Category Archive

…neither AbuS nor I have slept well all this week.  It’s taking me a lot longer then usual (which is normally way too long as it is) to fall asleep, I’m waking up in the middle of the night and before my alarm.  Dur.  So.  Freakin.  Tired!

In other news, it’s almost the 27th of Rajab!  This means digging out one of my favorite CDs – Al- Miraj: A Night of Advice - and once again contemplating salat.   Nothing profound yet, as I’m struggling just to stay awake, but maybe something will come

bwahaha it’s all cat, all the time.

Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for this free class Imam Suhaib is teaching on Message for the Seekers of Guidance.  I have Imam Zaid’s translation, and mashaAllah, the book is awesome.  Take Imam Zaid’s commentary, add Imam Suhaib’s, and it promises to be one very intense and deep class.

I’ve been striving to cut the processed and non halal products out of my life.   The end is near, as I’ve finally managed to part with my favorite food of all time – Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  *sobs*  From here on out, the only food stuffs in my cupboards are those with whole ingredients.  No chemicals, no multitude of corn derivatives and nothing that may have alcohol or non zabiha animal bits lurking under innocent sounding names.  If I have to google it to find out what it is, it doesn’t belong on my plate.

Since starting this quest, I’ve come across a few must have products for the muslim looking to live whole and halal:

• Ricola- cough drops are a must have for me.  The inhaler only does so much to stop my constant coughing.  Somedays a cough drop is the only thing that will work.  Even the “natural” versions of more popular brands have the ubiquitous and completely non-descriptive ingredient “flavor.”  What kind of flavor?  How is this flavor derived?  Well, I could attempt to write the companies to find out, and more often then not get no answer.  Or, I can pick up a package of Ricola cough drops.  Sure, they contain natural flavors too, but alhamdulilah, they tell you what they are – usually peppermint and spearmint oil.
• Tom’s Toothpaste – the only toothpaste I’ve ever found that has a halal certification.
• Sargento Cheeses- all their cheeses (except Romano, Provolone, Asiago, and Jarlsberg) are made with non-animal rennets.  Check out the Vegetarian Cheese List for more cheeses made without animal rennet.
• Seriously Strong Cheddar- omgoodness, this cheese has a pungent and sharp taste that is to die for.  And it gets bonus points for listing animal rennet right on the ingredients, so I didn’t have to go digging to see if it was ok to eat.
• Chocolates and flavorings made without alcohol
• CSA- community supported agriculture.  inshaAllah we’re going to sign up for a basket this year.  You pay a certain amount up front, and a local farm supplies you with fresh produce and farm products for 18+ weeks.  This is the ultimate in halal and whole eating – you can visit the farm and see exactly how the food you eat is grown.  No mystery processing in a factory, no guesswork, it’s all out there for you to see. 
• Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese- ok, still probably technically a processed food, but one where all the ingredients are easily recognizable.  Made with non animal enzymes.  Not as tasty as kraft, but inshaAllah over time, I’ll get used to it
• Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Omnivore’s Dilemna.  Have I mentioned these books before?  Once, twice, a million times?  Still, I’ll mention them here again for the million and first time.  Get them.  Read them.   Then come back and help me formulate an islamic approach to eating whole and halal.  Can we advocate eating local as eating halal?  How about organic?  How would the Prophet (saws) view the modern industrial food complex?  These are all questions that I’ve been mulling over for some time, and inshaAllah hope to formulate an answer on someday soon.

inshaAllah more to come as I find em.

…and the husband has promised to get a book or 2 to commemorate the occasion   What should I get?  I have a huuuuge wishlist, and alhamdulilah (and alas) new books keep coming out.

Here are some newer releases that have caught my eye:

• An Exposition of the Hearts : English Translation of “Mukashafat al Qulub” by Imam al Ghazali
• Bidayat as-Sul Fi Tafdil ar-Rasul (The Beginning Of The Quest Of The High Esteem Of The Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)
• The Advice of the Esteemed Scholar : of Imam Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi
• Al-Arba’in (Collection of Forty Hadiths) of Shah Wali Allah ad-Dihlawi
• The Remembrance of God
• The Content of Character Copybook

online!  via Dervish.

 uber spiffiness   Granted, it doesn’t do one much good if they don’t speak arabic, but I’m sure the husband will enjoy this.

