Muslims

[~Jackie~ 30]

http://www.aish.com/wallcam/

Tonight the wallcam is pulled back and is showing the mosque in the background

Just wanted to share it with ya.

[faryan 4]

Awww, seriously, I'm just a student at the beginning of my journey to acquire sacred knowledge. I just like to read a lot, and when I find something cool, I want to share

Sunnipath is mashaAllah awesome. I was actually in a class while ya'll were typing, ha. Faryan, is your husband a convert? If he's been muslim less than a year, there are several excellent courses available at 75% off. I think malaysian is predominantely shafi'i? There's an Essentials of Islam (Shafi'i) course starting in a few weeks that's at a reduced price. I'm currently taking Introduction to Islamic Belief this semester, and that's also one that's at a reduced price for newbies. Others that are reduced at Essentials of Islam (Hanafi) and Understanding Islam. That last one is also 75% off for interested non muslims.

SP just keeps growing and growing. There are still kinks they have to work out, but it's amazing what they've done in just 5 short years. They introduced an associates degree program, so one can earn a college degree taking their courses. That's what I'm working on, but slowly. Courses are $200-300, so it can get a little costly.

I think you'll find the US to be very intersting in terms of muslim women participating here. Women frequently go to the masjid, and if you're in a city with a significant muslim population, there are a lot of classes and activities offered. We actually have a mini muslim women conference coming up at the end of the month here in Minnesota.

If your husband wants more to read, I'm working on a list of resources for converts on my blog. It goes in fits and bursts, but inshaAllah I'll keep adding.

Turia - the fatiha course is excellent! It really helps with the prayer, so that when you're reciting al fatiha, it's not just a bunch of sounds, there's a lot more meaning behind it. Is Sh. Sohail teaching it?

Hi Rahma! That's great, keep on sharing! Yeah you are correct, Malaysia is predominantly shafi'i and my hubby is a new convert Awesome that they're giving out discounts for newbies!! I'm thinking that we will look at a few classes when i finally get there, so that we can "attend" together and talk about it later. InsyaAllah it will be in February that I can finally join him there, really really hope so, will be interesting (re the finally moving in full time together part).. hehehe

Will be nice to "shop around" for a mosque that me and hubby will feel comfortable in to participate and study too.. one that is welcoming of people of different opinions, lifestyles, etc but who are muslims and want to be part of a society. i think the lack of this might be what repels many people from mosques here in malaysia.. from my bedroom i can hear very loud sermons every week from my local neighbourhood masjid, talking about the same kind of things as usual, but always in angry tone. a lot of rhetorics and politics and not so much on teaching i guess its kinda cool here for sermons to sound fiery; i guess while its not my personal cup of tea, it might be others'.

without close family nearby during ramadhan, eid, etc for example, i dont look forward to that.. i would be able to prepare the local fares that we have at home, but my extended family is very close and we always have get-togethers at each others' house often to eat and also pray together and recite surah Yassin... and that is not something i can recreate alone... my hubby was great on his first ramadhan, he only not able to complete 2 days out of the month and im really proud of him.. but its such a lonely ramadhan and eid for him.. good thing that i will be with him for this year's ramadhan, and i want to make it feel festive too for him, not only serene.. ah well... we shall see eh?

[UmmSqueakster 54]

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There is no serious Muslim on the face of the earth who does not want to grasp the true significance of the Quran. Yet the resources available up to now to English-speaking Muslims have been mostly confined to ordinary translations into their own language. Virtually none of these have adequately reflected the sciences that alone form the criteria for a knowledge-based understanding of the Divine Word: hadith; Arabic grammar, diction, and rhetoric; and especially, the prolific and excellent works of Islam's greatest exegetes, the Imams of tafsir. The often puzzling renderings in English, and verses that seem to bear no relation to what precedes or follows them, are not the result of revelation, but of a lack of the light of understanding in which all parts of the text fit together and make perfect sense.

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We're in an exciting time here, where more and more women are stepping up and reclaiming the legacy of islamic scholarship. I don't know of any other way to learn from Umm Sahl other than to go to Jordan and sit with her. Now, at least some of it is available online.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Hi Rahma! That's great, keep on sharing! Yeah you are correct, Malaysia is predominantly shafi'i and my hubby is a new convert Awesome that they're giving out discounts for newbies!! I'm thinking that we will look at a few classes when i finally get there, so that we can "attend" together and talk about it later. InsyaAllah it will be in February that I can finally join him there, really really hope so, will be interesting (re the finally moving in full time together part).. hehehe

Probably will want to get settled in a bit first - there's a summer semester that will start in June probably.

Will be nice to "shop around" for a mosque that me and hubby will feel comfortable in to participate and study too.. one that is welcoming of people of different opinions, lifestyles, etc but who are muslims and want to be part of a society. i think the lack of this might be what repels many people from mosques here in malaysia.. from my bedroom i can hear very loud sermons every week from my local neighbourhood masjid, talking about the same kind of things as usual, but always in angry tone. a lot of rhetorics and politics and not so much on teaching i guess its kinda cool here for sermons to sound fiery; i guess while its not my personal cup of tea, it might be others'.

