What if he is crying for you?

Somali pillows? what are they? Jim Hair rollers are modernised nowadays. They are soft and cushy.

Intaad xirito rollerska baad malkhabad ku dhuujineysaa. Xarrago xanuun ma leh.

The European Dilemma The creation of the Islamic danger By Eva Vergaelen Does hate belong to the soul of Europe? Europe is struggling with a dilemma. It claims it is open and human, but can no longer hide its racist and imperialist character. After the appeal to censure the Qur'an and after comparing the holy book with Hitler's Mein Kampf, the announcement of the anti-Islam demonstration on 9/11 proves this once more. Despite the many warnings against this extreme right wave, it seems hard to stop the train, one that is leading to an "enlightened" Kristallnacht (the night on which the German parliament was put on fire and the beginning of the Holocaust). After the so-called Jewish danger, it now is the Islamic danger that is being created as to neglect the real problems that the European society faces. A society that survives on racism, exploitation, and blaming the other — these days, the Muslims. The mayor of Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union, Freddy Thielemans, did not give his permission to the anti-Islam demonstration, for the sake of public safety. Immediately many politicians and intellectuals stood up against the banning of the demonstration, saying that it is a violation of the right of expression; one of which is Marc De Vos, professor at the University of Ghent and member of the Independent Thinking Tank 'Itinera Institute'. In an article published on August 12, 2007, by Belgian newspaper De Standaard, he wonders "Why to ban a demonstration that wants to protect the soul of the European identity?” Does hate belong to the soul of Europe? And what about the freedom of expression? The Danish organizer of the demonstration calls to censure parts of the Qur'an. Isn't this somehow hypocritical? Is Europe Secular? Hypocrisy is central to the whole debate on the anti-"Islamization" demonstration. Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE), the organizer of the demonstration, is not reacting against certain Islamic movements, but against Islam as a whole. On SIOE's website, it is clearly written that Islam is the enemy of Europe: Islam and democracy are incompatible due to teachings within the Koran itself and some of the hadiths which comprise sharia law. According to SIOE, there are no moderate Muslims and Islamophobia is not a result of racism, but of "the height of common sense." Also, in the texts published on the website "Muslims" are synonymous for "Islamists." The anti-Islamization demonstration is thus an anti-Islam demonstration. In an imperialistic manner, the organizers define what is Islam — which makes us wonder: Where is the freedom of opinion of the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide? — and that Islam is not compatible with Western secular values. Again Professor De Vos states, "Europe — does it need to be mentioned? — knows a disestablishment between religion and state." But that secular Europe is not to be taken for granted. For instance, the Queen of the UK is also head of the Anglican Church; also, in Scandinavian countries, state religion plays an important role. Moreover, within Islam itself some are familiar with the separation of state and religion. Ali Abd Al-Raziq (1888-1966) says that Islam is a message of God and not a system to govern a worldly state. According to this interpretation, Islam can fit in whatever political system that its citizens choose — a nice example of democracy. Also, Islamism or political Islam is familiar with democracy. It is important to distinguish between different movements within political Islam. Its founders, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1930s, represented the voice of the people against a dictatorial and colonial regime. While in many countries in Europe the emancipation of the working people was inspired by Marxism, in Egypt Islam was a binding factor. This first wave of Islamism was based on knowledge, not on social class. Now, this would be called modernity. Anti-Judaism Demonstration Thus, the European monopoly over democracy, modernity, and freedom are a myth. Those values are, even within Europe, applicable only to a certain group: Those who do not challenge the imperialist status quo and do not question Europe's "character." What was the demonstration on 9/11 about? Was it about the Islamic danger? Which Islam? Is it the "petrol-Islam" that is fully supported by the West? Is the demonstration about the danger that faces European values? Which values and for whom? Was it about the "danger" of Shari`ah? What is Shari`ah? There is not one clear answer to that, because Shari`ah is not a static law book as it is known in Europe. Shari`ah is a complex set of rules that is applied according to the context. And those countries that apply it in a suppressing, non-Islamic way are supported by the West. The culmination of hypocrisy is that Muslims are now being expected to support the anti-Islamization demonstration as a proof that they agree with the freedom of expression and that the demonstration is about European values, not about creating hate against Muslims. European Muslims are asked to legitimize a fascist-inspired demonstration. As if a demonstration for the colonization of Africa would be legitimate if some African people participate in it. Whoever speaks out against a ban of the anti-Islam demonstration should also agree in principle to, for example, an anti-Judaism demonstration — something that will not be easily accepted in Europe. Otherwise, Europe's hypocrisy and racism will be exposed, if it is not already clear. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eva Vergaelenlives in both Egypt and Belgium and works as a freelance journalist, with special interests in gender politics and identity. She wrote a book on female immigrants in Belgium. Eva studied African Culture and did a Masters in Governance and Development. She embraced Islam in 2004. source

Originally posted by Khalaf: Cambarro Sharaaf u sound like a teenage girl..... Teenage..ahahaha oh My giddy aunt!

