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As I may have mentioned in the past, I have this thing about english translations of the Qur’an.  I can’t get enough of them!  I’ve always been a person who has loved owning books.  If I did well on my report card, my mom would give me $5 to spend on a new book.  I had shelves and shelves of books, the entire Baby Sitter’s club and Sweet Valley High collections, and as I grew older, every new Star Wars novel as it was released.

When I started to explore Islam, I picked up my first Qur’an at a local new age  store, translated by M.H. Shakir.  Tangentally, it is a little odd that they would have a small section on Islam, even if most of it was devoted to sufism.  Islam is inherently the antithesis of new age spirituality.   Shortly thereafter, I acquired my second from half.com, translated by A.J. Arberry.

My book obsession had found a target – Allah (swt)’s word.

Over the years, I’d kept adding more.  Highlights include my massive Muhammad Asad and thrift store Bewley find.  I recently added a few more, including an exciting new thrift store find that I’ll be blogging about in the future inshaAllah.  My total english Qur’an collection now stands at 17.  There are a few duplicative translations in different formats, so the actual different translation count is 14, not including the ones I have downloaded from the internet.   In the order dictated by the Chicago Manual of Style as best as I remember it:

• Ahamed, Syed Vickar, trans., English Translation of the Message of the Quran. Lombard, IL:  Book of Signs Foundation, 2006.
• Ali, Ahmed, trans.,  Al-Qur’an. Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 2001.
• Ali, Abdullah Yusuf, trans., Roman Transliteration of the Holy Qur’an. Dehli: Adam Publishers & Distributors, 1996.
• Ali, Abdullah Yusuf, trans., The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an.  Beltsville, Maryland: amana publications, 2001.
• Ali, Abdullah Yusuf, trans., The Qur’an. Elmhurst, New York:  Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 2001.
• Arberry, A.J, trans.,  The Koran Interpreted. New York:  Touchstone, 1996.
• Asad, Muhammd, trans., The Message of the Qur’an. Dubai: Oriental Press, 2003.
• Bewley, Abdalhaqq and Aisha Bewley, trans.,  The Noble Qur’an – A New Rendering of its Meaning in English. Norwich, England: Bookwork, 2005.
• Cleary, Thomas, trans., The Qur’an – A New Translation. Starlatch Press, 2004.
• Fakhry, Majid, trans., An Interpretation of the Qur’an. New York: New York University Press, 2004.
• Jeffery, Arthur, trans.,  The Koran – Selected Suras. New York: The Heritage Press, 1958.
• Khan, Muhammad Zafrulla, trans.,  The Qur’an. New York: Olive Branch Press, 2003.
• Muhsin Khan, Muhammad and Muhammad Taq-ud-Din Al-Hilali, trans., Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Qur’an. Riyadh: Darussalam, 2001.
• Saheeh International, trans., The Qur’an. Jeddah:  Abul-Qasim Publishing House, 1997.
• Shakir, M.H. trans.,  The Qur’an. Elmhurst, New York: Tahrike Tarshile Qur’an, Inc., 1999.
• Unal, Ali, trans., The Qur’an with Annoted Interpretation in Modern English. jSmoerset, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2008.

In the front, you’ll notice a green Qur’an.  That’s the arabic only Qur’an AbuS gave me as a wedding present.

Now, that’s a mighty tall stack of books, doncha think?  For the most part, I don’t do much with most of them.  I’m currently attempting to read my way through by Bewley translation, and on occasion, I’ll pick up a few translations to try to get a deeper understanding of the meaning.

So what’s a girl to do with all these Qur’ans?  Why not start a blog series?  Here’s what I’m thinking – pick a selection, a short surah or a few ayat, and write out all the different translations.  That way I’m forced to read them all, forced to think about them as I type and perhaps have a conversation about them with blog readers.  Even if no one comments, I’ve still spent a considerable amount of time with Allah (swt)’s book.

inshaAllah I’ll start typing things up this weekend and will get a post published each week.  Surah al Fatiha is up first.  Let me know if you think that a whole surah is too much, especially with 14 translations.    Maybe just a single ayat would be better?  Let me know what you think.

Although I’m in the midst of my grand tour of Wisconsin, I couldn’t let a Monday pass without a new weekly Squeaky.  Thankfully, I’ve managed to figure out how to schedule posts in advance.

