Anne's Excellent Adventure

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu everyone!

Insha'Allah I hope you are all in the best of health and iman!

On Monday, I returned from a lovely weekend in my adopted hometown, Boston. I set out on Thursday and stayed until Monday, and Alhamdulillah I was back in the life I feel most comfortable in, able to practice Islam freely and proudly. I almost didn't get to go, since just a couple days before I came down with a nasty stomach virus, complete with puking and a fever. But, Alhamdulillah, ALLAH knew how much I wanted to go, and granted me a full recovery just in time! I'll break down my time day by day.

THURSDAY: My dad dropped me off at the incredibly sketchy bus station bright and early. As soon as he was out of sight I put my khimar on and waited for the bus while eating one of those frozen ice cream cones from a machine (there was no other food around besides candy :P ). When I arrived in Boston, I decided to take the T right to my favorite masjid (yes, I love it so much I go there to hang out). I prayed dhuhr, had a delicious chicken panini in their cafe, and browsed through their clothing and bookstore. One of the main reasons I had come, though, was to obtain my shahadah certificate. Insha'Allah when I go on hajj I will need proof that I'm actually a Muslim (since I have a "non-Muslim name"), and many masjids have official certificates that they give out proving that one has taken their shahadah. I had actually never said my shahadah officially in front of an imam and witnesses, so by getting this certificate on July 15, 2010, I "officially" converted, Alhamdulillah! (NOTE: One only really needs ALLAH as their witness to become a Muslim, and I have been practicing for almost two years Alhamdulillah, so this was really just a technicality.) I even got a copy of my certificate; Masha'Allah, it's really nice, with a whole line about how I officially accept the shahadah and will live as a Muslim to the best of my ability, signed by an imam and the two other witnesses that were there (Subhanallah, they were coincidentally both affiliated with my college; one is the husband of the Muslim chaplain at my school, and the other is the aunt of one of my classmates).
Afterwards, I left the masjid to meet up with my good friend Saosan, whom I would be staying with for the weekend. Masha'Allah, she's on a flag football team, and I went to a playing field at Harvard to watch one of her games. Subhanallah, it was an absolutely gorgeous day, and I was just as happy as a clam lying out in the sun watching football and drinking a cherry Slurpee. We then returned to Saosan's house, ate dinner (her family is from Bangladesh, and her mother makes awesome food), and chatted through the night.

FRIDAY: Saosan had to go to work for the day, so I took the T into downtown Boston to hang out. On Fridays there is a section of Boston called the Haymarket that holds a lively farmer's market; the produce, meat, cheese, and fish is fresh and super cheap. There are also literally five halal restaurants/markets crammed into a single block there, so I looked through those and grabbed a slice of halal pepperoni pizza from the restaurant (good, but sadly not as good as pork pepperoni). Quincy Market is right nearby, so I walked over there and browsed through the stores in that area. It's really touristy there and everything is overpriced, but it's fun for people-watching and looking at all the merchandise they have. I went into a used bookstore on one of the main streets, and there were a ton of really old books, manuscripts, and pieces of art for sale. I even found a complete hardcover set of Sahih Bukhari for $100! (I was very tempted to buy it, but it was too expensive and I didn't want to lug it around with me all day.)
Around lunch, I went over to the masjid again for jummah prayers. While I was there, I saw the Muslim chaplain from my school and her gorgeous baby son (Masha'Allah, he is seriously one of the most adorable babies I have ever seen!), as well as other people I hadn't seen since school ended. When prayers were done I walked over to the Somali clothes shop down the street and bought a beautiful, plain purple jilbab with a matching thigh-length khimar, as well as a plum purple maghneh. I was super excited to find these things, since maghnehs and long khimars are very hard to find, as are plain, non-black jilbabs.
At around 3:00, I took the commuter rail to the town where Saosan works. I thought that the walk to her office from there would be relatively short, but it turned out to be at least a mile and a half down the road. I was an idiot and was wearing like four layers (a long sleeved shirt, leggings, a maxi dress, a button-up denim jilbab, and an elbow length khimar), so I was sweating like nobody's business on the walk. I was also wearing really bad sandals, so by the time I made it to her office my feet were killing me (and still are, actually). We then went over to one of Saosan's friend's houses for dinner and to get our legs waxed. We watched "Sister Act" and "Encino Man" (which is one of those So Bad It's Good movies). This was one of the highlights of my trip; the food was good, the company was great, and good times were had by all.