Running Away From the Qur'aan Shaykh `Abdul `Aziz ibn Baz Question: What is your advice - O Shaykh - for those who go without reading the Qur'aan for a month, or even many months, and who have no excuse for such behaviour? However, you will find some of them reading those magazines that contain no benefit for them, and following them up closely! Answer: It is recommended for every Believing man and woman to recite the Book of Allah often, with due contemplation and understanding. This may be done by using a copy of the Qur'aan or from one's memory. Allaah - the Most High - said: "This is a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that you may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember." [soorah Saad 38:29]. And: "Indeed those who recite the Book of Allaah and offer the Prayer perfectly and spend in charity out of what We have provided for them - secretly and openly - hope for a sure trade-gain that will never perish. That He may pay the their wages in full and give them even more out of His Grace. Indeed, He is Oft-Forgiving, ready to appreciate good deeds." [soorah Fatir 35:29-30] The aforementioned recitation of the Qur'aan includes both reciting and acting upon it. The recitation is to be done with contemplation and understanding of it. Sincerity to Allaah is a means of complying with and acting upon the Qur'aan, and its recitation contains a great reward - as the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said: " Recite the Qur'aan. For on the Day of Resurrection, it shall come as an intercessor for its companion ." This was recorded by Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 804). The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam also said: " The best of you is he who learns the Qur'aan and teaches it ." This was recorded by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh (9/66). Another narration states: " Whoever reads one harf (letter) of the Qur'aan shall receive a good deed and ten good deeds similar to it. I do not say that Alif Laam Meem is a harf, but Alif is a harf, Laam is a harf and Meem is a harf. " [saheeh; Recorded by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2912), who authenticated it, from the hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood, radhiallaahu `anhu]. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said to `Abdullaah ibn Amr ibn al-`Aas: "Complete the recitation of the Qur'aan once a month." He said: I am able to do more than that. So he said: "Then complete its recital once in seven days ." [al-Bukhaaree (no. 5054)] The Companions used to complete the entire Qur'aan once every seven days. So I advise all the readers of the Qur'aan to increase in their reading of it, with contemplation and understanding it, along with sincerity to Allaah in this - with the purpose of learning and benefiting from the Qur'aan. They should read the entire Qur'aan once a month. If, however, they are able to do more than this without any difficulty, then they should complete it in less than this time. However, it is best not to complete it in less than three days, since this is the least amount of time that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam mentioned to `Abdullaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas. This is because if it is read in less than three days, the person becomes hasty and lacks thought and concentration…" [Fataawaa al-Mar`ah (no. 294)]

Thanks North. I got homesick when I read about your travels. There is no place like home. Cheers.

With regards to number 7, does bukudiimo count?

I think men should be in touch with their feminine side. There is something oddly attractive and captivating in seeing sensitive man bawl .