So here, for your memorial day viewing pleasure is my weekend couch buddy.  On the weekend, I spend a few hours in the morning reading on the couch.  I hold down one end.  My book buddy holds down the other.

Greetings from the land of cheese, cheese and more cheese.  I am currently miserable, sneezing and dead tired.  I seem to have come down with a horrid cold, something that hasn’t happened in years.  Said cold prevented me from sleeping last night.

What a great way to start vacation, eh?

dur.

On the plus side, being a traveler means that I can combine my prayers.  This means I don’t have to stay up until 10:30 p.m. to pray isha!  Huzzah!  Theoretically, this means I could get more sleep, if said cold did not keep me up all night.

Cat parents, be honest.  Watch this video and tell me you did not pick up your cat and attempt cat yodeling and cat polka.

There needs to be a site where sisters can post their experiences shopping for islamic attire online.  Is there something like this out there?

mashaAllah, I’ve come across a ton of new shops, but I’m wary to purchase.  Why?  Because I’ve heard from too many people who have had bad experiences with poorly sewn products made out of cheap material, not to mention a certain seller who keeps reincarnating themselves to continue their rip off scams.

I’m totally not computer savy enough to design and run a site, but I’d totally collaborate with a sister who would be willing to get this going.

I am so tired of opening up the newspaper/turning on the tv/surfing over to cnn.com and seeing another harebrained, completely unislamic act of terrorism was being plotted against an innocent target.

Because we know blowing up a synagogue in NYis really exactly what the Prophet (saws) would have done had he lived in america.  Or not.

Please pick up a book of seerah and learn how a real man acts.

(not) sincerely,

UmmSqueakster

I had falafel on my to make list this week, but just look at this:

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

*packs chickpea flour and sesame seeds in suitcase for the forthcoming grand tour of wisconsin*   My poor grandma, she’s going to regret taking me up on my offer to cook for her while I visit.

When I was a teenager, I had a visceral hatred of anything Martha Stewart.  Being a happy homemaker was totally not on my list of things to do with my life.

Now here I am 12 years later, and granted, I’m still not much of a homemaker.  Thank God AbuS is not one of those Egyptian husbands who calls up and says “honey, I’m bringing home some guys to watch the game.  We’ll be there in half an hour,” because our apartment is constantly in shambles.  I do take full credit for that however, as it’s mainly my piles of stuff lying about, cluttering everything up and creating a hazard for anyone who walks in through our door.   He has invited some Jehovah’s Witnesses over these last 2 weekends to do some reverse proselytizing, but alhamdulilah he gave me a week’s notice, so I had plenty of time to pick up and even make cookies (which the JW only ate a bite of  >:(.  This weekend he only got coffee).

I must retract my former loathing of all things Martha and give my two thumbs up to the magazine Everyday Food.  The recipes are simple, quick and easy to make, which is a huge boon when you’re trying to make an entire week’s worth of meals in a single afternoon.

I’ve made two absolutely fantabulous low sodium soups from EDF these last two weeks, Vegetable Chowder and Vegetarian Split Pea Soup.  

Sprinkle a little sargento shredded cheddar cheese on top, crumble in a few crackers and you’ve got a hearty, satisfying dinner for an entire week.  

Alas, no pictures, because pictures of my soup never end up looking very appatizing.  I think I’ll look for a pretty wooden bowl and plate to provide a better backdrop for my food pictures.

“Squeaky” clean, ha ha, get it, get it?

in which I indulge in some bad haiku

dawn approaches here
standing in front of Allah
peace replaces sleep

The Squeakster acquired a new nickname this weekend.  She is now Squeaky Deaky.

Here is Squeaky Deaky in the midst of her new favorite activity – “hiding” under the blanket, preparing to pounce on a speck of lint on the carpet.

111 days for an act of domestic terrorism?  And the possibility of it being reduced to a misdemeanor????

I hate to be one of those people who is constantly talking about how muslims get a bad rap in the media, but if this were a muslim who was shouting ayat after crashing his truck in the PP building (or anyplace else for that matter), wanna bet he’d get longer than 111 days?  Heck, muslims don’t even need to crash their truck into a building to get beat down.  Merely being muslim is enough.

Excuse me while I go weep at the stupidity and inequality of our justice system.

Cottage Grove man gets 111 days in Planned Parenthood crash‘

A Cottage Grove man who drove his truck into the front of a Planned Parenthood clinic on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion was sentenced to the 111 days he has already served.

