Reflection House

The Sole Tear

2012-02-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

I’m still roaming in the sky, viewing life from above in a futile attempt to capture traces of the diminishing beauty therein, the beauty that the dark fire of injustice and bloody violence consumed the bulk of it only to give way to vague ugliness to prevail.

Inadvertently, a tear fell from me, fell amid the fangs of the raging fire which swallowed it ferociously. My sole tear will never put it out, I know, but at least its fragrant vapor lingering on the smoggy horizon may be smelled by others, compelling a rainbow of hope to reluctantly manifest itself under the thin rays of sunlight that poke every now and then through the cracks between the overcast clouds.

By Noha Fathi

The Ghost on Facebook !! (Short Story)

2010-12-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

After all, it never happened that somebody said to me he was a ghost. What a ridiculous joke! But frankly I was ill at ease.
I got back from work, tired. Soon I lapsed into deep but uneasy sleep, full of odd dreams crammed with shadowy figures I could not recognize. Two hours later, I woke up, or rather something woke me up, I can’t tell. I rose right away, looking about, troubled; something was roaming the room-as far as I could gather-invisible and never tangible, sensed but not seen.

Does this have something to do with that eccentric hacker yesterday on Facebook who claimed to be the ghost of Solomon? I mused. Ugh, this is just absurd. What kind of nut is going to buy this nonsense?!

Curious, I went on Solomon’s facebook profile. Nothing was new; the last post by him was about a year ago, which did perplex me because I expected this very hacker to mess the profile up! I reclined in my seat considering the whole matter but abruptly a message notification popped up.

“Oh my! It’s from Solomon,” I exclaimed in bewilderment, straightening up.

This hacker was giving me the creeps, I told myself, but he was …
My train of thoughts stopped as I viewed the message:

Dear Joseph,
What I told you yesterday is real. I’m Solomon’s Ghost. Just switch off the monitor and have a close look at the screen to know for sure I’m not a hacker.

His words left me alarmed.

“What the heck does that mean?” I frowned. Suddenly, an appalling thought struck me, making my blood run cold. I sprang to my feet frantically sweeping around the room ,but much to my surprise, all was still, nothing peculiar. I got back to my seat, deep in thought. Reading the message over and over again, I finally concluded it was merely a sick joke from a mentally retarded person.

However, I couldn’t resist switching off the monitor to see what he meant. My curiosity is always hard to curb. Apprehensive as I was, I slowly reached out my trembling hand for the monitor to press the “turn-off’ button. Clicking on it, a strong gasp of horror got out of me.I caught sight of his reflection on the black screen; he was right behind me. My heart was beating like crazy as if it were going to jump out of my chest.

I was terrified, hopeless, helpless, and on top of that incredulous of what my eyes glimpsed. Can it be only a hallucinatory nightmare that will be over soon? But how come? I was never diagnosed with mental disorders!

A boom of thunder broke my flow, recalling me to the gloomy present. Though a gruesome feeling overwhelmed me, I made up my mind to face this thing. Struggling to master my infinite fear, I cautiously twisted around. Nothing was there! Baffled, I scrutinized the screen. All the reflections were pretty normal.

“This thing is messing with me.” I muttered through my teeth, switching on the monitor again; shortly after that I could not help but raise my eyebrows. There was another message from Solomon.

I’m sorry I didn’t intend to freak you out but this was the only way to let you know I’m a real ghost!
You may wonder what I want from you and most importantly why you especially?
Well, I’d like you to do Solomon a favor. I can’t do it myself since people will erroneously think I’m a hacker and definitely I will not spread panic over Facebook trying to prove I’m a real ghost as I did with you.

You are the only one added to Solomon’s friends list after his death. You’re a pure soul, Joseph; that’s why I chose you particularly to help out Solomon in his distress; just suggest Solomon as a friend for as many people as possible and tell them to pray to God to forgive him. He committed a lot of sins during his life but he did not repent. Death caught him off-guard and now he’s in severe torment. He just needs God’s forgiveness but how can he get it while he didn't ask for it when alive?

I'm begging you to help him.

By the end of the message, I felt the tears well up my eyes, an endless stream of tears which I failed to fight back. I wept bitterly like I never did before, remembering that I RARELY repent. The terrible sense that my sins are just accumulating to bring about my impending doom one day racked my desperate, troubled soul,squeezing my heart cruelly.

