Halal Food

"2salam wa 3laikoum." I always knew, even before knowing much at all about Islam and Muslims, that at least part of this commonly used phrase among muslims meant "peace." Salam, in many forms is used in many cultures. I also connected it with the Hebrew word "Shalom." They sound very similar. Anyway, as for asalam wa alaikoum, I felt I should learn exactly what it means since it is coming out of my mouth and so that I can explain it well when people ask me about it.

"Assalamu alaikoum" is an Arabic phrase that literally means, "peace be with you."

"Assalamu alaikoum" is a Muslim greeting. Muslims of all nationalities, whether they speak Arabic or not, say "Assalamu alaikoum" when they meet and again when they depart. It is a way of showing respect to a Muslim brother or sister and of wishing them well. The response is, "Wa alaikoum asalam," meaning, "And peace be with you."

With that cleared up, I just want to share a little bit about how my day went before I go to sleep. Today was Thanksgiving in the United States. This is a day to reflect on what we are thankful for and a memorial of the first people who came to colonize the United States, the pilgrims. It was my first Thanksgiving cooking the turkey myself. In the past on this holiday I was either in a country that did not celebrate this day or I was celebrating it with all my family and my grandma was making the big dinner. It is tradition to have a turkey dinner on this day.

Today was extra special for me, not only because it was my first time making a thanksgiving dinner myself, but also because I had a Halal turkey! I didn't know if that would be easy to find, but a friend of mine found one and brought it over for me to cook. It turned out so delicious! I made that with mashed potatoes, vegetables, homemade croissants, gravy sauce, cranberry sauce, and lots of different kinds of desserts. I am trying my best to only eat meats that have been killed according to religious doctrine. I have been eating only Halal meat for almost a year now. At first it was hard not to get a burger at McDonald's, or eat at any restaurant, but I am very happy that I can be disciplined with this now. I even feel healthier now, alhamdulillah.

Halal is the word for what is permissible according to the Shari'ah, which is Islamic law. Judaism also has a term for what is permissible for their food as well, which is Kosher. They are different, but hold some similarities as well. As for the meat, both the Jewish and Muslim religions demand that slaughter is carried out with a single cut to the throat, rather than the more widespread method of stunning with a bolt into the head before slaughter. The brain is instantaneously starved of blood and there is no time to start feeling any pain.

The Quran teaches that God is extremely displeased with those who prohibit anything that was not specifically prohibited in the Quran, See 16:112-116. If you worship God Alone, you will uphold His teachings ALONE and honor the commandments and prohibitions instituted by HIM ALONE. God very clearly mentioned in the Quran what is prohibited in regards to food and meat. See 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and16:115. From these verses you can know what is Halal (lawful) meat and what is haram (prohibited).

"He only prohibits for you the eating of animals that die
of themselves (without human interference), blood, the
meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than GOD. If
one is forced (to eat these), without being malicious or
deliberate, he incurs no sin. GOD is Forgiver, Most
Merciful." [2:173]

You do not need to guess hard to understand the MERCY of the MOST merciful. Allah knows many Muslims will live in the middle of Christians and Jews and will be sharing their food and for this reason God told the Prophet Mohammad more than 1400 years ago, the following;

"Today, all good food is made lawful for you. The food of the people of the scripture (Jews & Christians) is LAWFUL (HALAL) for you......" 5:5

These verses were revealed at a time when Allah already told us that the people of the scripture distorted their books. God Almighty has also specified a very important criteria for His true believers, MENTION ALLAH'S NAME on everything you are going to eat. See 5:4, & 6:118-119,

"You shall eat from that upon which God's name has been pronounced, if you truly believe in His revelation." 6:118

"Why should you NOT eat from that upon which God's name has been mentioned ? He has DETAILED for you what is prohibited for you, unless you are forced. Indeed, many people mislead others with their personal opinions, without knowledge. Your Lord is fully aware of the transgressors." 6:119

Allah in these verses puts the responsibility, as usual, on the individual. It is you , I and everyone's responsibility to mention God's name on everything we eat. Notice here that God says "EAT" and not "SLAUGHTER" when it comes to mentioning His name.

