It’s been a while, I know. There’s just too much to do and plan before baby #2 arrives in my book, so please forgive my absence…and the absence of notes from the Rihla (inshAllah I’ll start back on that someday…). But if I’m honest here, you probably won’t be hearing much from me unless there…
I didn’t tell you that yesterday Noora danced in the middle of the dhikr circle. She stomped her feet to the beat of La ilaha il Allah, whirling dervish of nasheeds that she is. Today, the baby who has abducted my body for the past 4 months kicked and flipped for the first time (that…
If you were to ask me the things that struck me most from the first day of the Islamic Studies and Research Association (ISRA) Retreat that took place this Gregorian New Year’s weekend, it could be summed in these two oft-repeated sentences by the speakers: “The Qur’an is our constitution” (Syed Zain Al Abedin, the…
Today we are making our way to Columbia, South Carolina for a two-day retreat of an in-depth study of Nawawi’s 40 Hadith compilation, or al Arba’een. Led primarily by Shaykh Manzar-ul-Islam Azhari and Shaykh Muhammad Mendes, and sponsored by ISRA International, this is the 8th annual winter retreat of its kind. Called Jewels of Mercy,…
Every year around this time I get a little nostalgic. What can I say? I’m a visual person and sometimes I wish the Muslims of America would take Eid decorations to the streets a little more like the Christians of America. Every Ramadan, I talk myself out of putting lights on our tree outside and…
Jazakum Allahu khair for all of you who voted and tried to give this blog some bling for Eid ul Adha…The Sandal didn’t win this year, but inshAllah there’s always next year! I’m just so happy I made it into the top 5–mashAllah! Mabrook to all of the winners of the award this year, and…
This past Sunday, I attended a SeekersCircle in my area (a halaqa sponsored by SeekersGuidance and the Ghazzali Centre with telecast lectures from scholars) which really spoke to my soul. We have been covering Al Ghazali’s Bidaya al Hidaya (The Beginning of Guidance), and most of the time, it is just emphatic reminders of things…
Today, I joined countless other families around the world in sending our loved ones off to hajj. In my case, it was sending off my dear husband, Hassan. The ihram was washed, kits were assembled, repetitive questions were asked. The luggage was packed, unpacked, and repacked in preparation for this very special three-week journey–the longest…
My, oh my, I got some very good news today–surprising news in fact! Some of you have really been busy out there because I didn’t nominate myself…but I’m listed as one of five you can vote for in the Best Writer category for the Brass Crescent Awards! You’ve got me up there with some of…
Okay, so, I knew this day would always come though I tried to prevent it from coming. I know, it’s the seventh of the month. And now I have to let you down. My brain and hands can’t keep up with the rest of the things my body’s doing, so…your Rihla notes will be coming…
Okay, so one week ago yesterday, I had the honor of attending my first ever United For Change conference. It was the third conference of its kind and the theme this year was “United We Stand: One Nation, One Destiny”. Sporting scholars such as Karen Armstrong, Anya Cordell, Dr. John Esposito, Altaf Hussein, Dr. Merve…
Well, it’s the seventh of the month, and you know what that means…notes from the Rihla! I begin this post with a trip back down memory lane for those of you who are wondering about that yellow brick road over there. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a musical aficionado. In fact, I view…
Better late than never…Eid mubarak to you! I know inquiring minds want to know how we fared by the end of Ramadan…and all I can say is alhamdulillah, this was the. best. Ramadan. ever. Even through the tears, drama, and sob story you witnessed here. Things were done that were never done before, and I…
Forget the blogiday, we need to talk. I need to express myself. Is it me, or are you having a rough time this Ramadan too? I mean, I thought I did everything right. I cleaned the house two weeks in advance. I gave up TV months in advance (see posts on Tennessee). I even decorated.…
It’s late, but it’s still August 7th, and as promised, here are you notes from the Rihla. Since we last spoke, I was only able to watch one class, but inshAllah these notes are of benefit. The notes are from Imam Zaid Shakir’s class on Imam Al Ghazali’s text, Forty Foundations of the Religion. But…
So if you haven’t noticed how quiet it has been around here, yes, I’m on blogiday. I know, I know. I just had one in March/April, right? Well I firmly believe in the wonders of rejuvenation that a vacation brings. It’s not good to always be a workaholic (believe me, I know), PLUS, Ramadan is…
So today was the first day that I officially tuned in for classes at the Rihla in Bursa. Sure, I’ve seen glimpses of lectures coming and going from my husband’s office, but I never sat down to fully focus and take notes. I have to thank Sister Maryam Mirza for that–she left a comment telling…
As we exit the holy month of Rajab reflecting on the blessed anniversary of the Isra and Miraj on Tuesday night, we realize that Ramadan is only a month away. And this is going to be my first Ramadan experience in the summer…DC’s long summer days. But its okay, I’m actually looking forward to the…
Please pardon me while I interrupt the flow of posts, but I will be traveling to Bursa, Turkey inshAllah from June 30 to July 21, 2011 for the Rihla program…from my computer. I may blog some memorable snapshots of the classes, but for the most part, I’ll be focusing on keeping my attention span connected…
When we were in Palestine a couple of months ago, I remember how astonished people were to find out that there was such a thing as indigenous American Muslims. For some reason, there’s a misconception running amuck overseas that all American Muslims are converts and need to be quizzed on their knowledge of certain surahs…
I returned to the DC Hidayah Conference this weekend to keep the spiritual momentum of the retreat going, but I was largely disappointed. I know, I know–it wasn’t a retreat, but if I’m going to sit in lectures all day, can’t I expect the speakers to humor me? A little? I felt like I was…
“We were with Allah’s Apostle when the sun eclipsed. Allah’s Apostle stood up dragging his cloak till he entered the Mosque. He led us in a two-Rakat prayer till the sun (eclipse) had cleared. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, ‘The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone’s death. So whenever you see…
I don’t know when I first heard the term “shaykha”. I think my friend was joking with me about how maybe one day I’d become one given the zeal I had as a new Muslim. She and her older brothers had taken to affectionately calling me “shaykha” because of that zeal. We laughed and kidded…
Yesterday was a very bittersweet day. It was the day we left to go back to the “real” world–back to our homes to continue the journey on our own. In a way, I feel that we already were in the “real” world in Tennessee. We were doing things as they should have been done all…
Today has been a relaxing, but long day, so this message will be brief. But I’ve learned a lot about acceptance from all the teachers. For instance… We must accept the place that we are in life. We must accept the decree of Allah (swt) and His Wisdom in putting us in the particular situation…
Alhamdulillah, today I got to go to every class except for two. Today had a big block in the middle of the day for rest (like 6 hours!!) because truly, no one here is getting much sleep with the company of blessed knowledge. In the classes, the theme of the company we keep was echoed…
Today was such a spiritually uplifting day. I feel that I’m receiving so much benefit here–from the sisterhood and brotherhood to the information from the lectures. MashAllah. Today I want to share snippets from a lecture from Shaykh Mohammed Mendes, entitled “The Qur’an on the Journey to Allah.” In it, he extolled a shaykh that…
THE SANDAL 