SATURDAY: I fasted on Saturday for the last of my make-up days from Ramadhan. Saosan, her mother, and myself were invited to a "dawat", which is basically a huge party where the entire Bengali community meets up for some occasion (this time for a high school graduation party). I borrowed one of Saosan's exquisite shalwar kameez to wear to the party, and felt like a princess in it. There was so much food there with leftovers despite all the people; I was practically shoveling food into me after it was time to break the fast.
Earlier in the day, Saosan and I went to the grocery store (we sure do know how to have fun, lol) to pick up some things for a cupcake recipe Saosan wanted to try. While we were waiting in line, a woman behind us asked if we were "sisters". We said that we weren't related, and she said "No, like SISTERS". I thought she meant that we were nuns, and she said, "Are you Muslims?" We responded yes, and she said that she was born in Iran and started talking to us about her life there. It was really nice talking to her, especially since I love pretty much anything to do with Iran.
After the dawat, Saosan and I went to the masjid for a qiyaam in honor of Shabaan and preparing for Ramadhan. Masha'Allah, a brother gave a really nice lecture on how to prepare ourselves for this upcoming blessed month, and I really liked how he asked the audience for tips on how we prepare. I would have liked to have done more in the way of spiritual activities, like reading the Qur'an together, but by the time we finished with the lecture it was already late and we needed to get up soon for night prayers and fajr. Also, I was reunited with Laila again after two long months!!! I was so happy to see her, but again, there wasn't much time for us to catch up.

SUNDAY: Everyone woke up at around 3:00 for night prayers, du'a, and fajr, after which we promptly fell asleep. In the morning, we all went out to breakfast at this cute little restaurant near Northeastern University (I had crepes with strawberries and Nutella...so, so good). Saosan and I then went back to her house and just hung out for the rest of the day, watching movies and talking.

I was so sad to have to leave; I just feel so comfortable in Boston and able to completely be myself without any guilt or fear. Insha'Allah, there are only 45 days left until I return to school, and Insha'Allah I hope to visit again sometime during Ramadhan.


On another note, could everyone please take a moment and make du'a for fellow blogger Aalia of "Chasing Jannah"? She is going through an incredibly trying time right now, and she really needs your prayers. Ya ALLAH, please bless Your servant Aalia, please comfort her and keep her patient during this time, please reunite her with her son as soon as possible, and please reward her for her steadfastness. O Controller of the hearts, keep our hearts steadfast in Your religion, Ameen!

ALLAHu Musta'an

Earlier today there was a series of terrorist attacks in Kampala, Uganda, where bombs went off in crowds of people watching the last World Cup game. 64 people were killed and over 100 injured. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. It is suspected that these bombings were carried out by al-Shabaab, a Somali militant group. One of al-Shabaab's leaders didn't outright admit to the attacks, but he said "Uganda is one of our enemies. Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah’s anger be upon those who are against us." Al-Shabaab claims to be an Islamic group dedicated to creating an Islamic state and establishing shari'a.

This is a terrible tragedy, violence committed against innocent people simply watching a soccer game. And this quote is so disgusting and so freaking unIslamic I don't even know what to think. May ALLAH bless, comfort, and guide the family members of the casualties, and may ALLAH soften the hearts of people like this man and let them practice the true Islam that would never condone such cruel behavior and outrageous comments, Ameen.