[16:116] You shall not utter lies with your own tongues stating: "This is
lawful, and this is unlawful," to fabricate lies and attribute them to GOD.
Surely, those who fabricate lies and attribute them to GOD will never
succeed.

[10:59] Say, "Did you note how GOD sends down to you all kinds of
provisions, then you render some of them unlawful, and some lawful?"
Say, "Did GOD give you permission to do this? Or, do you fabricate lies
and attribute them to GOD?"

[5:87] O you who believe, do not prohibit good things that are made
lawful by GOD, and do not aggress; GOD dislikes the aggressors.
[5:88] And eat from the good and lawful things that GOD has provided
for you. You shall reverence GOD, in whom you are believers.

I guess the bottom line for this post is that I think it is so important to know the word of Allah. As a Christian, I always tried to write the words of the bible on my heart so that everything I did or received would be based on or connected to the word. I think it is important to always find a base for things out of the holy word, not just take what people say at face value. As I am new to Islam, many people tell me many things for the most part with great intentions, but without a base in the Qur'an or its supporting word. It is my responsibility to search for the base in the Qur'an, which is why I looked in the Qur'an for references to Halal food.

Good News

2salam wa 3laykom! I hope you are well. It has been a week since I began committing to praying the five daily prayers, and so far so good! :) It is the best part of my day to spend time just communicating with Allah. A lot has happened this week since this decision. I finally received the decision from the university and I have been accepted! Alhamdulellah! I have been waiting for this opportunity for so long. I spent ten years of my life working in a great career where I found a lot of success and I was very happy with my work because I was helping a lot of people everyday. I learned so much and it helped to develop my character.

However, now I am ready to take a break from it to seek my next chapter in life. My current goals are to get my International Business and Islamic Studies degree, get my Master's in International/Immigration Law and somewhere around that time insha Allah start a family. If I did work, which I don't see myself doing too much once I get married, I would Iike to work in diplomatic relations or as legal counsel for international operations with an organization. I enjoy anything that relates to law, international or intercultural relations, and serving the people. I used to be a teacher and I loved it. I will definitely continue to teach all my life in one way or another. Who knows? Maybe someday I can teach about Islam too, especially to my children when I have them.

I am looking forward to the classes about Islam that I will be taking at the university as well as improving my Arabic language skills. I met a new Muslim friend who is a teacher and she is helping me to learn about the hadith right now. The hadith are the collection of traditions from the Prophet Mohammad, sallâ Allâhu ´alayhi wa sallam, (that means Peace be upon him) that include his sayings, acts, and approval or disapproval of things. Hadith is considered by Muslims as a major source of religious law and moral guidance. Almost all Muslims consider the hadith to be essential supplements and clarifications of the Qur'an, Islam's holy book.

As for the Qur'an, I am also studying Tajweed for reciting the Qur'an. The word Tajweed linguistically means 'proficiency' or 'doing something well'. It comes from the same root as the word 'Jayyid' in Arabic (meaning 'good'). The root letters are: Jeem, Waw and Daal. I love learning the roots of the languages of the prophets, sallâ Allâhu ´alayhi wa sallam. I am very fascinated by this subject. When applied to the Qur'an, Tajweed means observing the rules that apply to each of the letters in different situations. Qur'an recitation is a beautiful thing. It is one of the things that brought me to Islam.

I remember the first time I truly listened to recitation of the Qur'an. It was surat Maryam. I mentioned about this story in my first post in this blog. I hope to be able to learn Tajweed so that I can recite the Qur'an well myself someday. I am trying to learn a new surat every day, and I am also working on making them perfect. The imam at my local masjid is an excellent reciter and he is teaching me the tajweed and how to pronounce it. He is a great teacher. I love the mosque I am going to. There are great classes, and it is soooo close to my house! Alhamdulellah!

Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله) means "Praise to God" in Arabic, similar to the Hebrew Halelu Yah. In everyday speech it simply means "Thank God!" It is in the first verse of the first surat of the Qur'an, surat Al-Fatihah! This was the first surat I learned to recite.

Another interesting thing to note is that Muslims and Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians all use this phrase. I will let you know how my next classes go.

