Making Progress in Kuwait

Assalamu alaikoum wa rahmatAllah wa barakatoh,
Sorry for the delay in posting, it's been a busy week. Every day the past week I have wanted to share with you but by the time I get to posting, I'm too sleepy to write. I hope I can still remember the details of this past week.

On Saturday of last week, I found out at my meeting for the Mock United Nations team that I was selected as one of the 6 delegates to go to the Bahrain MUN conference. I am very excited about that. I will be representing Panama in the General Assembly. It is a way to learn about how the United Nations work while at the same time addressing and learning about important global issues. I feel very honored to be representing my university in Kuwait there. I was also hoping to have the chance to see more of the gulf countries while I was in Kuwait and this gave me that chance!

That same day, I went with some other students at my school to the orphanage here in Kuwait. We took many toys and games and things for the children and played with them all afternoon. It was very nice but at the same time it is hard to see that there is so much suffering in the world. It inspires me to work harder to make a difference. I hope there was some way we could raise funds to improve the facilities there for the children. It seemed pretty barren when we went and to not have a family or parents is hard enough let alone grow up in a miserable place. I hope we can do something about that, insha Allah.

The other day I went with Sofia and Kara to futoor at her in-laws' home and there were about 25 ladies there. It was a lot of fun. We were making up for the days we missed in fasting during Ramadaan. Sofia gave a nice lecture about the pillars of Islam after dinner. Sofia has been so helpful to me while I have been here in Kuwait and she is very gifted at teaching Islam masha Allah.

On Tuesday, the honorable ex-president of Costa Rica came to do a speech at my university. His name is Jose Maria Figures-Olsen. He has done many innovative and inspiring things for the world and for his country and region. He has also inspired many people to do the same, including me. I hope to make a difference in this world in one way or another and insha Allah Allah will help me to do it, and I will give it my best effort. I actually had the chance to meet him. Our first meeting was not at all how I imagined or expected it to be. Before he arrived, I had asked the school if it would be possible for me just to say hello but they told me it was not likely because of his security and because it was a very controlled event. They told me however that he would be answering questions after his speech, so I could try to ask him one. So I went to the speech early, waiting to get a good seat. I was standing outside the conference room with my Kuwaiti friends. People were coming in and out of the conference door as I stood out in the hall preparing for the event. All of a sudden, Mr. Figueres' head poked out of the door. Noone recognized him right away except me. He is very unassuming-looking and so is his character, very approachable. I immediately greeted him with "assalamu alaikoum," to which he responded "wa alaikoum salam," with a very nice accent I might add. I then asked him "como estas??" which is Spanish for; how are you? He responded and from there we got into a conversation. He was shocked to have found a Spanish-speaking person in the middle of Kuwait and more so that I was from a country in his region of Central America. We immediately hit it off and made a connection. We talked some more and I introduced him to my friends and some of my teammates as well. His speech was absolutely amazing. Very well done and very inspiring. It lasted about 2 and a half hours but it went by so fast. Everyone fell in love with his way and his words. He has a way with people that is electric. He has an amazing way of thinking and such an open mind. He has done a lot for my region and my country through his different approach to politics, business and change. His speech was about Global Warming, the impact of business on the environment and how addressing ecological concerns is a business opportunity in itself. He is a big proponent for integration, or regional cooperation and developing regional relationships based on respect. I hope I can work with him in some capacity some day. He made a note to give to my mom who had worked in the Ministry of Agriculture just as he had at one point. She used to do a lot for social problems among the indigenous people in Guatemala and also admires Mr. Figueres. You can read some of his speeches to get a better idea at www.josemariafigueres.org

I am excited because I finally registered for an Arabic course at Kuwait University. AKHEERAN!!!!!! (That's Arabic for FINALLYYY!!!) ALHAMDULELLAH
It will begin on Sunday. It is 2 hours a day for 2 days a week. The teacher seems very good. I also started my Tajweed class today. It is excellent, alhamdulEllah. We learned many aspects of the character of the letters in Tajweed, and the terminology that go with them. It is a very fascinating subject to study. It reminds me of linguistics. Tonight we learned some Tajweed rules and worked on memorizing Surah At-takwir (Arabic: سورة التكوير ) (The Overthrowing). (Recitation of Takwir by Su'ud Shuraim in Mecca http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgcCw_yy5g) If you want to learn more about tajweed rules, you can find some on
http://quran.al-islam.com

Prophet Mohammad's (saaws) Night Journey to Al Masjid Al-Aqsa

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim,

I was looking at the photo I took of the Aqsa Masjid in Jerusalem. It is one of my favorite photos from my trip. The sky looks amazing, and it was an amazing day being in this holy place, where many of the prophets (pbut) once lived and stood. The spiritual energy was still in the air even today. I was thinking to myself that I had yet to read about the story of the Aqsa mosque and how it related to the Prophet Mohammad (saaws). I had heard the story from many Muslims, and as most Muslims I know believe that he actually prayed there on his magical night journey to Jerusalem from Mecca. I had actually read what was written about this in the Quran when I read the Quran all the way through but had not truly reflected on it until now.

I remembered right away that when I was thinking about where this story was in the Quran that it I would most likely find it again in Surat Al-Isra, because Isra is the word my Muslim friends used when referring to the prophet's (pbuh) night journey.