Alhamdulilah, we had a beautiful little mawlid at our apartment last night, just the husband and I.  We played nasheeds and sung along where we could.  We talked about what we love about the Prophet (saws).   I read from a book I love, The Prophet of Mercy – Muhammad – Scenes from His Life.  If you want to increase your love for the Prophet (saws), then get this book.  It presents aspects of the Prophet’s (saws) life within themes: his courtesty, his conduct, his humility, his sincerity, his loyalty and overall, his mercy as he was sent as the mercy to all mankind.

This is my favorite passage from the book:

The lifestyle of the Prophet is the best example for each and every human being.  He is the best example of a religious leader.  He is the finest example of a state leader.  He is the example to follow for those who enter the garden of divine love.  He is the highest example of gratitude and humbleness for those who are showered with the gifts of God.  He is the greatest example of patience and submission, in the most challenging times and places.  He is the best example of generosity and heedlessness towards collecting bounty.  He is the finest example of mercy towards the weak, the lonely and the slaves and he is exemplary in pardoning the guilty.

If you are wealthy, contemplate the humbleness and generosity of Prophet Muhammad, who gained the hearts of the leaders who controlled all of Arabia.

If you are weak, adopt the example of the Prophet during the period he spent in Mecca under the rule of the oppressive and usurping polytheists.

If you are a triumphant conqueror, take your example from the life of the courageous Prophet who defeated his enemies in Badr and Hunayn.

If you lose a battle, may Allah protect you,  and in that case, remember the example of the Prophet who walked with dignity, courage and reliance on Allah, among his martyred and wounded companions after hte battle of Uhud.

If you are a teacher, contemplate the exxample of the Prophet who taught God’s orders by conveying his soft and sensitive englightenment to the people of Suffa (ashab al-Suffa, the people of the bench)  in the school at his Mosque.

If you are a student, bring to mind the example of the Prophet who sat on his knees before the Archangel, the Trustworthy Gabriel.

If you are a preahcer or a sincere spiritual guide (murshid) for people, listen to the voice of the Prophet, who spread wisdom to his companions.

If you aim to defend the truth, convey it to others and lift it up, yet you do not even have a helper in this matter, then look at the life of the Prophet who proclaimed the truth in Mecca against the oppressors while inviting them to it.

If you defeated your enemoies, broke their resistance and triumphed over them, destroyed the superstitions and declared the truth, then imagine the example of the Prophet on the day he conquered Mecca.  He entered this holy city as triumphant commander, yet with great humbleness, sitting on his camel as if he were in the state of sajdah; that is prostration to God, as an expression of gratitude to Allah.

If you are a farmer, take your example from the Prophet whom, after conquering the lands of Bani Nadr, Khyabar and Fadak, choose excellent people to develop and manage these lands in the most productive way.

If you are lonely, with no relatives, bring to mind the example of the orphan of Abdullah and Aminah, their most beloved and only innocent son.

If you are an adolescent, pay attention to ther life of the Prophet who, as a young man and candidate for prophethood, served in Mecca as a shepherd for the sheep of his uncle Abu Talib.

If you are a business man and travelling for trade, think about the experiences of the Most Honored Person, Muhammad (saws) while leading the caravan going from Mecca to Syria and Busra.

If you are a judge or a referee, bring to mind his justice and foresight when he solved the conflict among the tribes of Mecca over the prestige of putting back the Black Stone (Hagar al-Aswad) as they were on the verge of killing each other.

Again, turn your eyes to history and consider the example of the Prophet as he, in his Masjid in Medina, treated equally the poor in distress and the wealthy, as he judged between them with utmost balance.

If you are a husband, look carefully at the pure life style, the compassion and the deep feelings of the Prophet as an examplary husband.

