Just...

When I returned from my holiday in Europe in June/July I wanted to leave Cairo. From mid-May, I started finding it really stressful. It started with my two flatmates and I being given two weeks to move out of our gorgeous apartment. It proved really difficult trying to find a decent place, and of course, nothing compared to the apartment we had. (Two story, with huge balcony overlooking a garden (luxury in Cairo), spiral staircase, my own floor upstairs with kitchenette & en-suite bathroom) After having a not very enjoyable experience with my first flatmate in the first apartment I was in, it was wonderful to share with great flatmates.

My mum and an aunt were going to visit mid-June, and so I had to find a place where they would be able to stay too. By the end of May I hadn't found anything.

I was also working on a documentary at the time, and the camerawoman was awful to work with. I just wanted to finish it & get it over with, but the camerawoman kept postponing.

Work was frustrating in that we were putting in effort but on an almost daily basis, the studio wouldn't be available, or the technical producer on duty wouldn't arrive, thus derailing our schedule.

The day my mum & aunt arrived was the day I was meant to sign a lease on an apartment. It was confirmed, and I had called the simsar (broker) in the week to arrange everything. But that night when I went over he wasn't there. When I called him, he said he rented it out to someone else for the duration of June, and I could take it from 1 July. Needless to say, I didn't.

I was staying at a friend's place at the time, and so my mum & aunt stayed there. I wanted them to have their own space, but my friend was awesome, and so everything was fine. That same night I fell ill. The temperature was 39 degrees Celsius, I started feeling cold soon after going to bed. I put on a long-sleeved pyjama top, but still felt cold. Eventually I ended up with four blankets, shivering uncontrollably. Monday morning I blacked out & couldn't get out of bed all day. I had a raging fever, and felt ghastly. Couldn't ever remember feeling that way before.

I had arranged for a driver to take my mum & aunt sightseeing that day. They wanted to stay home, but I urged them to go.

Tuesday was much the same like Monday, and I was unable to eat. I went to see a doctor, who said it's both dehydration and an infection.

My elder sister and I were leaving for Europe on Thursday. The doctor said I couldn't travel. But of course I did-it was fine, but I was still ill and didn't fully recover until after I returned 18 days later.

And throughout this, other small daily stresses which we don't even regard as stress started getting to me-the daily 1 hour commute to work, the pollution, the dirt, the rudeness of taxi drivers and people on the street, the pushing and shoving of women on the metro.

I was constantly feeling weak and dizzy, I was tired all the time, my hair started falling out in clumps, I had a cold at least once a month.

When I got back I just wanted out. Spain, France & Italy had been beautiful and calm. Clean! My skin looked better, I felt revived. Cairo was choking. A week later I resigned from my job, and I prepared to leave Egypt at the end of August.

My friend travelled, and I retreated. I hated going out, and even a trip to the supermarket, which was just a 3 min walk away, seemed like a huge ordeal.

I thought I'd go to Syria and then return to my beloved South Africa in December. But then something changed.

The situation at work changed, my bosses urged me to stay on. I faltered, but couldn't face continuing to live in chaotic Cairo. But I wanted to see the project I started prosper. And so I stayed, and moved to the city where my company is located. It's just 25km from central Cairo, but because of traffic, the commute takes ages.

I decided to stay, and to go to Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Iran from Jan-May 2010.

I moved at the beginning of September, and it was certainly the right choice to make. I have another friend who lives here in 6th October, and so we went to the mosque for taraweeh together every night. During the last ten days, I felt blessed to be able to stay in the masjid from taraweeh until tahajjud.

I'm in my third month in 6th October. I can't wait to move back to central Cairo. I spend every weekend there, and am often there a few times during the week. I'm ready to face the teeming populace which creates the vibe that is Cairo.

Throughout this period, there were a few other more personal highly stressful incidents which occurred. But Alhamdulillah, kullu tamam dil wa'ti. (Everything's ok now) I was faced with a very challenging situation where I had to put faith before desire. It was difficult, but Alhamdulillah, faith won.

I loved Cairo, I hated Cairo, and now I just like Cairo. I like my life here, I enjoy it here. And now again, because of work, I've decided to stay on until May 2010. I know that I'm making the right decision, but I also feel sad I won't be able to live in other countries in the Middle East as I planned to.

Perhaps after the World Cup.

By deciding to stay, I feel like I'm shedding old skin. I feel like I'm saying hello to a new start in Cairo. I know that all my experiences this year have changed me, some subtly so, some more markedly.

I know that with my current mindset, I have to make a firm commitment to who I am, to who I want to be.

I know now that it's only when we're in a situation, that we'll truly know how we'll react.

There are times we just have to take the plunge & be impulsive, and there are times it would be nothing less than foolish to think things through carefully.

There are times our instinct is right, and there are times we'd be harming ourselves if we give in to that impulse.

I'm 27 years old. After wearing hijab for almost 9 years, I felt like removing it this year. Just passing moments where I'd feel it. It would have been the easiest to do so in Europe. The day we arrived, Barcelona being our first stop, I told my sister I'm going to remove my scarf. But I didn't. And by turning to Allah, hopefully won't.

I was in SA a few weeks ago. I had a sudden urge to cut my hair. After keeping it at mid-back length for five years, and having it down to my waist last year, I just wanted to cut it short. I contemplated cropped short, but then had it cut to my neck. I love the style:-)

A friend saw it Friday, and said, 'I shouldn't be saying this, but with this new look, would you ever think of removing your scarf?' I admitted that I had thought it earlier that day, but again, a passing though which I pray I won't act on.

I've barely written this year. I'm starting to write again.

I'm now buoyed by Cairo, instead of it weighing me down.

I love it when people visit, so if you're planning on coming to Cairo, let's meet up.

Love in Sufism

Shams' Teaching of Layla and Majnun 

This passage, from the discourses of Rumi's teacher, Shams, may shed a little light on the love that envelops Sufis. 

Harun al-Rashid [the caliph] gave the order, "Bring this Layla, so I might see why Majnun--out of love for her-- has cast such passion into the world and why from the East to the West lovers have made the story of his love their mirror." 

They went to great expense, employed much trickery, and succeeded in bringing Layla to the caliph.  She was in a private chamber; at night the caliph would light candles, gaze at her for a while, and then reflect for a while.  [But he could not see what was so special about her.]  He said to himself, "If I get her to speak, perhaps her special quality will become more apparent in her face, by means of her speaking."  He turned to Layla and asked, "Layla, is that you?"  She replied, "Yes, I am Layla.  But you are not Majnun.  Those eyes that are in Majnun's head are not in yours."

 How can you see Layla with eyes with which you see 
 other than her and which you have not cleansed by tears?

Look at me with the vision of Majnun!  Those who look at the beloved with the vision of the lover are those whom, "He (God) loves..." [referring to Qur'an  (5:54) "God will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him"] 'The defect [in most people] stems from the fact that they do not look at God with the vision of the lover; they look with the vision of knowledge, the vision of gnosis, and the vision of philosophy.  The vision of love is something else.

From the Discourses of Shams-i Tabrizi  (Maqalat-i Shams-i Tabrizi)  

Independence is overrated

I'm young, single, and living a great life in Cairo, Alhamdulillah. Career opportunities are presenting themselves in multitude. I'm currently working on a documentary which was blown to me by a wisp of fate. I recently received an offer to be part of a possible presenting team for a new ladies talk show which is being pitched to a tv channel in SA.
I'm enjoying my current job, which promises great success once the project is underway, Inshallah.

I live in a gorgeous apartment, have a core circle of close friends here (but I still miss my friends in SA loads), am always meeting new people, and am never short of social activities to attend.

But there's something missing. I'm tired/bored of being independent. It's overrated. Sure, it has its perks, but Allah did not create us to be alone.

Last year I was perfectly willing to put off the idea of marriage for another year. This year I told myself I'm going to be completely independent, travel alone on holidays/breaks if I have to, & do all that I can possibly do to live a fulfilling & exciting year.

But in a chat with a fellow blogger recently, I mentioned how I don't want to travel alone. It's a lonely feeling. Since it's unlikely friends/family will be able to join me on short trips abroad this year, I'll have to. Because I don't want to put my life on hold waiting-which is exactly what I'm not doing re arrival of a suitable boy.

And thus life can go on merrily, merrily, down the stream. But rowing a boat alone is only fun for a while. Last year when a good few of my friends fell pregnant/gave birth, I was glad it wasn't me. But now my biological clock is tick-tocking.

I admit that as a woman today, I want it all. I want to continue travelling & Inshallah would like to do aid work next year across the world. And I'd like to marry a man who's willing to join me on that.

Maybe I want too much. And so, while I refuse to settle, I am perfectly willing to compromise and live in co-dependence (Read this great piece on marriage)

But how/where does one meet suitable men? It's difficult being in the middle, not dating but not wanting to have guys come home who mostly are looking for good, 'conservative' (not necessarily Islamic) girls preferably in hijab who aren't career-minded.

Do I wait to meet another 'one for me', or do I marry someone who has good qualities but isn't everything I want?
Do I just wait, or go out & be proactive in finding someone. How does one do so?

A random crazy thought occurred to me a few weeks ago which I posed to two female blogger friends. Why not utilise the services/contacts base of Blogistan to find a suitable prospect?

IOL Radio

IOL Radio is a project of Islamonline, for which I came to Egypt. We will be launching on 1 June, Inshallah.

In the lead-up to the launch, we're producing audio content which can be accessed via our blog as well as Islamonline.

Please link www.iolradio.wordpress.com , listen to what we've produced & share your comments with us.

And spread the word

Follow us on twitter: iolradio
Facebook us: IOL Radio

Mish Masriyyah

When I was here in 2006, I liked being mistaken for Egyptian, but now I don't. Ana mish Masriyyah. Ana Janoob Ifreekiyyah-I'm not Egyptian. I'm South African.

For those who are interested in my life in Egypt, I'm going to make a concerted effort to blog on my life here & on issues & events in Egypt.

Read it on www.mishmasriyyah.blogspot.com

A few pics

3 months

Still loving it, Alhamdulillah. Just been busy with work, Arabic lessons, socialising. Moved into this fabulous apartment-it's two floors with a spiral staircase & overlooks a garden. It's lovely sitting out on the balcony in this heat.
And the girls are great.
Been on a few trips out of Cairo, went swimming with my phone in Ain Sukhna (coastal resort town) & had a freaky run-in with a cat on the night I returned from Ain Sukhna Cairo is full of stray cats, & I see many black cats. But this one was just scary.
In front of the door to the building, there’s a covered entrance area with plants. I was there when this cat appeared-& just stared at me. Thre was light outside but its eyes were glowing. I immediately fell unnerved but ignored it & went to the door. When I turned to close the door I noticed it had come closer & was still staring at me-not looking away at all. Normally stray cats run away if you even look at them.

I quickly closed the door, but since I don’t have the key for that door I couldn’t lock it. When I was halfway up the stairs (I was on the first floor) something made me turn around. The cat was at the bottom of the stairs just staring at me again. I tried shooing it away but it wouldn’t budge-just continued looking at me with those glowing eyes. I was reading ‘la howla wa la quwwata illa billa’ all the time & ran up to my flat. Couldn’t get the door open & it was ridiculous I guess but my heart was beating fast & I felt like I was escaping from a person. A few mins later, I heard a cat meowing outside!

Switched to daylight savings today-so tonight Maghrib will be at 7:25pm & not 6:25pm like yesterday,and although we know there's still only 24hrs in the day, the psychological feeling of having a longer day feels great.

Here are a few pics from Ain Sukhna & Fayoum

Alive

Anybody missed me? :-)

cairo loving

Today marks 3 weeks in Cairo. Although my last post may have suggested otherwise, I truly am happy here, Alhamdulillah. On Friday, my few doubts blew away in the fresh breeze of Alexandria.

Each of the comments expressed something of what I felt.

Cairo thus far...
I arrived in Cairo, after my trip to England & Portugal, to discover I was given a single entry visa, & not a multiple entry. Since I had flown via Cairo to London, I effectively had no entrance visa. So I endured a few-hour wait at the airport, and was questioned by official after official. Finally, I was told 'Ahlan'

Was approached by several taxi drivers outside the airport, each demanding ridiculous prices. I settled on a price with one, but when we got to the car, another said he should charge more. An American guy was sharing my taxi, and the guy wanted to charge us both the same price, even though the American guy was going much further. Then he insisted I was wrong in where I said I wanted to go. He thought the area was in a different location. I said I'd give him directions-praying I remembered correctly after being away for 2 years. And 'bad with directions bibi' did remember Alham!

The next day (Monday) I discovered the apartment I had confirmed I would take from South Africa had been given away. So I began searching for a new apartment in earnest. The following day I viewed an apartment I really liked, in a nice area. I immediately decided to take it.

