Couldn’t have said it better myself…

Bismillaah.

While doing my daily readings of U.S. and World news this morning, I couldn’t help but become saddened, annoyed, disgusted, angered, and just plain blown at what I read here.

God only knows when this assault on Islam is going to stop.

(sigh)

To be honest I don’t have much to say on it.  Frankly, I’m tired of talking.  Islam and the beauty and purity that lie within is as clear as the morning sun on a cloudless day, to the one who has been blessed with an open heart and mind.  If you haven’t been blessed with such, well, then may the Gracious Lord in the heavens above help you, ameen.

What I’ll do is just leave you with these words from an article I received in my inbox today (written by a sister by the way ) :

“It seems to me that the push for women in society to become loud, loose, lager louts is not some back room conspiracy but rather the natural progression of a consumerist society wishing to tap into the spending power of every consumer group available. Selling the lifestyle of shopping, drinking and attracting as many sexual partners as possible makes young women active consumers in society. As for the soft pornography that has saturated western society on (it sometimes seems) every magazine cover, billboard, music video and television programme, it is simply a manifestation of the advertising adage that ‘sex sells’. Young women are simply the meat in the sandwich of capitalism – a market to be exploited, rather than a generation to be cherished.

Contrast this with the niqab-wearing Muslim woman who attempts to foster a closer connection with her Creator and concentrate on her inner being rather than pandering to changing social norms. Such women  seek the pleasure of Allah by trying to live the example of our role models as Muslim women – the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).  In a world full of a cacophony of discordant ‘muzak’ the niqab is like noise-cancelling headphones.“

Nuff said!

Some Eid Reflections

Bismillaah.

I know, I know…late!  But hey, better later than never, right?

Well, the kids have returned to school after a long break that was extended due to the fact that their school closed a week earlier than the scheduled Eid break, because of several confirmed swine flu cases.  So yeah, the break was longer than expected, but alhamdu lillaah the Eid holiday made it very enjoyable, but by the end of it everyone was ready for it to be over (cabin fever).

So the house is quiet now and I have some time to relax and just sort of lollygag as much as I want…oh yeah, and blog too .

I was just sitting here reflecting on the day of Eid.  As many of you are aware (maybe not some of the non-muslim readers), Eid al Adha (festival of the sacrifice) commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim and how Allaah ordered him to sacrifice his son Ismail.  Ibrahim, in his commitment as a believer and prophet to fulfill Allaah’s commands, took to following through with it, but not before discussing it with his son Ismail.  Ismail’s reply to his father, was for him to do as he has been ordered, and that he himself would be patient and trust in Allaah and would willingly follow through with the command of his Lord.   Because of their willingness to fulfill the command of their Lord, Allaah sent a ram to be sacrificed, instead of Ismail.  For muslims, the Eid represents a sort of recommitment and rededication to obedience to Allaah, by fulfilling His commands and abstaining from His prohibitions.  When we remember Ibrahim’s -the Father of monotheism – unwaivering commitment to Allaah and to His obedience, it should inspire us to live our lives the same way.

So anyway, back to the day of Eid.  We prayed at Masjid Bilal, our usual spot for Eid prayers, only this time we prayed indoors.  The garden out back that’s usually used was soaking wet from the surprising yet refreshing early morning downpour.  I missed praying in the garden, but I didn’t mind praying inside the mosque this time…it was nice and cozy, reminded me of the Eids back in Northern Virginia at the Saudi Ma’had.

After the prayer and sermon were over, as we were filing out of the mosque, we noticed that there was a sacrifice about to take place right outside the mosque on the patio.  There were several men holding onto and attempting to subdue a cow, preparing to sacrifice it.  When they finally were able to subdue it, and the butcher got down beside it to put the knife to it’s neck, and uttered the words, “Bismillaah, Allaahu Akbar!” (In Allaah’s name, Allaah is the Greatest!), I felt an overwhelming rush of emotions, that I can’t quite describe, and tears came to my eyes.

