Sura Maryam (Mary Mother of Jesus) Mishary Rashed Alafasy

Enjoy this beautiful Quran recitation.

Jazaka Allahu Khayr to Aboo Uthmaan.

Til Death Do Us Part or Until There Are No More Bhuttos to Assassinate

Benazir Bhutto - Pakistan

Chairperson for Life

Benazir Bhutto and Her Husband Asif Ali Zardari

Called "The Nelson Mandela of Pakistan" by his wife

Called "Mr. 10 Percent" by the Pakistani Press

Idi Amin of Uganda

President for Life

Benazir Bhutto's Husband and 19 year old son, Bilawal - Successor to Benazir Bhutto

Francois Davalier ("Papa Doc") of Haiti

President for Life

Also Succeeded by His 19 Year Old Son

I felt I needed to write something about the Bhutto situation. This is what I came up with. Sorry. You can make your own inferences.

Hajj - My Husband Makes The Journey of His Lifetime

Alhamdulillah, my husband is making Hajj!

He went with the Al-Mu'adhdhan Hajj Group, Al-Furqan Bookstore, Philadelphia, PA. So far, so good. This group has done a great job, and everything leading up to the big departure day has gone smoothly, Masha Allah.

One of my sister friends was anxiously biting her nails waiting for notification of Visa approval. Alhamdulillah, the approval came and she leaves tomorrow.

My husband's group left Philadelphia on Tuesday, December 4th. They flew into New York City and from there took a flight to Cairo, Egypt. From Cairo, they departed to Jeddah and transferred to Al-Shohada Hotel in Mecca. Hubby tells me that this hotel is very nice, Masha Allah.

I was intially worred because we agreed to text message daily. You know, just "am OK" kind of thing. When I hadn't heard anything from him toward the end of the week, I phoned Verizon Wireless. I thought maybe I had to add something to our cellphone plan, but I was told that Verizon Wireless does not work in Saudi Arabia. Arggggg!. But at last hubby called me from a call center - at 4 a.m. my time! Saudi is 8 hours ahead of us.

He performed Umrah for the first time in his life, Alhamdulillah! He was so excited when he called me that he could barely put his experience into words.

One bad thing did happen, however. When he and his friend leaned into the Kabbah, someone stole the friend's fanny pack. Can you imagine? Stealing right at the Kabbah, Allah (swt) forgive us!

On the way back to the hotel, my husband's sandals slipped off. His friend picked them up, but the crowds were so intense, and hubby and his friend got separated. So hubby had to walk back to the hotel barefoot, lol.

Another thing that happened was my husband stopped to eat at a street vendor. He ordered a sandwich and the meat was on one of those large spools, the kind where the vendor slices it off for the sandwiches. My husband got violently ill after eating there. He ignored the advice of the Hajj group not to eat anywhere, if possible, outside of the hotel.

And today he has a bad cold. There are millions of people from all over the world there and not everyone has total immunity from all the different types of germs.

But all in all, he has not let this ruin his trip of a lifetime at all! He is so happy!

Tomorrow they check out of the hotel and head for Medinah. They will be staying at the Dallah Taibah Hotel. At some point, the group will be transferred to Mena where they will be staying in tents close to the Jamarat.

Alhamdulillah! I am so happy for my husband. I miss him and wish I could be with him to share the experience.

I'll let you know how the rest goes when he calls me.

Oh Allah, Blessed Allah, please keep my husband safe and accept his Hajj/Ameen.

Festivals & Celebrations in Islam - Imam al-Jibaly

Hand colored, engraved print, published in 1834 - Wild Male Turkey

http://www.lonestarantiquemaps.com/wildturkeymale.htm

Muslims all over America are celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday today.

"What does it hurt?" some say. What's wrong with getting together with family over a nice meal to express thanks and gratitude for the blessings we enjoy.

"It's not a religious holiday," others claim. "What's wrong with observing a secular holiday? It will help our children feel more like a part of America."

