Ehsan

Salam, Please do let us know of your progress. We are comrades and fellow travelers on this path! If there is anything of private nature that is bothering you that wouldn't want to expose publicly (even as a anonymous guest) then just drop us a private message and we'll do our best to help each other. Imam Sadiq(A) said that in times of difficulty, don't trust on your nafs but turn to your brothers.

Salam, Correct me if I'm wrong but it feels from your post that deep inside there is a great hole, an anguish, that you have left as is, it has grown and with it a frustration inside you that are is triggered by the smallest of events from the outside. The truth is that the majority of things that happens on the outside that we are disturbed by, in reality are things that are inside us that we dislike, and when we see it in others, our reaction is stronger. This occurs more with family members since you are similar to each other in some areas. The hole is there for a reason. The anguish wants to pull you somewhere. Rumi said something along the lines of: At the end, the heart is tired of everything except the spiritual path to God. When you are at inner peace, nothing on the outside can disturb it. Look at Imam Hossein(A) on the fields of Karbala - the Maqtal says that the more he was tested, the more his noor radiated! Now you're there, your friends have fallen, your family members, one by one - yet you shine! You are serene! You are powerful! You take one step forth, the entire army of darkness leaps back! First practical step: Find one moment during the day and make a khalwa. Go by yourself in some peaceful area, shut out all the external stress and sit for 5 minutes. Connect with God. Talk with Him. Remember all the blessings you have been given. Ask to become better. Make a tawassul. Feel that peace. Then go back. You need to find a reset point that you can go back to. For example for a dying or very sick person it is mustahab to place him in the mehrab (his praying area) because he fill find calmness there. Believe me: you cannot run the battlefield. Because its inside you. Wherever you go, there will be something to disturb you. To quote a Hadith: even if you are on a piece of wood on the vast sea, God will appoint a Satan there to annoy you. In reality He will make the inside of you manifest on the outside.

Salam, The problem with the Biblical narration of the crucifixion of Jesus(A) is that it is all based on hearsay. If you read the story in the Bible, in Mark 14 verse 43-52, especially verse 50: Verse 50 Cleary says that EVERYONE deserted Jesus(A) and fled! So if everyone deserted Jesus(A), how do you know what happened?! You most rely on the reports from the soldiers who are given money to do their job and who will be fatally abused if they fail to do so. And what happens later? The Christians here assume that Jesus(A) was crucified and resurrected 3 days later. Yet when Jesus(A) re-appears to his Disciples this is what happens according to Luke 24: He clearly is saying: look guys, I'm not a ghost! I'm me! These are my hands and feet! I want to eat something! Now someone who has just died, does he want to eat?! Does he want to assure his friends that he is himself in flesh and blood? So there is a gap from where all disciples forsook Jesus(A) until he re-appeared. If you were one of the disciples and this happened: Wouldn't the most logical thing be that Jesus(A) had managed somehow to escape and hide, but the authorities still crucified a look alike to end the story, and then Jesus(A) would come out of hiding and inform his friends that he was still alive?

Isn't marriage and relationships a part of maturity? If you take a child and isolate him from all kinds of relations - will he be mature by the age of 25? And why is it that sexual and emotional needs arise at young age, around 10-15? The need is there. The maturity that a relationship develops into is also there. What is needed is to give youths the correct tools that reach that maturity. And this is where akhlaq, morals, ethics, responsibility, to develop a loving yet strong character - comes in.

Salam, I'd like to present to you the latest English book publication by Friends of the Awaited: Maqtal Hossein - The Tragedy of Karbala The book is based on the original authentic sources for what happened in Karbala from Abu Mikhnaf (10th century) and Ibn Tawus (13th century). However it is not written like ancient history prose, rather it is written in a modern style with a more reader friendly flow. Also there is more focus presenting all characters and raise important questions. Almost like a novel but without diverting from the facts. If you click "Look inside" on the Amazon link you can get a taste of the content. Please do write a comment if you've ordered or started reading the book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CLJ9TC4

Salam! Alhamdulillah, any questions, thoughts or general comments are more than welcome.

