Sunday, November 23, 2008

Observation #1: Moisturizing before making wudu' is an exercise in futility.

Observation #2: "Moisturizing" makes me sound like a girl.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I've been working out of the Gtown library lately.
A friend directed me to a nice place to pray at the bottom of a stairwell.

I always wonder about the people I hear going up and down the stairs behind me as I'm praying--I usually close my eyes when I pray in public to shut out distractions. Most of the time people just keep going and ignore me. Sometimes people quicken their step. Once in awhile someone goes, "Hey, are you ok?" mainly because the raka' position bears an unfortunate similarity to doubling over in pain. Usually they figure it out once I go into sujud and say "Allahu Akbar" louder just for them.

Every one in awhile though, and it happens more than you would think, I hear someone stop on the landing just above me and pause for a moment indecisively before they head back up one flight and take the elevator down to the basement floor instead.
Part of me thinks maybe I gave them a scare, and I feel bad for inconveniencing them, although anyone who prays in a stairwell isn't going to particularly be bothered by passers-by. But in another sense, I feel really grateful to receive a little bit of unnecessary and unasked for respect for my prayer. It's just a nice little thing to have in the back of your mind the rest of the day.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

taqwa is so freaking hard and so important

but mainly so freaking hard.

I mean, I'm great at being extremely conscious of God in my life in short intense spurts

but it's hard to make one's self aware all the time

inshaAllah something very basic to improve upon.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Anyone who converts to any religion should prepare a personalized pamphlet to have at the ready when asked the following questions:

Why did you convert?

Why this religion specifically?


You could also prepared a short timeline of the events leading up to your conversion.



On the other hand, anyone who converts to Islam should probably also prepare a treatise about Islam, terrorism and America's war against it, women's rights, democracy, Israel/Palestine, and God knows what else...