Here is what I read there about it in Surah Al-Isra:
Exalted is He who took His slave for a journey by night from Al Masjid Al-Haraam to Al Masjid Al-Aqsa, the neighborhood whereof We have blessed in order that We might show him of our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the Al-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Qur'an 17:1]
Subhana allathee asra biAAabdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi alaqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAu albaseeru

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ (17:1)

So clearly our prophet (pbuh) did take a miraculous night journey to Al-Aqsa Masjid from Mecca. Some people might leave it at this, but not me of course. I thought to myself, you know? In Christianity, there is so much focus on "the church." Either insinuating the Vatican where they supposedly have intercession powers for all Christians (Catholics) and have power in dictating doctrine within the religion. Then there is the church in the sense that that is where one goes to worship, and that a Christian is not necessarily a good Christian unless he regularly attends church. Yet, I thought to myself always as a child, is Church any holier than any other place? What makes it holy? I actually loved attending church because it was a chance for believers to come together and pray and worship together and motivate each other and bring tithings and learn from the scriptures. I especially loved the bible studies. But all of these things can happen anywhere really. At someone's home or in the park for example. It is not restricted to a church building.
This is also true with regards to Judaism and Synagogues. They are not restricted to the synagogue, any place can be a place of worship or prayer. Yet, although this is true, I often felt as though the emphasis on the church as a bit over the top. The real church is the actual people.
At any rate, with regards to Islam, I was excited when I first began to consider Islam because I felt there was less emphasis on the building and more on the inward dedication to Allah. The first image that would pop into my head about Islam would not be someone in church clothes walking to church on a Sunday, it would be someone just praying in prostration to Allah. The very first image I see is that.
As for the mosques, I was thinking to myself, hey wait a minute, was Aqsa Masjid really there during the life of the prophet (pbuh)?? It looked old, but still.... Hmmm.... I felt a bit guilty that I was even asking myself this, but I felt like even hard questions we should ask ourselves if we really want to reflect as Allah asks us to.
The holy Quran says that the prophet went to the "farthest mosque," and people say this is referring to the mosque in Jerusalem that is now called "Al-Aqsa," which actually means "The Farthest." So when Allah is saying that he travelled to Al Aqsa, He is saying he traveled to the farthest. It wasn't called Al-Aqsa in the prophet's (pbuh) time however, it was called more similar to what the Jews had called and what it was known as in Abraham's time (Beteyel in Hebrew meaning House of Allah, or also known as Bet Ha-Miqdash) and in Arabic; Bait Al Maqdis, House of Holiness.

Additionally, he mentioned it was a place that was blessed in a special way. What other place can you think of other than Mecca that has a special blessing upon it? The holy city of course, Jerusalem! As for the problem with the mosque not existing yet, or did it? Depends on your choice of words. The word "masjid" is commonly used today to refer to the building shaped like a dome with a little crescent moon on top where Muslims go to worship. But is that what it actually means? All Arabic words have roots, and when we look at this root sa-ja-da (to prostrate), and it was said in Al-Sihah: Masjad with a fathah refers to one's forehead which is the place involved in prostration. So the word masjid means a place where one prostrates. I know there is more to it than that, but with my limited knowledge that is all I can share about it at this point but it is very fascinating so I encourage you to use this to look into it further yourself.

As I was saying, since it actually just means a place of prostration or worship to Allah, then of course the surah still makes complete sense whether there was an actual building there or not. However, there are hadeeth that support that there was a mosque built by that time and that Caliph Umar used to go into it as well. Also, it is known to have existed even in King Solomon's day (pbuh) and that he built it alongside the temple in the name of Allah. It is also said to go even further back, to Abraham's time, named by God as a holy place of worship, and maybe even further than that. What is interesting to me about this other than the obvious reasons, is how something that at first might seem like something soooo separate from Christianity or Judaism when they look at the mosque in Jerusalem, yet if it was actually built by the same prophets all three groups believe in it shows how we are all of the same faith in the same God. So this mosque is actually a symbol of the link between all of us. It is a holy place of worship. Established by our forefathers in the faith.

So it is likely that their was an actual mosque in some form, maybe not exactly as it is structured today, but there was something, according to many scholars. However, the point is not what the building looked like, even if it looked exactly as Aqsa looks now, or if it was totally different, more or less extravagant, bigger or smaller.

You see, my point in this post is that it is not important whether there was a building. Islam is not about a building, it is about our worship and obedience of Allah. So even if people want to claim that the story is a total myth, they should think twice because the Quran is from Allah and all that is from Allah is good, and the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) would have been able to pray in Jerusalem no matter what Aqsa Mosque looked like at the time. Just an interesting thing to point out on the side, not all Muslims pray in mosques as we know them today actually, back in history and even today in some places in the world.
There is a very nice linguistic, scholarly study on this topic that you can read for further inspiration at: http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html

Some information from this article:

In 49-50 AH / 670 CE, Bishop Arculfus, a Christian visitor in Jerusalem, reported:

On the famous place where once stood the temple, the Saracens worship at a square house of prayer, which they have built with little art, of boards and large beams on the remains of some ruins...^[2]

2. What Is A Masjid?

We will begin by dealing with the word masjid from both the linguistic and legal points of view. The Arabic word for "mosque" is masjid. Discussing with the word masjid from a linguistic point of view al-Zarkashi says:

Masjid from a linguistic point of view

The Prophet's night journey was from "the inviolable place of worship" (al-Masjid al-Haram) to "the farthest place of worship" (al-Masjid al-Aqsa). The former is certainly located in Makkah, but what about the latter? The reference to Allah blessing its surroundings (... whose precincts We did bless) suggests a location in the "Holy Land" (cf. 21:81; 7:137; 34:18). Neal Robinson states:

The [Muslim] tradition which identifies it [i.e., al-Masjid al-Aqsa] with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem makes admirable sense in view of the fact that the 'place of worship' (masjid) whose destruction is evoked in v. 7 [i.e., 17:7] is clearly the Temple.^[4]

^{Surah Al-Isra 17:7 -} If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.