A little of it had to do with feeling pity and compassion for the animal, but deep inside, I knew that animal did not suffer for even one instant.  Aside from the scientific evidence which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the islamic way of animal slaughter is in fact the most -and probably the only – humane method…aside from this, I knew in my heart, and trusted fully, that Allaah would never command His creation to do a thing that would include mercilessness and barbarism (as some without proper knowledge have called it).

So no, the rush of emotions that I felt had more to do with a sense of amazement when as I was witnessing an act of true submission to the commands of Allaah.  Think about it for a moment if you will.  We are commanded to slaughter our animals in the most hands on, down and dirty kind of way.  Coming in close contact with the animal, feeling its warmth, looking into its eyes…putting a knife to its neck and taking its life, witnessing all that blood gushing forth as its body shakes uncontrollably cannot be an easy thing to do emotionally, psychologically, and physically.  I would bet that the average human being could not bring himself to perform such an act, even on an animal.  Nonetheless, as muslims, we have been commanded by Allaah to do just that.

It’s like Allaah is asking us, “Will you obey my commands, no matter how difficult they may seem, no matter how heavy they may seem? Will you trust that I know what’s best for you because I created you and I know you better than you know yourself?  Or will you resort to your own way of thinking and perceiving things, and try to do things your own way because your way seems to be easier and more proper?”

In many countries around the world, policy makers have actually resorted to their own ways of thinking, and you see that animal slaughtering has become a hands-off task, handled by machines, gas chambers and electrical shock devices.  It is believed that these ways are for the benefit of the animal because they (appear to) suffer less, but really, these ways are for nothing other than to ease mankind’s own consciences.  It is understandable that no normal, sane human being likes to see another living thing suffer, and because of the goriness of it, animals are perceived to suffer by being slaughtered, which is not the case, and has been proven in the above-mentioned article.

So as I was witnessing the sacrifice on Eid day, witnessing these brothers fulfilling the commands of Allaah, getting themselves covered in blood, mentioning Allaah’s greatness, remembering that Allaah chose the most merciful way for these animals to die, I felt proud to be a part of this noble religion and noble ummah, the ummah of “We have heard, and we have obeyed!”.

I felt blessed for having been guided to this way of life that has been divinely revealed by a Merciful, All-Knowing God.

I felt tranquility and inner peace, knowing that everything Allaah commands us to do, it’s out of His love for us, and His wanting only what’s best for us…even the hard stuff that takes every ounce of faith inside of me to fulfill.

I thought about prophet Ibrahim, and how extremely difficult it must have been for him to even fathom taking his own son’s life.  As a mother, I try to imagine how absolutely sick with grief I would have been had it been me.  I thought about his and Ismail’s responses to Allaah’s command, and felt an overwhelming sense of admiration and respect for them- upon them be peace.

I pray that this Eid Al Adha was so much more than just about getting new clothes, going to the parties and eating lots of delicious meat dishes.  I pray that it was a time of sincere reflection, for all of us, on our purpose in life, which is to worship our Lord, sincerely, by fulfilling His commands and keeping away from His prohibitions, ameen.

It’s what I do best (unfortunately)

Bismillaah.

lol·ly·gag (lŏl’ē-gāg’)

intr.v.   lol·ly·gagged also lal·ly·gagged, lol·ly·gag·ging also lal·ly·gag·ging, lol·ly·gags also lal·ly·gags

To waste time by puttering aimlessly; dawdle.

[Origin unknown.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Uses:

1) Much to the dismay of his new bride, Ahmed had not yet kicked the habit of lollygagging around the masjid with the brothers after jumu’ah prayers, and this was causing a real problem.

2) The D- grade Asiya received on her term paper was a clear indication that her being a career lollygagger had finally come back to bite her in the rear.

3) The storekeeper was sick and tired of those rowdy youths lollygagging around his storefront.