Yet others claim that the values of Thanksgiving are compatible with Islamic values.

But who is it that we are thanking for our blessings? Who are Muslims expressing gratitude to while observing Thanksgiving?

When I was a child, we celebrated Thanksgiving. My father was Jewish and my mother was Catholic. So, we celebrated the religious holidays of both faith traditions. We also celebrated the secular holidays of America.

But most traditional Orthodox Jewish people do not celebrate holidays such as Thanksgiving. They do not observe any non-Jewish holidays. It is perceived as imitating the "Gentiles" and their customs, a prohibition found in Leviticus 18:3. Some Jews do not consider it to be Halakhic (acceptable according to Jewish law). Read more at http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/About_Jewish_Holidays/Secular_Holidays/Thanksgiving.htm?OVRAW=muslims%20and%20thanksgiving&OVKEY=jew%20and%20thanksgiving&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=1537331522&OVKWID=12847858522

In Islam, it is also encumbered upon Muslims to differ from the non-Muslims.

Imam Muhammad al-Jibaly covers this topic thoroughly in his book, Festivals & Celebrations in Islam, 2nd Edition. He explains that differing from the non-Muslims is a religious requirement.

"Adhering to the way of the believers helps a Muslim maintain a distinctive Islamic personality and avoid dissolving in the beliefs and customs of un-Islamic cultures," al-Jibaly explains, "even in matters that may be thought unimportant, such as personal demeanor and attire." He goes on to cite other examples of commands issued by the Prophet (saw) such as "sparing the beard, trimming the mustache, dying the white hair, keeping the wife's company during her menses, eating a pre-dawn meal (suhur) before fasting, cleaning the houses and courtyards, and so on."

If we fail to differ from the non-Muslim, we are in danger of becoming one of them.

Ibn Umar (ra) reported that the Messenger (saw) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." (recorded by Abu Dawud, Ahmad, and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani)

Imam al-Jibaly also states that Muslims do not gain dignity by imitating non-Muslims:

"Muslims are blessed with the BEST guidance. The Guidance from the Lord of lords - Allah (swt). This gives them true dignity and honor that no other people can claim. Allah (swt) says:

'Honor belongs to Allah, to His Messenger, and to the Believers.' (Al-Munafiqun 63:8)

Therefore, a Muslim is required to have a distinctive Islamic identity that makes him stand out honorably among followers of other religions.

Unaware of this, some Muslims, presuming that Islam permits resembling the non-Muslims and acting in complete harmony with them, are afraid of exhibiting a distinctive Islamic identity or proclaiming Islam openly."

The only holidays condoned by Islam are the religious occasions of the weekly id every Friday, and the two annual ids - al-Fitr and al-Adha. Al-Jibaly also tells us that "in addition, the day that precedes Id al-Adha (i.e., the Day of Arafah) and the three days that folow it were named by the Prophet (saw) as id days because they supplement Id al-Adha in regard to hajj and sacrifice."

Given the above, can we Muslims really ask ourselves, "what does it hurt" to celebrate non-Muslim holidays such as Thanksgiving? Is this what we want our children to be a part of?

Allah (swt) has answered this for us in An-Nisa 4:115:

"If a person opposes the Messenger, after guidance has become clear to him, and follows other than the path of the believers, We will give him what (consequence) he chose and admit him into Hell - what an evil destination!"

(To learn more, read Festivals & Celebrations in Islam, 2nd Edition, by Muhammad al-Jibaly, Al-Kitaab & as-Sunnah Publishing. It can be obtained at http://islamicbookstore.com/b8498.html

Approval Received!

I spoke with our Facility Chaplain Director today. She told me that she received approval to proceed with my contract to be our Muslim chaplain.

Now it should just be a matter of formalizing the contract, Insha Allah!

I am so excited. It is beyond my wildest dreams to receive this opportunity from Allah (swt).

Keep saying dua for me!

10 And A Wake-Up!

Alhamdulillah for another 3-day weekend (Veteran's Day). I didn't do too much; have been enjoying my much-needed rest.