By the way, check out this great site about the prophet Mohammad, sallâ Allâhu ´alayhi wa sallam; http://islamway.com/mohammad/

Salat - Prayer

3salamu 3laikoum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh... One thing that I have always known all my life is the power of prayer. I have always prayed because I know this allows me to maintain my focus on God and maintain an open relationship with him. There are so many benefits to prayer, that I would spend a book writing about it. One of the first things that caught my attention about Islam, was how Muslims pray. I really admire their dedication to prayer and the passion and total reverence with which they do it. When I see them praying, I feel in my heart this is how the prophets prayed before them.

I always believed that if we really comprehended whom we are praying to, we cannot help but fall to the floor and worship. When I imagine Jesus, peace be upon him, praying, I see him prostrated, not upright in complete adoration and reverence of God. Jesus prayed in a posture and with an attitude of reverent submission, so why don't all Christians do so as well? I don't remember being taught in church that it is normal to put our faces to the ground as Jesus did. I wonder why not. Are we not to follow in his example? In the bible in the chapter of Matthew 26:39, it is written: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Masha Allah. We know that sometimes he got up early to spend time with Allah. On occasions he would give a whole night to prayer.

I know as a Christian while I prayed a lot, I knew I could make time to pray longer and pray more often. It is common for people to find excuses for not praying. But what is it that lies beneath these immediate excuses? It really is our own self-centered attitudes and our defensiveness toward God. People may build up a wall between us and God because they are not ready to give up their sinful lifestyle or feel guilty about something. It is easy to fall into that trap of avoiding communication with God through prayer. In the bible, in the very first chapter, Genesis, we quickly see the first man and woman, Adam and Eve disobey God and start to avoid him:

"That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. " Genesis 3: 8

Like Adam and Eve we know that to come to God face to face in prayer can expose us. We can't in any way claim to be open to God while at the same time nursing resentments, bearing grudges and generally insisting on running our own lives. That is just one of the many benefits of prayer; it opens us up to God, and exposes our sin. This is one important step in repentance. Exposing out sin. It is no longer hidden. In the face of all this, there is only one thing to do. We have to stop running, get on our knees, and pray.

I have been learning how to pray the Muslim five daily prayers and what they are all about for a few months now. I am now officially ready to begin consistently praying the five daily prayers. I begin today insha Allah. I am very excited for this new and healthy addition to my permanent lifestyle. I will get into more detail about Salat in future postings. Gotta get back to my studies. Fee aman Allah.

Islam and the Message of Jesus

Sabah al kher! (Good morning in Arabic) I am having a nice, relaxing Saturday morning so far. I just had a nice Guatemalan style breakfast with re-fried black beans and plantains and some yogurt (an Arabic twist). Yummy. Now I am just doing some reading on Shari'ah, which is Arabic for "a waterway that leads to a main stream, a drinking place, and a road or the right path." From this meaning, the word Shari`ah was used to refer to a path or a passage that leads to an intended place, or to a certain goal.
Shari`ah, refers to a set of rules, regulations, teachings, and values governing every aspect of a Muslim's life. Anyway, I was just thinking about Islam as a religion. Like I said in my prior post, I see religion as but a tool, not as the bottom line. God is the bottom line and submission to Him. That is why I am not completely in agreement when people put too much emphasis on saying their religion is the one true path to God. I know that the one true path to God is SUBMISSION TO HIS WILL!!! And guess what? That is what Islam means!!! And not only that, but also Islam is what all the prophets have been teaching us, Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

So in this perspective, I would have to say that Islam IS the only path to God. I am not the best person at explaining concepts, but I hope you get what I am trying to say. The idea of submission to one God was the message of every prophet from Abraham to Mohammad, peace be upon them. Religion is important because it is the launching pad for this way of life.
Jesus (PBUH) and his Message - to free us from the law or to fulfill the law?

I often heard Christians defending their religion and putting down Islam by using the idea that Jesus has made them free from the law and that all Muslims are slaves to the law still because they have not been redeemed by Jesus. I however, never interpreted my studies of the bible and Jesus' sayings in this way. On the contrary. I saw that Jesus was here to uphold the law and remind us of the true essence of it. The law is for our benefit. Why should we see it as something bad? The law IS freedom. Freedom from the bondage of sin! I thank God for His laws. It is just one other way he shows us His love for us. For example, in the bible, in Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus said,

"You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth".