4) The frustrated father angrily called out to his wife, “These children lollygag way too much in the morning!  If they miss their school bus, don’t even think I’m going to taxi them to school!”

Do you get it?  Can you use it in a sentence?  Can you give me some tips on how to stop this madness?

HELP!

YAY!!! My first South American visitor!!!

Bismillaah.

I recently put up a clustermap ont he blog to see what parts of the world my visitors are coming from. Most of the visits come from the US, Egypt, parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and some parts of Asia. There was never anyone from South America though. That was interesting to me and made me wonder if people in South America had internet, LOL!

I found out today that I got my first South American visitor on Oct 29, from none other than the lovely city of………………

drumroll……………………..

Rio de Janero!!!

Welcome! Ahlen wa Sahlen! Come back soon! Hey, how’s the weather down there?

These are The Days…

Bismillaah.

I am so sick and tired of hearing about Beyonce and the Egyptian soccer team. Call me a killjoy, but I am just NOT feeling all the excitement.

A grown woman struts around in music videos and on stages across the world exposing 95 percent of her body to anyone who fancies a look at her goodies, and revels in the attention she gets from it!!! And they call her “classy”??? And they call ME and MY sisters oppressed because we choose to submit to the commands of our Lord, the Creator of all that is in the heavens and the earth, and cover ourselves up with modesty and pride, and refuse to submit to the desires of the male-dominated/male-controlled fashion and beauty industry, who seek to make us their slaves and wish only to deprive us of our honor and self-respect???  That’s what I’m supposed to believe?  Well, I want my money back, ’cause I ain’t buyin’ that load of bull!

And forgive me, but I just am NOT feeling the whole sports fan/paint your face/tailgating in the streets/party all night fanatic thing. I love sports of all kinds, and attended a very well-known university known for its collegiate sports and such.  So I’ve had my share of all that stuff.  But people grow up, and well, we’re supposed to learn as we grow, aren’t we?  As I said I love sports, and we are keen to encourage our kids to participate in them in order to strengthen their bodies and to develop healthy lifestyle habits and such, but I mean come on. Muslims should know better than to be going all crazy over this type of stuff. It’s fine to have a favorite team, or favorite player because of his skills, but when it reaches a certain level, people start walking that fine line that borders on the haram.

So yeah, all this talk about Beyonce and Abu Treka is about as exciting to me as watching cows graze. Really.

What I hope and pray for, is that the muslims, including myself, in the midst of all this “excitement”, do not forget that we have the most blessed days approaching us. That’s right, the first 10 Days of Thul-Hijjah (11th month of the Islamic calender) are right on our doorstep. Let’s use these days to try to bring focus back into our lives, recharge our batteries, and get closer to Allaah and further away from this worldy life of deceptions and temporary enjoyments.

Oh Allaah, allow us to see those days, and to benefit from them…grant us sincerity in our worship and good deeds, and accept all that is done for your sake. Bring us closer together as an ummah and grant us victory over those who oppress us and seek to put out Your Light…grant forgiveness to all the muslims, those who are with us and those who have passed away…forgive my father and my brother, who you put in my life to guide me through their hands…make their graves spacious and shower them with your Mercy and the scents of paradise…send peace and blessings upon all your prophets, as well as the seal of the prophets, Muhammad, ameen.

Enjoy…

Islaam.Com Fiqh

First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah: Days of Virtue And Righteous Deeds By JIMAS

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Ibn ‘Abbas says about the Aayah, “Remember Allaah during the well known days,” that it refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. [This is related by al-Bukhari]

Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “By the dawn; by the 10 nights” [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: “This is the correct opinion.” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413]

Praise be to Allaah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct ones faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. [Ibn Rajab, al-Lataaif, p.8]

Ibn ‘Abbas reports that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days [meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah].” The companions asked, “O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad in the way of Allaah?” He said, “Not even jihad, except for the man who puts his life and wealth in danger [for Allaah's sake] and returns with neither of them.” [This is related by the group except Muslim and an-Nasa'i]