On Wednesday, when moving in, a girl passing by on the street helped me take my bags up to the apartment. That night as my flatmate & I were taking a walk, we passed the same girl. She said 'I know I will see you again'
Eman & I had gone downstairs to get a new plug for my laptop, so I had taken off my contact lenses, pulled on jeans & wore a coat over my pyjama shirt. We ended up...
walking the streets of Cairo, from the main area close to our apartment, to the Nile (we live on an island off the Nile & our street is one street away from Nile), to the Corniche, to playing on a children's playground, sliding & swinging, to stopping for sushi, to buying sweets from The Sweet Factory at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, to walking downtown, passing a shoot of a soapie, Eman trying to bribe us in, to passing a shisha cafe at midnight & seeing her Sudanese friends with two American guys. We joined them, and then ended up at a Sudanese restaurant eating fattah, sharing from several large plates, eating communally.
And reaching home at 2:30am

But while I love the apartment & Eman is cool, I feel I have to find another place. Just four days after moving in, I arrived home to discover a German male friend of hers would be staying with us for a few days. And that an old German artist friend of hers (ok he's not that old only 60) would be moving in for 3 months. I told her I'm not comfortable with that. The German guy is gone & the artist no longer moving in though.

A few days after that, I invited her to a couchsurfing meet. There were three Americans, & two Egyptians there. Plus Nagham, my Egyptian friend, Eman & I. She invited them home, Nagham & one of the American girls couldn't join us. Then an Egyptian male friend of hers passed by. He was chatting to me, & I was sure I smelt alcohol on him. He was sleazy & annoying. I couldn't get away from him though. We walked to our apartment, & he stayed by my side. Wanted to take me to a club, and couldn't understand when I said no. Didn't see anything wrong in it! As we neared our apartment, Eman asked me to go with him to buy drinks-& then mentioned beer! I refused, which she got tetchy about.

The Egyptian Muslim guys were drinking too-internally I was 'omg there's alcohol in my house!'
Osama wanted my no-I didn't give it. They left at around 2am, but another friend had dropped by. As soon as the others left, I went to bed. She then came to ask me if I'd please sit with her friend, as she had to go to the airport at 6am to fetch her father. I couldn't do it-was too tired, and didn't want to make small talk with someone at that time. Plus he was drinking & smoking too.

The next morning I was woken by a man calling 'Eman!' She missed her dad at the airport & so he took a taxi home. He walked into the apartment, opening doors. Ronald's (german guy) fiancee was there & they were lying in bed together (fully clothed) Her dad was shocked. Then he opened my door, and came to stand over my bed. He thought I was Eman. He has heart problems, and had come to Egypt from Sudan for treatment & rest. He didn't know Eman had flatmates & said he'd go to a hotel. When eman arrived home, he was angry over Ronald & fiancee. He went to stay at a friend's place, for which I'm glad.

And then two days later another male friend of hers arrived. Thankfully, this time a practicing Muslim. He was in Egypt for a week, left this past weekend. I only saw him the first day.

So that's what I meant by the challenges-I'd never have imagined I'd find myself in such situations. I wanted to move out immediately when Ronald moved in, but couldn't. But Alham, I barely saw him & had my privacy.

I've met two girls whom I was in touch with-Salma, a blogger & Nagham, a writer. Nagham had contacted me last year for an article she was writing, we shared the same ideas & meeting her was wonderful. Last Wednesday, just after telling myself I'm not going out that night, she called-to invite me out. Of course I said yes, & arrived home at 2am on a work night.

Salma invited me to her home in Alex this past weekend-one of the most genuinely sincere, sweet people I've met. Had a lovely time, & her mum stuffed me like a turkey with her delicious cooking.

Attended a katb-al-kitaab (nikah ceremony) which was lovely. Making more Egyptian friends this time, spending time with the delighful Rasha whom I work with at IOL.
Workwise, I'm looking forward to achieving what I came here for Inshallah.

Watched two depressing French films at the French Cultural Centre, had my first fight with a taxi driver (we were round the corner from the French Centre. After getting drections he still took the wrong turn driving way out & returning 20 mins later to where I got the taxi from! Round the corner from the FCC-I was late & unsure of exact distance so took a cab)

I've been hit on by a boy selling bread on the side of the street, only to be 'defended' by a man standing nearby who said I shouldn't take notice of such rubbish. He used the word rubbish not because the boy sells bread, but because it's very disrespectful to hit on a woman.

I'm told I'm skinny all the time, which isn't true (I'm an American size 2-4, UK size 8, SA 30/32) but I enjoy hearing it:-)

I do alot of walking (15 min walk to/from metro station to my house) & find myself taking a walk somewhere instead of cabbing it. A half hour walk is nothing.

I've only cooked once-pasta- & am craving home food. I miss my mum making lunch for me, & coming home to a good meal every day.

I refuse to push & shove when getting into the metro (tube) but I do hate it when others push & shove at me.

I love being part of a pulsating throb of people, living in a city that is vibrant with activity even at 2am. I love being free to come & go as I please, to be a part of Al Qahira.

cairo calling

I wrote this post when I left Cairo in 2006...

letting go...

i'm grasping with greedy hands the flimsy fabric of tattered luxurious threads which have covered me these past months. i'm letting go, and gently i remove the layers.

i'm grasping with greedy hands all that is symbolic of this land which has given me life these past few months. i'm caught up in a materialistic frenzy of shopping.

i'm grasping with greedy hands the essence which perfumes the air with its heady scent. but i fail. the scent cannot be bottled. all i can do is hope to remember, and breathe it through memory.

i walk the streets of this land which has been my home for 9 months, imprinting with my footsteps roots in my mind.

i walk the streets of my adopted land which i know so well, better than the land to which i was born.

i walk the streets of my adopted land, knowing i will be denied walking the streets of my beloved country.

my soul is satisfied with what it has been fed these past 9 months. my mind feels part of its growth has been stunted to allow other parts to grow, but it too, is happy. my heart is content, but it yearns always for more.

my soul will be the unhappiest with my leaving, but that is natural, for it has benefited the most for it was nurtured with spirituality.

Now I fear my soul may be unhappy at returning for it has not yet fed on the seeds of knowledge, nor fasted on the Sabbath of simplicity.

On my arrival, I doubted why I chose to return. I felt uneasy, and a miniscule uncertainty remains. But that's because I question why I want to live elsewhere, albeit temporarily, when South Africa is my homeland not because I was born there, but because I dance to its song.

I miss family and friends beyond what I've ever missed before. But I am happy. I love being here, the whirling dervish of events spinning me into multi-faceted prisms.

I'm caught up in a cacaphony of chaotic charm, a catalyst of change, a rainbow of new friends.

Daughter of Holocaust Survivors on Gaza

The wonderful Sara Roy on the Gaza bloodbath

Israel's 'victories' in Gaza come at a steep price

January 02, 2009 Edition | csmonitor.com
By Sara Roy

The Jewish ethical tradition means embracing Palestinians, too.

Cambridge, Mass. - I hear the voices of my friends in Gaza as clearly as if we were still on the phone; their agony echoes inside me. They weep and moan over the death of their children, some, little girls like mine, taken, their bodies burned and destroyed so senselessly.

One Palestinian friend asked me, "Why did Israel attack when the children were leaving school and the women were in the markets?" There are reports that some parents cannot find their dead children and are desperately roaming overflowing hospitals.

As Jews celebrated the last night of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights commemorating our resurgence as a people, I asked myself: How am I to celebrate my Jewishness while Palestinians are being killed?

The religious scholar Marc Ellis challenges us further by asking whether the Jewish covenant with God is present or absent in the face of Jewish oppression of Palestinians? Is the Jewish ethical tradition still available to us? Is the promise of holiness � so central to our existence � now beyond our ability to reclaim?

The lucky ones in Gaza are locked in their homes living lives that have long been suspended � hungry, thirsty, and without light but their children are alive.

Since Nov. 4, when Israel effectively broke the truce with Hamas by attacking Gaza on a scale then unprecedented � a fact now buried with Gaza's dead � the violence has escalated as Hamas responded by sending hundreds of rockets into Israel to kill Israeli civilians. It is reported that Israel's strategy is to hit Hamas military targets, but explain that difference to my Palestinian friends who must bury their children.

On Nov. 5, Israel sealed all crossing points into Gaza, vastly reducing and at times denying food supplies, medicines, fuel, cooking gas, and parts for water and sanitation systems. A colleague of mine in Jerusalem said, "this siege is in a league of its own. The Israelis have not done something like this before."

During November, an average of 4.6 trucks of food per day entered Gaza from Israel compared with an average of 123 trucks per day in October. Spare parts for the repair and maintenance of water-related equipment have been denied entry for over a year. The World Health Organization just reported that half of Gaza's ambulances are now out of order.

According to the Associated Press, the three-day death toll rose to at least 370 by Tuesday morning, with some 1,400 wounded. The UN said at least 62 of the dead were civilians. A Palestinian health official said that at least 22 children under age 16 were killed and more than 235 children have been wounded.

In nearly 25 years of involvement with Gaza and Palestinians, I have not had to confront the horrific image of burned children � until today.

Yet for Palestinians it is more than an image, it is a reality, and because of that I fear something profound has changed that will not easily be undone. For how, in the context of Gaza today, does one speak of reconciliation as a path to liberation, of sympathy as a source of understanding? Where does one find or even begin to create a common field of human undertaking (to borrow from the late, acclaimed Palestinian scholar, Edward Said) so essential to coexistence?

It is one thing to take an individual's land, his home, his livelihood, to denigrate his claims, or ignore his emotions. It is another to destroy his child. What happens to a society where renewal is denied and all possibility has ended?

And what will happen to Jews as a people whether we live in Israel or not? Why have we been unable to accept the fundamental humanity of Palestinians and include them within our moral boundaries? Rather, we reject any human connection with the people we are oppressing. Ultimately, our goal is to tribalize pain, narrowing the scope of human suffering to ourselves alone.

Our rejection of "the other" will undo us. We must incorporate Palestinians and other Arab peoples into the Jewish understanding of history, because they are a part of that history. We must question our own narrative and the one we have given others, rather than continue to cherish beliefs and sentiments that betray the Jewish ethical tradition.

Jewish intellectuals oppose racism, repression, and injustice almost everywhere in the world and yet it is still unacceptable � indeed, for some, it's an act of heresy � to oppose it when Israel is the oppressor. This double standard must end.

Israel's victories are pyrrhic and reveal the limits of Israeli power and our own limitations as a people: our inability to live a life without barriers. Are these the boundaries of our rebirth after the Holocaust?

As Jews in a post-Holocaust world empowered by a Jewish state, how do we as a people emerge from atrocity and abjection, empowered and also humane? How do we move beyond fear to envision something different, even if uncertain?

The answers will determine who we are and what, in the end, we become.

Sara Roy is a senior research scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, and the author, most recently, of "Failing Peace: Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict."

In Solidarity...

*Updated: Just another crime file

I hate the bastards. I hate them for making me feel this way, for imprisoning my body & mind. I hate them for being in control, for hijacking our lifestyle, for sentencing us to paranoia. I hate them for nfluencing my friends and family to leave our country. I hate the bastards!

I hate being terrorised by rampant crime. I hate being a victim. I hate that last week two men entered our yard, with two waiting outside. I hate that one threatened to shoot my father when he screamed for my mum to 'Call the cops' (My father was in bed not feeling well, when something told him to go check outside) I hate that when my mum ran out one of them brazenly laughed when my dad told her again to call the cops. I hate that they jumped over the wall (the electric fencing box was ripped out in the back we discovered) and could so easily enter our property. I hate that they did this in broad daylight with security guards up the road.

I hate that our neighbour's house was broken into a few weeks back, despite electric fencing.

I hate that two weeks ago a friend's mum had an attempted hijack outside their home. I hate that she was hit on the head with a gun and had to have stitches. I hate that Tasneem, one of my most patriotic friends, now wants to leave.

I hate that we have to discuss 'crime files'

I hate that I have to argue 'SA is a great place to live' with friends and family who believe there's no future here.
I hate that I can't defend criminals any longer-I can no longer excuse their behaviour using societal ills.

I hate that the government is not doing anything about the crime.

I hate the bastards!

-----
Please do excuse the profanity-but damn I'm angry at feeling like this.

Alhamdulillah, second time lucky this year. The would-be criminals ran away. As my friend Christo says 'a rare breed-the non-violent criminal' My dad was able to call the guy's bluff when he threatened to shoot...And it's futile to ponder what might have been-except to be grateful 'nothing' happened.

But on instinct-trust your instinct

A few years back we were in Ixopo. I was alone at home, my parents at the shop. The lights went out, then on, off, on, off...The dogs barked then were quiet..I closed the door leading to the verandah, then went back to my room. The house had three entrances and something told me to go check the back entrance to the laundry room. I peeked round the corner, and through the frosted glass door, saw a man in blue overalls trying to break the lock. I called out 'Who's there?' There was silence..and I saw him move away. I went back to my room & was about to call my parents when I stopped. I hate paranoia (& that's why this recent incident makes me so angry because I am in danger of becoming paranoid) & then thought it may have been the gardener. He knew where the outdoor electricity boxes were, and he may have been doing something. The dogs didn't bark when the man was at the door, so I convinced myself it was him. What was he doing at the door? I didn't have an explanation for that...

