Malika, I really can't say how long is too long, it's depends on the circumstances and the people involved. From my exposure to long engagements, it's more common within conservative families that practice arranged marriages. As for shaydaan, you're very right and I’m personally not a fan of prolonged courting as I’ve said many times before but we have to realise that one shoe doesn’t fit all. Somalis also have the added pressure of big weddings and the poor brother often having to work double shifts for months just to pay for the Hilton wedding, that alone forces couples into long engagements even when the intention is to get married asap. I think not telling your family that you're discussing marriage with a guy and sneaking around with him is an issue on it's own.

^LOL. Well, better late than never, eh? I wish you both, 40-days of wedded bliss.

The other side of the debate; http://www.islamfortoday.com/polygamy1.htm . I don't expect the UK to change it's laws but I think that masjids and sharia committees should do more to educate the men who practice polygamy on their responsibilities and protect the rights of the sisters and children involved - especially second and third wives. On the other hand, it does raise the issue of equality between the wives and whether men are allowed to marry more than one in the context of the sharia ’if you can’t treat them equally, than marry only one’ when they choose to live under the British legal framework. Also, in light of the sharia ruling on secret marriages. Hmmm.

Did you guys read the whole article? Blimey. She has two husbands, each having two wives, there's also a girlfriend thrown in the mix-up and it's all lovey dovey.. :eek: :eek: Talk about a complicated relationship, I got dizzy just reading about it. Bisinka, some confused kids in the making there.

What Chocolate & Honey described is a normal practice with Somali parents, though not as common these days. Wey isu doonan yihiin, she's bethroted to him. Some parents would rather their girls finished school before proceeding with the mahr, because then his her hubby and can choose to take her home whenever, etc. It's a control thing. LOL. I kid, not everyone is able to get married straight away. LoL@ Malika I really hope that's all it is. Shopping? |Bah, lost my groove with that.

This came to my inbox, I think it was meant for some of the Muslims on this thread.. Guriella, You're projecting dear and contradicting yourself. How do you fear the punishment of a God that does not exist? I echo Cheh, contemplate more on your position before you preach.. Anyhoo.. Islamic perspective. Question: We read in the Qur'ân: "If a happy thing befalls them, they say: This is from Allah; and if an evil thing befalls them they say: This is because of you. Say: All is from Allah." We read in the very next verse: "Whatever good happens to you, is from Allah; but whatever evil befalls you, is from youself." How can it all be from Allah an at the same time the evil be from ourselves? Answered by Sheikh Sa`ûd al-Funaysân, former professor at al-Imâm University Everything that happens, both the good and the evil of what happens, is from Allah in the sense that He is the Creator, originator, and determiner of all things. Nothing in creation can bring anything from non-existence into existence. Only Allah can create. He is the sole originator of everything. Allah says: "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He has charge over all affairs." [sûrah al-Zumar: 62] This is the meaning intended by the first verse you ask about, verse 78 0f Sûrah al-Nisâ: Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you, even though you were in lofty towers. Yet if a happy thing befalls them, they say: "This is from Allah"; and if an evil thing befalls them they say: "This is because of you (O Muhammad)." Say (unto them): "All is from Allah." What is amiss with these people that they come not nigh to understand a happening? The very next verse, which is verse 79 of Sûrah al-Nisâ', tells us: Whatever good happens to you, is from Allah; but whatever evil befalls you, is from yourself. This verse means that Allah is the one who makes good things easy for you and He makes you disposed to engage in what is good. As for evil things, even though Allah is the creator of those things as well, we as people fall into them by our own free choice. We see in the choice of words of these two verses delicacy of speech. This passage of the Qur'ân teach us the etiquette we should observe when speaking about Allah. We do not attribute evil to Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) expresses the same concept hen he says: "All goodness is in Your hand, and evil is not attributed to You." [sahîh Muslim (1290)] Abraham (peace be upon him) put this etiquette into practice when he said: "He who created me and then guided me; He who nourishes me and quenches my thirst; and when I fall ill, He it is who restores my health." [sûrah al-Shu`arâ': 80] We can see here how Abraham attributes his creation, guidance, nourishment, and recovery to Allah, but attributes falling ill to himself. This is simply a matter of etiquette, since Allah is the creator of all things. In brief, Allah creates all things, including our actions. However, we have free will, and we choose for ourselves either what is good or what is evil. Therefore, we are held accountable for our choices. And Allah knows best. www.islamtoday.com

