First of all, I really appreciate the article sister Raxmah! Excellent. "Striving to ward off the things that may distract you during prayer, namely thinking about things that are irrelevant or distracting. Waswaas affects each person differently, because waswaas has to do with a person’s level of doubts and desires and the degree to which a person is attached to other things or is fearing other things" So true....for example my weakness is music (I will do something about Insha allah) and b'coz am attached to it....sometimes am in the middle of a prayer and a song will pop into my mind, subxanallah. I immediately say Acuudibilaah and try to focus by looking straight down the sajayah (prayer rug). Don't close your eyes, its a call for more distraction. You will get lost in your own thoughts. Kaafi, about the yawning part, well it happens to me when I get up for Fajr. Best think to do is try to recite loudly and clearly so that you're aware of what you're saying. I get distracted when I pray in public ie. work. Its something I have to work on! I guess I get self-conscious.

Excellent responses. Hope I'm not repeating myself. To me personally, maturity is all about not wasting ur time here on earth ...its really how u handle yourself at whatever life throws at you. If u party all night long and u sleep through the nextday...that pretty much says you've denounced life's responsibility. Though majurity may come with age, I think it boils down to how one takes care of his/her well being. And also a person who's realistic and does not gamble with his/her life. Does that make sense?

LOL. U think Farah#1 will take the rejection easily..hell no. Ofcourse he's hurt about it and will say all kinds of ....well u know what am talking about. So I think you're looking for a support system!!! Pray and thank Allah for finding a compatible mate. I say when u do find him/her, hold on tight n' don't let them go. So when do u plan on purposing to her?

^ I know abaayo. U know all that crab about that money being for her parents is a LIE. If I were her I woulda just took the money!!! It just goes to show that gambling is an addictive game. Khayr, I was wondering....what's up with all these arranged marriage reality shows? There's a show where the kids of a rich man are trying to find their father a wifey. Another one, called cupid, where this girl is seeking a husband material: who's family oriented, wants kids, and also attractive ..so with the help of her friends she tours major cities to find Mr.Right ( American Idol style......oh her friend is worse than Simon) Hmmm....what does this tell us? is America full of desperate, single, eligible bachlors/bachlorettes who are sick n' tired of the dating game n' dont' mind being set up? Or are they all after the fame and a possible t.v. opportunities? Its a toughie. Its funny how this society finds it hard to accept the concept of arranged marriages yet.....aaaaahhh! All I say is they're full of contradictions. I'm just sick of the fact there aren't as many good shows this summer....I miss 24 and Alias. I'm out.

I just dont' like it when old timers go ahead n' change their nicks on us...I pick up on lil clues like location or signiture...but come on y'all. By law, nomads who choose to adopt a new identity should inform us either by PM or thread. This goes out to folks who've earned the nomad title. Cabish?

Subxanallah... Rahima, I loved your post ukhti and I would have to agree with her 110%. There's no1 here who hasn't been affected by the turmoils of the past. Its clear, we are letting Siad hunt us from the grave. Very wise sister ... Anyway, Can't you all see....this is our disease. Qabiil/ National pride...its all the same to me. The only thing we're allowed to be proud of in this dunya is our pride for ISLAM, nothing else!!!! Dambiga iska jira folks.

Masha Allah.. More and More women aren't waiting for politicans to pick up the pieces....It's clear women and children are the last of their concerns.

Suumali had good points and I'm for the book to be published in english. I'm very curious about our history prior to colonization. I'll be your first buyer Hope that helped.

I have a confession to make: I love british accent.lol. I just think its cute! Later.

Let's continue the tradition...Ilhaam thanks for remembering!

Waa iga yaabisay Nur. Not only can you effectively communicate your mssge in english, but your somali is off the hook too. Although some words threw me off, I enjoyed reading it. Shukran Akhi.

Conscious Munipulation... Are any of his audio cassetes available? One of the things I miss about T.O. is there's always a seminar happening every weekend.