This view is also shared by many western scholars.^[5]

As it was mentioned earlier that masjid refers to a place of prostration without any religious distinction; an excellent example of the usage of the word "masjid" referring to a non-Islamic sanctuary can be seen in the verse 17:7. The verse describes briefly the destruction of the masjid in Jerusalem (i.e., the Temple) by the enemies of Children of Israel.

Since prostration is the most honourable act in prayer because of the nearness of the servant to his Lord, the name of the location was derived from it. This is why we call it masjid [location of sujud / prostration] and not marka` [place of ruku` / inclination].^[7]

In summary, masjid from a linguistic point of view means a "place of prostration" without any religious distinction. From a legal point of view the word masjid in shari`ah constitutes every place on earth that is fit for prostration. In other words masjid does not designate a building but only a "place of prostration"; the place may or may not have the building.

Therefore, no one can claim that the word "masjid" in the Islamic terminology refers necessarily to a building.

Prostration is not restricted to any particular place of the earth. It may also be a metaphor of a construction built for prayer. This is due to the fact that once prayer is authorized everywhere on earth it becomes like a mosque for that purpose. Ibn al-Tin said: "The earth has been made for me a masjid and a means of purification" both were given to the Prophet, peace be upon him, while it was only a place for worship for others and was not a means of purification, because Jesus used to walk around and pray whenever prayer was due.

Before we close this issue, one should realize that verse 17:1 also speaks of "The Sacred Mosque" which is in Makkah around the Ka`bah. Did a building for the mosque exist there in the time of the Prophet? The answer is that the Ka`bah was there but there was no building for the mosque. This further adds to the argument that the word masjid in this verse refers to a place of performing the prostration and does not imply the presence of a "building" in the modern understanding.

The above understanding of the word masjid as a place of worship not building per se is also well supported by archaeological and historic evidence. Below we present a picture of an early mosque in a place called Besor in Occupied Palestine.^[10]

Figure 2: Besor masjid

Figure 3: Besor mosque, The Qiblah

Moshe Sharon comments about the Besor mosque. He says:

To the west of the village on the top of the hill, overlooking the valley and the houses of the village, was the threshing floor, and to the south of it a small open mosque with a rectangular mihrab made of 3 blocks of stones [bottom figure]. The mosque was built to a height of probably two layers of stones, no more than 0.5 m., and was almost square, about 3 x 3 m. and could contain no more than 8-10 men at a time.^[11]

There are many other examples of early mosques from Negev region that are nothing but a few stones arranged to mark the mihrab.^[12,13]

Figure 4: Mosque at Nahal Oded with the upright stone showing the direction of the qibla.

Figure 7: Modern Bedouin open mosque in Transjordan

It is clear from the above pictures that a mosque is simply a place where Muslims prostrate in prayer.

Concerning early mosques, Creswell states:

... their [i.e., Muslims'] architectural resources, before they started in their career of conquest, were barely enough to give expression to their needs. In other words Arabia constituted an almost perfect architectural vacuum... The first mosques in the great hiras, or half nomadic encampments of the conquest, such as Basra, Kufa and Fustat, were primitive in the extreme, and in Syria the first mosques were churches that had been converted or merely divided: In fact there is no reason for believing that any mosque was built as such in Syria until the time of al-Walid (705-15) or possibly `Abd al-Malik (685-705), for over a generation the Arabs remained quite untouched by any architectural ambitions...^[14]

It is worth noting that the Prophet disliked extravagance and impressive architecture in buildings, especially mosques. The relative simplicity of early mosques is in fact a historical example of how the Prophet's Companions diligently followed his wishes. This is true to a greater extent even today.

3. Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa: A Place Of Prostration For Jews

The Qur'an refers to al-Aqsa as a masjid, a place of prostration. Was this place used for prostration in early times?

Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the surrounding area (i.e., Dome of the Rock among others) is usually identified with the place where the Temple of Solomon once stood. Bet ha-Miqdash, as the Temple is usually known in Jewish literature, was primarily a place of assembly for the entire people, for purposes of sacrifice, prayer, and thanksgiving. It is in the prayer ritual that prostrations were performed by the priests. Encyclopedia Judaica provides an interesting account of the prayer ritual by the priests of the Temple.

The priest who had gathered the coals entered the sanctuary first, scattered them over the incense altar, prostrated himself, and departed. Then the priest who was chosen by lot to offer the incense entered, bearing the pan of incense in his hand. He was accompanied by a priest appointed for this task who instructed him in the proper ritual, and he did not offer it until he was told: "Offer the incense!" The officiating priest waited until the space between the hall and the altar was cleared of people, offered up the incense, prostrated himself, and departed (Tam. 6; Kelim end of ch. 1). During the offering of the incense in the sanctuary, the people used to gather in the azarah for prayer, and even outside the Temple these times were set aside for prayer (cf. Luke 1:10; Judith 9:1). After the departure of the priest who had offered the incense, all the priests filed into the sanctuary, prostrated themselves, and went out again.^[15]

It is interesting to note that the Temple was considered as the only place of prostration by some Rabbis and that they would refuse to completely prostrate outside the Temple in Jerusalem.^[16]

The Jewish concept of worship has extensive vocabulary, out of which hishtahawah, "to prostrate oneself," is the most frequently used in the Hebrew Bible (86 times).^[17]

4. Yet Another Problem!

In the same article, the missionaries express another objection:

In Yusuf Ali's commentary on this verse we read: "The Farthest Mosque must refer to the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem..." So, it is interpreted to be not the building itself, but only the site, the location where it had been. I might be wrong, but this seems to be contradicted by a hadith and Muhammad's understanding that Al-Masjid-ul-Aqs-a is something that is built, not just a location. Al-Masjid-ul-Haram after all was a building.