Salaam aleykum The Qur’an is a source of inspiration for us all and there are many ways in which the Qur’an can be implemented not only throughout Ramadhan but throughout our lives. Below are a few examples of how we could use Qur’an in our lives. Listen to the Qur’an - this can be done in a number of ways at home. Listen to other members of the family reciting Qur’an, or put a tape on and listen to a recitation. While out and about you can listen in the car, or take a personal stereo player - but remember personal safety at all times. How much time do we spend waiting for someone or something or in a queue? This time could be put to use, listening to a Qur’anic recitation tape. This will help you relax and make better use of your time. Study and understand the Qur’an – this can be done on your own, or with a group of friends. You could set up a study circle which helps make studying easier. The circle could meet regularly, or just as a one off. Remember that during Ramadhan the rewards are increased. Convey the message of the Qur’an – the Qur’an is useful for everyone. Conveying the message of Islam is compulsory upon all Muslims, and this can be done through the Qur’an, which is beautiful to read. Most translations contain an easy to follow guide. Make use of the Qur’an in our lives - the Qur’an contains invaluable information that Muslims should use in their personal and communal matters, and at all levels of society. The Qur’an will help guide us through all the situations in our lives. Memorise verses of the Quran - Memorisation in Ramadan carries more reward than at any other time in the year. Be sure to check your memorised recitation by reciting it to a Qur’an teacher, or someone who has good knowledge of the Qur’an. Increase your recitation of the Qur'an in Ramadan – Recitation during Ramadhan carries much reward, and extra recitation should be encouraged. During salah (obligatory prayer) make use of longer surah’s where you might previously have used shorter ones. Perform Taraweeh prayers in congregation - The completion of the Qur’an takes place over the period of Ramadhan and there is much reward for praying in congregation. Recite during the night – “Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul) and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise).” The Holy Quran 73:6. Reciting during the day is also beneficial, but night time recitation is easier as there are less distractions and noise. Narrated by Ibn 'Abbas: “The Prophet was the most generous person, and he used to become more so (generous) particularly in the month of Ramadhan because Gabriel used to meet him every night of the month of Ramadhan till it elapsed. Allah's Apostle used to recite the Qur'an for him. When Gabriel met him, he used to become more generous than the fast wind in doing good”. This hadith contains recommendation of the following: Studying the Qur'an in Ramadan; coming together for this purpose; checking (one's memory/knowledge of) the Qur'an with someone who has preserved it better; increasing recitation of the Qur'an in Ramadan; that the night time is the best time to recite, when other preoccupations decrease and it is easier to concentrate, as in Surah al-Muzzammil 73:6. Therefore let us also become generous by increasing the amount of Qur’an we recite in the month of Ramadhan. The early Muslims during Ramadan Ibn Rajab talks about the situation of the early Muslims during Ramadan: "... Some of the early muslims would complete reciting the whole Quran during the night prayer of Ramadan every 3 days, others every 7 days e.g. Qataadah, others in 10 days e.g. Abu Rajaa' al-Atardi. The early muslims would recite Quran in Ramadan in Prayer as well as outside it. Al-Aswad would finish the Quran every 2 nights in Ramadan; Ibrahim an-Nakh'I would do likewise in the last 10 nights specifically, & every 3 nights during the rest of the month. Qataadah would regularly finish the Quran in 7 days, but in 3 days during Ramadan, when he would study the Quran especially, and every night during its last 10 days. Al-Zuhri would say when Ramadan began, 'It is recitation of the Quran and feeding of people.' When Ramadan began, Imam Malik would cease narrating Hadith and sitting with the people of knowledge, and stick to reciting the Quran from its pages, while Sufyan al-Thawri would leave other acts of worship and stick to reciting the Quran. 'Aishah would recite from the pages of the Quran at the beginning of the day in Ramadan (i.e. after Dawn), until when the sun had risen, she would sleep. Zayd al-Yaami would bring copies of the Quran when Ramadan began and gather his companions around him. ..." Ibn Rajab later continues, "The forbiddance of completing recitation of the Quran in less than 3 days applies to this being made a regular practice, but as for favoured times such as Ramadan, esp. the nights in which Laylat al-Qadr is sought, or favoured places such as Makkah for the visitor, it is recommended to increase reciting the Quran to avail the time and place. This is the view of Ahmad, Ishaq & other Imams, and the practice of others indicates this too." the practice of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), his Companions, and those who followed their path, should be clear enough. As a further example, Bukhari (3/79) quotes from the noble Companion Zaid bin Thabit who answered the question, "How much time was there between the pre-dawn meal and the Dawn Prayer?" by saying, "Enough time to recite fifty ayat"; since the practice of the Arabs was to measure time in terms of everyday actions, this shows that the Sahabah were pre-occupied with the Qur'an, especially in Ramadan. Compare all this with our sad state, when we talk so much about establishing Islam, implementing the Quran, etc. and yet have such little contact with it, maybe not completing its recitation ever at all since childhood, or perhaps never! Hence we become imbalanced in our understanding of Islam, because there are ayat which we rarely or never hear or think about; we repeat only certain selected ayat over and over again; we lost the context of the verses, the overall flow, argument and balance of the Quran, all of which is beautiful & miraculous. Because of this ignorance we go astray from the Straight Path, split up into sects, lose the blessings of Allah ... "We took a covenant from those who said: we are Christians, but they forgot part of the message with which they had been reminded, so we ingrained amongst them enmity and hatred until the Day of Judgment..." (Surah al-Ma'idah 5:14) In Sahih Bukhari (6/521), there is an amazing piece of advice from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Recite the Quran as long as your hearts agree on it; if you disagree about it, stop reciting it (for the time being)" -- studying the Quran should bring people together! In Surah al-Mu'minoon (23:53), there is mention of the people before us (in whose footsteps we would follow), who broke up their Deen into sects (zuburan), each party rejoicing in what it had. One understanding of this, from the word zuburan meaning literally 'books', is that each sect left the Book of Allah, & concentrated solely on the books of its own sect, so "they split their deen up into books"! The most twisted, ridiculous, shallow ideas, innovations and superstitions are propagated amongst Muslims when they are away from the Quran, because any little knowledge of the Quran would be enough to dispel them. Hence, O slave of Allah, leave aside secondary books and concentrate on studying the Blessed Book of Allah in this Blessed Month (use a good translation/commentary if needed), for it is the source of all Knowledge in other books, and keep away from wasting time, especially in futile discussions and arguments which lead nowhere, for that is a sure sign of being misguided, as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Whenever a people went astray after they had been on guidance, they were given to argumentation (jadl)." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah - Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir, no. 5633) Finally, remember that the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) will complain to Allah on the Day of Judgment that his people neglected the Qur'an (Surah al-Furqan 25:30). Neglect of the Qur'an is of different levels, as Ibn al-Qayyim writes: not reciting or listening to it; not studying and understanding it; not conveying its message; not judging by it in personal and communal matters, at all levels of society; not believing in it. All Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Abu Dharr, Ramadan 1415. Source

