Lost

Ok ok I'm updating!
Sorry peoples I was a little busy with midterms, Sana's rishta thing and just other stuff. Things were just crazy busy for a while (they still are) but the princess decided to bless you guys with her blog presence. I really don't know what to write because I can't think straight, just had a midterm today. And Salwa I do have my sanity, thank you. "Guesswho" thanks for defending me but the wink at the end wasn't really necessary.

Ever had the feeling where you think your mind will explode with a whirl of thoughts?
Ever had:
So much to think about, so much to do, so many dreams that may never come true, so many desires that will never leave our fantasy land, may not turn into reality.... So many wishes that may never be accomplished...

Such a tug of war between western individualism, desi culture and Islamic values. Who wins? none... a little bit of each fills my colour pallet.

Sometimes I wonder why we waste so much time indulged in entertainment..... where is it getting us? parties, movies, friends, the colourful world just takes us deeper into the sea
of deceit,
of lies,
of fraud.
Why do we deceive ourselves? We know the world is a lie then why do we look for momentary pleasures, temporary bliss when we know that Allah is The Light Everlasting and that eternal peace and satisfaction is guaranteed by Allah if we submit.
Surrender to Allah and emerge in a new light of internal serenity of the soul....
But Allah asks us to live our lives, be a participant in the game of life not just an observer in the corner.

Why then does He make it so difficult to stay in the world yet expect us not to get lost?

What should we do?
submit as Ibrahim a.s did I guess "Samai' na wa ata'ana" (Surah Baqara I think)

"ya aiyoo hal-lazina aamano, astaeenoo bis sabri was salah, In-nallaha ma'as sabireen........ wa bashiris sabireen.......Ulaika Alayhim Salawat min Rabbihim Wa Rahmah, Wa Ulaika Humul Muhtadoon"
Surah baqarah- aayat 153...156...157

May Allah help us all, Eeya ka nastaeen: Ihdi nas siratal mustaqeem, Aameen.

Du'a

I'm in dire need of du'as, please make du'a for my midterms this week....
Ask Allah to "let Saman study the right things for her exams, help her retain all that she studies and if she has no clue what the answer is then please just guide her to the correct one..."
JazakAllahu Khairun


Oh and a piece of advice:
Stay away from boys, they are a fitna... trust me they are...

Social status?

Standard of living?
What is standard of living?
hmmm.... Standard of living I guess is somewhat related to social status = wealth...

I don't know what I'm trying to say or where I'm going with this but just some random thoughts that were triggered yesterday....

Does money actually matter? Is it important for an individual or a family's wellbeing? I don't think so.
Most of us could be just as happy and do just as well with lot lesser economic means than we have now. I mean we don't need a lot of things we have right now and we can very well do without them.

Isn't a home built on relationships? on emotions?

No I'm not living in a utopian dream, I know that money is important but how much? I seriously think people can be content even if they have "just enough".

This dunya is going to end soon, life is nothing but "part of a day, or a few hours".
The Azaan is called out in our ears at birth and the prayer for that azaan is said when we die ( there is no azaan for janazah prayers).... That's how much time we spend in this world, the time between azaan and salah......
From all the things that we acquire in this short time period what do we take with us? No not the big house, not our social status, not our Mercedes, not the Gucci bags, not the "Indian" sandals, not our clothes from guess, no make-up from M.A.C....

All we take back is our a'maal (actions)....
Yes Allah has asked us to live in this world, He has shown us the way to earn, He has asked the men to be the providers, He has asked the women to be the nurturers of the future ummah.
But then again how does it matter how much one provides for the family as long as one provides, right?

My conclusion: standard of living doesn't matter, you should try to make enough to fulfill the needs of the family. Then "tawakal Allah" rest is up to Allah, if He wills He'll give and if He wills He'll take......

Dowry system

I still can't get over a statement made by a Muslim man in a more "conservative" part of India while my friend was visiting.

"Her dad will have to pay more (dowry) because she is dark," male neighbor to everyone else in the room.

My friend: "She is sitting right here"

neighbor: "Ya she knows that too" reference to a TWELVE year old girl or should I say child!