Beautiful portion of a hadith....

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 636:

Narrated Abu Dhaar:

......."Wherever the time for the prayer comes upon you, perform the prayer, for all the earth is a place of worshipping for you."

Abraham supposedly (re)built the Kaaba, (and Abraham lived about 2000 BC) and the Temple was built by Solomon in about 958-951 BC.

They identify the Farthest Mosque with the Temple of Solomon without further justification, and point out an error that they had invented themselves. Let us for example see what Imam Ibn Hajar says about this hadith in Fath al-Bari:

His saying (40 years)
Ibn al-Jawzi said: It raises a problem since Abraham built the Ka`bah and Solomon built Bayt al-Maqdis [another name of al-Masjid al-Aqsa cf. Hebrew Bet ha-Miqdash] and there are 1,000 years between them. His evidence for saying that it is Solomon - peace be upon him - who built the Farthest Mosque is the narration of al-Nasa'i from the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr Ibn al-`As attributed to the Prophet with an authentic isnad that "When Solomon built Bayt al-Maqdis he asked God the Most High for three things etc." and in al-Tabarani from the hadith of Rafi` Ibn `Umayrah that "David - peace be upon him - started building Bayt al-Maqdis but God inspired him: I shall accomplish its building with Solomon" and the hadith has a story. He [Ibn al-Jawzi] said: "The answer to that is that the mention concerns the first construction and the foundation of the mosque and it is not Abraham who built the Ka`bah for the first time nor is it Solomon who built Bayt al-Maqdis for the first time. Indeed, we have narrated that the first one who built the Ka`bah is Adam. Then his progeny spread out on earth. Therefore, it is possible that one of them built Bayt al-Maqdis. Later, Abraham (re)built the Ka`bah according to the Qur'an." Likewise, al-Qurtubi said: The hadith does not indicate that Abraham and Solomon were the first ones to build the two mosques. It was only a renovation of what had been founded by others.^[18]

After quoting other opinions, Ibn Hajar insists :

But the possibility mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi is more pertinent. And I found evidence supporting those who say that it is Adam who founded both mosques. For instance, Ibn Hisham mentioned in "Kitab al-Tijan" that when Adam built the Ka`bah, God ordered him to walk to Bayt al-Maqdis and build it and so he did and offered worship in it. And the construction of the House [Arabic: al-Bayt, i.e., the Ka`bah] is famous and we have mentioned earlier the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr that the House was elevated in the time of the flood until God showed Abraham its location. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from the way of Ma`mar from Qatadah: God founded the House with Adam when he descended. But Adam missed the voices of the Angels and their prayers. Therefore, God told him: I sent down a House around which [people] will revolve like it is revolved around my Throne, so set out to it. Adam set out to Makkah - He had descended in India, and his steps were enlarged until he reached the House and revolved around it. It was also said that when he had prayed at the Ka`bah, he was ordered to set out to Jerusalem where he built a masjid [mosque] and prayed therein so that it became a qiblah to a part of his progeny.^[19]

In summary, the verse 17:1 refers to the holy locations in Jerusalem and Makkah because they are blessed regardless of the type of mosque at the time of the heavenly trip of Prophet Muhammad. From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi showing that it was Adam who built both mosques for the first time and that the job of Abraham and Solomon was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.

5. Conclusions

The word masjid from a linguistic point of view refers to a place of prostration without any religious distinction. From a legal point of view the word masjid in shari`ah constitutes every place on earth that is fit for prostration.

The verse 17:1 From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi who have discussed the issue. They have shown that it was Adam who built both mosques for the first time and that the duty of Abraham and Solomon was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.

And Allah knows best!

Further Reading

Arda Wiraz Namag (Iranian "Divina Commedia") And The Prophet's^(P) Night Journey

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It can also be argued that it was Islam that restored the sanctity of Temple Mount, and made it a place of prostration and prayer, but I'll leave that topic for another post.....

Thanks to the web site for pooling together these hadith and this research. I hope it was a source of education for those who visit my blog and I hope you will read the full article. Just click on the link and I encourage your own research as well.

Eidekum Mubarak!!!

Eid mubarak everybody!!
Ramadan came to an end this weekend. On the day after Ramadan there is a celebration called "Eid al Fitr." The celebration of the breaking of the month-long fast. For my last futoor the night before Eid, my university held a futoor dinner for all the students at a nice cafe called Diva's just off the Gulf. It was a lot of fun and a lot of people showed up for the event. It was cool to see my classmates outside the context of the school. I had a lot of kanafa for dessert. Yum! I am helplessly addicted to kanafa. It is a dessert made out of cheese! yes! cheese!!

Anyway, I went with Dina and Heba and Kara and we also talked with Nizar and my friend Fatma who is on my soccer team. She is a lot of fun and we always have great conversations. Nizar confirmed for us the coming of Eid the next day which is dictated for Kuwaitis by the sighting of the moon in Saudi Arabia. After we finished our futoor, we went to Al-Rashed mosque where I had done Taraweeh before and went to pray our last Taraweeh prayer. However we got so lost for some reason and so we missed it. But we listened to it over the radio in the car as we tried to figure out where we were. Then we finally got back to civilization an hour later. It was actually a fun experience to get lost with my friends. We were laughing the whole time. Then we went shopping for Eid at Marina Mall. It was sooo packed. There were tons of people looking for their Eid outfits. We ate at chocolate bar and then went home. I wanted to pray the special Eid prayer that is done in the morning on the first day of Eid so Dina sent me the information about it:

Assalamu Alaikom Sister!

