No one died when Clinton lied
Over 1,000 have died in Iraq because of Bush's lie. That's counting the Americans and only God knows how many thousands of innocent Iraqis have died.
Month: October 2004
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During the day I think of things I'd like to write down, but by the time I get to the PC well it's gone....
This morning I woke up and went down stairs expecting to see the same mess that stresses me out. To my surprise the back 1/2 of the house was cleaned of dishes & pots; table cleared; stove top and counter cleaned and evn the floor was mopped.
Happy is not the word to discribe the emotions I felt. Strong relief, surprise, appreciation and happiness. To see the young men in this house do something with out being spoken to. A true gift they gave me. Insha Allah everyone will pitch in and share the work load of the house like adults from now on. I need them to do this as I am tired with so much stress daily. It's ever so draining.....
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Ramadan Kareem!
A week of stressful events is gone at last
Why stressful? Because I have five sons who seem to enjoy giving their mother gray hairs. Don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly, they are my eyes, heart and soul. Life would be almost boring without their antics.
The lastest antics occured last Friday night with Mohammed and a trampoline. Jumping to his heart's content when he deceided to perform a forward summersult off the trampoline. What Mohammed didn't count on was his impared judgement which is based on Mohammed's indestructable image of himself and therefore landed on his face and not his feet.
Next came a fast trip to the ER room. Note: only Hollywood's famous ER program does anyone get seen to immediately. We waited our turn to get Mohammed registered. By four a.m. a CT scan is done then x-rays by six a.m. released to go home in agony.
Wednesday, Dr. Houser informed Mohammed he would need surgury done the next day. 24 hours later Mohammed's mouth is wired shut, the left side of his jaw is pinned on the inside of the teeth as the break caused the bone to stick out under his tongue, also there's another pin on the outside of the jaw. Now to get through the next 4 -6 wks without Mohammed loosing weight on his all new 100% liquid diet.
Mohammed summer of 2004
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I remember my first EarthDay where as a member of the Environmental Club at South Hills High School we cleaned up the Pudding Stone Dam. (The dam was renamed a few years ago - I don't know it's new name.) Himmm.... I guess I'm dating myself here.
I'll write more about things as I remember them. Of course that means memories will be entered here out of order. Insha allah I'll even get the 'Little Linda' stories posted.
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Ramadan Kareem!
http://al-islam.org/index.php?sid=774454874&t=233&cat=233
A month of worship and reflection
by Roshan Muhammed Salih
Thursday 14 October 2004 1:56 PM GMT
Ramadan is a month of forgiveness and compassion
Falling on the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan involves not only fasting but worship of the Divine through purity of thought and action.
During Ramadan - the month when the Quran was first revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel - Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from before dawn to after sunset.
Muslim scholars describe the holy month as an exacting act of worship during which Muslims seek a higher level of God-consciousness.
Imam Zaid Shakir, an Islamic teacher at the Zaytuna Institute in
Virtuous character emanates from good habits, and good habits emanate from resisting negative temptations, he said.
Therefore, Ramadan is an ideal training period for filtering out bad habits and developing these traits.
Fasting redirects hearts away from worldly activities towards the Divine.
Quranic verses
Fasting and observing the month of Ramadan is obligatory for all Muslims and comprises one of the five pillars of Islam.
The Holy Quran was first revealed
in Ramadan
Allah (God) commands in the Quran: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may [learn] self-restraint...
"Ramadan is the [month] in which was sent down the Quran as a guide to mankind, and also as a clear [sign] for guidance and judgment [between right and wrong].
"So every one of you who is present [at his home] during that month should spend it in fasting."
Physical and spiritual
There are two components to the Muslim fast ?physical and spiritual.
In addition to refraining from food, drink and sex, the fast requires abstention from chewing gum and smoking tobacco.
"Read in the Name of your Lord Who created;
Created man out of a clot (of congealed blood);
Read and your Lord is the Most Generous; Who taught by the Pen; Taught man that which he knew not"
First Quranic revelation given to Prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in 610 CE
A Muslim must also refrain from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of bad character.
Obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided because purity of thought and action is paramount.
Ramadan is a time when charity and the plight of the dispossessed should be foremost in the minds of the community.
It is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends.
Self-discipline
Shaikh Abd al-Hakim Murad, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at
Ramadan is a time for family and
community to come together
"Ramadan is about restraining yourself and fighting your lower desires," he told Aljazeera.net.
"We now live in societies where we crave instant gratification and that inevitably distracts us from the contemplation of higher things.
"So Ramadan is about detachment from the world. It teaches patience and patience is half of the faith."
For his part, Imam Shakir says Ramadan emphasises the spirituality of Islam, which is often associated in many people's minds with politics and violence.
"Ramadan is a good opportunity for non-Muslims to learn what Islam is really all about - namely, worshipping Allah.
"And worshipping Allah is not about terrorism or pushing a certain political agenda at all costs no matter what the consequences are."
Moderation
Imam Shakir adds that the Muslim fast is also noted for its moderation.
"It is not a strict fast," he said. "In other religions like Buddhism the fast is so exacting that the believer is forced to put aside all his worldly duties.
"But Ramadan allows the Muslim to pay attention to whatever he has to do but with a greater consciousness that what he is doing is for the sake of Allah."
Ramadan
- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar
- The name of the month comes from an Arabic root word which implies the burning away of sins
- If a Muslim is sick or travelling he/she is excused from the fast
- If a Muslim woman is pregnant, nursing or on her menstrual period she is excused from fasting
Both scholars agree that Ramadan has practical benefits that non-Muslims can learn from.
"The fast is good for the health,?said Shaikh Murad.
"A major problem in the world today is obesity caused by gluttony, so I think non-Muslims can learn from the proven health benefits to fasting."
A virtual festival?
However, some Islamic scholars are concerned that the true spirit of Ramadan has been eroded over time.
Critics suggest many Muslims have turned Ramadan into a virtual festival by eating copiously after dusk and displaying an all too temporary religiosity.
Islam
- Muslims believe in one God and that Muhammad was His messenger
- They believe the Quran is the word of God
- Makka is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the holiest place in the Muslim world
- Muslims believe the Messiah Jesus is a prophet of Islam
Shaikh Murad acknowledges these concerns but
adds we should not be too quick to condemn.
Imam Shakir agrees.
"I think nowadays we probably have lost the spirit of Ramadan to a certain extent, but it is not for me to judge people.
"The fact is that Ramadan is a wonderful opportunity for Muslims to refresh their faith and we must remember that many people do exactly that."
Aljazeera
By Roshan Muhammed Salih
You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5667903A-B372-44CE-82A2-A2A5F9903980.htm
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