Retirement is on the horizon, Insha Allah!


This week I have 4 working days. Next week I have 3 working days. The following week will be my last week at work as a full-time substance abuse counselor. That week will be 4 working days because I am scheduled to attend a training on Islam and addiction that Friday.


So, "10 and a wake-up" as the inmates say!


I still haven't heard anything about the chaplain contract. But "no news is good news" right? What I mean is that I probably would have heard by now if there was an objection in Harrisburg (main office). Just waiting on government bureacracy to play out.


My colleagues are planning a retirement party for me. I am very touched by this kindness. I will truly miss providing direct clinical services in the addiction field. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best in the field in my career.

Autumn Of My Life: Transition To A Career In Muslim Chaplaincy?

It's that time of the year again.

A few days ago, I went outside and prepared my garden for the winter, pulling out dying tomatoe vines, and dry stalks left over from the beautiful flowers of the summer.

This morning, I signed my retirement papers. I have been employed in the field of Corrections for almost 10 years.

Just like fall is an exciting time because of all the beautiful colors and smells, so is the prospect of retirement. The end of one season. The start of a new one. Exciting, but a transition nonetheless.

I remind myself that I will now have time to do the things that I like to do: writing, jewelry-making cooking, homemaking, gardening ... Yes, I know. I can do them and still hold down a full time job, but I would like to devote myself fully to these activities. I have held down a full time job for most of my life. I am close to 60 years old. I'm sick of it.

I need to get my health in order. Also need to lose weight. No use in being retired and not having the health to enjoy life.

Hubby and I are also planning to buy a house in 2008, Insha Allah. I am real excited about that! And could spend at least a year getting it the way I like it.

But the biggest transition, Insha Allah, will be to a retirement career as a Muslim chaplain.

I currently work in a maximum security state prison for women. Our Muslim chaplain did not renew her contract because she wants to finish school at Hartford Seminary. So, the prison invited me to apply. I should know something by the end of November. At the same time I will be retiring from my full time position. The Muslim chaplain contract is for one day a week, six hours. A perfect retirement gig, eh?! I am so looking forward to it. I have worn many hats in my career but I never thought I would have the opportunity to be a Muslim chaplain. Allah (swt) is truly good to me, Alhamdulillah.

Eid Party Conversation

Insha Allah everyone had a blessed Ramadhan and Eid Al-Fitr.

Eid parties at the masjid are usually pretty interesting for me, but this year some local Muslims got together and had an Eid party at a fire hall.

One long table was for the men and another one was reserved for the women and children.

I ended up sitting next to two elderly Pakistani ladies. One spoke English, but the other did not - she could only understand English. I have seen these ladies before, but never had much of a conversation with them other than to greet them with salaams. This time, however, we had an opportunity to chat: The conversation went something like this:

Pakistani Sister #1: Are you Arab?

Me: No.

Pakistani Sister #2 - Says something in Urdu to the other sister.

Pakistani Sister #1: She says you look Arab.

Me: No. I came to Islam from Judaism. Even some of the Arabs think I am an Arab. When they see me on the street, they speak to me in Arabic.

Pakistani Sister #1: (Pointing to my clothing) You dress like an Arab.

Me: Nope. I'm American.

Pakistani Sister #1: Your husband's an Arab?

Me: No. He's an American, too.

(Both Pakistani sisters look at each other ... hmmm)

Pakistani Sister #1: Where did he come here from?

Me: He was born here. He's African-American. That's him over there. (I point his direction.)

(Both sisters really look at each other now, lol. They decide to change the topic.)

Pakistani Sister #2 - Running her fingers up and down her arms.

Pakistanti Sisters #1 - (Pointing to my bangles) Your jewelry is even like the Arabs.

Me: Well, I guess us American sisters learn fast!

All three of us sisters have a hearty laugh and agree!

