Islamic words; how and where to use them?

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I got to wondering about how I don't really know which 'words' to use in certain situations.  For example most converts know the basics of  Allahu Akbar, Inshallah, Alhamduillah, Subhanallah, etc. and when to say them.  But there are sometimes I do not know what to say?  Like for example when there is thunder and I get scared, what should I say?  Or when you are thinking of something bad, like for example getting sick, or something like that -should I just say to myself  "Inshallah that won't happen" or is there a small prayer or words to say??  Does anyone actually know what I am trying to say here? 

Anyone help out a lost convert LOL ( you think I would know all this by now!)
 

Things on my mind... Mosques, hadiths, life and death

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I have so many things on my mind lately...and a few blogger posts out there have made me think about things too.  Firstly I am well Alhamduillah, and baby is Mashallah doing well from last scan and testing...inshallah everything will stay well!
Secondly my Aunt is very sick and close to death...please keep her and her family in your dua's that she passes easily and that the family is comforted during this time...ameen. 

So now on to the blog post that got me to thinking... one of them is about the state of Mosques
(this is the link to the post- my-suggestion-to-all-mosques)
I hope she doesn't mind me linking (if you do please let me know I'll remove it)

Talks about her suggestions of how to improve a Mosque...and I can't agree more with it! So many of the comments were spot on.  I wrote about something like this in a previous blog (or at least I think I did...well if not I've wanted to for a while!) about how differently Mosques are from - for example - Catholic churches. Ok, of course they should be different but I'm not meaning theology wise, but how they are run and used, etc.  We have all seen so many unruly children in the Mosque (if you haven't then, mashallah the parents and community are doing well!) I just cannot imagine being a child and running up and down along the pews of a church! Not to mention when prayer is being said!! 
I had one instance at the Mosque of a child kneeling right in front of me while I was in prostration and smiling at me.  I mean yeah it was cute...but I really wanted to concentrate on my prayer, especially while in prostration.  Then there are those children running around the prayer hall making all kinds of noises while people try to pray, etc. I mean really ...its just sad.  I can understand that Mosques will not have money for proper facilities and such, but this issue of the kids running around is the parents duty.  I guess some people feel that children should be allowed to 'run free', I think it maybe because of a hadith that said that the Prophet Mohammed was praying and allowed a child to play on his back, but he continued to pray.  Somehow I feel this is different.  (someone correct me if that is not a hadith and just hearsay)

On the topic of Hadith's there was another blogger who posted about Hadith

I remember when I was first learning about Islam and when I realized what Hadith's were I kind of got a 'bad' feeling.  Now, don't all jump at me and say "how can you have a bad feeling about Hadith's"  What I mean about 'bad' in this context is that I when I realized they were 'man made words, not directly from God' I got nervous that there could be mistakes in them.  I later found out that yes, there are 'weak' hadiths as well as 'strong' ones.  Hence my bad feelings. 
I mean let's be honest, as a convert or anyone for that matter who does not look up and study a Hadith, we can believe a 'weak' one easily - I mean how would we know?
Some one says, 'oh this and this is a hadith, so we have to believe it'  Well, yeah ok it's a Hadith, but it may be a weak one!?  I felt very early on that I wanted to be a 'Quran' only believing Muslim, apparently there are such Muslims, but they are 'looked down upon' in the community.  Now once again, I realize that the Hadiths are there to compliment the Quran.
For example, prayer is mentioned in the Quran several times, but the actual way to do it is in the Hadith's or Sunnah (ways) of the Prophet.  So, yes I realize we need Hadith's on how to proceed with our daily lives, etc.  My only problem is when people seem to put Hadiths ahead of Quran.

I feel that I cannot go wrong if I live my life by the teachings of the Quran, and inshallah Allah will guide me to the right ways in life, and forgive me when I make mistakes and show me the right from the wrong.

So what do you all have to say about these 2 topics? I would love to hear some ideas that you have!

Niqab ban... why is it always about clothing?

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Came across this article on the banning of Niqab in Egypt

Egypt cleric 'to ban full veils'

The niqab has become increasingly popular among Egypt's Muslim radicals

Egypt's highest Muslim authority has said he will issue a religious edict against the growing trend for full women's veils, known as the niqab.

Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, called full-face veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith.

Although most Muslim women in Egypt wear the Islamic headscarf, increasing numbers are adopting the niqab as well.

The practice is widely associated with more radical trends of Islam.

The niqab question reportedly arose when Sheikh Tantawi was visiting a girls' school in Cairo at the weekend and asked one of the students to remove her niqab.

