if the truth be on his side, may I follow him.’ “

Alhamdulilah, I’ve never had addiction issues with alcohol.   I made shahada and that was it – no more booze -except for the occasional slip up with some sneaky vanilla extract or wine used to cook food that I wasn’t aware of.  I converted early in my college career, before I could legally drink.  I went to school in Madison, regularly ranked the Number 1 Party School in the country for the amount of alcohol that flows freely among the student population, so temptation was everywhere.  Alhamduililah, I stayed strong.  By not drinking, I saved a ton of money and didn’t do anything stupid like falling off a balcony.

If I can withstand the temptation of alcohol, why can’t I do the same with television?  I’ve had brief flirtations with quitting the television.  I don’t sit down and watch it for 5 hours at a time on Saturday and Sunday anymore.  But it’s still there, taunting me, calling me, and inevitably, I succumb.

Last night was the House season finale.  Highlight for spoiler *Wilson is lying next to Amber in the last few hours of her life.  She tells him she’d like to go to sleep now, he kisses her, and then he leans over and turns off the bypass machine*  I’m snuggling up next to my husband, sniffling away and trying to hold back tears.  

This morning, I was listening to my NPR podcasts as usual when this story came up.  In it, a Chinese couple desperately clings to the hope that their son is alive, only to have those hopes shattered.  You hear real grief, real anguish, real pain.  The NPR reporter is struggling to control her emotions throughout the entire report.

Then it hit me BAM!  There is so much suffering in this world, why on earth am I getting weepy over some fictional television characters?  Why on earth would I want to spend the precious few minutes I have here on earth entertaining myself with the idiot box?  Aren’t there better things to do with my time?

Granted, I probably won’t be able to give TV up cold turkey.  But I’m going to keep this incident in mind.  The next time I feel myself getting weepy over someone who doesn’t even exisit, I’ll check myself and go do something else inshaAllah.

This will be just a brief post on this weekend.  I took pages and pages of notes, and inshaAllah I will post a few highlights from the lectures and some of my thoughts.

First, the negatives:

• Where were the Minnesota Muslims at?  Seriously, one of the best speakers our american ummah has to offer is right in your backyard, and you don’t represent?  Granted, this meant more access to Imam Zaid, but come on!

Ok, there was really only one negative, and I shouldn’t really complain.  SubhanAllah, it was an awesome weekend for my deen, my iman and inshaAllah, for my marriage. 

• Imam Zaid presented a two day workshop on Islam, Marriage and the Family.  I’ve read probably half a dozen marriage/relationship books, both secular and islam based, and I benefited more from this workshop than I have from all those other books combined.  Some books in my collection are quite good (like Blissful Marriage), but there is nothing quite like having something presented to you by a dynamic speaker in a clear, concise manner. 
• The presentation differed from other Islam based marriage advice, in that it didn’t focus on the duties and responsibilities of the husband and wife.  Instead, it discussed common problems, and offered Islam based solutions that both parties could enact.
• Imam Zaid is funny.  Seriously, we were doubled over with laughter like, every 5 minutes.  No one could fall asleep during this presentation.
• Imam Zaid presented a lecture on the Ethical Foundation of Islamic Civilization at a local university.  Again, the information was presented in a clear and concise manner, and I learned quite a few things I didn’t know before. 
• Imam Zaid performed a marriage on Sunday, alhamdulilah.  It was something truly beautiful to behold.  Plus, we got to sing Tala’al Badru afterwards, so my years of singing along to various youtube versions has finally born fruit.
• I got a lot out of the presentation in part because I took notes.  I have tons of lectures from Imam Zaid, Sh. Hamza, Sh. Nuh, etc, but most of the time I listen to them on the bus and zone out.  inshaAllah in the future when I listen to something that conveys knowledge, I’ll have my notebook out to take notes.
• If this program comes out on CD or DVD BUY IT!!!!  inshaAllah when it does, I’m buying it in bulk and gifting it to all my married friends.  Even if one is not married, they would benefit from the lessons taught therein.  We all have relationships, be they with family, friends or work colleages, and the problems that face a husband and wife in communication aren’t necessarily unique to that specific type of relationship.

Day 1 down, 2 to go.

Went to Jummah at a Somali Masjid yesterday, which alhamudlilah, what a much better experience then I’ve had in the past when venturing out to jummahs in new, exciting, unknown locations.  It was in an old garage, and when I asked the group of men in front where the women’s section was, a teenage boy personally walked me around back.

The sister’s section was the curtained off back section of the hall, and was festooned with fake flowers, glittery streamers, holiday lights and giant misbahas on the wall.  Whenever a sister would enter, she would go around to everyone in the room, kiss her hand, then shake yours, giving salaams.

