Salam Alaykum, Nice topic indeed ,Im thankful that my mom carried me for 9 months ,took care of me and always wished me well in my education and my personnal life. Like some of u said the beating is also a great part of the maternal luv though it hurt,lol.But as u get older , u get wiser and start appreciating all the things both ur parents did.

Hey , truth-shall , my father and my mom dont call each other warya or naya , but the dialogue that I wrote was meant to be humourous not serious.And in fact , some parents call each other warya-naya not alwayz in an aggressive tone but rather to have some fun.

Salam Alaykum nomads, this is not a topic about why guyz shouldn't cook or clean the house ,lol, but rather how some of our parents view the importance for girls to cook in order to find husbands. Let's just start by this dialogue so u could see where Im going into.Here goes one girl Habon and her parents. Habon:" I had a hard day , Im so tired and I still have to do my homework " The mom:" Naya!!! I dont have time to listen to ur monologue , prepare the food!!!" Habon:"Hoyo , Im tired , I'll do it later on , I cant move my legs" The mom:"Yaah , what a lazy girl !!!Dont u know if u dont take care of the household now, no guy is going to marry you" Habon:" But mom ,how come u dont emphasize on my personnality rather the fact that the importance of cooking?" "Aabo , aabo!!!" The dad:" Whats the matter Habon?" Habon:"Did u hear wat mom just said?" The dad:" Yeah ,ur mom is always right but sometimes unfair " The mom:" Warya , u dont know wat ur talkin about,the day I'll stop cooking , u will waste ur money by eating in restaurants" The dad :"Considering the fact that this is a woman's threat , I wont argue with ur mom" Habon:" But dad...." The dad :"ur mom is always right" Habon:" Ya salaam !!! ru guyz telling me that I will remain single for life if I dont cook ?" Both parents:" yeah sweetie ,u need to take care of ur husband's stomack or else he will leave u for another woman!!!" I hope u guyz enjoy this dialogue , because my mom , grandmother , aunts repeated me this speech so many times ,I gave up a long time ago arguing with them ,lol.

Salam Alaykum ,hope u guys are doin'good.I dont know if this topic has been previously posted but I'd like to read ur opinions about it. I believe some of u came across ,once with a lady who sold diraac , handbags or shoes. Most of the times,either ur mom had some money and purchased what she liked or she was broke and asked the lady to lend her the diraac and promised her dat she was goin'to bring the cash the next day , week or month. Some people r quite generous and let u take certain goods and of course u have to state ur phone number and address , in case u dont bring the money in due time. I was just wonderin',if some of u had to sell goods, would u have asked for the money right away and refused to lend anything or would u have patiently waited for the money specially considering the fact that a lot of somali households are livin'on social assistance? I think it is hard for saleswomen to earn a living ,if they dont lend their goods , they lose clients and if they do the opposite , they might never get their money, its a risky business. Share ur comments about this.

Salam Alaykum nomads, Hibo ,ur anwswers to OG_Moti questions made smile for a while , they were actually very good. Here are my answers: 1-Cuz your sentence is too long , shorten it next time so that ladies can respond back quickly. 2-Cuz us , ladies are so flattered that we start to giggle . 3-Cuz I can't afford you to be weak specially if I need you like OXYGEN all the time. 4-Cuz a heart making big sounds such as BOOM and KABOOM is better than one tiktiking (no complaints about the eyes blikbliking) . 5-Maybe u might not have cleaned ur ears and u confused a woman's sigh of happiness with the KIR. 6-Cuz aggresivity can spice things up. 7-Galos are too sensitive,they wont understand that they are not always funny . 8-Ever wondered you might not be good? :cool: 9-Lugo baasto can be taken as a compliment since mixed with some ground beef, mijo baasto can be quite delicious , . 10-You bring only flowers?How about the bling-bling for a start?

Salam nomads , I was horrified when I heard the news and seeing on TV , many people trying to survive in the cold after losing their loved ones and their homes, made me realize that life is short and I needed to work on my deen to be become a better muslim. May Allah , help those who are in need.