My Journey to GOD By Sanadee Kamal I had never heard of Islam before 1998, except once when I heard a news report announcing that pop singer, Cat Stevens, became Muslim and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. I still didn’t know what this strange religious cult was that he had joined, but I knew I would miss his beautiful singing. In December 1998, I was surfing the internet, not for anything specific, just surfing, when someone popped up on my instant messenger box. He said he was Muslim and asked me if I knew anything about Islam, wherein I replied, “Oh, yeah, they worship cows!” He abruptly replied, “No, we don’t worship cows.” He said, “We worship the one GOD and in the Arabic language, that means ALLAH.” He continued teaching me a little more about Islam, mentioned that it was Ramadan and he was fasting. I told him how I used to fast, drinking only juices and water all day, until the next day, sometimes for several days in a row. I told him I don’t go to church anymore. I was raised in a home where religion was not practiced per se. My parents couldn’t decide between being Protestant or Catholic, so they would kick all us kids out of the house every Sunday morning, instructing us to go to the nearby church. Thomas Avenue Baptist Church was only a couple blocks away. I was a good and obedient child, so I had to go to church, while my brothers and sisters went about in the neighborhood doing only GOD knows what. I remember hearing the Preacher speak of Jesus. He said this great man Jesus died for my sins so that I might live. Wow, what a good person, I thought. I listened attentively. The Preacher also said we were all going to ‘hell in a hand basket’ if we didn’t accept Jesus into our hearts, believe that he was the Son of God, and that he died for us, then on the 3rd day was raised from the dead. The Preacher instructed us to get saved by walking down the aisle towards him to accept Jesus today or go to hell. I was terrified. I, of course, ran up that aisle, and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. The next step was to get baptized. That night, I went to late church to receive my baptism and receive my certificate of proof. I was dunked, head and all, into a pool of water above the choir at the front of the church, behind where the Preacher had taught me that I was born a sinner, and I needed to be washed in the blood of Jesus. Now I was to be a new and sinless creature, for the sins of the world had been laid upon the shoulders of the Son of God, Jesus. I remember as a young girl of 12 years old, looking up into the heavens and praising God for everything I saw. The world was so beautiful; the leaves on the trees were so much greener now, and the sky so much bluer. Everything seemed so much sweeter and safer. Years went by. I had been a good kid, and grew up into a decent adult, but I would sin from time to time and feel the need to go back to church, repent in front of the entire congregation, which was a necessity in order to have your sins forgiven, and get saved and baptized all over again. I kept wondering why it wasn’t taking for me. I still kept sinning. I did my best, but I was a failure. I must have been saved and re-baptized at least a half dozen times. I must have been doing something wrong, because I kept sinning and would have to go up that aisle regularly for years to get re-saved. When I was well into my adulthood, I began experimenting with different denominations, in the hopes that I could find whatever it was that was missing in my life. I was so in need of GOD, but I felt like I just wasn’t doing a good enough job being a Christian. I went to a non-denominational church where they teach speaking in tongues, an evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. That’s it! I thought. I didn’t have the Holy Spirit, because I never spoke in tongues. I began ‘training’ for that. I heard people in the church speak in unknown languages, and then someone else would interpret it for the rest of the congregation. This was supposed to be :gifts of the Holy Spirit.” There were also people with gifts of healing and others with the gift of discerning and casting out evil spirits, while others had the gift of prophecy. My gifts were apparently discernment of evil spirits and prophecy, as I was told. I always have had spiritual dreams. Sometimes I dream of hearing angels singing and praising God. Other times I dream that the end of time is coming and I am trying to warn people to be ready, but they don’t listen. Even today, I pay close attention to my dreams, because they usually reveal something to me that is useful in my awaken life. I have always felt that I need God in my life and have spent my entire life trying to find out how to get to Him without a middle man. The more time I spent at churches, the more questions I had and the more confused I would become. I would pray to God to give me understanding. No one at the churches could answer my questions, and would throw it back on me by saying, “Well, you just have to have faith.” That is the blind faith Christians are compelled to follow without reason. I became confused about some of the doctrine being taught in the Churches. The Trinity was a big stumper to me. Who do I pray to? Do I pray to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit? From reading the Bible, I would read stories that led me to think