If Matthew Lee Derosia, 33, follows rules of his probation for the next five years, his conviction will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North ruled Tuesday.

Derosia pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to property in the Jan. 22 incident at the clinic at 1965 Ford Parkway in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. When police arrived, he was standing by the truck, holding a crucifix and shouting Bible verses, according to the criminal complaint in the case.

No one was injured in the crash.

Derosia was later celebrated in a list of “prisoners of Christ” on an anti-abortion Web site.

From Sunnipath, reproduced here to clear up the formating issues.  Excerpt:

The essence of Salat comprises three basic elements. It is composed of

a) Feeling of respect, reverence and awe in the heart totally,

b) Remembrance of Allah by tongue (word),

c) Showing bodily (physical) respect and reverence to Allah at the utmost degree.

Full article below the cut

Read the rest of this entry »

My maternal grandfather and I were the only ones in my immediate family who were left handed.  Every time we went to their house, I would inevitably end up reading his copy of The World’s Greatest Left Handers:  Why Left-Handers are Just Plain Better Than Everybody Else.  I never felt any stigma about my left handedness, because obviously left handed people were teh awesome.  No stigma that is, until I became a muslim.

Now, it’s not been terrible, but even aside from the ahadith that recommend using the right hand to eat, using one’s left hand is considered a faux pas in many of the muslim cultures that dominate the masjid.  And if one favors their left hand, people do tend to notice.

But, it looks like there are quite a few converts who are also left handed.   I wonder if the independent spirit that seems to thrive among lefties draws us to islam in greater numbers than our portion of the total population?   In general, lefties think differently, and perhaps that different thinking leads us to be more willing to explore a religion outside the “norm” for spiritual fulfilment?

Perhaps we should start a club – we could all get together and commiserate about how difficult it is to eat with our right hands and the evil looks we get at the masjid when we give up and use our left to shovel the biryani down at iftar time. 

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I try to eat with my right hand, partially to fulfill a sunnah of the Prophet (saws), but also to avoid the constant naseeha of strangers coming up and telling me not to eat with my left hand.

Why do we leave using the left hand?

It is a sunna to use the right hand for noble matters, and the left hand for lowly matters, whenever reasonably possible.  This is a general recommendation. It is not sinful or prohibited to use the left hand; doing so without need is, however, blameworthy because it is going against recommended Prophet practice.

Sayyida `Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) related that, “The Messenger of Allah loved using the right in wearing his shoes, combing his hair, purification, and in all his matters.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

She also related that, The Messenger of Allah’s hand (blessings and peace be upon him) was for his purification and eating, and his left for the toilet and anything lowly. [Abu Dawud; Nawawi declared it rigorously authentic in his Majmu`]

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) said, “It is from the sunna that you enter the mosque with your right leg, and leave with your left leg.” [Hakim]

The hadiths related to this are numerous.

Ibn Daqiq explained that this is a general recommendation from which certain particulars have been excepted, such as entering the washroom, cleaning one�s private parts, leaving the mosque, and the like, for the sunna in these is to use the left. [Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam]

Some people are just born left handed, what do they do?

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

 

It is in of itself superior to use the right hand for all noble matters, for this was the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyida A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) said that the he (Allah bless him and give him peace) liked to use the right in all matters.

In matters requiring dexterity, such as writing, there is no harm in a left-hander using their left hand. However, one should avoid eating with the left hand, because it is a specific sunna, and dignified conduct, to do so with the right hand.

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani.

Using the Left Hand for Dhikr

Walaikum assalam,

It is recommended to do all noble things with the right hand. If one does this, with an intention of following the noble way of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions), one is rewarded. But one is not blamed for non-performance of such matters. [Imam al-Ayni, Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari]

The same applies, Imam al-Ayni says, to eating with the left hand. The vast majority of the scholars, except the Literalists, held that it is recommended to eat with the right hand, but it is not something that is sinful or blameworthy if left out, unless one does so out of disregard or disrespect for the sunna of the Beloved of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

Therefore, it is permitted to do dhikr with both hands. Some scholars preferred this, so that all one’s fingers would bear witness for one’s worship on the Day of Judgment. Others preferred that one limit oneself to the right hand, because, as `A’isha (Allah be pleased with him) mentioned, “The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) like to use the right in all things.”

