Category Archive

There’s always more stuff popping up online.  And I like stuff.  Via deenport, 2 new sites that show a lot of promise:

Soul Resources - “English language resources that meet contemporary Muslim community needs in Western English speaking environments”

Abu Dhabi Khutbahs and More- “Welcome to the Abu Dhabi Khutbas & More blog. Our plan is to start making available the weekly English khutbas that Shaykh Jihad Brown delivers, as well as articles that he writes for one of the major newspapers out here. In addition where there are talks, lessons and other stuff taking place we’ll be sure to upload it for the benefit of all!”

So now I’ve added Abu Dhabi to the list of potential places to move to in the future.  I’d like to find a place that has traditional muslim scholars who teach in english, but where there are also a lot of opportunities to learn arabic.  If we move somewhere within the US, it would either be to Chicago or the Bay Area.  Abroad, it would probably be somewhere in the UAE.

Of course, it would help if I knew what I want to do with my life.  AbuS thinks I should get certified to teach english as a second language.  And I guess that’s as good as anything right now, since I really have no clue what I want to do.  I tried my hand at teaching (briefly), but the alternative certification program I was with bit big time.  I think if I am going to teach again, I’ll go the more traditional route – university based education, internship, student teaching, the whole 9 yards.

Of course, ESL is the default expat job that often doesn’t work out too well.  Izzy Mo is doing and my friend Mollydid the expat thing in the corporate world, but do I really want to work in the corporate world anymore?  Argh!

1.  Bloody heck, it’s cold!  I hope I left a sweater here at work last winter, cuz I’m shivering.   I can’t imagine how cold it must be for the people wearing short skirts and short sleeves.  Turn down the air conditioning!

2.  Ramadan in the summer is going to be haaaard.  I envision coming home after work and sleeping until an hour before maghrib.

3.  Suhoor is veryimportant in the summer.  Up until now, I’ve managed to do fine just drinking water for suhoor.  But when it’s hot, you need a little extra something something in your stomach to give you the energy to persevere.

4.  Aspirin does not cut it for fasting headaches.  Note to self – get aleve for suhoor and iftar.

5.  It is possible to fast with a headache.  But it takes all the fun out of it.

6.  Is there more baraka in fasting long hot days?

7.  Isra wa Miraj Mubarak!   Currently listening to this talk by Sh. Abdul Sattar on Isra and the Miraj and inshaAllah will dig out this Hamza Yusuf CD when I get home.

…that my non muslim sister has been to ISNA and I haven’t?  Yes yes, I know it’s one big meat market and fitna fest, but they have some awesome speakers and a kick behind bazaar.  One of her muslim friends was in DC for ISNA and my sister went with her to the bazaar.  *pouts in the corner*

Ah well, at least they have some of the sessions from last year up on the web.   Still waiting for this years.

Alhamdulilah, I dug the ipod out of my book bag and plugged it in to the new computer.  Alas, that means losing everything I’d previously purchased, but at least now I can escape the news.  I still can’t give it up completely, but when a story on the economy comes up, I can fast forward right on through

So on my ipod, I have:

• The Only Word Quran application – mp3s and text files so you can listen to and read from the Qur’an
• Assorted NPR podcasts – religion, wait wait don’t tell me, shuffle, most emailed and foreign dispatches.  Of interest this time around:
  • Michael Pollan on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
  • Juan Cole’s book defending Saudi Islam
  • Concern over Proliferation of fatwas in Egypt
•  Sh. Faraz’s podcast – search “seeker’s guidance” in itunes.
• Lectures and khutbahs by Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad

And they’re not at the same time, so you can go to both

On the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, who said : One day I was behind the prophet and he said to me:

“Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”
SunniPath is excited to announce a free live event on the 5th October, 2pm GMT with Ustadha Zaynab Ansari.
The event will be an explanation of this hadith focusing on the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace):
Great concern for young people
His ability to offer encouragement for proper action
How to be successful as a Muslim
The importance of total reliance on Allah Ta’ala and
How the hadith is a balm for hearts in troubled times
Seats are limited.
Register Now

Via Seekers Digest:

cambridge khutabs etc featured khutbas and other talks by Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad, among others.  Coolness.