Salam nomads , I found the article very informative about the somali youth. Sadly, the cultural gap between somalis and the western world can be very harmful and TV doesnt help sometimes,specially when some rap artists advocate the importance of the bling-bling (nice cars and houses)and a total disrespect for women ,treated as prostitutes most of the time. But it is true that the lack of commnunication between parents and children can attract young somalis to the black-American culture.Parents must not only play with children but also learn them their culture but foremost Islam at an early age so they can overcome the West's influence. It is important not to blame the TV and parents all the time but our individual responsabilities as well.

Again, some of you misunderstood me ,but I was 99% sure it was going to happen anyways , if you had really paid attention to my post, you would have noticed that I was supporting some of Irshad's points of view not ALL OF THEM ,besides since I didnt read her book , so how the hell , do I know if she's insulting Islam or not, unless I read what she wrote?I hope this makes sense to some of you. It is so easy for me to know if some of you did really read my post or not and I love replying to your posts , specially when they are contradicting themselves. Lets start with you QacQac , did I say , once that I was supporting those who critisized the Quran ?I hope you have good eyes because I have the feeling you are confusing me with Irshad ,right or wrong ? Specially when you say: "quran is the word of allah, and u saying us human being could find flows in there." or "bombina critisizing quran, when u not even applaying it in your life" So dear Qac Qac , the day you will learn to differentiate between what I say and what Irshad says , you can get back to me and prove your points.Besides , you dont know if I apply or not Islam in my life , and I believe as a muslim , you shouldnt make such judgements , thats your first lesson and dont tell me you dont agree with that. You also say: "Bombina do u really know this women, and what she stands for, u said i am gonna buy her book. she doesn't even practice the islamic minimum of the salat, saum, zakkah, and hajj." Dear Qac Qac ,I never pretended to know Irshad but let me ask you this simple question , do you know her as well? Because you seem to know her personally , since you confirm us that she doesnt pray ,nor fast, make zakkah or even go to hajj.But I have a feeling you dont know her as well.Clarify this ,ok. Other things,propaganda is regularly used whether in Christian or Muslim countries, its nuttin new, bro, I do agree that CNN is not the best TV station to watch, but pointing fingers towards it everytime for every muslim problem is too easy as well blaming the West.I agree that some problems are due to the West but I believe we, as muslims have brains not to follow them. This will be the first and last time I will explain to you my point of view, and this time open your eyes veryyyy big. First of all,I believe in Allah's words ,the quran, to be one of the best teachings, dont get me wrong on that."The trouble with Islam" was written by Irshad not me,I hope you will know that. Second of all,since we dont live in a perfect world, I believe some of us wont apply the exact Allah's teachings in their daily life,dont get me wrong on dat,Im not sayin that Im the best example existing on earth. And third of all, dear Qac Qac , correct me on this one if Im wrong,but if I follow your logic,no problems exist in muslim countries, everything is beautiful and things only turn bad when the West sneaks its nose. Do you believe in the Judgement Day? If you do , you will know that we're all going to be judged regardless on how many times we pray or not.Real issues exist in muslim countries not in the quran, I hope you understand that.Because if everything was fine ,there wouldnt be a judgement day mentionned in the quran at the first place. Feel free to respond back if you have anything to add because Im done.

Salam Bulo , Islam preaches "aniconism" or, opposition to the use of icons or visual images to depict living creatures or religious figures. Such opposition is particularly relevant to the Jewish, Islamic, and Byzantine artistic traditions. (encyclopaedia britannica article) Narrated 'Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13) Volume 8, Book 73, Number 151 These are the only things I found on aniconism if one of you have hadiths about the forbidden use of dolls in Islam , could you please post them?Thanks

Salam to my nomads,banning condoms wont change the fact that people will still commit haraam.I believe it's better for muslims groups to educate people and eventually hand-out condoms but sheikhs should also warn people that condoms are not 100% free disease and that compared to HIV, Allah's anger will be worst. If some people are not afraid to commit Zina ,handing out condoms wont change anything,they will still continue.