Episode 3: The Battle of Wills III What is the result of The Battle of Wills? What happens when your will is aligned to everything? What is the secret in the Battle of Wills? And what role could Satan have? Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/the-battle-of-wills-iii/id1556831915?i=1000512615626

I started an official thread now that the podcast is live: https://www.shiachat.com/forum/topic/235070220-pure-islam-podcast-official-thread/

Episode 2: The Battle of Wills II How will you win the Battle of Wills? How can you strengthen your will? How does the modern way of living affect the will compared to the ancient times? Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/the-battle-of-wills-ii/id1556831915?i=1000512149330

Episode 1: The Battle of Wills Why do I want what I want? What affects my will? How truthful am I in what I really want? Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/the-battle-of-wills/id1556831915?i=1000511692896

Salam! So two weeks ago after some encouragement from the community we decided to publish a new podcast called Pure Islam. What began as an experiment now feels like it needs it own room to grow further. The podcast is now available on all major platforms, and there is a Facebook page and this official thread to interact with, give comments, questions, feedback etc. The background idea was that most podcasts are panel discussions which cover a wider angle of perspectives, but usually don't go very deep into the topic. Apart from this there are few Islamic podcasts overall. So this podcast aims to fil that gap. The podcast is spontaneous, there is no manuscript, it is driven by the the deep questions to go even deeper and be more truthful/sincere to oneself. Spirituality, history, ethics, philosophy, politics, contemporary, ancient - all is mixed together and weaved into one another live during recording as the topic of choice is explored. If you have questions, ideas, topic suggestions, feedback, comments etc etc - all of is welcomed here! The main podcast page with links to Spotify, Apple, Google etc: https://anchor.fm/pureislam Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pureislampodcast

Salam, The name of the person is important for the interpretation. I understand it is sensitive, if you prefer, contact me privately and we can take it from there.

Salam, So last night I recorded the first episode in one go and published it. It is still only an experiment for me so I'd greatly appreciate your feedback and what you think before I spread it to a larger audience.

Salam, Attached is a before and after photo of the cabinet doors I spray painted white several years ago. I bought a Black and Decker Spray Gun for roughly 70-80USD (https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-DECKER-HVLP200-GB-Sprayer-Orange/dp/B006XBT358). You mix normal wall paint with water to make it thinner, approx 50% water 50% color, so its a cheap alternative. It's excellent for covering tracks, paths and textures on uneven surfaces. And it gets really thin and professional, the only down side being that it isn't very resistent against physical touch (over the years). I spray painted it twice (let it dry up in between of course). If the white color looks uneven on the photo it is because they haven't completely dried, hence they reflect the light differently. You only need to polish the surface a bit to roughen it so the color sticks to the surface, and mask the handles.

Salam my friend, Aisha is not considered a disbeliever, if she was it would have been impermissible for the Prophet(S) to stay married to her. But she did rebell against the caliph (and in our view the Imam) of her time, this is facts. As to why the Prophet(S) never divorced her, we must keep in mind the mentality of that time and age. Just because the Prophet(S) came with the Qur'an doesn't mean that the people changed their ways and customs over night. Among Arabs of that time, and even to this day in some areas, customs, relationship, blood bands and kin weigh heavier than Qur'an and Sunnah. In the Qur'an and the Islamic history you can see over and over again how Arabs, Muslim or not, revert to old traditions and refers to the mentality of their forefathers. When the 2nd caliph Omar b. Khattab overtook Iran and Iranians converted to Islam, one of the greatest problems were Racism. Arabs had a really hard time accepting the Iranians as their peers. So in this time and age, the Prophet(S) built several bridges with several important tribes to gain their support through marriage. This was the customs of that time. Aisha was one of them. And just think about it: she did was she did while being the Prophet's(S) wife. What would she have done if she never married him(S)?! If she was only the 1st caliph's daughter?!