Abdul-Hadi

I didn't mean to discourage or depress you with my comment about the state of protesting in America, I just want people to realize the sorry state of affairs that this nation is in.

We supposedly have "representatives" in the House of Representatives but they don't take any of the phone calls or letters you write them seriously unless doing so is either going to get them attention from the media or (in the most likely case) you enclose a fat check to their Political Action Committee or their re-election campaign.

America's government representing the people is one of the biggest lies of the modern world. There are enough people in this country who want our government to stop using Israel as our own little colonial project but there are maybe 2 representatives in the house that are ever daring enough to speak negatively of Israel.

(Unlike a lot of people, I don't have a hangup about Israel. I see it for what it is: America's colonial project in the Middle East)

So yeah, I didn't mean to bum you out or anything and I am sorry if I did.

I wish people would stop hating and killing each other. I can't stand to see this anymore, but I feel like the "new normal" is designed to drive us insane.

This morning I feel very blessed and fortunate by the grace of God (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) to have discovered Islam.

Everything has meaning, purpose, and logic behind it & I shouldn't beat myself up for being in the learning phase. It has only been a month, I'm not going to be anywhere close to perfect yet in my practice.

What a beautiful religion, what a wonderful way of living!

It's amazing how much better you can feel by having ten minutes or so of personal prayer/just talking to God (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى)

Whatever happens, happens and that's how it's going to be because this isn't my plan. This is my life, but it's really His (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) life to cultivate and direct as he pleases, because He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) gave it to me to begin with.

Ultimately, He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) is in control. He knows that which I do not.

One Day in the Haram is a great documentary film if you have Amazon Prime.

As Shia, what would be the appropriate title for the man who leads prayer in congregation? It's obviously not Imam, right? What would it be?

I usually wake up when my alarm goes off at 6:30-45 (depending).

I asked God (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) to reveal himself to me and guide me in how he wants me to go.

I awoke naturally from my sleep this morning at 5:20. Fajr began at 5:22.

Chalk up one for God (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى)

I've done a lot of digging and for some reason, I'm seeing a whole bunch of different information on ablution & prayer: what is obligatory, what is recommended, what is discouraged, etc. Sometimes these differ wildly from one another and that gets confusing rather quickly.

I learned a specific way already and have memorized it rather well, but sources are instructing me to say different things, take different postures, perform wudu/ghusl in different ways. Does anyone have information on *the* correct way for the Shia to make their five daily prayers without all of the optional vocabulary and recitations? Just something basic for a new revert so he can know for sure that his prayers are being accepted? Even the information on Al-Islam gets confusing and can appear contradictory at times to a new revert.

Thank you in advance and of course, Eid Mubarak to all!

Just so everyone is aware:

I'm fine, and nothing against SC at all; I've just decided to spend more of my online time trying to educate myself on Al-Islam.org so thus, I don't have a whole lot of time to be posting right now (perfecting my practice of submission is more important).

I still love y'all though. Oh, and Eid Mubarak to you and your families

It's Sunday, so the evangelicals who went to church today and watched a suited man with pattern baldness sweat and scream (with a Southern twang) in front of a gilded bathtub placed in the center of a stage; have arrived on SC to tell us how wrong we are about Jesus & explain the trinity dogma for the 5000th time.


:yawn:

"And keep vigil for a part of the night, as supererogatory (devotion) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station" --Surah Al-Isra [17:79]

Starting on Duolingo Arabic today. Already taking Spanish, but the languages are so different that I shouldn't be confused easily.

Late meditations: The word that was chosen to represent the rightful successor to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was Ahl al-Bayt. Often translated as "people of the house", this term is still used in Palestine to refer to one's personal family.

Do you think of the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) rightful successors like they are your own family members?
Do you see the ummah as a family in faith, religion, and values?
How does that impact how treat your brothers and sisters, both blood an in Islam?

Something I learned tonight:

The term al-Bayt can also mean "home" (Run along home) instead of just "house" as we English speakers see it. This is significant for how we understand Arabic when we are translating it into our native language & significant for understanding the social and familial contexts that words can have, why they are used, and this can help us to comprehend exactly why certain words are used in different contexts.

Please keep me in your prayers, SC.

I am very sick with some form of stomach virus & slept all afternoon, evening, and night yesterday after getting violently sick around 2pm yesterday.

I feel better today than I did yesterday, but my skin still has that "creepy clingy" feeling that lets me know that I am not yet recovered.