Here is all the info I found about Salat Al-Eid:

1. It's a Sunnah.

2. It's 2 rak'at long.

3. It has no athan or iqama, unlike the five prayers.

4. Before going to pray, you must eat something. It is Sunnah to eat an odd number of dates.

5. It is Sunnah to wash up and dress in clean clothes--basically look your best in a modest way.

6. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) used to walk to the masjid in one path and return from a different path. The main point is that walking (if you are able to) is better than riding.

7. While waiting for the prayer to begin and on your way to the masjid, it is Sunnah to say:

"Allahu Akbar (7 times), Allahu Akbaru Kabeeraan, wal Hamdulillahi katheeraan, wa subHan Allah bukratan wa aseelaan, la ilaha illa Allah waHdah, a'azza jundah, wa sadaqa 'abdah, wa hazama al aHzab waHdah, laa ilaha illa Allah..." Repeat it over and over until the prayer starts.

8. The prayer: In the first rak'a, the Imam will do 7 "Allahu Akbar" before reading from the Qur'an. And 5 "Allahu Akbar" in the second rak'a. These are called takbeeraat (i.e. saying Allahu Akbar and raising your hand). You repeat after the Imam "Allahu Akbar".

Enjoy the prayers!

In the morning around 5:45 the mosques began calling out "Allahu Akbar" and other praises to Allah. It was beautiful. It went on for like 15 minutes. It was so nice to walk to the mosque in the early morning for the first time. It was a nice feeling seeing everyone up early and walking to the mosque and hearing the praises through the loudspeakers of all the mosques in the community. The sky looked amazing. Masha Allah. I was going to go to the Rashed Mosque which is a beautiful mosque and Alafasy was doing the Takbeer there. But then I thought to myself that it would be best for me to go just to a simple mosque and just focus on the salat, not on where it is or who is leading it. It was very nice and felt just as good to share in prayer with others here as it did to share in prayer at the Grand Mosque. Cuz when u really go under the veil of Allah, and commune with him in prayer, u forget where u r, u just feel u are with Allah and no other detail becomes important at that point. Just worship of him. Just hearing his word and receiving it and praising Him and lifting up His name.

Then after the prayer, I went back home to watch the Eid prayer done in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on live TV. It was amazing. So many people were in Mecca. Even the King was at the mosque praying too. Then I took a nap and then a friend brought over some Kanafa. It was just what I was wishing for!! :) I got many nice txt messages from my friends with Eid greetings. I sent some of my own and then went with my friends to the local public market to look at things and go to the stores. Then we had Zubaidy and Raw kibbeh for dinner and then we had some Arabic coffee and went back home.

It was a very nice Eid. I can't believe Ramadaan is over. The memories I have from this month will last a lifetime.

Saying goodbye to Ramadaan :(

Salam,
The last few nights I have been sharing Qiyam prayer with my new friends in Kuwait and attending this late night prayer at the Grand Mosque of Kuwait with them. The last time I went, I went with two of my friends from the university. Their names are Dina and Heba. They are very nice girls. They were so excited because it would be the first time they would be going to the Grand Mosque let alone the late night prayer there. I was also excited for them. We went early and they saved me a spot inside the main inner hall of the mosque in the front rows. It was absolutely breathtaking in there. The spiritual energy in the room was thick like a fog. From the moment we met up to the moment we parted, nothing but the word of Allah was upon our lips, flowing freely from our hearts like a surging spring of water.
We happened to be next to a lady who had converted to Islam from Christianity ten years ago. She was very nice. During the prayers, as I was hearing the beautiful words of Allah in Arabic recited by Sheikh Al-Afasy (yes the same person who prayed in my mosque this summer in the states and who is in the nasheed video posted above), and I still don't understand most of it, although I have noticed I pick up on many more words than before.

Actually, even without understanding it well, the spirit of the word still comes through very strongly. So during this time as I was praising Allah and receiving the spirit of the words of the Quran, a couple things inspired me to suddenly reflect upon our prophet Moses, peace be upon him, and remembering a story from the bible I had read year before about him and his face glowing after having been in communion and talking with Allah.

Whenever he would talk with Allah after the Mt. Sinai experience his face again would shine. Moses would cover his face with a veil so that his shining face would not overwhelm his people. Such is the Glory of God! Imagine when if we will get to see His glory without a veil someday, with our own eyes, imagine that day when we will have that honor if Allah wills it for us insha Allah. A straight forward encounter with the Allmighty Lord of the Worlds. Well, we get that actually. Each day we all can prostrate to our Lord in salat and no veil between his glory and ourselves. He gives us the privilege to commune directly with him every day. Let us remember this when we are in prayer and I think if we do, we can't help but fall to our knees in prostration (or Sujood in Arabic).
Two things inspired me to think upon this story and image of Moses in my head:
1) The beautiful chandeliers and lights from the enormous hall were brightened and the reflection of the lights sparkled into my eyes through the tear drops on my eye lashes during the salat
2) A verse from the Quran my friend next to me, Dina, had just sent to me the day before -

the likeness of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp; the lamp is encased in a glass. The glass is like a brilliant star. It is lit from a blessed tree, an olive tree that is neither of the East nor the West. It is as if its oil would give light even if fire had not touched it. Light upon light. And Allah guides to His light whom He pleases. [This lamp] is in houses that Allah has permitted to be erected wherein His name is oft-remembered. They glorify Him in them in the early morning and evening, men who are not distracted by commerce and trading from the remembrance of Allah. (24: 35-37)

Here is the actual story of Moses' conversation with Allah (swt), these two things inspired me to remember, quoted directly from the scriptures derived from the bible:
Exodus 34:27-35
27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
28 Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.

