Ramadan Reviews

Dear Reader,

In the continued spirit of Ramadan, I thought I'd write short reviews for the books I've been reading this month.

Review 1: 

Ameena's Ramadan Diary by Sara Kabil & Abu Bakr El-Banna

This is basically a self help guide disguised as a young woman's experience. It begins 6 weeks before Ramadan with helpful tips in preparing for Ramadan and then during Ramadan how to make the the most of it, productively and spiritually. Each entry is supported by Ayat from the Qur'an of authentic Hadith. The best bit however, I feel, is the Ramadan File at the back which can be revisited year after year.

This is a great book for new Muslims, with it's explanations, glossary and transliterations of Du'as. But it can also be really helpful for any Muslim who wishes to take advantage of all the opportunities that Ramadan presents.    

Review 2: 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This is Marjane Satrapi's autobiography that begins in Iran in the 1980's and tells the story of her unforgettable childhood, coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland.

However, what sets this book apart from other autobiographies is that it is also a graphic novel. The black and white drawing style is rather cute and very easy to read, though sometimes the only way to distinguish between people was there hairstyle. This can become confusing at times if you put it down for long periods of time and don't read the book all at once. 

I really liked the first half of this book, "The Story of a Childhood". Being a graphic novel it was, in my reading experience, a unique way to tell one's own story of oppression and war, while still maintaining an imaginative, light and humorous tone.  Despite the fact that there were some things in this book that I didn't really agree with (e.g. the depiction of God), I do not dispute that this is the truth as Marjane Satrapi experienced it, which opened up a whole new perspective for me. However, it must be taken with a grain of salt, as I hope that anyone reading this book will recognise that this is a story about living under an extremist regime, just like Nazi Germany or Russia under Stalin; regimes that will use any excuse to oppress people, and that it is not reflection of what the Islamic Religion is all about.

Nevertheless, the second half of this book "The Story of a Return", was a thorough disappointment and so different to what the first half set it up to be. The tone of the story became so bleak and self-pitying that I could no longer bring myself to care much for Satrapi's depiction of herself and it felt like a chore just to finish the book off. I doubt I would recommend this book to anyone for any reason, other than the novelty of being an autobiography in the form of a comic book/graphic novel.   

Review 3: 

The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson

This is also an autobiography and, as the sub-title so precisely summaries, it is the memoir of how a young American women's journey led to Islam and Love. Born into an atheist family, Willow Wilson actually begins telling the story of her life from an unusual point; while in her second year Boston University she was hospitalised for an acute reaction to medication and then suffered through adrenal distress for many months. It is during this time that she begins philosophising and contemplating the existence of God and what God means to her. And of all the major religions, her ideas about the Divine are confirmed in the Qur'an. After that, she began studying Arabic and Islam but resisted conversion to Islam until she was given the opportunity to word as a teacher in Cairo.

However, it is while she is in Cairo that her story becomes truly interesting, as she is torn between the secular West and the Muslim East. In The Butterfly Mosque, Wilson records her intensely personal struggle to forge a "third culture” that might accommodate her own values without compromising the friends and family on both sides of the divide. Though not always chronologically, Wilson tells her story in such an enchanting and contemplative manor that I could not help but cheer her on as she overcame one hardship after another.   

On a personal note, I could sympathise a lot with a the author when she wrote about moving to Egypt and navigating the great chasm between the American and Egyptian cultures; i.e. the East and the West. But while she was new to all of this, I feel like I've become an Old Pro. Being born a British-Asian Muslim I have spent me whole life in this "interworld". My entire existence lies in the "little fissures between East and West", as the author so eloquently put it, and thus I have become quite adept at finding the right balance, or the middle ground so to speak.    

But coming back to the book itself, I did not want The Butterfly Mosque to end. I wanted to continue on this journey with the Willow Wilson, I wanted to know what her life was like when she moved back to the USA, how did she and her husband adjust? I wanted to know her thoughts on/experience of the Arab Spring (2010-2011) and how she came up with the idea for her graphic novel Cairo? But more than any of that, turning the last page of this book felt like standing in Departures at an airport, saying goodbye to a beloved friend. 

I can say with complete confidence that The Butterfly Mosque is now among my favourite books, right beside Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Z. Janmohamed. At present, I'm greatly looking forward to reading Wilson's latest urban-fantasy novel: Alif the Unseen, which promises to be unlike anything I've read yet.  

