Terse Personal Reflections Prior to Ramadan 2012

(Can the title be more straight-to-the-point?)

So Ramadan has descended upon us once again....

...& this Ramadan I vow to finish reading the entire English translation of the Qu'ran, in hopes of easing the cognitive dissonance that befalls my brain most nights & some days (especially in these last few months).
(I've got in my possession "Towards Understanding Qu'ran: an abridged version of Tafhim al-Qu'ran by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi, in case you are wondering. A gift from the father, naturally).

Though, one's faith & spirituality is a continuum, right?
I suspect it's not as black & white as we make it out to be. The binaries of "religious" & "non-religious" are far too simplistic.

Just like all social constructs.

Wish me so much luck.

éclatement de l'inspiration

"Women are not created weaker but more generous than men. They are created more beautiful and less fierce, as beauty hates to hurt and harm others. That is why they seem weak to people, but in reality they are not. Angels are the strongest of created beings, and women are closer to the angelic nature than men, as they are readier than men to carry angelic light. It is the good manners and ethics of spirituality which they carry which makes them less forceful than men. Even physically, however, they are extremely strong. They undergo great upheavals in their body without flinching for the sake of childbirth, and face the direst physical conditions more successfully than men because God has enabled them to insure the survival of generations."

-Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.)


Just a quickie post; burst of inspiration & what not. It's been way too long, mes amies. <3
Life's been crazy-busy, obvs. Fear not, been doing errrr'thang in tacky, thrift-y, vintage-y clothes, bien sûr. 

Read-iculous.

My plunges into the world of literature as of late have been met with such positive reverberations, it is read-iculous.

It all started with 'Child 44' by Tom Rob Smith. I devoured that thrilling fictitious-but-based-on-true-events-thus-historical-murder-mystery-crime-laden-political…thriller with such vulgarity during finals time, I got a B in Microeconomics. *whimpers*

Still, sacrificing a vivacious future was so worth it.

Like comic relief in a dramatic, tragic play, the following quote, besides being an utterly sweet thing to muster to one’s significant other, serves as ‘romantic relief':

 "Do you remember the first time we saw each other? You thought I was rude, staring at you. I got off at the wrong metro stop just to ask your name. And you refused to tell me. But I wouldn’t leave until you did. So you lied and told me your name was Lena. For an entire week all I could talk about was this beautiful woman called Lena. I’d tell everyone Lena’s so beautiful. When I finally saw you again and convinced you to walk with me I called you Lena the entire time. At the end of the walk I was ready to kiss you and you were only ready to tell me your real name. The next day I told everyone how wonderful this woman Raisa was and everyone laughed at me saying last week it was Lena this week it’s Raisa and next week it’ll be someone else. But it never was. It was always you."

I read a few more books in between (and that I'd whole-heartedly recommend: 'Summer Sisters' by Judy Blume, 'The Blind Assassin' by Margaret Atwood, & 'Bossypants' by *Tina Fey).

*I now have a platonic crush on Tina Fey.

And then I had the privilege of stumbling upon Nafisa Haji's 'The Sweetness of Tears'. It weaves together the stories of individuals from different generations, different timezones, different faiths and toys--nay, beautifully treads--through topics such as religion, war, patriarchy, emotional expatriation, friendship, and love.
I urge you all to give it a read and have your soul shaken! 

This quote was poetic. And heart-breaking, given the context.

"The fact is, Deena, that you and Umar are no longer children. You have gone from sharing fruit to sharing poetry. It is time to set this part of your childhood aside, before you also move from broken bones to broken hearts."

This quote needs no explanation, I hope.

"The only way to rise above is to rise above. The only way to respond with wrong is with right. The only way to deal with injustice is to be just," said Abu.
I told Ma what Abu said. "Hmm. Abu carries a lot of wisdom around in his head. But the problem is that in the real world, wisdom is very hard to detect from foolishness."
"What are you saying, Ma!? That Abu is foolish?!"
"I am saying that most people would consider him to be so."
"Do you?"
My mother sighed. "No, Deena. Don't tell him I said so--but I think he is wise. It's the rest of the world that is foolish."

This quote made me angry, as it reminded me of the cultural misogyny that is so often wrapped under the pretense of Islam and is used to justify the subjugation of women. But I cooled off (sort of--am currently amidst Californian heat!) and went on reading Haji's brilliant words.

"But there's nothing in the Quran that says so!"
"No matter. The interpretation of the learned ones is sound."
"The learned ones! They must all have been men!"
"Of course they were!" he said, shocked, "You think it's a woman's job to determine what the law of God is?"

