A Morning of Weeding

While I was growing vegetables and herbs, and tending to my garden, look was what piling up in my flower beds:

Here's an example:

Flower bush (forgot the name) before (yeah, there's one underneath all of that!):


After:

After I cleared the above bush away, I then started to pull the brown leaves from the day lilly bushes - until I saw this guy (look in the middle of the picture):

Mostlypurple: is this a Praying Mantis? Does it bite or sting? Ewwwwwww ...

Oh oh! I think "it" saw me! Time to move on.

See this hole in the cement?

Heres a close-up of it:


You'll never believe it, but there was a small fragile weed in there. I merely reached in and easily pulled the weed out. When you think about it, this is truly a miracle from Allah (swt). A little tiny fragile weed - but so strong that it can push itself up through cement and actually crack the cement. SubhanAllah!

I also saw a HUGE spider, no lie, about the size of a silver dollar (remember those?) with a little "thing" on it's tail that was the size of a small black bean!

When I pulled the weeds from around the lavender, I discovered bumble bees sleeping under the weeds. So, thats where they go at night! They weren't real happy that I woke them up :)

I never wear gardening gloves, and I usually garden with those rubber clogs on, but after today, trust me, I will be wearing gloves, shoes, and socks!

It's a shame, because I enjoy having my hands in the earth, and having skin contact with what I grow. In case you're wondering about the risk of getting Poison Ivy from gardening this way, don't worry! I bought some special soap in the gardening center. It contains Jewel Weed which is the only thing that cleans off the oils from the Poison. I use it immediately when I come into the house from gardening.

But Alhamdulilah. All the work and gardening "dangers" are truly worth it when you get results like this:

(I just noticed that Blogger uploads the images a little darker than they are. My originals do not look this dark. Oh well.)

Canadian Geese

What a lovely surprise I encountered during my hot summer morning bike ride!

I'm not sure what they were eating, but imagine my delight that they let me so close to them with my camera!

I live on an island. Yes! An honest-to-goodness island! Allah (swt) has truly blessed my husband and I to live here. I was born in the Bronx and my husband was born in Philadelphia. We discover new miracles every day that we are here!

The Canadian Geese are a refreshing change from the pigeons of America's large urban areas.

I did know a man from the Bronx once who fed the pigeons by hand. Every morning they would fly through the window bars and hang out on his living room floor.

He really loved his "friends."

"Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe." (16:79)

Finally! The Tomatoes Turn Red!

Remember this post? Where I was lamenting my green tomatoes in my garden? Fearing they wouldn't turn red before the critters got a hold of them?



Well! Look now! After making a huge pot of spaghetti from scratch (including with green peppers and basil from the garden), eating tomatoes at every meal, and giving bags of them away to the neighbors, I still have these on my sun porch:








I'm running out of sunny places to put them, Alhamdulillah!

What Attracts Inmates to Islam?

("Shahadah" - Image from Islamicfinder.org)

In my previous post, Mezba commented that he is curious about what attracts inmates to Islam. Mezba: I thought that your question merits a post of its own.

Why inmates "convert" to Islam or any other religion is a complex issue. Insha Allah I can attempt to address a few of the factors here.

When people come to prison, many, for the first time in their life, are presented with opportunity. They can take a good look at themselves and gain insight into why they ended up in prison. They can then take advantage of the programs that are available in many US prisons. I am aware of the fact that many prisons have no programs or other means of improvement for inmates, but most prisons have some. And practically all of them have a chapel or a chaplain.

Where I work (state prison), we have an awesome chapel program, Alhamdulillah. If inmates are committed to a prison where there is a Muslim chaplain, part of the Muslim chaplain's job is to "be there" for all inmates, regardless of their faith group, or even if they have no faith group. The Muslim chaplain often develops deep relationships with non Muslim inmates, so it is natural that some inmates may become attracted to Islam through their relationship with the Muslim chaplain. State and federal prisons are a little different than city lockups and county prisons because inmates are incarcerated for longer periods in the state and federal facilities. Thus, inmates have an opportunity to be exposed to Muslims and Muslim chaplains.

In city lockups or county prisons, inmates are usually exposed to Islam and Muslims through other inmates, or programs provided by outside Islamic groups. Sometimes, inmates come to chapel programs and activities for something to do, and then Allah (swt) touches their hearts, and they give Islam a closer look.