PROGRESS UPDATE: I just awoke from a dream (about fifteen minutes ago) where I was in an absolutely massive masjid... Bigger than any Catholic cathedral or basilica I've ever set foot in.

There were people there of every background, age, and from even places like small town American Midwest. I do not know where this was, but there was beautiful calligraphy tiles all over the walls. White tiles with like a black embossed calligraphy.

I had come in from the rain and there was a lecture about to start. The blonde Midwesterners excitedly began saying "HE'S HERE! HE CAME!" I knew that a prayer would start and I felt nervous and didn't want to join in because "I'll ruin it for all of you, I don't know what I'm doing" and then a man with a green shirt said "Your intention is there and you are here. That's all that matters right now."

I had listened to Ibrahim (14) while I was going to sleep last night. I think something big is on the horizon here.

For anyone who sees this:

Is it bizarre that I really want to see the Ka'ba despite my not being a Muslim?

I don't know why it has always fascinated me the way it does, because it doesn't come from my relationship tradition whatsoever.

I'd really like to find more info on the history of the Ka'ba, including any representations or conceptions of what it looked like in the era of Ali (I don't know what honorific to suffix to his name, I am very sorry).

I mean, the world has plenty of ancient structures, but for some reason, the idea that this "cube" with a black meteorite in the corner and a very sparse interior feels like something I'd love to visit (despite not being a Muslim). 

They say that it originally had all these idols in it and that The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) destroyed them all except for an icon of Maryam & the infant Isa (Mary and Jesus, if any newbies are reading.)

I actually feel guilty because I feel like I am fetishising your faith for my own merryment, but maybe that's just the Shaitan whispering into my brain...

Anyway, I hope I didn't offend anyone or make a blasphemy and I apologize if I did.

Regarding the post about interactions with the opposite sex:

One of my first experiences with Islam came from a sister named Massomeh who moved to the US from Tehran. She would always make sure to say that most Muslims were rational/practical, but that just as in the town we went to school in, there are so many people who entirely miss the point of their faith whether they be Muslims or people of the book.

She went on to explain that while we of course, shouldn't touch one another because physical contact easily leads to lust and then immoral activity, that being pleasant and friendly with one another inside and outside of school was absolutely acceptable as her parents taught her in Islam.

I can't give her exact quote because it has been about 14 years, but I'll summarize it to the best of my ability because it was really in depth for a 16 year old:

"If you need help with schoolwork, or if you are lonely and need someone to talk to, if you're hurting, etc. Then it stands to reason that as a Muslim, I would be genuine and loving towards you because Allah (swt) created us both and as a result of this; you're technically my family in a bigger picture sense. It's fine for me to look you in the eyes to show you that I care about you, to smile at you, etc. It's part of being a person of good character and an example to those who have not entered into Islam. If I am rude, if I do not care about you as a human being, how will you ever understand that Islam is THE force for good/peace/love? If as a young Muslima, I cannot be bothered to have the common decency to offer a righteous and pure love for you, how will you ever understand the indescribable and inconceivable love that Allah (swt) has for you? Furthermore, how could any of the stuffy scholars think that you'd even want anything to do with Islam if I cannot treat you with love & dignity enough to look you in the eye?" (something to that effect)

I was 16, of course inappropriate, and asked her how she dealt with, what I will tactfully describe now, as "hormonal urges"?

Massey's response (again, summarized):

"When you view every boy in school with human dignity and when you importantly view yourself with dignity, and when you understand what how your body and brain are developing... and remember, my dad is a doctor here in town; it's easy to take those tendencies captive. That is-- I know why those feelings appear and because I know, I don't fall prey to them because I can step back and realize them for what they are: a signal that I am physically healthy as a young woman. Another thing that my mom always said to me was 'when you view every boy with the same love that you view your brother, you'll love them in the purest & most righteous way possible"... I mean seriously, how gross would it be to get turned on by your own brother? hahahahaha! You should think about it like that from now on & watch how you'll be able to focus better in class!"

I never asked her much about Tehran, but I did ask her about what I dubbed "the religious police". Her response was awesome:

"Yeah, the guardians pretend to be really pious but with all the needless hassle some of them will give a random sister, it's obvious that they're the ones with the impure minds. If most of them were half as devout as they put on to be & had pure thoughts, they wouldn't get upset over our clothing choices because they wouldn't be checking us out to begin with"


So as far as the user from Tehran's comments go: he's fallen into the trap of cultural imperialism and used scripture to proof-text his personal hang ups the same way Christian megachurch preachers do.. I wouldn't stress it.