Read out loud the text inside the triangle below.

More than likely you said, "A bird in the bush," and........
if this IS what YOU said, then you failed to see that the word THE is repeated twice! Sorry, look again.

Trying to Avoid Spousal Ranting- Posting This as a Reminder Instead

Muslim narrated the following hadith: Isnad: Suleiman bin 'abd alRahman and 'Ali bin Hujr » 'Ibsai bin Bunus » Hisham bin 'Urwa » 'Abd Allah bin 'Urwah » 'Urwah Narrated 'Aisha: Eleven women sat (at a place) and promised and contracted that they would not conceal anything of the news of their husbands. The first one said, "My husband is like the meat of a lean weak camel which is kept on the top of a mountain which is neither easy to climb, nor is the meat fat, so that one might put up with the trouble of fetching it." The second one said, "I shall not relate my husband's news, for I fear that I may not be able to finish his story, for if I describe him, I will mention all his defects and bad traits." The third one said, "My husband is a tall man; if I describe him (and he hears of that) he will divorce me, and if I keep quiet, he will neither divorce me nor treat me as a wife." The fourth one said, "My husband is a moderate person like the night of Tihama which is neither hot nor cold. I am neither afraid of him, nor am I discontented with him." The fifth one said, "My husband, when entering (the house) is a leopard, and when going out, is a lion. He does not ask about whatever is in the house." The sixth one said, "If my husband eats. he eats too much (leaving the dishes empty), and if he drinks he leaves nothing, and if he sleeps he sleeps alone (away from me) covered in garments and does not stretch his hands here and there so as to know how I fare (get along)." The seventh one said, "My husband is a wrong-doer or weak and foolish. All the defects are present in him. He may injure your head or your body or may do both." The eighth one said, "My husband is soft to touch like a rabbit and smells like a Zarnab (a kind of good smelling grass)." The ninth one said, "My husband is a tall generous man wearing a long strap for carrying his sword. His ashes are abundant and his house is near to the people who would easily consult him." The tenth one said, "My husband is Malik, and what is Malik? Malik is greater than whatever I say about him. (He is beyond and above all praises which can come to my mind). Most of his camels are kept at home (ready to be slaughtered for the guests) and only a few are taken to the pastures. When the camels hear the sound of the lute (or the tambourine) they realize that they are going to be slaughtered for the guests." The eleventh one said, "My husband is Abu Zar and what is Abu Zar (i.e., what should I say about him)? He has given me many ornaments and my ears are heavily loaded with them and my arms have become fat (i.e., I have become fat). And he has pleased me, and I have become so happy that I feel proud of myself. He found me with my family who were mere owners of sheep and living in poverty, and brought me to a respected family having horses and camels and threshing and purifying grain . Whatever I say, he does not rebuke or insult me. When I sleep, I sleep till late in the morning, and when I drink water (or milk), I drink my fill. The mother of Abu Zar and what may one say in praise of the mother of Abu Zar? Her saddle bags were always full of provision and her house was spacious. As for the son of Abu Zar, what may one say of the son of Abu Zar? His bed is as narrow as an unsheathed sword and an arm of a kid (of four months) satisfies his hunger. As for the daughter of Abu Zar, she is obedient to her father and to her mother. She has a fat well-built body and that arouses the jealousy of her husband's other wife. As for the (maid) slave girl of Abu Zar, what may one say of the (maid) slavegirl of Abu Zar? She does not uncover our secrets but keeps them, and does not waste our provisions and does not leave the rubbish scattered everywhere in our house." The eleventh lady added, "One day it so happened that Abu Zar went out at the time when the milk was being milked from the animals, and he saw a woman who had two sons like two leopards playing with her two breasts. (On seeing her) he divorced me and married her. Thereafter I married a noble man who used to ride a fast tireless horse and keep a spear in his hand. He gave me many things, and also a pair of every kind of livestock and said, 'Eat (of this), O Um Zar, and give provision to your relatives." She added, "Yet, all those things which my second husband gave me could not fill the smallest utensil of Abu Zar's." 'Aisha then said: Allah's Apostle said to me, "I am to you as Abu Zar was to his wife Um Zar
__________________