Oh, we have our share of firey preachers here too. If you're in a bigger city, there should at least be a choice. If there's only one masjid in town, you're kinda stuck

without close family nearby during ramadhan, eid, etc for example, i dont look forward to that.. i would be able to prepare the local fares that we have at home, but my extended family is very close and we always have get-togethers at each others' house often to eat and also pray together and recite surah Yassin... and that is not something i can recreate alone... my hubby was great on his first ramadhan, he only not able to complete 2 days out of the month and im really proud of him.. but its such a lonely ramadhan and eid for him.. good thing that i will be with him for this year's ramadhan, and i want to make it feel festive too for him, not only serene.. ah well... we shall see eh?

Ramadan/Eids can be tough here. I spent many a lonely ones in the years before my husband came. inshaAllah you guys will be able to make it up. You really have to work hard to make your own traditions, although nothing is quite like "back home." If there's anything that's unique to Malaysia for these times, ask your husband if it's available here, and if not, bring it. In Egypt, fanoos (lanterns) are an important ramadan decoration. I haven't been able to find traditional egyptian fanoos here for a decent price, so the husband is bringing some back when he finally gets to go back to egypt in a few months inshaAllah.

[faryan 4]

We're in an exciting time here, where more and more women are stepping up and reclaiming the legacy of islamic scholarship. I don't know of any other way to learn from Umm Sahl other than to go to Jordan and sit with her. Now, at least some of it is available online.

Very exciting indeed! I like the word you used, reclaiming the legacy of islamic scholarship.. I used to work one year for a progressive muslim women org here in KL a few years back, i was just organising events for them, but its a very important turning point for me personally, as i was surrounded by strong, kind, opinionated and diverse muslimas, and made me believe in myself more rather than follow blindly for the sake of. If there's a wishlist that i can make or a new year resolution, it will be so that i can read books and articles and retain them in my brain, and be able to eloquently string sound opinions or at least sentences like them and of course you guys too. Sometimes i think i can be a tad airheaded.. ha ha.. sad!

Probably will want to get settled in a bit first - there's a summer semester that will start in June probably.

Definitely! Theres a lot to get used to...

Oh, we have our share of firey preachers here too. If you're in a bigger city, there should at least be a choice. If there's only one masjid in town, you're kinda stuck

Yeahh i know what you mean.. Hubby not so keen on the mosque in town-imam was new, gruff, dont speak much english at all (according to him). there was one congregate, a student, who was nice and helpful to him, but i'd say the whole experience of the couple of visits he had there wasnt pleasant for him, very overwhelming.. initially i told him to stick to it coz maybe they are just being extra friendly or something, but then again i realise that i also have the same kind of aversion to being overwhelmed etc, and i said to him that IMHO mosques is a social place where people congregate, pray, learn, so its ok to admit not being comfy at one place and search for an atmosphere we most feel more at home. he visited one 2 hours away and like that mosque. seems like they even have classes etc. in the weekends. the head of the mosque there is a uni professor, they had nice chats, and was very helpful to him. thats a good start i think.

Ramadan/Eids can be tough here. I spent many a lonely ones in the years before my husband came. inshaAllah you guys will be able to make it up. You really have to work hard to make your own traditions, although nothing is quite like "back home." If there's anything that's unique to Malaysia for these times, ask your husband if it's available here, and if not, bring it. In Egypt, fanoos (lanterns) are an important ramadan decoration. I haven't been able to find traditional egyptian fanoos here for a decent price, so the husband is bringing some back when he finally gets to go back to egypt in a few months inshaAllah.

Good idea! I love to cook, so been finding out re alternative ingredients that i can use.. May have to send some packed spices way ahead for the days that i want my food just so, altho i can usually adjust and experiment with things there. There's quite a number of malaysian students in the uni in town, so maybe if i get homesick for malaysian chatters and want to feed people i can touch base with them. Oh.. and i worry about not making friends, but will figure that one out i suppose.. i hope there will be some of you guys here living in the area, will be nice talking to people who actually know what we go through, u know what i mean?

Edited January 12, 2009 by faryan

[UmmSqueakster 54]

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[Staashi 371]

Rahma - I had to let you know that I showed my husband the dresses from that site you posted the other day - he loved them! He was like...someday you need to order something from them. I would love to find a great tunic or a dress for a really special occasion. Although I'm not a hijabie princess, I love the look. Plus, I could use the wrap for something else like a scarf or a head band.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Rahma - I had to let you know that I showed my husband the dresses from that site you posted the other day - he loved them! He was like...someday you need to order something from them. I would love to find a great tunic or a dress for a really special occasion. Although I'm not a hijabie princess, I love the look. Plus, I could use the wrap for something else like a scarf or a head band.

They are pretty spiffy aren't there? I think that there are plenty of occasions where a long flowy sparkly dress could be appropriate. Formal wear doesn't always have to be about the little black dress

[Staashi 371]

Rahma - I had to let you know that I showed my husband the dresses from that site you posted the other day - he loved them! He was like...someday you need to order something from them. I would love to find a great tunic or a dress for a really special occasion. Although I'm not a hijabie princess, I love the look. Plus, I could use the wrap for something else like a scarf or a head band.