Ahmad and at-Tabarani record from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “There is no day more honorable in Allaah’s sight and no acts more beloved therein to Allaah than those in these ten days. So say tahlil (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allaah : Laa ilaaha illallaah), takbir (Allaah is the greatest : Allaahu Akbar) and tahmid (All praise is due to Allaah : alhumdulillaah) a lot [on those days].” [Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated it is saheeh]

Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “There are no days more loved to Allaah for you to worship Him therein than the ten days of Dhul Hijja. Fasting any day during it is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer salatul tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on the night of power. [i.e., Lailatul Qadr].” [This is related by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Baihaqi]

Ibn ‘Umar narrated that at Mina, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “Do you know what is the day today?” The people replied, “Allaah and His Messenger know it better.” He said, “It is the forbidden (sacred) day. And do you know what town is this?” They replied, “Allaah and His Messenger know it better.” He said, “This is the forbidden (sacred) town (Mecca). And do you know which month is this?” The people replied, “Allaah and His Apostle know it better.” He said, “This is the forbidden (sacred) month.” The Messenger added, “No doubt, Allaah made your blood, your properties, and your honour sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours in this month of yours in this town of yours.”

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: On the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijja), the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) stood in between the Jamrat during his Hajj which he performed (as in the previous Hadith) and said, “This is the greatest Day (i.e. 10th of Dhul-Hijjah).” The Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) started saying repeatedly, “O Allaah! Be Witness (I have conveyed Your Message).” He then bade the people farewell. The people said, “(This is Hajjat-al-Wada).” [Bukhari 2.798]

Fasting Day of Arafat

Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of ‘Ashurah is an expiation for the year preceding it.” [This is related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]

Hafsah reported, “There are five things that the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) never abandoned: fasting the day of ‘Ashurah, fasting the [first] 10 [days of Dhul-Hijjah], fasting 3 days of every month and praying two rak’ah before the dawn prayer.” [This is related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i]

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “The day of ‘Arafah, the day of sacrifice, and the days of tashreeq are ‘ids for us–the people of Islam–and they are days of eating and drinking.” [This is related by "the five," except for Ibn Majah. At-Tirmidhi grades it sahih]

Abu Hurairah stated, “The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) forbade fasting on the day of ‘Arafah for one who is actually at ‘Arafah.” [This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah]

At-Tirmidhi comments: “The scholars prefer that the day of ‘Arafah be fasted unless one is actually at ‘Arafah.”

Takbeer

It is Sunnah to say Takbeer (“Allaahu akbar”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”), Tahleel (“La ilaha ill-Allaah”) and Tasbeeh (“Subhaan Allaah”) during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allaah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allaah, may He be exalted. Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)…” [al-Hajj 22:28]

The majority of scholars agree that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, because of the words of Ibn Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father), “The appointed days are the first ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah).”

The Takbeer may include the words “Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, la ilaaha ill-Allaah; wa Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahil- hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no deity worthy of worship but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great and to Allaah be praise),” as well as other phrases.

Takbeer at this time is an aspect of the Sunnah that has been forgotten, especially during the early part of this period, so much so that one hardly ever hears Takbeer, except from a few people. This Takbeer should be pronounced loudly, in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the negligent. There is sound evidence that Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. The idea behind reminding the people to recite Takbeer is that each one should recite it individually, not in unison, as there is no basis in Sharee’ah for doing this.

(Article Source)

Further reading on this subject;

The Best Days in the World

The Superiority of the First Ten Days of Thul-Hijjah

Virtues of the First Ten Days of Thul-Hijjah

Just some food for thought:

The Traveller

Strangeness and the Strangers

Take care all!

THE. BEST. RESPONSE. (attack on niqab)

Bismillaah.