My Co-Wives October 29, 2006

By no means is this post meant to mock polygyny, but more so to make fun myself and how inademnate objects can bring out spousal jealousies.
My husband and I have been married for 5 years this up coming muharam and during that time I have come to realize that I wasn't the only thing that put a twinkle in his eyes. You see when we first married, I thought a healthy muslim marriage surrmounted to cuddling on the sofa reading and reciting Quran together. Of course long walks in parks with crimsonen, yellow and orange leaves falling all around us paving a path of total bliss. And raising muslim children was a like arranging menageriery of little people that had likenesses of all my husband's and my best qualities and that they would innately know how to be delightfuland we would stop and marvel at their wonderfulness. It wasn't long before, I realized that everything that I had imagined was just that, imaginary. I now know that husbands, a least mine have many objects that put a twinkle in his eyes, not just their beautiful wives and children. I call them my co-wives (but they aren't actually people.) Over the years, there have been 3 in total (a least he stays within the limit that is legislated my Allah)
The first arrived shortly after we moved from our small, cramped one bedroom to our two bedroom apartment on the other side of town. Once belonging to someone else, it was a obviosuly well loved. Resembling a low-rider pickup truck with the covered back, painted blue, chiped and cracked. All of its maintenance required special attention - The Hobby shop - for new clothes and parts. Soon, she was given a whole new look with the words Silverado wacrossaccross her sides. But I soon discovered that she wasn't just any kind of companion, but that one that used real GAS? Perfect! I guess if gas in the Subaru wasn't expensive enough! She would go to the masjid, out on the weekends to parks and competitions. We were left at home. All the kids at the masjid all adored her. Their ummies would call ask about my husband's new companion - you mean my knew Co-wife, I would say. Even one time, for her, we were left in the The Hobby Shop parking lot in the July sun, no air, babies crying - I started to drive and soon realized I was being followed by the police. Someone had called and said the kids were left unattended in the car. All for her.
She stayed with his almost two years, until one day on a family outing to the park she flipped over a log or a rock - who cares really what caused the fatel crash, but landed on her back, wheels spinning with exasperation, but going no where. Now she sits above the kitchen on top of the cabinets, out of site, out of mind.

Wife #3
After spending almost 6 months away from home taking care of my dying father - my hubby couldn't wait for me to get home. He kept telling me that their was something in the house he wanted to show me. He said he had redecorated of sorts. I though, oooh, maybe real furniture or one of those Saudi Jelsas I have been drooling over. I openned the door and found that instead of beautiful furniture, a beast was gawking from accross the room. She was huge, 52″ in all directions. And next to her was a stack of disks grotesquenessrostequeness. I don't mean to be nasty about her union with my husband, but trulyne was truely a waste and undoubtedly unhealthy for our family. Because of her, no one could enter my home - that is any muslims. Because of her, my husband became embedded in the sofa. Unable to cut the grass, fix a thingamajig or two, talk, play with the kids, study for school and all sorts of other things. He was in a trance. So, I was determined, she had to go. I mean, she just didn't fit in with our life, what was my husband thinking. So, I put her on craigslist. It read, "Must have big****** to watch the Red Skins Win." Many people replied, but only one came to sit down with her. An Asian man and his wife - he asked questions like, "what brand is RCA?" 0r "why do you want to get rid of it?" He left without her and I thought I was doomed forever. Finally, after 4 months of adds and responses with stupid questions. A frat boy from the university seemed interested. He called with several questions, many of which I didn't know the answer, because during her 6 month visit, I just never took the time to get to know her. Why should I? Finally, he came, "white hat" wearing flip flops in the winter - reckless and spoiled handed me nearly a grand and put her into his surburban. Don't come back again! Alhamdulillah, she was gone!

Wife # 4
While, I was trying to manage the situation with wife #3. My husband already had his eyes on #4. I guess since he already knew that #3 was on her way out that he'd better secure something, before he was awkwardly left alone with just me. At the malls, he often shopped around trying to find something to give him the most time for least amount of money. But finally, after an efficient trip to Sam's Club - he found her and suddenly our visit became inefficient. I saw him read over papers, sign contracts and swipe his cards. I knew this was the beginning of a new infatuation which began almost immediatley. We stopped at the meat market - originally, I sent him inside - he came out and said "why don't you go in and get what you want." While he stood outside gazing into her screen, pushing her buttons and feeling empowered. This is how he is all of the time. In the super market, on family outings to the museum. I mean she does so manythings that I can't imagine him getting board of her, like he does with me. I mean, she plays lectures, the radio (NPR), takes pictures, videos and plays games and she fits in the palm of his hand. I guess maybe I should loose some weight or take up some new entertaining hobbies. Well, so its me and her. He doesn't want me to touch her, so any hopes of us becoming sister-wives are totally out. So as it stand now - together until she brakes.