The Egyptian newspaper al-Masri al-Yom quoted him expressing surprise at the girl's attire and telling her it was merely a tradition, with no connection to religion or the Koran.

I don't think this is a good idea... I don't like when people start banning things - headscarf or niqab or anything. Don't we have a right to wear what we want? Be it a full or half or no covering (I'm just trying to make a point) it's ultimately between me and my creator what I wear or don't wear? Ahhh sigh why is it that women and Islam always come down to what 'we are wearing/or not wearing' ?? I would love to see articles that promote the 5 pillars, and celebrate when women live up to those instead of hijab, niqab, etc!

I would love your thoughts and ideas on these topics!

Christianity to Islam - a Nun's story

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I came across this youtube video that I think is very good for Catholics to view! She talks very calmly and mashallah with lots of good examples and information! I hope one day to get the courage to show this to my mom - please pray for me but mostly for her to be guided to the straight path!

Mom and an abaya

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Ok so here is my Abaya/Mom story ... first of all just as a reminder....
my Mom does not know about me converting (yeah still)

So one afternoon we were in a mall, she was looking for some 'house dresses' and as we were walking down an aisle I see a store that looks like it has some of those kinds of dresses. Just as an aside this mall has many indians/muslims - this becomes important because the store we went into was an Islamic store, tons of abayas and shalwars...etc
So needless to say it was a 'big' step to go into that store. It's not like my Mom would be against going in...just not something we would be doing. I had told my mom that i wanted to get something like an abaya for when im 'bigger' in my pregnancy, its comfy...etc she was like ok (it's always a surprise how my Mom will react to things!) so anyway... we saw rows and rows of abayas on the shelf, they were so nice andboth of us were ohhing and ahhhing at how lovely they were!
So I decided to start to look at some more seriously, that is when the woman came over and started to help me to try them on. Long story short we ended up buying an abaya for me (well my mom paid for it) and she bought one for herself....a simple plain black one! (Once again wonders never cease!)
While we were at the cash register, with the same woman who was helping us, she looked over and took 2 sunglasses and said here for you both free! She was so kind and helping and now here she was offering more to us... my Mom just looked at her and said 'no we can't accept this' the woman was all like 'no no please take it' and all smiling. So then I asked if they had a prayer compass (I don't have very much opportunity to be in an Islamic store, so I took my chance!) and she did...and gave me a discount on it mashallah!
Of course my mom asked what that is..i told her but said it's for hubby (well I can't win all the battles can I ? ) Then as we were leaving the store i said to her 'assalam alaikum
my mom was like oh what is that you said ....did you say bye in her language my mom right well knows that there is no Muslim language but anyway i told her that i said 'peace be upon you' and that she replied to me 'and you as well' which was a great lead into me telling her that in fact in the Hungarian Catholic Church you would always greet the priests that way and they had to reply back to you she was like...yes you are right.

I could see that my Mom was affected by all of this, and to be honest so was I. That sales woman was so friendly and caring, I can't help but be thankful that God put us in that position, so perhaps my mom would see what 'real' Muslims are like. It is at least a step in a good direction...inshallah it continues that way!

Oh btw, anyone interested in what kind of abaya I bought? It's a split one, with
red flowers embroidered on the sleeves and the bottom...I'll try and take a picture
and post it later on!

Strangers striving for Allah

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Come and join this new forum for Sisters (only) inshallah
it will be 'open' to read for 1 week and then it will become a private
group. I am looking forward to having some good chats inshallah!
Its all about sisters helping out sisters, exchanging information,
laughs, struggles. Let's make online less strange and come together!

If it looks like a Mosque...

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Tonight hubby and I and another couple are going to a Turkish
eating place/restaurant. I am not looking forward to it too
much only because the place is inside a Mosque.

Now me being a revert and all sometimes I will carry my
"Catholic baggage" with me. So because of that I have a problem with putting
'money making' things inside a place of worship.
I kind of go back to the story in the bible of where Jesus tore up
the market place because they were selling stuff outside the temple
and on a Sabbath (I think). Basically don't be making a profit where
people come to worship. I like that idea so the first time I saw a
restaurant under a Mosque I was more than surprised. It was in
Turkey, that a big beautiful Mosque had a restaurant under it and to the
side, the place was beautifully decorated and all but somehow it just
didn't sit right with me.
We went exploring around the building a bit and went
inside the restaurant and there was a corridor, so of course I wanted to
see what was there. Well as we kept walking there was a clothing store and
a food store. Oh my... what next?? Luckily there was nothing more to it.
Ok, it wasn't really under the Mosque but more towards the right of it and
down a level or two. But still I felt like it was wrong, somehow?
I tried to reassure myself that this was yet another case of, my "Catholic
Baggae" inter-fearing with Muslim beliefs. So I asked hubby if this was 'ok'
and something 'normal', he said yeah they do it a lot in Turkey.