In a state or federal prison, inmates sometimes come to Islamic chapel activities (Jumuah, tahleem, Arabic classes, etc.) to get out of their cells, or to be with their friends. Sometimes, inmates come to Islam because they want to participate in the Eid feast. Many Muslim chaplains have observed that inmates desiring to be Muslims increases during Ramadan. In women's prisons, some inmates will desire to be Muslim so they can have a hijab. Further, some inmates want to be part of the "other." Some inmates see Islam as an anti-establishment religion, and want to be part of it.

But, those are some of the nefarious reasons. For the most part, inmates change their religion because they are seeking. Because they are lost in life.

Many inmates (and even people in the general public) have problems with the religion they were born into. When an inmate tells me that they want to change their religion, I ask them why they want to leave their own religion. Sometimes, people have had negative experiences as a child with religion. Many inmates reject the tenants of their own religion. For example, many tell me that "I never did believe that Jesus was God anyhow."

Inmates have challenges in all major areas of their lives, and the spiritual area is no exception. Some inmates believe that changing their religion is the answer to their problems. Some don't realize that if they don't change themselves, they merely enter their new religion carrying all of their baggage from their lives into the next faith tradition.

Islam can bring structure and discipline into a person's life. It also affords a person an opportunity to accept personal responsibility for their life. The very essence of tawheed is the Believer's direct relationship with Allah (swt) with no partners, intercessors, or helpers. In Islam, a person is only responsible to Allah (swt).

But - the biggest reason that inmates are attracted to Islam?

It is because inmates give dawah! Big time, Alhamdulillah! Either directly, or indirectly by example.

Some inmates give dawah by setting a positive example of being a Muslim. Believe it or not, many non Muslim inmates never really knew any Muslims well before coming to prison and ending up being cell mates with a Muslim. If the Muslim inmate is a person that exhibits good Islamic character, prays five times a day in the cell, etc., where the non Muslim can observe all of this, well, it makes the non Muslim see Islam and Muslims in a different light - perhaps for the first time in life. It provides the non Muslim with an opportunity to ask questions.

Why are inmates (or anyone else for that matter) attracted to Islam? Well, as Muslims, we know that Allah (swt) makes Muslims. A person can give all the dawah he wants, and if Allah (swt) puts a veil over the person's eyes, ears, and understanding - well, that person is lost.

Whatever reason, the Muslim chaplain is blessed to be in the unique position to see the miracle repeated over and over again, Alhamdulillah.

When it Rains, it Pours!

(Photo copyright 2009 by S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved)

"By (the winds) that scatter dust; and (the clouds) that bear heavy weight of water; and (the ships) that float with ease and gentleness; and those (angels) who distribute (provisions, rain, and other blessings) by (Allah's) Command; Verily, that which you are promised (i.e., Resurrection in the Hereafter and receiving the reward or punishment of good or bad deeds) is surely true. And verily, the Recompense is sure to happen."

Surat Adh-Dhariyat 1-6

Some of you who have read my blog for awhile know that I am a Muslim chaplain in a state prison for women.

I work on Fridays and Saturdays, usually about 8-10 hours a week.

On Fridays, I have individual sessions every fifteen minutes or so from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

Yesterday, it poured down rain in central Pennsylvania. It was a real jihad driving to work. Many cars were pulled over, waiting for the storm to let up some so they could continue driving safely. But, alas, it didn't let up. So, I plugged along slowly figuring that I would sit in my car once I reached the prison parking lot, and pray for Allah (swt) to let me at least get into the facility without getting soaking wet.

Alhamdulillah, when I arrived, the storm slowed to a steady drizzle and I was able to get to the Chapel relatively dry. I had planned ahead and brought extra socks, so I was cool!

We had our tahleem from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, and the women were able to return to their buildings before the rain started coming down again. REAL HARD!

I settled into my office, figuring that my appointments would not show up, and fired up my computer so I could get some paperwork done. Imagine my surprise, when three out of my four appointments arrived.

Why did these women brave a super thunderstorm to come to the Chapel to see me?

Well, the first one wanted to say the Shahadah.

So, did the second one.

And ... so did the third!

All three wanted to become Muslims, Subhan'Allah! So much, that they were willing to get drenched in a thunderstorm to say the Shahadah!

Oh, I was so thrilled! Allah (swt) has blessed me abundantly. But, there is no greater blessing for me than to be able to look in the eyes of someone who has just said the Shahadah, into the eyes of someone who has no sin, who is a spiritual child.