S.T.I.C.K.E.R.S. - of two kinds. October 28, 2006

I believe it was last Ramadhan that Dr. Ahmed recommended that I get blood work done to check my cholesteral. Alhamdulillah, a year later, I finally made it. After plotting and scheming, I got up enough courage to try and do it with the kids. I grabed exactly 3, hard candies put them in my purse and packed everyone in the Outback. Labcorp - right directly accross the street from the hospital. WRONG. After a near panic attack and kids wanting to know why we are driving in circles, in and out of the car twice, I decided to make things easy for myself and patron the one on Rt 1. Of course! I have been there, before. Once in the room and candy poped in two mouths - the practioner kept checking the door. Finally, she announced that it was a training day and a supervisor had to observe. I asked her to clothes the door so that I could flip and immediatly, the door swung open again - “what are you doing? you have to wait until I come, don’t do anything yet,” said a rather gruff female voice. After a minute or two, the door swung open again and 3 women entered. Two in scrubs and the other, older in plain clothes. We started as usual, the giant rubberband - squeezing my popeye arms. Now started the interruptions, not from my kids, but from the one in plain clothes, the supervisor. She was an older women, possibly in her 60’s (women of color tend to age well), wearing brown slacks, a diamond cross, with a glossy jet black wig that sort of ressembled a tamed Ronald McDonold wig. It was what my dad used to call a “Battle Axe.” We had a few in our family, those Jocelyn Elder types, but this one was rather slender and short. She was making the phelbologist nervous. She started and the needle came out. Then the next girl was given a turn on my other arm. Alhamdulillah, she was quick and way more confident. After being bandaged - said to the technician, “my kids are expecting S.T.I.C.K.E.R.S.” The battle axe asked, “is that some kind of code or something?” Everyone else knew what I had said. Ah no, it is Momlish for , Stickers. Enough said.

Taqaba’ Allah wa minkum minka - Eid Rocked! October 26, 2006

Finally! Fhew we had a fun eid. No Chuckie Cheese with pizza, the sound of bells whistle and dings beating at my brain or sister sitting at someone house eating chicken “wangs” playing the sock game.
Masha’Allah Iman Taalib gave the khutbah - really stressing the love of Allah and trying on to dwell on nonesence - Umm anisah that’s you!
Afterwards, some gracious individual catered a brunch equiped with a state-of-the-art fondue fountain. Of course, one my kids nabed a marshmellow before the khutbah even started. Chocolate was everywhere . . . Long plastic balloon ma bopper were turned into weapons and everything was as usual masha’Allah.
Afterwards, on an adventure to find the Nannie Lee Center. Now who is Nannie Lee and was she someones owner? I found lost of sisters, plenty of food, kids spilling soda (no water to be found), arts and crafts, moon bounce and double dutch. No, I didn’t jump. I doubt I can even get off the ground. A good time!

Islamic Curriculum

Homeschool went well today. The only thing, Miss Pesa has decided that she doesn't like Quran anymore, at least she doesn't like it in the day time, because she will do it before bed or maybe she doesn't like Suratul Kafiroon. Masha'Allah she knows all the ayat, but the verse bismillah: wa la ana abidumma abadtum, is particularly hard for her. I am praying that I can get her to memorize up to Suratul Qariah by June bithnillah.
On to Islamic studies: I have noticed that what we teach our second gen. revert kids differs vastly from what muslim children are taught in muslim countries. We seem to focus on memorizing big concepts. They don't know how to pray, any dua's, fique or manners, but they can spit out Thalaathatul Usool or the definitions of tawheed and eman. These are important, but misunderstood. I say, lil'uns, should memorize short surahs, dua's for everyday like, manners like shaking hands and left leg in pants first. Primary grades, Qisasul Anbiya (the prophets), Forty Hadeeth basic fique on prayer, taharah, eating and manners. Oh Quran of course. Insha'Allah this could be a project for me . . . So lets put away Ms. Susan Davis (no offence whoever she is) and stop trying to reinvent the wheel.