I spent the whole night praying to God to forgive him his sins and deliver him from hellfire.

************

I was sitting on the rocking chair, worked up about the ghost lingering in my room when a flash of lightning, in the middle of the pitch-black night, shone through the window, imbuing the dimly-lit room with an aura of mystery. Automatically I darted a glance at the source of light, hearing the wind howling outside and the raindrops splattering. Yet this was not what sent a chill down my spine; rather, it was this very sound coming from the dark corridor leading to my room, a sound of floorboards creaking, as if somebody were out there groping his way.

I leaned forward, listening vigilantly, my attention fixed on the door. Feeble as the light was, my eyes did not miss the human shadow that materialized as it approached my room. I held my breath, feeling my blood freeze. In a couple of seconds, the figure behind the shadow came into sight.

Startled, I got up and drew back shakily till I banged my back against the wall. I wanted to cry, to shout, to run but the charming smile on his serene face that I glimpsed as he got closer helped me compose myself a little bit. Strangely enough, his features seemed familiar to me ,but I failed to remember where I had seen him before.

“Thank you!” the twenty something young man said gently in deep gratitude. “I’m Solomon who you prayed for all night long.”

I gazed at him incredulously; his words struck me dumb for he had passed away a year ago as I recall.

“Your supplications saved me from unendurable torment.” His melancholic voice carried distinct pain.
“I wish I had asked for God’s forgiveness while alive. I always put it off until it was too late.” He lowered his head in agony, his words infused with harsh remorse.
“I just thought I was too young to die”, he muttered in a half-suffocated voice, biting his lip to stop a tear glistened in his eye from falling.

I had a pang of compassion for him as I saw the anguish engraved on his features. I wanted to say something, to soothe him, but my tongue failed me. I just approached him, reaching my hand out to pat him but he kept receding till he vanished. I looked around, uncertain. He was gone, without a trace!

************

I blinked as the sunbeam penetrated my closed eyes, finding that I was still in the rocking chair. It seemed that sleep had crept over me while I was unaware. Solomon’s words were still ringing in my ears. In spite of the fact that what I experienced was incredibly vivid, I still can’t tell whether it was a dream or reality! Maybe it was just a supernatural incident, one of a kind, one which will never sink into oblivion.
Now, only now did I realize how precious it is, my being alive.

By Noha Fathi

Is it Detestable in Islam Marrying a Divorced Woman?!!!!!!!!!!

2010-10-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of women get divorced all around the world!
But by doing so, ……........

-Did they turn into culprits?!

-Should they be stigmatized by society?!

-Should they be condemned to live their life without marriage -even if they don’t mind getting married again- simply because they are so-called divorcees?!

If YES, that would be totally UNFAIR!

Had the answer been YES, Islam wouldn’t have legislated divorce as a last resort in case the two spouses reach a stalemate.

Islamically-speaking, divorce intends to be a way-out of a miserable life, full of breaches impossible to heal and void of affection, love, and mercy which are the basis of any sound relationship. In other words, divorce serves as a social, psychological remedy, giving a chance to each spouse to start his/her new life with a more compatible partner, rectifying his/her previous mistakes; hence, this may reduce the amount of loss caused by the wound of the former experience, which maybe, though bitter, a reason for a sweet life to come.

Once two people get divorced, it doesn’t mean both of them are EVIL! Rather it signifies they are NOT RIGHT for each other and their very marriage wasn’t fated to last, end of story!

“IS IT DETESTABLE IN ISLAM MARRYING A DIVORCED WOMAN?!” is a question that flashes through the mind of many people and all too often whenever it is raised, the answer comes out in the affirmative, which reflects how blurred this notion is for the majority. In reality, those guys shut their eyes to the portions in the Quran and Sunnah which prove otherwise.

Most wives of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself were divorcees and widows plus it is even striking to know that his first wife- Khadijah bint Khuwaylid - the love of his life, was previously married!

