GL

He put his headphones on and pretended not to hear the 'Yo, GL, I need your help figuring out these accounts man. You got a knack for numbers, respect!' from his colleague Chandler.

As Chandler towered in Gahussou's cubicle, Gahussou squeezed his eyes shut to enjoy the melodic country song by Darius Rucker. Other days, he would go for Charlie Pride but today he just reserved his attention for Don’t think I don’t think about it.

Gahussou could still hear Melanie, his ex's sharp and measured words that etched a painful stamp on his heart and emotions. He would have a raki from his mother's homeland at that moment if he could since he didn't care much for whiskey. His African naturalized American father had married an Asian woman whom he met on the Asian side of Turkey during a touristic vacation.

Since he acted like he hadn't heard Chandler all this while, his colleague repeated himself. "GL, I need help with the general ledger of one my locations please. I can't seem to balance it." Chandler scratched his head and displayed a goofy yellow smile.

At those words, Gahussou snatched the headphones from his ears and threw them on his desk. He had had enough! Then, he swiftly got up from his chair almost making his colleague lose his balance. Dangerously looking Chandler straight in eyes, he exclaimed with a false sense of calm in his voice, "You are an 'accountant' too. Figure it out. I have a lot on my plate." Satisfied that he wouldn't allow himself to do the work of others who got paid more than him for qualifications they presumably earned in college, he walked out of the office head high. A sense of defiance washed over him as he felt the piercing and surprised looks of the office members on him.

They can find a new GL, he thought. Gahussou Ledger was tired of being a General Ledger to them all! For all he cared, they could continue delaying in investing in a better accounting system like PeopleSoft. They can query another GL for their trial balances from now on! I'm done! Another accounting firm will appreciate my talents because I'm taking them to the highest bidder!

©Papatia Feauxzar 2017

The Golden King and The Alchemist

"I had a dream that in about four centuries give or take a few years, there will be a gold craze," Mansa told his blacksmith he had summoned late that night after the ishaa prayer. Therefore, I want to help so that the blacksmiths of their times don't have to worry about making this blessing from Allah." So he told the alchemist of his time about his plans to go to Mecca and give in charity the gold of his land as much as he could on his way there.

"Mansa, you can't change the future. In 400 years, they would have spent it all," the blacksmith reasoned with an incredulous face. Besides, that can bring us nazar- evil eye.

"Well, I can try to make a difference and leave the rest to Allah. What has been ordained for us can't be changed brother. There must be a reason why I had that dream. One more thing before you leave, make me a silver ring like no other for myself. And...a silver bracelet with the name Sohle inscribed on it in gold letters please. May God grant us the morning, ameen. Ani su (Good night)," Mansa had said as his cheeks flushed with blood under the starry and breezy night. The whole village was sleeping except his guards, him, and the Alchemist at the light of the full moon.

©Papatia Feauxzar 2017

Illuminating the Blackness : Blacks and African Muslims in Brazil by Habeeb Akande

Illuminating the Blackness : Blacks and African Muslims in Brazil by Habeeb Akande is an account from a British Historian from Nigerian descent who did an extensive research on the contribution of Africans in the spread of Islam amongst other things in a country where the population of Blacks is the highest in the world with Nigeria second to it.

There is a wrongful assumption that is still going around even in 2016 that Black Africans or Blacks in general are ignorant or descendants of monkeys. There are people who will deny this bias still occurring and say that there is racial democracy around the world. In their eyes, racial discrimination is a myth. Well, I agree with the author when he says ‘it’s a myth to believe in racial democracy’ in certain places of the world.

It’s hard to prove racism and that right there makes it hard for many people around the world to see the micro-aggressions and cyber bullying non-Whites face on a regular basis especially in countries like the U.S.A, Brazil, and South Africa. Akande presented several cases of racial discrimination in his book from 2015 and prior years in Brazil. It’s appalling to say the least that many people behave like they are uncivilized. Clearly, they are uneducated. The Creator made us different for a  reason; so that we might get along and embrace each other by accepting our differences. It’s about tolerance.

One racist attack mentioned in the book actually reminded me of the plight of Viola Davis (in 2014) when she was called ‘less classically beautiful’ or unconventional beautiful. It was the case of Maria Júlia Countinho in July 2015.

Now, in my opinion, there are two types of non-Blacks who discriminate; those who are genuinely oblivious to the plight of non-Whites because of the blindness their privilege caused them and those who are hypocrites. The latter sees what’s happening but chooses to look the other way or pretend they didn’t see anything. This latter UNFORTUNATELY also includes the Muslims who think that just because our religion ordered us not to discriminate, all Muslims are immune to jahil; ignorance and preferential treatment. We are still human and our nafs can get in the way of practicing the deen properly.

To continue the review, Illuminating the Blackness : Blacks and African Muslims in Brazil by Habeeb Akande is divided into two parts.

Part I covers ‘the issue of race, anti-black racism, white supremacy, colourism, black beauty and affirmative action in contemporary Brazil.’ while part II covers ‘the reported African Muslims’ travels to Brazil before the Portuguese colonisers, the slave revolts in Bahia and the West African Muslim communities in nineteenth century Brazil.’

It’s really not a light read and it has to be heavy because many things play in the current state of affairs in Brazil. To understand the black consciousness movement in Brazil where colorism has 136 plus shades, you have to go at the beginning somewhat and read what activists and researchers have said all along.

At the beginning, they were Blacks and African Muslims in Brazil and the course of History has been changed and whitewashed. Realizing that, many Brazilians are now embracing their black heritage and prefer calling themselves Afro-Brazilian now instead of using colorism shades. Many are also turning to Islam instead because it gives them closure. After all, it’s the religion of their ancestors, the white supremacists tried to hide it from them and erase it.

While I’m not a true supporter of affirmative action due to personal reasons, I believe that if it can help less privileged minorities, why not.

Furthermore, ‘The author explores the black consciousness movement in Brazil and examines the reasons behind the growing conversion to Islam amongst Brazilians, particularly those of African descent. The author also shares his insights into the complexities of race in Brazil and draws comparisons with the racial histories of the pre-modern Muslim world including a comparative analysis of the East African Zanj slave rebellions in ninth century Baghdad with the West African Hausa and Yoruba slave rebellions in nineteenth century Bahia.’

While these Black Africans (Muslims and non-Muslims) were revolutionary military leaders and greatly contributed to the abolition of slavery in Brazil, this country still faces racial issues. The issue of race is very complex in Brazil because a person we might consider Black in the USA or in other parts of the world might call himself differently in Brazil. Race is truly in the eye of the beholder. Having said that, things are changing and many Brazilians with a miscegenated ancestry are choosing the term ‘Afro-Brazilian’ to identify themselves with a lot pride and defiance like I mentioned earlier.

And Brazil, a country with such a high population of Blacks still finds itself plagued with socio-economics disparities where the non-Black minority has the monopoly on EVERYTHING. Many successful non-Whites are now trying to change the status quo. Akande did a great job traveling there and interviewing the locals so that they may share their real experience with us. He also captured some pictures of the life there with some Historians, Activists, Muslims, Imams, non-Muslims, Models, Artists and Singers, etc.

In the end, it’s clear that the author is also trying to fight the assumption that Blacks needed slavery to become well-travelled and educated when Islam had already done that! Islam came to educate and instruct us to seek knowledge which many of the Black Africans had already done. Nevertheless, they were considered heathens and wrongly imprisoned. There are countless accounts of Black Africans travelling before Columbus ‘discovered’ the Americas. There are also countless reports of Black Africans being fluent in many languages and most of all Arabic.

Now, the tricky part was that because they knew Arabic, their African-ness was being denied to them. ‘These Blacks are perhaps not 100% Blacks because they appear smart and literate. They might be mixed’ was roughly the mentality the slavers and white supremacists and supporters thought of this African elite they had enslaved. Many Africans were already educated and believers before they fell prey to slavery from their own brothers and the white slavers.

In conclusion here, I found Illuminating the Blackness : Blacks and African Muslims in Brazil by Habeeb Akande a must read because it sheds a lot of light on many societal issues many people believe to be a myth to this day. Finally, the book forces the long and overdue honest discussion we need to have about race.

My rating: 5/5.

Thank you for reading,

Papatia Feauxzar

P.S. You can read more reviews on the author’s works here and here.

Originally published at HAYATI MAGAZINE.

Meet The Three Doctors Who Put Their Lives On The Line To Help In Syria

The civil war in Syria is devastating but I have hope of a better tomorrow because History reassures me. Many other people have hope and they include three brave Doctors of Chicago; John Kahler, Zaher Sahloul, and Samer Attar. Recently named Chicagoans of the Year 2016, they are also called The Combat Doctors who know that the better tomorrow of Syria and especially Aleppo lies in lending a hand to that country.