Salam to all nomads , banning headscarves won't help integrate muslims into the French society.I agree that muslims there, have to follow the laws of the countries which they live in , but there should be certain limits.Canada, Australia as well, USA, dont ban hijabs in schools,so why is it so hard for France to accept religious symbols in class? This is bullshit and we all know that. Is it in our right to wear all religious symbols that we want and Im not only talking about Islam, religion is a part of who we are.The supporters of the ban of religious symbols, use the excuse that expressing any religion will result in conflicts. Bullshit , bullshit and bullshit.Religious conflicts have always existed and wearing religious symbols wont change that. The French president should have discussed one of the main issue that muslims face discrimination even in schools and in the job market too.Hijab for a reason that I dont get is viewed as something aggressive(compared to the mini-skirts that some girls wear,which is very astonishing )

Salam to my nomads , caramel_kisses I understood your point and you're quite right.But knowing that dolls are haraam , as a muslim Im not supposed to offer one to a toddler even if he or she doesnt understand what they are,it is not an excuse to accept that.

Salam to all of you , a month ago I watched Irshad's islamic point of view on CBC and thought about buying her book.At that time , I didn't know,she was a lesbian,I've only learned it while reading your posts and that is not going to make me stop buying her book because I can judge by myself her views regarding Islam. Let me start by saying that just because I agree with some of her points , it doesn't mean that I agree with her open homosexuality,because I believe some people might right away jump to hasty and false conclusions. Since I didn't read her book , I can't quote specifically what she wrote.But based on what she said on TV,I don't think she was insulting Islam but rather , critisizing the way some people misunderstood the Quran. She said for example , that some used Islam to dominate women and I believe you might agree with me guyz,if you take the Afghan example , under the Talibans , women werent allowed to be educated and I believe it's the opposite of nabi Mohamed's teachings(SAW). Other things , Irshad should have changed the title of her book because it gives a negative conotation to Islam by starting by "the trouble with Islam" , but you have to be cautious enough to read further.I believe in our religion , however how some misunterpret it , scares me. That is why I all recommend you to buy her book so you can see for yourself where Irshad stands on her islamic views.Sadly,I noticed if a muslim starts critisizing the way Islam is applied ,he or she is immediatly accused of insulting Islam ,working with the medias of the West or being paid to destroy Islam's image. As a muslim you should follow Mohamed's teachings (SAW) but also remain critical when you have doubts because it expands your knowledge , when in need of real answers to your questions.We all have different views about Islam , is that a crime? We all argue in our daily lives but you'd be surprised how many people will threaten you if you write a book about how Islam should be applied in the right way. If tomorrow I come out with a book accusing how people are neglecting Allah's guidelines ,should I be accused of being a kufr? NO,on the contrary ,Im trying to defend my religion as much as I can because I have to fight against hypocrites. To Jazeera ,you might have read the book , which explains your negative comments about Irshad maybe she does push too far her comments about Islam , like I said before I didn't read her book and I intend to find out what she has to say. But you said: "She is also a lesbian and a feminist. Oh, and she's Muslim too. And a self-described Quranic scholar (but who speaks no Arabic) no less!" and "Even worse is her--and many other Western intellects--arrogance to recite excerpts from an English translation of the Quran and take it entirely out of context and significance." First of all ,I wont emphasize on her sexual preference since I know that homosexuality is haraam and not quite the point Im trying to get to.I have the feeling that the fact Irshad was feminist made you believe it was one of the reasons she might have critisized Islam ,unless Im wrong ,you could be a muslim feminist since you defend women's rights.But what I thought was very arrogant coming from you is,the fact that you emphasized in bold "english translation of the quran" as if people reading in arabic were better interpreters , let me tell you ;not all people are able to read arabic , plus people reading in arabic sometimes make mistakes when interpreting the quran. I know my speech is quite long but I hope it opens your eyes, critical thinking helps you understand because if you don't , you might as well agree with what the kufars have to say.Real issues exist in Islam , people are neglecting some of Allah's teachings, hiding the veil of truth behind hypocrisy.Irshad brought up some important issues but to know if she's destroying Islam's image you have to read her book and find out for yourselves as I intend to do.