Let there be eternal salaam on Earth one day, Insha'Allah, Ameen!

Habits are Hard to Break

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu everyone!

I absolutely love "The Boondocks". For those who have never heard of it, it's a show based off of a comic strip by Aaron McGruder about two young black boys, Huey and Riley Freeman, living with their grandfather in a predominantly white suburb. Huey is a genius ten year-old and a staunch supporter of radical black nationalism and socialism. His eight year-old brother Riley, on the other hand, is a wannabe gangster who idolizes rappers and the ghetto culture. The show contains a lot of insight into politics, sociology, and African American culture. Currently, the show is in its third and final season on Adult Swim (the adult version of Cartoon Network). I've always loved the show, but this summer I've grown especially fond of it. I've been watching the old episodes, waiting anxiously for the new ones, reading posts on Boondocks forums, and even reading fanfiction and looking at fan art.

Today, I was thinking about how excited I was for the new episode to come on this evening. Then, all of a sudden, I realized just how much I had become preoccupied with this show. It was taking up a lot of my time during the day, and even at night before going to sleep I would think about it. As Muslims, we are taught that our time on this Earth is very limited and precious, and it is up to us to make the best use of it. There is a hadith where Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, "A servant of ALLAH will remain standing on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it up, his property and how he acquired and managed it and his knowledge and how he utilized it.”

There is obviously nothing wrong with having fun and leisure time in Islam, but it is important that the fun is halal (no gambling, drinking, pleasure at the expense of others, etc.) and for a purpose, namely to reenergize ourselves, or to exercise our bodies and minds. There has been some benefits to me watching "The Boondocks", in that it is a source of entertainment for me and has gotten me very interested in studies of African Americans and the African diaspora (I am actually seriously considering doing a minor in Africana Studies because of my exposure to the knowledge and commentary on "The Boondocks"). However, "The Boondocks", despite it being thought-provoking, has its share of not-so-halal things, namely nudity (male and female), A LOT of swearing, and occasional disrespectful things said about ALLAH and Prophet Isa (as), Astaghfirullah. And what I have been doing is definitely not in moderation; rather, it's become an idle pastime with no real benefit.

After realizing this, I decided that I need to make a change. I will continue watching "The Boondocks", but not excessively (like only if there's a new episode or if I really, really want to watch it). I will close my eyes or change the channel during the "nude" parts and the parts about ALLAH and Isa (as). I will not browse the fan art and fan fiction galleries (I find them to be a real time waster). Basically, I can still enjoy it, but I need to make sure that it's done the right way and never in favor of more beneficial, constructive activities. It's going to be hard, and tempting to fall back into what I've been doing, but since I am doing this for the sake of ALLAH, Insha'Allah it will not be too difficult.

Giving up things for the sake of ALLAH is not easy. It's very hard to break old habits, and it may even seem that you're not getting anything out of it but suffering and annoyance. Yet ALLAH is the Most Merciful; when He sees that we're doing something for His sake, even if it's very difficult or unpleasant, Insha'Allah He will be pleased with us and compensate us with something even better than what we're giving up. Alhamdulillah, nothing we do goes unnoticed, and whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it!

This is a very broad topic that I have a lot more to say about, so Insha'Allah I will write about this again.

Hijab Stories

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu everyone!

So I was just reading LK's latest blog post (wheelsamsara.blogspot.com) about hijab, and she asked if anyone had any peculiar/funny/interesting stories about wearing hijab. Alhamdulillah, I am very happy to say that I have never had any discriminatory or bigoted attacks against me for wearing hijab (no cries of "Terrorist!" or "Go back to your country!"). I know this does happen to some people, and I was quite honestly expecting it to happen to me. Perhaps I haven't had this because I live in Boston, a very diverse, collegiate city with many young, open-minded people. The college that I go to is also quite open to diversity and everyone gets along well, Alhamdulillah. Nevertheless, I do have a couple stories to tell. :)