John Kahler

Kahler is a Pediatrician in Chicago, Illinois and he spent four days in Syria to help the growing number of victims without overwhelming assistance and proper help. The patients in Syria seriously outnumber the medical group by 1 doctor to 100 patients or more.

And according to Points of Lights, Dr. Kahler said, “It’s a catastrophe. You rarely find a building that hasn’t been damaged and the hospital we were in, M10, was underground because it had been bombed three times.”

M10 is no longer operational. It has been completely destroyed.

Zaher Sahloul

Dr. Sahloul is a critical care specialist born and raised in Syria. He stayed for four days in the summer of 2016 to help the wounded and innocent civilians too. Former president of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), the doctor knew Bashar al-Assad. A staunch humanitarian in the awareness of the plight of Syria, Dr. Sahloul gives his all to help Syria by appealing to world leaders to help amongst other things. He has visited Syria several times since the war started.

Samer Attar

Also of Syrian ancestry, Attar is an orthopedic surgeon. His first efforts to help in the Syrian civil war date back to 2013 when he went with Dr. Zaher Sahloul. Last summer, he said, “I only did it twice but Syrian doctors, nurses, civilians, humanitarians they have to do this routinely. It’s their daily life.” Nevertheless the number of times he made the trip to Syria, it’s a brave act when he knew he could die any moment. He stayed two weeks.

The doctors also helped other patients which needed normal office visits issues.  They experienced the chaotic environment the medical group on site faces daily and went with the flow. Congratulations to this trio for showing us that we can all help any way we can. If you can’t travel there, you can raise awareness. You can also donate. Just, don’t be a bystander. Do something productive no matter how small you think it is.

Originally published at MVSLIM.

6 African Muslims Who Brought Islam To America You Should Know

As a Muslim of West African origin living in the United States, my Muslim-ness is always contested by Europeans, Americans, and even clueless Africans. They ask me questions like:

“Are you Muslim?” and “Were you born Muslim?”

I get asked these questions a lot by Americans because Islam is something that was made to sound foreign to them.

“I’ve never seen a Muslim from that country wear Hijab.”

Believe it or not, many Africans ask this question as if they are well-travelled.

Is your country predominantly Muslim?”

I get this question from European Muslims as if they had just discovered ‘water on Mars’. In their minds, Black Muslims are an oddity. Because I have been around many of them, I now know the reasoning behind asking such questions. They have the idea that All of Africa is uncivilized and only non-Muslims live there.

The strange thing is many of them have heard of Mansa Musa, the Malian Muslim King. Why they won’t add two and two together to infer that Islam has always been an old religion in Africa and in the USA, I don’t know. In addition, the US census has a record of approximately 300 slaves that had a Muslim surname who fought during the Civil War for freedom.

Throughout all these irritating questions, I try to keep my cool. I keep the frustrated comments, I want to utter, in my head, smile, and move on. However, what I want to tell them is Islam came to West Africa not too long after the 10th century. My ancestors were traders and this was how Islam came to us Mandinga. Islam has always been a religion of business. Furthermore, this also means that many West Africans were exposed to Islam before it was spread to Europe during the Ottoman empire and America via the Moriscos and the Transatlantic slaves.

According to Lost Islamic History, one example of an African Muslim who brought Islam to America is Bilali Muhammad. There are also others like Ayub Job Djallo, Yarrow Mamood, Ibrahim Abdulrahman ibn Sori,  Ummar ibn Sayyid (Omar ibn Said) and Salih Bilali.

Bilali Muhammad

Born around 1770 in the area of Africa which are known as Guinea and Sierra Leone today, Bilali Muhammad was an elite of the Fulani tribe. He knew Arabic and was knowledgeable in hadith, tafsir, and shariah matters. Because he was educated, he was allowed to rise in status in the slave community. Bilali Muhammad even wrote a 13 page manuscript on Islamic law from the Maliki Madhab called the Bilali Document that he gifted to his friend before his death. The manuscript was thought to be a diary until it was deciphered at al-Azhar university in Cairo. His manuscript is also known as Ben Ali Diary or Ben Ali Journal. Read more here.

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo

Ayub Job Djallo was born in Senegal from a respected Fulbe Muslim family. He was also known as Job Ben Solomon. He wrote some memoirs and was a slave in Maryland for a couple years. Sold into slavery as a result of a confusion, he eventually returned home in Senegal to his aristocratic roots still a Muslim. You can read more on him here.

Yarrow Mamout

Born in Guinea, Yarrow Mamood was born in 1736 and died in 1823 a free man. He arrived at the age of 14 years old in Maryland with his sister. Knowledgeable in Arabic, he practiced Islam openly until his death. Read more on him here.

Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori

Ibrahim Abdulrahman ibn Sori was born in Guinea. He was also known as The Prince Amonsgt Slaves. Son of King Sori from the village of Timbo, Abdulrahman was a military leader. He became a slave as a result of an ambush and sold to a slave owner by the name of Thomas Foster in Mississipi. Ibn Sori got married and had children. Abdulrahman worked for 40 years before his release. He died during his trip back. He had even wrote a letter to his family in West Africa in Arabic which was read by the Sultan of Morocco Abderrahmane who found it deeply touching and petitioned U.S. President John Quincy Adams to release him.

Omar ibn Said

Ummar ibn Sayyid was born in Fuuta Toro, Senegal in 1770. Captured in 1807, he became known as Omar Moreau and Prince Omeroh according to Muslimofusa.Though there are reports that say he converted to Christianity later in his life, many sources say that there was more than met the eye in his situation. Nevertheless, he was known to be an Islamic scholar, knowledgeable in many fields from arithmetic to theology who wrote several Arabic texts.

Salih Bilali

Salih Bilali was born in Mali and captured in 1782. It was reported that his last words on his death bead were the shahada according to the Abolition Institute. Robert Abbot, founder of the Chicago Defender, is his descendant.

In conclusion, all the continents contributed to the spread of Islam, Africa included. So how can they deny such a legacy?

Jazakh’Allah khair for reading,

Papatya*

Originally published at MVSLIM.

Cure Your Was’was & Weh'm Forever by Hassan Khalid

Bismillah,

Cure Your Was'was & Weh'm Forever by Hassan Khalid is a manual I think those suffering from Obessesive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and satanic whispers will find helpful insha'Allah.

The book is about 150 pages and is composed of five chapters. Brother Khalid also has online courses available here. Both (the book and the course) are at affordable prices in my opinion based on the insight and knowledge they provide masha'Allah.

Chapter 1 covers the Introduction and details the Quranic and science perspective of Was'was. The chapter ends with the link made by the author between OCD and Was'was (satanic whispers) which undermine the productivity of many people on a daily basis.

To continue, chapter 2 deals with the Symptoms of Was'was in six scenarios which are:

- During salaat

- While making ablutions or wudu

- Blasphemous thoughts that often occur in our thinking

- The war Iblis declared on mankind

- Feelings of being constantly unclean

- and While dreaming.

In addition to that, chapter 3 depicts Compulsions We Do when afflicted with Was'Was while chapter 4 lays the Remedies available to Cure Was'Was.

Finally, in chapter 5, the author provides authentic hadiths and authentic duas to help with Was'was.

If you know anybody who is in need of this book, please don't hesitate to share the review and link to Cure Your Was'was & Weh'm Forever and its courses with them insha'Allah. May Allah reward Author Khalid for taking the time and effort to help the ummah in need, amiin.

He has gained a lot of support and positive reviews you can read on his website insha'Allah.

Rating: 4/5

Jazakh'Allah khair for reading,

Papatia Feauxzar

upRoots

Mansa wanted his kingdom to remain prosperous and powerful so he had to act fast. The depopulation of the area was quite alarming. Becoming a slave or a slave seller were out of the question. Depleting sources of gold weren't an option either. After a long night of thinking and listening to Mansa Mousso, he came up with a plan his Queen was ambivalent about. The next morning, he called for a royal meeting after the morning prayer with his most trusted advisers.

"Ani sogoman, Good morning. We need to make a strong alliance with the Abrons. I have a few ideas in mind but I'm eager to hear your thoughts." Replies, murmurs, and nods ensued before the suggestions began.

Some advisers suggested going to war. Others suggested consulting with the oracles which Mansa quickly dismissed since believers needed to avoid shirk. Having said that, he had alliances with the Muslim unseen who helped ensure his protection as a mere act of friendship. After hearing all the arguments, Mansa spoke. "Very well, I think we need a marriage alliance with one of the daughters of the Abron King of the Gold Coast. The other Akan tribes are getting stronger with their slave ports to the South East while we also feel the pressure on the North-West from the other Mandinga tribes with their evil slave trade."