Nida

What's the deal with Ramadan?

Dear Reader,

With Ramadan 2013 coming to a close, and since I haven't written a decent blog post in a shamefully long while now, I thought I'd answer a question I've been asked a few time and explain what Ramadan is all about. This can be helpful especially if you, dear reader, are not a Muslim.

Ramadan is the name of the 9th month in the Islamic Calendar and it was during this month, almost 1450 years ago, that the Qur'an was first revealed to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). That is why Ramadan is a sacred month and is also known as the month of the Qur'an. So, as a way of celebration, in this month Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an as possible, as well as fasting from dawn to dusk for 29/30 days. This means we are not supposed to eat or drink anything, not even water, and abstain from sexual interactions, during the daylight hours (no drugs or smoking either). This is known as the physical fast. 

The second level of fasting is the mental fast where we should: 

1. restrain our tongues from gossiping, lying and using foul language, 
2. guard our eyes and ears from seeing/watching and hearing/listening to inappropriate and obscene things,
3. restrain our feet and hands from committing sin (e.g. hitting someone) 
4. and most importantly preventing yourself from getting angry. 

There is also the spiritual fast which is the highest level of fasting, in which we try and detach ourselves from the material world. This involves not just performing acts of charity, truly forgiving those who have previously wronged you, abstaining from unworthy and materialistic thoughts, desires and wishes, but also includes spending time in the remembrance of God, reading the Qur'an and contemplating the perfection of His Oneness (Tawhid). 

If performed correctly and with good intentions, the three levels of fasting should help us Muslims develop our God Conciousness (Taqwa), i.e. being aware that God is everywhere, watching us always, nothing is hidden from Him, everything that happens is by His Will and that one day we will all return to Him and be judged by Him.

The purpose of fasting during Ramadan is made clear in the second Chapter (Surah) of the Qur'an:

The month of Ramadan (is that) in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights (the new moon of) the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill  or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and (wants) for you to complete the period, and glorify Allah (Takbir) for that to which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. [2:185] 

There are many things that can be taken away from this verse (Ayat) but I want to focus on the last three:

1. Glorify Allah: thus the first purpose of fasting in this month is to spend time in the glorification and remembrance of Allah, which is called Dhikr or Tasbeeh and is an essential part of the spiritual fast.  
2. He has Guided you: the second purpose is to celebrate and recite the guidance that Allah has given us; the Noble Qur'an.  
3. be Grateful: and finally giving Allah His due gratitude for all that He has given us. Going without food and water provides us with a glimpse into what life must be like for the homeless and hungry poor. There are no words to describe the relief and appreciation I have felt for a sip of water after a long hot day of fasting. This sort of experience drives action to encourage self-less charity and help those less fortunate. But, as a reminder to me before anyone else, the words used in the ayat: "perhaps you will be grateful" suggest that despite all that I've said above, gratitude towards Allah for His innumerable blessings is often forgotten and because of this I believe that this final purpose is the most important. Alhumdulillah. 

May God forgive me for any omissions or mistakes in my explanation.

Nida        

Ramadan 2013

Dear Reader,

And courtesy of QuranWeekly, here are some tips on how to make most of Ramadan:

Click to read the details.

I pray that all my brothers & sisters in Islam have a productive Ramadan that brings them closer to Allah.

Nida  

Ramadan Reveries: Part 3 - Patience

Dear Reader,

Seeing as it's Friday (Jummah), and it's recommended to read Surah Kahf every Friday, I thought I'd share one of my favourite stories from this Surah: a story from the life of Prophet Moses (AS). It's rather long and spans 22 ayat [18:60-82] so I'm just going to give you an abbreviated version, with a bit of background. 

Prophet Moses was raised as a prince in the Pharaoh's household, so he was physically very strong, but he also was a bit hot-tempered and was used to having his way. In his youth he had even killed an Egyptian man, accidentally of course, and with a single punch at that. So after he had Prophethood bestowed upon him, Allah (swt) sent him on a journey to seek wisdom from a man that Allah had gifted with much knowledge. On this journey Moses (AS) took with him one companion, a servant boy, and some salted fish. Allah (swt) told him that when they reach the junction of two seas, will be where they would find the wise man (Al-Khidhr). 

