tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post3466720672473697061..comments2023-10-18T15:59:45.874+03:00Comments on Cairo, Lusaka, Amsterdam: The Ummahcairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-4003798427798065312009-06-29T15:02:50.168+03:002009-06-29T15:02:50.168+03:00Muslim Flower: it sounds like we went through the ...Muslim Flower: it sounds like we went through the exact same thing! When I came to Egypt I realized that culture and religion are not only 2 different things but that they shouldn't be mixed together! You are definitely not alone in feeling this way!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-59583159963126179462009-06-29T13:21:12.157+03:002009-06-29T13:21:12.157+03:00Hi how are you? My name is Sarah and I am Egyptian...Hi how are you? My name is Sarah and I am Egyptian. Going to egypt this year changed my life. I realised that culture and religion are 2 different things.. If I didnt see how strong the culture is in egypt I would have lived thinking its "normal" to live by the culture which is not ISLAM. Thanx for ur post. Im not the only one who feels this way!Muslimah for Jannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08195696882589283492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-72569447566290332072009-06-17T01:44:09.196+03:002009-06-17T01:44:09.196+03:00Jasmine - that's what I was trying to tell my ...Jasmine - that's what I was trying to tell my MIL, and she looked at me like I had two heads. :)) To many, many Muslims, Islam is just a set of rules. They don't even read a translation of the Qur'an in their own language because they're told it's too hard to understand it.<br /><br />cairo - every time I see the topic for this discussion that Sami Yusuf song starts playing in my head. :p<br />I'm thinking the same way, at least I can help my daughters when they're older and asking questions instead of telling them "that's just the way it is, you have to accept it". <br />I agree, most aren't up to discuss anything without resorting to character attacks or w/o getting really upset. I can't even discuss anything with my hubby without him accusing me of "attacking Islam". *sigh*Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-69935948383144850882009-06-16T22:33:32.814+03:002009-06-16T22:33:32.814+03:00Jasmine: I agree with you and what annoys me is th...Jasmine: I agree with you and what annoys me is that I feel like the majority of Muslims would say personal interpretation doesn't count: what the sheikh/imam who has studied Islam their whole life says is what counts. But I seriously have a problem with this. When the sheikh is a 70 year old Saudi man I am PRETTY sure he isn't going to see women's rights in the Qur'an the way I do. They are human too at the end of the day, and have their own prejudices.<br /><br />You're totally right - there is no stable meaning in anything, and right and wrong is relative. I think the beauty of the Qur'an is that everyone sees something different in it and has different experiences interacting with it. Relativity and difference are great things.cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-50848782625005073552009-06-16T22:30:05.929+03:002009-06-16T22:30:05.929+03:00Hi Sabrina, thanks for the long & thoughtful p...Hi Sabrina, thanks for the long & thoughtful post :) <br /><br />I think I agree with absolutely everything you've said! The description of Muslims during Ramadan sooo fits Cairo. It's hell here during that month: people are irritable by day, and then spend 8 straight hours eating by night, so yeaaah. Nothing religious about Ramadan here! Even though like you said it's supposed to be THE most religious time.<br /><br />Like you said, every Muslim is an ambassador for Islam, and I can't imagine the picture non-Muslims are getting when I think about the way the majority of Muslims behave. Seriously, the way Islam is being portrayed is probably not convincing many people to convert. And I don't mean Hollywood, the news, blah blah blah, I mean the image being portrayed by actual Muslims. <br /><br />I hadn't heard of that new Saudi law. It's both shocking and not shocking. I've come to expect absolutely anything from Saudi since they let girls burn to death in a school because they couldn't get their veils on in time. It's still frustrating to hear things like this though. I'm reading a book right now about how Saudi was founded and it's pretty bad. All this from the first Muslim country and the birthplace of the Prophet!<br /><br />As you said, we Muslims are to blame for the current state of Islam and the Ummah. I think most people think they can't change anything, but like you said, if YOU change, others around you will change too. The way I bring up my kids will change something, and this could start a domino effect. To be honest, most Muslims these days don't seem to be open to mature discussions, so widespread social change seems unlikely.