I always tease them after they say the Shahadah. I do the usual, "Mabrook! You're now a Muslim," to which they respond with a huge smile. We hug, and then I gently touch their chin and tilt it toward me. I say, "Did you know that when a person enters Islam by saying the Shahadah, that all of their sins are forgiven (believe it or not, most of them don't know this)? Let me gaze into your eyes. I love to look into the eyes of a person who has no sin!"

It is an intimate moment. You can't imagine. And I have been blessed as a Muslim chaplain to see it over and over and over again, Alhamdulillah.

When inmates write to me and tell me that they want to become a Muslim, I send them a package of materials, and I schedule them for an individual appointment with me (I have to change prison records). More importantly, I include a note that says something to the effect of "I will see you on Friday, at 10:15 am, Insha Allah, but don't wait until then! If you are sure that you want to become a Muslim, all you have to do is say the words of the Shahadah, with conviction, that are on the handout in the package I am sending you. Then, we will talk more when we meet, Insha Allah."

For some reason, most inmates want someone to witness their Shahadah, to "give" them their Shahadah. Although this is not required in Islam, some new Muslims feel more comfortable saying their Shahadah in front of me, or at Jumuah in front of all of the Muslim women.

I believe this comes from their Christian heritage, where baptisms or "being saved" are witnessed.

Anyhow, three women came to Islam at our prison yesterday!

Allahu Akbar!

In the almost two years that I have been a Muslim chaplain, I have seen our Jumuah list double, Alhamdulillah!

When it rains, it pours!

"When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,
And thou dost see
The People enter Allah's Religion
In Crowds,
Celebrate the Praises
Of thy Lord, and pray
For His Forgiveness.
For He is Oft-Returning
(In forgiveness).

Surat An-Nasr 1-3

May Allah (swt) bless and reward our new Shahadahs and all of our incarcerated Muslims/Ameen!

Lazy Hazy Daze of Summer

As Salaamu Alaikum and Greetings of Peace:

Insha Allah this finds everyone well and enjoying the summer. Before we know it, the blessed month of Ramadan will be upon us, Alhamdulillah.

I have been real busy trying to recover from my trip to ISNA, and also trying to clean up my extensive to-do list.

I am the kind of person who ends up way over her head, unintentionally, because I have a problem saying "no." However, I am learning little by little how to say "no." It is very important to me; not only for my own peace of mind, but for my personal integrity.

Anyhow, the garden is one thing I cannot ignore or put off. To do so creates a whole lot of extra work. And my garden is my sanity saver! This year, my garden is rather larger than I'm used to (or maybe it's a combination of age and MS), and I forgot how labor intensive gardening can be. But, it is definitely worth the effort, Alhamdulillah.

Hubby and I have been eating fresh green beans, yellow squash, and cauliflower. Not to mention all of the herbs I have planted and frozen for future use, Insha Allah.

I bought a "food saver" that seals the plastic bags for the freezer, and also bought a nice chest freezer to hold the goodies for the winter!

Here are a few pics:

1. Dill flowers. Aren't they lovely? They remind me of Queen Anne's Lace flowers. Soon, Insha Allah, I will be able to collect those wonderful dill seeds. I can save some for planting next year, but I plan, Insha Allah, to use them for cooking, too. I have been cooking with dill leaves since the plants came up. Once someone cooks with herbs from their own garden, they are never again content to use that dried up stuff in the bottles that can be purchased from the store.

2. There is also stuff growing around that I did not put in (we just bought this house a year ago). Does someone know the name of this tree or bush? It grew from a few inches tall to what it is now (up over the garage) in about a month. The "flowers" are nice though.

Here's a picture of it's "flower" up close:

3. My tomatoes! Urargggg! Why won't they turn red? I have nice big tomatoes on the vines, but they won't turn red. I looked online and learned that it is a "waiting game." But, I'm not sure how much longer these tomatoes can wait. The plants are so heavy, and I've tied and staked them more than once. We had two real strong rain storms here in the past week or so (did I mention that my bathroom roof was leaking? Ya Allah).

I also red online that you can pick green tomatoes and ripen them in the window without compromising anything on the taste. I never had success doing that. When I picked them green, or even a little pink, and ripened them in the windows, they always tasted a little acidic. (Don't even mention doing fried green tomates or relish with them; I've tried it, and hate it, lol.)

And finally, this little flower was poking its head up from below and between the vegetables and weeds. Anyone know its name?