And, playing follow the linkage, I stumbled upon this – Muslim Songs of the British Isles.   You can download/print out sheet music for a variety of english songs with muslim themes.  Coolness times 2.  I’m all over this.  Despite the husband coming from a musical family, I don’t think he knows how to read sheet music.  I think it’s time to change that.

Allah Akbar

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.

As much as I’d love to respond to this, posting on CF really isn’t good for my iman.  Also not good for one’s iman is nutters like those mentioned in the post.  What is good for my iman then?  Sh. Nuh Keller, may Allah (swt) be pleased with him.  There is rarely a time when I listen to his lectures and I don’t come away feeling my ruh lifted and enlivened. 

If you haven’t listened to Sh. Nuh’s lecture entitled “This is Jihad?” DO IT NOW!  The first half is a review of the rise and effects of wahabism, and the second talks about the rules and nature of jihad.   I’ve only listened through once, but it’s so chock full of good stuff, I’ll probably listen to it a few more times and take notes.  

I’d love to post this on CF, as the sheikh clearly and equivically teaches the opposite of what nutters in said post are preaching, but I worry that it’s too technical for non muslims, and even muslims in general.  If any of my readers listen to this lecture (do I have any readers left?), please leave some feedback on the accessablitily of the lecture.  jazakAllah khair.

Via Seeker’s Digest:

 How spiffy is this?   Definately something that would be more worthwhile than television, don’t ya think?  Islam related courses include:

• Anthropology of the Middle East
• The Architecture of Cairo
• Religious Architecture and Islamic Culture
• A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society
• Topics in South Asian Literature and Culture
• The Making of Modern South Aisa
• Islam, the Middle East, and the West
• The Middle East in the 20th Century
• Politics and Religion
• Issues in Foreign Policy since 911
• Islam, Global Politics and US Foreign Policy
• Democracy and Global Islam
• Kashmir and Afghanistan: Religion, Ethnicity and the Strategic Balance in South Asia
• Tariq Ali: War, Empire, and Resistance
• Conversations with Berkeley Faculty: Ira Lapidus

How do I love you?  Let me count the ways…

 Via Deenport, the quarterly Zaytuna Newsletter.  Can one make hijri within a non muslim country, cuz dang, I want to move out to Berkley! 

But, until the time where it’s actually possible to move out to California, I’m very excited about the distance learning courses offered, and inshaAllah will be taking the getting right with Allah (swt) one, if I can sign up for it before it starts this weekend.  Looking at it, a set of lecture CDs costs $20-60, and oftentime these are recordings of courses offered at Zaytuna.  This way, you get the lecture and access to the teacher via forums, alhamdulilah.  Then, when the course is done, burn em onto a CD and wa’la, you’ve got another set of CDs.

 Alhamdulilah, after months of obsession, Ramadan is here!   Several bloggers out there have excellent Ramadan diaries.  Sis. Organic’s is one of my favorites.  I love her format, so I’m going to borrow (ehm, steal) from her a bit for my own ramadan reflections diary.

Feeling good health-wise, just a bit of a headache this morning when I woke up.  It really does help to do the sunnah fasts throughout the year, so when Ramadan comes, it’s not a big shock.  I did have a brush with an asthma attack yesterday though.   After work, I was walking to my bus stop when my bus pulled away.  I didn’t want to wait the 10 minutes for the next bus, so without thinking, I took off in a sprint after the bus.  Now, I’m a runner, but I’m a slow runner.  Sprinting in sandels and a skirt is not my idea of a good run.  Two blocks later, I finally caught the bus.   I staggered on board, wheezing, and collapsed into an empty seat.  I focused on my breathing, made dhikr, and alhamdulilah, didn’t need to use my inhaler.  However, I was very thirsty, blah.

Lessons

inshaAllah I’m planning on listening to at least one lecture each day.   Last night, while making iftar, I listened to In the Shade of Ramadan 1 – Taqwa, Good Deeds and Character.  Because it was so short (and making iftar took so long), I listened to it a few times, so that the message really stuck in my head.  The lecture reflects on this hadith by ibn Hanbal from Mu’adh ibn Jabel:

Have Taqwa wherever you are. Do good immediately after a sinful act to erase it, and always be well-mannered in your relationship with people.