Ok, but that still didn't answer my question, is it allowed or encouraged to do so?
I found this online by accident actually.
http://www.daruliftaa.com/question.asp?txt_QuestionID=q-20125779
(ok so this question relates mostly to building of a 'rental apartment' but
there were some parts that answered my question)

Based on this fact, the Hanafi Fuqaha state that once a Mosque is built,
it will not be permitted to build anything else on top of the Mosque or below it.
It will not be permitted, for example, to build shops, a library, a house,
rooms for resting, toilets and other such things above or below the Mosque.
"If a basement was made under the Mosque for a purpose that is
beneficial for the Mosque itself, then this is permitted, as is the case
with the Masjid of al-Quds. However, if the basement or vault is made
for the benefit of other than the Mosque or a house was made on top of
the Mosque….. then the Mosque will not remain.”
Therefore, it would be permitted, for example, to build below the Mosque
the ablution area for the usage of those attending prayers, a library,
shops that are given on rent with the revenue returning to the Mosque and
other such facilities. Similarly, it will be permitted, for example, to build a house
or rooms on top of the Mosque for the Imam, as that is in the interests of
the Mosque (provided the house does not come into the personal
ownership of the Imam). Similarly, it will be permitted to make rooms
that are rented out with the rental income returning to the Mosque.
However, what will not be allowed is to have someone build his own
personal house above the Mosque or someone have his own personal
shop below the Mosque, etc

.

So technically it is allowed as long as the profits go to the Mosque.
Hmm interesting yet again my baggage has bogged me down, so to speak.
I can also understand that we live in a world that you need money to survive
and the governments don't really give any money to Mosques (I'm not
certain but I am fairly sure they would not) so they need to have money
in order to keep the place in order, etc. So in that way it is a very good thing.

As well maybe it is a good thing to have other things inside or around
the Mosque as it will create a more community feel for it?
Hmm don't know it will take time to digest all this
(haha yeah I know funny as I am going to a eating place!)

The funny thing is that I saw an Orthodox church that had a pharmacy
attached to it - here in Toronto! Go figure?

Your thoughts?

Some interesting you tube videos

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I like to look around youtube from time to time... there are so many 'hateful' and hurtful videos on Islam I just pass those by...there is enough hate around. So here are some nice, inspiring videos!



Mashallah I really liked that prayer...so inspiring!!



Some Dua's - so beautiful!





Beautiful Azan

Istanbul's first female mosque designer

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Just a short article/video I found



It is quite and interesting design...I really like how bright and open it is! I hope there
will be more pictures of it in the future from the inside.

What are your thoughts on it?

Journey to Mecca - The movie

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

So on Friday we watched the movie Journey to Mecca

I really liked the movie mostly because it was in the IMAX format, which means that you have the feeling of being inside the movie. The story was about a traveller who had a dream that he had to travel and get knowledge, his first step was to do the hajj. Mashallah the scenes were so inspiring and dramatic. It was filmed in the desert, with the sand, camels and made you feel as if you were really there standing in the desert! The scenes that had the Kabbah was truly dramatic and made me feel as if I was there witnessing the Hajj and saw the expressions on the faithful's faces. There was a scene that showed many hundreds praying and it was just before they went into sujud, standing and then going into prostrations, the sound of the rustling as they went down to kneel and then complete silence as they had their foreheads to the ground. I was so moved by that - there were literally hundreds of thousands there all worshiping at the same time - subhanallah !!
My only regret was that the movie was short, only about 45 minutes - it would have been nice to have the story develop more.

The place that we went to see the movie was the local science center and they also had an exhibit called 'Sultan's of Science' it was very good and informative! Truly the Islamic world and Muslims in general have contributed so much to the world, if only the world would see and learn!
I am really so happy that this exhibit was shown and I can only hope that some kids and adults will learn more about Islam from all of these scientific discoveries!

I took a few pictures of some banners that were hanging and mashallah they were all words associated with the discoveries, inventions of Muslims!

I think I am going to research more of these topics - Mashallah they had a big exhibit on the medical instruments that Muslim doctors used and then beside that they had the new modern version of it and most of them were very similar - basically a newer version of them!
Really a good exhibit and movie! I am so glad that I had a chance to see it all!

A question ...

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I got asked today a very good question:
Why are you uncomfortable sharing Islam with your family?

I had to think quite a lot about this and really to be honest, I don't have a good answer for it. But me being me...I'll give you some insights as to why I have a hard time telling/sharing Islam with my family.

