Misinformation

I cannot stand people posting hateful, unislamic things and forcing people to accept that this is Islam and insisting that any other opinion is wrong.

It's one thing to interpret the Qur'an and Sunnah without any real qualifications... It's something I can deal with as long as the person is clear that this is what *they* believe and that they don't have support for their ideas from any knowledgable person. I do this but my readers are always left with the clear fact that this is how I personally see it and that it is not necessarily fact or even right.

But it's another thing to do that and then pretend to have proof to back up the idea, and not explain that it's an interpretation made by an unknowledgable person and to go further in saying that this is Islam and any other belief is mislead! The nerve of someone to do that! To attribute these ideas to ALLAH! I call it shirk, or at the least misguided (distorting the message of Allah, astarghfirallah!). May Allah guide them the right way!

The blog I have in mind that has post after post like this is a blog that is possibly by a young girl (a teenager maybe) who has the teenage mentality that she knows everything and others don't. But I fear that it might be more and that this person might be ill-meaning. I'm only speculating... Who knows if the person has bad intentions... But the effect is there nonetheless and I have trouble standing here doing nothing while other Muslims get mislead into hate.


I need to just make a small part of this post about an issue in particular that has really gotten to me. Heaven is not only reserved for people who consider themselves Muslim in this earthly life. Allah will judge everyone fairly, whether they used the label "Muslim" or "agnostic" or never even thought to label themselves! A person needs to be a Muslim (submitter), but in the TRUE sense that only Allah can fully understand, and only Allah can judge on whether or not a person fulfills the requirements to be considered Muslim in His eyes!

A verse that proves that not all "non-Muslims" are going straight to Hell according to the Qur'an:

Surely, those who believe,
those who are Jewish, the Christians,
and the converts; anyone who
(1) believes in GOD, and
(2) believes in the Last Day, and
(3) leads a righteous life,
will receive their recompense from their Lord.
They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. (2:62, 5:69)

Allah answers

When we ask Allah for help and guidance, we might not get what we're looking for, but we get an answer. I've been praying for signs on what I should do about a certain situation, and I got my answer with difficult days showing me how much things have to change. That I am not to allow things to continue and imagine it will get better. The situation had been ups and downs, something I could call "tolerable", but then I prayed and it got worse, pushing me to not leave things as they are like I had been doing for so long. I feel like crap, am totally down, broken, exhausted, but I know that this was a sign from Allah to force me to move into a much better situation with time insha'Allah.

Exhausted and need my vacation!!

I have 2 weeks off and this year, I am taking them TOGETHER! TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT! Last year, I took one in June after dealing with Nora and her hospitalisation and arthritis. I was burnt OUT! My second week was taken after Nora came back from Egypt for her 6 week vacation. I had been so stressed and missed her so much I probably would have needed more than 1 week with her before going back to work, so let's just say I am really needing this vacation.

Unfortunately, I still have until mid-August to wait. But MAN I will take advantage of it! I am trying to find a chalet by a lake to rent so I can just relax outside there, make fires at night, go canoeing or kayaking during the day... Just relaxing stuff in a relaxing atmosphere. It's coming soon, it's coming soon. I must keep that in mind! I'm TIRED!

Awww, cute story

My daughter is learning all sorts of new things. She's 3 and just eating up information on anything and since she learned what a church is, she points them out whenever we see them telling me it's an "église" all enthusiastically. Very cute!

In the car yesterday, she points one out, but then adds that it's like the one she went to with "Mamie Mervat" (my husband's mother she met in Egypt last summer) doing this (and she put her face down towards her hands showing prostrating motion).

AWWWWW...! She thinks churches are mosques!! How adorable!

MORE DUA :'( Please.

Right after writing my post asking for dua for Elizabeth last night, my very best friend knocked at my door... Announced that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. At 22 years old. I'm a bit in shock at this news... So please, if you can spare a thought...

Allah, make her cured from this cancer, and show her the straight way, that she might change her life for the better.

For Elizabeth

Could everyone make dua for Elizabeth, a fellow blogger who is going through some tough times lately. She seems to have closed her blog in the last few days and I have no idea how to reach her since I don't know anything about her except what she has disclosed on her blog. This sister is a very recent convert from the past couple months and has recently split up with her love which is making her go through a very tough time.

Please make dua that she finds a way through this situation and realizes how great she is just for being herself and that with time, everything works out, even if the plans we had in mind are not how things happen. May Allah alleviate her stress soon.

If anyone has any news from her from outside the blogs that would be great...

Beautiful Words

I got this in a forwarded email.

If I had my child to raise over again, I'd build self-esteem first and the house later
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I'd do more hugging and less tugging
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I'd model less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.

by Diane Loomans

A simple life

I dream of being able to lead a life that is down to the basics. Growing our own food, having our own animals, teaching my kids things hands-on, using our imaginations for playing and learning!