If you are a parent, learn about the example of the father of Fatimah al-Zahra, and the grandfather of Hasan and Husayn in his manners towards them.

Regardless of your qualitites and the state you are in, day or night, you will find him as the most perfect role model, teacher and guide for yourself.

He is so perfect a teacher that through following his example you can correct all your mistakes, eliminate chaos from your life and bring order to your life.  Through his light and guidance, you can overcome the difficulties of life and attain real happiness.

As a matter of fact, his life is a bouquet compoased of the rarest and most elegant flowers and roses with the finest of fragrances.

I finally got my Eid present. Nope, not the husband’s fault. I ordered Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance a few days before Eid and promptly forgot about it. A week ago, I remembered and was like, where the heck is that book? Before I had a chance to email and ask, I received an email that it was shipped. It arrived yesterday. Obscenely long processing time aside, I’m uber excited about this book!

When I read, I tend to skim. This works fine if you’re reading a hundred pages a day for a college course, or Harry Potter, but it doesn’t work when you’re studying sacred knowledge. One needs to read deliberately, reflecting on each word. Alhamdulilah, the set up of this book is quite conducive to this. Imam al Muhasibi’s text is in bold, and Imam Zaid’s commentary follows in a normal font. Imam Zaid’s commentary serves as a jumping off point for reflection on the words of the original author.

From page one, this book has tremendous benefit. In fact, these first few sections are right in line with what I’m studying in my Sunnipath course on the Creed of Imam Tahawi. Alhamdulilah.

An excerpt from page one:

All praise is fittingly rendered unto God, the First, the Preexisting, the One, and the Majestic.

Something can be first and also have a beginning. Adam was the first man, but he had a beginning. God is unique that He is the first with no beginning. His existence necessarily precedes all other existence, and all else in existence owes its existence to Him, the Creator. Hence, He alone is preexisting. One holding this unique distinction is deserving of all praise for all else owes its existence to Him. This is the foundation of the most credible arguments for the existence of God. Acknowledging God as preexisting and eternal allows us to avoid the logical problems arising from infinite regress, when trying to account for the origin of creation, and the appearance of an obvious effect, in this case, the creation, without the existence of a causal agent, the creator.

 This book is awesome.  Seriously, seriously awesome.  It’s not something you can sit down and read in large chunks.  I’m going to read a paragraph each night and then just reflect as I fall asleep inshaAllah.  Awesomeness to the nth degree, mashaAllah.

How often do we just sit and think about Allah (swt)?  How much of our day is devoted solely to Allah (swt)?   How much of our day is taken up by the mundanities of the dunya?   Get up, get dressed, go to work, go to the gym, come home, eat dinner, veg in front of the TV or computer.  Make all your salat on time if you’re lucky.  Time for dhikr or reading Qur’an?  Phffft!  Go to bed, get up and start it all over again.

an excerpt with some questions for reflection in purple: 

God alone, and none other, is the true Deity, the Necessary Existent, who is Creator, Producer, Fashioner, Provider, Giver of life and death, and Wise Disposer (Think about each of these names.  What do they mean in relation to you, to the world, to creation, to life itself?); who has perfected everything He has created, and excelled in everything which He has made; who directs all things with ultimate precision, and has determined everything He has decreed (Think about your life.  Every action you’ve taken.  Everything, good and bad, that has happened to you.  How is each thing the best possibility for you?). He alone is the true God, Pre-existent and Eternal, worthy of inward and external worship (What are inward and external worship?  Which of these do you do each day?  What more could you do?), exalted above all blemish, who possesses the most exalted attributes and the most beautiful names. His are might and majesty; none shares in His essence, attributes or actions.  There is no other God than He.

Anyone else have any other questions to spark reflection on this passage?

What do you give to someone who is interested in Islam?  A Quran without a doubt, and a biography of the Prophet (saws) sure.  But when it comes to a general intro to Islam book, I’ve never found one that I’ve been 100% comfortable with.  Most are too salafi in orientation for my liking, or are too focused on the halal and haram and the rules, and not enough on the heart.  Up until now, I’ve made my own intro binder that I give to newbies and those interested in the religion.