Wasn't the Prophet s.a.w sent to this world as a Rahma? Did he not come to abolish all these jahiliyah customs? Then why do we still have such people in our ummah? Isn't Islam suppose to be about the inner beauty?

This post is a forced post for people asking me to update the blog.....

Sorry I don't think I can put my thoughts together and say all I want to say right now. Mind's too occupied with other randomness...

SubhanAllah

SubhanAllah! Thanx for sending the link Mehreen...
I think the link should have a slogan, ummm maybe
"If she can do it so can you ;-)"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9680098/

On the Lighter Side

So the HPM was skimming through the "Islamica" magazine today and we found some interesting stuff:

Muslim Matrimony: If you like her, she doesn't like you. If she likes you, you don't like her. If you both like each other, your families don't. If they do then something else is wrong. Go find out what it is. (Every HPM member was like "OMG that is so true")

-Hijab: Islam's answer to Britney Spears (for once I know who that is )

-Tabligi Jama'a: You get your life back after 40 days (I think this was a little batameez, we shouldn't make fun of anyone but it's funny nonetheless)

-Who gave the fatwah against deodorents?

- Islam rejects the cycle of rebirth. Sequels not only suck, they also spoil the original.

- The Muslim world is afraid of it's future. The West is afraid of it's past.

What I learnt from the earthquake

Alhamdulilah, I don’t think we can be grateful enough to Allah for making us human and for creating everything on this earth for us.

"Khalaqa lakum ma fil ardi jami’a…" "It is He Who created for you all that is in the earth…." – Qur’an 2: 29
"Fabi ai-yi aalaai rubi kuma tukazibaan" "so which of the favours of your Lord with you both deny" Qur’an surah 55.

All we need to do is look around and observe how we are surrounded by Allah’s blessings and bounties that are beneficial and a lesson in itself.
Imagine the sense of peace, which overtakes our mind and heart, around breathtaking beauty of Banff or other awe-inspiring places.
Imagine the magnificence of gigantic lush mountains.
Imagine the sound of a gushing river.
Imagine the serenity of a lake.
Imagine the twinkle that scattered glittering stars bring to your mind.
Imagine the excitement that flows within when you see pretty flowers and exotic plants.
Imagine the joy that comes with dancing peacocks, fish gliding through the sear so effortlessly.
Imagine the rejuvenating smell of rain on fresh cut grass.

But the question is what is it about nature that uplifts our spirits? After a lot of contemplation the thought that sticks out is that all these creations of Allah, in their own realm, are engrossed in their designated tasks glorifying Allah. Ever wondered how if any of these peaceful creations crosses over their domain chaos and terror breaks out. For example the recent earthquake? The Tsunami? Land slide? Stars that break and fall on earth? If the mountains start moving, volcanoes?

Nature is an ayah (sign) of Allah and in these signs he has lessons for us. One of the lessons to be learnt from the recent world events is the domain of creations. If we as humans stay within our boundaries set by Allah and live our life according to the manual He provided for us, Qur’an, like the rest of the creations we can also be a basis of peace, delight and harmony for the world. On the other hand if we cross our limits and instead of taking care of other’s rights we oppress and terrorize them then like other creations we become the cause of horror.

Forget criminals, lets talk about regular normal looking everyday citizens. How can we become a basis of horror for people? Why do we turn into problems for everyone instead of bringing joy to their lives? By not observing the "deen" "way of life" set by Allah: simple everyday things such as not controlling our tongue leads to broken hearts and hurt loved ones. Allah has made this world in such a manner that we can’t live without each other, every individual needs someone else at some point or another therefor it is essential for us to take care of ‘huqooq al e’bad" "Rights of people" along with "Huqooq Allah" "Allah’s rights"…..

Remember that Allah exceeds in knowledge and wisdom anyone and anything we know.