On the other hand, Allah said: "And there is no blame on you respecting that which you speak indirectly in the asking of (such) women in marriage or keep (the proposal) concealed within your minds; but do not make a promise of contract with them in secret except that you speak an honorable saying according to the Islamic law. And do not confirm the marriage tie until the term prescribed (idda) is fulfilled. And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him. And know that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing." (Quran 2:235)

To illustrate, this verse demonstrates the permissibility of indirectly proposing to an irrevocably divorced or widowed woman¹ during her idda² as if it is a kind of implicit gentle invitation for men to do so. Had it been something odious, it wouldn't have been permitted or made easy as such in Islam.

Besides, Allah said: "It may happen that his Lord, if he(prophet Muhammad) divorced you, will give him in your stead wives better than you, submissive (to Allah), believing, pious, penitent, devout, inclined to fasting, previously married and virgins." (Quran 66:5)

This verse was revealed as a reprimand to two of the Prophet Muhammad’s wives who gossiped about him and divulged one of his private secrets; Allah stated He would grant the Prophet instead of them better wives who were PREVIOUSLY-MARRIED and virgin.

“There was no need of mentioning the previously-married in the verse! The virgins take the precedence anyway,” somebody might think to himself, baffled. As a matter of fact, the allusion to the PREVIOUSLY-MARRIED is made on purpose. It simply makes it crystal clear that Allah puts the PREVIOUSLY-MARRIED in an equal footing with the virgins otherwise they would not have been referred to. Reasoning the verse above with an open mind, any sane person can reach this conclusion. Therefore, the woman’s being previously-married element is excluded from the criteria of judging her since her piety is what counts in the first place as inferred from the verse.

It is worthy of note that a lot of prophetic sayings stressed this concept as well; The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“A woman may be married for four things: her wealth, her lineage, her beauty, and her religious commitment. Seek the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also said:
"The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman (wife)."
[Narrated by Muslim]

As seen above, such attributes have nothing to do with her being a virgin, widow or divorcee. So kindly stop pointing the finger at the divorced women in particular, treating them as social outcasts who live in a community that is not theirs. This is truly the worst feeling that any woman can ever endure. The healthy society cleverly spots the problem and does away with it early on before it deteriorates and the gloom of ignorance gets heavier and heavier hindering the rays of enlightenment from penetrating into it!

________________________________________________
1-As for the EXPLICIT proposal, it is forbidden during the period of Idda.

2-A woman whose marriage is annulled, or when she is divorced, a period of waiting, known as idda, is followed. The prescribed time of waiting (idda) is about three months. For more info about that, see the Quran (65:1), (2:228).

By Noha Fathi

How to interact with the Muslim woman (for men)

2010-10-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

1-When engaged in conversation, maintain a generous distance.
2-Islam doesn't permit PHYSICAL CONTACT with the opposite sex such as through shaking of hands.
3-Keep conversation focused, short, & to the point. Intimate, suggestive, or recreational conversations are NOT well-received.
4-During the conversation, STARING or looking directly at the Muslim woman's face may make her feel uncomfortable.
5-NEVER ask a Muslim female for a date, or offer any type of liquor. This's also a religious mandate.

Copied from one of TEC's publications

Allah is All-forgiving

2010-08-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

A slave (person) committed a sin & said," O Lord, I have committed a sin, so forgive me."
The Lord said," My slave knows that he has a lord that forgives sins. Therefore, I have forgiven my slave."
Then he committed another sin & said, "O Lord, I have committed another sin, so forgive me!"
His Lord says, "My slave knows that he has a lord who forgives sins, therefore, I have forgiven him."
And on the third or fourth occurence Allah says, "He may do whatever he wishes."
(Recorded by Al-Bukhary & Muslim)

WHAT THIS HADITH MEANS IS THAT IF THE PERSON CONTINUES TO BEHAVE IN THIS MANNER, COMMITTING A SIN BUT THEN REALIZING HIS MISTAKE & ASKING FORGIVENESS, THEN ALLAH WILL CONTINUE TO FORGIVE HIM!!

Shedding some Light on the Warfare in the Prophet Muhammad’s Lifetime....Is it Justifiable?!