Alhamdulilah, those days are now behind me, because someone has finally put out a book that I love.  Submission, Faith & Beauty, written by Dr. Joseph Lumbardand put out by the good folks at Zaytuna conveys the message of Islam with beauty, grace and balance.  Based on the hadith Jibril, the author writes about Faith (iman), Submission (islam) and Beauty (ihsan) using the Qur’an and traditions of the Prophet (saws).  Hot button, oft misunderstood issues like gender, sharia, fatwas and jihad are sprinkled throughout the book, but in a way that naturally connects it to the main theme of the book, and not in an overly apologetic manner. 

It’s not a large book.  The pages are glossy and colorful photos are spread throughout.  It should be approachable for just about anyone.  The language is simple and quite eloquent.  Any arabic jargon is succinctly defined in english.  It clearly captures not only “to do” aspects, but also the very heart and spirit of the faith. 

If you’re looking for an introduction to Islam, this is it.  Order from Zaytuna before October 5th, and it’s 20% off.

There is almost nothing quite as satisfying as a great find at a used book store.  Ok, perhaps that betrays what a boring and uneventful life I lead, but if that’s how it is, so be it.

Usually the Islam section at used bookstores are skewed heavily towards the “omg islam is evil11!!1!” genre and books that are written about Islam from an outsiders perspective.  Qur’ans are usually NJ Dawood, with the occasional AJ Arberry thrown in.

Imagine my suprise then, when I found the following books during my weekend book browse.  It was all I could do to stop myself from doing a happy dance and making sajda shukr right there in the store.  Book reviews will be forthcoming, after I finish reading inshaAllah.

Several new books coming out that look absolutely fabulous.  On the wishlist they go, and hints are being dropped to the husband re: birthday and eid presents.  *poke poke poke*

Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance

The translation, notes, and commentary of Imam al-Harith al-Muhasibi’s Risala al-Mustarshidin (Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance) by Zaid Shakir is intended to serve as a layman’s guide to Islamic spirituality. Al – Muhasibi presents most of the major ideas that would both serve as the basis for a full program of spiritual development and comprise an insightful overview of a system of Islamic moral psychology. He examines in great depth and penetrating insight the psychological motivations and justifications for moral thought and action and correspondingly the associated bases of immorality. In so doing, he has provided a road map that any person can follow to overcome the guiles of his fundamental enemies: the world, the ego, the whims of the soul, and Satan

New Book Aims to Correct Distortions about Islam

Today’s heightened—and often antagonistic—focus on Islam has underscored the need for credible and scholarly publications that explain the religion to those genuinely searching for a narrative about Islam other than the master narrative created by much of the Western media and many of the West’s leaders. This summer, Zaytuna Institute plans to release a much-anticipated introductory work about Islam that is just such a publication. Entitled Submission, Faith, and Beauty and written by the Muslim scholar, Dr. Joseph Lumbard of  Brandeis University, this thoughtful and well-written work beautifully and succinctly summarizes the core beliefs of the Muslim faith. “The Western view of Islam is rooted in centuries of mistrust, ignorance, and stereotypical attitudes,” says Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, who, along with Imam Zaid Shakir, edited the book. “These attitudes are no longer viable given the immense interdependence shared between the West and the Muslims. It is to forward mutual understanding that Zaytuna commissioned this book.” Much of Submission, Faith, and Beauty is based on the holistic view of Islam that results from the famous Hadith of Gabriel. The hadith, transmitted by the second caliph of Islam, Umar b. al-Khattab, came toward the end of the Prophet’s life and explained the three dimensions of Islam—submission (islam), belief (iman), and beautification (ihsan)—as well as the End of Time, to the Prophet’s companions. “From one perspective,” writes Dr. Lumbard in the book’s Introduction, “submission, faith, and beautification are the three fundamental dimensions of the submitting way; they complement and complete each other. They are envisioned as three partially overlapping circles, and the place where all three circles overlap is the ideal that all Muslims strive to attain. One who embodies all three in their fullest depth and breadth is closer to living as a true human being in what the Qur’an refers to as the true nature (fitrah).” The release of this newest Zaytuna publication would not have been possible without the generous donations and prayers of the San Francisco Bay Area Muslim community, which believed in the potential of the project several years ago and waited patiently for its fruition. “It’s thrilling that Western Muslim communities are recognizing the importance of funding projects such as this,” says Aftab Malik, who guided the publication of the book to its conclusion. “It will only be with generosity such as that displayed by the Bay Area Muslim community that Muslims will finally be able to tell their own stories in the West.” One of the results of Muslims being able to tell their own stories is the creation of a narrative of Islam that appeals to fair-minded people of other faiths and perspectives. With the publication of books such as Submission, Faith, and Beauty, Zaytuna hopes to usher in a new era of discourse about Islam in the West. “This small book can do much to edify those concerned citizens in the West about the beauty and truth of Islam,” says Shaykh Hamza. “And, by doing so, help guide the Western understanding of the religion from one based upon distortions, to one rooted in authentic knowledge.”