<br /><br />Thanks again for the lovely comment :) Very inspiring.cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-51559515634928804762009-06-16T19:11:54.522+03:002009-06-16T19:11:54.522+03:00Dont doubt yourself Cairo - the message is meant t...Dont doubt yourself Cairo - the message is meant to mean whatever it means to you specifically and every time you read it, your understanding will change - like when you watch a film as a kid, as you grow, everytime you watch it you notice different messages, themes and points - different signifcances. The written word is the same and whatever you get from it that is good is a good thing and whatever you get from it that is bad - abandon, and forget this "right" and wrong" stuff - right and wrong is relative and there is no stable meaning in any thingJasminehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15840296267007752569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-30539212640435798572009-06-16T17:03:10.796+03:002009-06-16T17:03:10.796+03:00This was a really great post, and delivered in a s...This was a really great post, and delivered in a surprisingly gentle way. I think everyone can relate to this topic on some level or another. Last Ramadan, while I was at work, one of my co-workers (who is half Christian, half Jewish) was asking me about Ramadan. She told me that her father (who is Christian) used to work in a Muslim country, and he hated Ramadan. He said that was the time of year when all the Muslims were impatient, rude, didn't want to fulfill their duties at work, and were always cutting corners because they wanted to go home, eat, go to the masjid and go to sleep. I know she didn't mean any harm in telling me that story, but it really hurt me because as a Muslim, I know that Ramadan is the most beautiful and blessed time of the year -- and of all the months, Muslims should especially be aware of their actions during this time. I guess I'm glad that she told me that because it motivated me to try even harder to follow God's teachings during that month and always, not only for my inner self, but because as a Muslim (man or woman, hijab or no hijab) people are always judging and watching us. They watching how we walk, and talk, and interact with people, and who our friends are, and where we go -- I mean, we talk about media scrutiny, but that's not the only scrutiny we're under. And really, who can blame people for associating Islam with the Muslims they meet? If you meet a Muslim that drinks, or swears, or is abusive toward others, I sort of think people have a right to associate those qualities with the religion -- because what else do they know? And the “Muslim countries” don't help either. Have you heard of Saudi Arabia's new law banning women from participating in sports because they're afraid that virgins might not bleed on their wedding night? I mean, it's disgusting. I've actually read an article written by Suhaib Webb where he quotes from the hadith (teachings of the Prophet Muhammad) that it's not permissible to ask a woman if she is a virgin, and that the “bloody sheet test,” which is dehumanizing and horrendous, is not from Islam, and not allowed because of the hadith where the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that it is forbidden to talk amongst public about the private/intimate relations between a husband and a wife.<br />I think the bottom line is that we are the one's to blame. It is when we lack proper knowledge of the religion we follow that ignorance breeds. Most of us read stuff like this and get really fired up – we get mad, but we do nothing to change it. Change will spread when each of us take the time to seek knowledge and learn the proper teachings of our religion. We might not all become teachers and professors, and religious scholars, but by learning, we will implement the change within ourselves and our families. Social change starts small – it starts with the individual, and this post really motivated me to continue to learn so that I can be a good example, to please God, to be a good example for the people I love, and for anyone that comes in contact with me, even if momentarily, to know that Islam, in it's truth, is a beautiful, beautiful religion.sabrinahttp://www.sliceoflemon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-81723903811283656072009-06-16T14:52:18.599+03:002009-06-16T14:52:18.599+03:00Hi Jasmine. I love what you said about ill though...Hi Jasmine. I love what you said about ill thoughts infecting people. That's so true. When you're around a negative/jealous/ignorant person, I really feel it affects you. <br /><br />It's great that you're now at a stage where you don't care about what others say or do. I haven't gotten there yet - a lot of things still get to me, and sometimes I even doubt my own interpretations of the Qur'an. I've realized that I just can't trust other Muslims (except a few) when it comes to Islam. In the end, we're responsible for ourselves on judgment day, and so should make our own decisions in life, like you said.<br /><br />Thanks for posting!