First of all it's mostly because my Mother does not know, and telling her right now I fear she will become ill - and I mean really ill. She has been through a lot of difficulties and to be frank she is getting older and does not handle change very well lately. I have been so close to telling her about twice now, but each time I kind of wimp out of it. I have talked to her about Islam and she knows that it is something I know about, obviously because my husband is Muslim! Now there is
the part that would probably make things easier, you would think? I sometimes think that she already figures that I have changed religions for 'him' (the classic answer) and that me telling her would only serve to confirm her thoughts, but I cannot be sure of that. I'm sure many of you are thinking...well just tell her and get over it! Yeah I would love to and as this is not a TV episode that ends in half and hour and has a neat and tidy - huggy huggy ending, I will have to deal with
the outcome of it. I have however given my mom some articles to read and have even given her
some verses of Quran (although she does not know they are from Quran - yeah I know, sneaky, but I pray that it was not something wrong to do!) She asked me where it came from, I said 'online' (blush)

Secondly I am not really that close with my family, only a cousin and his family, his mother. (My Aunt) We don't really have a big family. So that leaves my friends, which I have a few really good ones, and some more casual ones. Only 5 or 6 of them know that I am Muslim and it only came
out casually in conversation and thankfully they did not make a big deal of it! (I don't like being the center of attention!)

All of my co-workers do not know... and there is a reason, well two. One is that the woman who hired me is a friend to my cousin....so if one knows the other will know as well. You do the math! Second is that people here are very un-receptive towards anyone really different, I mean if I were to show up in a headscarf, well let's just say I don't know what would happen.

I can just hear some of you bloggers out there saying... 'oh those are not good reasons at all'
Well you know what, you are probably right but for me right now at this stage I am at, this is how it has to be. I can only pray that inshallah one day I have the strength and Iman to face people and proudly say I am Muslim! That day has not come.

Being an anonymous face in the blogging world gives me a strength that I do not feel in the outside world. Perhaps it is because it is anonymous, but it is so much easier to be myself here online. Isn't that funny that it takes a pseudo life to feel as if you are living your real life?

Well so right here right now... I am proud to be Muslim and I thank Allah that it was brought into my life and Inshallah I want to grow and learn everyday in this wonderful, peaceful religion! I also pray that one day I will be able to share all of this with my family and friends!

Don't you just love being censored!

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Not really an important blog entry but there is something I need
to get off my chest! I visit an online forum (which will remain
nameless) for Muslims, they were originally on MSN but moved
to their own site after MSN closed down the groups pages. Anyway,
I was a member of that MSN site for a long time and there is actually
where I learned so much about Islam and ended up saying my Shahada
online... so after not being in contact with that group (another long story)
I was so happy to see that it was back online and I also started to talk to
the 'old' members...mashallah it was nice to catch up again!

So, last week there was an article on there that was talking about how
women in Saudi Arabia were forced to go and buy underwear from Men
as they would not employ Women.
So me being me, I posted a comment that said:

I agree... I think it is absolutely the most ridiculous thing in the
world to have Men selling undergarments to women...and above
all in Saudi where there are religious police running around
ensuring 'modesty' is obeyed! I mean really - anyone see some
hypocrisy there?

As well just on that topic... Women are not allowed to drive,
because they will be a distraction to Men? Hmm? Well fine but
then why are they expected to be chauffeured around by a non-mahram?
Somehow that is alright by their standards? I think they need to
think things through a bit more!
Inshallah!!

This was the reply as to why the post was deleted

Members were leaving comments about how things are run
and about them having hypocrisy, this is not from the manhaj
(methodology) of the salaf and it opposes the sunnah.
You make duaa for the leader or advise them in private,
it is not for us to speak about their sins and talk about them
publicy and we should obey them as long as they do not tell us to
do haram, and before we look at our leaders we should look at
ourselves because the muslims as a whole need to start following
islam and Allah will not change our situation until we change what
is in ourselves, so we have the rulers we deserve.
InshaAllahi will provide the daleel (proof) for these points.

Hmm... look at this and please someone tell me is this not
the definition of hypocrisy?

"and we should obey them as long as they do not tell us to do haram,"

Hmm... isn't driving with a non-mahram against sharia?
Allahu alim, I mean really someone tell me I was wrong?
Don't we have an obligation to encourage the right and forbid
evil? Anyway I don't know I just don't like being censored like that.

I looked back now and see that the post is back... it seems they had
a change of heart. Still I don't like when I'm deleted!

Do Muslims have a 'holy' day?