Easy Pancakes October 24, 2006

For those sisters who have pancake lovers in your bayt . . . I devised a knew way to cut down on time and mess. I mix batter in a small pitcher on Monday and keep it in the fridge for the week. I just pour and cook. Oh, use a big plate, to prop the pitcher, melting butter and a drippy spoon. This leaves little counter clean-up.

Slugs and Fungus Among Us! October 24, 2006

This is old news . . . Twice after returning home from salatul Taraweeh (on drizzly nights), we found slugs in our livingroom. What? They weren’t near the doors, windows, but just in the middle of the carpet room with a sparkly slim trail leading to the exterior wall. How are they getting into out livingroom? Are they squeezing themselves under the foundation and up through the baseboards? And even if was the scenerio, why would they bother? Allahu Alim.

Oh onto the fungus . . .
After an unexpected cut of the grass from my hubby ( the grass was so long that it was laying down like shaggy hair) . . . and almost 10 hours later in the bed, in the dark, my husband blurts out “there are potatoes growing in the hard!” Now, I sort of doubted the existance of potatoes, but I wondered since moving to the DC metro area, I have notice a jungles worth of never to “be seen before by my SE PA eyes” flora and fauna. So, the very next day, on our usual shopping carts and big wheel expeditions around our neighborhood, I found the “potatoes.” Had we effortlessly grown something? Well, not quite! They were brown, dirty and round, but almost weightless. I realized these are underground funguses, or better known as truffles. Aha! So, in a bucket they sit outside my front door, waiting.

Why Can’t We Just Play All Day? October 18, 2006

Life would be easier if every morning I could pack my kids up and drop them off at school for 7 hours so I could goof off at home. It would be great, I could sit at the computer all day, study Quran, read some articles, listen to paltalk lectures and right before time to pick them up cook dinner and clean the house in a total frenzi. How wonderful it would be. However the reality is we don’t really have a whole of options for Muslim Education and the ones we do have I am not doing cartweels over. So we homeschool and I like it and so do they. We have been homeschooling for about 3 and 1/2 years now. First, I started with my step-daughter who will be 6 in November. Eventually her friends and their siblings started coming for educational activities and we had a little school going on in my home. For a year and a 1/2 we did this and then we went back to me and the girls. And it is serious business. We have schedule, I lesson plan, have tests and projects. We go to the library weekly and take field trips and really learn. So we really aren’t playing all day. Now my step-daughter went to live overseas with her umm - so it is just me a little ones and they make me homeschool them. If I start to get lazy . . . I will eventually hear “mom, I want to do school!.”

I moved . . . not like anyone Knew where I was before!

Sleepless as usual, but tonight is turning into an all nighter. I am trying my best not to head down to the kitchen. There are many tempting things in my cubburds . . . like Tastycakes, which I might add only tast good after midnight.
On my last blog, I had been working on my responses to an article in the Washington Post by former post write Caryle Murphy, which sparked quite a bit of controversy amongst the Muslimeen in the DC metro area. I wasn’t so up in arms with her comments, but I actually was rather ruffled by the responses that she received from Al-Huda -ites, especially those who wrote editorals for the Muslim Link newspaper. I always wonder . . . why muslims are so baffled by the ignorance of the kuffar. No matter how educated and worldy the individual, unless they say La illaha ilallah, they will never understand who were are. And I am also wondering if we even know who we are? Why get upset that Ms. Murphy mentions the “sisters only” parking or that we “segregate” ourselves from the disbelievers. Or that the hijab hinders integration - I agree with her. Why are we so worried what the kuffar think of us?
Adh-Dhahabee (rahimahullaah) said: “If you see the innovative mutakallim saying: ‘leave out the Qur’aan and Sunnah and bring forth logic’, then know that he is Aboo Jahl. And if you see the ‘One on the Spiritual Path’, [who claims that by practicing a set of prescribed forms of innovated worship he will attain oneness with Allaah] (i.e. the Soofees) saying: ‘Leave us from [knowledge] that is transmitted (i.e. the Qur’aan and Sunnah) and bring forth the ‘Taste and Ecstasy of Passion’, then know that he is Ibless (Shaytaan) become manifest in human form, or has become incarnate within him; so if you become cowardly then run away from him,. otherwise wrestle him down, and sit on his chest with your knee, and ready ayaatul-kursee, and strangle him.”
[as-Siyaar, (4/472)]