Before he could say another word, an elder voice he didn't know cut in, "Is Mansa Mousso ok with another wife? Because if she isn't, a marriage alliance won't help you. If blood magic stays on the outskirts of town and jealousy from your women are removed, I can help you stay invisible to the predators until the threat of slavery subsides. Now, you're right about marrying an Abron. But it's about finding the right one."

The elder got the attention of Mansa. The king's chest perked up and a grin formed on his shiny ebony face. He's an Unseen for sure, Mansa thought before adding, "Do you have a name in mind for the girl in question?"

"Of course. But only you can hear her name," the Unseen disguised an elderly figure replied.

Then, Mansa heard the name in his mind. In Dioula your tongue,  the name of the girl we need to uproot is 'Shole' (Flower).

©Papatia Feauxzar 2016

Originally published at Hayati Magazine.

Like A Garment - A Review

Like A Garment is an eBook by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi that aims to educate to-be married and married couples in need of sex education and other marital problems they will or might face at some point in married life. It's about 42 pages long and has been recently dubbed '50 shades of Halal Intimacy.' To get your free copy, go here.

The eBook mainly focus on the well-known hadith of Jabir and it gives several tafsir of the hadith which are beneficial for both men and women. Why? Because it's imperative for both sexes to be patient with one another and understand where their respective counterpart is coming from. And that, Like A Garment helps with.

   "Jabir b. Abdillah reported that once he was on an expedition with the Prophet salla Allahu ʿalayhi wa sallam, and when they were close to the city of Madinah, he sped on his mount. The Prophet salla Allahu ʿalayhi wa sallam asked him why he was in such a hurry to return home. Jabir replied, “I am recently married!” The Prophet salla Allahu ʿalayhi wa sallam asked, “To an older lady or a younger one?” [the Arabic could also read: “To a widow or a virgin?”], to which he replied, “A widow.”

    The Prophet salla Allahu ʿalayhi wa sallam said, “But why didn't you marry a younger girl, so that you could play with her, and she could play with you, and you could make her laugh, and she could make you laugh?”

    He said, “O Messenger of Allah! My father died a martyr at Uhud, leaving behind daughters, so I did not wish to marry a young girl like them, but rather an older one who could take care of them and look after them.” The Prophet salla Allahu ʿalayhi wa salam replied, “You have made the correct choice.”

    Jabir continues, “So when we were about to enter the city, the Prophet salla Allahu ʿalayhi wa sallam said to me, 'Slow down, and enter at night, so that she who has not combed may comb her hair, and she who has not shaved may shave her private area.' Then he said to me, 'When you enter upon her, then be wise and gentle.'”

To continue, Like A Garment highlights famous scholars like Iman al-Qurtubi and his teacher Ibn al-Arabi's jaw dropping comments about sex education which are nonetheless insightful for men who are not familiar with the female body but who are eager to learn for the purpose to excel in the art of sexual and love making. The eBook also gives Quranic verses, some insights from Imam Al-Ghazali, how men think versus how women think amongst other things like the reason behind the given descriptions of the Hooris we know.

For women who feel threatened by the Hooris, just remember that your beauty will surpass the one of the Hooris. So you can relax :) insha'Allah. Please read this post for more details.

In conclusion, you can read more on the author's intentions here.

Rating: 3.5/5

Jazakh'Allah khair for reading,

Papatya*

Illuminating The Performance : African and Arab Erotology by Habeeb Akande

Illuminating the Performance is a 162 page self-help manual by author Habeeb Akande geared to a man audience about the art of sexual love and lovemaking; erotology. Habeeb Akande is a British born writer and historian of Yoruba descent. He is an alumnus of al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt and Kingston University in the UK. He is also the author of Illuminating the Darkness: Blacks and North Africans in Islam and Illuminating the Blackness: Blacks and African Muslims in Brazil, and A Taste of Honey: Sexuality and Erotology in Islam.

I said that Illuminating the Performance is a self-help book which is true because the voice Akande uses throughout his manual is cautionary. He gives advice to the novice targeted male audience based upon his experience. Having said that, the book also draws from his researches based on ninth centuries Afro-Arab love treatises. It also uses contemporary quotes from sex educator like Lou Paget  and authors like Dr. Boyce Watkins so that the modern reader can relate to the heeds being given. Furthermore, it relays African proverbs and modern day adages to keep the book interesting. My favorite quote with bias is an Ivorian proverb that says : "If a woman doesn't love you, she calls you a brother." Read more here.

To continue, I found the book chauvinist at times because it came across to me like men see themselves better than women. Especially, when Akande spelled out the characteristic of the Lion Womanizer versus the Hyena Womanizer. That said, I know women are also guilty of being chauvinistic toward men at times so I didn't let these small instances spoil the book for me. And the book closes well and attains the goal set; giving tips on erotology to those who need it.

So divided into 11 short chapters to keep the reader engaged, Illuminating the Performance describes 11 topics by referring to each as an art. For instance, chapter 7 covers the topic of seduction. Thus, it's titled 'The Art of Seduction'. Now, compared to A Taste of Honey, this book doesn't have scriptures throughout it. Therefore, a novice heterosexual and non-Muslim man will probably not see a problem reading it. A novice heterosexual and Muslim man on the other hand needs to be aware that he needs to keep mahram rules and other Islamic rules about free-mixing in mind while reading in my opinion.

Overall, I really think that Illuminating the Performance is a book many men who seek guidance in satisfying their spouses will benefit from.

You can get your copy on Amazon or at Rabaah Publishing here.

Rating: 4/5

Thank you reading,

Papatya*

Turkey’s Failed Coup d’État

Bismillah,

I have relatives who are Turkish or live in Turkey. And if you get the chance to talk to them, they often come off proud and patriotic, much like the Texans; always full of zeal. In fact, Texans display their flag anywhere and everywhere; and love to tell you their logo, ‘The Lone Star State’. They have even attempted to become an independent country by their seceding attempts from the USA. Anyways, I was always skeptical of Turkish people with their sometimes high sense of superiority until I read an article by Raeesa Patel in SISTERS Magazine where she wrote “…A Muslim’s Heritage. In a hadith we learn that our Prophet (sallallahu aleihi wassalam) once gave glad tidings to his companions by saying “You will conquer Constantinople. Its commander will be the best, and its army will be the best.” (Ahmad) https://goo.gl/THi7JV

It was then that I understood where the Turkish zeal was coming from, at last. The greatness of its people was long predicted by our beloved Prophet (SAW). And it is that same zeal and sense of patriotism they recently displayed when their leader called upon them to save their country from assailants. Most Turkish politicians generally seem so motivational when you listen to them even if you don’t understand what they are saying. You sense their great public speaking skills in the way they talk and carry their speech. The way the crowd cheers and roars at their words of exhortation. To digress more, Author Sheima Summer also recently shared her experience in Turkey http://goo.gl/uzwyEu . As for me, I was working from home in the afternoon around 2 p.m. on that particular Friday when my younger brother called to tell me the awful news, subhanAllah. He really follows the news. I immediately called my husband who came from work early that day, and we tuned into the news together. Then, we reached our relatives in Turkey via skype. Unfortunately, they were sleeping at the time and didn’t know what was happening because it was so late there. The militants had shut down the media and several bridges to ensure that their plans to overthrow Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government went as planned. We silently prayed for Turkey. I went on social media and requested duas (prayers) from my friends and they kept us in their prayers. No one wanted to relive the Arab Springs again. No one wanted another Egypt with a puppet regime, so we implored our Lord as we kept watching Turkish News (at least the ones that weren’t shut down). We stopped watching CNN because they were reporting misleading information. No surprise there.

Nothing happens except only by the will of Allah. Alhamdullilah, as the brave and patriotic Turkish people descended upon the streets to take their country back, Allah saved this nation. The power and control shifted rather quickly. I’m still amazed at their courage. Their president asked them to do a difficult thing; put their lives on the line for the sake of their faith and country. And they responded in great numbers because Only Allah should be feared. This was a great historical moment of ‘Power by the People’.