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-1336391707219670162009-06-16T13:42:34.663+03:002009-06-16T13:42:34.663+03:00I completely agreee - I was completely entranced a...I completely agreee - I was completely entranced and inspired about what a Muslim is - but as I start spending more time with practicing people, I got to a stage where I was repulsed by the things that were going on and did a complete 360 degree turn and rejected it completely. Today, I realise that its wat's inside all of us that makes the world a better place - and now I am happy that tend to my heart, mind and action and intention and I dont pay attention to what others say or do. People infect eachother will ill thoughts, and I guess the whole point of free will is that you come to decisions yourself and learn to recognise good and bad and ignore symbols of piousness. The symbols mess up your "good person radar" and can easily send you in the wrong direction.Jasminehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15840296267007752569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-30601547885236837292009-06-16T08:30:49.783+03:002009-06-16T08:30:49.783+03:00Mrs. S: that's interesting. Did you grow up in...Mrs. S: that's interesting. Did you grow up in the Middle East or another Islamic country? I can identify with the way you feel, after having lived in Egypt, where the line between culture and religion is non-existent. If I had grown up in Egypt I probably would be a completely different type of Muslim, but thank God I didn't. <br /><br />Islam IS a process! And it's different for everyone. Apparently a lot of people don't think that way.<br /><br />Thanks for posting!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-2064242812619515032009-06-16T08:28:53.891+03:002009-06-16T08:28:53.891+03:00Lisa: oh my God, I can't imagine not taking a ...Lisa: oh my God, I can't imagine not taking a shower for 40 days, let alone after giving birth!! I'm pretty sure that's dangerous! Haha and the other things: tea in the bottle, get the air out your stomach, he'll be bowlegged...LOL wow. I really hope they're not attributing these things to Islam, you never know. Some people see weird things in the Qur'an!<br /><br />You know what's funny? Native Muslims here are actually easier to talk to than converts. I'm not sure why, but they are more open to discussion than converts, who are usually dead set in their ways. I wonder why this is.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment hun :)cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-74157777825731904112009-06-16T08:25:36.390+03:002009-06-16T08:25:36.390+03:00Ellen: I love your comment about having a differen...Ellen: I love your comment about having a different view on Islam because of your Christian background. This is sooo true. Everyone's background affects the way the interact with Islam, which results in many different Islams, not one. Which is why you can't expect all Muslims to act the same (aside from the basic pillars).<br /><br />I totally get your point about feeling the inward stuff first. That's what happened to me. I didn't start praying or say the shahada until I FELT Islam inside, and that's when I knew I was ready.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-60642681181445835162009-06-16T04:33:53.250+03:002009-06-16T04:33:53.250+03:00I'm not sure I've ever experienced the Umm...I'm not sure I've ever experienced the Ummah as I interpret that word. I grew up with extremely cultural Muslims and feel like I rarely interact with any Muslims who do not demonstrate either the cliches of cultural Muslims, overzealous converts or those who use economic status to separate themselves from others.<br /><br />I feel like most Muslims in my life have forgotten that Islam and spirituality are a process. We all experience religion at our own pace, and it can be difficult when there are people in your life who don't allow that. I think this separates me from my friends and family in regards to Islam, especially because the line has been so blurred between cultural and religion for so much of my life.Mrs. Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15212173212997565473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-77240191327244307962009-06-16T03:59:03.913+03:002009-06-16T03:59:03.913+03:00I absolutly love this post!!!
1)ha this was a qu...I absolutly love this post!!! <br /><br />1)ha this was a question in a poll I did a while back, and most people agreed with me that they were disapointed with the Muslim Ummah<br /><br />2)"Muslims" make it harder definately. I don't feel comfortable going to the mosque, I don't feel comfortable going to Islamic events anymore because of how I was treated when I went before. Of course when I first became Muslim I stuck to the internet and those people just made me feel like yea I deserved to be Muslim but I better start thinking and believing my non Muslim family is going to hell, or else.<br /><br />3)I don't have Muslim friends in the non cyber world, I know there are people out there that have simular views on Islam but I have yet to meet any in Vsncouverstrugglinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12658002404657358989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-53970539964578660292009-06-15T22:23:25.736+03:002009-06-15T22:23:25.736+03:00Struggling wrote about the reasoning for not showe...Struggling wrote about the reasoning for not showering after a baby for two months a few months ago habibty. I never asked for an explanation when one of the sister's asked if I had done it.<br /><br />http://strugglinmuslimah.blogspot.com/2009/02/cultural-muslims-eye-opening-experience.html<br /><br />"Female neighbour barely spoke to me except the few odd questions about healing after a c-section. I was asked how long I waited until I had a shower, "the next day, how long did you wait?" I asked with deep curiosity. I shouldn't have asked, apparently in Palestinian Culture they don't shower until 40 days after giving birth. Apparently they believe having a shower will invite infection after giving birth.......hmmm I always figured the opposite especially considering it was a c-section!"