It was a long and arduous journey in the heat and deserts of the middle-east, but Prophet Moses (AS) did not give up and persisted on carrying on walking. One morning, after they had travelled very far, Moses (AS) said to his companion, "bring my some of that fish to eat." The boy, looking rather anguished, replied "Satan must have made me forget, but a little while back, while you were taking a nap by the rock, the fish amazing came back to life, leapt out of the bag and swam away into the sea."

The Prophet Moses (AS) smiled at him and began to back-track, saying "That is a sign from Allah, and exactly what we have been seeking." And it was at the junction of the two seas that they found Al-Khidhr. (Aside: his name actually means 'The Green one', make of that what you will.) Moses (AS) respectfully asked him "May I follow you and be your student, so that you may teach me about good judgement?" He replied "Indeed, you will not have patience with me. And how can you have patience about something you do not know?"

A children's book that also tells this story,
by Saniyasnain Khan 

"InshAllah, you will find me patient. And I will not dis obey your orders." So Al-Khidhr finally gave in to Moses' (AS) request and said "Okay, you may follow me. But do not question me or what I do, until I decide to give you an explanation." And so, they set out on a journey and soon came upon a little village by the river, whose sole source of income came from a boat they used to ferry people and goods across. Al-Khidhr and Moses (AS) embarked upon this boat, but when they were half-way across the river, Al-Khidhr damaged the boat. 


Moses (AS) exclaimed in surprise "Do you want these people to drown, they who have been so good to us? You have certainly committed an awful deed." To which Al-Khidhr only replied "Did I not say that you will not have patience with me?"  "Oh, I'm sorry," Moses (AS) repented, "I forgot. Please, do not make this difficult for me?"

Soon after, they disembarked from the boat and travelled a little further, where they came upon a group of children playing. Al-Khidhr went up to one of the older boys and killed him. Now this was an area with which Prophet Moses was particularly sensitive. Having accidentally killed someone himself, he knew of the dire consequences and feelings of guilt. So when he witnessed what Al-Khidhr did, he replied to him in anger "How can you do such a thing? He was just an innocent child! Truly, you have commited an awful crime."

All Al-Khidhr said was "Did I not tell you that you will never have patience with me?" Thoroughly chastised, Moses (AS) said "If I question you again, you should not keep me as your companion. I have given you my excuse." So they set out once more, travelling, until they came to a village that was rather hostile, and refused to provide them with food or shelter. But as they were leaving the village, they came across a wall that was crumbling and immediately Al-Khidhr began to rebuild it. Moses (AS), thinking that he had learnt his lesson, quietly help him with the repairs. When all was done, Al-Khidhr began to leave again and Moses (AS) couldn't help asking "Will you not take payment from them? Especially after they were so inhospitable to us?" 

"Moses," said Al-Khidhr calmly, "this is where we part ways. But before you leave, I will tell you the meaning behind those deed with which you could not have patience. Firstly, the damages that I made to the boat could easily be repaired, but the place where that boat was heading was ruled by tyrant King, who would have taken possession of the boat, had he found it in an immaculate condition. My deed was the lesser of two evils.

"As for that boy. His parents are good, righteous people and he would have caused them much trouble and heartache if he had grown to maturity. Now, in their grief, they will turn to Allah and He will bless them with another child, who will be purer and better for them. Finally, the wall we repaired belonged to two orphan boys. Beneath the wall, their father had hidden treasure for them. Had the wall crumbled, the treasure would have wrongly been taken by other people of the village. Now the two boys will find it when they are much older and will be able to use the treasure more wisely. And these are the things, with which you could not have patience."      
                   

And along with Moses (AS) we are also taught the lesson of patience. In addition to that, we  learn not to question why terrible things happen. In each of the three scenarios, something that seemed horrible/evil/useless on it's outset, had hidden benefits that would come to light later on, the knowledge of which Allah (swt) had given to Al-khidhr. So next time something bad happens to us, we should not breakdown in fits of rage or depression, but approach it with calm patience. Because it is sent from Allah (swt) and within every trial/hardship/calamity there is a blessing for us, which we cannot see in that moment but that Allah azza wajal knows about. "For indeed, with every hardship comes ease" [94:5].   

