spare me the sermon

This was forwarded to me by Rebecca.  It’s an excellent piece by an excellent american muslim author Mohja Kahf.  If you haven’t read her “The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf,” get it and read it asap.

This new piece in the Washington Post eloquently expresses what I’ve been trying to get across for ages.  I love Allah (swt).  I love my religion.  I love my Prophet (saws).  And I love my hot pink hijab.  I don’t need saving.  We don’t need saving.  Alhamdulilah I’m a muslim.

Yes, the article is fluffy.  But I think that was purposeful - so often we’re faced with doom and gloom, OMG you’re so oppressed!!11!!!1! that a little glibness is needed.

It irks me that I even have to say this: Being a Muslim woman is a joyful thing.

…

As beautiful as veils are, they are not the best part of being a Muslim woman — and many Muslim women in Islamic countries don’t veil. The central blessing of Islam to women is that it affirms their spiritual equality with men, a principle stated over and over in the Quran, on a plane believers hold to be untouched by the social or legalistic “women in Islam” concerns raised by other parts of the Scripture, in verses parsed endlessly by patriarchal interpreters as well as Muslim feminists and used by Islamophobes to “prove” Islam’s sexism. This is how most believing Muslim women experience God: as the Friend who is beyond gender, not as the Father, not as the Son, not inhabiting a male form, or any form.

…

Yet even all that gorgeous history pales when I open my closet door for the evening’s pick: teal georgette, pink-and-beige plaid, creamy fringed wool or ice-blue organza? God, why would anyone assume I would want to give up such beauty? I love being a Muslim woman. And I’m always looking for my next great polka-dot scarf.

a beautiful introduction

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.

Imam Zaid Days 2 and 3

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.

Kindness

  

During my Wednesday web rambling, I happened upon a cute little blog button on somewhere that I now can’t remember.  Ah ha, I thought to myself, that’s exactly what I need.  I’m a nice person right?  I’ve always believed kindess is an important (and often overlooked) part of Islam.  Time and time again in the Prophet’s sirah and ahadith we find examples of the Prophet (saws) displaying kindness, patience, and good humor.  After all, a smile is sadaqa, and what is a smile but a bit of kindness shown to the people you meet?

So I clicked on the button and searched high and low for a “link to us” page.  Alas, none to be found, but I did find a wonderful little project called “Random Acts of Kindness.”  Having recently read through some of Riyad as-Salihin, I dug about and paraphrased a few ahadith for submission.  Low and behold, a few get published on the site, and I’m now the proud winner of the “Kind Blogger Badge.”  Huzzah!

How else then should we worship God?

“Do you really believe that God expects you to show Him your respect by repeated bowing and kneeling and prostration?  Might it not be better only to look into oneself and to pray to Him in the stillness of one’s heart?  Why all these movements of your body?”

As soon as I had uttered these words I felt remorse, for I had not intended to injure the old man’s religious feelings.  But the hajji did not appear in the least offended.  He smiled with his toothless mouth and replied:“How else then should we worship God?  Did he not create both, soul and body, together?  And this being so, should man not pray with his body as well as with his soul?  Listen, I will tell you why we Muslims pray as we pray.  We turn toward the kaaba, God’s holy temple in Mecca, knowing that the faces of all Muslims, wherever they may be, are turned to it in prayer, and that we are like one body, with Him as the centre of our thoughts.  First we stand upright and recite from the Holy Koran, remembering that it is His Word, given to man that he may be upright and steadfast in life.  Then we say, “God is the Greatest,” reminding ourselves that no one deserves to be worshipped but Him; and bow down deep because we honour Him above all, and praise His power and glory.  Thereafter we prostrate ourselves on our foreheads because we feel that we are but dust and nothingness before Him, and that He is our Creator and Sustainer on high.  Then we lift our faces from the ground and remain sitting, praying that He forgive us our sins and bestow His grace upon us, and guide us aright, and give us health and sustenance.  Then we again prostrate ourselves on the ground and touch the dust with our foreheads before the might and the glory of the One.  After that, we remain sitting and pray that He bless the Prophet Muhammad who brought His message to us, just as He blessed the earlier Prophets; and that He bless us as well, and all those who follow the right guidance; we ask Him to give us of the good of this world and of the good of the world to come.  In the end we turn our heads to the right and to the left, saying, “Peace and grace of God be upon you” – and thus greet all who are righteous, wherever they may be.

‘It was thus that our Prophet used to pray and taught his followers to pray for all times, so that they might willingly surrender themselves to God – which is what Islam means – and so be at peace with Him and with their own destiny.”

~From The Road toMecca, by Muhammad Asad

This I believe

I was recently asked to join a forum founded by some people who I interacted with during my days on ChristianForums. It’s definately different from most other boards I’ve been on, seeing as how they ask you what your superhero name would be when you sign up, among other interesting questions. One of the subsections is titled “This I believe - Non-confrontational discussion of what matters to you.” After my introductory post, this was the first place I went. Although I am fairly firm in my beliefs, I’ve never actually sat down and written them out. It was a very useful exercise, and one I enjoyed. I think it’s a little too religious for the NPR “This I believe” series, but I’m pretty proud of it.

At the very base of my belief is la ilaha il Allah, Muhammadur rasul Allah – there is nothing worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God. But what does it mean to worship only God, and to believe that Muhammad (saws) is His messenger? It means to practice Islam, have Iman (faith) and to strive of Ihsan (excellence).

This is explained in the hadith (saying) of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) that is recorded as saheeh (authentic) in the hadith collection of Muslim:

Also on the authority of ‘Umar, (ra), who said:
“While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saws) there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.