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

So lately for about six months or so my Mother has re-invented

(well that's my way of describing it) her religious beliefs. Yeah no,
it's not to Islam (Inshallah one day she can see the beauty of it)
but instead has gone into a more radical form of Christianity.
(at least I feel it is more radical for her)

So I called her this morning to say I'm at work and everything is
fine (yes I call her - she worries). So she asked me where I got some
chicken bones I used for soup (they were Kosher type) and she assumed
I went to a Jewish type of store. I said no it's just from a local
grocery store that happens to sell Kosher and Halal stuff. I ask
her does she need more? She says no I need 'unleavened' bread.
Huh? I'm instantly taken back to the Old testament bible, and the
stories of Moses and then eating unleavened bread because they had
no yeast or rather time for it to rise. I was about to ask what she
needed that for but really at 8am I was not in the mood to hear about
it at all. I assumed it's for Easter. I think I will ask her on the weekend
what its all about? We only go on Sunday as my Mother now keeps
Saturday as a holy day (Yeah she is not Jewish, but some other form
of Christianity - she has not told me which though)
So this all got me to thinking... Do Muslims have a holy day?
Ok, so before people jump on me and say its Friday/Jummah I mean
was there a day set apart from all other days? The Jewish and
Christian have a day of 'rest' and a day for worshiping God.
Is Friday that kind of day? I don't really think Friday is considered in that
way in Islam. But then I have to think (May Allah forgive me) why in
so much of old history does God want a holy day but then there is no such
thing in Islam?

Anyone can shed any light on this for me?

Degredation of the Family unit...some thoughts

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I have a news feed up on top of my browser window - its set to
Turkish news right now (Hubby is Turkish and I sometimes like to
surprise him with some knowledge about what's going on there!)
Anyway... off topic!
So I saw this article title

School Books are Turkish, Muslim, Male, Heterosexual and Racist

I thought....hmm this should be interesting.
The article starts off like this:

The findings of the second project of monitoring Turkish school
books for human rights violations, run by the History Foundation
and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, have been published
as a book.

"...The father is the person who makes the living for the family.
The mother is the father’s helper, and she provides the food, child care
and love in the family.”

Ok, what is so wrong with that? Yes there are women who make a living,
and yes it is a nice thing for the father to help out the mother. In most homes
the mother is the one cooking and cleaning and childcare. I know that this makes
it sound as if the women are at a disadvantage, but I have to disagree. I think
many of us grew up in such homes, did we turn out all misguided?

The article goes on:

“The groups most at risk of contracting AIDS are: people having unsafe
sexual relations, people with more than one sexual partner,
homosexuals, drug users, those dependent on blood products and health personnel.” (E.A. Kolukısa (2006) Primary School Social Studies
6, p. 147, Ankara: A Publications).

This sentence encourages prejudices towards both people who are not heterosexual and those who cannot live with one partner.

Um...this to me looks more like a fact not 'discrimination'?
Should text books write 'its ok to have more than one sexual partner'?
I mean really these books are for children in school, it should not
contain 'thoughts or ideals', I think facts are needed not opinions.

Ok this really boggles my mind - remember these are books made for
Turkish children IN Turkey.

Related to this issue is the choice of names that the characters in school
books have. They are always Muslim and Turkish names, such as
Ömer, Zeynep, Mustafa, Mehmet, Meral, Sema…In vain does one look
for Armenian, Kurdish or Jewish names, such as
Agop, Zilan, Baran, Moşe, Roni or Nayat.

We generally use 'English' sounding names here in Canada, and we have
so many different nationalities, so I don't think that is being racists. With so
many ethnicity's here the book makers would be dizzy from choosing names!
Would you really see a book here with the characters having a
Chinese or Indian name? I wouldn't mind, but realistically would it happen?
Perhaps Canada is in violation of Human Rights too then?

“For no one; we are Allah’s subjects…our hearts are full of belief,
our strong arms….”(A. Kapulu (2007) Primary School
Turkish 4, p. 29, Ankara: Koza Publications).

According to the report of the History Foundation, religious beliefs
are presented as positive suggestions in school books.
Traditions are shown as incompatible with a critical mind.
When religion is described as a “culture”, morality is reduced to religiosity.

Ok so teaching or 'promoting' religion is a bad thing? I think maybe if more people
were religious they wouldn't be so many wars?

“My mother bought a blanket from a door-to-door salesperson.
But when my father came home in the evening, he said that the blanket
could not be paid with this month’s budget, and said we would have
to give it back.” (E. A. Kolukısa (2007)
Primary School Social Studies 6, p. 22, Ankara: A Publications).