<br /><br />And my best friend Michelle commented back with this:<br /><br />I got the same useless advice, wrap YOUR stomach so you get all the air out and don't stay fat (huh?), the best thing you can do for a baby is lay him on the floor on a blanket and leave him to his own devices so he'll crawl faster, dont swaddle him because he'll be bowlegged, give him tea in his bottle to help him sleep, etc... Oh and I *hated* when those women practically tore my child from my arms!<br /><br />Ugh.<br /><br />This is why I love Michelle, she's hilarious! I almost wet my pants laughing over the years at this stuff.<br /><br />These are just a few of the things that made me long for the university masjid small as it was, rather than the newly built one where my son attends school.<br /><br />I can totally sympathize with your plight sweetie, and am trying to imagine Egypt where a native Muslimah would likely be even more set in her ways on such issues.<br /><br />Love this post and you my sis!Yaseminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09511727103777114798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-33526937933898504682009-06-15T12:44:47.949+03:002009-06-15T12:44:47.949+03:00Great post.
Since I don't consider myself part...Great post.<br />Since I don't consider myself part of the Ummah at the moment, I can't really answer the first question. <br />But the second? Wooooah, yes. <br />To be honest, it's the Muslims I haven't met that make it hard for me. <br />I've been to places in hijab and been death stared, completely. I had a woman just shake her head at me when I smiled at her.<br />People talked about me right in front of me, it was horrible. So, to answer that question, I feel many make it harder.<br /><br />I think my views on Islam are very different. Because I have a Christian background, that influences any opinions that I form in regards to Islam, e.g. I have a different view on the forgiving nature of God when compared to even my husband's view. <br />And I really understand the inward/outward thing! I myself haven't converted because I need to feel the "inward" stuff first. Without that, I'd feel like a failure and a liar. That should always come first.ellen557https://www.blogger.com/profile/15241966768415648407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-17967376233331734122009-06-15T11:26:41.897+03:002009-06-15T11:26:41.897+03:00Aynur: I love what he wrote! Technically a Muslim ...Aynur: I love what he wrote! Technically a Muslim is anyone who submits to God - Christian, Jewish, anyone, since that's literally what the word means. Today it's become an identity marker for whole communities, thus changing the meaning of the word. Asad sounds amazing! My email is sarah.m.salem@gmail.com - let me know what happened!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-75793586077340684922009-06-15T11:16:48.341+03:002009-06-15T11:16:48.341+03:00cairo - oh I forgot to add - yes it appears she ha...cairo - oh I forgot to add - yes it appears she has, and has had a personality change, if I had your e-mail addy I would e-mail you what I know. :DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-89399817877601923292009-06-15T11:14:23.636+03:002009-06-15T11:14:23.636+03:00Cairo - yes doesn't the Qur'an say [7:8-9]...Cairo - yes doesn't the Qur'an say [7:8-9] "And true will be the weighing on that Day: and those whose weight (of good deeds) is heavy in the balance - it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state; whereas those whose weight is light in the balance - it is they who will have squandered their own selves by their willful rejection of Our messages."<br /><br />In Muhammad Asad's foreward, he states: "Furthermore, one must beware of rendering, in each and every case, the religious terms used in the Qur'an in the sense which they have acquired after Islam had become 'institutionalized' into a definite set of laws, tenets and practices. However legitimate this 'institutionalization' may be in the context of Islamic religious history, it is obvious that the Qur'an cannot be correctly understood if we read it merely in the light of later ideological developments, losing sight of its original purport and the meaning which it had - and was intended to have - for the people who first heard it from the lips of the Prophet himself. For instance, when his contemporaries heard the words <i>islam</i> and <i>muslim</i>, they understood them as denoting man's 'self-surrender to God' and 'one who surrenders himself to God' without limiting these terms to any specific community or denomination - e.g. in 3:67 where Abraham is spoken of as having 'surrendered himself unto God' (kana musliman), or in 3:52, where the disciples of Jesus say, 'Bear thou sitness that we have surrendered ourselves unto God (bi-anna muslimun)'. In Arabic, this original meaning has remained unimpaired, and no Arab scholar has ever become oblivious of the wide connotation of these terms. Not so, however, the non-Arab of our day, believer and non-believer alike: to him, <i>islam</i> and <i>muslim</i> usually bear a restricted, historically circumscribed significance, and apply exclusively to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-26051121301671547632009-06-15T11:02:15.054+03:002009-06-15T11:02:15.054+03:00Jaz: my dad is Egyptian, my mum is Dutch, and I gr...Jaz: my dad is Egyptian, my mum is Dutch, and I grew up (16 years) in Zambia, in Southern Africa :) I've been living in Egypt ever since but I should be leaving soon, inshallah. So I am Egyptian, partly. Although I never really feel Egyptian. <br /><br />It's true about Egyptians thinking they are the most religious Islamic country, but a look at everyday behaviour really contradicts this. Not that there are amazing people here, but generally I wouldn't classify the whole country as peaceful.