^You have a point there. The problem with these governments is that they fail to acknowledge their own role in creating angry, radical youths. Justice Their arguement is against female imaams.... Originally posted by Taliban: This must be good news for moderate, liberal and progressive Muslims. How about Muslims of the other variety, the traditional, conservative ...... I’m interested in different perspectives.

Hmmmmmmmmmm! Jizaak Allah for sharing. Aaliyah.

I've learnt the death of a friend last week. It's so weird the last time I saw her, I gave her a hug and that I'll try to visit them in Oman sometime. How we take life for granted? If this was your last day on earth...what would you do/not do? You don't have to share but it's worth thinking about. Al-Ghazalee reflects on life.... Life is nothing but an accumulation of many breaths. So every breath is just a precious diamond which cannot be purchased with anything in the world. It is a priceless jewel which has got no substitute in value. So in movements and talks, and in sorrows and happiness, such a priceless breath should not be spent in vain. To destroy it is to court destruction. An intelligent man cannot lose it. When a man gets up at dawn, he should enter into an agreement with himself just as a tradesman contracts with his partner. At that time, he should address his mind thus: O mind, you have been given no other property as precious as life. When it will end, the principal will end and despondency will come in seeking profit in business. Today is a new day. Allah has given you time, that is, He has delayed your death. He has bestowed upon you innumerable gifts. Think that you are already dead. So don't waste time. Every breath is a precious jewel. Man has got for each day and night twenty-four treasure houses in twenty-four hours. Fill up these then find them filled up with divine sights in the world next. If they are not filled up with good works, they will be filled up with intense darkness wherefrom a bad stench will come out and envelop them all around. Another treasure house will neither give him happiness nor sorrow. That is an hour in which he slept, or was careless, or was engaged in any lawful work of this world. He will feel grieved for its remaining vacant. [Taken from al-Ghazali: Meditation and Introspection, The Book of Constructive Virtues, Ihya Ulum-id-din.]

^Xaa jira? Modesty and Rose. Please read the articles before you post.

^Alhamdulilah! That's good news.