- Stop here and think of what that sentence means to you?
Then scroll down and see if you thought the same as they are claiming
in the article that this sentence portrays.

This sentence shows a woman who cannot make decisions, as well as a male-dominated family.

Are you kidding me? All I thought when I read that is that 'there is no money
this month and they could not afford it. Never would I have thought, 'the woman
is too stupid to know how much money they have and keeps spending! AACCKKK

Okey so after all these I have a few thoughts on how the world is progressing.
First of all I think the 'family unit' is broken down and not 'cherished' anymore.
Yes both sets of parents may be working and it is no longer only the man who is
the bread winner, but that does not mean that we need to forget about family life.

Women have babies, and usually those babies take about 6months to one year to
become able to be left with someone else other than their mother. So, yeah in
that time the "man" of the house is going to have to provide, and is that so wrong??
Morals and values have seem to been abandoned, in the pursuit of wealth and
success.

I really cannot believe that those books are being questioned, well ok,
I can believe they are being questioned (and there are some aspects
of the article that I agree with, some things really should be re-evaluated
by the Turkish schools) but to be accused of Human Rights violations
for printing such things? I mean come on people....lets be realistic!

If put under a microscope and analyzed in these terms I would like to know
which nation in the world would not be violating Human Rights?

I would really like some opinions on this article - well at least the quotes
I've posted above. Do you agree, or not or have another opinion?

How to learn how to pray... my journey

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Hey, i have a question for you to ponder! In general, i am curious to hear about how you, as a westerner, learned to pray in Islam, both the language and the ritual of it all is SO intimidating to me. I understand and respect why it is so important in the faith, but i feel like i could never learn to do it right. does that make sense? Maybe you can do me a favor and post a blog entry about it, i am sure other people might also be wondering?

I got this question posed to me by another blogger/On-line friend and I thought it would be a great post to write about! So that is exactly what I am going to do, Inshallah.

Learning to pray for me was a very big step and it was the single most important thing after saying the Shahada. I had looked up how to pray and what it all meant and felt confident that I would be able to do it, one day. So for the first time I wore a headscarf, making sure my clothing was proper (nothing open and well covered) I had printed out a copy of the prayer 'wording', I had re-copied it so that I would be able to pronounce it as it sounded. (found many places online that had a 'recitor' so at least I could hear how it should be sounding.) So, that was it, I was ready to pray or at least try to. I was filled with a sense of fulfilment, I would finally be able to offer prayer!

Ok, so I made the intention in my heart ( 4 rakats of Isha prayer) with my handy paper I was ready! Ah...yeah hold on, how was I supposed to do the movements and recite the words at the same time? Hmm, well this was not going to work now was it? No... it did not. A moment ago I was overcome with fulfilment and now I was in despair. How was I to do the prayers if I cannot recite the words? How was I to do the movements without reciting? Frustration, yes that is what I felt the first time I tried to pray. Sorry it was not the magic moment that I thought it would be. I actually do remember taping the paper to the wall and looking at it and doing the movements, this became awkward and I realized that I would have to memorize the whole thing!! Gak... but it was long and it was in Arabic? How was I supposed to do that?

Well, as with all things, patience was required. I decided to start at the beginning and learn the most important things first - this being Al-Fathia (the first chapter of the Quran and the first verse you must recite in each prayer) Let me tell you that it took a long time to memorize it all.
To make matters worse, I (just because I am who I am... inquisitive and all!) wanted to make sure that I knew what I was reciting, so that meant I had to memorize this in English as well!
Yes, I know, why not just recite the thing and don't worry about the meaning.
That is very easy to say and do...but I did not want to follow this religion blindly! I had grown up with that... 'just believe, have faith, don't question things...etc' Well I needed to know what I was saying! The first words that were revealed to Prophet Mohammed was 'read!

96:1 Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth,
96:2 Createth man from a clot.
96:3 Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
96:4 Who teacheth by the pen,
96:5 Teacheth man that which be knew not.

I always loved this about Islam, we must not be ignorant and follow blindly, we must go out and search for knowledge! So, that is what I did. I slowly began memorizing the first verse. I did it line by line. After knowing that first line I would move on to the next one. Each night I would practice it, saying it in Arabic then in English, hoping that I would remember everything. So little by little I did learn it. I started the prayers with the parts that I knew... and to be honest the main parts of the prayer performance the words are quite short. Like when you go down to bow its called Ruku, you say 'Subhana rabbi al-azeem' Glory be to God, the Great - three times. Then for when you kneel down (sujud) you say 'Subhana rabbi al-a laa' Glory be to God, the most High - three times. As well when you start the prayer you say, 'Allahu Akbar' Allah is the Greatest. So as you can see many of the words are quite simple to remember!