Since the coup, several things have taken place in Turkey:

-        The mutineers have been apprehended and Fethullah Gülen, a former ally of Erdoğan is believed to be behind the failed coup with FETÔ (Gülenist Terror Organisation (Fetullahçı Terör Örgütü)); a terrorist organization he’s alleged to be the head of;

-        The defendant Fethullah Gülen lives in the USA, Pennsylvania to be exact. Turkish expats are still protesting in front of his house;

-        Turkey has demanded Fethullah Gülen’s extradition but the USA is stalling or waiting for more proof. If the USA doesn’t comply, Turkey will no longer release to them anymore high profile and wanted criminals like in the past;

-        The word ‘Democracy’ has been adopted and used a lot as a new slogan in Turkey for all to know. The people marched. Mobilization campaigns were held around the country to show a united front. The President and the Prime Minister made appearances all around the country to speak at massive events;

-        Free transportation was awarded to the residents of Turkey as a token of gratitude;

-        People were in the streets as vigilante for nearly three weeks because they were told not to let their guards down. Now, their democratic demonstration has been relocated to Yenikapi; a huge park by the water. A military tactic in my opinion, since it’s next to a harbor. The assailants came by plane and landed in a stadium. A typical thing for resistances (attack by air, land, or sea). So I think the President is trying to have people watch an invasion by sea too;

-        There were jannaazah (funeral) services for over 217 dead people. The Prime Minister visited several injured in the hospital;

-        A new General has been appointed and the review of several security footages took place. The coup was supposed to start at 3 p.m. but it started early. Their plan was made public due to the data collected through their paper notes. It also revealed the names of military officials they were going to appoint in each state, the curfew times, the WhatsApp exchanges between the mutineers and their leaders;

-        These helped as evidence and the piecing of the coup background better. Thousands of people have been arrested as a result. Some had fled to neighboring countries but they were caught and repatriated to Turkey;

-        According to the news, one dollar bills were found in the pockets of all the mutineers and footage of a General of the Pentagon meeting 1 hour before the coup in a Turkish military base appeared. Whether American politicians and the CIA are behind it, we don’t know. All we know is that an attempt on a leading and strong Muslim nation which has recently paid off his debt occurred;

-        It’s said that Gullen gave names of some pentagon officers he’s worked with.

I don’t particularly care much for Erdoğan. He has been accused of being Authoritarian. That being said, a military government is not the solution because of power corrupt people, especially the military. I have seen it in my own country which went through several coups led by the military. It’s sad and the consequences are dire. A military army is the strength of a country and it’s also its weakness.

I pray that Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) grant Jannat al-Firdaws to the martyrs who lost their lives during this calamitous event. Ameen. Muslim nations and Muslims around the world supported Turkey and will take an example from its people to stand up for themselves going forward. Not that they haven’t in the past, but this is a new unprecedented record set by a Muslim nation masha’Allah. Let’s continue to pray for every ummati out there insha’Allah.

Bio: Papatia Feauxzar is a West African Author living in Dallas, Texas with her son and husband. She also holds a Master degree in Accounting with a concentration in Personal Finance. She now works from home alhamdullilah. Visit her at www.djarabikitabs.com .

Rio Recap: Cheick Sallah Cissé Wins Ivory Coast First Gold Medal

Ivory Coast, formally known as La Côte d’Ivoire enters in the history on August 20, 2016 with its first Olympic gold medal in Taekwondo and in any sport with Cheick Sallah Cissé at the 2016 Games of Rio de Janeiro.

Cissé is a 23 year old Ivorian who competed in the men’s 80 kg in Brazil against Britani’s Lutalo Muhammad and won 8 to 6 at the last second. The British didn’t demerit, he received the silver medal.

(Picture from Abidjan.Net)

Before the 2016 Olympic, Cheick Cissé won several medals in Europe and Africa. To name a few, he won gold at the 2015 African Games held in Congo Brazzaville in the same category; men’s 80 kg. He also performed well in Russia and Turkey where he won gold and silver respectively in 2015 Grand Prix competition games. From all types of competitions Cissé entered, his known medals are to this date, seven gold, two bronze, and four silver medals. Impressive! Congratulations Cissé. You deserve this win too.

The athlete dedicated his gold medal to the President of Ivory Coast, Son Excellence Monsieur Alassane Dramane Ouattara, his father, his mother, his coaches, and his fans.

Ivory Coast now has its first Olympic gold medal in the sport after the silver it won in 1984 in men’s 400 meters by Gabriel Tiacoh in Los Angeles and the bronze medal won by the teammate of Cissé, Ruth Gbabgi for women’s Taekwondo 67kg, in 2016.

Cissé is a triple African Champion in Taekwondo and now he’s an Olympic winner writing the name of the Ivory Coast in Gold. Cheick Sallah Cissé, your country says, ‘Thank You!’ .

(Picture from Abidjan.Net)

P.S. Read about African Olympians who deserve special mention as well here.

L’Américaine – Part 2

Uthman suddenly felt weightless and cooled by a light freeze when he first saw her. Not that he was big anyways. He felt like a slender bird levitating for a bit. She seemed to be gliding toward him with a stroller when he turned around as he talked with his device. His instructions were cut off half-way through and his mouth hang opened. The air seemed to have left his lungs for a few moments that felt like an eternity of seconds. Mouth dry and parched, he gnawed at his lips with a strong and warm urge spreading to his body. This is the woman of my dreams, he said to himself decidedly. A beacon of light indeed and I’m the hopeless fly that will get burned or swatted for sure. I’ll be damned if I don’t try to get her attention. Here we go, he added and took a deep breath before saying, “Can I help you sister catch a ride?” His doe eyes growing by the minute, he unloaded his cuteness factor on her. He saw how shy she played it. How cool she pretended to be but he had impeccably studied her and he spotted a little discomfort in her demeanor. When she told him that her uncle would be there to pick her and she quickly dismissed him, he scolded himself. Dang! That’s it? I knew I was stupid to think she would give me the light of day. A hijabi like her has no time to be aimlessly socializing with non-mahrams. As he was accepting defeat, another voice in him urged him to try again from another angle so he mustered up all his courage left and approached her again. To hell with it! What’s the worse that can happen? A slap, silence, or a complaint. I can fend off a complaint by saying I was doing my job. Liar, a voice said but he ignored it. It’s a half truth and  Uthman was okay with his reasoning. So he let out the next words, “Where are you from sister?” He was confident that she would bite. It was just a hunch. When she told him to guess, he thought, “See, we’re getting somewhere.” to himself. Her facial features were broader, a gorgeous Nubian nose and she was very petite with a lovely ebony face. He didn’t know if he was in love with her but he was definitely attracted to her and whether she had a baby or not wasn’t an issue. Please God, let her be single. He knew seldom Muslim women wore jewelry outside buy she wasn’t wearing a ring and in the West, this was a major giveaway. Besides, she looks too serious to be involved with someone. She seemed too guarded in his opinion. He guessed Nigeria because she was dressed modestly and from his experience, the West Africans for the majority of time that didn’t care which country they were in and still donned the hijab regardless of what society thought of them were mostly conservative Muslim Nigerian girls. His answer earned him a frown and he was afraid he had offended her. Well, she was on the phone maybe that was it. He thought. Or maybe she didn’t want to be associated with a country that first brings scams to mind and then other positive things. Recollecting his thoughts, he caught a few French words from her conversation. Ah ah! French. He didn’t fail French classes and he wasn’t clueless about it either. Ah ben oui! French West Africa. That’s it. Excited, he guessed again hoping she would come out and say it since he was on the right path. To his surprise, she shut him down and disappeared behind the pristine doors. Moron! She scared her away and you forgot about lowering your damn gaze! Stop being foolish and get back to work! He continued uttering a series on chastisement on himself until a man tried to park by the gate she had just left. Africans, always thinking he’ll do them a favor just because they’re from the same motherland. The sign clearly says ‘No Parking’! He thought annoyingly until the man said, “My man, I won’t be long. My niece was just here I think with her young son. She said she’s going to pray quick and come back.” That got Uthman’s attention.

“How does she look like?” he asked next intrigued. Maybe they could help each other after all. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

“Oh…maybe 5 foot 4, wearing a headscarf, and definitely without that no-good ex-husband!” the tall African man said, getting suddenly riled up.

“It’s okay, calm down. I saw her. So you’re her uncle huh?”Uthman asked, traipsing on his words and scratching his head in embarrassment.

“Oh yea. She’s cute isn’t she?” the uncle said, winking. “She needs a good man. She deserves a good man.”

Uthman agreed but he wondered if the man was distracting him with his speech so he could pass time and park there for a short while. And while he was at it, attempt to match-make his niece or ‘pimp’ her without her being present so that Uthman looked the other way for just a couple minutes. All these possibilities flashed in his mind in a matter of seconds and Uthman wasn’t sure what to think but he was definitely skeptical. Since he wanted to know more about the enigma that she was, he indulged the uncle in his tales and asked the right questions about Femta. They laughed and joked for a little until she barged in.

“Let’s go Tonton,” she said, scowling intensely at Uthman as she walked away toward her Tonton’s black SUV. Her uncle said goodbye to Curly Locks and run to help her put her things in the car.

Uthman smiled widely and hopeful as the car drove away. He spotted the back of her floral scarf and the cheek kisses and hugs the family members exchanged once inside the car. He tore his gaze away from them and continued hatching his plan. His sister Basma owed him a favor and it was time for her to pay up!

To be continued…

Read Part 1

©Papatia Feauxzar 2016

~Picture: African Violets~

Original Source

What Do Women Want From You?