^I didn't forget. Just want to do more research as I've stumbled upon conflicting literature. I'm waiting on some books but will post a few in the mean time. I write a list of all the names I can think every few days and check it against a list. الأول الإله الأكرم الأعلى الأحد الله البصير البر البارئ والباطن والظاهر والآخر الحفي الحفيظ الحسيب الحافظ الجبار التواب الحي الحميد الحليم الحكيم المبين الحق الرحمن الرؤوف الخلاق الخالق الخبير القيوم الشاكر السميع السلام الرقيب الرزاق الرحيم العظيم العزيز العالم الصمد الشهيد الشكور الغني الغفور الغفار العلي العليم العفو القريب القدير القدوس القاهر القادر الفتاح المؤمن اللطيف الكريم الكبير القهار القوي المحيط المجيد المجيب المتين المتكبر المتعالي المولى المليك الملك المقيت المقتدر المصور الودود الواسع الوارث الواحد النصير المهيمن الولي الوكيل Alhamdulilah, my list is getting longer and longer. Haneefah. You just have to send your address for the abayas. As for moulding your character..... Moulding one’s character in the way that Allaah loves based on the meanings of His names and attributes Question: I heard one of the khateebs giving a Friday khutbah and urging the people to adopt the attributes of Allaah and to mould their character after His. Is there a correct way to understand this? Is there a scholarly precedent for this statement? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The expression to which you refer is not appropriate, but there is a correct interpretation for it, which is encouraging people to mould their character based on the meanings implied by some of the attributes and names of Allaah. That means looking at the attributes of which it is appropriate for the created being (man) to adopt the meanings implied, in contrast to the attributes which belong exclusively to Allaah, such as His being the Creator, Provider, God, etc., for these are attributes to which the created being can never aspire and it is not permissible to claim such attributes. Rather what is meant by the attributes which Allaah loves for His slaves is that they should develop the attitudes implied by those attributes, such as knowledge, strength in adhering to the truth, mercy, forbearance, kindness, generosity, tolerance, etc. For Allaah is All-knowing and loves those who are knowledgeable; He is Strong and loves the strong believer more than He loves the weak believer; He is Generous and loves those who are generous; He is Merciful and loves those who show mercy; He is Forgiving and loves those who forgive, etc. But the attributes of Allaah are more perfect and greater than the attributes of the created being (man), so there is no comparison between them, because there is nothing like unto Him in His attributes and actions, just as there is nothing that can compare to Him in His Essence. Rather it is sufficient for the created being to have a share in these attributes in the manner that befits him, within the limits set by sharee’ah. If he oversteps the limits with regard to generosity then he will become a spendthrift; if he oversteps the limit with regard to mercy then he will fail to carry out the punishments decreed by sharee’ah; if he oversteps the limits with regard to forgiveness then he will forgive in an inappropriate manner. These are just a few examples, from which others may be deduced. The great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said words to this effect in his books ‘Uddat al-Saabireen and al-Waabil al-Sayyib, the texts of which follow. In ‘Uddat al-Saabireen (p. 310) he said: “Because He is al-Shakoor (the Appreciative) in the truest sense, the most beloved of His creation to Him are those who are characterized by the attribute of thankfulness, and the most hated of His creation to Him are those in whom this attribute is lacking, or who are characterized by the opposite. This applies to His Most Beautiful Names: the most beloved of His creation to Him are those who have the characteristic implied by that meaning, and the most hated of them to Him are those who have the opposite characteristic. For this reason He hates the kaafir, the wrongdoer, the hard-hearted, the miser, the coward, the despicable and the depraved. He is Beautiful and loves beauty; He is All-Knowing and loves those who have knowledge; He is Merciful and loves those who show mercy; He is Beneficent and loves those who do good; He is the Concealer and loves those who conceal (sins or faults); He is All-Powerful and condemns incapacity – the stronger believer is more beloved to Him than the weak believer. He is Forgiving and loves forgiveness; He is One and loves odd-numbered things. Everything that He loves is implied by His Names and Attributes, everything that He hates is the opposite of that.” And he said in al-Waabil al-Sayyib (p. 43): “Generosity is one of the attributes of the Lord, for He gives and does not take, He feeds but He is not fed. He is the most generous of those who are generous, the kindest of those who are kind. The most beloved of His creation to Him are those who bear the characteristics implied by His attributes. For He is Kind and loves those among His slaves who are kind; He is All-Knowing and loves those who have knowledge; He is All-Powerful and loves those who are brave; He is Beautiful and loves beauty.” I hope that what we have mentioned here will be sufficient. I ask Allaah to enable us all to understand His religion and to adhere to it properly, for He is All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive. Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds. See: Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), 1/133.