But I was a bit scared to go to the kitchen or my mum's room to fetch the phone as it meant passing by open windows (I dislike carrying a cordless or even my mobile around with me in the house)
When my mum got home, she saw there was no electricity. I filled her in on what happened. She tried calling Eskom from the landline, but there was no ring tone. When the guy from Eskom arrived, he discovered the electricity was shut off from the box that was hidden behind the water tank. (It was a farmhouse-we had a big rainwater tank thingie outside)
And then he asked if the phone is working. He noticed the telephone wire had been cut. According to him, only a big panga can be used to cut it.

My parents were incredulous that I didn't call them.
We were convinced it was the gardener as only he would have known about the other electricity box, & it would explain why the dogs didn't bark. Or a drunk farmworker (it was a public holiday the next day) or forest worker (There was a Sappi forest behind the house)

Anyways, I was just glad instinct worked. The guy probably thought there was nobody home.

Two days later, my parents & their friends had a good laugh. I heard the dogs barking madly so immediately called my mum. When she arrived, she saw the dogs were barking at the cows!


---Despite this, I still have hope that we'll beat crime. I have hope for our beautiful country. And non-South Africans-it's not as bad as it sounds. Please do visit! :-)

TARIQ RAMADAN ON BARACK OBAMA : HOPE WITHOUT NAIVITY

The eight years of George W. Bush’s presidency have accustomed us to so many errors, lies, wilfull distortions and political manipulation. Let us hope that a page is turned in the history of the United States. Since September 2001, the Bush regime has been obsessed by the "global war against terrorism" and the "wars” against the Talibans, Saddam Hussein, or the "Axis of evil." Over time, Americans have awakened to the emptiness of these bellicos and arrogant slogans. Barak Obama is now the new President and this is an event to be welcomed for several reasons. Yet we must not be lulled into complacency by naive estimates of what lies ahead.


Barak Obama’s roots and his multiple cultural identities stand in stark contrast to the profiles of George W. Bush. His understanding of the countries of the world—particularly of the global South— point to a different outcome. Taken together, his life and experience make hope for a new understanding of domestic and international issues possible. Colin Powell had laid out the terms of reference : Barak Obama is not a Muslim ; he is Black and Christian. But, in the final analysis, what if he were a Muslim ? What is wrong with being "African-American" or "Muslim" in today’s America ? While it now appears that the U.S. can live with the election of a Black American, indications are that a new, virulent anti-Muslim racism has arisen in the wake of the events of September 2001. Given such fears, and the hardening of religious and ethnic divisions, Barak Obama’s origins should make it possible for him to emerge as "everybody’s president". In rejecting manufactured divisions, cultural biases and the "religionization" of social issues, Barak Obama should become the symbol of a new United States simply by wielding his stature as president to promote domestic policies that favor justice and equality, the battle against racial discrimination on the job or in housing, not to mention new domestic policies designed to improve urban life ; broaden opportunity, and empower citizens of all origins. The first black president’s greatest achievement would be to cause people to forget his color, and to implement more equitable social policies without regard to color. His first speech as a president had the right tone.


On the international level, Obama should be able to lay to rest the deafness of the outgoing administration, which spared no effort to persuade Americans that they were “the victims” of "aggressors" who hated their civilization. Above and beyond the condemnation of terrorist acts, which must be unconditional, the criticisms and grievances of the entire world must now be heard. The policies of the Bush administration have produced a world-wide rejection of the United States. The new president must begin with symbolic actions to demonstrate that the life of an Afghan, an Iraqi or a Muslim is worth no less than that of an American. The time has come to put an end to the language of bullying and intimidation ; to close the dungeons of shame at Guantanamo and other similar prisons around the world. Obama can no longer justify, in the name of American national security, the deaths of the innocent, legalized torture, extraordinary rendition and other discriminatory measures, including the granting of American visas. The campaign has made it clear that we must entertain no illusions.Change may be significant in certain areas ; in others, it is bound to be limited. The Palestine-Israel conflict is central to world peace. Yet Barak Obama has taken such an outspoken pro-Israel stance (before the American pro-Israel lobby) that significant change on this issue is extremely unlikely. Nor is much to be expected in questioning neoliberalism while dealing with the international economic crisis. Both issues seem to constitute untouchable dogmas.


We must not succumb to irrational hope. There can be little doubt that some positive change can be expected under a Barak Obama presidency. Any such change should be welcomed ; at the same time, our critical vigilance must not be relaxed, especially with regard to the sacrosanct dogmas of a political and economic establishment that cannot bring itself to acknowledge the dignity of the Palestinian people (and more globally the Africans and the Arabs), or the devastation wrought by an economic order that has plunged millions of American families into debt, and cast thousands more into the street. Muslims in the States and around the world are mainly satisfied : they hope to see the end of the politics of fears, mistrust and polarization spread around by the Bush administration. Still, they have their share of responsibility : to get rid of the victim mentality, to be more consistent with their own values, to get out of their intellectual ghettos and to be positively and critically proactive in order to feel they belong to this “We” committed to reforms while repeating “Yes, WE can”.

Refugees-Blogger Action Day

Today marks blogger action day on refugees. Due to time and energy constraints I'm posting three articles I wrote. The first was in November 2006 when I visited Lebanon. Articles two and three were written for a younger audience. Hence the simplification.

--
I wake up to grey skies and a cold, rainy day on my second day in Lebanon. Sheikh Ghaleb Chehade, the director of the American-based Zakat Foundation in Lebanon, and his wife are taking me to Sidon, where the largest Palestinian refugee camp, `Ein Al-`Ein Al-Helwahh, is based. The drive from Beirut to Sidon is flanked by the ocean on one's right. At one point, the ocean meets the river,and the blue against brown is a mesmerizing sight. The only sign of destruction I see along the way is an overhead bridge which was bombed. It now simply hangs.

Sidon is a charming little town, dominated by an old Roman citadel. The fishermen's wharf is bustling and seaside restaurants are well-patronized. Just two roads up from this evocative scene, we reach a far more emotion-provoking habitat. Well-guarded checkpoints line the entrance. The road inside is covered with large potholes and ditches. Rubbish bins overflow with rotting garbage. Children run about, absorbed in their childhood games.

The tiny room-like houses have corrugated iron roofs. Corrugated iron forms walls between homes. We park the car on a main street. Sheikh Ghaleb says it's better for me to place my laptop in the car trunk, and not leave it on the backseat of the car. Crime is a problem here too. We first visit the home of Sajida, a woman who has lived here for 59 years. Yet she longs to return home. Her family

We then make our way, passing through narrow alleys, to the home of Shaadi, a 26-year-old man. As we pass other homes in the alley, rain drips noticeably from broken roofs into homes. Shaadi's sister, Fatima, greets us at the entrance of their home, which has a flimsy door over which a curtain hangs. We step into a dark, cement-floored hall which is the kitchen. Four doors lead off from here to two bedrooms, one bathroom, and the lounge. Sheikh Ghaleb enters a room and we follow. Shaadi's mother is sick and is in bed. The rickety bed is the only piece of furniture in the room.

Fatima takes us into the lounge, which is proudly shown. A simple lounge suite displays itself. Pictures are pasted on the walls, and a cabinet holds mementoes. When Shaadi walks into this simply furnished sitting room, there is a palpable change of atmosphere. Shaadi exudes dignity — a dignity of pure honor. Fatima's demeanor changes too. She loosens her stiff expression, Shaadi's natural, warm smile being contagious. With his large frame, he could easily be threatening, but his physique makes one feel protected. He relaxes into a comfortable position, talking candidly about his life.

"I was born here. This is my home, my life", he remarks. `Ein Al-Helwah came into being over fifty years ago, in 1947, when an agreement was made between the Palestinian Authority and the Lebanese government. It now houses over 100,000 people within the small space of 40,000 m.

The only life Shaadi has ever known has been fraught with tension and pain. Poverty is not an idealistic issue he'd like to combat. He lives in poverty and with a real sense of misplaced identity. Born in Lebanon, he is a Palestinian. Yet he is neither a Lebanese nor a Palestinian citizen. `Ein Al-Helwah is considered a temporary home by the authorities. But it is a permanent home for Shaadi. "The Palestinian Authority, at the time of the camp's conception, together with the Lebanese government, agreed that the Palestinian refugees should not be allowed to live in good homes and have good jobs, or they wouldn't return to Palestine," he explains. In his twenty six years, Shaadi has received a sub-standard education in the UN camp school, he has not been allowed to get a university education, he can work only in a job demanding not much skills, and he has to pass through a checkpoint each time he leaves or enters the camp. In this land in which he was born without choice, he lives an ugly, surreal existence. "Qadr Allah" [God's fate] is the simple, but potent response to how he feels about his life here.

The conversations Shaadi has with his friends are typical of any group of young male talks: politics, cars, life, work, and sports — with a distinct exception. Girls rarely feature in their discussions. At 26, Shaadi is neither married nor engaged. The same goes for many of his friends. In a society where most are married by 25, Shaadi and his friends are considered anomalies. "My parents are pressuring me to get married," he comments. "But I don't want to because I cannot give my wife the life I want her to have." The meager $150 salary he earns as a mechanic's apprentice goes to supporting his family. They are a family of five, and receive only $250 a month from the government. As for his friends who are married, the pressures they face are too much for Shaadi to risk in terms of the lifelong commitment. "I see what they experience. They are weakened by the humiliations life throws at them, and in trying to rise above these trials, in trying to be strong before their wives, their manhood is slowly eroded," he says frankly.

Shaadi has many hopes which are universal, of which the most important is to live a comfortable life in peace and freedom. But for now, he has an overwhelming dream. He dreams of living in Europe, either Germany or Belgium. He is not bitter about the life he leads here, but he yearns for a better existence. "I know that in Europe I can live a life of freedom and dignity," he enthuses. He's certain of this, and has no qualms about being an Arab in Europe, because he has a brother in Germany and a friend in Belgium. "They were fortunate to leave this behind, and are now living like human beings," he says. Shaadi wants to join his friend in Belgium, which he believes to be better than Germany. "I will not be abandoning my family. Instead, my leaving will help them as I will be able to send more money to support them."

Shaadi's eyes shine with spirit as he talks about Europe. As he talks, he has escaped to the world he dreams of. Shaadi talks of a life with dignity and freedom. What is clear to me, though, is that no matter where he may live, he will always have dignity.

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Since 1991, Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa, has witnessed varying conflicts which continue to this day. Being a poor African nation, Somalia suffered while the world did not come to its rescue. Recently, this country was brought to our attention once again through news broadcasts. With Islam under attack in other parts of the world, here too it is the "Islamists" who are being targeted by the US.
The current battle is between the Transitional Government of Somalia (TGS) and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). Ethiopia, which is supported by America, intervened in late 2006, to prevent the ICU from gaining full control. And recently, America officially became involved when it conducted air strikes in Ras Kamboni, claiming that those targeted were Al-Qaeda operatives working in the ICU. America's role stinks of the fumes of burning oil.

In 1993, UN troops, led by the US, landed in Somalia to provide relief and establish "peace." At that time it was pointed out that in 1991, just before the downfall of pro-US president Siad Barre, almost two-thirds of Somalia's land had been granted as oil concessions to four American companies — Chevron, Amoco, Conoco, and Phillips (these last two are now ConocoPhillips).

Somalia is ravaged, and a large number of the population has fled as refugees. South Africa is seen as a welcoming haven for Somali refugees, and they have established vibrant communities in different parts of the country. I met with two young Somali men living in Mayfair, Johannesburg, and asked them to speak frankly on their views on Somalia's war-ridden history.

Youth 4 the Future:How and why did you come to live as a refugee in South Africa?

Sa`id:My country is in turmoil and it has been in turmoil for the past 16 years. There is no hope of a decent education or a job. There is no hope for the future. I left Somalia in 1999 in search of a better life, so I decided to come here to South Africa. I was a young man, low on cash and without having proper permits crossing illegally country into country. It was not an easy journey, but I made it and I thank Allah for bringing me here. I live fairly comfortably and have hope for a better life.

Ibrahim:I came to South Africa three years ago. I came here because I wanted to live in peace. The war in Somalia did not seem like it would end, and so I feared for my safety.

Youth 4 the Future:Why do you think Somalia is always at war? Who is to blame for the current conflict?

Sa`id:First, I would blame the Somalis themselves for the conflict. There is hatred between them because this one belongs to this clan and that one belongs to that clan. This mentality is killing Somalia. Second, there are foreign countries that do not want Somalia to progress as a peaceful country and as a Muslim state. They want Somalia to be lawless and ruin itself for their own benefit.

Ibrahim:I think it is because of foreign countries' intervention and some selfish people who are working for their personal interests. They want to keep Somalia in a state of lawlessness as it has been for the past 16 years.

Youth 4 the Future:What is the solution to the conflict?

Sa`id:The solution is that Somalis have to abolish this clan mentality which is dividing them into these fragments of enemies and to think about their country. Conflict will not solve anything — it only fuels the flames of hate. So many Somalis have lost their lives and homes. Foreign countries should stay clear of Somalia's affairs and leave the Somalis to solve their own problems. One country is passing arms to this group and another country is doing the same to another group. They do so to fulfill their own interests.