Bismillah,

What Do Most Women Want From You (The Men We Love)? It's simple; Jannat al-Firdaws by your side insha'Allah. Will that be hard for us to do? Yes. Why? Because some of us tend to loose our patience with you men. And the coming hadith was true at least a few times in my marriage. I'm not a perfect wife and I made tawbah alhamdullilah because I know my Emperor is more than generous masha'Allah.

Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from Ibn `Abbas (may Allaah be plesead with him) that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "O women, give charity, for I have surely seen that you form the majority of the inhabitants of Hell." They asked, `Why is this so, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Because you curse too much, and are ungrateful for good treatment (on the part of your husbands)." According to another report given by Bukhaari, he said, "because they are ungrateful for good and kind treatment. Even if you treated one of them (these ungrateful women) well for an entire lifetime, then she saw one fault in you, she would say, `I have never seen anything good from you!" (The Ideal Muslimah, pg.93)

So I own it. I've done it and I know many have done it out there.  I have doubt sometimes because judgement day will be so meticulous that even some of the prophets (aleihi salam) will think they won't get into Jannat. So who am I think that I'm already guaranteed it? I'm no one. In fact, I'm no accountant compared to HIM. However, I do my part as well. For that, I know I will be rewarded insha'Allah for a woman came to ask the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam, about some matter, and when he had dealt with it, he asked her, "Do you have a husband?" She said, "Yes." He asked her, "How are you with him?" She  said, "I never fall short in my duties, except for that which is beyond me." He said, "Pay attention to how you treat him, for he is your Paradise and your Hell. (The Ideal Muslimah, pg.86)

Now, what would push a woman to say ungrateful things to her husband every now and then when she knows well he provides fully for the family or tries but still comes up short at times? A few scenarios run through my mind but in my opinion the main reason a woman would say something that hurtful which could cost her an eternal and blissful after-life is perhaps because her husband tend to gift her common gifts and not specific gifts. I know, she should be grateful and to some extent she probably is. But who doesn't like to feel extra special every now and then with a gift that is not intended to the household, the parents, or the children? Everybody!

So what consists of a specific gift? A specific gift includes for instance, a treat at the spa. A common gift is with no mistake a vacuum! A specific gift is giving her the moon. And for each woman the moon would be different. Therefore, you have to know your woman. A common gift is taking care of your assigned divine duties like paying the rent or the groceries and mistaking that for specific gifts. If that is a specific gift, a woman cooking food everyday for her family would be a specific gift. Her doing her duties is a common gift. Let's get this straight.

Where am I going with these ramblings? A marriage is a team work. Each of us is a garment for the other. We compliment each other. All I'm saying is that you help us get there (paradise) with you. Be fair to us women. Be mindful and less challenging. Happy wife, happy life.

Wassalam,

*Papatya*

Why Arguments Don’t Necessarily Mean Doom For Your Relationship

Bismillah,

They say that a relationship with no arguments is one with a LOT of secrets. It’s true to some extent. Arguments aren’t always a sign of doom for our marriages because sometimes they act like the therapy needed to air out things we were perhaps reluctant to voice under normal conditions.

However, when strong emotions are added to the mix, we stop caring. In fact, we want to hurt and inflict a deep cut with our words. We are tired and we want change! Now, as long as the things we voice are concerns and pet peeves we would like our partners to remediate to, we are still walking toward each other to better the marriage.

Because there are also certain things which when we voice are a point of no return. They can end a relationship so let’s be mindful of those because they can create a chasm in a relationship and things will change and will never be the same again. Therefore before you cross the line of no return with your statements, make sure that’s what you really want. Besides, they are better ways to address those; when emotions are stable.

Now, an argument is not a bad sign if :

• The argument makes you closer and relieved after the sting of the fight subsides
• The argument improves and helps in the disappearance of one of a few pet peeves mentioned during the fight
• The argument reboots your love and care for each other
• The argument makes you secure because your mind is at peace for voicing your concerns
• The argument gives you the space you need to reflect and perhaps help you be more productive with other activities that needed your attention (Now, don’t go looking for fights so that you can have some time alone without anybody crowding your space).
• The argument helps you avoid embarrassment in front of others in the future. Perhaps your partner criticized your manner to eat in public which perhaps needs some polishing and you took offense and then later realized the truth in it.

Above all, arguments have both positive and negative impacts on a relationship. If the negative outweigh the positive, you should perhaps seek professional help. And as always, implore your Creator to help you figure out things when you believe there is no more room to grow.

You can read more on relationships here.

Jazak’Allah khair for reading,

Papatia Feauxzar

The Written Stuff vs. The Not Written Stuff: Sex Education From An Islamic Perspective Part I & II

Part I, Written by By Saadia Haq of The Human Lens

This time in our collaboration we are discussing the unspeakable at length – yes the most tabooed subject among present day Muslim communities; sexual health education and rights.

Islamic countries are complicated really, they are. Just imagine being born in a society where women buying sanitary pads or a boy asking his father about the changes he’s experiencing as a teenager is deemed inappropriate and seriously frowned upon. Here being unmarried culturally stops Muslim youth from gaining sex education and young Muslims marrying too have no proper channel to learn the Islamic teachings on sexuality and intimacy between spouses.

Off course a lot of domestic abuse, patriarchal customs including marital rape of women get happily justified by numerous Muslims in the name of Islam. The present day Muslim male fear of ‘uncontrolled women’ has resulted into justification of male guardianship over women’s sexuality in the family as well as in Muslim laws, this is reflected in our present societies. As insecure male notions of female sexuality helped shape gender biased Muslims laws justified under Sharia and Sunnah.

I live in an Islamic country where a Muslim bride is told that Islam does not allow her to learn about the “wedding night” rituals and that she should stay silent while her husband performs the deed. When parents tell such dreadful bullcrap to daughters, I wonder how and from where we gain the courage to go ahead into a marriage whose founding bricks are on fear and silence. While back in that century when Islam’s Prophet was alive, Muslim men and women were never too shy to ask him questions including those related to private affairs such as sexual life, yet for today’s Muslim parents, sex is a dirty word.

The real problem of Muslim societies is their cultural upbringing, not their religious training because often they are brought up in a state of ignorance with regards to sex issues. And due to this, they aren’t comfortable with their own sexuality or its expression.

Another big problem faced by our communities is following blindly illiterate clerics promoting strange and gender insensitive ideologies on human sexuality. Most Muslims don’t try to research their own religion; they leave it to such so-called teachers. These sorta male clerics are responsible for limited and inaccurate teachings on sexuality topic in the name of Islam, big example is the anti-birth control laws and teachings, which allow men to enjoy unprotected sex but send their wives to illegal abortion clinics where many end up dying in the streets of Cairo, Lahore and Jakarta. For so-called Muslim clerics, birth control pill is haram, but a malnourished pregnant woman dying in unsafe abortion surgeries is ok!

There are other nonsenses’- little boys unaware that a certain “uncle” has not to play with his private parts and a first timer menstruating girl being shamed into silence and beaten. Recently in Pakistan, a secondary school’s biology curriculum got banned under pressure from Islamic hardliners who said, “The material in this book is about human reproduction and this can provoke sexual desire, this cannot be tolerated and we will allow any one to teach our children such material which is against our societal and religious beliefs.”

Really, Pakistan? And this is the society where we have a high prevalence of rape and sexual violence incidents. Recently I spoke to a young female counselor who works in a NGO run initiative; a help line for imparting sexual reproductive health information to youth where young boys and girls can make a call for discussing these sensitive issues. Twenty-eight years old, Rubina* told me obviously they get a lot of calls as young people can approach them without disturbing the usual cultural norms.

She further added the idea among Muslim parents is that sexuality is a taboo for girls because only the marred have right to speak about it and those unmarried have no rights to information. She lamented that Muslim communities are totally oblivious that girls are supposed to know about their genital organs and bodies for their future marriage and also know the sexual intimacy between couples.

Most Muslim parents and elders aren’t accurately informed about sexual rights and find it easy to close the topic with popular statements like “Islam doesn’t allow this and so on.”

While in reality, it’s the responsibility of the parents to have healthy discussions with both sons and daughters and to help them think critically about sexual health matters. To know more on that, wait for Papatia’s part ii which will shed some wonderful perils on this sensitive topic.

***

Part II, Written by By Papatia Feauxzar of Between Sisters, SVP

Our prophet sallallahu aleihi wassalam said, “The person to whom Allah gives a child must give him a nice name, must raise the child right, must teach the child when s/he reaches puberty, and must start making arrangements to wed his or her offspring. If the parent doesn’t plan for these things and that the child sins, the parent is responsible for the sin.”

Now, no one said to force your children in marriage at an early age or worse, make plans for them. What you need to do, is to instill the fear of Allah in them. If there is no Allah everything is possible in the bad way. And if there is Allah everything is possible in a good way. If they learn to fear Allah, they’ll not deviate from the right path insha’Allah. That said, no one is perfect and we also learn from our mistakes but it’s better not to learn the hard way.