2010-06-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

‘Islam has been dubbed the religion of the sword, a faith which has abandoned true spirituality by sanctifying violence and intolerance. it is an image that has dogged Islam in the Christian West ever since the middle ages, even though Christians were fighting their own holy wars in the middle East at this time. Today popular books and television programs frequently sport titles like Rage of Islam, Sword of Islam, Scared Rage or Holy Terror’.¹ It is in this light that we should consider the Islamic Jihad which some Westerners usually translate wrongly as a “holy war”.

THE MEANING OF JIHAD

As a matter of fact, the root GHD has nothing to do with holy war. ‘It signifies a physical, moral, spiritual and intellectual effort. There are plenty of Arabic words denoting armed combat, such as harb (war),
sira’a (combat), ma’araka (battle) or qital (killing), which the Quran could easily have used if war had been the Muslims’ principal way of engaging in this effort. The Jihad is not the central prop of Islam, despite the common Western view. But it was and remains a duty for Muslims to commit themselves to a struggle on all fronts- moral, spiritual, and political- to create a just and decent society’.²

According to the Islamic Faith, it is utterly prohibited to initiate a war, though some wars are inevitable and justifiable, unless the opposing party makes an attack. Allah the Almighty said (in the Quran):

“And fight in the way of God those who fight against you but do not transgress; indeed God does not like transgressors.” [2:190]

“Whoever commits aggression against you, then respond within the same degree of aggression waged against you.” [2:194]

“And if they incline to peace, then incline to it; and put your trust in God, it is He who is the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.” [8:61]

THE GHAZAWAT IN THE PROPHET’S TIME: WHAT DOES IT REFER TO?!

The ghazu or Ghazawat (the plural of Ghazua) that occurred during the Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime caused much argument among the Orientalists who interpreted the word as a raid considering that all the Prophet’s Ghazawat involved fighting, bloodshed, bestiality, etc; they simply made a gross generalization based on superficial knowledge of the issue as this is not the reality; maybe the word denoted this meaning during the pre-islamic period; yet it is totally misleading. Mulling over the Prophet’s life, we will find out that the Ghazua is any journey the prophet- together with his companions- goes on whatever its motive is. He took part in about 27 Ghazua in only nine of which a confrontation happened. Muslims used to do Ghazu for various reasons like defending themselves as in the Ghazua of Uhud and Alkhandak, retrieving their rightful property as in the Ghazua of Badr, performing the pilgrimage as in the Ghazua of Alhudaibiya and Omratu Alkada’a or forging treaties with other tribes as in the Ghazua of Dhi Alasheera. Still, it is worthy of mention that ‘when Muhammad (pbuh) ³ brought his revelation to his people, Arabia was outside the civilized world and its political and social order was disintegrating. Christianity, however, came to birth in the Roman Empire, which imposed, however, brutally, a certain peace and social security. Jesus and St Paul did not have to worry about the social and political order because it was already set up while in Arabia an unprotected man could be killed with impunity on the road’. ⁴

THE SUFFERING OF THE PROPHET (PBUH)

In a nutshell, any warfare that broke out in the Prophet’s era was merely a by-product of historical circumstances. When Muhammad first began preaching in response to receiving divine revelation, he became the butt of insults and slurs. His followers were regularly beaten and tortured by their Meccan opponents, with virtually no recourse for the injurious treatment they received; but that is not all; some of them were even killed simply for reverting to Islam. After the death of his uncle, Abu talib who used to shield him, Muhammad (pbuh) became helpless. He spent a pretty long time searching in vain for a protector, facing all types of humiliation until he met a group of 6 Arab pagans from Medina who, after being told about his mission and listening to the Quran, believed in him as a messenger of God at once, with great hopes for Medina. At this point, Medina was an oasis where its heterogeneous ‘tribal groups lived check by jowl in a state of deadly hostility in their hamlets.’ ⁵ The six pilgrims from Medina saw that as a prophet of God, he will be an impartial leader who would be able to unite all these tribes putting a stop to the cycle of violence they are caught up in. The next year, the six converts from Medina returned to Mecca and gave allegiance to the prophet (pbuh). Such a meeting became known as First Aqaba. It appeared that ‘the old paganism had failed to solve the crisis in Yathrib (Medina) and people were ready for a new ideology’.⁶ The people of Medina selected Muhammad (pbuh) willingly, which negates that what is mentioned about Muhammad (pbuh) concerning his use of religion as a means to power is an absolute distortion of the truth.