Plus, it's true what they used to say: "patience is a virtue." This becomes ever more important in these modern times when the entire world is just a click away. We see our patience and tolerance slowly deteriorating with each passing year: e.g. if the internet isn't loading, we refresh the page a million times. If we don't get the answers we're looking for immediately, we easily become frustrated and angry. If the queue at the shop counter is too long, we search for easier and quicker ways to get things done. If it become just slightly to hot, our immediate reaction is to turn on the fan or remove our clothes. If that elderly gentleman whose short of hearing, cannot understand what we're saying, our manner becomes loud and offensive. In this capitalist society, where "time is money", we no longer have time to be patient.

Allah (swt) knows all this. He foresaw that human nature is prone to impatience. That's why patience is something that is so often and continuously mentioned in the Qur'an. One of the reasons why we should read Surah Kahf ever Jummah is so that, once a week, we are reminding ourselves to be patient with whatever trials and calamities Allah (swt), in all His Wisdom, puts in our path. I've also written about patience before in this post, so check it out if you want to know more about the Qur'an.

May Allah (swt) bless us all with patience in our everyday life, strengthen our imaan with patience so that we may overcome every trial in this life, and reward our patience in the Hereafter. Ameen.

Nida

Ramadan Reveries: Part 2 - Temptation

Dear Reader,

What I wish to share with you today, being first and foremost a reminder to myself, is a conversation in Surah Al-Ar'af (meaning The Elevation - in reference to the raised partition between Heaven and Hell) [7:11-17]:

And We certainly created you [Oh mankind] and have given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"; so they prostrated, except Iblees (Satan). He was not of those who prostrated.

Allah said "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?"

Satan said "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from dirt [earth, clay]." 

Allah said "Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed you are of the debased." 

Satan said, "Reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected." 

Allah said "Indeed, you are of those reprieved." 

Satan said "Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for mankind on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from in-front of them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful to You."

There are many lessons in this conversation that I could talk about, e.g. the mighty status and honour humans were given when Allah asked the angels to prostrate to Adam, Satan's arrogance being the cause of his down fall, Allah showing mercy to Satan despite his disobedience, or even Satan's determination to get revenge upon Allah by misguiding the ones that Allah loves [i.e. mankind]. But what I really want to discuss today is that last bit, the means by which Satan promises to seek his revenge: "I will surely sit in wait for mankind on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from in-front of them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful to You." 

Living here in "the West" and in this modern age, we are bombarded left, right and centre by lewd images of shamelessness. So much so, that it's now become the norm and we do not think twice when we see a billboard poster of a woman in nothing but her explicit underwear, or even worse... Or a music video with scantly dressed girls draped on the arms of men who treat them like they're nothing more than adornments to their reputation, a price for other men to ogle at and be jealous of, all the while they're scandalously rubbing up against each other. You, dear reader, probably know exactly what I'm talking about. And these things are everywhere: on the TV, in movies, in shops, on the internet, on the streets happening right before our eyes, even in children's cartoons! 

And it's so difficult to avoid all of it, so we don't. Thus, we inevitably become immune to all of it, our hearts slowly hardening ... because it's the "norm". All the while, Satan inconspicuously slides in, whispering temptations. I don't know what it's like for boys/men but I know it's especially difficult trying to be a modest girl in this society: e.g. "This top is so pretty, but a little tighter than what I normally wear. And this skirt, I love its design but its a just a few inches short." "You should buy it, you look so gorgeous wearing them. They suit you, and that colour brings out your eyes." Like my mum always says: once you take that first difficult step towards the devil's path, he makes the rest of your down fall very easy.

So maybe that example doesn't apply to you, dear reader. But the truth is, this capitalist society is solely geared towards material gain. And being inescapably within it, our lives have become geared towards this gain and we are constantly competing with each other in order to increase our wealth. We always complain of the thing we don't have, and set our sights on the fancy cars, the big houses, the jewels and trinkets we want. But how many of us are actually grateful for what we already have? In fact, how many of us are even grateful for just existing? 

So you see, Satan's prediction is coming true: most of us are not grateful to Allah, which is a sad thing indeed. And for those people who are grateful, who are genuinely trying to be Muslims (those who submit completely to God [swt]), Satan has purposefully made following the 'straight and narrow' path difficult for them. Life is a constant struggle, a daily battle against Satan and his temptations. Because we cannot let Satan win or be successful in his revenge against our Lord and Creator. 