God was sort of mean and had a temper, Jesus was the nice one that we could talk to and who would sympathize with us, and the Holy Spirit just kind of hung around giving people power. I was thoroughly confused about the Trinity. I began seeing things in church that I couldn’t deal with. I saw things that seemed to me were not from God. People were falling out in the floor because they ‘got the Holy Ghost’. They would start laughing hysterically for no reason; well they said it was the Holy Spirit taking over their bodies and giving them the feeling of being drunk, as spoken of by Paul in the Book of Acts in the Bible. Well, I thought, I am close to God. I am striving to be closer to Him every day, so why can’t I get the Holy Ghost? What am I doing wrong? I would fast for as much as 2 weeks at a time sometimes. I fasted regularly in the hopes of finding what was really right and truly from God. I went up to the front of the church to receive the Holy Spirit like everyone else. They would fall in the floor when they got it, but not me. I asked God, “Ok, God, if this is really from you, then I want it too! I want the Holy Spirit to come and live inside me and speak in tongues and be a better person like them”. This thing never happened for me. I will never forget the day I was on my knees beside my bed, crying out to God, begging Him to show me what was right and true from Him. I cried and prayed for hours. I decided at that moment I would not go back to church. I would find God on my own. I prayed that He would bring someone into my life that could guide me to the Truths of God. I prayed for a good and righteous husband that would be a guide for me as well. It was a few years later before God answered my prayers, but I had no idea He was even working in my life. This is when the man popped up onto my instant messenger screen and began telling me about Islam. I was very intrigued by the things he would tell me about this strange religion. It turned out that this man lived only two blocks down the road from me! He sent me websites about Islam, and the more I read the more intrigued I would become. One of the first things I read was the Christian-Muslim Dialogue. If you have not read that, I strongly urge you to read this fascinating piece of work. One of the most important aspects of Islam that my friend shared with me about Islam was that I didn’t have to give up anything about Christianity that I believed. I was really interested to know that Muslims believed in the same characters that are in the Bible. I was awed to know that they believe in Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah, and even Jesus. But then he told me they don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God. Oh, no, I thought. I can’t believe that Jesus is not the Son of God. That is grounds for going to hell. Christians are so terrified of hell by what we are told in the Preachers’ sermons. That one was a tough one to swallow. I put that thought aside and continued on with learning more. Then my friend said they don’t go through an intercessor like Jesus when they pray, but instead pray straight to God. Wow, that is an answer for me. I could never figure out what part of God to pray to. They used to tell me the egg theory to explain the Trinity. That story didn’t fly with me. I couldn’t force it to make sense. Christianity teaches you only need the faith of a mustard seed and you would know. I could have a cupful of mustard seeds and the Trinity still didn’t make sense to me. My friend taught me that Jesus was a great Prophet that came only to teach the Israelites about God, as did Noah to his people, and Moses to his people. He went on to explain that Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last Messenger, and he came to deliver the same message as Jesus and the other prophets, but that he came for all mankind. I was interested to know more about Islam, about God, whom Muslims call Allah, and about the message of Prophet Muhammad. Then an amazing change happened in my life. My friend set up a meeting for me with Dr. Kazi and Allia. Dr. Kazi would later become my wali. My friend told me how knowledgeable Dr. Kazi was, and that he and his wife could teach me more about Islam. We were invited to their home. This was a new experience for me, as I had never met people who take their shoes off at the door. He didn’t make me take my shoes off though. They were so cordial to me that it was all overwhelming. He taught me a little more about Islam. He invited me to a class he teaches on Sunday afternoons to teach people about Islam. I went to the class with my friend, and felt very excited about my new experiences. I felt a little nervous as I made my way to the front of the class where the women used to sit, and the men in back. The first person I saw was Izziddin, who, unbeknownst to me, would be my husband. For some reason, he gave me chills. When I heard his voice, my heart would skip a beat, and, of course, I thought he was very cute. Mind you, I wasn’t in the mindset I am now. That was jahileah (worldly thinking). It was a very interesting class. Everyone was so friendly and made me feel so welcomed. I never experienced such warmness from strangers, who were mostly from other countries that I was unfamiliar with. They were so neat a group of people. They left me wanting more; more involvement with this type of people, and