THE PROPHET (PBUH) NARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH & FLED TO MEDINA

Aware that the Meccan pagans were virtually plotting against his life and that he narrowly escaped death, Muhammad (pbuh) eventually took the decision of fleeing to Medina in an attempt to bring an end to the years of persecution and defeat he endured. Soon after he settled in Medina, he established the constitution of Medina so that the Muslims would live peacefully with the pagans and Jews of Medina. Besides, he drew up a treaty particularly with the Jews providing full freedom in faith and wealth. It was comprised of various clauses according to one of which the Jews should back up the Muslims if attacked by a third party and vise versa. Plus they ‘should boycott Quraish (Meccans) commercially and abstain from extending any support to them’.⁷

THE JEWISH TRIBES OF MEDINA BREACHED THE COVENANT OF NON-AGGRESSION

Nevertheless, the three Jewish tribes breached the covenant of co-operation and non-aggression. The Qainuqa’ tribe was the first, which led to the Banu Qainuqa’ Ghazua. It all started when one of the Jewish goldsmiths played a trick on a Muslim woman trading there, which caused her exposing herself involuntarily. Consequently, one of the Muslims leaped on the goldsmith with rage, the fighting between them intensified, and both of them were killed. Casualties were thus equal and Muhammad (pbuh) was called in to restore the peace; but the Jews refused to accept his arbitration, barricaded themselves into their fortress and called upon their Arab allies to come to their aid. Ultimately, they were expelled out of Arabia, without a combat.

Two years later, the other Jewish tribe, Banu Alnadir conspired to assassinate the prophet (pbuh). Realizing their wicked intentions, he gave them an ultimatum: they have to leave Medina within 10 days or the death penalty will be imposed on them; they are convicted of high treason. Though the prophet (pbuh) gave them a chance to depart, they resorted to their castles and started shooting arrows and pelting stones at the Muslims. After about two weeks of the siege, they surrendered begging only that Muhammad (pbuh) should spare their lives; he agreed and they left immediately. The incident was called the Banu Alnadir Ghazua.

After a year or so, the Nadir tribe negotiated an alliance with the Meccans provoking them to attack the Muslims. Hence, ‘the Meccans and their confederates were on the march with an army of 10,000 while Muhammad (pbuh) could muster only about 3,000 men from Medina’ ⁸, which makes the confrontation utterly inequitable. What made matters even worse was that the chief of Alnadir tribe, Huyai, tried to get the Jewish tribe of Qurayzah, in the south of Medina, to let them into the city. The chief of the Qurayza tribe, Ka’ab, refused in the beginning since there was a pact between him and the prophet (pbuh) to run to his aid in times of war; but Huyai was clever enough to manipulate Ka’ab. The treachery of the Qurayzah tribe placed the muslims in a real predicament. After the Muslims’ victory, the tribe of Qurayza knew that as unfaithful allies, they could expect no mercy. The prophet (pbuh) anyway did not take the initiative and gave a verdict on their act but instead he asked them if they would accept the decision of Sa’d Bin Mu’adh, one of their former allies and they agreed. Sa’d judged that all their warriors will be sentenced to death for their treachery during wartime. Such a happening was named Banu Qurayza Ghazua.

MORTALITY RATE IN THE BATTLES WAS LOW!!

‘The Qu’ran teaches that war is always abominable. Muslims must never open hostilities, for the only just war is a war of self-defense, but once they have undertaken a war, Muslims must fight with absolute commitment in order to bring the fighting to an end as soon as possible. If the enemy proposes a truce or shows an inclination towards peace, Muslims are commanded by the Qu’ran to end hostilities immediately, provided that the terms of peace are not immoral or dishonorable’. ⁹ The Prophet Muhammad and his companions were never the type who goes to war on account of a thirst for blood, claiming as many lives as they could. This is not so; as far as this issue is concerned, Dr. Muhamad Emara conducted a research endeavoring to work out the rate of mortality wrought by the battles that broke out in Arabia over about ten years starting from preaching Islam in Medina till the death of the prophet (pbuh); He concluded that the number of war fatalities was 183 Muslims and 203 non-Muslims, which is relatively a small number. ¹⁰

WARS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COMPELLING PEOPLE TO ENTER ISLAM!!