Goals

Read one Juz of the Qur’an in Arabic and English.  Pray taraweeh at the masjid on Friday

Menu

I decided to go all out for the first iftar.  Unfortunately, I forgot that going all out requires time, so my ibadah time was severly curtailed.  However, the food was yummy, and now we have enough left overs for a few days.   I made Lesan al Asfor,  Bechamel, Tagin Firakh and Jello Cheesecake from a box.  Alhamdulilah, did well to remember this hadith of our Prophet (saws), which is good advice for all who are fasting.

It is enough to eat few morsels of food to keep one’s back straight.  If you must eat more, be sure that only one third of your stomach is filled with food, one third is left for water and the remaining one third for air.

I can’t remember if I’ve posted this before or not, but in any case, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten around to watching this so here it is.  inshaAllah another thing to watch when I attempt to turn off the TV during Ramadan

A lecture by Prof. Jonathan Brown in 4 parts – one, two, three and four.

Check it, Zaytuna’s Distance Learning Program is finally up and running mashAllah.

 The prices are very reasonable, you get access to an online discussion board with the teacher, and you can download the lectures onto your ipod.  Score!

All three of the current course offerings look most excellent.  I’m leaning towards Getting Right With Allah.

One of the things that I often lament is how information geared towards new muslims is heavily fiqh based.  This is halal, this is haram, haram, haram.  Do this, don’t do that.   While all of this is an integral part of the deen, I know I felt overwhelmed by all the rules and longed to find a way to connect with Allah (swt).

So, I am thrilled to see this new CD set put out by Imam Zaid and Ustadh Abullah entitled “Islam, Iman, and Ihsan.”  From the description, it looks like an excellent introduction, covering not only the 5 pillars, but also issues of faith and worship.  inshaAllah it’s going on my wishlist.  I’m really hoping this will be a good CD set to lend out to new muslims, to provide them with  a solid and well rounded foundation in the deen.

Via Deenport:

Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide – Print this out and spread it far and wide.   It has some things that aren’t applicable to NA muslims (a 2006 England timetable and UK contacts), but the health info is excellent.

Inner Dimensions of Fasting – from Imam al Ghazali.  There’s more to fasting than being hungry and thirsty.

DeenIslam’s Fasting Section – tons of reads and lectures.

Food for Thought – text of a lecture by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf.

Svend at Akram’s Razor posted a link to the MAS Mediacast site. It looks like they have dozens of excellent lectures just waiting to be downloaded to my ipod. This should be a welcome change to my steady diet of NPR I’ve been on for weeks.

Via Seeker’s Digest

On occasion, Sunnipath will hold free live sessions for all to attend. These sessions have covered a wide range of topics, from the Qur’an to extremism in our community. Now, some of these courses (and a mawlid event) have been recorded and are available to view anytime on their website. Definately check them out when you have a chance! I hope they put some of their earlier ones online as well.

Mawlid – with Shaykh Anas Khalifah
Pride & Humility – by Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Yahya
Reality of the Spiritual Path – by Shaykh Nuh Keller
The Opening: An Explanation of Surat al-Fatiha – by Shaykh Sohail Hanif

Translated by Imam Suhaib Webb.

“It is not allowed to declare any Muslim an apostate for a sin he committed, or a mistake he made. Such as, an error related to differences surrounding issues of Ijtihad (3) . Allah says in His noble book, “Forgive us our Lord. And to You is the final return.” (4) It is related in the al-Sahih (5): that Allah (may He be exalted) answered this supplication and forgave the believers for any mistakes they committed.

Continued at the link above. Hmm, I wonder how we could apply this in today’s modern world?

A few of Imam Suihab’s talks are available for free here, here, here and here. His “Mothers of the Believers” cd series can be purchased many places online, and is quite excellent.

Will download when I get home tonight, stick it on my ipod and listen on my commute next week:

Nawawi Foundation – Video and Audio – Islamic Law in the West: Theory, Doctrine, and Practice

On the weekend of February 2nd, Dr. Umar Abd-Allah was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Washington College of Law at American University annual Founder’s Conference. With the theme of “Islamic Law and the West,” this conference addressed contemporary issues in the Muslim world related to Islamic law, development, human rights, women’s rights and international law. Speakers addressed the current state of Islamic law and its possibilities for survival and advancement in the modern world. Dr. Umar’s keynote address and panel presentation are provided at the links below, courtesy of the American University Washington College of Law.