I have moved

http://ummbinat.wordpress.com/

Still lost

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

A couple of months ago, the Washington Post ran a article about several of the muslim communities in the DC Metro area . . . and well, of course it ruffled some feathers. Actually, I discovered the piece after doing a general search on google for "salafi" bloggers instead, I found post after post on this article by Caryle Murphy. After reading the article and reading what area muslims had to say about it, I became really perplexed . . . had we all actually read the same words? I found the article to be rather honest, there was little evidence of any oppinions, just facts as observed by an "outsider." The only thing that I did find faulty was her assesment that Darusalaam and its Imam Safi Khan were "salafi." This was actually the only point that reached a consensus amongst the muslimeen. However, how I and they decided to define salafi or the dawatus salafiya differed. It seems salafi to them was extremism, terrorism and jihadie ideologies . . . where did they get that from . . . FOX News? No where in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah is there a description of Salafi using those terms. In fact, the word salaf means Dawat-us-Salafiyyah (Call of those who preceeded us) According to Quran and Sunnah Dawah - literally means "call", and in this sense it refers to calling to the Truth through preaching and propagation. Salaf - literally means "those (from history) who precede, have gone before". As-Salaf as-Saalih - The people of the past, namely the first three generations of pious muslims during and after the revelation of the Qur'an, i.e.the Sahabah (companions) of the Prophet, saaws , the Taabi'een (followers) and the Taabi Taabi'een (followers of the followers). So, why are my neighbors in College Park so affraid of this word? I am sure most if not all of the worshipers at Al Huda agree to these terms and want to strive to acheive in their manhaj. Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan said, " The reasons for disunity are many. From amongst the main causes are: Firstly, opposing the minhaj (methodology) of the Salaf, the Companions of Allaah's Messenger and those who follow them. So the Salaf had a minhaj that they adhered to; a manhaj in aqeedah (creed), a manhaj in da'wah (calling to Allaah), a minhaj in enjoining good and forbidding evil, a manhaj in how to judge between people. [Wujoob ut-Tathabbut fil-Akhbaaar p.18] And this what seems to be the root of the problem - the people at Darusalaam don't want to make a distinction between themselves in other groups. They won't speak out on other ideologies like sufism, tableegh wa jamaat and khawaraaj - so they are what we call Ikwani Muslimeen (muslim brotherhood). Simply put they practice "tolorance" regardless of deviations from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of our Messenger. I suggest that those who are still confused about this word, salafi check out a recorded phone conversation between Sheikh Albaani (rahimallah) and a brother who wanted to know why does he have to call himself salaf.http://www.troid.org/audio/manhaj/sunnah/thesunnahandmattersrelatedtoit/salafiyyah.htm

Lastly, I am curious why did Ms. Murphy's words bother so many people?
One person resented the mentioning of a "sister's only" parking area - so what! We are supposed to seperate the women from the men.
Others didn't thing the word "segregate" was appropriate. Wait muslims supposed to seperate themselves from the disbelievers - Duh!
If we believe in Allah and his messenger, then we can't be affraid of the realities of our faith. And no this doesn't mean being harsh!

First Blog

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem . . .

After a few months of blog searching and endless hours of voyerism, my husband came to me with the logical solution that I should make my own blog. Since, I spend all my free time on the computer with literally nothing to show for but a few purchases on ebay, homeschool resources and an up-to- minute knowledge of what is going on in the muslim world. I guess now after of 20 years of nagging - I have succombed to my mother's advice "why don't you keep a journal" or " are you writing this down? " Okay mom, you won. I am writing are you happy now? I am not sure what I want to funnel into this thing. I have so many interests and things to say and possibly this might be my way of stop writing in my head and actually put down all my thoughts on "paper." Here are a list of things that are current with . . .
1. I am constantly worried about what people think of me, so I never make decisions without thinking about how other's may react.
2. I want to go back to school . . . how do I do that as a fully veiled muslimah?
3. Where are all of my muslim companions? Why are the muslims around here so weird?
4. My father passed away and I think about him constantly, but I can't really put a handle on how that makes me feel.
5. I am really angry with my step-mother . . . her heartless behavior really affected my ability to cherrish my last days with my father and morn the way I needed.
6. How do I blog in a way that isn't transgressing from this deen?
Anyway this is what is going on. I am a terrible speller and an eliptical thinker so don't expect to always be able to follow what I am saying.