He sat down close by the Prophet (saws) rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam.” Said the Messenger of Allah (saws), “Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it).” Said he (the man), “You have spoken truly.”

We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, “Inform me about iman (faith).” He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, “It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects.” He said, “You have spoken truly.”

Then he (the man) said, “Inform me about Ihsan.” He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, “It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you.” He said, “Inform me about the Hour.” He (the Messenger of Allah) said, “About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.” So he said, “Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming).” Said he, “They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings.” Thereupon the man went off.

I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, “O ‘Umar, do you know who that questioner was?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” He said, “That was Jibril (Gabriel). He came to teach you your religion.”

This hadith relates the basics of Islam, and if you asked just about any muslim in the world about the contents of this hadith, they would say that they believe what is discussed in it, even if they don’t practice it.

Islam and Iman are rather straight foward. One does the practices, and studies the beliefs. But Ihsan is a bit more tricky. How does one strive for excellence, and remind themselves to always be aware of Allah (swt). On a personal level, I strive for ihsan through adab. Adab is superficially translated as manners, but as with many words in Arabic, a single English word cannot encompass all its meaning. Adab is courtesy, respect, kindness and appropriateness. It is the etiquette and moral code muslims should live their lives by. I am dedicated to adab as a way to live my beliefs in my everyday life, and I hope one day inshaAllah (God willing) to become a scholar in adab and teach it to others. I believe that the muslim community lacks adab, does not understand how to interact with their fellow human beings, and that the root cause of social problems lies in ignorance or just plain ignoring adab.

I believe in the essential goodness and kindness of the Prophet’s message. I also believe that this goodness and kindness is something all muslims should strive to emulate in their daily life. Some people selectively read the Prophet’s biography and see him only as a murdering pedophilic warlord. inshaAllah at a later date, I may write about what I believe about the Prophet (saws), but for this entry, it should suffice that I say that I believe when one reads his whole life story, they will come away with a framework for how to live a good, decent, fulfilling life, in service to God, and with kindness towards fellow man.

There is a hadith that reports that God is beautiful, and that He loves beauty. There is a further hadith that states that “Kindness is not to be found in anything but that it adds to its beauty and it is not withdrawn from anything but it makes it defective.”

I believe every action in our life should be imbued with kindness, thus making us beautiful, and loved by God. If you try to put kindness in every action, it will profoundly affect the way humans interact with each other, from the bottom, all the way up to the top.

So, in conclusion, I believe that la ilaha il Allah, Muhammadur rasul Allah leads me to put kindness in every action, and to treat my fellow man with kindness. This is adab, this is ihsan, this is worship of the Divine.

Content of Character

My favorite blogger, Sunni Sister, has finally gotten a computer and is back! As a prelude to her blogging manifesto, she has posted a number of ahadith from Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s translation of Sheikh al Amin Ali Mazrui’s “The Content of Character.” This book is definately on my to read list.

These ahadith are a representation of another reason I am muslim - the focus on good character. Islam tells us to be good people. It’s unfortunate so many muslims forget this. Again, I marvel at the possible future we would have, if only muslims lived Islam.

The Messenger of Allah, sallalahu aleyhi wa ‘ala ahlihi wa sahbihi wa
salaam, said:

“Keep God in mind wherever you are; follow a wrong with a right that offsets it; and treat people courteously.” (Tirmidhi)

“Love for humanity is what you love for yourself.” (Bukhari)

“After obligatory rites, the action most beloved to God is delighting other Muslims.” (Tabarani)

“Should you ever become eager to mention another’s faults, recall your own.” (Rafi’i)

“If your good deeds delight you and your foul deeds distress you, you are a believer.” (Diyya)

“Abandon desire for this world, and God will love you. Abandon desire for others’ goods, and people will love you.” (Ibn Majah)

“The most virtuous behavior is to engage those who sever relations, to give to those who withhold from you, and to forgive those who wrong you.” (Tabarani)

“True spiritual excellence is devotion to God as if you see Him; and though you do not see Him, you at least know that He sees you.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

“What enables people to enter Paradise more than anything is piety and good character.” (Tirmidhi)

“The majority of man’s sins emanate from his tongue.” (Tabarani)

“The servants God loves most are those most sincere with God’s servants.” (Imam Ahmad)

“May God have mercy on a servant who spoke well and gained good, or kept silent and avoided harm.” (ibn al Mubarak)

“Consider well contentment, for it is a treasure without end.” (Tabarani)

“A person has done enough wrong in his life if he simply repeats everything he hears.” (Muslim)

“Veiling the thoughts of the faithful is akin to restoring life to the dead.” (Tabarani)”

“God veils the faults of anyone who suppresses his anger.” (ibn Abi ad Dunya)

“Whoever has no shame before others has no shame before God.” (Tabarani)

“The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

“A person’s spiritual practice is only as good as that of his close friends; so consider well whom you befriend.” (Tirmidhi)

“Speak the truth even though it be bitter.” (ibn Hibban)

“Fulfillment is not plenty of goods; rather it is self-fulfillment.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

“Gentleness never accompanies anything without enhancing it, nor is it ever removed from anything without demeaning it.” (Bayhaqi)

“Beautiful Islam entails minding one’s own business.” (Tirmidhi)

Why am I a muslim?

Part of the reason I can’t explain it well is that there are some rather complex theology issues that don’t lend themselves well to a simple explanation. But, another reason is that it is hard to explain to someone who is only familiar with the negatives of muslims (and oh, do we have a lot of negatives) that I am, as a 21st century midwestern american woman, truly, deeply, madly love a man who lived and died 1400 years ago.