Therefore, that's why we need to tell children who reach puberty about condoms and other methods to protect themselves from diseases and unwanted pregnancies if they decide to be sexually active. We have to be honest with ourselves and admit that teenagers can't be tamed to a specific mold. They are curious about sex and their private parts. And it's normal. Satisfying that curiosity with proper sexual education is what will stop the wondering and appease their mind. Keeping secrets is actually thrilling. However, when things are in broad day light and the light shone upon, they kinda loose their appeal. I can guarantee that being open about this taboo can change the dynamics. If children know what they risk by being sexually active, they will think twice before doing anything.

Trying to hide the truth about sexuality to them is not helping them. Au contraire, it worsens things. Why? Because many non-educated teenagers do the following which is not an exhaustive list:

- They learn about sexuality from their friends under unsupervised eyes

- They become secretive about their whereabouts and actions

- They start to be sexually active without the knowledge of their closed-minded or careless parents

- They get unwanted diseases (some for life), pregnancies, abortions, die, etc.

- They get themselves molested because they don't know the restrictions they need to impose on their bodies and on others.

- They also don't know who to tell and how to report the abuse!

OR

- They fear sexuality from a young age and view it as something dirty and unhealthy for the rest of their lives.

- They dread their first nuptial night and have no idea how to have a taste of honey

- They see sex as a chore; a needed chore for just reproduction instead of a fun relaxing activity

- They have no idea that sex is holy and an act of worship if done within halal boundaries. The proof? It is Sunnah to make duas before the act: “Bismillah, Allahumma jannibna-sh-shaitan, wa jannibi-sh-shaitan ma razaqtana (In the name of Allah, O Allah, keeps us away from the devil, and keep the devil away from what you may grant us).” Muslim

In conclusion, we all need to realized that sexual education is a needed subject to be discussed and taken seriously. Everyone should be aware of its importance and report, anonymously or not, to the abuse hotlines which are very common these days. Without sexual education, things look ugly for newlyweds and marriage; half our deen. It also endangers our children who can turn into abusers themselves. The cycle never ends and we will continue perversely that way. We must stop being prudish. We must not be vulgar either. We should just be moderate and show haya and tact when we discuss this sexual education. #SexEd

Note: ‘The Written vs. NOT Written Stuff’ is a copyrighted collaborative feature series bringing forward attention towards serious issues within the global Muslim communities. This is a joint initiative of two Muslimah writers, Papatia Feauxzar of Djarabi Kitabs Publishing and Saadia Haq of The Human Lens. We will be pleased to hear your feedback, here at wordpress or through email which ever medium works for you.  Copyrights @2015 – 2016

The Duties of the Son-in-Law

What are the duties of the son-in-law in Islam? I did plenty of research and I kept coming up with articles about Mother-Son and Wife issues; the Oedipus complex. I was more interested in a different combination; Mother-Daughter and Husband.

Truthfully, I couldn't find anything with a good substance or scripture. Disappointed, I reflected on the few good men of my biological family since I grew up around them. And alhamdullilah, I came up with a list of things they strove to make their duties.

1. They respected their wives

The few good men knew the women they married were valued in the eyes of their respective families. So they took heed and put these women in their lives on a pedestal. What father doesn't see his daughter as special or any man unworthy of his true gem? Many if not all! Fathers are reluctant about their sons-in-law but realize somehow, somewhere, that they were once scrutinized by their in-laws and they back down some. Some but not completely. 

2. They were generous

The few good men always helped their in-laws when they needed money or any other service. Even if the few good men didn't have it, they strove to help any way they could. Over the years, I have heard some men say to their wives, "I'm not obligated to help your family." Sure, perhaps they aren't obliged to help but it shows good manners and courtesy when a son-in-law makes it his duty to be generous to his in-laws. The in-laws will pray for him. And duas and the after-life can't be bought!

3. They inspired leadership

The few good men knew how to lead their families (theirs, their wives', and their nuclear one). When their names are mentioned, you could see the awe and respect in the family members' eyes. They were proud of their sons.

4. They respected their elders and in-laws

The few good men never trampled all over customs and traditions just because they made more money than the rest of the family. Their status never got to their heads. They observed to the letter the way to receive in-laws and how to send them off after their stay; usually with PLENTY of fare money. Now, not every son-in-law has pockets full of cash. But, if they can't support their in-laws financially, they strove to put their in-laws on a high and respected pedestal above the wives they had married. To finish here, the few good men never felt like their family name or history entitled them to a tribal superiority.

5. They made an effort to know the extended family

The few good men knew their respective families and the family they married into very well!

With mahram rules as a curve ball, this can be challenging. However, it doesn't hurt to inquire on non-mahram every now and then so that you can show that you care. And if your mother-in-law remarried, strive to know her new husband. It says that you care and that you were raised right. If language is a barrier, ask your wife to act as a translator. It's actually quite easy because I've done this plenty. It's so embarrassing when you don't know who married who or what in your family because mahram rules are so far your hmm. *Forgive my French.*

A man who doesn't know his own family will probably never know his wife's family well. It's that simple. Of course we should live like Al-Goraba but we should condemn poor social skills. Islam is a religion of of peace that encourages good manners and neighborliness. Also, don't make assumptions about your in-laws if you barely know them. They could be better Muslim than you. 

Why is it that when it comes to good manners that Islam dictates, a well-mannered son-in-law is suddenly not 'required'? I get it, a good wife doesn't distribute the belongings of her husband to her family and so forth. I doubt the Sunnah says to men 'Close your door to your in-laws, they are not your responsibility. They should stay at a hotel. etc.'

That's where I say "Etre de mauvaise foi." Why? Because family cultures are suddenly seen as un-Islamic when they have nothing to do with Islam really. It's about common courtesy instead.

Above all, many men need to get rid of that 'I have no duties toward your family' mentality. It's selfish, totalitarian, and plain ole dictator'ish' . 

Wassalam,

Papatia Feauxzar

Leader of the Household

“Men shall take full care of women with the bounties which Allah has bestowed more abundantly on the former than on the latter, and with what they may spend out of their possessions….”.
[Qur’an 4:34]

Bismillah,

Very often, I see some brothers complain about still being single. I also often see some whine and whine about it. There are many reasons they aren’t successful. One main reason is that some of them are jobless. Another reason is that they don’t make enough money in the eyes of the family of the prospective bride. Further reasons can be racism. By racism, I am not talking about the black and white type that is still sneaking around… I am talking about the racism that borders more with tribalism. If tribalism is your obstacle to land a bride, pray Allah to help you find one who won’t care if you are the same tribe. But if that route doesn’t work, you have to marry for Islam (the required pious spouse) instead of your desire to marry that specific type you have in mind because all these superficial desires don’t last. They expire along with love at some point except the religion and the Supreme you married for.

Now, if lack of money and a job are the reasons you aren’t married yet, these are fixable. It all depends on you. It all depends on how courageous you are. I shall explain. I have come across old men up to the age of 100 years old that still had a job to provide for their families and I have also came across the not so dedicated ones. Old men too. They just sit all day long; pray, eat, chat. They are proud to see their wives bring bread to the table. This is so wrong in Islam. If you are sound and healthy but you let your wife do YOUR job, may Allah help you in the akhiret.

I have also seen young dedicated men that work up to three jobs and go to school so that their wives can be the queens they deserve to be. They do all that so that their family lacks of nothing in the name of the religion they believe in. Some did small jobs; from cleaning jobs to fast food clerks or managers.  They just do any halal job under the sun to make ends meet. They’re truly courageous ones. If they don’t go to school, it is what it is. They still findna way to excel in an area that becomes a steady income for them. For instance, construction (very popular), mechanic (also very popular), selling fresh groceries in a truck around town, selling kitchen apparel, etc. The list of jobs available in endless.

I also came across men that lived with their in-laws because they wanted to save and the mother-in-law was so nice that the daughter-in-law didn’t care to live there until they were kicked out nicely to go find their own place. The wife loved living with her in-laws! So, your mothers you mama’s boys out there can be a deal breaker if they’re mean, evil, out there to dismantle your relationship with your future wife.

I have also seen young less dedicated ones (the lazy ones) scheme the public for fast and easy money with identity theft, messing with djinns, and whichcraft to rise fast and impress the targeted people they have in mind. Only to end up dead because they dealt with djinns who are not trustworthy or in jail. The courageous ones always prevail as they choose the safe and halal way to become a leader in their families.

These men I am referring to above exist in my family (biological and in-laws) and friends and relatives. So, I am not preaching here. I have seen it up-close. The courageous ones here have the nicest and cleanest houses I have ever seen. They worked hard to get there and still work hard to put food on the table. The grandchildren don’t even look up to their fathers who have it all, the way they do their grandfathers. They look up to the grandparents who set the leading example to their children that carried it on to their own children.