33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

In the Taurah, it is even mentioned that the divine glory is so much that it might even cause people to die from being near it, so Allah asked Moses to prohibit the people from coming near Mt. Sinai during that time, even the other priests had to sanctify themselves if they thought to come near.

You know when I read this again, I see that it is somewhat reminiscent of our time fasting during Ramadan. A long period of fasting, reflecting on the word sent from Allah, and salat.

At any rate, the real magical moment for me, other than the light reflecting from my tears inspiring this thought, was that the moment I began thinking upon this image of Moses, at the very same time, the Sheikh Al-Afasy mentioned "Musa" the name of Moses in Arabic. Apparently just as I was envisioning this story, he was reciting from the Quran about Moses, peace be upon him, at the very same moment. SubhanAllah. It was chilling to say the least. Masha Allah. Of course immediately the tears began flowing freely down my cheeks from the power of that moment.

This whole Ramadan has been just one blessing after the other, one amazing moment after the other. AlhamdulEllah.

Last night my good friends Sarah and Salma took me shopping for Eid. It is a tradition to buy a new outfit for the first day of Eid. Eid is the celebration time after Ramadan ends. It was a lot of fun. I really like all my new friends here. They are all so well-behaved, so kind, so positive, so considerate, and their hearts are after the favor of Allah. I feel so blessed, Allah is so gracious to me and to all His servants. Let us remember to be constantly grateful to Him.

It is so inspiring many of my good friends from before and now I haven't talked with in a few days because they are doing Istakaf which means staying in the Mosque for a long time and just dedicating all the time and energy to Allah during that time. Anyone can do it and you can stay as little as one full day or as much as the last ten days. I am so happy for my friends who are doing that it will be so good for them. May Allah accept their efforts and I wish I could do it too but I learned of it too late. I hope to try it next Ramadan inshallah.

Grace and Mercy two fruits from the same tree

I remember a time when I did not yet understand the meaning of grace. We said it often in church, in our worship songs to God, in our bible study, and it was often preached by the pastor/father. Yet, it took me a while to finally reflect and ask myself, what is this grace from God everyone is talking about and is so often mention in His scriptures? I thought, why are we always saying; Our Lord is so gracious. What do we mean by that?
In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Grace is defined (I did not include all of its meanings but the ones that pertain to this post) as follows:
Main Entry: 1grace
Pronunciation: 'grAs
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin gratia favor, charm, thanks, from gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Sanskrit grnAti he praises
1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
2 a : APPROVAL, FAVOR b archaic : MERCY, PARDON c : a special favor : PRIVILEGE d : disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency e : a temporary exemption : REPRIEVE

I placed unmerited in red bold text because I wanted to emphasize something about grace that I think is what sets this trait belonging to Allah from all the rest. How many people do we know that provide us assistance when when it is unmerited, or in other words, undeserved? When we compete in a race, do we get the trophy if we lose? Or even if we place second? I don't think so. When we need help, do people just hand us favors, or is only the truly kind-hearted and loved ones who stretch out on a limb for us when we need it? Will anyone just give you something without expecting something in return? At least love, or a handshake or a dinner invitation, or maybe more, right? But what does Allah ask of us in return for all that He gives us? What do we owe him for giving us a good day? A job we love? The sun and the rain? A friend? Our health? A son or daughter? Our vision? Our talents? Our food on the table? Our life? Our freedom to choose? Nothing. All of us on earth get things from God even when we might not deserve them, simply because He loves us. That is the real love. There is nothing "Self" about Him.

That is his grace in action. And we speak often of this word in mention of Allah because it is such a special and unique trait. We as humans have the capacity to show grace towards others, and many do indeed at one point or another. But Allah is grace manifested. He is not only gracious, He is what it means to be gracecious. We could praise Allah in our every single one of our prayers for the rest of our lives and still not reach to cover all the worship He deserves just for that one trait He possesses.

Because of His grace we are forgiven, because of His grace we can do everything we do. Because of His grace we are alive right now. Not because of anything we did. Sub han Allah.

It is no wonder we praise Allah for his grace many times in every salat we do every day. It is the very first phrase we say before every single Surat of the Quran that we read or recite or before anything we do.
"Praise be to Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.."

What is interesting, is that if you think about it, mercy and grace kind of go hand in hand. You can't mention one without thinking of the other.

Here is webster-Merriam's definition of MERCY:

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise
1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment mercy> b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2 a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b : a fortunate circumstance mercy they found her before she froze>
3 : compassionate treatment of those in distress mercy among the poor>

So in a sense, because of Allah's mercy for us, he gives us second chances, he gives us forgiveness, he gives us life, he gives us blessings, he gives us love, through the channel of grace.

Mercy inspires Grace and Grace is a response to Mercy. And both grace and mercy can come from nowhere except from the heart, they can only be born of love.
Imagine trying to feel mercy, or be gracious to someone without feeling something pulling on the strings of your heart first. You just can't. They are products of love, and what is purer than that? There is no way to have impure mercy or grace without compassion. Love is pure and is kind, it can be the only source and origin of two such beautiful traits of our Lord and traits that he has also given us the ability to possess through the love in our hearts.

