As Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah This is a message specifically to my brothers and sisters in Islam: Sometimes we run short of patience. It’s normal. We are, after all, only human. But we are also Muslim, so we are held to a higher standard. We are supposed to the upright Ummah, the nation, not of borders and ethnic lines, but of belief and behavior. We believe in One God. We behave like role models for mankind. Why, then, do... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah I read a news article this weekend about an Egyptian feminist blogger named Aliaa Elmehdy, who in a controversial move uploaded a nude picture online in order to express her freedom after the revolution in Egypt. Her move was met with condemnation by Muslims all over the world, but for myself, I have a different view. I for one would like to give a hearty “thank you” to Aliaa Elmehdy for showing all us ignorant repressed... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Two things hit my Facebook feed today that I felt compelled to comment on. One was a bit of prose by a Muslim sister of mine. I’ll post it here and then comment on it: THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN : The beauty of a woman lies IN HER SILENCE rather than her speech The beauty of a woman lies IN HER VEIL rather than her face The beauty of a woman lies IN HER SUBMISSION... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Well, I am happy to report that the second half of our first day of Eid went very well, so we managed to string together a really good day, alhamdulillah. We relaxed at home for a while and then piled everyone in the car to head to the park. First hiccup in the day; hubby had misread his email and we weren’t supposed to have a day at the “park” but rather a day at a... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Well, it’s about 2 pm on the first day of Eid. Children have been dressed, hustled into their carseats, unloaded, shepherded to the Eid hall, given candy, shushed, given more candy, chased around the hall, had pictures taken, been told “mashaAllah” a hundred times, loaded back into the van, driven home, fed a huge pancake and french toast breakfast, changed into play clothes, and given their Eid loot. Things are quiet at the moment. The kids... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Eid al Adha is rapidly approaching. Where did the time go? I thought the first Eid was just over. The bounce house, the visitors, the food, the hyperactive children running through the yard? And now, a mere three days from now, I have to muster the strength to wake up early and dress five children and shepherd them to an Eid prayer I won’t even hear before I’ve even had my first cup of coffee. The... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah After news of yet another devastating earthquake, this time in the eastern part of Turkey, we are left wondering how many more of these disasters are going to follow in quick succession. Just here in the United States, we have endured, in various parts of our country, floods, wildfires, drought, hurricanes, and tornadoes. In my own area, we experienced a rare moderate earthquake. Anyone living in a quake-prone area might poo-poo our shock and amazement at... Read more
Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Yesterday the tyrant Qadhafi was killed, and as the news spread, response to his death lit up the blogosphere and social networks. On my own Facebook page, my wall was flooded with comments ranging from “Whoopie!” to “He’s a martyr!”. I kept my own response short and simple, commenting that instead of obsessing about his death, we should concentrate on the state of our own souls, because on the Day of Judgment each of us will... Read more
Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah It’s my anniversary, well, sort of. Eighteen years ago on Labor Day weekend, a Sunday, I said my Shahadah. I was standing in the front lobby of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City. I had just attended a class for the sisters, and everyone had left. The only ones still in the building were the Imaam, me, and some guy vacuuming. I was nervous. I had talked about saying my Shahadah with... Read more
Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Originally this post was going to be a vehement screed against improper behavior in the masjid. Well, not just “the masjid” in general, but in the masjid my family goes to. My husband has been spending the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan in itikaaf, and last night was the 27th. He came home directly after fajr, frustrated and definitely not in the spiritual, contemplative mood of someone who had... Read more
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