Ibrahim:The solution is to keep out all foreign intervention and leave the Somalis to sort out their own issues. Somalia belongs to the Somalis.

Youth 4 the Future:What do you think of America's role?

Sa`id:Well, we all know about America's role in Somalia. America does not want to see any Muslim country in the world, and Somalia is a Muslim country where 100 percent of the population are Muslims. So they just bomb an entire village and say they are looking for three men who allegedly have bombed embassies, and they do not care who dies.

Ibrahim:The American government is clearly an enemy of Islam and does not want to see Somalia establish itself as an independent Muslim state.

Youth 4 the Future:If peace comes to Somalia, will you return to your homeland?

Sa`id:Of course I will. I would like to see Somalia be part of the world scene and not be known as a conflict area. But I do not see that happening for a long time because of the current events in Somalia. For now I would rather stay where I am and hope for peace to return to Somalia.

Ibrahim:No, I will not return to Somalia. I will not return because my country holds too many painful memories. I witnessed people being murdered, stabbed, and tortured — it is too traumatic. I will remain here and build a better life.

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Take a good look at your life. Chances are you live very comfortably. You probably have a nice home, a warm bed, your own room, and a family to lean on. You complain at times that you are hungry and have nothing to eat. But this isn't true, is it? When you say this, it usually means there's no junk food to snack on. You are used to good meals and most certainly cannot do without them.

School is a place where you often don't want to be. But it's also a ticket that will take you on the journey to university and then to the destination of a glamorous career and luxurious life. You regard education as a tedious chore and definitely not a privilege.

Close your eyes for a moment. Transport yourself to a foreign land — a foreign land where you are not welcome. You have been forced to flee your homeland due to political strife created by power-hungry individuals. You have witnessed indescribable brutality, the images of which scream silently in your mind. You were present when your brother was savagely stabbed with a machete. The strength your mother displayed when she was violently violated, and her tears of humiliation afterwards are indelibly engraved in your memory.

The taste of boiled leaves is still bitter in your mouth. The gnawing grimness of hunger continues to growl in your tummy. The innocent days of your childhood are but a dream. They come to you in a gentle mist of slumber, only to be viciously shoved away by the dark clouds of violent remembrance.

No longer will you walk the gentle valleys of your youth, swim in its streams, stroll its sidewalks, breathe in its nightlife, or own any part of it. Even if you were to return, the land you once knew and loved is no more. It has changed irrevocably, as have you.

You are a refugee. You are a displaced person who has no country to call home. You are shunned by the people whose land you now inhabit. You are seen as a leech sucking up available jobs, depriving the locals of what they perceive to be rightfully theirs.


Money is scarce and you share a home with another family, or maybe two or even three other families. Space is limited and the only privacy you have is within the confines of your mind. Your heart aches to escape, your soul strives to soar, but you are a prisoner of reality. You are a refugee.

Why do we treat refugees with such contempt? Why are we so arrogant to think we would never find ourselves in this situation? We only have to look at one of the most recent natural disasters — Hurricane Katrina — that destroyed the city of New Orleans in the United States, to become cognizant that refugee status is not only accorded to third-world country citizens. We could all find ourselves in this stark situation one day, fleeing our homes with just the clothes on our back, abandoning all of our belongings. May Almighty Allah protect us.

As Muslims, our duty toward refugees is clear. Allah exhorts us to treat refugees with kindness and to provide them with whatever help we can. Sadly, I have seen supposedly pious people, who are punctual in their salah, perform hajj every year, these men have big beards and their wives wear niqab, yet they treat refugees with minimal respect. These people give refugees menial jobs, substandard accommodation, and are made to feel like outcasts. On the days of Eid celebrations, they are invited home for a meal, but they are made to sit at a separate table. Is this what being a good Muslim is all about?

In the Companions (may Allah have mercy on them), we have the perfect example of how to deal with refugees. The Ansar of Madinah were the sublime embodiment of kindness and helpfulness. When the Muhajirun emigrated from Makkah to Madinah at the command of the Prophet (may peace be upon him), the Ansar welcomed the them with open arms.


Each Ansari brother took one Muhajir brother as a partner. The Ansar gave one half of their wealth and belongings to the Muhajirun. Can any of us fathom the true weight of this? Who among us can honestly say we can even imagine, let alone give, one half of our wealth to someone who has none?

What better model of equality can there be than this? It was an unprecedented act in the history of mankind and has never been repeated since. Each Ansari brother competed to outdo the other in good deeds to the extent that if a man had two wives, he would divorce one so the Muhajir brother who did not have a wife, could get married.

[Show their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the latter, but give them preference over themselves, even though poverty was their own lot, and those who saved from the covetousness of their own souls – they are the ones that achieve prosperity.] (Surah Hashr 59:9)

Allah praises the Ansar who gave up everything out of love for Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). And it was not only the rich who gave of their wealth. Even the poor gave what they could.

The Ansar were magnanimous in their generosity and harbored no ill-feelings toward the Muhajirun. They practiced ithaal (preferring another over yourself) so that even when the war booty was divided only among the Muhajirun, they felt no jealousy toward their brothers.

We obviously do not possess the great qualities of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), but even so, we can try our best to emulate them. Let us strive to redefine our paradigms and alter our perceptions of the individual worlds we live in. Let us seek to better ourselves at every turn. The next time you see a foreigner walking in the street, imagine you were them. We can get involved in community refugee centers and help those who need our help. And in turn, Allah will look with mercy upon us.

Rendezvous boo-boo

Scene: Friend and I having coffee at Mugg & Bean at Killarney Mall last night. I notice a guy coming up the elevator. He smiles at me. I return it-somewhat reservedly, but thinking he looks a tad familiar

He walks over to our table. Smiles. By this time I know I don't know him. I think maybe he knows Fatima, but wonder why he's looking at me

Him: Assalaamu alaikum. How are you?
Me:Wa alaikum salaam. I'm good alham.
Him:(grinning broadly)This is the right table, right? We were meant to meet...
Me: (looking confusedly at Fatima, who returns my bewildered look)(smiling) No, I think you have the wrong table..sorry..
Him: You're not Sumaya?
Me: No, I'm not Sumaya
(He looks at Fatima who shakes her head)
Him: Oh, okay, I'm sorry..I'm meeting a girl..(trails off and walks off)

A few minutes later, Fatima says 'He's found Sumaya.' And we both burst out laughing-no, not as in mean girl laughter, but just laughing at the hilarity of the situation.

Shame, guy seemed really sweet & gave off very good vibes. Hope it works out between him & Sumaya

Quick scribble

He's dominated conversation in SA for the past two weeks and will probably continue to be the breakfast, lunch, dinner & radio station conversation for the next week.

Sami Yusuf cassette playing. (Yes, cassette. I couldn't find cd's in Egypt-most stores stock cassettes only.) The lyrics speak to my soul-my heart beats in rhythm. Unfortunately this didn't occur last night. A few songs in the beginning raised my Iman-o-meter, but then the intstrumentals started to overpower the words, and during the times only music was played, I felt empty. On the whole, I wasn't as spiritually uplifted as I am when listening on the radio. Dawud Wharnsby and Zain Bhikha at the ILM-SA concerts last year had more of an impact.

But as a musician I admire Sami. He's extremely gifted (as is his orchestra) & he put on a wonderful performance.

I was extremely surprised by the huge turnout at the Dome last night. I half expected to see picketing outside. The enthusiastic response by the crowd was pleasing (Oasis needn't have bussed in 'groupies' from Durban to raise numbers & noise levels but it was good to see Dbn friends so all good:-) but...it was disappointing to hear & see young girls screaming for Sami. He's married! Appreciate his music-don't go crazy for him! He's singing about turning to Allah & the right path, & some womens' hearts are shrouded by fan lust!

When people in the front stood up & clapped to the beat of the songs, I was fine with it. My section was quiet & lacked atmosphere, so my sister and I joined in at the front. But then I noticed men & women, young & old dancing (swaying & moving arms about constitutes dancing) which is just wrong.

I left having enjoyed the concert, but I would have preferred less instrumentals. If it was just the flute, percussion dhuff & piano it would have been more enjoyable. Oh, & the sintoor & tar definitely. (These are 800 yr old instruments. Absolutely beautiful) The classical instrumentals sounded so much better than the keyboard & drums.

Again, the music overpowered the words at times, emptying them of soul-rendering emotion.

My sister & I wanted him to end with 'Supplication', and tried getting the attention of one of the guards so we could request it, but unfortunately couldn't. It would have ended the evening perfectly.

It seems Durban & CT fans were lucky in that they got to meet him after the show. I know a good few people in Jhb who were disappointed (devastated would be more accurate) they didn't get to. I'm not a fan type, but it was nice interviewing him. He was humble, willing to answer all questions, & every interviewers dream interviewee-he gave detailed replies & was open & expansive. (rambled at times though)

Now to go write up that interview. Three articles due tomorrow & have to go in to work tonight. But just for two hours-one hour to prep then one hour on air.

La ilaha illallah Muhammadur rasoolullah

Why am I Muslim? I first pondered over this question at the age of fifteen. Before that I rattled off the basic 'I'm Muslim because I believe in....' A Christian friend and I were speaking about religion, when she threw this at me. "You're Muslim because your parents are Muslim." I disagreed with her, but reflected deeply when I got home. Why was I a Muslim? Was I just following blindly without knowing why I believed as I did? Why did I believe Islam was the perfect religion, the true way of life?

Growing up, I thought it was almost heretical to ask questions. This was due to conditioning by my teachers and elders.Yet it's only when we know the wisdom behind the reasoning that we can understand and truly submit to the teachings of Islam in totality. To ask is to grow in knowledge.

There was never a doubt in my mind about my deen, I just needed to affirm my choice to be Muslim. Which I did. I'm not going to expand on my journey of introspection and understanding here though.

Two weeks ago I attended a da'wah course which had a huge impact on me. I've mentioned in a previous post 'If I were ever to fall for a non-Muslim guy, I'd walk away because it would be arrogant of me to ask him to convert, and also I wouldn't want a guy converting because of me, but because he truly wants to be Muslim'
Now I ask myself 'How is this being arrogant?' Do I not believe that Islam is sublime in its perfection?

Surah An Nisaa Verse 16:125 says "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord kows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided."

What is the purpose of life? As a Muslim, it is to worship Allah. And it is every Muslim's duty to call people to Islam. Yet many feel they do not possess the skills to give da'wah, and that they are not strong enough in Iman. However, all one needs is belief in the five pillars of Islam, and the 6 pillars of Iman. Allah gives hidaayat (guidance) but there are two kinds. Hidaayat ul irshaad: to direct someone to the truth. This is the duty of Muslims. Hidaayat ul tawfiq: when Allah opens a person's heart to Islam.We can do da'wah in so many ways, be it directly or non-directly.

When people ask us questions about Islam, let's not be afraid to invite them to accept Islam. I think of my friends who've converted and their stories, and how some say they probably wouldn't have come to Islam if not for Muslims who invited them. One of the American ladies at halaqah once told us of an old woman who lived next to a young Muslim couple for a good few years. One day she angrily banged at their door, and when the husband opened, she asked 'Why didn't you tell me you're Muslim?' ' He was flustered, (being post 9/11) and replied 'Well I didn't think it was important' The old woman told him 'Why did you not want to share the truth with me? I only found out about Islam today, but today I am Muslim.' There are so many stories to relate. But this one plays on my mind...

Another story is the one the teacher of the course told. He was giving da'wah at a march in Washington by handing out pamphlets. "I passed by a big-built man wearing a sleeveless black shirt with black leather trousers, tattoos running from his neck to the breadth of his arms, wearing white contact lenses. And I thought he won't be interested in Islam. A few minutes later my friend called me. He had just given da'wah to that man who immediately took shahaadah. The man told us, "This morning I woke up wanting to search for the truth." Subhanallah!

When giving da'wah to Muslims (or non-Muslims) it's important not to use fear to admonish the people. It is related in Bukhari, 'Make things easy and do not make things difficult, give the good news and do not turn people away.'
Unfortunately, we are consantly preached to and from childhood taught to fear Allah, rather than to love Allah. 'Don't do that-you'll get ghunaa (sin). Make tawba tawba-and we'd tap one cheek then the other with our forefinger as we said 'tawba tawba astaghfirullah' How about we teach children not to commit wrong out of love for Allah?

I think MJ mentioned this after the ILM concert last year where Dawud Wharnsby performed and spoke so refreshingly on reforming Muslim youth. 'So what if he has an earring, or she doesn't wear hijab, or their hair is purple. Don't frown at them when they come to the masjid. Be glad they're there. Speak nicely to them and they'll respect you and will practice the deen' (Baba Ali has a great video 'Haraam'. Why do some people insist on making everything haraam thus turning people away from the practice of Islam)

The best da'wah I ever received was from my Portuguese convert friend Sonia. We returned home from Alexandria just before 11pm. It had been a long day as we left Cairo at 7am. I was tired & thought I'd pray qadhaa of Esha the next day. Sonia said smilingly 'But Beebs, it will only take a few minutes to make wudhu & about ten minutes to pray salaah. We'll pray together in jama'ah.You'll feel so much better, why put it off?' I complied, and Alhamdulillah have never felt lazy to pray salaah after that, or intentionally made salaah qadhaa (with the exception of Fajr as per post below which isn't intentional)

So from Dawud Wharnsby's nasheed 'Colours of Islam'
'Your paint will be Qur'an
Your brush will be Iman
So fill the world with colour
Every colour of islam'

On the right-hand toolbar you'll see 'Lyrical Praise' Listen to 'Light upon Light' which encapsulates the essence of this post.