Fighting for the Right to Wear Hijab: Sisters of the Delaware County Prison

Carmen Sharpe-Allen, despite a good performance record, was fired in December 2005, from the Delaware County Prison (Pennsylvania) after a meeting with Warden Ronald Nardolillo.

Why?

Because she would not remove her khimar while on duty as a nurse at the prison.

Prison officials are being accused of violating workplace discrimination laws by firing Sister Carmen. A Federal lawsuit has been brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Sister Carmen and other female Muslim employees at the prison.

The Geo Group Inc., is the Florida-based private company that operates the Delaware County Prison.

An Associated Press article states that "(The prison) has forced its Muslim female employees to compromise their religious beliefs by removing their khimars while on duty or risk termination," according to the federal suite. The prison instituted the ban on head scarves in early 2005, the suite said."

The photo I have chosen for this post is of my Muslim sister's daughter. She is three years old, Masha Allah.

She was so happy that I wanted to photograph her in her little hijab, Alhamdulillah.

Insha Allah she will be able to always know the joy of wearing hijab due to the courage of Muslim sisters like those who work at the Delaware County Prison.

Inserting Culture Into Islam

Alhamdulillah, the month of Ramadhan is here!

But one issue bothers me every year. It has to do with the community iftaars at the masjid.

I have been to a few different masjids where it is the practice to have the men go through the line and eat before the women.

Where does this come from?

Is there an Islamic basis for this?

If so, someone please show me the daleel because it really burns me up. I think it may have more to do with culture, than with Islam.

At my current masjid, there are at least 5 women/children to every man.

While the men are going through the line, the children are usually crying because they are anxious to eat. The sisters have resorted to sending their children through the line with a father, older brother, etc.

We have two floors at the masjid. As is the case at most masjids, the men are upstairs (in a large, roomy area), and the women are downstairs (in a small, cramped space). We used to have the food upstairs and downstairs. There was no problem then. But then I suppose that someone thought it was too much work to haul the food upstairs to the men.

The solution?

Have them come downstairs and go through the line first.

I remember sometime ago, watching a TV documentary about food aid to poor countries, some of them Muslim countries. They mentioned that one of the problems was that when the food aid got to the villages, towns, etc., the men ate first and not much at all was left for the women and children. They were still starving. I felt angry hearing that.

argggggggggggggggggg! I know I am complaining. But ...

I just don't think there is an Islamic basis for this. If there is, someone please tell me and I will ask Allah for forgiveness.

The adab of America is "ladies first" lol!

Human Costs of the Iraq War

On this, the 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States, the sobering human costs of the Iraq War to date are (minimum figures):

U. S. Military - 3,774
U. K. Military - 169
"Other" - 129
U. S. Wounded - 36,943
Self-Inflicted - 122
Iraqi Civilians - 71,720 - 78,296
Journalists - 155
Contractors - 414

Sources:
http://www.icasualties.org/
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

No group of people has suffered more than the Iraqi people in the "War on Terror".

Jihad

This image is from a poster for director Hina Khan's film, Jihad - Struggling With Islam. The film documents her personal jihad, her inner struggle, with her own faith and identity after the events of 9/11.

Many people do not understand that the term "jihad" has a meaning separate from that used by media and uninformed people. Jihad is mistakenly referred to as "holy war". Say the word jihad and images are conjured up of car bombs, expoding buildings, bearded men yelling "Allahu Akbar" and on and on. There is no such thing as a holy war in Islam.

Why am I writing about jihad?

Well, as my blog suggests, part of my name is Jihad. It is my husband's name. The Quran tells Muslims that we should keep the name of our fathers. My birth name is Sharon Elayne Levine. When I married my husband, I did not take his name as my last name. Rather, I inserted it before my father's name. Thus, I use the name of S. E. Jihad Levine. Among Muslims and close friends, I am known as "Safiyyah".

A friend of mine asked me to write a book review and back cover blurb for a Musim author who will soon be publishing her first book.