And this one brought tears to my eye and I have no freakin' clue why. Closet hopeless romantic? (Other passages brought out saltwater from my tear ducts, too--tears actually worth shedding! I am embrassed to have been misty-eyed because of the preceding quote).

"What I saw there explained everything--the reason he had stayed away, why he had come to say good-bye. I can only describe what I saw by its effect on me. Every woman should be looked at in such away, at least once in her life. With a longing that cannot be contained....like the verse of the poem he had read...I felt my face flush and waves of knowing suffused every pore, every cell of my being. ...in that love, I felt beauty--my own....Have you ever felt that way, Jo? Have you ever been looked at with such soulful longing that you are transformed, the object and subject of Love, capital L? You look frightened, as if you didn't know what I was talking about and were afraid of it somehow."

And that concludes my summer reading list thus far.
And yours?
(p.s. new followers-welcome!)
(p.p.s. read a review of 'The Sweetness of Tears' by my cousin, on Altmuslimah--your platform for gender issues in Islam and beyond!:  http://www.altmuslimah.com/a/b/reva/4361/)

"And never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice." - (Qur'an 5:8)

[2nd Bi-Annual Hijabi Fashion Week]: Day 5-Jummah!

Day 5 of Hijabi Fashion Week is dedicated to outfits we'd wear to/on Jummah!
For those not aware, Jummah means Friday. Today's theme, then, entails our best Rebecca Black outfit-impersonation.

I kid! I kid! The apocalypse would've surely occurred if I'd have proceeded to don tween-like, mall-chain-store-purchased, mass-produced clothes that I avoided all throughout highschool.

Friday is reserved for special prayers, where mosque-goers pray in congregation. Analogies that are often made to highlight the significance of Friday for Muslims, usually are made through indication of  the relative importance of Sunday church [for Christians]. As Jummah prayers prayed in congregation are not obligatory for women, I attend the mosque on Fridays from time to time. What do I wear? Usually this:

 

who what wear? 

• afghani-style shalwar(trouser)-kameez(shirt): gifted by my grandma
• blue-green-red kitten heels: $4, thrifted 

[outfit commentary]: This is the perfect outfit to slip on, as for some unexplainable reason, there is urgency in the process of getting ready for the masjid [in my family]. The flowing body of the top reminds me of an abaya*--an Urooba-esque abaya ;). Also, it may be of little surprise, but I am usually dressed the brightest!

Link You Must Click 

• to see how girls around the world dress for Jummah click HERE! 

 Jummah Mubarak (although in my region of the world, Jummah is tomorrow!) Toodles! <3

And we all love halal 'Friday' parodies, don't we?

SPOKEN SLAM.

I suppose I have a genetic disposition to forming a kinship with words. Conducting flowery sentences, making them sing (in offbeat timbres, of course) has proved to be an enjoyable task for me from the beginning of my time. Here is my brilliant literacy (heh!) at age five:
*Agi (Ajji) and Api are nicknames used as a term of endearment (derived from the Urdu language). In this specific case, I use them to refer to The Coolest Cousins Ever (Sameea and Shazia Kamal)!



Hmph. And here I was, thinking I've always been the best speller. Well, I've been the best speller from age 6 and beyond; I"am absoltly shure off it.

Speaking of poetry and literary passages, tomorrow I shall be performing spoken word/slam poetry, for the first time as a university student! Past experiences with this magnificent art form have occurred in grade 11 and 12 English honours classes, Acting 12 class...and at a cool cafe in front of a *real* audience last May.
It's part of Islam Awareness Week, happening on campus- I-slam: Expressed. SO SPIFFY how word-play was able to derive from that!
Boonaa Mohammed will also be there!!!!! (This requires far more exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!)
DON'T KNOW WHO BOONAA MOHAMMED IS?!

Here. And you're welcome.




Boonaa Mohammed is a favourite spoken word artist, as well as Sarah Kay.

 BRILLIANT BRILLIANCY. <333333

Things to do Before I Die #384127

Pray on the beach.

For now, I can check off: Praying amidst a sunset.

An extremely belated Eid Mubarak to all who celebrated!

The Ignorance-3000

*[Prologue]: (Can there even be a prologue prior to a blog post?! Anyways.) This piece is titled "The Ignorance-3000", as evident above. It is rather fitting to post this now, I feel, all with what is going on with Islam in media and under so much scrutiny. I originally wrote this a few months back (in April) for a community performance, which was followed by an interactive dialogue, called 'Freedom-a-Nation', while I was a part of a group called The Surrey Urban Youth Project. This event was to use creative mediums to portray how welcoming and inclusive communities could look like in [my] community. Performing this in front of a group of about 200 was incredibly fun and, hopefully, impactful as well! It rendered some laughs and thoughtful questions during the dialogue. Later (in May), I adapted it into a piece of prose to submit to my school's writing contest. Surprisingly, it won first place in the Senior category--but hey, I'm not complaining! ;) Hope y'all enjoy.
p.s. I'm loving all the amazing support I've been getting from you guys about UUU, m'A! Thank you!