Like this cute picture above demonstrates, one of the ways we can shut out Satan is by reading the Qur'an regularly, if not on a daily basis. Talking about Allah (swt) and his messengers with other people also helps. That's because, in an assembly where Allah (swt) is remembered and mentioned, angels descend and envelop the gathered people with their wings, and Allah's mercy is upon those people [Sahih Muslim:1448]. And as for the perverted norms of this Western society, we can start by consciously lowering our gaze, reminding ourselves that the reason why we look away from the shamelessness is Allah, our Creator. The intention behind all our actions is really important, so we have to make sure that our intentions are pure and for the right reason.      

If you, dear reader, want to learn more about Satan and his creation, there is a this lovely short post by a fellow sister.

Nida 

P.S.

Dear Reader,

This a very good video that sums up what I wanted to say in this post, and the reason behind my Ramadan Reveries blog series, in just over 2 minutes. Well worth watching. Take care and Enjoy:



Nida

Ramadan Reveries: Part 1 - Dawah

Dear Reader,

A belated Ramadan Mubarak if you are participating in this holy month of fasting. May Allah azza wa-Jal accept all our fasts and prayers and bless us with success in this life and in the Hereafter. Ameen. As it is Ramadan, the month in which the Qur'an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammed (saw) [2:185] about 1443 years ago, I thought I'd write a series of blog-posts about my thoughts and contemplations on Qur'anic verses, as Allah (swt) asks as to think deeply about what He has revealed to us: "Indeed, in that are signs for those people who reflect." [30:21] 

So on to today's topic: something to note when giving dawah. I've noticed that, often when talking to non-Muslims, especially Christians, they always seem to be surprised to hear that Islam is not a "new/isolated" religion but rather the further development/amendment of the ideals present by Judaism and Christianity. The "next evolutionary step" as some might put it. These three major religions actually stem from the same original source.  

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I can get into the true depths of this discussion, there are a few definitions that need to be clarified:

1. Allah is the Arabic word for the One God, while illah (as in La illah ha) means God. If you, dear reader, were to read an Arabic translation of the Bible, you'll see that the word illah is used in the place of God. So when we talk about Allah, we are not referring to some "Islam-centric deity" but rather to the same God as the one that Christians and Jews believe in. (Aside: the language that the Bible was originally written in was Aramaic, the ancestral language to Arabic, in which the word for God is rather similar to illah - though I'll have to get back to you on what exactly that word is.) 
2. The word Islam means complete submission to God, i.e. submitting our will, our soul, our lives, our wealth, our everything to God. Therefore, Islam isn't just the name of a religion, but is a way of life.
3. a Muslim is someone who submits to Allah. Therefore, in the Qur'an, the Prophets Abraham, Jacob and Joseph etc... are called Muslims, because they submitted their lives to God, and not because they were 'others' or belonged to this particular sect rather than another.    

Now that that is all cleared up, we can go back to our surprised Christian friend who asks "How can Islam be a development of Christianity, when we look so different and believe such different things?" There are, in fact, several ways to answer this question. But the best way I think, is the one I found last night. In Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 136 where God, Allah (swt), has told us exactly what to say when asked something like that question:

Say: "We believe in God and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and the Twelve Tribes of Israel; and what was given to Moses [the Torah] and Jesus [the Bible] and what was given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are in submission to Him."   

Click on the picture to read what it says.

So you see, we as Muslims - people who submit to God, believe in all the Prophets including Moses and Jesus (AS), with the singular addition of Mohammed (SAW), the final Prophet. And we also believe that all these Prophets bought with them only 1 Message: there is no God but the One God, or in Arabic, La illah ha ilallah.    

And as for looking different, I would in return pose a question: "Say you were walking down a street, and there was a nun and a women in full hijab/burka walking side-by-side in front of you. Would you be able to tell them apart from the back?" Most probably not, because the dress code of devout Christians and devout Muslims is rather similar. (Aside: I would have probably added devout Jews to this statement as well, but I am personally unsure of how devout Jewish women dress, and so I don't wish to make any assumptions.)
The only real difference here is, and I'm making a rather educated guess, that the number of Muslim women who chose to wear hijab or burka or niqab, far outnumber the number of Christian women  in the entire world who are nuns.    

  

Nida