They are pretty spiffy aren't there? I think that there are plenty of occasions where a long flowy sparkly dress could be appropriate. Formal wear doesn't always have to be about the little black dress

Most definitely! I love the embroidery.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Very exciting indeed! I like the word you used, reclaiming the legacy of islamic scholarship.. I used to work one year for a progressive muslim women org here in KL a few years back, i was just organising events for them, but its a very important turning point for me personally, as i was surrounded by strong, kind, opinionated and diverse muslimas, and made me believe in myself more rather than follow blindly for the sake of. If there's a wishlist that i can make or a new year resolution, it will be so that i can read books and articles and retain them in my brain, and be able to eloquently string sound opinions or at least sentences like them and of course you guys too. Sometimes i think i can be a tad airheaded.. ha ha.. sad!

Ha, I can be airheaded when it's very inconvenient - like at work. I'm a paralegal, and when I'm trying to explain something to an attorney, sometimes my words get jumbled, like this morning Everything is so clear in my head, but when I try to articulate it, it gets messed up. That's why I like to communicate via email - more time to think and refine what I want to say.

Probably will want to get settled in a bit first - there's a summer semester that will start in June probably.

Definitely! Theres a lot to get used to...

Yeah, don't do too much at once. My husband signed up for a tax course that started 2 days after he arrived, and it was really tough for him to make it through with everything else he had to do.

Oh, we have our share of firey preachers here too. If you're in a bigger city, there should at least be a choice. If there's only one masjid in town, you're kinda stuck

Yeahh i know what you mean.. Hubby not so keen on the mosque in town-imam was new, gruff, dont speak much english at all (according to him). there was one congregate, a student, who was nice and helpful to him, but i'd say the whole experience of the couple of visits he had there wasnt pleasant for him, very overwhelming.. initially i told him to stick to it coz maybe they are just being extra friendly or something, but then again i realise that i also have the same kind of aversion to being overwhelmed etc, and i said to him that IMHO mosques is a social place where people congregate, pray, learn, so its ok to admit not being comfy at one place and search for an atmosphere we most feel more at home. he visited one 2 hours away and like that mosque. seems like they even have classes etc. in the weekends. the head of the mosque there is a uni professor, they had nice chats, and was very helpful to him. thats a good start i think.

Ah, good good. We do have a problem with imams being imported and not connecting with the local people and culture. I think more and more people are aware of this problem and are seeking out people who are at least fluent in english. There's a new muslim college being started by the people at Zaytuna with the aim to create imams and scholars with a knowledge and understanding of american culture

Good idea! I love to cook, so been finding out re alternative ingredients that i can use.. May have to send some packed spices way ahead for the days that i want my food just so, altho i can usually adjust and experiment with things there. There's quite a number of malaysian students in the uni in town, so maybe if i get homesick for malaysian chatters and want to feed people i can touch base with them. Oh.. and i worry about not making friends, but will figure that one out i suppose.. i hope there will be some of you guys here living in the area, will be nice talking to people who actually know what we go through, u know what i mean?

I went to the University of Wisconsin and there were quite a few Malaysian students there as well. They tended to stick together and had quite a few events, especially during Ramadan. inshaAllah they'd be happy to have you join them

I'm in Minnesota, not sure where you'll be ending up, but if we're close, that would be cool

Edited January 13, 2009 by UmmSqueakster

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Sorry, I realized the link in my Sunnipath course post didn't work. To sign up, click

http://walkingapathtohell.eventbrite.com/

[Aymsgirl 0]

Sorry, I realized the link in my Sunnipath course post didn't work. To sign up, click

http://walkingapathtohell.eventbrite.com/

Im wondering if I will be back from the airport by then. You crack me up with your screen name squeakster!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Sorry, I realized the link in my Sunnipath course post didn't work. To sign up, click

http://walkingapathtohell.eventbrite.com/

Im wondering if I will be back from the airport by then. You crack me up with your screen name squeakster!

The Squeakster is my kitty (aka Squeaky, Kitty!, my little elephant, couch cat, lap lion, and sofa sphynx) I'm the Umm (mommy) of my kitty I'm reviving a sunnah here - one of the companions of the Prophet (saws) was Abu Huraira (ra) - father of the kitten. I figure if he can be called that, why can't I be the mother of my cat?

If you can make it back in time, sign up! The course I took last weekend was fabulous!

[~Jackie~ 30]

I just registered for Sundays course.

[faryan 4]

I just registered too. The title of the class alone is really intriguing, hehehe

Rahma, we are going to be in Iowa City.. anyone from there? However, my MIL and her husband live in Duluth.. Is that near where u are at? Maybe when we go visit her we can meet up!

Ive heard re Malaysians liking to flock together when they study/live abroad.. It is an issue actually, but i wont go there, lol. On some level it is understandable, but also quite silly if they spent years abroad and not having good friends who are local or mix around. But hmmm if they are having all these yummy get togethers, i might want to find me a local chapter myself! hahaha...