This is an article that I took from Islamway.com , feel free to read or post your comments.Courtesy of Islamzine Why should you, a young Muslim, be helping to bring your friends closer to Allah? After all, you've got your own struggles to deal with: trying to explain why you pray to hostile teachers, Hijab discrimination, standing up in class when the professor attacks Islam, dealing with parents who think you've gone nuts because you're growing a beard, or all the other difficulties faced by a number of practicing Muslim youth? Islam was never meant to be an individualistic faith, reserved for the "chosen few". Muslims have a duty to spread the Deen, and practicing Muslim youth, whether beginners, activists or leaders have a crucial role to play. "Allah has put them in a position that perhaps no one else is in," notes Sheema Khan, former Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) advisor for eastern Canada. "They have the means to communicate with their peers, they have an understanding of what they're going through plus they have the guidance of Islam." Who is your childhood friend, who would rather spend Fridays at MacDonald's than the Masjid, or your classmate who is Muslim in name and only knows that "Muslims don't eat pork" going to listen to: the nice Imam of the Masjid who would freak out if he saw the way they were dressed and talked or you who may have grown up with them, joked with them, or see them everyday in school? The answer is obvious: you. Don't panic. Here are some tips and advice which can help from other Muslims, many of whom have been there and done that: Tip # 1 : Make Your Intention Sincere All work we do should ideally be for the sake of Allah. That includes the task of bringing someone closer to Allah. That of course means this should not be connected to arrogance, thinking you're the teacher and everyone else should be lucky you've embarked on a crusade to save them. Guidance is from Allah. Make Dua and make sincere efforts and remember Allah can also misguide you if He wills (we seek refuge in Allah from that). Tip # 2 : Practice What YOu Preach Not practicing what you preach is wrong and you will lose the confidence of anyone, young or old, once they figure you out. Don't do it. Tip # 3 : Use The Quran & Seerah (biography of the Prophet peace be upon him) As Dawa Guides Read and understand those chapters of the Quran which talk about how the Prophets presented the message of Islam to their people. Read the Seerah (for some good Seerah books)to see especially how the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) brought Islam to so many different people, including young people. As well, talk to Dawa workers, and check out manuals they may have written, like Yahiya Emerick's How to Tell Others About Islam. Tip # 4 : Talk To People As If You Really Dont Know Them Don't assume you know someone just by looking at them. You don't know that the Muslim girl in your homeroom who walks through the school's hallways as if they were fashion show catwalks (see Ambe Rehman's perspective on this) is not someone you can talk to about Allah because she looks like a snob. Or that the Muslim guy who you've never seen at Juma at your university is a "bad Muslim". Maybe he was never really taught Islam and has no idea what importance Friday prayers have in Islam, especially for Muslim men. Tip # 5 : Smile Did you know the Prophet was big on smiling? But many "practicing" Muslims seem to have "their faces on upside down" as one speaker once said-frowning and serious. Smiling, being polite and kind are all part of the manners of the Prophet, which we must exercise in our daily lives. If we want to approach others with Islam, we have to make ourselves approachable. Smiling is key to this. But note that being approachable does not mean being flirtations with the other gender. There are Islamic rules for how men and women should deal with each other which have to be respected. Dawa is no excuse to have long and private conversations and meetings with the other sex, for example. Set up a system where someone expressing an interest in Islam is referred to someone of the same sex. Tip # 6 : Take The Initiative & Hang Out With Them Take the first step and invite someone you may have spoken to a couple of times to sit at lunch together, to check out a hockey game or invite them over for Iftar in Ramadan. Also, share difficulties, sorrows and frustrations. Help with homework, be a shoulder to cry on when depression hits, or just plain listen when your friend is upset, discuss common problems and KEEP THEIR SECRETS. There are few things as annoying as a snitch and backstabber. But an important note: if the problem is of a serious nature,(i.e. your friend is thinking of committing suicide or is taking drugs), notify and consult an adult immediately. Tip # 7 : Show Them Islam Is Relevent Today, Right Here, Right Now Young people may think Islam is too "old fashioned" and not in tune with the modern age. Prove this wrong. Show how Islam is really about relating to Allah, which any human being can do, anywhere, anytime. Allah is always closer to you than your jugular vein and He hears and knows everything. Encourage friends to ask Allah's help during tests, exams, and in dealing with problems at home with parents and siblings. Also point out how Islam relates to teenagers: Islam gives you focus and an understanding of who you are and where you are going, which most of "teen culture" does not. Tip # 8 : Get Them Involved In Volunteer Work With You If you are already involved in the community, get your friend to help out. Ask them to make a flyer for one of your youth group's events or brainstorm for ideas about activities to hold this school year. This involvement makes them feel part of the Muslim community and deepens your friendship, since you are now working together on something beneficial for both of you. Make sure you thank them for their contribution. Tip # 9 : Ask Them 4 Fundamental Questions As your friendship develops, you will notice the topics you discuss may become more serious. You may be discussing, for instance, future goals and plans. Khan recommends four questions to ask that can steer the topic to Allah and Islam: a. Where am I going in life and what would make me really happy deep down inside? b. What do I believe? c. Who should I be grateful to? d. Did I get to where I am today without the help of anyone? Tip # 10 : Emphasize Praying 5 Times A Day Before Any Other Aspect Of Islam A person's main connection with Allah, on a daily basis, is through the prayer five times a day. Don't emphasize any other aspect of Islam until your friend starts making a real effort to pray five times a day. Emphasize the direct connection one has with Allah in prayer. If they are facing a problem, tell them to pray, and to ask Allah for help in Salah and outside this time. When possible, make it a point to pray together during your "hang out time". If your friend begins to pray, that is the first step to other aspects of Islam like giving up swearing, treating parents with respect or dressing Islamically. Tip # 11 : Help Instill Confidence In Adults Adults, like Bart Simpson's dad Homer, are considered bumbling ****** in the eyes of "teen culture". Your job as a young Muslim is to help turn the tables on this false and unIslamic belief. All you have to do is this: when a Muslim adult does something good (i.e. saving someone's life, donating money to a worthy cause, the Imam gives a good speech, taking good care of his/her family) bring it up in the course of your conversations with your friend and praise the adult in question. Doing this regularly may not only change your friend's perspective, but could lead to them seeing their own parents in a more respectful way. Tip # 12 : Support Them Even When They Become More Practicing Remember, just because a person starts practicing Islam more regularly, this does not mean everything will be okay from this point onwards. There will still be hard times, difficulties. There may be times when your friend may have doubts about his or her newfound practice of Islam. Be there to reassure them.