I arrived very early, as I had taken the bus and wanted to make sure I left wiggle room in case I got lost, so I chilled out with some Imam Zaid lectures on my ipod (this weekend is all Imam Zaid, all the time).  Closer to jummah time, Imam Zaid’s wife came.  mashaAllah, what a beautiful and patient sister.  I can’t imagine how stressful it must be to be constantly traveling around the country, but she had such a beautiful smile on her face and a sense of sakina, it was awesome.

The khutbah started at 1 pm, and Imam Zaid spoke on the address Abu Bakr (ra) gave after being elected khalif.   I took notes and inshaAllah will write more when I have time (just getting the blog post in before I run out the door for another Imam Zaid filled day).  In particular, I was struck by how he took just a few lines from this address and pounded home their importance in our american muslim community:

Now, it is beyond doubt that I have been elected your Amir, although I am not better than you. Help me, if I am in the right; set me right if I am in the wrong. Truth is a trust; falsehood is a treason

Seriously think on these few lines, and how much our ummah would change if we took them to heart and implimented them.

Well, I’m off to masjid an nur to set up for the all day workshops alhamdulilah.  More updates to come inshaAllah

I recently commented on on a post by Izzy Mo about how often Minnesota Muslims are in the news. From the way the news covers it and the right wing blogosphere hypes it, sharia is creeping hard and fast here in the upper midwest. Of course, I laff in the face of these allegations. Life here is virtually indistinguishable from the small midwestern town I grew up in, except that there are a few more women walking around in khimar here, and there are plenty of places to buy halal meat.

That being said, there are issues, and we shouldn’t shrink from addressing them. In fact, on my way to work this morning, I was plotting a blog entry in response to this deplorable incident. Sure, muzzies in general aren’t fond of dogs. But Islam allows us to keep them when they’re working animals, and a dog specially trained to help a man in case of siezures definately fits the bill.

Alhamdulilah, I didn’t have to go on a tirade against the local community’s innaction. CAIR-MN beat me to the punch.

However, “the moral and legal need to accommodate individuals using service dogs far outweighs the discomfort an individual Muslim might feel about coming into contact with a dog, which is one of God’s creatures,” said CAIR-MN Communications Director Valerie Shirley.

There’s some serious need for education on certain issues in our community. Guide dogs is one. Not making a huge watery mess in the bathroom after wudu is another. I’ve been making wudu in public restrooms for 6 years now, and I’ve never left a puddle. Maybe this is something Imam Zaid can adress when he comes this weekend?

on the blogs I read

Climbing Walls – an American Muslimah living in Palestine, her whole blog is chock full of posts on Palestine.  More recent posts include 1000 Year Mosques destroyed in wake of the Nakba and Al Jazera reports on Palestinians.  *added 9:36 am* Her blog about Palestine day post is up – Judaizing East Jerusalem

Southern Muslimah blogs about her Mother-in-Law’s experience in the nakba

The Muslimah links to a post her husband wrote about his grandmother and her ceaseless dhikr

*added at noon*  Writeous Sister writes about Genocide by any other name in Palestine and of Native Americans

*added at 12:30*  A Mother in Gaza writes about the cyber terrorism attack against Palestinian bloggers.   The rest of her blog is a good read for today as well.

More to be added as I continue my daily blog stroll inshaAllah

*added at 9:36 am*

Personal accounts always tug at my heart strings the most.  I can still remember the exact moment of my awakening to the situation in Palestine.  Hanan Ashwari came to speak at my university.  During the Q&A period, an old man got up, on the brink of tears.  He spoke about wanting to to to his childhood home, currently located in Israel, to be buried with his family.  He hadn’t been back since he was expelled decades earlier.  And he wouldn’t be allowed to go back to die.  I get a lump in my throat just remembering it now.

If Americans Knew - what every american needs to know about Israel

Remember these Children

Since September 2000

982 Palestinian Children

and

119 Israeli Children

have been killed

 Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji'oon

to God we belong and to Him is our return

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/3P12aqVeZkQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Ohh let's not cry tonight I promise you one day is through
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!
Ooh shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!

…if only I had a more of it.  Then I’d sit and watch everything on the newly re-designed Radical Middle Way website.  I’m hoping that they’ll put up videos of all the Habib al Jifri events from earlier this month.  From what I’ve heard, they were awesome and increadibly beneficial to those who went.

Huzzah!  Tagging people who’ve commented recently on my blog:  UmmFarouq,  Umm Layth, Aaminah and Molly.