Ok enough of my rambling, I promise I didn't intend on having an online halaqa. Just the chaotic scenes of terrified and grieved people on Pakistani channels triggered some thoughts…

Kashmir

The valley of Kashmir echoed with "la ilaha illallah" as people gathered on the streets to witness Allah's power.
- Saturday 9:30 AM India time

It's hard to imagine what Kashmir looks like now, just 3 weeks later.... SubhanAllah

With some of the surrounding villages gone
With hundreds of homeless people walking around aimlessly, traumatized
With the neighbor's homes down to dust
With all most all the walls cracked
With terrified mothers whose young children were away, unsure if there'll ever see them again, unaware of their safety
With mothers who are still paranoid to let their family out of sight
With family and friends, waiting in fear for the after shocks to end, sitting outside in the rain for more than 48 hrs
With chaos
With trauma
With helplessness
With terror
With anxiety

- Please make du'a

"Allah says "Remind, for truly reminders benefit the believers", so in that spirit, I just wanted to mention that the Prophet (pbuh) said that "Anyone for whom Allah intends good, He causes that person to suffer from affliction" (Bukhari) - because its a means for Allah to get closer to His afflicted servant, ie so that theyll turn to Him more sincerely, and He'll turn to them as well" - Zacharia Al Khatib

So true, SubhanAllah everyone we talked to in Kashmir is a bit more closer to Allah than we left then 3 weeks ago.
Pro: Alhamdulilah At least now kashmiris remember Allah in their otherwise busy lives.

~Princess in Disguise~

Dedicated to All of HPM

Monazaah, way to go!! this is the first gora song that I've ever liked.... even though I didn't listen to it but got the lyrics on your persistence...
It could very well be a Nasheed (something like Dawud W. Ali's "The Veil").. I like I like!

She's just an average girl
Ain't got no mink and pearls
still she's like royalty
She's a princess in disguise
She's got a heart of gold
Within a tale untold,
that's where her beauty lies
She's a princess in disguise
Her smile is like a twinkle in the sky
A diamond in the ruff with the heart of a child
Her true beauty is more then skin deep
Because the essence of a women is hidden underneath

Globalization: A Concern for Muslims?

Come on sisters lets stop whining about looks and “I’m not pretty” ramble and brothers about "I cna't get married, no education, no job bla bla.." Just look around and you’ll see how we are buried deep with more important issues of life.

Think about the real life, the eternal life, the life after death. How much have we prepared from the prescribed course to enter Jannah? Are we ready to take the final exam? Ramadan is here and it’s about time we shake ourselves awake from trivial worldly problems and concentrate on the akhirah. It’s time to increase our good deeds plenty a fold.

But of course Islam is a way of life as we keep hearing. Qur’an is a manual of how to live our life in this world so our eternal life can be peaceful, Inshallah. Qur’an teaches us politics and economics but did we ever ponder upon how our lives are so engulfed in acquiring or running after the needs/wants created by the media that we have forgotten what Allah taught us about fair trade? Just about every day we hear something about globalization.

I know Monazzah’s first question will be “what exactly is globalism?” Well in the most general sense, globalism refers to the process in which products and services move freely within and among nations. The mass media gives us the impression that the forces of the "free market" are unifying people of the world. We are led to believe that things will steadily get better if we can just keep governments from interfering with the economy that lead to more growth and efficiency.

Yet we also know that jobs are being lost to global competition. We know that the global environment is being threatened (global warming, wear and tear of the ozone layer, extinction of species, poisoning of the world's water supply etc). We see refugees and immigrants by the millions roaming the planet, in search of jobs and protection from conflict and wars, specially Muslims. We also know that inequality is getting worse: just a hand full of large corporations own most of the world's productive resources while millions of people are unable to sustain their families. Many of us have a gut feeling that the global economy has gone wrong. We would do well to trust our feelings.

The world economy is in a state of what is commonly viewed as extraordinary growth. But with this growth has come dangerous and destructive economic disparity.

Many people, particularly those in the East, do not have enough food to eat, resulting in malnutrition and disease. Their governments, which used to subsidize some of their trivial needs, are urged to stop subsidies for food and adopt a more market-oriented economics. Many workers in these economies are trapped in poor working conditions with low pay. Women are often expected to do back-breaking farm and domestic work, with few rights or benefits. In the North America as well, people often find themselves being left farther and farther behind. Even as North America reports budget surpluses, we seem unable or unwilling to provide housing for the growing number of working-class and homeless families, to repair the physical structure of schools, or to provide social services or medical attention for those most in need.