So, what you should get from this post is that if you want a wife so much, you need to put the effort in. You need to be a go-getter and you need to work whatever halal job you come across to save this money to make your dream come true. Live with your parents if you have to until you have enough saved to start your family. So what if it’s not a desk job? If anyone thinks that the job that you’re practicing is not honorable because you don’t wear a suit to work then forget them. They worship money and that is not Islam. We should be modest in Islam not label worried. Don’t buy extravagant things with your money such as the latest car, the last phones, the latest tablet, the latest games, etc. This kind of living above your means is the reason some people have nothing and live off credit cards. I speak from experience because I am a penny pincher and chose a very simple life not to brag to you. We can afford many pricy things but we chose only to spend on the necessary things.

Please read this article here if you’re interested in becoming an ideal Husband. Not only women have to the be ideal Muslimahs:). It’s very insightful.

I hope this post helps brothers in need of guidance or a reality check.

Jazak’Allah khair for reading.

Originally published at www.papatia.wordpress.com .

How Polygyny Taught Me to Coexist

“Perhaps Allah will put, between you and those to whom you have been enemies among them, affection. And Allah is competent, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” Qur’an 60:7

Can we all coexist? Well, in my family’s experience with mixed religions, we sure do. My late father, may Allah (SWT) grant him jannah al firdaws, was a university teacher and a Muslim scholar. He married three women; one of which was a non-Muslim whom he later divorced for non-religious matters. And all her children became non-Muslims after his death. My father foresaw their conversion to Christianity and he said that as long as they believed in God after his death, he was okay.

As you can see, my father was very tolerant. He was also respectful and gave the benefit of the doubt to anybody. As a matter of fact, he had heard rumors that his first wife sneakily went to church even though she had converted to Islam sometime during their marriage. My father didn’t believe it even if he had his suspicions. He told the gossipers that until she told him or he caught her, he wouldn’t say or do anything. See, my father could have responded to fitna-seekers with something like, ”I’ll not tolerate a kafir woman in my house!” and such but he kept his cool and went on with his deen.

And when Ben, the last child from my father’s first marriage, heard that my mother – the second wife – was pregnant with me, he couldn’t wait to get a little sister. My strong connection with Ben had started while I was still in the womb.

So, I’m the cutoff line. Before me, they are all Christian. From me to all the children after me, it’s a branch of the Muslim ummah. We just respect each other’s religious choices and pray for each other. We have such a good spirit about having different religions because in Surah 60 verse 8, Allah (SWT) says:

“Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”

Here we see that Allah (SWT) allows believers of different religions to be friends as long as they’re just and fair. In addition, why would our beloved Prophet (SAW) send his ummah to another country ruled by a just Christian ruler? Because we can coexist!

My brother Ben and I are still very close. We call each other often and we chat when we can. We have a connection that no one in the family has. We love each other deeply even though we are from different religions, and we know our boundaries. We coexist and make it work even though some distant family members are not on board.

If La Convivencia (The Coexistence in Spain) happened centuries ago where Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived in harmony despite some sources that state otherwise, it’s very possible to coexist. We have to want it. We have to be willing to put our differences aside and not try to shove our beliefs down other people’s throat. In my family, we don’t preach to each other.

As former Muslims, my older siblings know the third Islamic pillar of faith is the belief in all the books of Allah (SWT) which are:

• The Suhuf: the Sacred Scripture which was revealed to Prophet Abraham (RA)
• The Torah: the Sacred Book which was revealed to Prophet Moses (RA)
• The Zaboor (Psalms): the Sacred Book which was revealed to Prophet David (RA)
• The Injeel (Gospel): the Sacred Book which was revealed to Prophet Jesus (RA)
• The Noble Qur’an: One must believe that the Qur’an is the Speech of Allah (SWT) which Angel Gabriel brought to Muhammad (SAW) and that it is the last of the Divine Books which abrogated all previous Books.

From – (http://www.thekeytoislam.com/en/what-are-the-pillars-of-faith.aspxhttp://ummuabdulazeez.com/islam-101/the-6-pillars-of-faith/)

Just by looking at the reverence in Islam of other faiths, we should know that we are supposed to coexist with respect. Now, if someone believes in something other than those faiths cited above, we should just act fair toward them. We don’t judge them and we don’t pester them with our beliefs. No one likes to be hammered with preaching. It actually turns people away.

In Surah 60 verse 1, Allah (SWT) says:

“O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking means to My approval, [take them not as friends]. You confide to them affection, but I am most knowing of what you have concealed and what you have declared. And whoever does it among you has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.”

These verses above tell us that if we know that someone of a different belief than us has declared themselves an enemy to us, we must stay clear of that person. But only then, under those circumstances. So otherwise, what do we do? Coexist!

Finally, only Allah (SWT) is and will be the Judge of our actions in this worldly life because in Surah 45 verse 17, He says:

“And We gave them clear proofs of the matter [of religion]. And they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them – out of jealous animosity between themselves. Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.”

Being in good terms with people of different beliefs is a favor of our Rabb. Which of His favors are we going to continue to deny, ummah? Above all, in order to coexist, tolerance and respect have to be taught at home— the first school. And we can all cohabit peacefully if we have this foundation.

Papatia Feauxzar is a published author living in Dallas, Texas with her son and husband. She is addicted to love, romance, life, laughs, and always having a good halal time, her goal is to serve Allah first and foremost. Above all, she is annoyingly always in a good mood ;). Visit her at papatia.wordpress.com

Originally published at SISTERS Magazine .

Unleashing Your Creativity by Majid Mahmood

Unleashing Your Creativity: A Short Guide to Becoming More Creative is about 37 pages and a quick read. We all at some point in life find ourselves giving advices to others about different life aspirations but in the end the desire to materialize dreams and aspirations into reality comes down to the people seeking help and guidance’s ability to see their goals through.

I’m not much of a life coach but I can be an alright booster for some and this is where Unleashing Your Creativitycomes in. It motivates the reader seeking guidance with inspirational quotes and methods to unleash his/her call.

It’s short and concise and will perhaps help you tap in your reserve of creativity because we’re all creative and Majid Mahmood strongly makes that point. (And seriously, there is a lot of inspiration around.)

To end this review, I’ve always believed in that motivational quote that says ‘Be a doer!’

And you can be a doer by purchasing a copy here.

Originally posted at www.papatia.wordpress.com .

A Glimpse into Jannah

One advice though, as you race to jannah, please don’t become a zalamina (an unjust tyrant). P.Feauxzar

Excerpt : “Then, the most gorgeous woman will arrive, the likes of which you’ll have never seen, and you’ll forget all those 72 hooris and turn to her. She’ll be your earthly wide, surpassing the beauty of a million hooris, returning to your arms.”

Original article by Ruby in the Snow

~A casual stroll through the gardens of jannat~

After reading the most stunning piece of what sounded as an unimaginable place I knew I had to share this with my friends and even the entire world that’s presently here in dunya-alive in a place we compete for, kill for, use methods of evil to attain, brainwashed by temporary pleasures that sometimes last not a day. Imagine you have this cool cellphone and a week later another hits the market and you become bored with what you have. Well in jannah you don’t get bored. You chill, enjoy and pleasures never end…

I grabbed my kufi and rushed out. I was on my way to Asad, Muhammad and Haitham. My friends since forever. Alhamdulillah, we had a great connection going for us but we were always doing things we knew sparked the displeasure of our parents and most of all, Allah. Living in an insane world sometime, we have depressive thoughts which lead us to do what we shouldn’t be doing. For a while, we seemed to be heading to danger. We were on top of the cliff (we were in so much sin). Trying out anything we totally should have avoided.

Before I read the piece, I’d missed salatul fajr and when I awoke I prayed. Then, I checked my phone and read the messages. A random stranger on an advice group posted something he got from a scholar that shook my insides. That was it I was hooked. I skidded almost colliding into Haitham’s arms. They all looked at me as if I was insane. Yeah, I was insane if that’s what you call the feeling that overtook me. But you know what, I thank Allah for it. I started reading.

Our All-Compassionate Lord fashioned three things with His own Hand, not through a process of cause and effect, like everything else. These are his eternal masterpieces which mankind will never cease to admire. They are Prophet Adam, Paradise, and the Torah (Old Testament).

Paradise is a place beyond thought or imagination. Brief descriptions of it have reached us via the Qur’an and the Sunnah. But just like listening to the commentary of soccer giants, Manchester and Liverpool over the radio, you cannot capture the spirit of the game. Likewise, experiencing the delights of paradise cannot be felt without being physically there.