One of the biggest things I've noticed is that I have been approached by a lot more beggars since observing hijab. I'm thinking this may be because people see that I'm religious and therefore more likely to "have pity" on them or to give out charity. I know that if I were begging I would be more likely to ask someone who looked religious. I was visiting Rachel at her school a few months ago, and as we were walking to a restaurant a man and woman came up to me. The man said salaam to me and started talking to me about Islam, and then he asked for money so he could buy food. I don't mind helping out people who ask, but I am very wary about just giving people money since I don't know what they'll do with it. I told him that I would go and buy him some food, and he said he wanted to go to a pizza shop down the street. As we were walking, he saw another, more expensive deli and said he wanted to go there, so we went into the deli and ordered his food. At this point I was getting really creeped out and just wanted to leave, but the owner of the deli was being very slow and rude. The man and woman started yelling at him, and I was urging the owner to hurry up and let me pay so we could leave. I threw the money at him (paying more than I wanted to), and dashed out. Later I realized that the guy had ordered a sandwich with bacon on it. :P

When I was in New York City, I had two people come up to me, both professing to be Muslim. One was an older woman who was crying out in pain saying that she needed medicine for her ulcers. Again, I didn't want to just give her money, so I walked to a Walgreens with her and picked out the medicine with her to make sure she was actually getting ulcer medicine. The lady was actually very nice, Masha'Allah, and I think she was genuinely in need of help, so I didn't feel taken advantage of afterward. Later that day, some really creepy guy came up to me (supposedly a Muslim) and asked me to deliver a message to someone at a bar. I said absolutely not, but he kept talking to me for about 20 minutes about I don't even remember what (some of it involved a murder of a kid). I said I couldn't help him except by making du'a, and then practically ran away from him after he was done talking. I think he was mentally ill or some kind of addict, may ALLAH help him, heal him, and grant him peace of mind.

On a Friday afternoon in Boston, I was walking around the area near the masjid after jummah. I had a container of grilled chicken and rice with me, so I sat down at a busy bus stop to eat. An old woman came up to me and said she was starving and if I would give her money; I offered her my food instead, and she ate it. She then started talking to me about her life, including how she could barely pay rent and a discussion on barbecued ribs and sauces. Then she started asking me about Islam and went right into the questions of whether I was married, why men can have multiple wives, and wasn't I burning up in my hijab and jilbab. I answered the best I can, and also told her to stop by the masjid sometime if she wanted to, and also about the cafe in the masjid that makes (delicious) sandwiches, and even if you don't have money you can still get one. I think she might have also been mentally ill or an addict; she seemed to suffer from memory loss (I had to repeat myself numerous times) and had some anger issues (she yelled at people who walked by).

I have had several people inquire as to what my religion is when I wear hijab. I was wearing a thigh-length, navy blue khimar one day and a few people asked if I was a nun; one thought I was Greek Orthodox (never heard that one before). One day at my school I was wearing a long black skirt and a black maghneh (an Iranian style hijab similar to an al-Amira), and as I walked past the Catholic chaplain's office (a lovely woman who is also a nun) she said, "Man, you look like a nun!"

Another day, I was walking in the neighborhood of the masjid, which is pretty run-down and ghetto. On my way to a bookstore, I passed one man, a total stranger, who smiled and said "Assalaamu alaikum sister". That just made me feel really good, knowing that even though we were strangers we were still bound together through our faith. Later, I passed by another man, who actually stopped walking and BOWED to me, and told me never to change. I don't have an explanation for that one.