Well, as you can see, I love gardening.

This winter, Insha Allah, I'm going to plan and design a real nice one for next year. I've learned some valuable lessons this year, and Insha Allah next year will be bigger and better.

Yusuf Islam

Image: Copyright © 2009, S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved

Yusuf Islam was at the ISNA Convention in Washington, DC this year.

I got a shot of him signing his CD An Other Cup.

For those of you "old heads" and non-Muslims, Yusuf Islam is the former Cat Stevens!

Yemeni Plane Crash

As Salaamu Alaikum Dear Readers:

Ah, what a beautiful photo, but my heart goes out to this sister.

I know I said I was on a blogging break, but this story broke my heart and I just wanted to write a few words about it.

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilahi Rajioon.

May Allah (swt) grant His comfort and mercy to all those dealing with this test/Ameen.

More Fractals

Blogging Break

I have been so crazy busy, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better in the next month or so. I am involved in a lot of exciting projects, and Insha Allah, will tell you more soon.

In the meantime, I'll post fractals as I do them. Digital art has been a blessing for me. It's one of the fun things I do for myself :)

Night Vision

Fractal Art

I've been taking a break from doing macro photography with flowers, and have been playing with fractal art.

My interest in fractals came about from seeing the beautiful work of my dear blogger friend and digital art mentor, Marahm.

So, here are the first five fractals I have created with the permission of Allah (swt).

Enjoy!

This is my first attempt:

This one is "Fractal Angel."

This one has no name yet? Have any suggestions?

These next two are black and white fractals:



If you like these fractals, visit me at Flickr. On the right side bar on my blog there is a widget that will take you to my portfolio.

Dawah Opportunity at the Best Buy

Image: Copyright © 2009, S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved


This morning I went to Best Buy to purchase a laptop battery.

While waiting for the salesperson to help me, I noticed an elderly white gentleman with a hearing aid looking at my hijab. When I smiled at him, he started a conversation. It went something like this:

EWG: "Are you a ... are you an Islamic?"
Me: "Am I a Muslim? Yes, I am."
EWG: "Yes, yes, that's it. A Muslim."

Me: "Are you a Muslim?" (My standard line, lol.)
EWG: "Me? Oh, no. I am a Protestant."

Silence

EWG: "Were you born into that?"
Me: "No. I was born into Judaism."
EWG: "Oh, I was thinking about changing to Judaism. If I was to change, I'd be Jewish."

Me: "Oh."

EWG: "Yes, I love the Jewish people. I pray for them every day. I pray for Israel."
Me: "Yes, they need it."

Silence

Me: "If you're a Protestant and you are considering being Jewish, do you know that Judaism doesn't believe in Jesus?"

EWG: "Really?"

Me: "Yes. Christians and Muslims believe in Jesus, but Jews do not."

EWG: "Well, you Muslims - you worship Allah, right?"

Me: "Yes, the same God as you worship. Allah."

EWG: "The same as I worship? Ohhhh, nooooo, that's not what I read."
Me: "Oh yes, He is the same! Allah is simply the Arab name for God. The Arab Christians call Him Allah, too."

EWG stands there looking totally confused.

Me: "Well, it's a special day for you. You have the opportunity to actually talk to a Muslim to find out what we really believe."

Salesperson returns and conversation ends.

I really need to start carrying dawah pamphlets.

African Violets

Copyright © 2009, S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved

Surah An-Nisa' (4:3)

Copyright © 2009, S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved


"And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan-girls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (the captives and the slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice."

Fatwaa: Exercise for Woman

Photo Copyright © 2009, S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved

As Salaamu Alaikum My Precious Muslims Sisters:

Given all of the controversy surrounding the permissibility of certain women's health clubs in Saudi, have you wondered if you're negatively affecting your deen by going to Curves or other similar women's health clubs here in America and elsewhere?

Well my lovely flower, wonder no more.

The Saudi Gazette has published an article called Women's Exercise - A Necessity As Per Shariah that will put all of your fears and concerns to rest.

I've given you the link above to the article, but I'm sure it won't stay up too long. After all, we wouldn't want something like this to get around and become common knowledge in the Muslim world, would we?

So, here is the article:

‘Women’s exercise – a necessity as per Shariah’
By Na’eem Tamim Al-Hakim

JEDDAH – Dr. Ali Abbas Al-Hakami, a member of the Board of Senior Ulema, has said that exercise for women is not only permissible but a necessity according to Shariah.