Good riddance! Foreign troops will only complicate things

:eek: :eek: @ at the body builder woman. That looks freaky to me, I think female should have a subtle muscle tone, it's feminine and sexy. :cool: Blessed, they will have to get a restraining order before I give up that cake all together [big Grin] Did you know there's a limit to how many you can buy lol. No way! What did you do, inaadeer? Val, I think their fat burning will definitely strengthen your legs, saakaan sameeyay and I'm aching.

I saw his and remembered his thread. :eek: Writer faces death threats Thursday 19 Feb, 2009 A Dubai author who wrote a guide on sexual relations for married couples has been bombarded with death threats after husbands have claimed it has turned their wives against them. Emirati Wedad Lutah, who is an official in the Family Guidance Department at the Dubai Courts, has received a string of threatening phone calls and been condemned on web sites since her book ‘Top Secret’ was published late last year. Yesterday Lutah told 7DAYS: “Some men have phoned me and threatened to kill me because of this book, claiming that it has turned their wives against them. One of the callers promised to kill me if he saw me because I’m educating married women on sexual topics and their rights.” Lutah said the book aims to promote happy and stable marriages through educating women about intimacy with their husbands. “I just want to help couples maintain healthy relationships. Before the book was published I took advice from Islamic clerics and scrapped some sections after gathering their comments.” Some web site postings have attacked her. “She is a non-believer and must die,” one person wrote on an Arabic site. She explained that the book, which is published in Arabic, talks about relationships from an Islamic viewpoint and aims to educate people about sex. Lutah, who has worked at the courts for almost seven years, added: “During the years I have spent in court, I have met many wives who don’t know anything about sex. They think its only purpose is to have children.” Lutah maintained: “I will continue to educate people according to Islamic standards.” She has also asked the authorities if she can go into schools to give sex education lessons. She added: “I just want to educate pupils but some people consider it a crime.” An official in the Criminal Investigation Department of Dubai Police told 7DAYS: “We have not yet received an official complaint about death threats from the author. If she lodges a complaint then we will investigate. Death threats via phone calls is a crime and will not be tolerated.” 7DAYS contacted Magrudy’s book store and was told the book had been in demand. A representative said: “Seven women have called just today to reserve it. We have 134 copies available. So far only women are asking for it.”

Shoe-thrower trial Thursday 19 Feb, 2009 The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George W Bush defiantly defended his actions in court today, saying he had become emotionally overwhelmed when confronted by the ex-US president. Muntazer al-Zaidi won global fame when his footwear whizzed past Bush’s head on December 14 as the then president was making a farewell visit to Iraq before leaving the White House. His lawyers used the trial’s opening arguments to assert that the remarkable protest was lawful, but the judge brought proceedings to a halt 90 minutes later, saying more information was needed about Bush’s trip. The 30-year-old journalist had told the court that he had become outraged and been unable to control his emotions when Bush, who ordered the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, started speaking. “I saw only Bush and it was like something black in my eyes,” he said from the dock, with an Iraqi flag draped across his shoulders. “So I took the first shoe and threw it but it did not hit him. Then spontaneously I took the second shoe but it did not hit him either. I was not trying to kill the commander of the occupation forces of Iraq.” Zaidi gave a detailed account of the joint media conference, which was being beamed live across the world, where Bush was speaking alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. “I came to the press conference and the US security guards asked the Iraqi journalists to go outside and they started to check us and they checked one journalist in a humiliating manner while we were on Iraqi soil,” he said. “After Bush started speaking about ‘victory and achievement in Iraq’ with an icy smile... I did what I did.” Zaidi, who works for the private Al-Baghdadia television channel was abducted by insurgents during the sectarian strife that engulfed Iraq after the 2003 invasion, and made plain his feelings about the occupation. “We as Arabs are proud of our sense of hospitality, but Bush and his soldiers have been here for six years,” he said. After his testimony, Zaidi argued that Bush’s trip to Iraq had not been an official visit. One of the three trial judges, Abdulamir Hassan al-Rubai, then said that the trial would be adjourned until March 12. “We have adjourned the trial so that we can contact the prime minister’s office to find out if the visit of the ex-American president Bush was an official visit or not,” he said. The reporter faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of assaulting a foreign leader, the charge levelled against him by. Zaidi was stony-faced throughout the hearing, dressed in a khaki-coloured jacket and a black shirt. Tight security measures were in place, with cars being checked and all electronic equipment being taken off people heading into the hearing. Zaidi was asked to state his name, occupation and address and his lawyer then said that the accused had “social, political and psychological reasons” for doing what he did.