Thus, it is a difference of preference, not permissibility.

Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani

Sr. Tammy has some delicious looking sabaya recipes on her blog.  As soon as I can find her directions for folding, I’m totally all over it.

*drools*

T-minus 100 days until Ramadan (give or take  a few days)!  That’s only 3 months away   It’s never to early to get psyched and start preparing.  I have heard that the companions of the Prophet (ra and saws) would spend the 5 months after Ramadan asking Allah (swt) to accept their deeds from the month and the next six preparing for the forthcoming Ramadan.

Well, we’re definitely in the six months preceeding Ramadan, so now is the time to prepare.  What are you going to do to get yourself psyched up?  I’m currently reading through al-Jumuah magazine’s Ramadan issue from last year and man oh man, August 22nd (or 21st or 23rd) can’t come fast enough!

To do before Ramadan:

1. Pray every single fard prayer on time between now and the beginning of Ramadan (and inshaAllah throughout and after Ramadan as well)
2. Add duha prayer in July
3. Add tahajjud at the beginning of August
4. Begin fasting Mondays and Thursdays in Rajab and Sha’ban
5. Brush up on the fiqh of fastingaccording to the shafi’i school
6. Browse through my past posts on Ramadanto find more inspirational and iman boosting things to read and listen to, especially my ramadan linkage mega post from last year.  Also, FYI, there appears to be a bug in my layout, so that when you select a category, it only shows one page of results.  To circumvent this, use the search function at the top o my blog.

[happy happy joy joy]  I’m positively giddy right now thinking about Ramadan. [/happy happy joy joy]

While I haven’t had time to read it all yet, Reuter’s FaithWorld blog has quite a bit of coverage of al-haj al-babawi, ie the pilgrimage of the Pope to the holyland.   Check out the Pope’s keffiyah:

Pope Benedict XVI, wearing an Arab keffiyah headscarf presented to him, simles at Lady of Peace Church in Amman May 8, 2009. Photo taken May 8, 2009.REUTERS/Osservatore Romano

Some of the Pope’s comments re: muslims:

 “One of the highlights of these days was my visit to the Mosque Al-Hussein Bin Talal, where I had the pleasure of meeting Muslim religious leaders together with members of the diplomatic corps and University Rectors. I would like to encourage all Jordanians, whether Christian or Muslim, to build on the firm foundations of religious tolerance that enable the members of different communities to live together in peace and mutual respect. His Majesty the King has been notably active in fostering inter-religious dialogue, and I want to put on record how much his commitment in this regard is appreciated. I also gratefully acknowledge the particular consideration that he shows towards the Christian community in Jordan. This spirit of openness not only helps the members of different ethnic communities in this country to live together in peace and concord, but it has contributed to Jordan’s far-sighted political initiatives to build peace throughout the Middle East.” (Farewell Address in Jordan)

“During my stay in Jerusalem, I will have the pleasure of meeting many of this country’s distinguished religious leaders. On thing that the three great monotheistic religions have in common is a special veneration for that holy city. It is my earnest hope that all pilgrims to the holy places will be able to access them freely and without restraint, to take part in religious ceremonies and to promote the worthy upkeep of places of worship on sacred sites.” (Arrival Address in Jerusalem)

“We cannot fail to be concerned that today, with increasing insistency, some maintain that religion fails in its claim to be, by nature, a builder of unity and harmony, an expression of communion between persons and with God. Indeed some assert that religion is necessarily a cause of division in our world; and so they argue that the less attention given to religion in the public sphere the better. Certainly, the contradiction of tensions and divisions between the followers of different religious traditions, sadly, cannot be denied. However, is it not also the case that often it is the ideological manipulation of religion, sometimes for political ends, that is the real catalyst for tension and division, and at times even violence in society? In the face of this situation, where the opponents of religion seek not simply to silence its voice but to replace it with their own, the need for believers to be true to their principles and beliefs is felt all the more keenly. Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common history so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known and recognized as worshippers of God faithful to prayer, eager to uphold and live by the Almighty’s decrees, merciful and compassionate, consistent in bearing witness to all that is true and good, and ever mindful of the common origin and dignity of all human persons, who remain at the apex of God’s creative design for the world and for history.”  (at  King Hussein bin Talal Mosque)