I wouldn't want to give up some of the luxuries I have in life though, like technology to be able to research things quickly, keep connected easily with people. I love how easy knowledge is to have access to and I feel I know how to use the tool and so I wouldn't give it up. I also would not want to give up having a vehicle to be able to travel easily, whether out of necessity or simply for recreation.

I would give up living in materialism where it's important to have "nice things" whether or not they function any better than another. And things that bring us emptiness. Excessive television and games that bring nothing but entertainment. They are so time-consuming that they take away from working on important things like strengthening our iman, making an effort to do good deeds, charity, family, etc. This type of entertainment should be a luxury that is not part of daily life...

I wish I could simplify my life that much. I am a person who takes things very gradually so I am making small efforts in hopes that with time, my life will have changed.

What do you do to simplify your life, if you have any such desires?

Honour killings

Another situation to make me ashamed of being Muslim.

I don't for a second believe that these horrible crimes are Islamic, but they do come up in Muslim cultures. Some of the most backward cultures existing! Similar problems in Muslims from all sorts of majoritarily Muslim countries! What is wrong?! Why do cultures that have a majority of Muslims have all these barbaric, disgusting practices? Do the teachings of Islam, over time, bring THIS?!

Maybe I'm the one who doesn't understand Islam correctly. Not to say that Islam the religion says that these crimes are allowed, but let's just say Islam does not have the most peaceful of histories either. Maybe I'm pushing Buddhist ideas into Islam because that's what I personally believe about violence?

Kohl, with a picture

This is the look that some kohl and a light bit of mascara to the upper eyelashes gives. As I wrote before, I'm really loving the look! Very subtle, but there. The type that doesn't make a person notice there's makeup on, but that does make a difference from a bare face.

Who wears kohl? What is your kohl routine? Where do you buy it from?

Also: Who dislikes kohl?

I miss Masr

I MISS EGYPT SO MUCH!

I long so much for Egypt lately. I know it has to do with my dissatisfaction with work to want to just get out. I definitely need my vacation, but those 2 weeks are coming in August... But it's more than that because I feel like I would want to go to Egypt to live for a couple years. I know it's in part because of the good memories I have there... things were just better between me and my husband. Another part is Islam. I feel it would be a place I'd feel just free and proud to practice Islam and work on myself as a Muslim. The country is backwards in so many ways but the things I need help with I know I'd have there. And the other things that are part of me but not necessarily part of Egypt or Egyptians I feel confident enough about to not let that get in my way! And I'd love for my daughter to learn Arabic, so of course it would be a great opportunity for her to go there for a couple years straight sometime to learn the language well. With only one Arab parent and no Arab family here, she doesn't get much Arabic at all. I'd love to learn a bit myself!

Every time I get a wiff of "street smell" here when an old bazou car passes by me as I am walking on the street, I think of Egypt and wish I was there! Everytime it's super hot and dry (like when entering a hot car), I think of Egypt and wish I was there! :P

Kohl makeup

I bought some kohl/ithmid from Arabian Threads. I love it!! It was my first time trying this type of look so I can't say if kohl is much better than any other eyeliner, but it's really cool to put on from a stick dipped in powder and I really enjoy the look it gives. I think that being powder, it gives a much more smokey look without any effort or other product. I don't love the smokey look for myself, but without doing anything, just becaue of powder falling a little, I get a semi-smokey look that I would not get with a regular eyeliner.

All to say: I LOVE IT! I highly recommend this online shop. Great costomer service and great products. I really trust that her products are exactly what they say and of good quality. For a person looking for Saudi products in particular, she is the person to get them from! She's leaving Saudi soon so hurry up! :P

Dua Reminder

Please, if everyone who comes across my blog post could make dua (say a prayer) for the people who lost their lives in the Flotilla attack, the people who are still enprisoned, and the people of Palestine.

Hate work

I have been working at the same place for over 2 years and even if it's a disgusting loans business that I could never agree with, I am just an employee and I do my job. It's a nice office and I enjoy the people I work with for the most part. I have a pretty good salary, decent bonus and lunches paid on Fridays.

Lately, I feel like I'm not getting the respect I deserve at work. And there is also SO MUCH work and SO MUCH gossip that it's tiring to have all that going on and have to go home to take care of everything there. All the gossip seems to be emphasizing how immoral this company is! It's not just interest like for a mortgage or something, it's the amount of fees and interest. It's taking advantage of people who can't manage their money and putting them in more shit while becoming really rich.

I wish I could get out of this work, but I don't want to leave a job I easily tolerate (even if i get frustrated and tired, I admit that I don't dread waking up to go to work and that's something I try not to take for granted). We are a one-income family with some help from my husband's occaisional computer fixing, so I know that if he got a job like mine (income-wise), we could make it without me working. It would give me the freedom to find a job I actually feel good about. I could maybe become a foster parent with a couple kids instead of just the one I was thinking about. Anyway... I'm kinda down about work lately. I guess it's time for vacation. I'm taking 2 weeks straight this year (woohoo!) but they are in August.