Eternal Battle

We lie awake, each fighting for victory
He won every morning last week
besides for Saturday
Each Saturday he loses, but yet it's not a real win for me
I have to get up at 4am for work


Why do I succumb to his wicked whispers?
Why do I not even bother to counteract some mornings?
Why do I allow sinful slumber to drug me?
Why do I not respond to the call of 'Assalaatu khairam minannawm'?

But today I redeemed myself
Awake in those early hours
I contemplated turning my alarm off
I didn't
But yet when it went off
I debated getting up
And then, Alhamdulillah, I did

How can I not want to experience the sweetness of Fajr salaah every morning?
How can I call myself a practicing Muslim if I cannot practice regularly in this?

Why is it so easy to pray all other salaah punctually no matter where I am, but so difficult to wake up for Fajr?

Why do I not express the true love for my Creator and deen which I feel?

Why am I hypocritical in faith? Am I hypocritical in faith?



*Updated*
Woke up today too Alhamdulillah-I think I should start a Fajr calendar
My granny told me before I must make dua I'll make up for Fajr after Esha-this worked sometimes
Firm intention-I do make an intention when I set my alarm clock but still...
I wish I could hear the adhaan (sadly, we don't hear it at all in our area) We had a clock which broke, and just never got round to getting another. I miss hearing the adhaan.

The legend is true...

...There's gold at the end of the rainbow

For non South Africans, SARS is the South African Revenue of Services-they collect our taxes (which reminds me I have to fill out my tax forms)

The pic was forwarded to me by a colleague. I don't know who took this photo so am unable to credit them

Backtrack

Mum: Don't you girls want to get married? I want grandchildren

My sister Mo'azza: Well Mum if that's all you want we can easily make you some

(I'm in shock here-can't believe Moo just said that)

Mum: No, no! (laughing sheepishly) I'll wait patiently for you girls to get married.

On that note, and with similiar words...

(At age 20/21 in a very broody phase which has since passed, chatting to my friend's younger brother & his friends at a mall)

Me: (seeing cute baby) I want a baby

Friend's brother : Bibi-don't say that in front of guys! It can be *ahem* very easily arranged if you like

Me: (blushing) No! I didn't mean it like that. Gosh no!

Who gets your vote?

Former defence minister, Mosiuoa Lekota announced today "this is probably the parting of the ways” with the ANC. Although it was anticipated he would announce the launch of a new party today, this didn't happen. But he did hint that a breakaway party could be formed in the near future.

A colleague believes this is good for democracy, and I agree. I supported the ANC, but one party cannot dominate indefinitely. At this point, I don't know if a new party will get my support-it depends on their manifesto. And their clout.

Some political analysts don't believe a breakaway party of the ANC will have any power, and Jacob Zuma says, "You can't believe in the ANC and its policies so deeply, and then form an organisation that repeats the same policies, that would be funny."


SA needs a credible opposition party (if I ever for one brief moment considered supporting the DA I will never re-contemplate it after reading Tony Leon's 'On the Contrary'. The book is reflection of who he is-pretetious and prejudiced. Although he is no longer party leader, the DA remains semi out of touch with SA's needs)

The ANC members who form this party will have to ensure they can deliver on what the ANC didn't. Yes, the ANC has achieved alot thus far, but service delivery needs to improve. And while I'm not a fan of all Cosatu's & SACP's policies, I firmly believe it's time to adopt the Venezuelan model. We cannot remain entrenched in neo-liberal fiscal policy. Sure, it may hurt a few in the short-term, & our markets will suffer, but capitalists cannot dictate, and continue to live in increasing luxury, while the poor continue in increasing poverty.

And I think it needs to have an equal demographic of South Africans, but not reflective in percentages of the country's demographics. Also, the new generation of South Africans must be brought in, & Blacks, Whites, Indians, Coloureds must be equally represented.

Hmm..maybe it's time for me to rethink my policy of 'no politics' and join the new party if I can(I always thought I'd want to be a politician until I served on the SRC. The campaigning circuses made me reconsider though, not my term in office.)


If a new party is formed, will it get your vote? And would you get involved in politics, to actively try to have a positive impact in the country? (I say in, not on, because on implies power , while in denotes serving)

Hijabi Moments

Me just messing around-not trying to look mysterious ;-)




My elder sister Rizwana with scarf-apparently we look very alike & have even been mistaken for twins




Rayaan-LMOTP

So I'm dinasourically delayed on this, but I have a valid reason. I thought it would be better to watch it on dvd rather than YouTube. Hmmm, that sounded like a good reason in my head. What am I on about? I've hitched a ride on the Canadian bandwagon, & fallen in love with Little Mosque on the Prairie.

Since it premiered, I've been wanting to watch it, but only finally got with the programme this past week. (So how much bandwidth does it take to watch a good few hours of videos on YouTube? I have a feeling we'll be capped very soon..) And like hijabis all across the world, I can identify with so many aspects of one of the lead characters, Rayaan. I love this clip, where the Imam, Amaar, is staying with Rayaan & her parents following a break-in at the mosque. He walks in on her in the kitchen-sans hijab.

Aargh-the video clip won't upload. Here's the link. What is with blogger today?? Link won't show. For all LMOTP episodes visit http://littlemosqueontheprairie.wordpress.com/

Clip is part 2 of Episode 18

I laughed at the clip, but it wasn't funny the few occasions I had to duck for cover or desperately pull on my scarf. (But funny now) I'm trying to think of one incident that stands out for me but nothing's coming to mind..

Have you ever been caught unaware without your scarf on, or guys, have you ever come upon a girl when she didn't have her scarf on? At my aunt's house in Durban, people are continuously dropping in, and now I just keep my scarf around my neck, instead of having to make a mad dash for it. My brother would make me so mad when he'd bring his friends over & not tell me, but fortunately, I always managed to ecape notice in time.

Somebody I know once told me he saw my hair. I was confuzzled-as far as I knew he hadn't. Then he explained he accidentally opened the wrong door to the bathroom of a Muslim restaurant we were at-& saw me making wudhu. It was almost 5 years ago, but I know my hair was in a messy ponytail, so what he saw from the back probably resembled a horse's tail haha.


I learned something new in this clip. It's natural for us to have bad scarf days (non-hijabis don't get this) but I've never known of hijabis who can tell of a bad haircut under a scarf! Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Watch Episode 15

Does anybody else have secret vision like this? Am I a pseudo-hijabi for not knowing this??

Some interesting videos I came across on YouTube today:
'The non-Muslim hijabi:why I wear hijab' (And she does a series on different scarf styles)
'The Hijabi Challenge' Non-muslims asked to try it out. Some great responses.

Curiosity..
Whenever I'm in a bathroom in a mall, hotel etc & take off my scarf to re-tie it, I'll always get these 'trying to be subtle looks' from women,as they glance in my direction. But I don't mind, as I'm also curious to know what other hijabis hair looks like, & how they look without scarf.

I've been wearing a headscarf for a total of 7 years 2 months (1 Jan 2000-11 Feb 2001 & 22 July 2002-now) (but proper hijab for almost 3 years. By proper I mean no more mid-thigh shirts/dresses, or ones which just cover the bum, short-sleeves, part of neck showing, semi-fitting) I'm so accustomed to the hijabi me, that I no longer find I look better without my scarf on. (Except on really good hair days of course;-) I went on two outdoor broadcasts (Kruger Park & Highway Africa conference) with different colleagues. In Kruger, Hlengiwe & I had adjoining rooms, and she was so thrilled the first time she saw my hair, she immediately told the guys & described it to them. & then she exaggerated, saying I look like a model haha. They then begged me to give them a peek, which I steadfastly refused to do, naturally.

In Grahamstown, Sisanda only saw my hair on our last night there. I was getting ready for the awards dinner when she came to my room. My hair wasn't even down, it was just in a bun, but this was Sisanda's reaction. 'Oh my Bibi, I'm seeing your hair! You have such nice hair. Wow! You are beautiful-it's like you have this exotic beauty. You look so different' I do? Sisanda is too kind. And she too proceeded to tell the others.

By the way, I think Rayaan from LMOTP looks better in hijab than without. And my elder sister looks stunning in hijab Mashallah, but she doesn't see it. But I admit my two younger sisters look prettier without scarf-but I don't tell them that as I want them to wear scarf:-)

I'm stopping now, or else this will turn into another long blog post. I'll add other thoughts in the comment section.
If this were a radio talk show, it would be an open forum on hijab. So please share your thoughts, however inane or profound. Guys, please let me know your thoughts on, and your experiences with hijabis.

And you have to watch those episodes of LMOTP!

PS: I know I've blogged many times about hijab. But it's because it's such an essential part of who I am. I've said in the past that it defines who I am, and it does, but only to an extent. The statement can be misleading, as it suggests I'm another person without it. But I'm not-my values & actions would remain the same if I appeared sans scarf.

PPS: Oh, I want to do a dummies guide to healing with hijabis. Have you ever had to duck to prevent a guy from hugging in greeting, or to avoid being kissed on the cheek? I had a funny experience last year when speaking to the director of the 'Black Pimpernel' But I managed to extricate myself-to the amusement of others. I approached him, & he held out his hand. I raised mine then dropped it. He leaned forward, I stepped back. He leaned way forward then, and his lips were inches from my cheek. I ducked. He was taken aback, the people he was with laughed. 'I'm sorry but I don't allow males to touch me', I said. 'But it's the South American way of greeting', he replied. 'I know, but I'm a Muslim woman', I smiled. And then he understood when I explained further.

PPPS: Baba Ali is another fav of mine. YouTube his video 'That's not hijab'

PPPPS: When I just started wearing scarf, I was approached by a non-Muslim guy. 'Why do you wear that on your head?', he asked. I was about to reply when his friend quickly interjected 'I'm so sorry for my friend's rudeness-you don't have to reply' And then he pulled his friend away, & ran off.

At the hairdresser, and the laser place I used to go to, I'm always asked 'So you wear that because you're married?'
And hairdressers beg me not to put my scarf back on, so as not to spoil the hairstyle. To their chagrin, I don't acquiesce.

What's the strangest question you've been asked? Or asked a hijabi? A Muslim girl once asked 'Do you enjoy wearing it?' That stunned me a bit-and my honest answer was 'I do'. She said she can't stand wearing it, & can't understand how women can enjoy wearing it, & thus always asks that q.

One of the best parts is never having to worry about hair getting messed up in the rain or wind, or spending hours straightening/curling/styling one's hair.
The only bad part I can think of is having flat hair.

PPPPPS:Sofi posed a pertinent q in a comment-Will you show your hair to a marriage prospect? And guys, will you ask a girl to?

Eid Mubarak

Kullu 3aam wa antum bikhair.
Hope you all have a wonderful day filled with blessings whatever you may be doing. My youngest sister is in South Korea, experiencing an Eid she'll never forget. Going to work (couldn't get off to go to Seoul to spend Eid with Muslim friends there) & eating noodles. Please remember me in your duas.

Right or Wrong?

'In the metaphorical palace of my room I cup my hands in prayer and ask of my Rabb. My tears flow freely and I feel His Divine Presence
In the metaphorical palace of my room I value my privacy in worship

Shoulder to shoulder, saff upon saff. United in common submission. Allahu Akbar. Collective voices rising to the heavens
Ameen rings out, the power of unified dua'

I am grateful for the privilege Allah has blessed me with to pray in the privacy of my home. And I'm also grateful for being able to pray in the masjid if I choose to. Unity, love, peace, belonging, connecting-the wave upon wave of emotions I feel in jamaat are lucid in my heart, but my mind does not have the capacity to match feeling with expression. The mind is not equal to this.

Upon seeing the beautifully moving pictures as shown in the post below, (along with others) I felt a pang of sadness that here in South Africa, only a handful of masaajid in Durban and Johannesburg afford women our right to worship in the house of Allah.

