Goodbye.

Asalaamu alaikum and Ramadan Mubarak lovely people!


It's really been a while since i last posted, but so many things have been happening in my life. I got depression earlier this year, then I was so busy preparing for my Nikah/Walima, then I just got back from my honeymoon in Turkey - and Alhamdullilah it was a very awesome and spiritual honeymoon. And soon insha'Allah I'll be going to Switzerland for a few days and then school starts. I'm sorry I won't elaborate more, because I have more depressing news for my followers.

I will be moving blogs -- I've been introduced to a new blogging site - tumblr.com. This is where I will be blogging from now on. I also have decided to seperate my current blog into 2 - one strictly for Islam, and one for my life and all things involved in it (which includes Islam).

So, if people don't follow me there well, there isn't much I can do about that. But Insha' Allah, I will be able to see you all there. :)


JazakAllah Khair, Walaikum asalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

Blogs:
loveofIslam.tumblr.com
tweenklefreely.tumblr.com

New Layout - Again!

Asalaamu Alaikum!
If there's one thing you must ever know about me, it's that I am VERY indecisive, and I'm afraid that's probably something we'll just all have to live with. :)

So about the new layout - It's another layout from yummylolly.com. I only changed the picture from a semi-modest non-muslim silhouette to a Muslimah silhouette. Paint kinda killed the color for me though, but oh well!

Very short post - it's 3 in the morning and I have a very important exam in the morning! IGO! International Government Organizations. Fun! Please make du'a for me that I pass!


JazakAllah Khair!

Brother, why so serious?

Today's (very short) lesson:
Why we must unite as Muslims before we expect non-Muslims to listen to us.

There's a really big problem with Muslims these days, and no one (Muslims) seems to be doing anything about it. Many of us are trying way too hard to convince the other party that our religion is the one true religion, especially when we, ourselves, have not even convinced each other. There is a hadith that mentions there will be 71 types of Jews, 72 types of Christians, and 73 types of Muslims. Of all these, only the one true Muslim will go to the Jannah (Heaven) whilst the others enjoy the repeated burning of Hellfire.

Many Muslims have gone astray. But whose to blame? We can say it's the fault of the Western influence, but that's all too easy. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) strictly says that every man or woman is entirely responsible for his or her own actions. Therefore the individual is to blame. Islam itself cannot and will not ever be reformed as many have suggested, and if it was reformed that would be the day I believe total chaos will break loose.

There are so many sects of Muslims that it is hard to keep track. And when a few Muslims loose their way, it suddenly reflects upon the whole deen. The Qur'an strictly warns us against the seperation of the Muslim people stating that Allah has joined our hearts and allowed us mercy so we shouldn't seperate or be like those who came before us.

And many (even Muslims) do not know that the "Deen" that is spoken about in the Qur'an is refering to ALL mankind, not just the Muslims.

"And We have not sent you (O Muhammad ) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not." (Surah Saba' [Sheba], 34:28)


The Prophet (Rasul) was sent as a messenger to ALL of us. Not just the Muslims. Therefore we all need to do our best  to support one another, and not just those we believe should be given help. Let us work hard to do da'wah not only to our non-Muslim neighors, but our fellow Muslims as well.


JazakAllah Khair

missing but not gone!

Asalaam alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu~~

i just wanted to let all you lovely people out there know that I have not forgotten! yes it's been an entire month (or more) of my absence, but do not fret! i've had plenty of posts saved up. each time i started a post, i just had something come up or just got totally distracted from finishing them. my apologies!

i promise updates soon! please don't forget me~!

<3

Sticky Notes Tuesday

So I saw this idea on a few blogs and I kinda liked to jump on the bandwagon. I also feel like this a way for me to say things that I wouldn't be usually able to say. (I'm a passive-aggressive.) ):

Skies are blue, trees are green.