At the airport on my way to the Virgin Islands with Rachel, I ducked into the bathroom to put on my hijab and jilbab after my parents dropped us off. We then went through security, and, lo and behold, I was "randomly selected" to get extra screening. It was kind of funny, actually; I almost took it as a "rite of passage" into the world of hijabis. :) There are not many Muslims in the Virgin Islands, and I think I only saw one other hijabi the entire time I was there. A lot of the local people stopped to ask me questions about my faith. A taxi driver asked if I was Jewish, and I told him I was Muslim. He then asked if I believed in the Messiah, and I said yes, I believe that Jesus (as) was a prophet and will return to Earth again one day. The Virgin Islands is very strongly Christian, and the main question people asked of me was what I thought about Jesus (as). I think they were glad (and maybe relieved?) to know that I believe in him and that he will come again to the world. On the beach, one woman asked me a lot of questions about Islam, including "So is Islam a good religion?" All I did was smile and say something like, "Yes, I love it."

All in the day in the life of a hijabi. :)

Qur'an=Love

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu everyone!

Once again, I apologize for my lack of posts. Honestly, I haven't even been that busy; it's more just that I haven't really had anything interesting to say. Alhamdulillah, maybe this is a good thing in that it means that I don't have anything bad happening in my life (Insha'Allah).

So last week after work I decided to go to the lovely, well-stocked downtown library. I was dorking around in there, not really looking for anything in particular. As I always do, I headed over to the religion section and looked to see what books they had on Islam. They actually have a pretty good collection of books, written by both Muslims and non-Muslims, critical and not critical. As I was browsing through the shelves, I noticed a tiny book hidden between two others. I picked it up, and it was entitled "My Mercy Encompasses All", by Reza Shah-Kazemi. The front of the book had an introduction that said that the author had heard of a book that had excerpts from the Bible about love, peace, and mercy, and he was inspired to compile a similar collection using the Qur'an. The book contained many passages from the Qur'an (Pickthall's translation of the meaning), as well as some commentary on the meanings of the verses. Subhanallah, the verses that were in the book really touched my heart, as the words of ALLAH should. I know there are many critics of the Qur'an out there that say that it is filled with nothing but evil, violence, and inequality, but these verses prove them very wrong. Alhamdulillah, it was a great iman booster for me. I wrote down some of the verses that I found especially beautiful. I will post the Pickthall translation of the meaning because that was what was used in the book, and then my thoughts on the verses.

"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing." (2:177)
-Subhanallah, this is such a good reminder to us all. I especially like the first part of the ayat that says that it is not righteousness that we "turn our faces to the east and the west"; i.e. doing all the rituals of Islam. The rituals, such as salat, are no doubt important, but in order to be truly GOD-fearing and righteous, we must also strive to truly live in service to ALLAH by serving others (e.g. giving money to those who need it, keeping treaties, being patient rather than angry and hasty, etc.). On one of LK's recent posts on her new blog (wheelsamsara.blogspot.com), I wrote how important it is for Muslims to always remember the essence of Islam (i.e. the shahadah) in all that we do, rather than only get caught up in rituals and forget exactly why we are doing them (to glorify ALLAH).

"And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright." (2:186)
-When I encountered this verse for the first time, I started tearing up. Subhanallah, ALLAH is always with us no matter what happens, and as long as we follow Him, He will always be there for us. To me, this verse is a beautiful confirmation of ALLAH's Great Love.

"O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do." (5:8)
-Anyone who supports terrorist acts against innocent people, or even prejudice against a certain group of people, must read and reflect on this verse. It clearly says that we must always treat people fairly and with justice, even if we hate the person or people in question. If we ignore this, it does not go unnoticed by ALLAH, and we will be called to account for any unfairness or injustice that we have done. Before you go speak out or make negative generalizations about an entire group of people, keep this verse in mind.

"...Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!" (13:28)
-I can definitely attest to this; I feel the most peace of mind whenever I intimately think about ALLAH, whether through dhikr, reading about His marvelous creations, or even a special, personal du'a.

"Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward." (33:35)
-This is one of my all-time favorite ayahs in the Qur'an, because it establishes, without any doubt, that men and women are on equal terms in the religion and neither can claim that they are "better" or "more important to ALLAH" than the other.