<br /><br />Like you said, within the Ummah women should feel more safe, yet here in Cairo it is impossible to leave my house without getting harassed. From the second I step out the door and get into the car, someone is looking/saying/doing something. And so it continues. I think the reasons are definitely socio-political, but as Muslims, these men should hold themselves back, no matter how crappy their lives are. <br /><br />There are definitely imperfections in all communities. At the end, God knows who tried their best and who didn't.<br /><br />Thanks for posting!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-7205179190070231252009-06-15T10:56:37.287+03:002009-06-15T10:56:37.287+03:00Umm Omar: great point about the lack of sisterhood...Umm Omar: great point about the lack of sisterhood. Can you imagine how amazing our journey into Islam would be if we were welcomed by warm, knowledgeable Muslims, ready to help us? Instead I'm scared to interact with a lot of Muslims because of their judgmental, ignorant behaviour. <br /><br />Random acts of kindness and incredible people are few and far between unfortunately even for those of us living in "Islamic" countries. Funnily enough, they are much more frequent in Holland.<br /><br />Thanks for posting!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-59941462334058675202009-06-15T10:53:16.877+03:002009-06-15T10:53:16.877+03:00Aynur: I agree, you're not guaranteed to go to...Aynur: I agree, you're not guaranteed to go to heaven just because you mechanically carry out rituals. A lot of people think that way though. A lot of people also think they can commit as many sins as they want and do Umrah/Hajj and everything will be okay. I'm pretty sure that's not how it works :S<br />I'm interested in what you said about not being a "Muslim" according to today's definition. I hate the modern definition of being a Muslim so I'd love to hear what Asad said about hat a Muslim was at the time of the Prophet (pbuh).<br /><br />Thanks for posting =) And I think hijabwoes is gone :(cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-298582369868142952009-06-15T10:50:26.453+03:002009-06-15T10:50:26.453+03:00SirAdib: there definitely should be a balance betw...SirAdib: there definitely should be a balance between outward and inward, since the Qur'an specifies things we should be doing in both categories. Sadly for many Muslims, they think outward obligations are much more important, when I think the opposite.<br /><br />It's so true that many Muslims lack fundamental knowledge, and I think knowledge definitely goes under inward obligations.<br /><br />Thanks for posting!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-51438659584883221292009-06-15T10:48:44.537+03:002009-06-15T10:48:44.537+03:00Whiteorchid: I totally agree with you. These Musli...Whiteorchid: I totally agree with you. These Muslims make Islam look bad and this turns people off the religion completely. It also creates massive social pressure to be like them (since they are the majority) and thus people who were good Muslims before now feel pressure to fulfill outward obligations over inner ones, like you said. It's sad!<br />Thanks for posting!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7573368687554384299.post-46324317754069944152009-06-15T10:47:10.676+03:002009-06-15T10:47:10.676+03:00Lisa: thanks for posting :) Part of me felt that w...Lisa: thanks for posting :) Part of me felt that what I was saying was normal, but for people to confirm it still surprised me!<br /><br />I love your point about how your Islam soared/plummeted depending on which Muslims you interacted with. It's the same with me. When I talk to educated, open-minded, liberal Muslims here (and there aren't many), I feel much closer to my religion, but when I interact with other types of Muslims I feel myself getting angry at what Islam has become, and this anger obviously isn't constructive.<br /><br />I can't believe those stories about ice being haram and not taking a shower 2 months after giving birth!! Where do they get these things from?? <br /><br />I COMPLETELY agree with you - the best Muslimahs I've seen are not outwardly visible.<br /><br />Nothing and no one can make me like polygamy either but so what? Do you know that the Prophet refused to let his daughter's husband marry any other women while married to her? I wonder what the moral of that story is! (And of course we never hear about that particular story).<br /><br />Thanks for your lovely comment!cairo, lusaka, amsterdamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955671720625835663noreply@blogger.com