My aim for writing this piece is to get the mouth of all my readers watering for this reality to come, and to realize an effort towards paradise is a worthwhile effort beyond any other effort. So, put on your 3D goggles and enjoy. Just absorb every word and allow the images to unfold before your eyes. Here it goes…

***You have just passed over the bridge over hell, a 1500 year journey which has drained you mentally and physically, and you have joined the excited crowd of people queuing to enter paradise. Impatiently, you wait your turn. There are eight doors of paradise, each as wide as a 40-year journey and names as follows: “Salat (prayers), Jihad (Striving in God’s way), Sadaqah (Charity), Rayyan (Fasting), Hajj (Pilgrimage), Kazimin al-Ghaiz wal Aafeen (Those who drank their anger and forgave), Al-Ayman(Those of the right hand who will be saved from reckoning due to their reliance, and Dhikr (Remembrance of their Lord).” Upon which door do you think your name will be inscribed?

As you envy Sayyadina Abu Bakr for being called by all eight doors of paradise, your name is finally called from one door. You present yourself, like a small child waiting for candy floss from his teacher, and meet Ridwan, the most handsome and adorable angel, tasked with admitting people into paradise. With a huge smile, he gives you the following certificate, “Peace be upon you and congratulation. Enter herein forever and ever.”

In dunya, even the best paid jobs and the best mansion come with a time limit. But in jannah, we have been assured of entering a place of eternal bliss, with no time limit, no feelings of insecurity and anxiety, and no fear of ever being expelled.

As you enter, guided by another angel, you’re given your first meal being shown your place. This is a meal of fish liver and bread (Yum, delicacies…). The food and drink of paradise only resemble the food and drink of dunya in name, but in shape, form, and taste, they’re different. Each bite from the dates, olives, grapes, figs, bananas and pomegranates of paradise will taste differently, and from each a different aroma will be emitted. A bunch of grapes will be equal to 12 arms, having a thorn less stem of pure gold and silver. These fruits, as well as all foods, will be available at any time. Their availability will not depend on seasons or production. There will also be no pits or peels to disturb you, and no garbage cans around. In fact, there is no hunger in paradise and you will never worry about punishing yourself by dieting or weight loss again! Rather, people will eat out of enjoyment, and every meal will last up to 40 years!

The food of paradise doesn’t have to be prepared or cooked, so our wives will not spend half of their lives in the kitchen! The food doesn’t rot, nor does it cause food-poisoning, and nor is it transformed into waste in our bodies. Rather, the food will be expelled by fragrant burps, and the drinks by means of sweet perspiration.

As you enjoy your first meal, you somehow notice that your hands are different. You then realize that you have been given a flawless body, with no disabilities or sickness. You won’t be visiting Dr. George anytime soon who gave his patient six months to live. After six months, his patient didn’t pay him, so he gave him another six month!

You’ll also find yourself to be as tall as Prophet Adam at 90 feet, as handsome as Prophet Yusuf-but with no facial or body hair except a fine crop of hair on your head, having a melodious voice as Prophet Dawud, the same age of Prophet Issa at 33, and the noble character of the Best Creation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

After a brief inquiry, you learn that paradise has 100 stages, the lowest of which is jannat-ul Mawa, the middle of which is jannat-ul Adan (Eden), and the highest jannat-ul Firdauws. Every stage can accommodate the entire mankind, and the distance between each stage is the distance between the earth and the sky. The garden of lowest ranking inmate will be ten times the size of this world. Having satisfied yourself with your initial meal, you’re now taken on a pearly coated winged horse to your final abode. You won’t worry of visas, passports, long queues, and the exorbitant prices of tickets anymore. You’ll then notice flashes of gentle lightning in the clear sky and will ask in wonder, “What are those lights?

Your usher will answer, “They’re the anticipative smiles of your houris.”

Although this will be your first trip to paradise, the road will seem familiar to you. As you travel, wondering which garden is yours, you’ll notice that the sand isn’t made up of dirt. It’s pure saffron. The gravel is made of pearls and rugbies, and the buildings are made of transparent gold and silver. Even the richest man on earth couldn’t purchase a single brick of paradise with all his dunya money!

Now, those who think that paradise is an Alice in Wonderland fairy tale haven’t even felt half the percentage of the Grace of the Almighty. If you deny His presence, then the only place for you in the hereafter is Hellfire.

As you start developing an emotional connection to the ultimate source of true pleasure, you pass mountains made of pure musk. You notice rivers of pure milk whose source isn’t a dairy cow, rivers of pure honey whose source isn’t a bee, rivers of unintoxicating wine who source isn’t fruit, and rivers of sparkling water. All these emanate directly from beneath the throne of the Almighty, Most Magnanimous. You may request a stop and drink from these refreshing springs, but you’ll be told, “Have patience, for you also own a few of these.”

When you finally reach your garden, you’ll see a most charming woman-a woman whose essence is saffron-washing a pure stream. She’ll have 70 sets of clothing upon her, but all will be delicate and weightless to the degree of transparency. She’ll be so beautiful that you’ll see the blood throbbing through her veins right through her ivory-like complexion further, you’ll see within her heart, and witness the waves of love throbbing in it for you. They will never lose their virginity, will never experience monthlies, nor lose their timeless beauty. As you stand there stunned, she will be joined by many more-a minimum of 72. Each one of them will have a separate grand pavilions alongside your rivers.

Then, the most gorgeous woman will arrive, the likes of which you’ll have never seen, and you’ll forget all those 72 hooris and turn to her. She’ll be your earthly wide, surpassing the beauty of a million hooris, returning to your arms. And why shouldn’t she be more beautiful for didn’t she engage herself in devotions in this world, and she patiently tolerated her husband’s moods in dunya?

To continue, in paradise, a single man will be granted the strength of 100 men, he’ll adorn himself with lavish like crowns and bracelets. Women, on their part, won’t be given a currency called dollar or pound, nor a credit card with a measly R10000- limit, but an unlimited currency called “Desire.”

Whatever they desire, they’ll get…beautiful handbags, manicures, pedicures, fluffy kittens and even obedient husbands who will become just as she like him to be in appearance and character. There’ll be no hijab in paradise, and also no lust. Noone will fear extra-marital affairs or even contemplate evil.

An ordinary palace will be a huge pearly 60 meters tall establishment carved out from within, and having 70,000 rooms, and built in such a way that every room will be completely private. The silken couches will be elevated-the ultimate lazy boy-and hundreds lads will be there to serve you with thousands of glasses on their hands, each holding a different liquid, and bringing whatever you desire at mere thought. No such remote control has ever been created in the world! All traces of jealousy, malice, envy, and pride will be removed from everyone in these huge social gatherings. There will be no problems, anxiety, bac-stabbing, break-ups, divorces or any kind of relationship tension, in this “Pearl of Piece.”

The best part is there is no waking up in the morning to rush to work in order to clock in on time, to meet your monthly commitments or to stomach the nonsense of your boss. In fact, in paradise, there is neither fatigue, sleep, nor night. Paradise won’t be lit by a sun giving off nuclear rays, but by the shimmering light of the ‘Arsh (Grand Throne) itself. It will be as gentle as the rays just before dawn.

The best part of paradise is that you will be with everyone you love, past and present, have anything you want with no fear of death for anyone, nor scarcity of pleasures. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the Almighty Himself will ask you, “Do you want anything more?”

And everyone will express their gratitude and the bounties beyond expectation. Then the Almighty will grant every resident the ULTIMATE glory-a bounty that not a zillion years of prostration can buy: He will reveal Himself to everyone. This grand sight will cause everyone to fall into prostration and will only increase themselves in beauty. There is no moment better than this moment and no pleasure that can ever surpass this privilege in one’s entire existence

Paradise is a pre place, reserved only for the pure. It’s reserved for those who don’t seek loftiness or power in this world, who have iman (faith), piety, and good character. And who realize that the ticket to paradise is undergoing the temporary hardships this world, dunya. Thus advised the Best of Creation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “If you need to ask for anything, ask for jannat-ul Firdaws.”***

“Ya Allah!” I exclaimed! I turned to my brothers who were all wide eyed gaping in utter amazement. I said to them, “Who of us can now dare to refuse this? Are you sure you want to turn away the everlasting, never-ending bliss?”

But Haitham was crying like a baby, we never saw him this way and he started walking in the direction of the masjid.

Asad looked transfixed but I noticed tears in his eye as he spoke in a soft voice, “I ask Allah to forgive me, shower His mercy on me and guide me.”

I added, “Amiin.”

I looked at Muhammad who seemed to have no interest as he just held a blank expression on his face. Then, I faced him and muttered, “Sorry but I can no longer continue with this friendship. I can’t go back…” my words trailed off as he furiously interrupted me.

“I’m not crazy and I’m going.” He spun around in the direction of the masjid obviously with the intention of making tawba.

“Come on,” I beckoned Asad and he smiled hugely, “Let’s race to jannah?!”

Jazak'Allah khair for reading.

Also published at Hayatimagazine.com .