Six and a half months till game time  nikah. So because it's like half Pakistani's and Surinamese on the groom's side, I'm pretty sure they're expecting me to be the depressed-looking blushing bride. Cannot.Do.It. If it's my wedding, come on. Don't expect me to sit their quietly and look like someone just died - "Oh my life is over!" Seriously. Why can't we bust this out the Arabic way? If everyone thinks Arabs are serious-indifferent people, you honestly haven't been to an Arabic wedding. They like to party hard. Search up some videos on Youtube or something. I honestly expect my wedding to be miraculous. Well, no that's an over-statement really. Since the groom's side does most of the planning I can't expect much. I actually just want to get it over with, because it's so annoying to wait for it. Anyways.

I'm currently working slowly on another post about the Muslim community. I just had some thoughts about how we're always trying to tell others about Islam when we can't even convince each other of our own deen. A bit sad and frustrating to me, but yeah.

Over the past few days I read over some blogs of Muslimahs making their own abayas and I really wanted to try it myself. The last time I sewed anything was when I was about 15 or 16 though. Wonder if I still know what I'm doing! So I'm gonna try it - but instead of an abaya I wanted to try to make a simple yukata or kimono first. Since it's part of my many cultures culture, I decided I would create something more close to home. I could also make a Vietnamese-style outfit, but that's way too complicated for my level. I'll just buy the wedding one for the third day of my nikah. For those who don't know, yukata is a very simpler very of kimono, which is made specifically for wearing in the hot summer days. I also saw someone put a layout for "kimono" on their website next to abaya, but the layout was all wrong. I'm extremely picky about things being correct when it comes to culture. The layout that they put was more of a Chinese-styled robe. Example:

They call this kimono on one site. This is not kimono. This is closer to the Chinese style.

 

This is kimono, and this is the kimono/yukata layout. It's much different from Chinese-style robe. So if anyone wants to make it, feel free to take this pattern. :)

Well it's breakfast time!

Jeez Louis.

I'm tired. Really. Suppose to study but I just want to jot a few things down before I continued with the agonizing task of memorizing dates and events in the history of the EU. (I'm not even European - what do I care?)

Went to Ikea today. Haven't been for almost a year and a half. I don't know what it is but for some odd reason - I love IKEA. They just have everything set up enough for me to activate my creative senses on how I will decorate my future home. I just love it. Oh and these boots that I ordered a month ago - are waiting in the post office.FINALLY. But then I got horribly sad to find out I have to pay customs charges for it. Sucks. I don't really know if they're out of style or whatever (because I'm not a fashion victim - per say) but I really like these and I have a feeling they would be really handy with the weather that's here now. I had to order them online from the US because they don;t sell these here. And I must say it was expensive (for me) - but I guess there's perks when you get to have an exchange rate from Euro to Dollar.

Oh and I just realized I totally think in paragraphs. Don't ask me to explain it please. I want to say that, regarding the last post I did, if anyone is going to read something that is on a sensitive subject, read it with an open mind. If you're going to go head on into a subject that you know you will have no change in thought about - do not even bother reading.  That seriously ticks me.

On another note, I just saw my schedule for this semester which starts in February. It's great. After a year and a half with about 8 to 11 classes a week, its nice to find out that I will only be attending 4 classes a week. For an entire semester. Awesome! But I know I take an intensive version of my program, which is originally 4 years - but mine is in 3 - so I shouldn't expect any less. It's just the thought that relieves me. I got the two minors I choose which I'm happy with - Cross Cultural Management, and Journalism & Media. Good stuff!

Going back to hitting the book. (Yes - one book.)

Asalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

Is Terrorism an Islamic Ideology?

*Warning: LONG POST*
Before I begin, I'd like to say a few words about another subject, more directed as Muslims in general. I was watching a lecture today where a Muslim man posed a question regarding whether or not the Ummah of the prophet Muhammad (saaw) includes only the Muslims or everyone.