One last thing! Wars were never waged for the sake of converting people to Islam by force. When an armistice was stipulated as an outcome of negotiations in Alhudaibiya incident- also called Alhudaibiya Ghazua – after the Meccans prevented the Muslims, who marched out to Mecca with no intention of fighting, from doing pilgrimage, twice as many people entered Islam than ever before only within two years, rising from 1,400 to 10,000 Muslims. Their conversion was out of conviction, not out of compulsion since peace prevailed at the time and there was an opportunity for people to meet and consult together. In brief, wars had nothing to do with that. Freedom in religion is a main element in the Islamic teachings. ¹¹

1.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

2.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

3.“pbuh” is a contraction that stands for peace be upon him.

4.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

5.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

6.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

7.Al-Mubarakpuri, Safiur-Rahman. The Sealed Nectar. Darussalam, 2002.

8.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

9.Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2001.

10.Dr. Emmara, Muhamad. The West and Islam.

11.Allah said in the Qura’an:

“Then whosoever wills, let him believe (in Islam), and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve (in Islam)” [18:29]

“There is no compulsion in religion.” [2:256]

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Hijabophobic!!

2010-03-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

”I’d like everybody to respect our choice and not exclude women who wear hijab from certain things … I mean this is truly oppression; they say the woman is oppressed because she’s wearing the hijab, but the true oppression is preventing somebody from going to school because they have a scarf on their head.” a girl living in the west lamented in sullen resentment.
“If people can walk on the street almost naked, why should her putting a piece of cloth on her head bother people or upset them? Girls wearing hijab are not hurting anybody.” I thought to myself empathizing with the poor girl, in a vain attempt to find a reasonable answer to the question.

Nowadays, some occidentals are astonished by seeing women wearing veil. Unfortunately, they hold the vague notion that veil represents oppression or compulsion from the husband or family and keeps many Muslim women away from society. Others argue that it brings backwardness & that those who wear it are regarded as second-class citizens. What’s worse, some recoil in fear at hijab considering it symbolization of terrorism. It is a wonder Muslim women in the west are still discriminated on the basis of such fallacies.

To begin with, it is worthy of note that Islam is not the religion which introduced or innovated the concept of veil; but its origin dates back to the early times of Judaism and Christianity. Rabbi Dr. Brayer (professor of Biblical literature at Yeshiva University) in his book, the Jewish Women in Rabbinic Literature stated that it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in public with a headscarf, which was then a sign of nobility; only prostitutes were not permitted to cover their hair in the old Jewish society. Besides, in the New Testament, St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians said: “and every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.” That is, he urges women to cover their head during prayer.

Have you ever had a look at the picture of Mary, the Virgin? Has anyone of us seen her in reality? not at all; however, there are hundreds of portraits worldwide depicting her as a woman wearing a veil…. How ironical?! Imagine she showed up on such pictures with skimpy clothes! what impression would this convey? All the reverence for this great woman would be lost – god forbids; her image as a pious, chaste woman will be ravaged. The fact remains that the veil as well as her modest clothes has her appear respectable.

“In the Quran, God commanded women to cover their hair; we do it out of our own will and not as a result of coercion from anybody.” That was the answer of many Muslim women in the west after asking them about the reason behind their wearing hijab.
”several women especially converts who started covering in their twenties felt men, even non-muslim men, approached them more respectfully, didn’t try to flirt with them or make leering comments, and treated them as persons not sex objects.” enunciated Katherine bullock, reflecting that hijab does not only signify obedience of God, purity, modesty, & a woman’s Islamic identity but also guarantees women the full respect of all people surrounding her.

“Sexual abuse and assault are not only my fears, but my reality. I was molested and raped.” In dismay stated Kathy Chin, a former senior at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and Women's Studies, in an article published in Al-Talib, the newsmagazine of the Muslim Students' Association of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).” My experiences with men who violated me have made me angry and frustrated. How do I stop the violence?” she continued with profound bitterness. Being devastated, she stepped in a hair salon and had her hair cut very short in order to look like a guy; yet it did not work out her problem, which sustained the sense of moroseness deep inside her. One day she dressed up as a Muslim woman as a part of a newsmagazine project covering her head with a scarf. “people perceived me as a Muslim woman and did not treat me as a sexual being by making cruel remarks.” She observed, somehow hopeful.She said commenting on her experience,” I consciously chose to be Hijabed because I was searching for respect from men. Initially, as both a women’s Studies major and a thinking female, I bought into the Western view that the wearing of a scarf is oppressive. After this experience and much reflection, I have arrived at the conclusion that such a view is superficial and misguided: It is not if the act is motivated by conviction and understanding.” She called her experimentation with hijab which was a turning point in her life “the most librating experience !!”