^NO! "The Morshidat will be in charge of leading religious discussions, give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant Islam," she added. AlJazeera Article: Morocco has just graduated its first team of women preachers to be deployed as a vanguard in its fight against any slide towards Islamic extremism. The idea took off after the May, 2003 attacks in Casablanca "This is a rare experiment in the Muslim world," proudly stated Muhammad Mahfudh, director of the centre attached to the Islamic affairs ministry that trained this first class of 50 women. Ministry spokesman Hamid Rono said it was the "first (of its kind) in the Islamic world". This pioneer group of Murshidat, or guides, who finished a 12-month course in early April, were trained to "accompany and orient" Muslim faithful, notably in prisons, hospitals and schools, said Mahfudh. They will earn a salary of 5,000 dirhams ($560) a month. Samira Marzouk, in her 30s like most of the others, exclaims how "proud" she is to be part of this first group. She sees their mission as one to "fill in the gaps that prevent a solid framework for religion". "We are going to teach a tolerant Islam by focussing on the underprivileged classes." "The Morshidat will be in charge of leading religious discussions, give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant Islam" Samira Marzouk, a pioneer Murshida, or guide They will notably work with women and children in poor ghettoes seen as fertile ground for extremist recruiters. The idea of the Murshidat, spearheaded by King Mohammed VI and the government, took off after Islamic extremist attacks in the Casablanca on May 16, 2003 claimed 45 lives and left dozens of others wounded. The King who had already started reshaping religious structures to rein in any extremist drift in his North African country, which borders Algeria where violence between government forces and armed Islamic extremists has caused more than 150,000 deaths since 1992. New urgency But the synchronised suicide bomb attacks that struck Jewish and foreign targets gave new urgency to the initiative. More than 2,000 people were arrested in vast police sweeps after the May bombings as the king pledged that the attacks would be the last to rock Morocco. Investigators concluded that those behind the incident had indeed sought recruits in the teeming slums around Casablanca, the kingdom's biggest city. Marzuk, with a diploma in Arab literature who said she knew the Quran by heart, was quick to specify she was "not going to take the place of an imam". "The imamate in Islam is restricted solely to men who are apt at leading prayers, notably those on Friday," she said. Tolerant Islam "The Morshidat will be in charge of leading religious discussions, give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant Islam," she added. Another graduate, Laila Faris, a lively young woman who holds a degree in Islamic studies, said she saw the Murshidat's role as promoting "the true face of Islam". "We will help attenuate any drift towards Islamic extremism," she said, stressing that "an overall approach is needed to dealing with radical Islam". During the year-long course, the curriculum ranged from Islamic studies to psychology, sociology, computer skills, economy, law and business management. "We will help attenuate any drift towards Islamic extremism... an overall approach is needed to dealing with radical Islam" Laila Faris, another pioneering Murshida Sports was the only subject dropped from the women preachers' training because the schedule was just too tight," regretted Mahfudh, who hopes to include it for the second batch of Murshidat trainees, whose applications are now being accepted. For the Islamic affairs minister, Ahmed Taoufiq, the Murshidat will also "instruct women on their basis religious duties". He said religious radicalism was not part of Morocco's culture "but you can never prevent evil one hundred percent". Divided Morocco's Islamic fundamentalists are divided over the initiative. For one, Islamist deputy Mustafa Ramid with the Islamist Justice and Development party (PJD), the main opposition group with 43 seats in the 325-member parliament, the Murshidat is a "positive" development. "I see nothing more to say about this initiative because in Islam, men and women are equal," he said, pointing to Egypt which has "eminent women scholars of Islam". But the head of the youth group in Morocco's most radical Islamic fundamentalist association, Al-Adl Wal-Ihssane (Justice and Welfare), forecast it would have no effect on the ground. "The power behind this initiative is the same as the one that commits acts contrary to Islam, notably degrading moral values," said Hasan Bennajih, whose group is part of an Islamist movement that preaches non-violence and is unrecognized by authorities, but still influential. "This initiative, then, will only have a limited impact on the population," said Hasan Bennajih.

Uno how can a muhajabah shake hands with a male police officer Dos Anyhow, why be a police officer knowing you will come into contact with men and say I don't shake hands with them, or run in the olympics in hijab that is ridiculous, stop trying to be like gaalo and be yourselves. Tres [back to the main thing, this police officer seem to be on another palnet, what is wrong with shaking hands...... its not like he is gona eat her or something. Beside, shaking hands with others who are not your relatives is not forbidden, as I think. Errrm. The sister can't win, we might as well corner and smother her. <-This Sister is confused. Goes to get tea.

Originally posted by NGONGE: Ah well I think I walked into that one. Tooba, Taako, tooba. How could you devalue a classic in such a careless manner??? :rolleyes: And, what is it with you and the mukhless. They just gravitate towards you.

Islam's pioneering women priests

Originally posted by S.O.S: Too many people for my liking are born Fridays You don't want to share the benefits? Xaasid

^I didn't know he did a production on Umar (radiAllahu Anhu). I absolutely love Umar a man of true strength. I've listened to some of the CDs on the stories of The Prophets. He is very through mashaAllah. I've the Hereafter collection at home which I was supposed to send to my sister but I think bacdaan uga jary first. This booklet is long... but worth the read. I might summaries if I get enough time. InshaAllah. p.s Do you know that the Shaikh is detained by the Yemeni authorities. Remember him in your prayers, please.