Hadith Qudsi (# 17) “O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another…”

“Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection...” ( Reported by Muslim)

As Muslims should we not rise against this globalism? Is it not a form of oppression? Are we not part of this oppression by consuming the global goods and services?

I wonder if we will be questioned about this on the day of Judgment?

Saira and Mona this one's for you guys... I got a little worried about your sense of "good writing" so I'm posting up some real good writing by someone else. He took what I wrote in my last post and changed it around. It is meant for you to appreciate good writing.

" The rustling of dried leaves clamoring at the feet of mighty trees, illustriously beautiful yet illusory at the time of death. A cycle finished, waiting to be renewed in a glorious metamorphosis – caterpillar to Monarch. Golden coins dancing to the tune of an ageless wind beckoning them to take heed of the ink of the Creator's pen.

The lonely songbird stands on its perch at the melding of trees and water, singing into open skies to no one in particular.
My pen, flowing with ink and adding to the gentle cacophony which pervades the senses. Lips murmuring silent whispers of nothing in particular to no one specific; wearied hands struggling to unleash the raging battles within. Not all who wander are lost.." - Muntaka Shah

Ever herd the musical whispers of dried rustling leaves on trees? The leaves that look like gold coins dancing on the tunes of the wind?

SubhanAllah, it's beautiful.

Try sitting alone by the warm crackling bonfire on a chilly day surrounded by fall trees, whose leaves speak to the whispering wind. The mind instinctively starts contemplating on Allah's bounty and wonders. SubhanAllah, quite a radiant experience, a spiritual uplift in today's secular society of Godlessness (is that even a word?).

Unfortunately I had to bring my wondering mind back to reality to finish some readings!! *sigh* university will never let us relax...

Clarification

It seems like I failed to explain the concept of "power relations"
hmmm

I wasn't talking about gender discrimination or inequality.

Privilege: some advantages that are so subtle and so integrated in our social pattern that we don't even realize they are privileges. These just come with being born into a specific class, race, gender, religion, ethnicity etc... Lets say we were not talking about gender but talking about race, (I'm not racist or trying to be racist in any form or way) the white race is privileged in a subtle sense that we don't realize exists. For example it's a common practice to say "white" people and people of "colour", as if the white race is one group and the rest are another group. Why don't we ever say "brown" people and people of "colour" which would include the white race as well?

Oppression: is not your regular straight out deprivation of rights... as I mentioned earlier it's more of a benign version of oppression, an assumed disadvantage. If we look at the power relation between religions and not gender an example that comes to mind is Muslims, no Muslims are not the oppresser but the oppressed. How so? Christianity or entire Christian nation was not blamed for Hitlers actions but when it comes to a "Muslim" performing an unpleasent task the entire Muslim nation is blamed for it. Or another one would be of a Muslim woman in hijab (veil) given the identity of an uneducated, submissive, oppressed by husband or father type of person when she is not (lets not get into this for now I might write a ten page essay on Muslim women if i start)

These two just come with identity.
The self may resist privilege and oppression but it can not simply be shrugged off because identity is a matter of being done to not just doing.

It's not a matter of "back-home" .. Maybe power relations are more prevalent "back-home" but what I am talking about is universal. How many women have we seen in powerful positions in politics? Queen Elizabeth? but wasn't she the one who claimed to possess "the heart and stomach of a man" and people described her as described her as having "a man's brain". Margaret thatcher was repeatedly called "manly". Why? Can't a woman be strong enough to be in power?

It's just how we identify women and I think being identified that way is a woman's strength. Therefore I say women like the enticement. I don't have to lift anything heavy (even if I know I'm strong enough to lift it) because some man will do it for me. If I'm getting a diamond out of being a woman then why not? If I'm being treated like a princess then why not? Why should I work just for the sake of equality (does not include self satisfaction and other reasons) if I'm being provided for?

You see what I mean? benign version of oppression....

I don't even think anyone will read all of the above!!