What is most interesting actually about both of these traits; Mercy and Grace, is that they come from the same Root in Arabic. Rahmaneer, Raheem (Gracious, Merciful). And that makes sense now doesn't it?
I discovered this when a very dear brother of mine in Islam, Nizar, had translated Rahman to Mercy in English. I was watching Sheikh Mishary Alafasy reciting from my mosque back home on Kuwaiti TV, and I contacted Nizar to inquire what surat Alafasy was reciting. He said surat Arrahman and translated "rahman" as Mercy. And I was like; wait a minute, doesn't that mean Gracious? Then he checked and confirmed with me that I was right. But then he went on further to explain that Grace and Mercy actually come from the same root "RAHEMA". Masha Allah.

We have much to be grateful for to Allah, even if just for his abounding grace and mercy towards each of us.

Think about the Quran, especially in this time during Ramadan in which the Quran is said to have been revealed, even the revelation of the Quran for us was an act of grace by Allah.
"Then We gave the Book (the Qur'an) for inheritance to such of Our slaves whom ... That is indeed a great grace." (Qur'an 35:32).
THE QURAN IS ONE OF THE BIGGESTS ACTS OF GRACE Allah HAS shown us, We have rebelled so much throughout history even after having been shown the way and the truth and the right path, yet still he sent to us yet a clearer and purer guide for us to get back on target...Allah truly is most gracious and most merciful and we should accept this guidance sent to us with much gratitude in our hearts:

Second chapter of the Quran - Confirmation of guidance

Quran 1-5

Alif. Lam. Mim. - THIS DIVINE WRIT, let there be no doubt about it is [meant to be] a guidance for all the God-conscious - Who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance; - And who believe in that which has been bestowed from on high upon thee, [O Prophet,] as well as in that which was bestowed before thy time: for it is they who in their innermost are certain of the life to come! - It is they who follow the guidance [which comes from their Sustainer; and it is they, they who' shall attain to a happy state!

After that what else is there to say? Masha Allah the Quran is so complete that even in just small parts of it we can receive so much...

I

In My Pursuit of Knowledge....

Bismillahir rahmaneer raheem....
“And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allah, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran - Surat Al-Bayyenah 98:5)

Salam brothers and sisters, how are you? I am enjoying Ramadan so much I hope you are too. It feels so good to draw near to Allah. So I am thinking a lot about my development and pursuit of knowledge and it is important to always remember that we must always keep in mind what our motives are for whatever it is we are pursuing. We should have good intentions in what we do. That counts for a lot in Islam in our walk with Allah. For what does it count to pursue knowledge of Allah's word and become scholars of our deen but do it just to seek others' approval or for our own ego. We were put on this earth for nothing but to worship Allah so the reason for my passion for learning about God's words and his commands for my life are driven by my desire to worship Him in the best way I can through my life. This must be the drive behind what I pursue. I need to ask myself and check myself in all things to make sure that is my motive behind what I do because if it isn't, then I am missing the mark.

What does anything mean without our motive to give the glory to god and have love in our hearts behind our actions? Are they now just empty and vain efforts then? What would charity be without caring? What would a favor be without joy in giving? What would a hug be without affection? What would knowing everything about God's word be without having our hearts in the right place when seeking that knowledge? Even the bible discusses how everything we do without love is like a clanging symbol, it makes sounds but it means nothing. We should constantly assess what we place our hearts in and whether or not our hearts are in the right place in what we do, for it will count for nothing if we are just doing it simply to please others or to get credit from those around us. We should do it for love for God and love for others.

We must take care of our intention in all we do. There is a story I wanted to retell here in my blog that I read in a book about the virtues of Ramadan which is actually about how we should take care to remember who it is who considers our deeds, and to remember we should remember Allah in all kinds of worship. Worship can be in many forms; in nasheed (hymns, psalms to Allah), prayer, salat, giving, charity, fasting, and more. Really we can worship Allah in all that we do if when we do it, we are doing it for His sake and for His glory. The word for worship in Arabic in this sense is "IBAADAH." It is Allah who considers all of our actions and deeds and whether or not He will accept them.

So here is the story.... Mohammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) is said to have said: On the day of Qiyaamah (Judgment Day) one of those with whom Allah shall reckon first shall be a Shaheed (a martyr in the path of Allah). Allah will call him and remind him of all of His blessings given to him, which the person will confess. He shall then be asked: "What ave you done by way of expressing gratitude for these favors I have bestowed upon you?" The "Shaheed" shall reply" "I fought in Your cause till I became a martyr. Allah shall reply: It is not so; you have fought so that you can be called a brave man: and so it has been said." There after it shall be commanded that he be dragged, face on the ground and cast into "Jahannam." Then, an 'Aalim (a Scholar) shall be called to the Lord. He too shall be reminded of Allah's favors and asked the same question. He shall reply: "Oh Lord! I sought to acquire knowledge, taught others and for Your sake recited the Quran." Allah shall say" "This is not true. You did all that, merely so that, it may be said that you are learned; and so it has been said." And he will face the same fate as the Shaheed in Jahannam. Many such incidents can be found in Ahaadeeth. So we should care about our intentions.

May Allah accept our deeds and may all that we pursue be pure in intention and strictly for the glory of our Lord. amen.

Here is the verse again from the Quran which summarizes what are purpose is here, and what should be our soul mission, to worship Allah in all we do, with PURE intentions:

“And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allah, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran 98:5)

Here we see that even though a person may seem to be performing acts of devotion and worship to Allah outwardly, if they associate any other intention (to get money, to get fame, to get attention, etc...) or being in this worship, (whether they be angels, prophets, or righteous people), then this deed is not accepted or rewarded by Allah as the reward/consequence will be worldly.