wanting to know more about their religion. Dr. Kazi gave me a copy of a book he had written called, 130 Evident Miracles in Qur’an. After the class, Izziddin came running to give me tapes about Islam. I thought he liked me, but it turned out he does this for everyone he meets, especially new people, to help them feel welcomed. Dr. Kazi yelled at him, “Brother, don’t overwhelm her with so many tapes!” I laughed, but I felt genuine concern from Dr. Kazi and his wonderful wife, Allia. Izziddin was so excited to share his religion with anyone who would listen. I went home and watched tapes of a debate between Sheikh Ahmed Deedat and Jimmy Swaggart. I was amazed. I knew Jimmy Swaggart from his history tv evangelizing some years ago, before he admitted his terrible sins on national tv. At that time, lots of TV evangelists were doing all sorts of bad things and, either getting caught or just outright admitting their atrocities. This was another reason I quit going to church. If you can’t trust the leaders, who can you trust. The debate led me to more questions and more of a desire to learn more about this religion, Islam. I wanted to read the Qur’an but no one would give me one. I wanted to know what was in their Holy Book, so I could compare it to the Bible. I read Dr. Kazi’s ‘130 Evident Miracles’ book. I was so shocked and surprised by the scientific miracles that were in the Qur’an, which I still had not had the privilege of reading. You would think it was a National Treasure the way they were keeping me from it. After reading about all the miracles, I thought, “Wow, if these miracles are in the Qur’an, then it truly must be a book from God. My friend gave me a book that had a few verses of Qur’an in it, but it left me wanting more. The following Sunday, I went to Dr. Kazi’s class. At the end of the class, he presented me with a copy of the translation of the Holy Qur’an by Maududi. I was overwhelmed. I remember clutching that book like it was my life. Little did I know at that time, but it was indeed my life. I couldn’t wait to get it home and start reading it. I began reading as soon as I got home. I started from the front cover. I was enthralled with it, and it felt special to me. I had a difficult time putting it down. I wanted to find all these miracles that were promised in Dr. Kazi’s book. I was eager to read more. I remembered how confusing it had always been to me, trying to figure out whom to pray to; Father, Son or Holy Spirit. Was Jesus really the Son of God, and did he die for my sins too? I felt like that if Dr. Kazi’s miracles were in this book called the Qur’an, then this amazing book was Holy and was really from God, and I had to believe whatever else it said. I continued on reading. I reached Surah Al-Nisa. Then, like a lightning bolt, my body was shocked, and my knees hit the floor. With tears streaming down my face and I began to weep uncontrollably, asking God to forgive me for all the sins I had ever committed in my life, for being angry with Him when I couldn’t find the truths. He had now answered my prayer that I prayed by my bed all those many years ago. I read the words that would forever change my life. Surah 4: Al Nisa: 171: O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of ALLAH, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not “Trinity”: desist; it will be better for you: For Allah is One God; Glory be to Him: (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth.” I was sobbing uncontrollable at this point, but couldn’t stop reading. At ayah 174: O mankind! Verily there hath come to you a convincing proof from your Lord: For We have sent unto you a light (that is) manifest. 174: Then those who believe in Allah, and hold fast to Him—soon will He admit them to Mercy and Grace from Himself, and guide them to Himself by a straight Way. My life was changed in that instant. I sent Dr. Kazi another of my many emails and told him that I was ready. I wanted to be Muslim. On Sunday of the following week of February 24, 1999, I said my shahadah. I met the most amazing people who accepted me into their lives and hearts, and I was overwhelmed with joy. It took a couple of weeks to build up the courage to begin wearing hijab, but when I was ready, God, whom I now began calling ALLAH swt, gave me the courage. I went to the class without it and began feeling embarrassed. Allia gave me a beautiful blue scarf. I wanted to wear it to the class so badly, but I was so afraid. I remember sitting in my car, trying to muster the nerve to put it on. It was a huge step for me. I sat there; holding that blue scarf in my hands, shaking fiercely with anticipation, then did it. I brought it to my head, and thought to myself, “There is no backing out now.” Someone was sitting in the car next to me and I hadn’t realized it until now. I can do this, I thought. I want to and so I will, with the help of ALLAH. I put the scarf on, pinned it in place, and then proudly walked into the class. I was so happy that I had taken that leap of faith. As the weeks went by, I learned more and more about Islam, and took a beginner’s Arabic class with Allia and a few of the women from the class. It was great, and I was so eager to fill myself with all the knowledge I could get, all the while, Dr. Kazi was telling me to “slow down, slow down.” I couldn’t go slow. I had waited my entire life to get what I had found in Islam, and