From Jamerican:

1. Last movie you saw in a theater? I honestly don’t remember, it’s been so long.  I am going to the new Indiana Jones movie with the fam over memorial day weekend.  My mom got me an Indiana Jones hat when they went to Disney over spring break, so I’ll be really styling.  Ohhh yeah.

2. What book are you reading? In Defense of Food: an Eater’s Manifesto

3. Favorite board game? Monopoly

4. Favorite magazine? Runner’s World

5. Favorite smells? Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

6. Favorite sounds? The Qur’an, especially as recited by Mishary Rashed Alafasy 

7. Worst feeling in the world ? Disapointing someone

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up? Dang it, is it time to go to work?

9. Favorite fast food place? KFC, ah but now only available to me when I go to egypt.  alas

10. Future child’s name? Jannah (aka JJ) and Mo’men (aka Mo)

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?  Make hajj, move to Medina and spend every day in the Prophet’s (saws) Masjid.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Yes I do, and I’m not ashamed of it.  Heck, if I can do that while married, I have no shame.  I have a dog (Woof), a cat that I’ve had since I was a baby (Mr. Kitty), a beanie baby owl (Hoot), a Wisconsin Badger (Bucky), and a sleeping teddy bear (Mr. Teddy).  And that’s not counting the stuffed animals that live in the corner of our bedroom.  Yes, I am strange.  But hey, at least I admit it.

13. Storms – cool or scary? Depends on the storm.  Thunderstorms, cool, tornados, not so much.

14. Favorite drink/Juice? mango lassi

15. Finish this statement “If I had the spare time I would….”?  Become a student of knowledge

16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli? Mmm

17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice? Purple.  I’ve dyed it maroon, pink, and blue in the past, but never purple.

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in? Appleton WI, Chillicothe Oh, Greenbay WI, Plover WI, Saint Paul, MN

19. Favorite sports to watch? Packers and Badgers football

20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?  I’m glad she’s moving back to town, because I enjoyed our lunches out.

21. What’s under your bed? Pictures

22. Would you like to be born as yourself again? Meh

23. Morning person, or night owl? Neither.  Mid morning, although I’m usually yawning all day, including during my kickboxing and weight lifting classes

24. Over easy, or sunny side up? Omlettes

25. Favorite place to relax? Curled up on the couch with Stargate on tv or a good book

26. Favorite pie? Apple pie made by my grandma

27. Favorite ice cream flavor? Ice cream agrivates my asthma.  It’s been so long since I’ve had it, that I’ve forgotten what I like *cries*

28. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first? Molly

And from Aaminah:

1. ON your blog, post the Rules & 10 things you have HOPE for in your life.

2. LINK Tag 10 people (we want hope to spread people!) and LINK the person who tagged you. (ehm, I don’t know 10 people online that well)

3. Comment/Notify the 10 People they’ve been tagged.

I hope…

• To live and die as a Mumin
• To meet the Prophet (saws) in paradise
• To live in Medina and spend every day in the Prophet’s Masjid
• To grow old and happy with my husband
• To live somewhere that I can sit at the feet of the scholars and learn the deen
• Maybe to become a scholar one day?
• that my family and friends will accept Islam
• To work in a job where I’m actually doing some good and come home feeling fulfilled
• To get down to a healthy weight and actually stay there
• To run a marathon

 …inshaAllah

you’d better not cry

better not pout I’m telling you why

Imam Zaid is coming, to town!

Ok, so I have this weird habit of making up lyrics to old christmas carols, cuz, well, I’m weird.

FRIDAY:
May 16th Friday Jumaa – Khutbah by Imam Zaid
Masjid Ar Rahman at 12:45PM
http://www.mccminnesota.org/

Friday Evening:
Fundraiser for Somali Qubaa Masjid.
Time and Location to be announced later…

SATURDAY:

An intensive 2-day workshop at Masjid an Nur.

Marriage, Family and Islam
Sat 10-5 & Sun 10-4
Location:  visit www.MasjidanNur.org
$40 (adult) $30 (student)
One day only $25 (adult) and $15 (student)
Registration will be onsite,

Space is limited so we need your cooperation.

Please RSVP via the website below to assist us in planning.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=uT84Bk1wjCLNpKvsUrj61w_3d_3d

Sat evening: Ethical Foundations for Islamic Civilization

Time:  7-10PM
Location: Metropolitan State University, St Paul Campus
700 East Seventh Street
St Paul, MN
Free lecture:

Word:(To) Squee
Definition:To make hyper, usually high pitched sound expressing fangirly glee. Often has additional E’s to further emphasise level of giddyness. See also:(To) Heen
Part of Speech [eg, verb]:Noun/Verb
Example of Usage: “OMG CUDDY TOUCHED HOUSE’S SHOULDER! SQUEEEEE!!”