I have a one and a half hour commute in the morning and evening, giving me three hours of time to fill.  Usually I’ll be listening to NPR podcasts, but alas, I’ve misplaced my ipod cord.  Thus, I can’t update or charge my ipod.  So, I’ve started to read again.  It’s mainly been fluffy novels my mom has picked up for me at goodwill, but there’s been some substance there too.  From that substance, I have two recommendations:

   Scattered Pictures: Reflections of an American Muslim

A collection of essays by Imam Zaid Shakir.  While many of them can be found online, there’s nothing quite like having a book in your hands instead of a bunch of lose sheets of printer paper.   Plus, the book contains an essay of his conversion narrative, that I haven’t found anywhere else.  That essay alone makes this book worth buying.

                      
The Heirs of the Prophets 

I’m actually not reading this one on the bus, since it’s a dense tome.  I tend to skim when I read, and this one requires a lot of concentration.  It’s a translation of ibn Rajab’s commentary on the hadith of Abu Darda

Abu Darda (ra) narrated that Kathir ibn Qays said: “I was sitting with Abu Darda’ in the mosque of Damascus.  A man came to him and said: “Abu Darda, I have come to you from the town of the Allah’s Messenger (saws) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Allah’s Messenger (saws). I have come for no other purpose.” He said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger (saws) say: ‘If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allâh will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion..’”  (Abu Daud 3634)

Although I’ve only just begun this book, mashaAllah I’ve benefited enormously.  It’s a kick in the behind for me to ramp up my seeking of sacred knowledge.  It made me want to leave everything where it was and hop a plane to Yemen or Jordan or Egypt to seek knowledge at the feet of the heirs of the Prophet (saws).  inshaAllah one day ya Rab!

From the BBC:

In fact Abbas, a weapons expert with close links to the regional Islamic militant organisation Jemaah Islamiah, was on his way to visit a group of old colleagues – militants serving time for a range of terrorism offences.

“These are my friends, my students,” he said. “I trained some of them… I’ve visited almost all jails where there are detainees in terrorist cases.”

But Abbas was not here to plot new attacks. Instead he had come to try to persuade his friends to follow his example and renounce violence.

“We should not kill civilians,” he said. “Today I realise some of my friends are misguided. My mission is to open their minds.”

For five years now, Abbas has been quietly co-operating with the Indonesian police as part of a remarkable “deradicalisation” campaign focused on the country’s jails.

For a good look at Islam in Indonesia, I recommend Civil Islam.  Also, one of my profs recently published Women Shaping Islam:  Reading the Qur’an in Indonesia.  While I haven’t read it yet, I assume it’s excellent.  Nelly did a lot after 9/11 to reach out to the Muslim community and worked to build bridges between christian (and non christian) students and their muslim neighbors.  She organized a visit to a local masjid a few weeks afterwards, held roundtable discussions with non muslim and muslim students, and put on a Christian-Muslim interfaith conference the following spring.