The answer was quite simple. When we speak about the Ummah we can relate to a "brotherhood"; there is the mankind brotherhood, and the brotherhood in faith (or sisterhood). When mentioning of the Ummah, we can refer to Surah Al-Anbiya (21:107) in the Qur'an: "We sent thee not (Muhammad[saaw]), but as a Mercy for all creatures(mankind)". Therefore we see that Allah did not intend us to just be the Ummah of the Muslims, but also of the Christians, Jews, Hindus, and etc. It does not matter whether or not an individual has accepted Islam as his religion, because the Rasuul was sent as a warner and giver of the Message of Allah (saw). Therefore we are all under the Ummah of Muhammad (saaw). Please do not disregard others who are not Muslim as Allah has warned us : "Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving clear Signs; for them is a dreadful penalty." Surah Al-e-Imran, (3:105)
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Now moving on to is terrorism an Islamic ideology?
Since September 11, 2001 the media has been on a frenzy by spreading news of the new "Islamic threat" worldwide. Before going on about actual "Muslim terrorists", let's backtrack a bit. The word "terrorism" itself was first used during the French Revolution's "Reign of Terror". Afterwards we can continue to name several, and several attempted or carried out terrorist attacks around the world; the cool part is - most of the individuals or groups do not call themselves terrorists.

What does Islam say about terrorism? It is absolutely and 100% condemned. Islam is a peaceful religion - despite what media or ignorant individuals say. "Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he has slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And Our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors." Surah Al-Ma'idah, (5:32). Usually people say just the main part, but I believe it is necessary to post the entire thing. From this Surah of the Qur'an alone, anyone can see that Islam totally tells of how precious the individual human life really is. It is therefore ignorant to say terrorism is a spawn of Islam.

Giving just a few examples of terrorist acts:
1. The number one killer in the history of the world - Adolf Hitler. Killed 6 million Jews, and 60 million people worldwide. Although not practicing, he was a Christian. Yet no one calls him a "Christian Terrorist".
2. Saddam Hussain - Yes a Muslim (but not practicing), killed a few 100 thousand people; the embargo put on him by George W. Bush killed more than half a million Iraqi children.
3. During World War II- 259 "terrorist" attacks were done by Jews.
4. In 1948, a bomb exploded at the King James hotel in London. Group who did it dressed up as Arabs to make the people assume it was Muslims - the explosion killed 91 people. The leader, Begin, becomes Prime Minister of Israel AND wins Nobel Prize for peace. Imagine that.
5. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) terrorizes UK citizens from 1913 to 1997. They aren't called "Catholic Terrorists".
6. Lord's Salvation Army - a Christian terrorist group in Uganda - recruits children to carry out bomb suicides and killing attacks.
7. The LTTE Tigers in Sri Lanka - the most notorious terrorist group in the world. Their activities included attacks on civilians, recruiting child soldiers, suicide bombings, and ethnic cleansing of Muslims.

This is just to name a few. And like the last bit, who says Muslims aren't being terrorized? For centuries Muslims have been hunted down in places like India and China - and is still happening till this very day. Does anyone ever wonder why this never gets shown on your local news channel? Political Agenda. That's all this is. 9-11. Everyone knows this as the day the Twin Towers "went down" killing 3000 innocent human beings - carried out by "Muslim terrorists". But is this really true? Everyone likes to say "you just listen to conspiracy", but how can something be a conspiracy if it is, in reality, the truth? The attack was a  INSIDE JOB. Let's look at it logically.
A plane "crashed" into the towers. The plane that hit the buildings was a passenger jetliner. If you ask a well-trained pilot about the way the airliner turned to hit the buildings, anyone of them would tell you it is impossible to turn a plane of that size and that speed in the short distance it had. You can also gather that the plane that hit the buildings was not actually a passenger jetliner - but a military jet. Moving forward. Looking at the way the Twin Towers fell, you might assume the plane caused the damage; looking even closer we can see that the towers fell in such a strategic, and organized way - well, you might say it was planned. Ask any demolition worker and they can explain to you - no plane could create damage that severe that the buildings would fall onto their own footprints. The buildings fell just as a planned demolition would. Now I can go on and on, but to the point - the US government new of this long before anything happened. So what was the initial agenda? Votes. Money. Power. What else do you expect a politician to want? This act allowed the US to invade Iraq.  And the same goes on and on, with many other governments.
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Now I know you must be wondering:  And what about the actual Muslims who blow themselves up? It's a sad day when you have to think about all the kinds of people in your own religion who do not know any better. Just let me say this: Has anyone ever seen an actual Arab terrorist? Or did you just realize you've seen Iraqi, Pakistani, Afghan, Filipino terrorists? None of these groups speak Arabic. And, with no disrespect, the majority of the people who come from these places are illiterate or get their teachings from anyone whom they believe to be a leader in their community on Islam. Some may be able to memorize the entire Qur'an in Arabic, but have no actual idea of it's meaning. Therefore, these individuals feed off of their leaders who - most likely are intellectuals who have a political agenda. As for those terrorists who actually have been well educated - such as the recent Nigerian man who attempted to blow-up the jetliner in Detroit - I assume these individuals have lived very "fruitful" lives, meaning doing horrible things which the religion teaches you not to do, and are not educated in the religion itself, and feel as if they are fighting in the name of Allah and it will clean their sins. That's just not the way it works.