OMG, I’m such a fangirl. Yes, in all the normal ways (Stargate, Firefly, Buffy, Star Wars, House, etc etc etc), but there are 2 types of people that I am totally a fan of:

Muslim Politicians and
Muslim Scholars

Keith Ellison, first muslim in congress, goes to my masjid. When he’s in town, he’ll be there for Friday prayer. Whenever I see him, I get all giddy, and tongue tied. I don’t think I’ve managed to ever have a substantial conversation with him since he’s been elected.
I had the opportunity to meet Sh. Hamza Yusuf a few years back. He was speaking at a program I was attending, and I passed him in the hall. Again, went all giddy and got tongue tied. I managed to spit out a salaams, but that was all.

Ok, so why all the squee-tastic fangirlness?  Because SOMEONE is coming to the Twin Cities this weekend to plan AN AWESEOME PROGRAM with AWESOME MUSLIM SCHOLARS and I GET TO HELP!!!!  I got the email last night, and I’m still all giddy and tongue tied.  Plus, my hands are shaking as I type this.   I’m not sure if I can name names, but sufice to say, the Twin Cities is in for a real treat.

To watch when I get home from work:

Clip from SunniPath Answers Live event. This answer addresses the issue of Ashari vs. the Maturidi tenets of belief. Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali.

 [kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/S2pQ175vaRk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

NPR has recently featured two stories about muslims working in an environmentally friendly manner in two very different ways.

 First, there is a story on the group Solar Cities in Cairo, who are devoloping solar water heaters at the grass roots level for inhabitants of medieval Cairo.  Not only are they tackling environmental issues, they’re also doing interfaith work as well.  Muslims and Christians make up the organization, and they serve both communities.

 And his young team says that fighting over religion, politics, class and culture wastes time in an urgent period of environmental upheaval.

“If we’re still thinking Christian, Muslim, Christian, Muslim, we will never move and we will stay in our place. We’ll never do anything,” Fathy says.

Second, we have Abu Dhabi using some of it’s enormous oil wealth to build the first carbon neurtral city.

The project, called Masdar City, will burn no gas or oil, so its contribution to greenhouse gases will be minimal. Masdar is the centerpiece of emirate Abu Dhabi’s plans to get into the renewable energy market, a hedge against the day its oil wells run dry.

Two groups of muslims working towards a healthier planet, one from the grassroots, one from the top down.  inshaAllah more members of our ummah will wake up and take part in the green revolution.

MashaAllah, Allah (swt) has blessed me with a roof over my head and food on the table.  Unfortunately, I’m not too good at managing my intake of food, which has lead to a host of health problems.  I’ve been struggling with my eating and exercise habits for 2 years without sucess, but inshaAllah I’m on the right path now.  I’m writing down everything I eat, dedicating myself to exercise, and not letting my laziness overwhelm me.  Oh, and it also doesn’t hurt that the husband has bribed me…if I lose 20 pounds by my birthday in September, he’ll buy me a cat, huzzah!

To that end, I’m a member of Sparkpeople, where there’s a muslim sister support group.  Today, a sister posted a thought provoking question

Does anyone sees the irony of us trying to lose weight and eat less, when there’s a major, worldwide food shortage going on?

The price of the whole wheat pita bread the husband adores went up 50 cents since we last bought it 2 weeks ago, but that’s nothing compared to the jump of prices people are facing across the world.  The husband is originally from Mahalla el-Kubra, home of the recent strikes/food riots, where food prices have doubled.

Allah (swt) tests us all in different ways.  For my in laws, they struggle with too little food that costs too much.  For me here in the US, I struggle with too much food that, despite the recent increases, is still very affordable.

Wouldn’t it be great if we thanked Allah (swt) when we succeed in our struggles?  And what better way to thank Him right now than to give sadaqah to those who are also struggling. 

I’m going to pledge $x for each pound I lose to Islamic Relief’s Global Food Crisis Campaign, and I invite anyone else out struggling to lose weight to do the same.

The husband and I recently made the switch to eating zabiha slaughtered meat only.  On occasion, fast food commercials will tug at my heart strings when I think that I’ll never again have a chicken breast from KFC or a double cheeseburger from Burger King (at least here in the US).  But, for the most part, I’m over it.  We’re eating more vegetarian food at home, and the zabiha meat we do eat is often raised in a more humane manner than what we used to get from the local Rainbow.