And thus my facebook status message:
I have hope that one day,InshaAllah,Durban & Johanesburg will catch up with Cape Town (& other countries)& all masjids in South Africa will have an area for women

These were some of the comments:
*Oh bibi my dear sweet friend, i really hope those practices do not catch on in our masajids. Such things should not be allowed. There is wisdom in our current system and i firmly hope that it will continue :-)

*I dont think women are told that it is haraam to pray in a mosque. But see below, I don't have a problem with women in the masjid. With regards to the lecture by a woman that is WRONG. some people think that it is only the Asians who prohibit the above.
Hereunder is a short list of the scholars of the past who also prevented the women from attendin... Read Moreg either the five Salaats in masajid or the Eid Salâah:
a. Sayyidatuna Ayesha (R.A) (Sahih Al Bukhari )
b. Sayyiduna Abdullah b. Mas’ood (R.A) (Majma’uz Zawaahid)
c. Sayyiduna Abdullah b. Umar (R.A) (Musannad ibn Abi Sheyba #5845)
d. Sayyiduna Urwa b. Zubayr (R.A) (Musannad ibn Abi Sheyba #5846)
e. Sayyiduna Qasim b. Mohammed b. Abi Bakr Faqih Al Madinah (R.A) (Musannad ibn Abi Sheyba #5847)
f. Sayyiduna Ibraheem Nakh’ee (R.A) (Musannad ibn Abi Sheyba #5844, #5848)
g. Imaam Abdullah b. Al-Mubarak (R.A) (Sunan Tirmidhi #539-40 Vol.2 Pg.420)
h. Imaam Malik (R.A) (Umdatur Qari Vol.3 Pg. 305)

*I make that dua everytime especially in Lenasia that is claimed to be the third holiest site in the world with all it's masjids but none of them have ladies facilities.. do they expect the lady travellers to read on the street..
And thus I had to blog on this topic

Growing up, I often felt it unfair that women weren't allowed in the masjid, but in time I dutifully accepted what I was taught, and perhaps even came to believe it. But Subhanallah we've been blessed with intellect, and it didn't make sense that what our beloved Prophet (SAW) deemed permissible, was said to be wrong.

Prior to living in Egypt, I admit I was wary of voicing my opinions as I didn't want to be thought of as having 'way-out' views. But Alhamdulillah, in Egypt came knowledge, understanding and a meeting of minds with strongly practicing Muslims.

While my friends & I mostly prayed salaah at home, we knew we could go to the masjid any time we wanted to. And when travelling, or shopping (the mosque in Khan el Khalili is one of my favourites) we were never at a disadvantage.
Most women worldwide would naturally offer most salaah at home. But one wants to go for Jum'ah and Tarawih & Eid salaah. One wants the choice. One wants to be allowed to enter the House of Allah. (In madressah we were taught it's wrong for women to enter the masjid once baaligh)


Here in South Africa, we are regarded as 'modernists' if we call for women to be allowed into the masjid. Yet Nabi (SAW) said, "Do not prevent the women from entering the masjid"
I cannot stand the terms 'modern' 'moderate' 'progressive' as perverted by both the West and certain 'straight & narrow' Muslims. Islam, by its very nature is progressive-it is a religion for all times.

Ahaadith are taken out of context & used to suit the purposes of the argument. And we are taught to simply accept. Yet Islam tells us not to follow blindly..

I think, why would there be regulations in fiqh for the conditions of women going to the masjid, and of women leading other women in prayer etc if it was wrong? Surely this would then be clearly prohibited in Islam if it was.

I remember hearing of a lecture many years ago in which the moulana chastised South African women for 'disgracing themselves for praying salaah in the haram shareef, and not in their rooms.' And I found a fatwa online which echoes this sentiment.Yeah-unbelievable!

A Jordanian friend think SA is totally backward & is unIslamic in this regard. As do other friends from all parts of the world. Dr Rasha al Dasuqi, a female scholar who was in SA recently was shocked at what she saw. As was my halaqa teacher in Egypt when told of the situation.

For me, the travelling issue is so pertinent. When friends & I visited Soweto recently, we were gratified we could offer salaah in the masjid. If there weren't ladies facilities, we would have had to wait until we got home. In my younger days, I remember many an occasion being in the car salaah time, and my dad stopping at a mosque. We'd wait in the car, and often there were other women doing the same. Even in certain Muslim restaurants, I see facilities for men, and even women who are in hijab/niqab wait to go home to pray salaah.
Greenside Masjid is a beacon of light, but it is a masjid in Mayfair which did set the trend years ago, and was duly castigated by the Jamiat al Ulema. When chilling at a coffeeshop in Greenside, friends & I know we don't have to rush home, and for females working in the area or nearby it's a blessing.


I fail to see why it's such a controversial topic here. It's not as we're calling for women to lead men, or distorting the teachings of Islam. All we ask for is that women be allowed to attend the Eid salaah, and that there be facilities for women in every masjid. The rights accorded to us by Islam. If a few scholars believe it's wrong, but the majority feel it's right, then are Muslims the world over sinning greatly??
On the issue of fitnah, it is a gross injustice as a reason, and reduces us to base-like qualities. In my observations I have only witnessed the utmost respect and decorum.
It says something of South Africans as from this comment, 'I agree that it is imperitve for a ladies section, but unfortunately as we see in places like Greenside, our young Muslims are abusing this, guys meeting their girlfriends at Taraweeh. I feel that if peoples respect for the sanctity of a Masjid ha stooped so low we are really in a bad way! So lets have ladies facilities but lets also as responsible... Read More Muslims make dua for those people who abuse it!
And as heard about SAfricans who go for Umrah & meet members of the opposite gender in the hotel lobby.

We've done a disservice to the mosque and community by not using it as a community meeting-place as in the time of the Prophet (SAW) & his companions.
South African women would be better Muslims, & would be more involved in the community if we were to be allowed space in Masjids. And the state of Muslims as a whole would then flourish...
----
Incidentally this was posted on the Political Islam yahoogroup today...My friend Naseema's response was sharp & concise.


Following ILM-SA's invitation for eid salaah & ILM event, this letter was sent to the director of ILM-SA

OPEN LETTER TO ILM-SA September 2008

To whom it may concern :

1.) Your Ramadaan Timetable which is widely distributed has some issues which should allow for fair discussion.

2.) You have an open invitation stating : "DID YOU KNOW?" Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ordered that the women should be brought out to attend the Eid prayers and that a woman who did not have a Jilbaab should borrow one from her sister.

Many probably did not know. However, I would like to ask in fairness : Did you know – when you were preparing this event, that on some prudent thought and reflection, you would have seen a wider picture opening before you, of fitnah ?

Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) may have allowed for women to attend the Eid Prayers, but what was their spiritual calibre ? Besides the purity of heart and the modesty of their dress – which was hijaab in its truest sense of the word, covered completely, the condition of the men in that time was the same – purity and modesty. There was no question of young boys and girls, or for that matter, even the adults, meeting, intermingling, etc. The stark reality of our community is that such events and fairs become most suitable and favourable for illicit meetings and other Haraam indulgences.

No one is denying that women did not visit the Musjid in the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) but they did so with accompanying conditions… conditions which are non-existent amongst the majority in this day and age.

Consider the Hadith of Tirmizi : "It is necessary for women to remain in Hijaab (concealed when emerging from the home) because when a woman emerges from the house , Shaytaan raises his glance at her." (to involve her in vice or to involve someone else in vice through her.)

Imam Abu Dawud quotes the following in his Sunan: Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said : "Do not prevent your women from the Musjid, but they should emerge while they are dressed unattractively."

It is stated that women would emerge wearing old clothes. Hafiz Ismail Ibn Kathir quoted Abdullah Ibn Abbas (radhiyallahu anhu) who states that Allah ordered the Muslim women to cover their faces from above their heads, with Jilbaabs, when they emerge from their homes for any necessity.

Imam Bukhari (RA) has narrated : Ayesha (radhiyallahu anha) says : "Had Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) seen the behaviour of women, he would have prohibited them from going to the Musjid as the women of the Bani Israeel were prohibited."
Is this not a Hadith of Bukhari Sharief ?

Imam Ibn Majah has narrated in his Sunan : Ayesha (radhiyallahu anha) reports that once while Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was seated in the Musjid, a woman who was attractively adorned, proudly entered the Musjid. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said : "O people, prohibit your women from wearing attractive garments and from showing off in the Musjid, because the Bani Israail were not cursed until their women started to wear attractive garments and showing off inside the Musjid."

How many women will submit to Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)'s instruction ? How many of our women will adopt the Hijaab ? How many will be borrowing their sister's Jilbaabs, when everyone wants something new, something their own, something that will make them stand out in the crowd and draw the most attention and praise ? Will you be able to stop such women ?

Sufyaan Thauri who was a great Muhaddith and teacher of the six authentic compilations of Hadith, as well as Abdullah Ibn Mubarak, the teacher of Imam Bukhari have regarded the emergence of women for the Eid Salaah as Makrooh (disliked).

These are Fuqaha and Muhadditheen of exceptional learning and foresight, and who obtained their knowledge of Deen from the Sahaba (radhiyallahu anhum) and Tabi`een. Can our knowledge and understanding of Deen be greater than theirs ?

3.) Reflect over the narration from Imam Muslim's Sahih : "When any of you (women) come to the Musjid, do not apply any perfume."

Imam Tirmizi (RA) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said : "Every eye can commit adultery. And any woman who applies perfume and passes by a gathering is an adulteress."

Then what about the perfumes that will be splashed out in use, on the Day of Eid?

4.) It is only correct to also consider what Allah Ta'ala states in the Holy Qur`aan. It may be that you, in error, overlooked the following :

Allah Ta'ala commands : "TELL THE BELIEVING MEN TO LOWER THEIR GAZE (FROM LOOKING AT THAT WHICH IS HARAAM) AND TO BE MODEST. THAT IS PURER FOR THEM. VERILY ALLAH IS AWARE OF WHAT THEY DO." "AND TELL THE BELIEVING WOMEN TO LOWER THEIR GAZE (FROM LOOKING AT THAT WHICH IS FORBIDDEN) AND TO BE MODEST AND NOT TO SHOW OFF THEIR BEAUTY EXCEPT ONLY THAT WHICH IS APPARENT AND TO DRAW THEIR VEILS ALL OVER JUYUBIHINNA (I.E. THEIR BODIES, FACES, NECKS AND BOSOMS, ETC.)…"
[SURAH NUR 24 : 29/ 30]

"AND COME NOT NEAR TO ZINA. VERILY IT IS A SHAMEFUL AND EVIL PATH"
[SURAH AL- ISRA 17 : 32]

In a Hadith of Bukhari Sharief, it is reported that Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said : "Casting of lustful glances is the fornication of the eyes."
(Bukhari, Volume 2, pg 923)

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is reported to have said : "May the curse of Allah be upon the one who cast lustful glances as well as the one who emerges in such a manner that lustful glances are cast at one."
[Mishkaat, the book on Nikah]

How many will be lowering their gazes from the opposite sex? How many will keep aloof of ghair mahareem ? Will you have any control over the gazes of people ? They are not going to the market places. They are invited by you for Ebadat. Mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts and others will all be subjected to filthy, lustful glances.

Like this, there are many, many narrations – People of learning and wisdom and piety will consider that which is more protecting for the community's chasitity and wellness, before quoting Rasululllah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), without reflecting on circumstances and conditions, and then initiating a fitnah. Who will be accountable for all these sins that will be engaged in on the Day of Eid - all the exposure by women, the lustful gazes, the intermingling, photography, etc?

Where the intention and objective is exposure, name and fame, then doesn't everyone becomes easy prey for nafs and Shaytaan? Just look at what you will have to now account for, before Allah.

Allah Ta'ala commands repeatedly : "FEAR ALLAH" - The same is to applicable me and to you; that we fear Allah in all undertakings.

May Allah give us the ability to understand Deen, differentiate between right and wrong, good and bad, and to be sincere to Him.

Jazakallah for your time
A sister in Islam

NB : This will be circulated so that people may know and understand that the event is only a kick off to sins immediately after Ramadaan.

Please do consider what answer you are going to give Allah in respect to all the above. …Our hearts bleed, that in the name of Deen, in the guise of piety, Muslims are crippling the Ummah – with encouragement towards more sins.

Kindly read, copy, distribute and place this on Musjid noticeboards to make all aware.

My friend Naseema wrote this in response:
Dear Sister,


Your “open letter” to ILM-SA refers:


The Sunnah, as laid out by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is applicable to all times and ages; it is not time-bound nor space-bound. You regard the “spiritual calibre” of the people of that time. In doing so, you have arrogantly assumed and erroneously judged the level of spirituality of the Muslims today. I would like to know, what / who has given you the right to assess people’s spiritual level, or a person’s strive to attain a high spiritual level?


It is only natural that being so many generations away from the time of our Prophet (SAW) that maintaining a high level of Iman is perhaps a greater challenge, considering that it was also a challenge for the people of that time, and people of all times. Thus, it is even more imperative now to strongly adhere to the teachings of the Prophet (SAW) to ensure constant closeness to our Creator and to maintain unity of the Ummah.


If, as you maintain, the people of today are of low spiritual calibre, is it not all the more reason that we follow more closely the teachings of the Prophet (SAW)? If for that reason you are so vehemently opposed to the attendance of women at the Eid salaah, are you suggesting that we might as well not follow any Sunnah, because we do not have the same level of spirituality? Are you implying that we regard the Sunnah null and void?


You quote ahadith and Qur’anic ayat hither and thither, without the relevant context. You regard an invitation to a command of the Prophet (SAW) as an invitation to fitnah! Are you as censorious of the males and females of the Muslim community who do indulge in questionable behaviour? Do you frequent the malls, restaurants, coffee shops, etc to assert the dangers of intermingling? Or is it only when people attempt to encourage Muslims to turn back to the Sunnah that you dare raise your objections?