"O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him early and late. He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is ever Merciful to the believers. Their salutation on the day when they shall meet Him will be: Peace. And He hath prepared for them a goodly recompense." (33:41-44)
-I love this whole section, but I especially like the phrase "that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light"; it's very poetic, and it's true that submitting oneself to ALLAH is like transitioning from darkness (uncertainty, fear, etc.) into light (knowing that ALLAH is Supreme and is the Most Merciful).

"Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loveth the just dealers." (60:8)
-Again, another verse that people who are inclined towards violence and intolerance should look at. When we are told to hate for the sake of ALLAH, ALLAH means for us to hate the ideas, not the people. It's like the old Christian expression "love the sinner, hate the sin". We can hate that someone is an alcoholic, and hate alcohol for what it does to people, but that doesn't give us permission to hate alcoholic people. Similarly, we can hate that someone is a disbeliever, and hate the sins that they may commit, but that doesn't mean that we are to hate the people themselves and be unfair and/or unkind to them. As long as others exhibit peace, we are to do the same.

"Hast thou observed him who belieth religion? That is he who repelleth the orphan, And urgeth not the feeding of the needy. Ah, woe unto worshippers Who are heedless of their prayer; Who would be seen (at worship) Yet refuse small kindnesses!" (107:1-7)
-This surah also touches on the importance of essentially "practicing what you preach". ALLAH condemns those who not only don't pray, but also those who only pray just to show off, yet they won't even do little good deeds for others.

Do you have any verses from the Qur'an that shoot down this "bad image" the Qur'an has among some people?

Emotions

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu!

It's been a strange, up and down past couple of weeks, Subhanallah. Lots of great things, some sad things, and even more pondering.

First of all, I went on my vacation to the Virgin Islands a few weeks ago. Alhamdulillah, it was AMAZING. I have never in my life seen such clear, blue water and pristine beaches. I had never been to a tropical locale before this, so it was a real treat to see palm trees, exotic flowers, and enjoy warm weather. Rachel and I went snorkeling twice (I highly recommend it, by the way; it's cheap and you need no skills to do it since you swim on the surface the whole time), and the second time we bought some fish food from a vendor on the beach (don't worry, it was legit!) and actually fed the fish while we snorkeled. Subhanallah, these beautiful fish of dazzling colors came and ate right out of our hands! It was truly something to behold. I also got to eat a lot of great food (Caribbean food is delicious, healthy, and very often halal!) and spend time with Rachel before she goes off to study abroad for a year. I'm kind of bummed about this, but Insha'Allah she'll have a great time and I'll talk with her often while she's there.

Right after I got back, my dad had to go away to Iraq for a few weeks (no, he's not in the military Alhamdulillah). Alhamdulillah, he's well protected when he goes, but it's still scary, especially for my mom. My mom is also left with all the housework and responsibilities, so she gets overwhelmed by it. I try to do whatever I can to help her, but it still must be rough for her. Alhamdulillah, he came back today safe and sound, so we're all relieved.

My best friend Laila has a new baby sister Masha'Allah wa tabarak ALLAH!! I love babies so much, and this baby is no exception! I can't wait to see her and hug her and bite her little cheeks Insha'Allah!

On a much sadder note, I found out that the brother of a high school classmate of mine died today after a long battle with cancer. He was only eighteen and about to graduate from high school. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. Understandably, his whole family is extremely distressed, and I pray that ALLAH watches over them during this time and grants them guidance. It seems so strange to have such sad news amidst all these joyous occasions, but it just goes to show the power of ALLAH. He can give, and He can take away, but no matter what happens it is always according to His Will, and everyone will be given perfect justice in the end. And, of course, after every hardship comes ease.