I couldn't help but think back to Somalia. Every friday, we'd look forward to going to our grandmother's place for Stories n' sweets. Her stories were about the prophets. I miss her being in my life, May Allah have mercy on her soul.

Assalamu Alaykum, Thanks for bringing this topic back. Wlc back btw.

Although I know very little about his life, I have so much respect for Imam Hasan, Ilaahi ha uu naxariisto. Do you know a good book highlighting his life? Nomads let me know.

LOL...Lakkad shaqo la'an walaahi. Ey, I never thought of that way...and I think being here too long makes us a lil self conscious of what comes out of our mouths without sounding nasty. 'Labaatankan shilin sii qaado sodonka kale GADAAL aa kaa keenaa OH come on, there's nothing wrong with that sentence!!!

Assalamu Alaikum, ...Brother Nur a Q: Do you ever give speeches? Masha allah you write inspirational articles, May Allah reward your efforts to enlighten us Jazakallah.

Some1's in trouble!!! Instinct owes me $120 for traveling from God knows where! j/k Too bad I missed the chance to meet Xafsa, Asraa, etc. Malaika had good things to say about you all Till next time.

You're most welcome guys. When I saw that body being put to the grave, it just gave me chills. I went to a Halaqa this past saturday and the brother was talking about rememberance of Allah: death. He related this hadith of how a Sahaba/man ? came to Aisha (RAA) and asked: "how can I make my heart softer?" She replied: "by thinking about death" It's a muslim's reality check that this world does not belong to us.

Insha Allah He'll get through it. Ilaahi caafimaad ha siiyo, aamin. Soc, u betta come back healthy n' strong Darman, thanks for letting us know.

This is hard! As I read the description of each category I believe a bit of everything. But in essence ..... I'm a Soulmate+ Calaf believer. Although I consider myself a realist, I don't believe there are 'many' I can be happy with. 6.People are hard to change. I don't know about this, married folks will always have conflicts its the way they come to terms with it. Therefore, without compromise of either party the marriage is doomed to failure. Another thing, in my opinion love is built over time. Ofcourse, all of this (fate) is pre-determined by Allah. See am confused! lol. I changed my mind, am an independant!!

Ok ladies, I have a problem! It's summertime and my skin becomes oily in this hot, sticky weather ( I live in a place where the humidity is sometimes unbearable). Now in winter, its quite the opposite, I suffer from dry skin. So what products worked for you to control oil? Plz let me know. As for the topic.....I don't have beauty secrets, I just use what works for me. For my dry skin, BodyShop's Shea butter is best. I apply this once, its enough for almost the whole day. Make-up, I use minimally..unless the occasion calls for it. I love maybellines's eyeliner in velvet black. I like it b'coz I hate liquid liners and also this product doesn't smutch easily. I'm a sucker for MAC lipsticks, and for lipliner I use Bodyshop's Mocha. Facial cleanser: Avena. Your face feels clean N' you'll fell refreshed Hair: Hot Six Oil (forgot the company name)... keeps my hair smooth n' shiny. Also its a must for a lady to have in her possession body sprays and perfumes!! For consumer friendly body sprays, check out BODYSHOP! Luv that store.

Yup, behaviors are learned. Think about it, the way you treat, interact, and judge people came from the same people that raised you. Now if these behaviours are negative and you understand the pattern,then u can eradicate them in order for you not to repeat. Funny, I was just talking about this with a family member not too long ago, and boy-oh-boy, did we discover somethings by analyzing our families. For example, if my aunt behaves a certain way...say she's too controlling, then her mother was the same with her and this is the only thing she knows in how to interact with people. You catch my drift? Sweet dreams Nomads.

LIES & DECEPTION!! Once I catch you with a lie, consider my trust gone.....forever.

ProudSista, Like the other wonderful nomads have told u, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you asking. Infact I believe the point of talking to a brotha is to find a connection that will take you to the next level, bingo marriage!. There's no such thing as dating for the sake of dating, there's a purpose to it. So ma dear, it takes alot of courage and self-knowlege to challenge a man what the purpose of the relationship is. Masha allah, you go girl.