Alhamdu lillaah for our brothers and sisters around the world who have put the time and effort into formulating thoughtful and accurate responses to this whole mess.  I, for one, am not calm and collected enough to respond in such a mature manner… My blood was boiling when I first heard about it!!!  And it still does boil every time I think about it!!!  Here’s what went down:

The Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar University, Muhammed Tantawi,…known for his rather liberal attitude, reportedly gave a niqabi (schoolgirl) a metaphorical lashing when she repeatedly refused to remove the veil (during his visit to her school); he kept insisting that he knew “more (about islam) than the people that gave birth to her,” and that the niqab was NOT a part of Islam. When she finally took it off, Tantawi is reported to have said, “And you look like this? What would you have done if you were even a little bit pretty?”

Let’s all collectively pick our jaws up off the floor >>> :0

Mashaa Allaah, I have read quite a few articles from both brothers and sisters in the aftermath of this incident, and I have to say that What Enemies Want from Muslim Women is my favorite so far.

A must read for every muslim woman who faces adversity – or fears it – because of her hijab/niqab.

Stay strong sisters!  Allaah is our Helper, and they have no helpers!  Victory is for Islam!!!

The Proper (Islamic) Way to Propose to a Sister

Bismillaah.

May Allaah reward the brothers and sisters over at FitnaFreeFacebook, ameen.  If you are a facebook user, please check out their group, it is very beneficial mashaa Allaah.  I read this article on there today and decided to share.

~*The Proper Way to Propose to a Sister*~

What is the proper way to ask for a sister’s hand in marriage? In Islam, what is permissible and what is not when it comes to this issue? Can we talk to the sister first, maybe chat with her? Call her? Email? Or even go out for a few dates? Let’s find out below in a fatwa from Sheikh Salih al-Munnajid (May Allaah protect and preserve him). A young man asks what is the proper way to propose to a sister who his heart is inclined to marry.

Let’s take benefit from this insha’Allah!

Question: How should he tell her that he wants to marry her?

What is the correct way to approach a sister whom you intend to marry ? I’ve known this sister my entire life, in the same regard as my own blood sister and recently it was brought to my attention that she would be a perfect candidate for marriage. I believe she respects me, but I am unsure if she can accept me as her spouse. How can I know ? And what is the correct, halal way to approach ? I have nothing but the best intentions, yet my entire life I always felt I would marry her, yet out of respect I have never approached. My father and aunt (my mother has passed, allah yarham ha) are very fond of her and encourage me to pursue her, since they know her and her family extremly well.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

If a man feels that his heart is inclined towards a particular woman, he should follow the way that is permitted in Islam, which is marriage. If a person intends to marry a woman, he has to propose marriage to her through her wali (guardian), who is her father if he is alive, or one of her other close relatives. It is not permissible for a man to propose marriage to a woman who is not his mahram through ways that are not permissible according to sharee’ah, such as getting to know her or meeting her frequently or getting in touch with her often and speaking on the phone; these are means through which Iblees causes people to sin and which lead to regrettable consequences. It is not permissible for a person to justify his relationship with a girl by saying that she is like his sister and other silly excuses. You have to follow the proper channels as prescribed in Islam to marry this woman. When you propose marriage, it is o.k. if you try to win her over by giving her a gift through her wali. We ask Allaah to give us and you strength and to keep us away from haraam things. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

IslamQa

Mashaa Allaah, a great reminder!  Brothers and Sisters, take heed to this advice.  Know that there is no good that can come from disobeying Allaah, no matter what the end goal is.  There is no good that can come from “cutting corners” around Allaah’s commands and prohibitions.  Our Lord, the most Knowledgeable and most Wise, has set certain guidelines for us in order to protect us from all kinds of harms, harms that we in our limited knowledge and wisdom may not perceive, or may perceive as miniscule.  What He has ordained for us is, simply, what is best for us.  He is our Creator, so He knows us better than we know ourselves!!!  Our belief in Allaah is not complete until we hate what He hates, and love what He loves, or in the very least, acknowledge that He has ordained is best.  May Allaah guide us all and rectify our affairs, ameen.

It’s Been a While…

Bismillaah.