Keynote – Muslims in the Mainstream -As more Muslims and persons of non-Christian faiths enter the public arena, we are observing a bitter reaction from mainstream America. While the founding fathers had strong religious grounding, their intentions were not to make religious requirements for public service. Over time, the fact that one religious group has dominated creates traditions that are more akin to a certain religious understanding and practice, particularly the Christian faith; however, such traditions are not constitutionally mandated. The traditions and practice have become the accepted norm, and any deviation – while permissible and legally accepted – cause tension. As the number of American-born Muslims increases to create an indigenous Muslim community, the number of Muslims in public office and in mainstream society must increase to accurately represent this growing community of citizens.Audio (16.7MB)

Islam and Gender Politics – Issues such as women’s rights and gender equality are at the forefront of the current debate in the development of the Islamic world. This session will discuss the impact of culture and custom in Muslim practices worldwide. Additionally, this session will examine the tension between international human rights norms under CEDAW and Islamic law and its impact on Muslim women worldwide. Audio (28.2MB)

Panel with Speakers – Dr. Anouar Majid (Professor, University of New England, Maine) – Anne Goldstein (International Association of Women Judges, Washington, D.C.)

Video (Hosted by American University)

Thus young brothers and sisters, chachas and chachis, uncles and aunties, you have been blessed and chosen by Allah (swt) to belong to an ummah that prophets wanted to be in and prophets are part of the ummah of Muhammad (saws).

And this ummah has certain characteristics, certain qualities, that distinguish it, that make it unique. Number one, that this is the moderate ummah, the ummah of balance. Allah (swt) says

Wakathalika jaAAalnakum ommatan wasatan litakoonoo shuhadaa AAala alnnasi wayakoona alrrasoolu AAalaykum shaheedan

That thus we have made you a balanced ummah, a moderate nation. Moderate between materialism and spirituality. Moderate between work and home. Moderate between my commitment to my community and my commitment to my family. I’m moderate, as the Prophet said, to give everything it’s haqq, everything it’s right. And this verse appears as number 143 in surat al Baqara. Verse 143 describing us as a moderate ummah and surat al Baqara has 286 verses. Thus this verse is smack dab in the middle of the surah.

On November 25th and 26th, British Muslims held the Global Peace & Unity Event. The lucky attendees were treated to a host of brilliant speakers and excellent nasheed artists. And luckily for the rest of us, videos of the event are available on Google Video and YouTube. Search for variences of “Global Peace & Unity,” particularily GPU to find everything out there

I was gifted with a beautiful iPod nano in honor of the completion of my paralegal certification, forthcoming in 2 weeks. This has opened up a whole new segment of the online ummah to me – podcasting. In addition to traditional islamic downloads like the Qur’an and lectures in mp3 format, several ingenius brothers and sisters have created excellent weekly/occasional audio files available for download on a variety of subjects. I’ve stuffed my 2 gig beauty full to the gills, and still have more lectures and quran waiting in iTunes.

Currently on my iPod:

The Qur’an – I’ve got probably 15 full recitations of the Qur’an by different people on cd. Choosing at random, I’ve uploaded Zaki Daghistani. I think I may upload Abdul Baset next, but I’m not sure.

Qur’an Weekly Podcast – A portion of the Qur’an made available each week for download, with arabic and english recitations. Perfect for the non arabic speaking muslim on the go.

Mecca One Radio – recordings of an excellent muslim radio show out in California. Their website has the programs available to listen to online.

Somewhat on a tangent, they used to sell awesome iPod parody shirts. I never got a chance to order one. *sigh* One of their designs is at the beginning of this post. Scroll through the gallery at deenport for a thumbnails of 2 others.

AlHambra Productions – from the folks at Zaytuna Institute. These guys always have something brilliant to say subhanAllah.

Radical Middle Way – Search for it on iTunes. If youre not lucky enough to live in England so that you can hear these amazing talks in person, they’re also available on their website.

Waiting to go on my iPod:

ADAMS Qurtaba Institute
Ihsan
altMuslim

Any suggestions for other good islam related podcasts? Since I’ve gotten my iPod, my commute to work (one hour each way) and and my workday have seemed much more fruitful. Stressed? Plug in the headphones and there’s the quran, at my fingertips.