Amir Abu Maryem There is nothing wrong in being modern, that’s if you're a fan of mobile phones. As times change, they (mobiles) need to be redesigned from shape to size. But religion is not a Nokia. Last week Ameer Ali former head of AFIC outraged Muslims across Australia with his comments about the Prophet s.a.w.s. and the Qur'an. In the article entitled " Prophet not perfect, says Islamic scholar (The Australian, 04/10/06) written by Richard Kerbaj, he spoke about the "flaws" of the best human ever to walk this earth - prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s., he questioned the veracity of the Qur'an, called for the reinterpretation of it, trivialized Sunnah and so on. With the following article I will examine some of these statements, as well as his 'so called' apology. One apology for Muslims and another one for the editor of "The (Un)Australian" newspaper. Almighty Allah (s) said, which means: ‘Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor towards you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.’ (Qur'an s:5 v:3) Islam came to change the world with a perfect message and system of life, not to be changed by the world, especially not by the likes of Mr. Ali. Nevertheless, Ameer Ali sees some imperfections with revelation and insists that we "have to reinterpret the Quran" (The Australian, 04/10/06). Why may we ask? This statement was backed by the following example: Mr. Ali says "There are verses about slavery, and the Koran says you must be kind to the slaves. So are the Muslims saying we must have slavery to be kind?" (The Australian, 04/10/06) No Mr. Ali we don't say that, but, are you actually implying here that we should "update" Qur'anic verses because we don't have slaves? And who said we don't have them? Some of them go around and 'represent' Muslims while serving 'other' master. Seriously, Ameer Ali obviously never attended any Uṣūl al-fiqh classes. If he did he would know that in his example he uses specific statement about kindness to the slaves and later he gives conclusion about general kindness. If you don't have slaves that doesn't mean that you can not be kind. So, while Mr. Ali tries to fill in the shoes of the Prophet s.a.w.s. and perfect something that Allah (s) already perfected, I wonder how this fifth (column) madhhab will look like. Next, Ameer Ali’s "apology". In the letter which was addressed to the Muslims he calls the original article "ugly reporting" and a "deliberate act of mischief by the publishers". However in the letter to the editorial team of The Australian, his tone is dramatically reduced and not one word is mentioned about their "mischief" and "ugly" reporting. In this letter Ameer Ali praises not only the reporter, but the whole editorial team for an insignificant attempt to defend his attack on the prophet s.a.w.s.. ("Brave stand on Muslim honesty", Editorial 5/10/06) The most important deception here is not his double standard, but, the unforgivable fact that in this so called apology, Ameer Ali does not deny using the word "flaw" when speaking about the prophet Mohammed s.a.w.s and his character. His actual apology is only focused on the title of the whole text "Prophet not perfect" and not on its content and quotations. "And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character" [Qur'an 68:4] Back to original article, Mr. Ali continues with insults to the Muslims and criticizes them as being closed minded and "playing victim", he further degrades Muslims by stating that, popular Muslims "lack knowledge" and are "vulnerable" to "the Jihadist" teachings. His self appointed notion as the Muslim protector, is just that a self appointed notion. Muslims did not ask him to speak our minds we can do that a lot better ourselves. Maybe he should start reinterpreting "the Jihadist" word as well, since, it was Mr. Ali who called for Hezbollah to be removed from the terror list. As far as Muslim vulnerability and closed mindedness are concerned, suffice to say that when ICV conducted a survey asking for opinions on AFIC under Ameer Ali’s leadership, they (Muslim community) described it as "sexist, secretive, unrepresentative and irrelevant" (The Australian, 18/04/06) So what else needs re-interpretation? Obviously the lifestyle of the Prophet s.a.w.s is somehow trivial to him. The article continues to say that "Dr Ali said it was "ridiculous" that some Muslims believed God would judge them on the "length of (their) beard". He said Muslims would be judged on their "character, their knowledge, their contribution to society". (The Australian, 04/10/06) It may be "ridiculous" to Mr. Ali that some Muslim believe in this? However they have good reason to do so, Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahimahullah) one of the greatest scholars in Islam’s history, stated that "To shorten the beard less than a fist length is haraam and on this is ijma`a (consensus) ". "Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day, and remembers Allaah much" [Qur'an 33:21] What is not ridiculous to Mr. Ali is when Michelle Leslie abandoned the outward lifestyle of a Muslimah, Mr. Ali said "She can't have it both ways,". (SMH, 21/11/05) He further advised that she should abandon Islam and declare her action as a stunt if she persists with, as Michelle’s lawyer said, her own version of Islam. "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers" [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85] What I would like to know is can you have it both ways Mr. Ali ? And what is your version of Islam? After all, you did say "So I see Islam here but (the people) may not be Muslims, but in (other) countries I see Muslims but not Islam". (The Age, 08/10/05) and to understand further how much you are proud of your fellow Muslims we look at your statement to the ABC’s Religion Report (06/09/06) where you stated: "The Muslims are not the good example of Islam, so that's why I say you call the Muslims as a bunch of fanatics, a bunch of terrorists, a bunch of fascists. I agree." Who would not be proud of Ameer Ali representing him or her like this. He really stand for Muslims in public. I think this calls for spinal surgery. Lets now look at what his former colleague had to say about Ameer Ali, "I can say unequivocally that he has no credentials in Islamic jurisprudence or history", and, "stop trying to create the illusion that he has something important or relevant to say. He has no credibility whatsoever in this matter" (K. S. Seyit, The Australian - Letters, 06/10/06) It is clear that this fifth © madhhab is more like a club for ignorant. Finally Mr. Ali mentioned that youth will ask about faith. Sure they will ask, and I am sure that their top question, when it comes to "Islamic Scholars" like Mr. Ali is how did you, as a leader of one of the Islamic organization (AFIC), interpret verses in Qur'an that prohibit interest (usury) and raise it to the level of "war with Allah"? How did you then go and lead this Islamic organization to derive 13% of its income from interest based accounts - $297,000 in one year alone (2004). (WORRELLS Independent Consultant’s Report) The words from the Quran are quite specific: "O you who believe! Have fear of Allah and give up what remains of what is due to you of usury.... If you do not, then take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger." (Chapter 2, Verse 278-9) And hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.s) Imam Ahmad reported in an authentic hadith that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Dirham (the smallest coin, like a penny) of interest eaten by a man with knowledge is more severe than thirty-six acts of fornication or adultery." I will let the community ask questions as to why this money was sitting in the bank and collecting haram, rather that helping with community projects. Open your mind and see what Muslims truly need. They need someone like Abu Bakr r.a. who will stand up with pride, honor and dignity. A leader who will protect pillars of Islam and not work on demolishing them. A leader who will inspire and bring hope into the hearts of Muslims. A leader who will not focus his attention on demeaning his own community, while gunmen open fire on an Australian mosques during Ramadan prayer. A leader who makes it his business to challenge political/media attacks on Muslims treatment of women, while according to the Australian Institute of Criminology 57% of women in Australia have been subjected to physical and sexual violence during their lives. I haven’t seen any of these characteristics from Ameer Ali, therefore he is not the leader for me. To Ameer Ali's re-interpreted Islam? Muslims say NO. "If you ask them (about this), they declare: ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say: ‘Was it at Allaah, and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?’ Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed" [al-Tawbah 9:64-66] "When Our Clear Signs are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say, "Bring a Qur'an other than this one or change it." Say: "It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow nothing except what is revealed to me. I fear, were I to disobey my Lord, the punishment of a Dreadful Day." (Surah Yunus: 15-16) Source'>http://ahlusunnah.org.au/articles/document.jsp?id=107]Source[/url]

