When I pray, I try to think about certain things to keep myself focused on worship and on Allah.

I think of how I was born, how I was created, and how eventually I will pass from this world. I think about everyone I have loved, and everything I have known of life, and I wonder at how limited my human capacity for gratitude must seem in comparison to what I have been given. I think about how God willed me the very strength I use to stand and prostrate myself in prayer.

I was travelling and thought I'd pray on a nice grassy lawn.

I got as far as sujud before realizing that the whole lawn was covered with rabbit poop.

I don't know what the "right" thing is to do in such a situation--I'm sure I can read up on fiqh and fatawi concerning putting your face into a pile of rabbit poop while you're trying to pray--but I immediately stopped praying and said something along the lines of: "Ew... gross... ach...... gross.................... ewwwwww........."

security clearance interview

This was relayed to me by a friend who is a naval aviator (he flies million dollar military planes off aircraft carriers):

Security Clearance Interview:

Naval officer: "... do you know anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in the Middle East."

Friend: "No, sir. Oh, wait. I do know one person. My friend Brian."

Officer: "Where, for how long and what purpose was your friend in the Middle East?"

Friend: "In Palestine, I think, and Cairo, for a year, I don't know what he was doing exactly. Trying to save the world. Something like that."

Officer: "Is this a distant friend of yours?"

Friend: "Aaactually, he's sort of one of my best friends. Also he recently converted to Islam."

Officer: "Is this a joke, lieutenant? You can get in a lot of trouble for lying to me."

Friend: "No... it's not a joke."

allergic to the carpeting I just prayed on. (sneezes)

Serious Thought/Silly Thought

Serious thought:

Sometimes I think, wouldn't it be nice to be one of God's insentient creations? The sky, the sun, the moon, the stones themselves worship and glorify God unthinkingly, they do it naturally with every atom of their being. We on the other hand must struggle and worship as best we can, imperfectly, humanly. Maybe though the greater joy is in making the choice to worship God. I don't know. If I could talk to stones I would ask them if they felt particularly close to God or not--we could compare experiences. I wonder what they would say.

Silly thought:

Laser-sensitive faucets in public restrooms really make Wudu' unnecessarily difficult.