A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam

I laid in bed last night after a episode of the worlds gone crazy and for some reason I am taking the backlash for it and read this little book cover to cover.
It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

It's full colour the whole way through, it's on high glossy paper, completely Illustrated, as you can tell by the cover they pulled out all the stops with this one.

I got this book in a batch of books from a volunteer run information organization. I had actually completely forgotten about it until the mail man knocked on my door to hand it to me. Upon opening it I realized that Oh.. wow apparently the organization does what it says it does, and with little to no press.

Needless to say I wrote them a very nice thank you. Its not often you see people do that kinda good just because they can.
They make next to no money on this book, especially considering there is no copyright and they offer up the high glossy files to whomever wishes to make copies and an address to obtain more free copies.

You'd think with something so "free" there would be something negative to say about it but in this case there is nothing.
I found this book highly informative, well written, with lots of information both in what was written in the book but also their footnotes.

This is one of those books that I think should be given to every person on the planet because it shoots down so many of the misconceptions that are out there and helps someone with a little bit of curiosity in them find a starting point about Islam.

Which can be something that's difficult especially for those in a small city with no mosque near by.

Whats covered in the guide:
Some of the science in the Quran
The Benefits of Islam

And as a last chapter - General Information on Islam
What it is, Beliefs, How one becomes a Muslim, and touches on some of the real truths that get misconscrewed in the media. Islamic policies and beliefs on issues such as Women, terrorists, and the elderly.
Honestly if nothing else that section should be printed and tucked in every mail box because people seem to be too ignorant to figure out what is coloured in the media by hate and whats not.

It never ceases to amaze me just how little people understand about the lives and ways of those who follow Allah.. I had a reminder the other day when I hada friend ask questions about it, another make an assumption and an ignorant sound when the television showed a man praying with his head to the floor.

But little by little it gets better as we slowly start breaking down walls in our personal lives with people.. but books like this help.
Its my belief they should also be more readily available, its a shame they're not.
But I can understand the flip side of it.

I would recommend this book to everyone.
Educational, and light yet packed with information.
Very well put together. Also including reference pages to gather your own information once you have completed the booklet.

Christmas and the Quran

Many Muslims seem to believe that you can not even wish a Christians happy holidays over the holidays but just reading the article from "A Spiritual Note" makes some very valid points.
Jesus was after all a Messenger.. so no one should be running around bad mouthing (backbiting) around that holiday if not for just that reason. Despite what we may think of their ideas about faith.
I get not celebrating it for obvious reasons but its definitely made me feel better about my thoughts of other opinions regarding even acknowledging it. I mean they were even allowed to pray in the mosque so that says something. (imho)

Tolerance, the worlds needs a lot more of it, no matter what religion, race, or gender someone is.

Worship.. what it really means.

(51:56)
"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."

I was reading the Welcome to Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam book from alislam.org when they said something and it just went *click* in my head.

"worship" has a very different meaning in the Arab world compared to the western Catholic/Christians use of the word.

"Worship is not just to formally bow
to someone, to a thing, or to a god, or whatever. Worship means to
completely divest oneself of all rights of ownership, to admit that these
rights belong to God.*"
*p23

Reading that and actually thinking about it, there's a lot of truth in that for me.
For me growing up "worship" to those in my life meant when it was convenient, at least with the younger generation.

My grandparents are active in their church community as are my great aunts and uncles.
However no one else ever goes, but they all get married in the good ole catholic church and have the kids baptized hoping that those deeds outweigh the fact they never go to church.

My sister and i were briefly shoved into sunday school however it was more about how can we get them out of the house rather then maybe you should find god.
It didn't last.. no one should have expected it to with our childhood.
Tho we always went to church with our grandparents when we were there.
They have a beautiful church.. i was there for an anniversary party years back. Its still beautiful to me.
Buts it holds no religious significance to me at all.

my best friends mother used to try to get me to go to church with them it was just not going to happen. They go on sunday when they are feel up to it but more so when everyone goes - Christmas and Easter.
Again they hope their god sees that and not all the other things they haven't done.

It just didn't make sense to me, religion should be more then that.
If you're going to worship something it is no longer about you, but rather the person/god/object of your worship.
Something i think the west is lacking - they have adapted convenience in as many aspects of life as possible.

While i admit i too have often been one to take the fastest or easiest route for me, I never could do that when it came to religion or anything else that ever meant anything to me.
I don't know if that has just always been my personality or maybe my mental illness or both.
But be that as it may, it's something I would never change about me.

Allah made me how he made and Allah is never wrong.

Hereafter and Now

"Such is the punishment (in this life) but greater is the punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew!" (68:33)

This particular verse has been mentioned a lot lately in all the media i have been taking in, audio, video and print and its lead me to do a lot of thinking.

Compared to the Prophets, PBUT we all lead simple easy lives, when i realize that i feel such shame for feeling like my life is difficult. Its greatly upsetting to think that some days i feel so low that i am ready to give up yet my life is roses compared to what the Prophets PBUT went through.

Its made me realize that i must do more, and whine less.
Sure, i am disabled and some days that's a right b*tch but its not like i don't have a series of tools to make it easier - ish.

tools that I don't always use like is intended for me to I am sure, and i have no one but me to blame for that.

As the Quran says I would much rather have problems now in this life then be stuck in hell fire for eternity.
Praise Allah for giving me my problems now and not in the Hereafter!

Today is the second day of fasting. The 29th is the start of the new year in Islam.
I must read more about that today.
I am excited and jittery about it, and yet very tired as I got up this morning for my meal before dawn and prayer and have yet to rest since.

I can not decide if i want to rest before the prayer and lecture at ten or if i should just stay up and rest after.
Given that i have to go out and do some shopping today i am guessing that it should be resting now and after.

Must also pick up some headbands/underscarves to keep my hair back. Its starting to make me nuts but i would rather not lop it off.
Tho i have decided to let it go natural for awhile to see if i can get it long and healthy again.