^Nothing. Rokko. Inspiringly stylish. It's a great concept. Think I'll go and get a few Abu Sarandis for someone would you like some too..?

XulaXu Does your uncles project an internet presence? I want to make a Somali story book for the little ones in my family but don't have the stories to tell. We usually start with deen and dawaco..and make up the rest.. I've fond memories of sheeko time both in and out of Somalia. My whole family would gather in the garden, take turns to tell stories and put on finger puppet shows....Aah! Those were the days.

Originally posted by sheherazade: LoL. I was hoping for rare photos of fashionable men but no. Here you go dearest.

I don't like the feel of foundation. Unless you have real skin tone issues, it's best to a use a tinted moisturizer instead. I like Lancôme’s. You just dap little spots all over your face and blend it in with your fingers. After that, you'll need to get a big brush and apply shimmer sparingly. The body shops shimmer, posted by Xaliimo is good. Their eye shadow shimmer cubes are really nice too. Apply eyeliner liquid is best and mascara for more impact (I usually skip this). Use a brow liner to define your brows. It's a must for some of us Lips. I keep it real simple. I just line my lips and apply and blend the best gloss on earth

Salaams brothers, sisters. This is a must read e-book based on a lecture given by the wonderfully talented Shaikh Anwar Al-Awlaki. It deals with many of the trials facing the ummah today and our role and solutions for tackling them. There’s really no reason to feel despondent and dejected. In fact as the Sheikh says; we are living in the time of the new gold rush; not a gold rush for gold but a gold rush for Hasanaat. Allah is preparing us for victory. Insha Allah. Read or download the audio lecture.