I really can't say when I memorized the whole thing... it's just a process and it will take everyone their own time. I am still learning verses, as you need to recited different verses in each prayer, well ideally you should. As a convert you are allowed some leniency, you are not expected to learn everything right away, God knows this and therefore you should take time and enjoy the experience of learning. I can't say it was easy, as it really was not! But now I have a great sense of accomplishment, that I have been able to memorize it all and really understand what it is I am saying. Yes, honestly I do forget a bit about the English meaning occasionally, but I always like to look back and see what it means exactly and it is never far from my mind.

So that is how I started out... would love to hear all your stories, either on my comments or in a blog of your own!!

Islamic Pictures

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Here are some of my recent pictures - I wanted to do some Islamic pictures, these are my first attempts - Let me know your thoughts.

Women & the Mosque

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I just came across this website and found this article...I really like what it has to say. Please read it and let me know what you all think (I have only pasted a portion of the article...click the title of the article to read the whole thing!)

An Eid gone awry

January 20, 2009 by Roberta D
Filed under Featured, Women's Rights

I’d ironed my abaya and scarf the night before, and set multiple wake-up alarms on my cell phone. About half an hour after fajr ended, I headed out of the apartment to the cozy mosque up the street where I often pray on weekends. I was extra excited because although I’d been living in İstanbul for over a year, I had been out of the country for the last few Eids, meaning it would be my first Eid prayer in Turkey.

As I rounded the corner, quietly reciting the Eid takbeer, I reminded myself that I would probably be one of very few women there. Turkish women don’t traditionally attend Eid or Friday prayers at the mosque; it’s just not the cultural practice. But I knew from my own experience that there were usually a handful of younger women that showed up for the khutbah on Fridays, and their numbers were steadily if slowly growing.

With that image in mind, I ignored the stares of the couple of men standing around near the entry to the mosque complex and scanned the mosque courtyard for any women as I took off my shoes. None. When I entered the mosque itself, it was more of the same: Though the mosque was by no means full, there were only men in it. The building’s construction is such that the women’s prayer area is actually in a separate room to the right, so I headed there. I walked in, and it looked mostly empty except someone I saw out of the corner of my eye sitting way in the back. Success — almost.

I was putting my shoes away when I realized that there was a man sitting in the front of the room. Hmm… I looked toward the back, where I thought I had seen an old woman as I walked in, but no, he was actually an old man. I sighed, having expected at least one other woman to be there, and at the very least no men in the women’s section! More than a little deflated, I went to collect my shoes and head out. In the same space of time it had taken me to figure out that this wasn’t going to work out as planned (maybe 10 seconds) it seems that the men in the mosque had come to the same conclusion. An older man rushed into the women’s section, and (assuming the combination of brown skin and an abaya meant I was an Arab) began shouting “Laa! Laa! Laa! [No, no, no!]” and gesticulating frantically. I left, undergoing a second round of stares on my way out of the mosque, through the courtyard, and out the main entrance. So much for my first Eid prayer in Turkey!

So much for the Eid prayer … and so much for the Sunnah too:

I think that this is such an important thing to discuss for women in Islam.
I have to relate a wonderful thing that happened to me and I can only pray that other Imams will be so open minded and equal. I went for Taraweeh prayers and mashallah the mosque was absolutely full of worshipers, the Sisters area was a balcony and it was full. I ended up sitting on the stairs along with many other Sisters, we were all wondering how we were going to offer the prayers? So then the Iman told the men to come up more to the front to make room for the Sisters, then he invited us to come down and pray behind the men. Mashallah I stood up and practically ran, because I so much wanted to experience a prayer service where I was on the same level as the Iman and could see him and hear him properly! So Mashallah that Taraweeh was a very special one for me. I really think there has to be more discussion and willingness to provide a space for women, even better if it is all in the same room!

Just found one more article...

S.F. mosque drops gender barrier -- worshipers are still adjusting

San Francisco's largest mosque -- a Tenderloin refuge for more than 400 Muslims -- has taken the revolutionary step of removing the 8-foot wall separating male and female worshipers.

No other Bay Area immigrant mosque has torn down such a barrier, several Muslim leaders said, and the move is rare in the United States. But leaders at the Islamic Society of San Francisco, citing the opinions of scholars, say Islam provides no justification for the partitions that separate men and women in most immigrant mosques around the country.