“Today I wish to refer to a task which I have addressed on a number of occasions and which I firmly believe Christians and Muslims can embrace, particularly through our respective contributions to learning and scholarship, and public service. That task is the challenge to cultivate for the good, in the context of faith and truth, the vast potential of human reason. Christians in fact describe God, among other ways, as creative Reason, which orders and guides the world. And God endows us with the capacity to participate in his reason and thus to act in accordance with what is good. Muslims worship God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who has spoken to humanity. And as believers in the one God we know that human reason is itself God’s gift and that it soars to its highest plane when suffused with the light of God’s truth. In fact, when human reason humbly allows itself to be purified by faith, it is far from weakened; rather, it is strengthened to resist presumption and to reach beyond its own limitations. In this way, human reason is emboldened to pursue its noble purpose of serving mankind, giving expression to our deepest common aspirations and extending, rather than manipulating or confining, public debate. Thus, genuine adherence to religion – far from narrowing our minds – widens the horizon of human understanding. It protects civil society from the excesses of the unbridled ego which tend to absolutize the finite and eclipse the infinite; it ensures that freedom is exercised hand in hand with truth, and it adorns culture with insights concerning all that is true, good and beautiful.

“Together, Christians and Muslims are impelled to seek all that is just and right. We are bound to step beyond our particular interests and to encourage others, civil servants and leaders in particular, to do likewise in order to embrace the profound satisfaction of serving the common good, even at personal cost. And we are reminded that because it is our common human dignity which gives rise to universal human rights, they hold equally for every man and woman, irrespective of his or her religious, social or ethnic group. In this regard, we must note that the right of religious freedom extends beyond the question of worship and includes the right – especially of minorities – to fair access to the employment market and other spheres of civic life.” (at  King Hussein bin Talal Mosque)

“My visit to Jordan gives me a welcome opportunity to speak of my deep respect for the Muslim community, and to pay tribute to the leadership shown by His Majesty the King in promoting a better understanding of the virtues proclaimed by Islam. Now that some years have passed since the publication of the Amman Message and the Amman Interfaith Message, we can say that these worthy initiatives have achieved much good in furthering an alliance of civilizations between the West and the Muslim world, confounding the predictions of those who consider violence and conflict inevitable. Indeed the Kingdom of Jordan has long been at the forefront of initiatives to promote peace in the Middle East and throughout the world, encouraging inter-religious dialogue, supporting efforts to find a just solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, welcoming refugees from neighboring Iraq, and seeking to curb extremism.

“At the Seminar held in Rome last autumn by the Catholic-Muslim Forum, the participants examined the central role played in our respective religious traditions by the commandment of love. I hope very much that this visit, and indeed all the initiatives designed to foster good relations between Christians and Muslims, will help us to grow in love for the Almighty and Merciful God, and in fraternal love for one another.” (Arrival in Amman)

 

Going to take the car in tomorrow for some much avoided repair work.  Last time I had repair work done, they had to replace my back axle to the tune of $1,000.  Apparently I had driven 500 miles of my 700 mile grand tour of Wisconsin with a broken axle.  If I hadn’t taken the car in for a tire rotation in my hometown while on tour, the tires could have come off while I was driving on the highway!  So alhamdulilah, despite the steep price tag.

There’s something screwy with the right front something or other that I deferred doing last time but really should do before I go on my next grand tour at the end of the month.  Make dua that it isn’t another $1,000.

ugh, being an adult has too much responsibility attached.

On a related (to the forthcoming grand tour of Wisconsin) note, my mom and my sister have both been receptive to my obsession with eating naturally (and by extension zabiha-y), ie meals made from scratch with whole ingredients and no scary sounding chemicals and preservatives.  Mom and I actually talked this last weekend about a story we both heard on NPR, in particular, this part:

Kessler says it is possible to create virtually anything with chemicals. In his book, he writes that a piece of meat can be made to taste like it has been seared, braised, roasted or grilled. And, he tells Norris, much of our food today — because it’s so highly processed — is enormously palatable.

Seriously, is that not disturbing?

And, I often have talked with her about my grocery shopping triumphs, where I manage to purchase only whole ingredients.  So, she’s already aware that I’ve become super nit picky about what I eat.  I’m really hoping that she won’t freak when I refuse to eat x y and z at their table.

I’ve already offered to do the cooking for my grandma and my parents while I’m there, so I am hoping to introduce some tasty vegetarian cuisine sans non zabiha meat and potential alcohol.