But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

This is a very well-known passage, but most Christians, including myself, have only partially interpreted it to mean that we should love and forgive our enemies and not be vengeful but to leave the vengeance to God. In each of the times in the bible that Jesus quotes the provisions of the Jewish Law, he did it without any criticism, and if you reread those passages in the bible you will see that. Jesus was not criticising the law, but endorsing it! Not only this, but he was calling on his followers not only to refrain from the abuses the Law condemns, but to go to the opposite extreme by exercising forgiveness and love — even when one has a just claim to vengeance.

So, he is explaining the law and encouraging people to adhere to it, and he took it even further by urging his followers to go further than the Law demands, in order to "Be perfect". For example, don't just punish people for their sins, also love them and forgive them and be strong in a tolerant manner. That is one thing that was amazing about him. He followed the law if you will note, but also took it further by doing everything in love. Well, I gotta go do some errands. I hope you enjoyed my ideas.

How I Found Islam

3asalamu 3alaikoum! Ahlan wa sahlan (welcome) to my blog! My birth name is Rosemary which in Arabic is Warda or Zahra (rose/flower) Maryam (Mary/Maria). Most people either call me Maryam or Rosie. I am starting this blog so that I can share with my friends and anyone interested about my journey to Islam. I am going to start with a brief recounting of some of the things that inspired me to choose this path for my life. It will only be a brief overview as unfortunately, I have very little time right now to devote to free-writing as I have a lot of school work to do. But I will continue to add and develop my story over time. In the meant time, I hope you enjoy my testimony of my decision to consider Islam for my life.

I actually grew up with the pentecostal church. My favorte church, and my church family is in a church called Mt. Calvary Christian on Union Street in Seattle with the pastor Reggie Jackson (although since I've been there it has moved to Renton). I was actually greatly exposed to many different sects of Christianity growing up, from Mormon life to Catholicism, through my extended family and people I have lived with in my many travels, which added depth to my understanding of the Cristian religion.

Let me first say one thing. I do not believe that there is one perfect man-made religion, because man is not perfect. I think that only God is perfect and His Word. Islam came directly from Allah to us, it is simply to completely submit to his will. Islam has been here in different forms but the people have rebelled from it over history. If you see Islam in these terms, then it would make sense to consider that Jesus and the prophets before him pbut were Muslim as well. I think that religion as a combination of Allah's commands and man made systems to implement it, is necessary for us because it provides us with a path to God's will and a guide to stay on it. After all, it is one reason Allah gave us the ability to reason. Every thing that happens to us has its process so there are different ways to go about it from different perspectives but in the end the key is to stay in Allah's will and obedient to him with regards to that, and it is easier to when you have a wise guide through religion to apply that to each situation in life.

As for Christianity and Judaism, being sisters to the religious practice of Islam, if you were born into these religions or adopted them along the path of life, if they seem to be what brings you into God's will, and inspire you to begin asking questions about Allah and what your purpose in life is, then than that's good, as long as you truly study it and ask the hard questions instead of just accepting whatever is thrown at you as true. We have no excuse not to look into religion further than we do. I know that I am thankful for having been Christian because I learned a lot for my life and it brought me to study Islam.

We must test all that is said to be true. That is how I felt about my own path. I am not much into denominations and all that, although I think it is important to find a church family that you are compatible with and are in line with your beliefs and research. I did love my church family and felt happy as a Christian, but after my studies and testing of Islam I knew it was the best tool for me to truly refine my lifestyle and direct all my steps towards God.

I love ALL of the prophets and Islam reveres them all, including Jesus, but there is no mediator needed between the people and their Lord in Islam, just as Jesus and the prophets and believers before him needed no mediator. God is forgiving of us. Yes we are sinners, but God is oft-forgiving, there is no blood to be shed, only prayers to be said. haha, I just made a rhyme! woohoo!

Anyway, I just think the bottom line should be on God and on seeking His will through obedience, worship and service. Religion and church is just a tool. I try as much as possible to understand how Jesus lived in worshipping God. This is one great example for our lives. It is right in front of us. I've always enjoyed studying the bible, and have done it diligently from cover to cover. As I learned more and more how Jesus and the prophets (peace be upon them) lived and worshipped Allah, I wanted I learn how I could follow more closely to example, as that is what as a Christian we were taught to do.