When I received the manuscript, it was badly in need of content and copy edit. It had numerous errors about Islam and the grammar was horrible. The author's first language is not English. So, I spent many hours and exchanged a number of emails in order to tighten up the manuscript. I then wrote a long review for the author to use for marketing purposes. Also did the blurb for the back cover. After many hours of work, I sent a good draft to the author and to my friend for their review. I didn't charge for this work. I did it as a favor for my friend. I also did it for the exposure. All I asked of the author was that she keep by byline intact when sending out the review. My byline included my name: S. E. Jihad Levine.

Well! The author sent an email to my friend stating that she was "alarmed" when she saw the word "jihad" in my name. She feels it may jeopordize what she is trying to achieve. And what is she trying to achieve?

She wants to market her book mainly to non Muslims. Muslims are not her target audience. The characters of her book are Muslims. She wants to present Islam in a positive light.

"Jihad" in someone's name may put off the non Muslims.

So, she asks, would I be willing to change my byline to "Safiyyah Levine" or "J. Levine".

No, I am not willing to sanitize my name for the non Muslims.

What is up with this internalized Islamophobia in some Muslims? Examples of it include:

1. Changing a Muslim name to an "American" one, i.e., Samir to Sammy, Mohammad to Moe, etc.
2. Not wearing a hijab.
3. Not wearing a beard.
4. Celebrating non-Islamic holidays, i.e., Christmas, Mother's Day, etc.

I'm sure you can think of more examples.

No non Muslim I know is put off by my name. As a matter of fact, my non Muslims friends think my name is comical ... a Muslim name and a Jewish name put together.

And I have never had a Muslim editor ask me to change/delete my Jewish name of "Levine".

Good thing my husband's name is not Sadaam or Osaama!

"Seemed To Be A Crisis"

This is a picture of one of my tomato plants from just a few weeks ago. Most of the plants only had one or two rippened tomatoes hanging from their branches. Every day I enjoyed a fresh tomato from the garden. It was heaven. But then it happened, like it does to gardeners everywhere: an explosion of rippened tomates!

So Alhamdulillah, this afternoon I made spaghetti sauce from scratch. As I sit here writing this, I am enjoying the aroma from the kitchen.

I had to do something soothing like cooking this afternoon. Because this morning, I experienced what seemed to be a crisis: our well stopped working.

We share a well with three other families. My neighbor's landlord came over and changed the filter on the well pump. Sometimes the filters get clogged up and then the water stops flowing.

After that, we had water. For about 15 minutes.

The landlord came back and found that the well filter was totally clogged again.

Our area is experiencing low levels of ground water because we have not had sufficient rain this summer. Because the well pump has to work harder to find and bring up water, it brings up a lot of soot that keeps clogging the filter. The landlord finally took the filter off so we could at least have running water.

But wait! It's UNFILTERED water. OK for the toilet, but what about for the showers! And washing the dishes! Never mind a load or two of laundry. That's out of the question. Now I have to spend my day off tomorrow at the laundromat.

The bottom line is that we have it deal with it while the landlord arranges to hook us up to the city's water supply.

I say that the situation "seemed to be a crisis" because after all the excitement was over, I sat down and thought of all the Muslims from various areas of the world who have no access to clean water.

I'm sure that many Muslims who live in regions where there is drought would be grateful for the unfiltered water that I have flowing through my pipes.

Many Muslims also live in areas where there is no indoor plumbing - running water, toilets, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. - all the conveniences of modern life that many Muslims enjoy by the Mercy of Allah (swt).

I'm sure that some would even be grateful for my homemade spaghetti.

I'm now sure that it is not a crisis after all. Inconvenient, yes. Crisis, no.

"Allah is He Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it; then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, lo! They are joyful ... Look then at the signs of Allah's mercy, how He gives life to the earth after its death, most surely He will raise the dead to life; and He has power over all things." (30:48-50)

Pregnant Somali Mom and Daughter Missing in Minnesota Bridge Collapse

Please say dua for the family of Sister Sadiyah and her little daughter Hanah. Sister Sadiyah is a 23 year old nursing student. She is also five months pregnant.