[Note]: the following is a work of satire.

*in the voice of an infomercial commentator*
Do you often get showered with compliments? To people automatically assume you’re brilliant and cunning with just one glance? Is it getting tougher and tougher to suppress your rapidly increasing self-esteem?

Well, have no fear, the Ignorance-3000 is here! This product is so simple, even a 13-year-old boy can manoeuvre it!

Imagine this. You’re walking home from school one day.  The sun is shining brilliantly, the birds are sing-a-linging.  Your friends continue to be a source of entertainment, yet embarrassment, as you parade down the streets of Surrey.  Things are perfect--too perfect--so perfect, they’re, in fact, not! Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to add a little ignorance into your life!? The perfect time to salvage this dreadful situation?  With the Ignorance-3000 you can do just that!

To use, simply hold it at a 45 degree angle from your face, turn the nozzle in a circular motion, and the Ignorance-3000 will make the next person that walks by, what else? Ignorant!  Words like, “terrorist!”, “go back to your country!” and other such expletives will begin to rush out of the mouths of those fortunate to walk by, if, for an example, I used the product!

The secret lies within the extract of a rare human attribute--apathy.  Coupled with our finest selection of “lack of knowledge”, this product is simply the best on the market! It will make all your dreams come true! Never will you have to face kindness and tolerance again!

Not convinced? Well, take a look at what some of our satisfied customers had to say.

Customer #1:
I absolutely recommend this product to anyone who’s been going through long durations of happy times. I used it just once, and instantly I was called a “meat-eater” by someone passing by, as I stood next to a stuffed chicken in the Toy section of our local grocery store! It felt great to be interpreted as one thing, when I’m another, especially because I’m a devout vegan!

Customer #2:
For a long time, I’ve relied on news reports of destructive hurricanes and registered sex offenders roaming my neighbourhood as sources of worry for me. But with the Ignorance-3000, I can bring the worrying on to a way more personal level!  Like today, casually walking down the street, I was bombarded with rocks, thrown by a group of girls. They called me ’butch’ and ’dyke’. They told me to make up mind: was I a girl or a boy?
Being insulted by strangers is something I didn’t think I’d get to experience in my lifetime. For that, I am so grateful to the makers of Ignorance-3000!

Customer #3:
I love it! I love it! The Ignorance-3000 just clears any tolerance away, exactly like they say. Just the other day, I had a job interview, and I took the Ignorance-3000 with me, and, oh my goodness, the results were fantastic. I didn’t get the job! My potential employer  insisted that because of the colour of my skin, it was blasphemous of me to think they’d hire me. I left their office, feeling like I’d never felt before. It was truly a humbling, and wonderful experience that I feel everyone should have at least once in their life! Go and try the Ignorance-3000 right now!

Well, there you have it folks. You heard it here. The ignorance-3000 can change your life, so what are you waiting for!?
Limited quantities only, so order now! Operators are standing by. Simply place your order at 604-123-4567 and with just 8 easy payments of $49.99, the Ignorance-3000 CAN be yours…

Freaky, huh?

Ramadan Mubarak!

The setting: an Elementary school classroom, circa 2004. A young girl clad in jeans ripped at the knees (trendsetter, obviously) frantically shoves her belongings in her backpack (which she proudly bought with her own money because it was the coolest backpack in the whole wide world), eager to arrive home after a long day, after having endured the calamities and social atrocities that is the seventh grade. Before stepping out, she remembers to retrieve the gourmet concoction (hardly; it was purchased from a bake sale!) that she's been saving all day. Fondling her chocolate cupcake with butter cream frosting and rainbow sprinkles, she's greeted at the door of the classroom by a teacher, Mr. Caldwell.

"Oh my, you've been saving that cupcake all day? Boy, you've got willpower!"

The young girl smiled shyly (she did this a lot) and replied,"It's Ramadan, I'm fasting. God gives me willpower. And... I couldn't miss out on 25 cents cupcakes!"

That young girl, namely, being me. 

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)”

[al-Baqarah 2:185]

  "If the servants knew the value of the month of Ramadan, they would like the whole year to be Ramadan."

Source: Baihaqi 

"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint."

~ [al-Baqarah, 2:183]

photos source: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/08/ramadan_2009.html

I love Ramadan! Ramadan Mubarak to all you beautiful people! 

Got no clue what Ramadan is? Check out some info HERE!