Wow, it’s been over a month since I’ve posted anything!  Time flies by so quickly subhaan Allaah.  I pray that Allaah enables me and you, to use the time that He has given us in the most beneficial manner, to ourselves, as well as to others, ultimately seeking His pleasure, ameen.

It’s been non-stop busy around here since towards the end of Ramadan.  First we were preparing for Eid, then the Eid came and went.  (A very, VERY belated Eid Mubarak to everyone :/ …better late than never, right?)  The day of Eid was nice as well as the week that followed, mashaa Allaah.  We tried to get in as much family fun activities as possible before school started.

Oh yeah, speaking of school.  The school system delayed the start of the school year because of suspected or expected swine flu cases…the last of our kids (a kindergartener and a preschooler) finally started school yesterday…whew!  Alhamdu lillaah because I am telling you, it has been a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong summer!  It was already long enough and then they had the nerve to lengthen it all the way to October!!!

Anyway, so now the house is empty mashaa Allaah…a first in all my years as a mom!  By 8am, everyone’s out the door for at least another 5 hours, and it feels…….GREAT!

One of the things that I was supposed to be doing with all this free time was going back to Arabic…well, ain’t happenin’…at least not right now.  Soon inshaa Allaah, make du’aa.

I am however going full speed ahead with the qur’an center alhamdu lillaah.  This is my 3rd year there, and I swear by Allaah when I tell you, a muslim really cannot afford to not have the qur’an as a constant in his life EVERY DAY.  Be it through memorizing, studying tafseer, or simply getting in a page or two of daily reading.  For me, studying and memorizing qur’an on a daily basis has been like a lifeline to me.  The year 2008 was a very difficult year for me, beginning with my mother-in-law’s passing on Dec. 30, 2007, and ending with that of my father on Nov. 18, 2008.  We had a total of four deaths in the family that year.  In addition to that, my mother was ill and had to have surgery, there were problems between family members, and I was a worried, nervous wreck all the way over here away from all my family during these hard times.  Having the qur’an, the words of Allaah, as a daily constant proved to be a mercy and a blessing from Allaah.  When I would read the verses about patience, it made me feel better knowing that Allaah is with those who patiently persevere through lifes trials.  When I read the verses about the hardships the prophets and messengers went through, it made my worries seem so miniscule.

It’s been almost 6 years for me here in Egypt, and I honestly don’t know how or why I delayed taking up courses at the qur’an center for so long.  Being there has made such big difference in my life and with my eman.  Granted we all have our highs and lows when it comes to eman, but being in an environment where you’re studying the words of Allaah daily…His commandments, His prohibitions, His promises, His warnings….it gives a totally different perspective on life and all the things that life puts us through.    Subhan Allaah!

I encourage anyone who has the opportunity and means to enter a qur’an center or even hire a private teacher, to do so…TODAY.  You will not regret it.  I guarantee it.

In other news, my husband and I took our first vacation, alone that is, in all the 10 years we’ve been married.  It was nice, we went to Alex for 2 nights and 3 days.  Beautiful weather, lovely beaches, a charming city, and no kids!…mashaa Allaah, a very nice and much needed trip.  I’ll post pics later inshaaa Allaah.

What’s new with everyone?  Can’t wait to hear from all of you!

Ramadan Journal Day 20: A Noble Tradition

Bismillaah.

This month has really flown by subhaan Allaah.  We have reached the last ten nights already, alhamdu lillaah!  May Allaah accept all of our deeds, forgive us our sins and shower us with His mercy, ameen.

I have enjoyed keeping this Ramadan Journal and hope that it has been beneficial to those who’ve been following.  During these last ten days, I’ll be trying to increase in praying and reading qur’an, as well as preparing for Eid al-Fitr.  So this may be my last post until Eid, Allaah knows best.  However, my Ramadan Journal would not be complete without mention of one very symbolic aspect of Ramadan, and that is the musaharati.