For those who say it's all in the Qur'an that teaches us to kill, rape, and harass others: that is not true. If you read the Qur'an only once - and without understanding - you will never grasp the ideas that it stands for. For example: all of the portions of the Qur'an that say anything about killing the enemy or fighting in the name of Allah - you have to first understand when these verses were given to the beloved Prophet Muhammad (saaw). It was a time of persecution. They tried to introduce something that was unknown - or forgotten- to the Arabians (where he lived) at the time. They tried to remove the prophet and his followers from the land, then they tried to kill them completely. The Qur'anic verses are mostly aimed at that time. That is why when reading the Qur'an you can notice the tense of speaking "say oh Muhammad (saaw)..."... Allah is speaking to Muhammad. But it seems now that even within the Muslim community - many do not know this.

Islam does not teach us to kill one another. It does not teach us to hate one another. Islam is a religion of peace and tranquility. Terrorism is condemned and that's that.

I hope this will help someone out there to find truth. I have found too many sites that bash on Islam - those few Muslim terrorists are only a couple of thousand black sheep in our entire family of Muslims, who do follow the right path. Do not let them sway your thinking without first using your own logic.

JazakhAllah Khair. Walaikum Asalaam.

*********
Sources:
The Glorious Qur'an
Various news feeds: CBS, CNN, FOX
Islamic Research Foundation - research
wtc7.net
Various wikipedia sites (less noted source)

2010: Year of Possibilities

Of course the Islamic new years started last week, but now (on the Gregorian calender) it is the start of 2010. In according to the Islamic calender, it is now the year 1431. I hope Allah blesses everyone with a wonderful and healthy year. Insh'Allah.


I must say 2009 did not end well for me. A couple of hours before it hit midnight I was in the town center getting last minute groceries when I saw the most horrifying thing. On the floor in front of the town hall lay a man, not too much older or younger than myself, on the ground covered in blood. I was in too much of a shock. I was mentally not prepared to see this. I don't believe anyone is. There he laid. A pool of blood. Insides on the outside. 


What. A. Mess.


Ya Allah.


The police had just arrived and only about 10 people were there who had also seen the incident. And as I started to walk away so the police could handle the situation - there stood 2 or 3 guys laughing. LAUGHING. What the in the world could they be thinking that would make them laugh while a man lie there dead. I understand perfectly that Allah made people in this world who have no reguard for human life - but when seeing it with my own eyes - it just blows my mind. I found out today that that boy who was laying on the floor died from suicide. He jumped off the - around 7 floors - building.


All we thought about was how horrible it was and how his family would be so devistated to find out their son had gone on new year's eve.


Ya Allah, please do not let me witness more of this in the years to come. Ameen.
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On a happier note, I made my very first gingerbread house to drown out the negative thoughts.