Today however, I had one of those horrible realizations.  When I was in junior high, our foreign language department packed us all on buses and took us on a four hour bus trip up to the Twin Cities to attend the Festival of Nations.  Now that I live up here, it’s something the husband and I love to do every year.  My favorite part?  The food.  Ah, but alas, much of it isn’t zabiha.  Heart drops, dark pit forms in the stomach, nooooooooooooo!  Maybe the food from some countries (egypt, pakistan, somali?) will be, but I’m not getting my hopes up.

 Ah well, at least pisan goran is vegetarian.

Iqra!

The first word revealed to our beloved Prophet  was a command – iqra – to read, to recite.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, the Quran was what drew me to Islam.   I read it voraciously at first, and sought to own as many copies as I could afford.  I’m reluctant to admit, but now more often than not, my extensive Qur’an collection sits and gathers dust.  Rarely have I picked them from their place of honor on the top shelf of my religious books collection and engaged with them. 

Every once in awhile, I’ll vow that I’ll read the entire quran.  But, inevitably I’ll fail.  I’m a fast reader, and over the years, I’ve perfected a form of skim reading that allows me to get the gist of a novel or textbook without actually having to read each word.  However, this method does not translate well into Iqra or into understanding.  I’ll turn page after page, only to realize later that I have no clue what my eyes just passed over.  I’m aware of the problem and will conciously try to slow down, but the habit dies hard.  Eventually, I get frustrated and quit.

In an effort to break the slump, I’ve decided to WRITE! while I read.   Everyday, inshaAllah, I’m dedicating 20 minutes to the Qur’an.  Half of that time, I will read x number of ayat, first in the Muhammad Asad translation with commentary, then in one or 2 other translations.  I have a journal I bought specifically to become my quran diary, and in it, I’ll write about those ayat.  Questions, thoughts, reflections, how these ayat relate to my life, it just has to be something related to the verses.  The second 10 minutes will be dedicated to reading the ayat in arabic. 

I know 20 minutes isn’t a terribly long period of time.  Heck, I spend more time each night watching television.  But, I figure that if I set a larger block of time out, like an hour, that when things get busy, I’ll just shuffle quran reading time down to the bottom of the list and skip it.  By chosing a shorter period of time, it’s more managable and inshaAllah that means I will be more likely to do it every day.  

The goal then, will be to read the entire quran in english and arabic, AND to understand it.  What good is it if I skim through, and when I’m finished I gain nothing?  inshaAllah with this endevour, I’ll develop my relationship with the book and with it’s author, Allah .

Want to take this journey for yourself?  Here are some resources that may help you along the way:

• The Qur’anic Journal: why and how?
• al Tafsir
• Soundvision’s Qur’an Page
• Easy Dictionary of the Qur’an
• The Qur’an: A user’s guide

Dear readers, please share any resources you have or any thoughts on how you engage with the Qur’an, and how you seek to understand it better.

Via a post on Islamica, I’ve been reminded of a very powerful hadith.  I dare say that this hadith is one that has had the single greatest impact on my iman.  Seriously, we’re standing in front of our Lord (swt) 5 times a day, speaking to Him and we know HE ANSWERS!   He’s speaking to us, and giving us what we ask for in al Fatiha.  If that doesn’t make one stop and think about what they’re rattling off, I don’t know what will.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:

“A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Qur’an (Surat al-Fatihah) during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete.”
Someone said to Abu Hurayrah: [Even though] we are behind the imam? ( i.e. standing behind the imam listening to him reciting al-Fatihah)

He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be up on him) say:

Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: ‘I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

When the servant says:

‘Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin’ (Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’

And when he says:

‘Ar-rahmani r-rahim’ (The Merciful, the Compassionate), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: ‘My servant has extolled Me,’

And when he says:

‘Maliki yawmi d-din’ (Master of the Day of Judgement), Allah says: ‘My servant has glorified Me’ – and on one occasion He said: ‘My servant has submitted to My power.’

And when he says:

‘Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in’ (It is You we worship and it is You we ask for help), He says: ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.’

And when he says:

‘Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin’ (Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom you have bestowed favours, not those against whom You are angry, nor of those who are astray ), He says: ‘This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.’”

It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah).

Via Deenport, I stumbled upon the website of the International Institute for the study of Islam in the Modern World.  Isim was founded by several dutch universities, and “…develops, supervises, and engages in innovative, high quality research on social, political, cultural, and intellectual trends and movements in contemporary Muslim communities and societies.” 

They have several years worth of their review up.  Each issue contains several topics, with a number of articles on each topic.  Looks to be something worth checking out.