 Jundub bin Sufyan (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said,

“He who offers the dawn (fajr) prayers will come under the Protection of Allah. O son of Adam! Beware, lest Allah should call you to account in any respect from (for withdrawing) His Protection.”

(Muslim)

I love the belly pics.  Unfortunately, the Squeakster is not a belly kinda cat, so no belly rubs (unless I want to be bunny kicked and nipped for my attempt).

…jummah bad.

Over all, jummah good:

• Met a new sister on the bus
• Saw Keith Ellison
• Saw lots of dads bring their kiddos with them.  There is nothing cuter then a little kid in a kufi or hijab.  Except Squeaky.  Squeaky is the cutest thing ever

jummah bad:

• Drunk wedged himsef into the seat on the bus next to my new friend and proceeded to slobber all over and call her names.  Rrrrr.
• Brothers, I know you think you’re all that, but is it really appropriate to wear a shirt that says F(emale) B(ody) I(nspector)?  Is that how you want to present yourself to the community and to Allah (swt)?  Lower your gaze!

If you haven’t donated yet, do it!

It appears my user icon reset when hadithuna went through repairs.  Should I use this opportunity to shift icons?

I love the girl in the hot pink hijab:

But, I’ve come across some new icons recently that I like as well:

So many icons, so little space.

I really really liked this movie.   AbuS did as well.  Thoughts with spoilers after the cut. Read the rest of this entry »

Squeaky has a new nickname…talkative little monster. 

So I got up to pray isha as per the plan.  Afterwards, I decided to sleep out on the couch, so as to not wake AbuS sneaking back into the bedroom – the door is quite loud and squeaky.  In the past, this has worked out just fine.  Squeaky spends 5 or 10 minutes doing her kneading thing on my stomach, and then she’ll curl up on the top of the couch and we’ll both sleep.

Oh no, not last night.  Last night, she decided she must talk to me…all night.  And if I tried to ignore her and sleep, she walked over to the bedroom door and meowed for AbuS.  So I’d have to get up, pick her up, stumble back to the couch and commence the whole process all over again – kneading, kitty snuggles in to sleep, I make my bedtime dhikr, kitty gets restless and starts to meow, I ignore, she goes to make noise to wake up AbuS, I go to get her…you get the picture.  Talkative little monster *shakes fist at cat*

 Don’t let that innocent little look fool you.  Inside is a devious monster bent on depriving her mommy of sleep

I was awake when fajr came, so I prayed it in the beginning of it’s time for the first time since last Ramadan and decided the heck with it, I’m going to the bedroom.  She meowed at the door a bit, although thankfully not loud enough to wake AbuS, and then went off to do whatever it is she usually does when we’re sleeping.

On the bright side, I made a lot of dhikr last night.  Alhamdulilah

Narrated ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (ra): Fatima (ra) came to the Prophet (saws) asking for a servant. He said, “May I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite “Subhan Allah’ thirty three times, ‘Alhamdulillah’ thirty three times, and ‘Allahu Akbar’ thirty four times. ‘All added, ‘I have never failed to recite it ever since.” Somebody asked, “Even on the night of the battle of Siffin?” He said, “No, even on the night of the battle of Siffin.”  (Bukhari)

…between backbiting and warning people?  If the warning is done with bad manners and in bad taste, but there is some actual useful information in it?

How would you react if you heard that a scholar you admired publically beat his wife?  Do you try to confirm this by seeking out the person who says they saw it, or do you brush it aside?  And then how do you approach the scholar after this?  Take the good from him and leave the bad?

*sigh*

In other, happier news, I’ve been doing very well with my salat alhamdulilah.  As isha creeps later, I’ve started to go to sleep after maghrib and have AbuSqueakster wake me up when he goes to bed around midnight to pray isha.  I think some new medication I’m taking is wreaking havoc on my ability to fall asleep though, as I’ve been tossing and turning for quite awhile before I finally manage to drift off.  I’m tiiiiiiiired.

Also doing well with my foundation expansion alhamdulilah.  Granted, I’m only on day 3, but I’ve not turned on the television when I got home and instead spent time with Squeaky and AbuSqueakster, cleaned (my stove is clean!) and read 10 minutes of Qur’an.  Alhamdulilah.

As I (think that I) learn more about arabic, I find that arabic plurals slip into my vocabulary.  Ahadith, faraid, and ibadat are some that I’ve use most frequently as of late.