Here’s my next stab at a book review:  Ok, so um yeah, Gotham Tragic. I picked this book up because it was tagged with “muslim-convert” in the library database.  I probably should have known from the cover picture of a tipping martini glass that it was definitely not “muslim literature,” as in literature written for a muslim audience.   It’s more of an islam/quasi muslims as a plot point type story 

The story follows a has been author 10 years after his generation defining novel.  Since that time, he’s done a lot of boozing, drugging, partying and fighting, until he finally settles down with a Turkish wife.  Then it’s just a fraction of the boozing, drugging, partying and fighting that he did before.  If I had to define the wife, she would be a cultural muslim.  She comes from a family of Russian-Turkish farm people who are fearsly loyal to their culture, if not to their religion.  She drinks, had lots of boyfriends before marriage, and doesn’t seem to mind that her husband converted to islam in name only to marry her.  Just as long as her children are raised to believe in God, she’s all right with the no salat and lots of drinking in her house.

The author converts prior to their wedding, takes the name Kurban, and continues to order wine and a cobb salad for lunch.  In the middle of the book, he publishes a “piece of satire” about his fake conversion to Islam.  This pisses off just about everybody and earns him a “fatwa,” *sigh.*  Through the piece, we find that among the problems he has with Islam is that 1. He doesn’t believe in God and 2. He doesn’t like the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (saws) was a warrior.  Things go downhill from there, although towards the end he does try to pray.  It doesn’t work, but hey, better than nothing.

One thing that does puzzle me is one of the pivitol characters in the book – a poor saudi immigrant who works as a doorman in new york so he can save money to support his family back home.  I know there are poor saudis, but do they go abroad to work?  I know arabs from non gulf countries frequently travel to the gulf and elsewhere abroad to work, but I wasn’t aware that poor saudis did that.  Poor research on the part of the author or just me not knowing as much about the region as I thought?

The book is definitely not anti Islam.  It’s not hostile rantings about how evil the religion is.  Instead, I think it takes a contemporary literary approach to the problems many do have with the faith.  I can’t say I would recommend it to anyone but the very bored or a person looking to investigate the portrayal of Islam in contemporary literature.  But, in the end, not horribly nasty as one might fear.

If there’s one thing you can say about me, it’s that I’m a voracious and quick reader.  I started Do Me Twice on my bus ride home and finished it before 7:30 pm.  However, I’m not much on writing formal reviews.  Although I loved to read as a child and teenager, I really didn’t like english class all that much.  I didn’t see the need to disect a book for it’s themes or write papers on character devlopment.  But, as an adult, I can see the importance of at least being able to write a decent review of a book, especially when one wants to recommend or not recommend it to others.  As such, here’s my review of Do Me Twice.  I can’t promise that it will be pretty prose, but inshaAllah I’ll improve as I write more.

My overall impression with the book was disappointment.  I picked it up becasue I had enjoyed the author’s first book Little X: Growing up in the Nation of Islam.  I hadn’t been dazzled by the prose, but the story was interesting and compelling – Little X provided a window into the world of NOI before and during the transition to mainstream Islam.

This sequel left a lot to be desired.   The beginning is rife with graphic depictions of sex.  Did we really need to know all about how her boyfriend did her up against a wall, among other places?  I dunno, maybe I’m a prude, but it made me quite uncomfortable, especially since I was reading it on the bus.

The back of the book proclaims:

Who are African-American Muslims? What do they stand for and why? How far-reaching are their lifestyle choices? With the global focus on terrorism and interest in the Islamic state, readers are hungry for answers that aren’t influenced by government spin or newscast ratings. They will find those answers here.

I didn’t find any answers.  In fact, I’ve gotten more profound insights into the blackamerican muslim community, warts and all, from reading Tariq Nelson’s blog.