An online news article at KARE11.com said that Minneapolis Somali leader Mohamed Hassan called Sahal a bright light, "She was an active young lady who had a beautiful life in front of her."

Read the entire article about those still missing at http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=261310

May Allah (swt) give His comfort to this sister's family, and to everyone affected by this tragedy/Ameen.

Stuffing Prisons With Black Men - by Harold Jackson

What do you think of the article below?

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 8/4/07

STUFFING PRISONS WITH BLACK MEN

by Harold Jackson

Only about 2 percent of Iowa's population is black. But blacks are 13.6 times more likely than whites to be imprisoned there. That's more than twice the national average, which is bad enough. Hispanics nationally are imprisoned at double the rate of whites.

I shouldn't pick on Iowa, though. I live in New Jersey, where blacks are imprisoned at 10 times the rate of whites. In Pennsylvania, it's five times.

You would think the disparities would be worse in the Old South states ...

READ THE REST OF MR. JACKSON'S ARTICLE AT: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_520617.html

Laundry Day Visitor #2

A Laundry Day Visitor!

Alhamdulillah For Halal Butchers

I heard another piece on the evening news tonight about the use of carbon monoxide by U.S. meatpackers. This issue was in the news a few years ago when fresh food advocates asked the U.S. FDA to ban the practice.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/carbonmonoxide112205.cfm

Meatpackers use carbon monoxide to make meat look fresh. It is necessary, in part, because the practice of buying meat that is sliced or prepared on spot is becoming a thing of the past. Most big modern grocery stores sell pre-packaged meat. Shoppers spend a lot of time looking at the different packages of steak or ground meat in order to find the pinkest package. This, they believe, is the freshest meat.

Grocers like the practice of using carbon monoxide to make meat stay pink because people will not buy brown meat. Reports claim that grocers suffer a huge financial loss when they have to discard less-than-pink meat because consumers will not buy it.

However, the appearance of meat does not necessarily indicate that it is fresh and safe to eat. Color, likewise, does not indicate freshness. In fact, the practice of altering the color of meat can actually hide or hinder the behavior of certain bacteria, etc.

Bad odor upon opening the package is a more accurate sign that the meat may not be fresh or that it may even be bad.

But the bottom line is that no matter what the industry does, food safety in general is a huge concern in America. Also, some meat sold in America is from other countries.

The meatpacking industry claims that there is no safety risk in the use of carbon monoxide to improve the appearance of meet. Some advocate groups disagree.

Seeing this report on the news again tonight got me to thinking about the Islamic obligation to eat halal meat.

I love my halal butcher!

Everything is cut, sliced, and packaged on the spot in his store.

I don't have to worry about the freshness of the meat or chicken in this brother's halal market.

Some Muslims complain that halal meat is more expensive. Other claim there at fatwaas stating Muslims can eat the meat in the U.S. grocery stores because America is a "Christian" country, and Christians are People of the Book.

I think the Quran is clear on this matter.

I am grateful to have one less thing to worry about.

Pardon My "Remodeling"

I finally decided to use the new Blogger Layout feature. So, I am changing the look of my blog! Insha Allah I'll be done real soon. Come back and let me know how you like it.

British Police ID 2 Suspects as Doctors

By DAVID STRINGER, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - "An Iraqi physician and a Palestinian doctor working at British hospitals were identified Monday among those held in the failed car bomb attacks on London and Glasgow, while authorities said the latest suspect had been arrested in another country.

British media reported at least five of the eight people now in custody were doctors, but police would confirm only the two physicians whose names were released ..."

If the above is true, it disturbs me deeply. Not only because these people are Muslims, but also because they are physicians. Doctors. People who are supposed to be concerned with alleviating suffering. Medical professionals who are supposed to focus on saving lives.

Yet these "physicians" are willing to blow people up with car bombs.

A news report said that one of the suspects was being treated in the hospital where he had worked! I cannot imagine the feelings of his colleagues.

Ya Allah!