I didn’t want to waste a single second. I wanted it all and I wanted it all now. It was mine; a beautiful gift from God. I began learning the prayers. My kids heard me shouting the prayers in my bedroom, repeating them over and over again, practicing, practicing and practicing more. I still didn’t have it down pat, and didn’t realize there were times to pray and a certain direction. I was learning from Dr. Kazi and Allia, from Izziddin, and from my dear friend I had met on the internet. I couldn’t get it fast enough. I was like a starving child, only my food was now the morsels of Islam and the goodness of ALLAH. I moved from Conroe to Houston so I could be closer to the class and to all my new Muslim friends. I also began taking all the information I had learned about Islam and created a website called Shahadah.net. It was my baby, just like I was a baby Muslim. I also began communicating with Izziddin; we sent emails and talked on the phone in the most innocent and pure way. We would talk about Islam and cry, then laugh, then cry some more. It was quite a bonding experience. I began feeling I wanted to marry him, and began praying for Allah to take these feelings from me if it wasn’t what HE wanted for me. Everyone was trying to get me married, but my heart was toward Izziddin. I felt like he was possibly the second part of my answered prayer. The closer we got, the question of marriage became an issue. With my new life, I wanted only what ALLAH had planned for me, without deviation. I prayed all the time to Allah, with so much faith in my heart for one thing or another. I believed so strongly in what I was doing and the new life I was leading, but wanted Allah to be in the driver’s seat of my life. I wanted only what He planned for me, nothing more, nothing less. I began praying fervently about the feelings I had for Izziddin. I asked Allah to please take away the feelings I had for him if they were not in His plans. The more I prayed, the deeper the feelings grew, until finally Izziddin began talking about marriage. I was so happy. It was around September when he began talking about it. It was almost Ramadan, and he said, “Let’s wait until 6 months to marry”. I thought, That is too long. I want to marry him now. I had no concept of sabr at that point. I began praying, both for my feelings for Izziddin to evaporate if it was not in Allah’s plan, and if it was, that Izziddin would want to marry me sooner. After a couple of days, Izziddin decided to marry after Ramadan. Again, I thought, no, if this is meant to be, then I don’t want to wait even that long. I began praying again. My feelings for him were so strong, and I had always wanted to be married to a man who was so devoted to Allah as Izziddin seemed to be. I didn’t want to wait a single moment longer than necessary. I began praying harder than ever. A couple days later, I was at work. I got a phone call from Izziddin. He said with much excitement in his voice, “I talked to Dr. Kazi today. Can we marry on Friday?” I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself. Everyone in my vicinity knew my phone call was good news. I couldn’t work any more due to my enthusiasm. They let me go home for the rest of the day. I actually worked on my wedding day. When I got off work, I went home and got dressed, drove myself over to Dr. Kazi’s home, where he was so gracious to perform and host the wedding. It was a most exciting day for me. The wedding was a little strange for me, in that I didn’t get to talk or even see my husband until after the wedding. I wasn’t even sure if he had shown up. He did, and we couldn’t stop smiling! The prayer I had prayed so many years ago had been answered. I got the answers about God from God Himself with Islam, and he gave me the husband I had always dreamed of having. I was literally experiencing a little bit of heaven on earth. We shared our first Ramadan together shortly after we were married, and I fasted as a Muslim, as prescribed by our Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, from sunrise to sunset; no juices or water, as was the way I used to fast. I began wearing hijab at all times, even to work. I was a very proud Muslimah, and I felt that no one could stand in my way. After a few months of marriage and having been a new revert Muslim, my new husband and I went to a Houston University, where I was witness to another miracle. I had the privilege of hearing the shahadah story of one of my idols of years gone by. Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens, was there to give his reversion story. I watched in awe as my dear husband gave Brother Yusuf the biggest man hug. It was a beautiful sight, one that I will cherish and remember always. Now I understood what Brother Yusuf had gone through all those years ago, and I shared something with him; our reversion to Islam and the truths of ALLAH. My husband almost immediately gave me the name Sanadee, which is Arabic for ‘my support’. He has been an inspiration for me and truly has been my sanad, my support, with the sabr of Job. He has been my support, with sabran jameel – beautiful patience, through my trials and tribulations, my ups and my downs, through my journey to Islam, which continues on to this day. But my journey doesn’t stop here….. Read the continuing story of my life as a Muslim in My Journey through Islam After Reversion by Sanadee Kamal