I see the book more as one woman’s rejection of a tumultous, ever changing religious upbringing.  At one point in the book, the author writes about how she had believed in three gods – NOI, the transition out of NOI and finally “sunna” islam.  Her family’s approach to Islam, especially following the death of Elijah Muhammad, seems haphazard.  The author expresses a distain for all things arab, as her mother especially struggles to put together how to practice mainstream Islam, which seems to her to be heavily saturated by seeking to become arab – especially in eating on the floor with their hands.  Her father is addicted to pot and his stint in jail, leaving the author, her mother and her 9 siblings to fend for thmselves, deeply and negatively effects the author’s worldview.   The author is angry at her mother for having so many children, and for being a stay at home mom, as her family struggles to get by on her father’s meager income.

The author finally outright rejects Islam after marrying her muslim boyfriend, a ghetto superstar with a rapsheet a mile long.  In her attempt to halal-ify their booty calls, she ends up in a disasterous, abusive marriage to a man who seems to think Islam is only about about saying akh to other brothers and making your wife obey you.  Alhamdulilah, she gets out after he ends up in jail, but while doing so, she rejects not only Islam but everything “traditional.;” ie women should work and not stay home with the kids ever, one should feel free to have sex outside of marriage, heck, marriage is overrated. 

The author also appears to be angry with God.  One of the most devestating events that eventually leaders her away from Islam is when her uncle, a devout muslim, withers away with MS throughout the book, and eventually dies.  She is angry that all her family’s salat, fasting and religiousity didn’t save him.  Her family attempts to explain that this is a test, but she won’t have any of it.   She seems to blame this on Allah (swt) and on islam, but in reality, it’s a struggle people of all faiths endure.  Practicing Islam (or any faith) doesn’t guarentee you a free pass through life, immune from hardships.

When I finished the book, I wasn’t angry with the author, as I often am after reading stories by ex muslims.  Instead, I contemplated how Islam was presented to her, how it was lived around her, and what she resented in her muslim upbringing.  I can’t help but wonder if her family’s situation had been different, if they had implimented islam in a different, more cohesive manner, that she might have come away thinking differently.  If she had a strong muslim community to support her, not one that was constantly battling with crime and drugs.  If if if…  Her experiences remind me of this post of Tariq’s – although her parents weren’t strangers, her family certainly did seem disfunctional.

I know my approach to islam has been heavily geared towards finding strong female role models within the faith.  The author’s only role model is her mother, who insists that the only way to be a good muslimah is to stay at home and have a ton of kids.  Her parents discourage her from attending college, and chide her for not helping out around the house while studying and working. 

If that had been my introduction to Islam, I may have rejected it as well.  Instead, I came to Islam on my own, while in college.  My husband encourages me to think about going to grad or law school, and he supports me in my exploration to deepen my faith (except for the sufism bit, lol).   I don’t see submission to God as something confining, pointless and stupid, as I have explored the faith, and concluded that our acts of worship and the restrictions places on the muslimeen are reasonable and well thought out.

It does make me wonder how we present islam to our children, and how I’ll raise my children.  Thank God I have a few years before I have to get serious about that, inshaAllah.

Why didn’t I become a librarian?  The library is one of my favorite places to be.  I loaded up my wimpy little $1 Target greenbag to near bursting today.  I browsed the islam section until my arms were full, and then looked for muslim related fiction.  I like reading fiction that has muslim themes, and is relatively muslim friendly, although it’s often hard to tell from the blurb on the back.  I must say, the Minneapolis Public Library has quite a diverse section on islam related books.  I haven’t even gotten 1/10 of what I’ve wanted to borrow thus far.  Here’s what I got, reviews to come later:

• The Moonlit Cage
• Symphony of the Dead
• Gotham Tragic
• Women Embracing Islam
• Struggling to Surrender
• White Muslim: From LA to NY to…Jihad?
• Inside the Gender Jihad
• Believing Women in Islam: Unreading Patriachal Interpretations of the Qur’an
• Mulid!
• Do Me Twice