The musaharati is a man (sometimes a woman) who walks around the neighborhood near the last part of the night, usually about an hour and a half to two hours before fajr (dawn), beating on a drum and singing a “wake up” song for all the fasting muslims to take their suhoor (pre-dawn meal).  My first Ramadan here, to be quite honest, I found it to be quite annoying actually, being startled out of a peaceful slumber by what sounded to me like a child banging on a pot with a wooden spoon, two whole hours before fajr time!   I thought to myself, why is he waking everyone up with his noise so early???  Who needs two hours to eat and drink???   Ughhhhh!!!

But subhaan Allaah, Allaah softened my heart over the years, and this being my 6th Ramadan in Egypt, I have grown to love and look forward to this noble tradition, mashaa Allaah.  It’s something really heartwarming so I thought it’d be nice to share it hear in my Ramadan Journal.

I have been trying all month to get a video of him going around, but I am never fully awake when he comes (around 2:15 am), so although I’ve set my alarm ahead many nights, as well as put the camera on the nightstand on many nights,  I still have yet to get him on video.

It’s the last ten nights, and I’m planning to head to bed right after typing this post so I can wake up early for qiyam (may Allaah strengthen us all to stand for prayer at night, and accept it from us, ameen), so hopefully I can get some footage of him and post it on Facebook inshaa Allaah.  Stay tuned …….

Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded from ‘Aishah that during the last ten days of Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah would wake his wives up during the night and then remain apart from them (that is, being busy in acts of worship). A narration in Muslim states: “He would strive [to do acts of worship] during the last ten days of Ramadan more than he would at any other time.”

Aisha reported that With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. [Bukhari]

May Allaah grant us all Laylatul-Qadr, ameen!

Ramadan Journal Day 16: An Update

Bismillaah.

I’ve been focusing on playing catch up with my qur’an reading, so I had no choice but to put the Ramadan Journal on the backburner for a few days.  I’m still not caught up, but I felt the need to post an update before any more time went by.

This week we did a simple fanoose craft.  I got the idea from my dear friend Hawwa Umm Mariam, who happened to be featured on Grow Mama’s Ramadan Spirit Contest mashaa Allaah.  You can see her and her kids’ pretty fanooses here.

They were very easy and super fun to make mashaa Allaah.  Ours came out pretty similar.

Fawanise Ramadan

On Thursday we attempted to take the kids for an outing to our favorite park/playground, Gardenia.  It’s a nice little quiet spot owned and operated by the military (which is known for its clean, well-kept parks and clubs).   We’ve been frequenting the place for, oh, about a year or so I guess.  We like it for the clean, quiet atmosphere, as well as the safe playground equipment, all of which can be hard to come by in Cairo.

It also has these nice sitting areas where you can kick back and relax and order tea and refreshments, all for a really low cost mashaa Allaah.

Alhamdu lillaah, it became our little *spot* mashaa Allaah.  (Can’t you tell why?)

Unfortunately, they’ve decided they will no longer allow women who dress a certain way to enter.

“Niqab is not allowed,” they told us.  “An order, by fax, from the general, that came 3 days ago.”

I hate to be discriminated against.  I really *HATE* to be discriminated against.  Especially by muslims.  Make du’aa for this ummah…self-hate is a sad, pitiful thing.

No big deal, it’s their loss, ya know?

So we headed over to another park that wasn’t open and wouldn’t be opening until after iftar.  We called around to get info on some of the indoor playrooms, but learned that they too wouldn’t be open until after iftar. 

In the end we ended up just going home.  It was one of those “this society is so annoying” days.

Today is Sunday and I’m at my sister’s house (YAY! ).  We’re doing iftar and a sleepover inshaa Allaah.  Tuesday, my “Coolio Canadian Cronie” is coming over for iftar inshaa Allaah, and Wednesday is the employees and families iftar at my husband’s job.

I’m still way behind on my qur’an, so I don’t know when the next time I’ll be able to post again.  Maybe towards the end of the week inshaa Allaah.