The mundane can be beautiful

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

Thought I would update you all with what I've been up to. Well in short NOTHING, I mean nothing out of the ordinary. I wake up go to work, stay there for nine hours, drive home, make dinner, then sleep and do it again the next day! Very boring but sometimes I really like the 'boring' but the only time I really appreciate the boring is when my life turns upside down. I sit and think wow it would be nice if things were ordinary again. I long for the mundane in those times.
I am happy to announce that I have been keeping up with the daily prayers much better, mashallah it is amazing really that I am able to get in more prayers - I have always struggled with this but for the past four days I have made a conscious effort to keep them up. It is a struggle, truly. I know that most will say but you 'have' to do them, you have to keep up the prayers, it is not something difficult to take out five to ten minutes to do them. Well, all I say to those is that nobody, NOBODY knows their own situation other than themselves. I won't go into the details of how and why I was not able to perform all of my daily prayers, but will say that it has become a bit easier and I have to thank Allah for that!
I started this blog to relate to people how beautiful and difficult this religion is, or rather to be a convert. There is always talk that you should not reveal your sins, yes ok, I can agree to that. It is between you and Allah, however I do believe that reading about somebodies struggles can empower you to make changes in your own life. I know that when I have read about others who have had struggles to overcome I can relate and I can gauge my own progress to see where I need to improve. Let's not forget one thing, we are all human and to see people fail does not make them weak, it makes them ordinary, makes them 'real'.

So let me relate to you why I suddenly decided that I need to be more vigilant with keeping up the prayers. I got very scared of the fact that one day at the end of my life I will have to answer so many questions. I will be asked by Allah why did I not pray on time, why did I not say all the prayers, etc. I tried to imagine what I would say, but I could not come up with one good answer. Sure I have all the excuses, we've all heard them and done them. I am tired, I am lazy, I cannot do it because of work, because of people around me, the water is cold for wudu, I have no water for wudu. Are any of these real reasons? No, they are not. So when I think of the time I will be standing in front of my creator, the one who knows me better than anyone ever can, I can't help but think that those excuses are horrid. Allah has made provisions for everything. For example if you have no water you can do the dry ablution, tayammum. If you are travelling you can shorten certain prayers. I believe with a sincere heart that if I make an effort and my intentions are to keep the prayers it will benefit me, but only Allah knows if my prayers are accepted. So on the day of questioning I feel that if I can at least say, 'I tried to keep the prayers, I have offered them in the best way that I could'. I feel that at least there is the intention of offering it, and that has to be better than leaving the prayers entirely! Inshallah!

Allah Almighty knows best.

So I go on with my life, the mundane and perhaps even boring life... but think that it is good and I am thankful for these moments of 'boredom' and pray that whatever life throws at me, I will be able to handle it!

Nice to chat and learn...

Assalam alaikum & Peace to all

I've had a 'board' for reverts/converts to Islam and its seen some activity but not too much, for whatever reason it never really took off. I thought I would post the address and have all you wonderful people check it out and let me know if I should 'close' it or delete it or whatever you do with a board.

Oh by the way there is a chat feature there...so if nothing else its a place to get together to chat to other Sisters !!

http://www.4reverts.proboards56.com/index.cgi

There is a connection between the intellectual stasis of Muslim societies...

Assalam Alaikum & Peace to all

I have been going through my old blogs and thought I would re-post some of them... to get a feel for how I think of things today and see if anyone has any new thoughts on it!
This blog is from May 3 2006 - Sadly nothing has really changed in the world since then, especially how Muslims are treated.


Found this article...(a bit long but a good read) link : http://www3.naseeb.com/naseebvibes/interview-detail.php?aid=3405

Just one part I would like to hear comments on: "


VIBES: You are a strong advocate against a western perception of homogenized “Muslim world", what can be done to remove the perception?

"ASMA BARLAS: I think it’s pretty obvious that when we treat a group of people as if they are all the same, we deny them any individuality and, if on top of that, we assume that the group in question is radically different from everyone else, we demonize them as well. Doing this has often opened the door to genocide in the past. An obvious example from the last century is the Holocaust. After all, it was because they succeeded in misrepresenting the Jews as all the same that the Nazis were also able to carry out their genocide against them.
Regrettably, then, this is an old tendency in Western political discourse and you can see it at play not only in the history of Western colonialism, but also in the racism that persists in the West today. Muslims are simply its current victims. While I’m not sure that one can end this way of thinking about Others in the West, we can and should contest and challenge a worldview that presents one billion Muslims as one, big, violent beast."

I have to agree on the part that says:'that when we treat a group of people as if they are all the same, we deny them any individuality'. We are all created differently..and to lump everyone of the same ethnic, culture, or religion is just wrong...sadly that is what is happening right now
all over the world.

Anyone have any comments on this?

Thanks...