“It is permissible for women to exercise if the intention is to maintain good health, become more active and prevent obesity, and it is a necessity according to Shariah, as exercise as a means of maintaining physical health is one of the necessities called for by Shariah,” Al-Hakami told Okaz newspaper.Al-Hakami’s comments come in the light of recent controversy surrounding the issue of all-female sports clubs, which the Shoura Council recommended be set up some time ago.

“There is nothing stopping setting up women’s sports clubs provided nothing forbidden by Shariah occurs, such as mixing with men, exposing what should not be exposed, and other issues forbidden by Shariah,” Al-Hakami said.

“What is feared is that opening sports clubs will eventually lead to clubs where men and women mix which is forbidden. Keeping women’s exercise to the rules of Shariah is required, and exercise also becomes recommended, provided it abides by Shariah rules.”

Another member of the Board of Senior Ulema, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Suleiman Al-Manee’, agrees with Al-Hakami. – Okaz/SG

Okay, so there you have it, sisters.

You can proudly show this article to your husbands or other male members of your household just in case they only saw the original articles associated with all the controversy.

You know - just in case that they think you get enough exercise caring for the kids, homeschooling, working an outside job, cooking, cleaning, shopping, schepping the kids from here to there, gardening, caring for aging parents, going to school, running from the stove to the bed, and otherwise preventing the angels from being angry with you.

Just remember to be respectful. Re-education requires patience.

The White Privilege and the Ummah Carnival: What Does It Mean to You, Them and Us?

Sister Brooke over at Rolling Ruminations has started "The White Privilege and the Ummah: What Does It Mean to You, Them, and Us" blog carnival. "Them" is non-Muslims, "Us" is the Ummah.

If you are/consider yourself "white," feel free to jump in. It is open to both brothers and sisters. The carnival goes up on Friday, May 22, Insha Allah.

Once your post is finished, go to Brooke's blog and add your link to the comments or send her a private email with your post link.

Here is my contribution:

It's difficult for me to discuss this topic in a blog carnival. Why? First of all, because the topic is potentially rife with fitnah. But I can only write about my experiences and observations. I do not claim to speak for others.

I am a "white" Muslimah who is 60 years old. I am also a convert from Judaism to Islam.

So, "privilege" is not something I have personally ever associated with my white skin.

The Jew in America was, and to some extent still is, always considered "other."

There was a time in America when Jews were treated similarly to people of color (POC). Anti-semitism was rampant in America. Jews were vilified and even denied admittance to many places in America. Even today, Jewish country clubs, golf courses, and other places still exist that were started in 1940ish America.

I particularly remember how proud Jewish people were when Bess Myerson was crowned Miss America in 1945. Now, mind you, I was born in 1949, but as a child, Bess Myerson was an American Jewish heroine among us Jews. She was the first and last Jewish Miss America.

Looking at Bess Myerson and not knowing who she is or anything about her, one would assume white privilege:



But Bess Myerson suffered incredible anti-semitism as Miss America. This link explains some of what she experienced. Bess Myerson had a lot of difficulty carrying out her Miss America duties.

These days, some assert that Jews don't have it so bad in America. Some even claim that Jews run America. If that's true, it wasn't always that way.

Some Muslims claim that white privilege extends into the Muslim ummah. Perhaps it does. But some say that lighter skin has always been desirable among people. For example, some Arabs whiten their skin. "Good hair" is talked about among Blacks, as "pelo bueno" is among Hispanics. All over the world, light skin is sought. The "why" is not the focus of my post. I will leave that for discussion by a person of color.

For me, I haven't experienced "privilege" in the Muslim community due to my white skin. When I was divorced, no one knocked down my door for marriage because I have white skin. No one recommended me to any non-white for marriage despite my deen and my participation in the masjid. I am sure it had more to do with my age at the time (in my 50s) than my skin color.

Of all the white sisters I personally know, NONE of them are married to Arabs who had green cards or citizenship prior to the marriage to the white sister. If they did have documentation, they sent "back home" for a spouse when they were ready to marry.

In my masjid, my opinion is not purposely sought because of my white skin. As a matter of fact, my opinion is more often disregarded because I am not Arab or Indo-Pak. No one goes out of their way to favor me by speaking English because I have white skin.