So my tangent is this – when speaking muslimgish (muslim english), should we pluralize singular arabic words following english grammatical norms, or arabic grammatical norms.

hadiths vs. ahadith

fards vs. faraid

ibadahs vs. ibadat

muslims vs. muslimeen

dhikr (I don’t think I’ve ever heard this made plural englishly, people just “do dhikr”) vs. adhakar

sheikhs vs. shuyuk

salats vs. salawah

and to go further

hijabi (probably the most prevelant muslimgish word) vs muhajabah

and even further

hijabis vs. muhajabat

Of course, the danger in all of this is that my knowledge of arabic grammar is pitiful at best, and I run the risk of looking like a fool when I pluralize something wrong (like I probably did somewhere in the preceeding  list).

If you know me in the real world and/or have followed my blog for awhile, you’ll know I’m all about making grand plans and goals.  Ramadan rolls up, ooo I’m gonna read a juz a day, pray all my prayers on time, and go to taraweeeh 3 times a week at least inshaAllah.  Two weeks into Ramadan, I’m barely able eek out the faraid, let alone any extra acts of ibadat.

Why?  Because I haven’t taken the time to invest in building a foundation for my deen.  Sh. Abdul Sattar goes into this concept in depth in his talk building a foundation.

Basically, look at a small child building a tower out of blocks.  They’ll stack one block on top of another, until it all tumbles over.  Why?  Because they have  small foundation of a single block.  Over time, they’ll learn that if they build a wider base, they’ll be able to build a taller tower.

It’s the same with ibadat and our deen.  I get all motivated after listening to a lecture, attending an event or in preparing for Ramadan.  I have a million things I want to do for Allah (swt).  But, I’ve got nothing to build on.  My preparation of shoddy and the foundation is shaky at best.

So it’s obvious what I have to do next right?  Start laying a solid foundation, so that when the time comes, be it Ramadan, or an inspiration from Allah (swt), I’ll be able to build up my deen.

I have a small foundation laid out with my fard prayers alhamdulilah.  The first step to expand it will be to add daily quran reading inshaAllah.  Nothing huge, nothing that I’ll look at it a week from now and be like, I can’t do this.  Nope, for now, it’s just 10 minutes of reading the Qur’an each day, in english. 

Wish me luck and if you want to join me in securing your foundation, leave me a note in the comments

From Imam ar-Rabbani via Sunnipath:

The Shari`ah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey the Shari`ah. And when you obey the Shari`ah you obtain the pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur’an says: “The pleasure of God is the highest good.” Hence, the Shari`ah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shari`ah.

The tariqah ["way"] and the haqiqah["reality"] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shari`ah, as they help to realize its third part, namely, sincerity. Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shari`ah, not to achieve something beyond the Shari`ah. The raptures and ecstasies which the Sufis experience, and the ideas and truths which come to them in the course of their journey, are not the goal of Sufism. They are rather myths and fancies on which the children of Sufism are fed. One has to pass over them all and reach the stage of satisfaction (rida) which is the final goal of suluk ["travelling", i.e. the Sufi path] and jadhbah ["overwhelming love"]. The purpose of traversing the stages of of tariqah and haqiqah is nothing other than the realisation of ikhlas which involves the attainment of rida. Only one out of a thousand Sufis is graced with the three illuminations (tajalliyat sih ganah) and gnostic visions, given ikhlas and elevated to the stage of rida.

Nope, not a staged posed.  She actually sits around like this.

So if you look up at the top of this blog, right there above the beloved Squeakster, you’ll notice a bunch of links.  One of these says “converts.”  If you could, please click it and look through the list. 

Is there anything missing that you think a new convert absolutely must read/listen to/watch?

I am adding this video.  MashaAllah excellent advice that doesn’t scew too heavily towards any one group.  I’m really liking this post-sufi/salafi/traditionalist infighting that has been emerging recently.   At the fundraiser last weekend for Imam Siraj (btw if you haven’t donated yet, DO IT!) it nearly brought me to tears that these beautiful brothers of knowledge from all across the spectrum came together in their love for another brother, who was from a completely seperate part of that spectrum.  If there is hope that the sufi and the salafi can live together not only peacefully, but with a high level of respect for the “other” inspite of our differences,  it’s coming here in america inshaAllah.