I've also been thinking a lot about some big things lately, namely marriage and "coming out of the closet" about my conversion. I am feeling more and more pressure, both internal and external, to break the news, because I feel like it's not right to keep hiding it. I am still so fearful of what will happen though, and that is very difficult to get over. And I can't start looking for a husband until I tell them, because I refuse to get married behind my parents' backs (I'm not seeking their approval, but I will not lie to them about my marital status). As for marriage, it seems like more and more people my age are starting to get married, and I feel like I'm ready to start looking. I don't care whether I get married soon (I would prefer to wait until I finish college), and there's nothing wrong with getting married "old", but I am definitely becoming more interested. Right now all I can do is pray and ask ALLAH for a man who will be a great husband, a great father, and an all-around good Muslim gentleman. And start looking around at the masjid for single brothers, of course.

I guess what's been happening recently is all just a part of life and growing up. Subhanallah, people change and things happen as time goes by, but none of it happens without ALLAH knowing about it. I take comfort in the fact that no matter how difficult things may get, or how lonely or depressed I may feel, I will always have ALLAH, al-Wadud (the Loving), looking after me. Ya ALLAH, thank You for always being there for me, and please let me never forget You, Ameen!

Oops, my bad, and a new blog feature!

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu everyone!

In one of my recent posts (a survey about myself), I answered a question asking what my favorite hadith was, and I said that it was when Prophet Muhammad (saw) cried because he would never know his future ummah. I searched for this hadith, and there are similar ones that talk about the Prophet (saw) crying over the fate of the future Muslims, and calling Muslims "my ummah", but I couldn't find a hadith that matched what I wrote. Astaghfirullah, and I apologize for writing about a (potentially) false hadith.

On a positive note, as I was searching for this hadith, I came across many other very lovely, authentic hadiths that illustrated the beautiful character of the Prophet (saw). Since I found so many, and since one of my goals is to try and learn more about the life of the Prophet (saw) and increase my love for him, Insha'Allah I would like to occasionally post some of the hadiths I especially liked on here. Think of them as "food for thought" and as examples of what we should strive to be like.

To start out: "Anas ibn Malik reports: “God’s messenger was sitting in the mosque with some of his companions when a Bedouin urinated inside the mosque. The Prophet’s companions said: ‘What is going on?’ ‘What are you doing?’ The Prophet said to them: ‘Do not interrupt him.’ He subsequently called the man and said to him: ‘These mosques are not the place where one can throw any dirt, urine or stools. They are meant for reciting the Qur’an, glorifying God and prayer.’ He then called for a bucket of water and he poured it over the urine.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nassaie, Malik and Ahmad)."

Subhanallah, this is a perfect example of sabr (patience) and GOOD naseeha (advice)! As Muslims, we are encouraged to "enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil", and also to actively try and correct wrongs. However, there are good and not-so-good ways to do this. There are so many complaints of Muslims that are quick to point out other people's mistakes, or who give "naseeha" when in reality they come across as overly critical and maybe even self-righteous. Running over to the Bedouin and yelling at him in front of everyone would have been very embarrassing and harsh, and may have dissuaded the Bedouin from coming to the masjid again (just like today, when people are hesitant to attend the masjid because they are afraid of being criticized by others). Instead, the Prophet (saw) waited until the Bedouin was done, and then told him, without getting angry and without even directly "blaming" or "calling out" the man on his fault, that this was not something that was appropriate to do in a masjid. After that, he himself cleaned up after the man and left it at that. In this hadith, it seems that we are actually given steps on how to properly give naseeha: first, wait for an appropriate time to speak with the person directly about their error (i.e. not in front of other people, and not even necessarily while they're committing the act); next, explain to them the error in their behavior in a non-accusatory manner (i.e. no blaming them or making them feel bad; this is actually a technique used in problem-solving today called using "I" language, where instead of saying something vague and condemning like "you're such a jerk!", you'd say something specific and non-accusatory like "I feel upset when you call me that name"); and finally help them to fix their behavior (or help them repair any damage their behavior may have done, like cleaning up their mess as the Prophet (saw) did).

Insha'Allah, we will all remember this and put the Prophet's (saw) example into practice when we feel compelled to give naseeha!