As a child, I saw and experienced a lot of racism toward people of color. Remember that inter-racial marriage was a crime until the mid 1960s. For a time, we lived in a housing project (in the 1950s) where we had a black section. But, we did all go to school together. Where did I fit in as Jew? With the black kids. I did not enjoy "white privilege" because I was a Jew.

Prior to living in this housing project, we lived in New York City. Maybe I was too little to understand racism, but I never felt it so keenly until we moved to the projects in Pennsylvania.

When I become a Muslim, I thought the anti-semitism and racism would not exist. I was naive. Before saying the Shahadah, I read a lot about Islam and Muslims. I especially enjoyed the Prophet's (saw) Last Sermon, where he spoke about no person being better than another except by deen.

But mixing with Muslims, I have to say that I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SO MUCH RACISM since my childhood. Some Muslims are over-concerned with another's lineage. Arabs stick with Arabs. Pakistanis stick with Pakistanis. Egyptians stick with Egyptians. Saudis with Saudis - and on and on and on.

Black sisters have shared with me the racism that feel and experience in the ummah. When they first started talking to me about it, I was real quick to defend those they were accusing of being racist. But, then I started to see it with my own eyes.

To add another layer to it all, my husband is African-American. Some of you "White" sisters or brothers married to Blacks know the story all too well. When someone first meets you (as a white Muslim), the first question they want to know is who you are married to and where your spouse is from. I play a little game with them:

Them: Sister, where is your husband from?
Me: Oh (with big fake smile because I know where this convo is going), he's American.
Them: Oh, yes, but where is he from?
Me: Why, he's American (pretending like I'm stupid).
Them: Yes, but WHERE is he from?
Me: He's from Philadelphia.
Them: Yes (a little uncomfortable now), but before that.
Me: He's American. Born and raised in Philadelphia. He's African-American.
Them: face falls, silent.

We (hubby and I) are not highly sought out. We are not invited to many homes or parties. We don't fit in anywhere. Everyone says they love us. But they don't include us. Yes, one or two Muslims who place Allah (swt) and deen first, yes, but for the most part, no. There are sisters here who I mix with on a regular basis. I have never been invited to their homes, to aqiqahs for the children, etc.

White privilege? For me, despite having white skin, people who don't know me assume that I'm a light-skinned Arab. Some Arabs even speak Arabic to me until they find out that I am a white American. Non-Muslims look at my clothing, not my skin.

When they find out I am a convert, that I PURPOSELY chose to be a Muslim and dress this way, I am seen as a traitor to "my" race. I truly then lose whatever race card I supposedly held.

Many people would prefer to marry their "own kind" - for many reasons. Inter-racial and inter-cultural marriages can be difficult.

How many Muslim couples do you know where both the husband and the wife are White?

Do you realize how difficult it can be to explain to your relatives that you have married a Muslim? And, oh BTW, he's (insert whatever non-white he is).

My mother, who was white/Polish and who married a Jew, was very bitter after they got divorced. When I was a little girl, my mother used to constantly remind me that "a Jew is a nigger turned inside out." As a little girl, I used to wonder if I had black skin underneath my white skin. Perhaps it was true, I thought. After all, when my black friends cut or scraped themselves on the playground, I always saw white/pink skin and red blood underneath their black skin. Imagine my confusion when I got hurt. I never saw the black skin my mother said I had underneath my scrap or cut. And my black friends had white-ish skin under their feet. The bottoms of my feet are white. I didn't see black skin on the bottoms of my feet. Yes, I was confused about a lot of things as a child.

I'm sure that I had some white privilege from people who didn't know that I was Jewish. I just wasn't aware of it.

The white privilege I experience these days is that most white people automatically think I'm a Catholic nun. They see my black jilbabs and hijab and think I"m a nun. Perhaps they don't know any white Muslims. It doesn't always have to be racism.

So you can see why I think this theme is rife for fitnah, stereotypes, and prejudice. So, I'll leave it to what I have written.

Al-'Asr

Copyright © 2009, S. E. Jihad Levine, All Rights Reserved



Surah 103 Al-'Asr, 1-3 (The Time)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful

By Al-'Asr (the time). Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth {i.e., order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden}, and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad).

Hijabs Around the House

In the drawers:







On the dresser:

In the laundry room (gardening hijab):

In the downstairs entryway (downstairs salaat hijab):

Answer-the-door hijab (keeping my daff company!):

Upstairs in the bedroom (salaat hijab):

Waiting to be put away hijabs:


Where are your hijabs?