He (sallahu alayhe wa sallam) asked, "O Allah forgive all her sins she committed from her past, the sins she will commit in the future, the sins that will be done in public and the sins that will be done in secret." (Al-Bazzaar) Then Aisha (radiallahanha) started to cry because of the beatiful dua the Prophet (sallahu alayhe wa sallam) made, He (sallahu alayhe wa sallam) said why are you crying she (radiallahanha) said you made such a beautiful dua for me then he (sallahu alayhe wa sallam) said I make the same dua for my ummah every time...! subhanallah

oi oi! Steady nooh As i explained before, I am fascinated with their society and the hypocricy. Odd of you to link Saudi soceity and obscene language. But reacting to obscene language..hopefully you mean chastising you..

I am no scholar but I heard if the lady is certain age, she is exempt. However you are right in that this lady is attractive for her age and in Somalia, it aint rare to spot the randy 80yrd about..so you may have a point.

Lily I didnt see your final paragraph. I found out a long time ago that you cant help fall in love with someone unless you remove that person from your life. The way i see it, every bloke/lady (who isnt your mahram) is potential for you to fall in love with. Or maybe you might fall in love with an aspect of his/her personality. This whole think came about when my friend started working at this new place. She has met few people on the first day and she absolutely detested one of the blokes there. A year later, she cant live without him. How did that happen? Keyf You see things that black and white?

Darn it Lily..I thought you of all people had Love is a mystery

oh yeah mystic meg? Why is that?

^^ Must we go down there?

loool@dacas. Leave eedo alone Keyf. Nephty She must in her 70s, if so, she is exempt from wearing hijab..although she is pretty enough iney soo xeri geliso a yound stud.

Can you meet someone once and know they are your other half? Is it there truly only one person in the entire universe for you? Do you HAVE to know a person to be in love with them? Is love a necessary ingredient for marriage? We are not talking about lust here. I am talking about the feeling related to the irrationality within ourselves. Perhaps falling in love at first sight is somewhat like a paradoxical statement.

Originally posted by Khayr: quote: I found the above fascinating. It almost sounded as what a sufi would say. A brother suggested that I send peace and salli to our belowed prophet (saw) whilst touching the black stone at the Haram and you will be in different plane spiritually (kinda out of body experience type). Needless to say, I recalled this conversation whislt I was kissing the balck stone and waan ku salliyey nabiga (saw). Nothing occured. Maybe I was lacking spiritually. Literalism at its best! I was curious enough to try. You should have heard my friend describing the feeling he felt. Even you would have attempted it

I think it is a need to be seen by others that muslims arent just ignoring the situation. But Allah knows what is in the breasts of people and their intentions. So I wouldnt try and second guess. But the fact remains that we must do our bit for the sufferings of muslims wherever they are. Charity begins at home, so Somalia should be our priority and then others.

touche! But an caalim wouldnt post half of the stuff you do at the women's section or would he..a perhaps a modern caalim would.

^^ Are you caalim enough to disagree? On what level can a layman like us disgaree with sheikh? PS I dont know the sheikh or his level of knowledge. I am just thinking out loud.