Salam guyz,years ago I wouldn't have cared about such an issue but now that Im trying to improve my islamic knowledge,I find the ban of dolls and teddy bears quite right. So many things are haram in our religion that we're not even aware of.We find little boys and girls playing with dolls and teddy bears very cute but this should be scary on the contrary. Just imagine that yours brothers and sisters play with some "LIFELESS" creatures,calling them friends and sleeping the night without them ,isn't that weird?I let you guyz think about that but don't forget someday we will have children and educating them in a religious way will be important.

Salam guyz ,Im very happy with Saddam's arrest and Im not going to pretend that just because he stood up to the USA ,I should have applauded.I just hope that Iraqi people will build their new country without relying on the USA. Two things are pissing me off though , one is the fact that all the TV are running Saddam's arrest like it's the only thing going on around the world. Second of all ,my family and I are very divided about Saddam's faith.What pisses me off is that some of my relatives are pitying him and cursing the USA for what happened to him. I mean ,I do agree that USA politics are doubtful and hypocrite and that sometimes , they're not better that Saddam's regime but c'mon just because he's muslim that doesnt mean he's a saint. And Im through people saying that Saddam was a lion , he was good and blablabla specially coming from somalis.Bisinka.

Salam to all people , what Im about to say might not please a lot of you ; so please read carefully. Im not insulting anyone because I believe everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. :rolleyes: Most of your replies , except some , were more focused on how Ayan or Fatima Barud were ugly or beautiful , on how one was taller or shorter than the other one or on how the somali girls back home were more sexier , and that disappointed me a lot. When I started reading this topic I thought the debate would have been on why somali girls modelled ,I wouldn't have minded if some of you had agreed or not with Ayan's or Fatima's choices to be models.But the fact that most of you discussed more about theirs bodies than their careers surprised me. :confused: My opinion? Well, as a muslim ,I dont agree with Ayan or Fatima careers but again it's their free will.As a somali , I like to see my people succeed in their achievements.But I wont pretend to cheer up my fellows just because some girls had become models.And Im not going to wish anyone to follow Iman's example specially if I know that they will have to display theirs bodies.