It's good to see that the brother is using his talent to tell the truth. Many would use it just to feed their ego. K'Naan: Rapping about war Me. I've had his first Album, he's matured alot since then

You know what is much worse than his alleged comment? Making takfeer on a Muslim without giving them the chance to explain their position. We don't even know if he has made these comments for sure. He only supposedly said that it's not cultural. It isn't and it's not trying to be. Sheesh! So, why are people so eager to push the brother out of the fold of Islam? Maxaad ka faaideysaan oon danbi ahayn.

I doubt that Somalis would go around collecting condoms... It's a matter of being responsible and having respect for ones health. That would only coming about once people are educated on the subject and the misconceptions are removed. Throwing condoms on the matter won't really solve anything.

What Famous Leader Are You? personality tests by similarminds.com

Salaams on this lovely Friday night. Haneefah, Xiin Xirsi and Femme. Wa iyaakum. How about listing the lessons for each hadith or verse every week? Coincidently, this weeks verse from Muhammad Shareef relates to the issue raised by sister Cambarro : [Quran] {Do you think that We created you in vain, and that you would not be returning to Us?} 23:115 [Lessons from this verse] What's your purpose in life? We know the 'right' answer, but for what purpose are we spending our days and hours? Renew your intentions now, renew your purpose in life, and move towards it, today and everyday, until you return to your Creator. Aisha Surah Ikhlaas is a wonderful surah because it describes the Attributes of Allah. With regards to those who love this surah, Al-Bukhari reported from `Amrah bint `Abdur-Rahman, who used to stay in the apartment of `A'ishah, the wife of the Prophet , that `A'ishah said, "The Prophet sent a man as the commander of a war expedition and he used to lead his companions in prayer with recitation (of the Qur'an). And he would complete his recitation with the recitation of `Say: He is Allah, One.' So when they returned they mentioned that to the Prophet and he said, «سَلُوهُ لِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ يَصْنَعُ ذَلِكَ؟» (Ask him why does he do that.) So they asked him and he said, `Because it is the description of Ar-Rahman and I love to recite it. So the Prophet said, «أَخْبِرُوهُ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُحِبُّه» (Inform him that Allah the Most High loves him.)'' Haneefah I feel it in my fingers sister. Jizaak Allah for the reminder, it’s so easy to take your loved ones for granted. Anyways, I'm not a person of loving expressions but surely you know that I love you and me amiga Bonita *waves*. May Allah unite us in jannah Ameen Ameen to your ducaa. As for your last comment... Today, I’ve read surat Al-Kahf which I try to read each Friday as it has been reported that doing so will illuminate you with light until the next Friday. It is also reported that memorizing the first 10 ayats of this surah will also protect you from dajjal. I love the qisas of the Quraan and the way they are presented. There are several stories in this surah. Can you guess how many? I’m just reading its Tafsiir , which I haven’t done before.

^There are many Somalis but apart from family and friends, I only see Somalis in Suuq Dahab. It's hard when you first move here unless you already have contacts. When I first moved out here I didn't know anyone but my mum and mother inlaw were like heblaayo hebel inaadeerteed baa joogata... and that was my hook. Alhamdulilah, we Somalis we watch out for each other. There are many expat woman groups and ladies clubs but I tend to Socialise with friends from work. Is your sister working or planning to? I wondered about the transit life too. Many do stay longterm.

The following ayah always brings a smile to my face. 35 إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا 35 Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women, the believers men and women (who believe in Islamic Monotheism), the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the men and the women who are patient (in performing all the duties which Allah has ordered and in abstaining from all that Allah has forbidden), the men and the women who are humble (before their Lord Allah), the men and the women who give Sadaqat (i.e. Zakat, and alms, etc.), the men and the women who observe Saum (fast) (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the optional Nawafil fasting), the men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying, etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allah during the five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawafil prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise). Islam is so easy and beneficial