Another distorted aspect of hijab which needs to be cleared up is that it is in no way hinders a woman from playing her role as a significant figure in the society, and it does not make her inferior either. Muslim women hold a variety of jobs, none of which are devalued or hampered due to their dress code or hijab. Plus, the idea that hijab means women shouldn’t go outdoors is contradicted by the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); during his lifetime, women were very actively involved in the community, in business, in scholarship, etc. In other words, hijab isn’t intended to restrict the woman from doing the kind of things she wants to do, but rather it is a blessing; it gets her to check her behavior continuously and accordingly prevents her from committing sins. In a nutshell, wearing hijab is not just a matter of simply putting a piece of cloth on your head … it is an attitude, a way of thinking and behaving.

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Is Life that Precious?!

2010-03-21T05:48:00.000-07:00

From a balcony on the fourth floor in one of the sea-side resorts, I stood watching the sun sinking in the sea which then looked like a huge monster swallowing its prey; its high raging waves seemed very wild, thundering against the rocky shore. Darkness descended apace leaving no trace of heavenly light. Meanwhile, a shiver ran through me as the cold wind howled around.

"Is life that precious?" after a long period of silence, I asked her with a somber voice looking out at the dark expanse of sea.
"I guess so!" replied my cousin after a little while, shrugging her shoulders.

Certainly, I knew the answer to this very question is "yes" but after what happened in Gaza Strip, I thought, the answer became "no". I recalled the calamity of Palestinians; under such malicious Israeli occupation, they are condemned to permanently live in misery and poverty. Their houses are demolished; their families killed; their desperate cries never heard. Nothing remains but ruins under which their lost hopes were buried. What is more pathetic is the sight of the Palestinians children, dead and alive; smiles faded away from their faces; pain was engraved on their features; agony is a part of their life; death chases them everywhere; taste of blood is always there. The horror they had witnessed very early in their lives must have left wounds that will never heal.

Reaching this point, I felt a lump in my throat. My eyes had been full of tears for what afflicted them, tears of bitterness and frustration for my helplessness. Where is the preciousness of life under such adverse circumstances, I wonder?! Every human right is violated.

But this is just one side of the coin. There are others who live in peace but smoke, drink, gamble, tyrannize, lie, cheat, steal, indulge in forbidden pleasures....etc forgetting or rather turning a blind eye to the teachings of their faith; they have become way far from morals and from God. Such people as well as Palestinians are bound together by one thing: the loss of life; but the latter have nothing to do with it since they are pathetically killed during mass-terror raids launched by a bestial enemy, who does not have an atom of mercy, claiming the anguished lives of hundreds of them.

In contrast, the others lose their lives voluntarily while alive submerging themselves in a hell of corruption. What if they die right now? Have they ever prepared for that very day? Are they ready to meet God with all these sins they committed? It is worthy of note that however long it is, life is always transient as mortality is one of its features. Still, such sinners have a chance; it is always waiting for them but they are not aware. They can do their utmost to redeem themselves, step out of the darkness, get closer to God, and restrain their unbridled carnal desires. It is a fact that Man is not infallible, but at least with strong faith and determination, he is able to overcome human frailties and resist devilish whisperings.

Life is an expensive beautiful jewel; wicked deeds spoil it and cause its rapid decay, which eventually culminates in losing its preciousness. Make the best use of your life before it is too late. Never let it lose its value as long as you are alive.

"Wouldn't you drink your tea?" My cousin interrupted my thought. "It'll get cold."
"Sure, sweetie!" I said with a smile forced on my face as I looked at her. I picked up the mug of tea. It was still hot, to my surprise! Then, I leaned back in my chair and my thoughts ran riot, again.

By Noha Fathi