Salam , when I heard Saddam's arrest , I felt very happy because I thought at last the Iraqi people would have been free , even though I didn't agree with the war at the first place.But seeing thousands of people cheering in the streets and celebrating the US victory was very touching. I want to ask you guyz what was your family's reaction towards Saddam's arrest? My aunt started blaming US soldiers and that pissed me off , just because Saddam is muslim , it doesnt mean that he is a saint.

Salam to all of you ,hey Raage , I posted a couple weeks ago a topic about whether chatting online was haram or not , some of the nomads replied it wasnt and some others said it was.But the point is Im still left with the same question.I believe chatting online is haram but if one of your relatives supervises what you do on the computer it might not be haram. Raage ,you said that if a girl and a guy have feelings for each other its haram ,you're wrong Allah have created us in a way that we have feelings such as love. Love is not haram ,its just the way we should control our emotions that is important because without control we might end up sleeping with each other.And what is wrong , if you try to know each other on the net? Believe me sometimes you dont need to flirt with the guy in order to know him. After all, just because you want to get married that doesnt mean you're going to jump on the first guy and ask him to marry you.And I believe also if a guy wants to marry,he wont propose without knowing the girl.If the two of you are serious about gettin' married then you should this time talk to your parents and let them meet the guy.And if you want to see the guy face-to-face,a mahram should be there to supervise you both. In a certain way , you're right Raage sometimes its pointless to chat with thousands of guyz on the net,we can call them friends but sometimes we do flirt with "our friends" that is haram and we need to be careful.

Salam to all of you guyz ,I started wearing the hijab since this summer after long months of deep thoughts.It wasnt that hard because I had prepared myself by wearing a simple scarf then I switched to the hijab.Now ,I feel like a true muslimah since I wore it and believe me if some people say that you're not bautiful , dont even care about that because ur only making yourself beautiful for Allah.

Mudug ur very demandin with ur signs of luv ,come on silent-sistah said it all,lol.

Salaam !!! Thanks guyz for ur replies,u did an excellent job and I'd really appreciate it ,keep on postin ur comments.

Salam Aleykoum,I'm pretty sure this subject has previously been discussed.But I need some questions answered,lol.I know it is haram to date a guy outside marriage and if you were with a guy you wouldnt have been alone with him since a third person should have been involved,preferably a family member to keep an eye on you,lol. Last summer there was a sleep over in a muslim association and there were a lot of lectures and one lecture was about how to date a guy in a halal way and a woman said that conversations on the phone and on the messengers were haram.I believed her right away but I didnt have the chance to ask her some questions so Im hoping than one of you will answer.If its impossible to go out with a guy without as third person, does that mean that someone has to listen to your conversations on the phone and watch what you are writing on the net?

Salam to all of you! Recently my cousin stopped praying and I tried to convince him to get back to it but nothing happened whatsoever.I know he's going through some changes and he's conscious enough to know what he's doing but it saddens me to see that.I tell him everyday to think about praying again but then I remember that one can't change for someone but only for Allah.I ,sometimes forget that I had once stopped praying and that it was hard for me to get back to it.Believe me praying everyday at the right time is a big challenge and I know that my cousin has to take this decision by himself when he will feel like it.

Salam to all of you! Nur,thanks for posting this topic,it's very interesting. I believe that what is important in marriage is the level of deen of our partners.After all,it is a must that we find someone who follows islamic guidelines such as prayers,ramadan,zakat etc... But sometimes it's hard specially when the heart does not listen which brings the question if dating a guy who does not follow Islam is a risk. As humans we are not perfect and go through some changes.I believe that a guy can change when he finds a hijabed sister but I also know that he would not change his bad habits just for love.If he knows that the girl he's interested in takes Islam seriously he's conscious enough to know that in order to be with her he has to be a better muslim.I often heard stories where bad boyz or girls became pious when meeting the right person,a miracle is always possible. But it is preferable that we become better muslims for Allah not for someone else.But then again let's not forget that is sometimes through people's advices that we change for good. If we want to know if a person will meet our expectations the best thing to do is having an honest discussion for example about the qualities you would like to see etc.. Because if people do not communicate it will lead to misunderstandings and by having an opened conversation you will know if a guy or girl is worth to know or if you have to move on.