In Jesus' time (pbuh), no one worshipped him, but they loved him and followed his way. The church was everywhere, not just in a building, and the laws were followed and clearly defined to the people. The prophets, including King David, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, and Jesus (peace be upon them) would fast diligently and throw themselves to the earth to pray heartfelt prayers and were in communion with God. I wanted to go back to this way.

I studied Judaism through the Jewish studies center at my local university as Jesus lived among the Jews, before the Muslim Qur'an came around or before Christianity existed as we know it today. Hebrew was the first language known to be used in communicating holy words. This made it extra special to me. It is where the word Allah comes from (you may here its root reflected in "Hallelujah", "Elohim"). It is fascinating to learn the roots of these languages and the connection among holy words from Hebrew to Arabic to Aramaic. They are based on a root system. Each word comes from a certain root. Their alphabets are also similar although they may look very different. Anyway, I learned a lot by studying the original Torah, the book that has much of the Old Testament.

I learned a lot about how people worshipped in the time of Jesus and their level of reverence towards God's laws and commands. I felt that all that I needed to follow God's will for my life was in the Taurah, and the Jewish way, which was the original way. However, one important element for me would not allow me to convert to Judaism and go back to the old ways. They did not see Jesus as God or even as a prophet. I could never deny the power God gave to Jesus to bring his message. I love Jesus sooo much. After all, through his words and life, I came to know and love God in the first place.

All this time, I have been happy as a Christian. I am not one to shun Christianity or deny its power on people to turn to God. But like i said in the beginning, for me, religion is but the tool, not the point. The point is God. So I just want to be on the path that is best for me to be the best believer I can be for God. After Judaism, I continue to study it and I love it of course because it was what Moses and many of the prophets (peace be upon them) were and is actually the same base as all of the three main religions, and the same central laws and beliefs.

I see religion as a progression. It began with Judaism, but people went a stray, so Jesus came to reaffirm the way, and it made great waves, but some people misinterpreted it and changed it over time, then came the Qur'an, the holy words not interpreted by a writer, but spoken directly to the angel Gabriel who in turn gave it to the prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him.

I had never known much about Muslims before that except that they dressed modestly, reverently to God, had strong family units, knew a lot about God and religious practice, and prayed so passionately to God. But I didn't know what it was about. I made a friend who was Muslim and was between Christianity and Islam. We often studied together and asked the tough questions and debated. It made me see how closely connected Christianity actually was to Islam. The roots of it.

I remember one friend of mine sent me a audio file via Internet of the chapter on Mary in the holy Qur'an. It was absolutely magnificent. It filled the house with such an electricity. Even the Arabic was impacting and the translation was amazing. I learned so much about Mary and her time having Jesus (peace be upon them). She is so revered in the Qur'an. And there are more details about her in it than their are int he bible. And they line up so well with what is in the bible about her. Just hearing that passage inspired me to begin study of Islam.

I first wanted to address Jesus. I learned that not only is he mentioned more in the Qur'an than the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon them), but that he is considered a great prophet of God. His stories in the Qur'an are so incredible. I love Jesus, and it is my belief based on my study that Jesus did not mean for us to worship him, but only to stress that he was sent of God, and that we are all one and we may become one with him and the Father if we submit to His will. I love Jesus and feel I am not following his teaching by worshiping him. I just want to worship God just as he did. God is forgiving, he is merciful.

I repent and want to worship only him. I want to honor Jesus and the prophets and I do so in prayer, but not to the point of saying he is God. I also like the fact that the Qur'an teaches that all true believers, Christians, Jews, and Muslims will be received on Judgment day, and that Jesus is the messiah and will come to fight the anti-christ. At any rate, as you can see there are many parallels between these religions. I could go on for ever, but if you made it this far, I will give you a break.

So, in conclusion, Islam is the path I have found to be the most efficient for me to be able to submit fully to God's will. I love how it defines the holy path so clearly, and provides help to get you to be more consistent in direct communion with God through the five daily prayers with no intermediary required, the emphasis on purity, which helps remind us that God is oft forgiving and also the clear teachings on almost any topic you can imagine to help you stay on the straight path.
Well, I have to get back to my calculus homework before I fall too far behind. Feel free to comment! Fee min Allah