You ask in your letter, “How many women will submit to Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)'s instruction ? How many of our women will adopt the Hijaab ? How many will be borrowing their sister's Jilbaabs, when everyone wants something new, something their own, something that will make them stand out in the crowd and draw the most attention and praise ? Will you be able to stop such women?” Subhanallah! Who are you to decide any of the above? As adult Muslims, male and female, we are knowledgeable enough to know that we must assume the best conduct, always and particularly at such gatherings. Whether an individual does so or not is answerable only to Allah. By your above remarks, are you saying that we should not have any Islamic gatherings because of what some people might or might not wear? Sister, again this is the responsibility of each individual. What do you mean “when everyone wants something new………..”? Do you know everyone to know what is in their hearts? I believe that is something only Allah knows.


Sister, how dare you assume that everyone who attends the Eid salaah comes with the intention of “casting lustful glances”? That every woman will wear perfume? Why should anyone have control of another person’s gazes? Again, good and bad behaviour are judged only by Allah. Do you spend your days policing the gazes of people?


You talk about Muslims “crippling the Ummah”. In truth, dear sister, the Ummah couldn’t be more crippled than it already is. The intellectual atrophy of this very Ummah is due to people who have reduced this great deen to mere rituals. It has been reduced by people who have assumed a position of judge and jury, ready to pounce on anyone deemed improper or unislamic.


When Islam was at its greatest, dear sister, religion was not a career. The great Muslims of the past were not only scholars, but were engineers, architects, artists, poets, philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, doctors, etc. This was because they understood what was wanted of us as Muslims. They did not waste time judging others, and they did not take on religion as an occupation. Rather, they embodied the essence of Islam as a way of life.


My heart bleeds as well, that in a time when we so greatly need to go back to the teachings of Qur’an and Sunnah, that we so greatly need to implement the teachings of our Prophet (SAW), that people have taken it upon themselves to place themselves in a position where one assumes the right to judge others.


I am not involved with ILM-SA, and I write this in a personal capacity, but I admire greatly the effort that ILM-SA makes in trying to bridge the gap between Muslims of different backgrounds. That is a personal observation.


My advice to you, dear sister, is that if you have courage of your conviction, then please identify yourself. You mention in your letter “allow for fair discussion”. We (myself, friends and colleagues) are more than willing to meet with you to openly discuss and share ideas and exchange Islamic knowledge. Your hiding behind a veil and issuing a pamphlet is not in the least bit intimidating, but is the marking of a true coward.


Open and honest discussion and debate was the order of the day among the Sahaabas (may Allah be pleased with them). Even Abu Bakr (R.A) and ‘Umar (R.A) argued and differed strongly in their opinions. What they did not do is issue pamphlets against each other or preempt fitnah against the other.


We look forward to hearing from you and meeting with you.


As in all matters Allah knows best.


All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


Your sister in Islam

Naseema Mall

-------------------------------------
Finally, a fatwa on the issue from Sheikh Qaradawi which appeared on Islamonline & another comment also from the site

There is no any hindrance for women to pray in the Mosques along with men. At the time of the Prophet, women used to perform prayers in the Mosque along with men. Not only that, but they used to attend religious classes and share the events such as the `Eid prayers with men. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Do not prevent the she-servants of Allah from Allah's mosques.”

Responding to the question, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, states the following:

Women used to attend the jama`ah or congregational Prayers and the Friday Prayers in the Prophet's Mosque. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge them to stand in the last rows behind men.

At the beginning, men and women used to enter through the same door. When this caused overcrowding on entrances and exits, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him, said: "(It would be better) if this door is left for women." Upon saying so, the men made that door for women, and it became known up until today as "The Women's Door".

Moreover, women, at the time of the Prophet, used to attend the Friday Prayer; they used to perform the Prayer regularly and listen to the khutbah to the extent that one of them could recite Surat Qaf as she heard the Prophet recite it several times in the Friday khutbah. Women also used to attend the `Eid Prayers and participate in that big Islamic festival that included the old and the young, men as well as women, out in the open, all worshipping Allah.

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there has been a total distortion of Islamic teachings by men for too long and therefore a culture has developed whereby the women have not only been kept physically out of the masjid, but also kept out of even knowing their own rights given to them by Allah and His messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Over time, cultural practices and individual interpretations by men claiming to be learned have perpetuated the observance of such practices as totally disallowing women to even come to the masjid; keeping women from acquiring an education; and even worse, making women feel that they are a source of temptation and therefore it is best for them to stay hidden. This is a double standard and one totally unfairly and arbitrarily applied to the sisters in our ummah.

Today, with the availability of so much literature on Islam that is so easily accessible by women for their own individual consumption, we are finding that women are coming to terms with the fact that they have been denied their due rights by men to come to the masjid and to learn. There are also alhamdulillah, Muslim male scholars who are helping men and women understand the backwardness of some of the cultural practices described above. And so, our sisters are more educated and alhamdulillah their fitratic (natural) inclination is to come to the house of Allah and that's how partially the "fuss" has started. And Allah knows best.

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There are so many links I could post, but I trust in your intellect & reasoning.
I don't feel I've done justice to this topic despite this long post, as I haven't conceptualised my own thoughts clearly. But I'd love to hear yours.

Can you feel the rhythm of Allah's creation

Many of you have probably been sent this link http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/observing_ramadan.html

of the pictures which appeared in the Boston Globe.

But I still wanted to share a few of the pictures. The last picture of the little boy sleeping is too adorable Mashallah. Please do visit the link to view all photographs.

Anybody for Politics?

Mbeki & Olmert found themselves set afloat. Brown is hoping to stay in the boat.
Shaik was Zuma's scapegoat, who stands on the other side of the moat. And South Africa is heading down a new road

Lame-I know. But I don't feel like adding anything else

Bank Bibi

How coincidental is coincidental? I think it's coincidental, but a friend has made me unsure. In the space of two days, two colleagues approached me to loan them money. I did. The first was yesterday-she wanted R1800. We do get along well, and I didn't think why she'd ask me, and not the others whom she's closer to, or her family or boyfriend. I immediately said yes, (didn't even think of saying no) and thought I'd do an electronic bank transfer. But she asked for cash as she said she needed it immediately and I complied. I felt good about being able to help someone in need. It was only later that I thought 'Oh gosh Bibi-you are too trusting'
I just spoke to a friend who used to work in the Finance division of Wesbank, and she pointed out I have no proof I loaned my colleague the money, nor do I have witnesses. But I think (well, hoping) she will pay it back.

Today, S just pitched up at my desk looking woebegone but also shifty. I thought he was tipsy (he gets drunk every weekend and enjoys it) He wanted money to buy lunch. I haven't withdrawn in a while & had R20 which I gave him-and I don't expect to get it back. But that's ok.

In the past I've often loaned people money, ranging from R10 to R100. I've never got it back. I've had people borrow clothes from me and not return it. A guy on campus took my expensive sunglasses off my face, wore them & kept promising to return them, and when they were stolen from him, gave me a cheap fake used pair.

A friend in school took a ring my granny gave me from my hand (I have a habit of slipping my rings & bangles on & off my hand) She took it home & I never got it back. She claims it went missing.

In university, my cousin left my leather jacket (which I told him to put in his car) in his friends car. Months passed-it apparently passed from person to person. That was the last I saw it.

Another leather jacket was left in another friend's car. I got it back 8 months later-my mum had to take me there to get it. He's just absent-minded though-or is he? Some would disagree. with him, a gold bracelet & a semi-precious locket were also taken from my hands as I played with them-and never seen again.

I'm absent-minded and forget. (As a child I used to lose every piece of jewellery. My mum refused to then put on jewellery for me for weddings/Eid. I literally used to take things off & leave them where I played & forget about them)

And I don't know how to ask for my belongings. It's them who should be uncomfortable by me asking, but I can't gather up the courage to ask.

I sound like a real wuss now, don't I? Yet I'm not. My sister and friend Mish both warned me though that while this could have been coincidental, I shouldn't agree next time if someone at work asks me as I'll then be taken advantage of.
My elder sister also had an experience where she loaned someone from work a few hundred rand & wasn't paid back. But that lady had borrowed from everybody & then disappeared.

What boggles me though is that it's not as if my colleagues don't earn decent salaries. With colleague 1, she lives above her means. By mid-month she's usually broke. Last week she bought a new dress, shoes, had her hair done-and she has no money.

Colleague 2 thinks nothing of spending R1000 or more on booze a month.

But single people and disposable income with free-flowing spending habits shall be left for another post. Let's see if someone asks me for money tomorrow...

Speak now or forever hold your peace

I want ice-cream. I can sense it's silky slide down my throat. And it's only my own wariness preventing that tactile and tastebud pleasure. The ice-cream is in the other freezer. From the kitchen one enters the courtyard which leads to the entertainment area where the other freezer is. I want ice-cream, but I don't want to go out alone. So I shall deprive myself.

Since only two people answered my poll, I shall thank Waseem for commenting on it, and leading me to blog this. Speedy sent me another email saying my blog doesn't load due to template. OH says the same & says it doesn't allow him to comment. I love this template but if it's preventing people from commenting, I shall *sob*sob* have to change it. So let me know! Oh well, it's spring so change is welcomed.

What is it about this template which is a problem? Are you unable to view posts, does it stall your pc as it takes so long to upload (it uploads immediately for me)?
Talk to me!

Speaking of spring & change, I love that the first day of Ramadhaan & Spring coincided. I got a new hairstyle & hair colour, have a new spring wardrobe & am feeling that wonderful inner feeling of holistic change Ramadhan brings. Here's to new beginnings!

Innocent

Alhamdulillah, my uncle and Mufti Bhayat have been released today-without being charged. But the questions continue...Why did it take so long for them to be released? And is the issue of religious profiling of growing concern in Africa? Are we to be suspected of terrorist activities simply because we are Muslim? And are we going to accept it?

Guilty or Not?

As of 2006, US foreign policy for Africa has expanded significantly to include the ‘war on terror.’ American military troops have descended upon numerous African states

Egypt also weakens its civil-military relationship by trying civilians in military tribunals – a practice that has occurred in Liberia, Tunisia and Uganda as well.

Source:http://www.iss.co.za/index.php?link_id=32&slink_id=4517&link_type=12&slink_type=12&tmpl_id=3

Two South African (Muslim) men were detained in Uganda in the early hours of Monday (18 August) last week. They were arrested by military intelligence. One of them is my mum's brother.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2382170,00.html

So, guilty or not?

The scary truth is that we have inadvertently allowed ourselves to be subconsciously brainwashed. For most people, the answer isn't 'No' but rather 'I hope not'. I confess it was my first thought. My second was 'But Bibi-Aisha, how can you think that? You know Mamajee isn't guilty of so-called terrorist activities'

It's been 9 days since they were arrested. It was only on the fourth day when my cousin went to pick up my uncle from the airport did they discover what happened. Ugandan officials confirmed it on Thursday & that's when the story broke. Why did Uganda not inform South Africa about the arrest? Why was it that the High Commissioner to Uganda only visited the men on Monday 25 August? Was this because he was only given permission by Uganda then, or because the Department of Foreign Affairs stalled in offering consular services?

Alhamdulillah, they are being treated well, and are being detained in a house, and not a prison. They were first suspected of being Pakistani nationals travelling on South African passports. Again, why didn't Uganda immediately contact SA to verify this? It has since been cleared, but then there was the question of their relationship with the two men who met them at the airport.

These men have been questioned by Ugandan military intelligence before on 'terrorism issues', but obviously haven't been found guilty of anything. They have now been released, but my uncle and Mufti Bhayat are still being detained. Why? Uganda has said they're co-operating with questioning so why? Surely by now they must have realised the men are innocent.

Is Uganda wanting to ally itself with the US, and is this a case of political expediency? Ronnie Kasrils, SA's Minister of Intelligence has been asked to intervene. What will be discovered? Is the freedom Muslims enjoy in this country and most of Africa coming under threat? (Isn't it ironic that in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, it's the practising Muslims who are watched by their governments?)

When are these men coming home? What can we do to ensure they're home before Ramadhaan?

So, guilty or not?

Bid'ah?

There is no authentic hadith reported about the 15th night of Sha`ban. The hadiths reported about that night are classified by some scholars as hasan (a hadith which has one reporter in the chain of narrators whose identity is not well known, yet he is not accused of committing great mistakes or lying). Some other scholars have refused these hadiths, calling them unauthentic.
The hadiths considered as hasan are to the effect that it is recommendable to supplicate Almighty Allah during this night and ask Him for forgiveness. But there is no specific supplication reported to be said in this night. Hence, the supplications that some print and distribute among people in some Muslim countries as being recommendable on this night is not correct and has no basis in Shari`ah.