Loool. Ng, Yeey, that's her. He sounds sweet too. Thanks. Looool@Sharuk Khan. Wt..

^ Ba7ibak yaa 7imaar? I'm sure I saw i on youtube..

Ana Saaber cala baajer Ana Saaber Cala jaytek ... heard this on Arabian Idol last year sang by that pretty Iraqi girl, forgot her name... heard it again on the radio earlier, by a man this time. It's doing the rounds in my head but I didn't catch the rest.. anyone know the girls name or who the original belongs to? It's a khaliji number.

LOL. Waxaas buu JB la dhoola cadaynayaa. Soon he'll be parying in Sheikh with Busta.

Americans wey miyic miidhan yihiin. Intaa wax ay ka xumaadaan / murugoodaan ayay daydayaan. Burco should open a 'Jidh adkaysi' boot camp.

LOL, NG. Adaa Africa taga ku yidhi sow maaha? You told them it credit crunch proof and now they think they can build malls, luxuary villas and airports for three million.. J, Who oversees these deals? Camo Riyaale?

LOL@ Illahay ka baqa. This is hypothetical ya naas, no need to get your emotions in a twist. LOL

:eek: @ 3million dollars, is that a joke or is this thing smaller than the aricles makes it out to be?

What does it means to you being a woman of faith? I'm wrking towards weaving the following verse into my psych and for it be a true reflection of me.. verse: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds" . Are you able to distinguish between the ‘traditional role of women’ and the religious requirements and obligation of women within your faith? Yes, I suppose. This is an area where there's a lot of misinterpretations by traditionalists and modernists alike, you do have to do your own research. How does your faith impact on your way of life, achievement and success? It puts things into perspective. What we consider success for instance can actually take us away from our real purpose or make you lose sight of it. The clarity can be liberating and leads to the contentment Chuba mentions.

^Fab. You'd hink it'd be a big hit here but no, only some dance school offers some classes in all of Dubai. I'm into martial arts too, good for you on so many levels but I don't have a regular sitter, so can't do classes at the moment.

Choco, hon. I don't know what to say really, he sounds so annoying. No offence, I'm sure here are many other sides to him. I hope things work out for the better for you but please know loving someone doesn't mean that you have to take their bull-shit. *hugs*

LoL NG, did you get to see Abla Noorah in Ramadan? Same scenario, only he lives. Isis, They can go to their moms family.

Serenity, I use it like google. Someone told me about belly dance exercise videos, and viola. Haneefah, Sounds like a lot of fun, I’m jealous. Loving the shik shok song. I’m gonna do that one too, let me know how I goes with ya. It’s not as easy at it looks though. Ooh.. What’s happening in April? My lose-baby-fat plan expires then too, LOL. Birthday gift to my future self, hope I don’t disappoint. LoL. I’ve also noticed my monstrous appetite since starting to workout but I’m not fanatical about diets. I eat whatever in small quantities and drink water by the gallons- fills you up. II Don’t lose that cake just yet… LoL

Super cool workout here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOMtF6irGNg&NR=1 - not Yoga.

^Babes, is it a wind up? I think it's a windup. Ku qayli and put the phone down. LoL. Maybe not, you don't have to keep explaining yourself, he'll get it eventually. They can be such nuckleheads sometimes.