Muslim Countries

Salam!

Bismillah

I don't understand this logic...

When we want to cover in "Western" countries, we are told to "go to a Muslim country if you want to do that."

Yet when "Westerners" go to Muslim countries, they are highly insulted when someone asks them to cover up properly.

Can anyone explain this to me?

Sawm: How do Christians Fast?

Salam!

Bismillah

I am fasting today and it struck me that Muslims are not the only people in the world to fast. Christians and Jews are commanded to fast along with Muslims. However, coming from a Baptist Church as a child, I realized that I was completely ignorant of the way that Christians and Jews fast. (Our denomination did not practice Lent or any other organized fast, nor did they encourage us to fast on our own.)

Time to rectify the situation inshaAllah!!!

It seems that there are three basic categories of Christian Fasting:

1. Abstaining from one certain thing: like chocolate or coke or meat

2. Abstaining from all solid foods: Drinking only water (or for extended fasts, drinking water and juice, vegetable broth, decaffeinated tea, etc.)

4. Absolute fasts: abstaining from all water and food

Fasts can be for one meal, one day, one week, 40 days: you are encouraged to fast however much you feel you are being convicted to fast.

• The purpose of Christian Fasting is to humble yourself before God and to seek his pleasure. (To seek God's "face," as quoted from the Bible)
• Christian Fasting should be intimately connected with increased prayer and meditation on the scripture
• Fasting is prescribed in both the Old and New Testaments and Jesus says "when you fast" not "if you fast" in the New Testament.
• Fasting is a private concern and you should not advertise the fact that you are fasting to others around you.

Some things that seem different than Muslim Fasts:

• They do not necessarily have set times and procedures for fasting. They fast when they feel like it to whatever degree they feel like.
• You can be eating or drinking and still be considered "fasting" in some way.
• You can go through periods when you fast with no water or food, even through the night. You can usually fast up to 3 days without any food or water, but this should always be done under the observation of a doctor.

InshaAllah I will have another post up tomorrow about Jewish Fasting!

The Importance of Men's Hijab ala Kobe

Salam!

Bismillah

I was going to write a whole post about the importance of men's hijab.

Then I saw this picture and couldn't stop smiling.

InshaAllah I will save the lecture for another day, enjoy the photo!

ONE YEAR!!

Salam!

Bismillah

ALHAMDULILLAH I MADE IT THROUGH ONE WHOLE YEAR OF BLOGGING!!!

Things that have happened this year:

1. I converted to Islam, alhamdulillah

2. I fasted my first whole Ramadhan, alhamdulillah

3. I took survived two semesters of Intensive Arabic, alhamdulillah

4. I wrote 141 blog posts here + 33 on my food blog

5. I got a sister in law and a niece all on the same day :-D alhamdulillah

6. I wore hijab for the first time this year, alhamdulillah

7. I started to wear jilbab and hijab when I converted this year, alhamdulillah

8. I made ridiculous amounts of blogger friends alhamdulillah (*muah* xoxoxoxooxoxo)

9. I *almost* graduated college, inshaAllah next semester!

10. I followed over 200 blogs and had around 1870 profile views

ALHAMDULILLAH WA MASHAALLAH it has been such a great year and inshaAllah I hope to see you all here for another one in the best of health and iman ameeeeeeeeeen.

much love.

In the Car

Salam!

Bismillah

I talk to myself in the car. About everything.

I give myself pep talks...

I make dhikr...

I have arguments with people...

I define my beliefs...

I tell jokes...

I practice speeches...

I say things out loud that I would never say in front of another person...

I get everything off my chest.

When I am in salah and when I am in the car are the two times that I know completely who I am. When it is only me and Allah.

What do you do in the car?

The Countdown

Salam!

Bismillah

Today it is three days until my one year blog anniversary inshaAllah :-D

So excited!!

much love.

NeverEver

One Down, Two to Go

Salam!

Bismillah

I worked about 16 hours straight on my Arabic project trying to fix all of our technical difficulties and still ended up being almost 24 hours late, but alhamdulillah ustadhaty took it anyway and gave us a B+. I really needed an A, but alhamdulillah 3la kul shay a B+ is INFINITY times zero. :-)

I have left now to write a resume + cover letter for my advanced comp class and a 20 pg paper on socio-cultural phenomena throughout the history of Physics. YAY!

How is everyone else progressing? School? Finals? Work? Life? I'd love to have an excuse to take a break for a couple of minutes :-D

much love.