In his response to your question, Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states:

There are three points to be discussed in handling the question in hand: The first point has to do with whether the 15th night of Sha`ban has a special significance; the second concentrates on whether the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) celebrated this night; the third tackles whether there are special acts to celebrate this night or special supplications to invoke Almighty Allah with.
First, there are some hadiths indicating that the 15th night of Sha`ban is significant. Some scholars classified some of these hadiths as authentic. On the other hand, some other scholars considered them as da`if (weak), yet they hold that these hadiths may be acted upon by him who seeks to get closer to Almighty Allah with additional acts of worship.
Of these hadiths is one that is reported by Imam Ahmad and At-Tabarani to the effect that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Almighty Allah descends to the lowest Heaven on the 15th night of Sha`ban and forgives such number of people that is more than the number of the hairs of the sheep of Banu Kalb (a tribe that has a great number of sheep).” But At-Tirmidhi said that Imam Al-Bukhari classified this hadith as weak.
It was also reported on this subject that `A’ishah, Mother of the Believers, said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered the night vigil Prayer some night, and while he was praying, he prostrated so long that I thought he had passed away, but he lifted his head and finished the Prayer. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O `A’ishah (or O Humaira [as he would call her]), have you thought that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not give you your right?” I said, “No, by Allah, Allah’s Messenger. But when you stayed prostrating so long, I thought you had passed away.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “Do you know what night this is?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “This is the 15th night of Sha`ban. Almighty Allah turns towards His servants on the 15th of Sha`ban and forgives those who ask for His forgiveness, grants mercy to those who ask for it, and delays (punishing or bringing to account) the evil people.”
This hadith was reported by Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Al-`Ala’ ibn Al-Harith, one of the successors (At-Tabi`un), which means that this hadith is mursal (reported by a successor immediately on the authenticity of Mother of the Believers or the Prophet himself without having a Companion in between in the chain of reporters). Al-Baihaqi said this is a good mursal hadith.
Ibn Majah also reported with a weak chain of reporters on the authority of `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When the 15th night of Sha`ban comes, observe night vigil Prayer during it and fast the following day, for Almighty Allah descends after sunset on that night to the lowest Heaven and says, ‘Is there anyone who seeks My forgiveness and I forgive him (or her)? Is there anyone who is in need to ask Me and I provide for his (or her) needs. Is there anyone who is in pain and seeks My help and I help him (or her)? Is there…? Is there…?’ until the time of dawn.”
Based on these hadiths and others, it may be said that the 15th night of Sha`ban has a special significance. In fact, there is no religious text that stands against this, especially that the merit of the month of Sha`ban as a whole is established.
Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with both of them) was reported to have said that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “I have not seen you observe additional fast during any month [other than Ramadan] as you do in Sha`ban?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “This is a month that people usually forget about between Rajab and Ramadan, and it is a month in which people’s deeds are presented to Allah, so I like that my deeds are presented while I am fasting.” (An-Nasa’i)
The second point to be dealt with is whether he (peace and blessings be upon him) celebrated this night. In this regard, it was established that the way he (peace and blessings be upon him) celebrated this month was by fasting during it.
As to whether the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) observed night vigil Prayer on this night, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would regularly observe night vigil Prayers during nights, and observing night vigil Prayer on this night is like doing so during the other nights.
Hence, observing night vigil Prayer on the 15th of Sha`ban may be recommended, as supported by the hadiths reported above, especially the one in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) advised his Companions to observe night vigil Prayer on it and the one reported by `A’ishah to the effect that he (peace and blessings be upon him) observed night vigil Prayer on it. Though these hadiths are weak, they are dependable in seeking to get close to Almighty Allah with additional acts of worship.
This indicates that he (peace and blessings be upon him) celebrated that night in this way individually, not in congregation with his Companions. Neither he (peace and blessings be upon him) nor his Companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them) would offer celebrations on this night as people do nowadays.
The celebrations seen nowadays on this night began in the era of the followers of the righteous predecessors. According to Al-Mawahib Al-Ladduniyyah, vol. 2, by Al-Qastalani, the successors in the Levant, such as Khalid ibn Mi`dan and Makhul would observe further additional acts of worship on the 15th night of Sha`ban, and, hence, people followed them in assuming special significance to this night. It was even said that those followers would follow Israelite reports concerning the merit of this night.
When this was circulated in the Muslim world, controversy aroused concerning the correctness of such a deed. The majority of scholars in Makkah and Madinah then, including `Ata’, Ibn Abi Mulkyah, the followers of Malik, and others, disapproved of such a deed, considering it an innovation in religion.
Al-Qastalani then said that there were two different views among the scholars of the Levant regarding how to celebrate this night. The first opinion says that it is recommendable that people congregate in mosques to offer night vigil Prayer as a way of celebrating it. Khalid ibn Mi`dan, Luqman ibn `Amir, and others would dress in their best clothes, wear kohl and perfume, and offer night vigil Prayer on this night. Ishaq ibn Rahawiyah was reported by Harb Al-Karamani to have approved of this opinion saying that observing night vigil Prayer in congregations in mosques on this night is not an innovation.
The second view is to the effect that it is reprehensible that people congregate in mosques especially on this night to offer night vigil Prayer and supplicate in groups, but it is not reprehensible that one offers night vigil Prayer on this night individually. This opinion was held by Al-Awza`i, the Imam of the scholars of the Levant.
Al-Qastalani also tackled in Al-Mawahib Al-Ludaniyah the opinions of Imam Ahmad on the issue. According to him, there is no specific view reported to have been held by Imam Ahmad with regard to celebrating the 15th night of Sha`ban. His opinions in this regard are concluded from the views attributed to him concerning observing night vigil Prayers on the nights of the two `Eids. He had two points of views in this regard. He was reported to have said that observing night vigil Prayers on the nights of the two `Eids is not recommendable, for neither the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor his Companions would do so. However, he was also reported to have considered observing night vigil Prayers on these nights as recommendable, for `Abdur-Rahman ibn Zaid ibn Al-Aswad, a successor, would do so. These views may apply also to the case of the 15th night of Sha`ban.
To sum up what Al-Qastalani said on the issue, scholars have differed concerning observing night vigil Prayer on the 15th night of Sha`ban in congregations in mosques: some are for and some are against. Hence, I see that since the issue is controversial, one may follow one of these opinions without showing extreme opposition against the other view.
However, some contemporary scholars see that the reason for celebrating the 15th night of Sha`ban is mainly to commemorate the change of the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Makkah, not any other reason. But the date of this change is not certain to be Sha`ban 15; the exact date of this event is also controversial among scholars. Anyway, commemorating events also has the legal rulings pertaining to it. I see that there is nothing wrong in commemorating this special event so long as there is nothing wrong committed in this regard and it is done for Almighty Allah’s sake.
The third point to be discussed here has to do with whether there are special supplications to be offered on this night and whether it is lawful to observe the night vigil Prayer then with the intention of concentrating on asking Almighty Allah to prolong one’s life and enrich one.
Offering optional Prayer with the intention of doing so as a means of getting closer to Almighty Allah is wholeheartedly recommendable. Furthermore, it is an act of sunnah to offer supererogatory Prayers in the time between Maghrib and `Isha’ Prayers and after the `Isha’ Prayer. But offering an optional Prayer so that Almighty Allah may prolong one’s life and enrich one has no basis in Shari`ah.
An-Nawawi said in his book Al-Majmu`: Ar-Ragha’ib Prayer, i.e., a 12-rak`ah Prayer between Maghrib and `Isha’ Prayers said to be recommendable in the first Friday of Rajab, and the 100-rak`ah Prayer said to be recommendable on the 15th night of Sha`ban are innovations in religion. Their being mentioned in eminent books like Qut Al-Qulubby Abu Talib Al-Makki and Ihya’ `Ulum Ad-Din by Imam Al-Ghazali should not make people believe that they are really recommendable acts of sunnah. Besides, the hadith mentioning these Prayers is not an authentic one, and the eminent scholars who thought that these Prayers are recommendable are wrong in their judgment in this respect.
Moreover, Sheikh Abu Muhammad Abdur-Rahman ibn Isma`il Al-Maqdisi wrote a great book specially to refute these two hadiths (Al-Azhar Magazine, vol. 2, p. 515).
Concerning offering special supplications on this night, there is also no authentic hadith reported in this respect. What is reported in this regard is `A’ishah’s saying: “I heard him—the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—saying: ‘O Allah! I seek refuge in Your pardon against Your punishment, I seek refuge in Your pleasure against Your displeasure, and I seek refuge in You against You (Your wrath). Whatever great praises I attribute to You, they cannot stand comparison with the praises You, Almighty, has attributed to Yourself’” (Al-Bayhaqi on the authority of Al-`Ala’ ibn Al-Harith).
The supplication circulated nowadays as recommendable to be offered on this night is: “O Allah, Who has favors unto His servants and no one is to have favor unto Him! O Allah, the Owner of majesty and honor. O Allah, the Owner of wealth and enrichment. There is no god but You, the Supporter of the refugees, the Helper of those who appeal for help, and Granter of security for panic-stricken. O Allah, if You had destined in the Preserved Tablet that I be unhappy, or deprived, or expelled, or poor, I beg Your Pardon, O Allah, to remove with Your grace my unhappiness or deprivation, or expulsion, or poverty.”
There are some other words that have been reported to be included in this supplication. These are “O my Lord! By Your greatest turning towards Your servants on the 15th night of Sha`ban, in which every wise command is decided and made clear, grant me such-and-such ...” This addition is made by Sheikh Ma’ Al-`Aynayn Ash-Shanqiti in his book Na`t Al-Bedayat.
This supplication was not reported to have been said by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It was, rather, reported to have been said by `Umar ibn Al-Khattab and `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with both of them). `Umar was one of the rightly–guided caliphs whose tradition the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Muslims to hold fast to. Besides, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Muslims in another hadith to follow in the footsteps of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also ordered Muslims to follow the guidance of his Companions in general.
But we are not certain that this supplication was really said by `Umar and Ibn Mas`ud and that it was received with no opposition on part of the other Companions. We are also not certain of the authenticity of what Ibn `Umar and Ibn Mas`ud were reported to have said about the significance of this supplication, namely, “To any servant who offered this supplication Allah granted what he wanted.” (Ibn Abi Shaybah and Ibn Abi Ad-Dunyah)
Anyway, whatever supplication one offers, it should not contradict the beliefs and rulings we are ordered to abide by.
There are two points in this supplication discussed by scholars in detail. The first is regarding one’s asking Almighty Allah to remove one’s bad fortunes from the Preserved Tablet (a record that contains Almighty Allah’s established knowledge about His creation).
Explaining this part of the supplication, scholars said that what is written in the Preserved Tablet is what Almighty Allah has destined for His servants. This includes what is conditional on a certain supplication a servant offers or an act he accomplishes, and includes also what is not conditional, i.e., the decided-upon destinies. Hence, supplications and good deeds benefit one as far as the conditional destinies are concerned, while their effectiveness with regard to the unconditional destinies is manifested only in lessening the burden one may bear in this respect, as said in the supplication “O Allah! I do not ask You to change what You have already destined for me, but I beseech You to lessen its burden on me.” It was also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Supplications have positive effects on what has already taken place and what has not yet.”
The Companions asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “For what should we work now, for that which has already been destined or that which is yet to come?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “For that which has already been destined.” The Companions said, “Why should we work then?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Carry on doing (good) deeds, for everybody will find it easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place for which he has been created.”
In another version of this hadith, the Companions asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “Shall we not depend upon what has been written for us and give up deeds?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He who is destined to be among the happy (in the Hereafter) will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of such people, while he who is destined to be among the miserable ones will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of such people. So carry on doing (good) deeds, for everybody will find it easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place for which he has been created.” Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Almighty Allah’s words: (As for him who giveth and is dutiful (toward Allah) and believeth in goodness, surely We will ease his way unto the state of ease. But as for him who hoardeth and deemeth himself independent,‏ and disbelieveth in goodness, surely We will ease his way unto adversity. His riches will not save him when he perisheth) (Al-Layl 92: 5-10).
However, according to Al-Alusi and Al-Fakhr Ar-Razi, some scholars did not approve of this explanation of the possibility of removing something from the Preserved Tablet. They say that this may be done in the records that angels write concerning people’s deeds, not in the Preserved Tablet.
The second point discussed by scholars with regard to this supplication is concerning saying that the 15th night of Sha`ban is the night on which every wise command is decided and made clear, quoting this from a Qur’anic verse. This is not right. According to `Ikrimah, he who says so cannot be right at any rate, for the verse referred to here states clearly that the Qur’an was revealed in this night. It is established that the Qur’an was revealed in the Night of Qadr and this night is in the month of Ramadan, not Sha`ban.
There is also a da`if hadith to the effect that the time of death prescribed for one may be postponed from Sha`ban to another Sha`ban to the extent that one might marry and have a child, while his name had been among the dead in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Mawahib Al-Laduaniyyah, vol. 2, p. 260). Though this hadith is da`if, some scholars tried to reconcile between its meaning and the other religious texts that seem to contradict it, saying that what takes place in Sha`ban is copying what is in the Preserved Tablet into the records that angels write, [and therein may occur the change].
But I believe that there is no need for one to resort to such controversial supplications, as there are many other supplications from the Qur’an and the authentic hadiths that one may offer sincerely in one’s prayers.


http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503549106