Here is a commentary about this verse from http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/360/

Another aspect of this purity of intention is that a person should never seek any worldly gains through religious service and acts of worship, even if that worldly gain be something permissible. If a person seeks any permissible worldly gain though an action, the Godly reward of the deed diminishes.

Dedicated to Brother Reza who inspires me with his continuing passion for searching the best form of worship of our beloved Lord. And who has an open heart and mind to reflect upon our purpose on earth. May Allah open all of our hearts and minds in the same way.

Allahu Akbar!! The beautiful final 10 days of Ramadan

Waoooooooooooooooooo. That is the biggest wao I have ever said I think...... Maybe the closest one to that was when I saw the moon turn blood red and eclipse this summer in the mountains on my way back to Washington from California with my mom. Tonight I went again to the Grand Mosque in Kuwait to pray the Qiyam late night prayer for Laylat-ul-Qadr. This time I went with my friend Sarah again, and with my friend Salma and her lovely mother Tahani (OmmAhmed).
I made two new friends just recently from the states who are living in Kuwait for the next year. One of them was talking with me about traditions we hold dear in Christianity that differ from those in Islam and we began to discuss Qiyam. She inquired if non-Muslims might be able to attend the prayers at the mosque. I welcomed her and my other friend to join me and my friends tonight. They happily obliged and we all had an amazing and spiritual experience. I am so happy they had the chance to see and experience this blessed event. It is so powerful. My friend even told me that tonight was the best Ramadan experience she had ever had and she has been studying Islam now for four years. Subhan Allah.

SO many people were congregated this evening to worship together the Allmighty Lord of the Worlds. I had just been thinking to myself last night that I wish that people from the states could experience and feel what I felt and just the next day, two other ladies from the states did just that. Ma sha Allah our Rabb really does answer our du3aas from these nights, and quickly!
I thought that nothing could top my experience at the mosque last night but even the second time for Qiyam at the mosque was just as magical. I arrived with my two American friends and had trouble finding my friend Salma and her mom. But on the way we saw all the people beginning to pray and there were soooooo many, thousands maybe. A sea of women and men in their respective places bowing in prostration before Allah, with the beautiful huge half moon shining behind them in the black sky with Sheikh Nabeel Alawdy's blessed voice flowing through the air from the loudspeakers. It was so good to see Salma's face through the sea of black hijab. We met up with her and her mommy and I nestled next to them and began my night of devotion to Allah the mighty the great the highest the helper and protector the love of my life, the source of my joy the beginning and the end.
During the lesson, Sheikh Nabeel addressed the last four stories in Surat Al-Khaf, a surah that both of my American friends were familiar with and fond of. Later in the evening, OmAhmed, Salma's Mom Tahani leaned over to inform me that Sheikh Mishary AlAfasy, the imam very dear to me, who I had yet to hear leading the prayers here, would be reciting Surat Maryam tonight. I couldn't believe that the first time Alafasy would be leading my prayers, the Sheikh I have admired since hearing his recitations at my mosque back in the states would be reciting Surat Maryam, the first time I ever hear him in person. Of course as you know, Surat Maryam was the first thing I ever heard or read from the Quran. Masha Allah and he also recited Surat Al-Kafiroon, Surat Al-Ikhlas, both of which were two of the first I memorized from the Quran. Naturally I cried tons through the prayers. The du3as were absolutely amazing. Du3as are words of petition to Allah, our requests in prayer to Him.
After this spiritual experience, we left and picked up some suhoor and fresh juices, I had a rose water flavored one, and then headed back home for fajr. It was quite a night.
For futoor, I went with my good friend Nizar to our friend Bilal's home. Nizar is such a good muslim and has helped me so much since I met him in Islam. I feel fortunate to have a friend like him. May Allah bless him and all those I have met through him. AlhamdulEllah. Bilal i American but works in Kuwait and masha Allah knows so much about Islam. I am glad to have met him and his beautiful family.
School is going great, I love all my classes and my classmates are nice. Soccer is going well I am learning a lot every time and I am trying to give it my best. My teammates have been so good to me.
I joined the mock United Nations club and I met get lucky enough to be selected for the 6 who will be travelling to Bahrain or Harvard for the United Nations mock conference.
I'll keep you posted. Yom Sa3eed.

Laylat-ul-Qadr

Assalamu alaikoum wa rahmatAllah wa barakatoh,
We have entered into the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan. It went by so fast. But now we are within the time of the month in which the Quran had first been revealed to Mohammad (SAAWS), through the angel Jibriil (Gabriel). Here is what the Quran says about this night (There is an entire surah dedicated to it actualy):

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power: And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by God's permission, on every errand: Peace!...This until the rise of morn!

Surah 97 The Holy Qur’an

Muslims come together as a community during these last nights to pray together in congregation not only the salat and sunnah prayers like Taraweeh, but also for the late night prayer in respect of Laylat Ul Qadr.

I went for the first time to pray the late night prayer in a mosque with others. It was an amazing experience, like nothing I ever felt before. As we were getting close to the "Grand Mosque" in Kuwait City, I could already begin to feel the electric energy from all the people. From the outside it reminded me of the same thing you see before a superbowl game or something along those lines. But with an added element, spirituality and only good tidings for Allah among the people and of course a beautiful mosque. And instead of coming to the ballpark to watch the winning team, people have gotten up from their sleep in huge numbers and arrived to the mosques just to seek the favor of Allah and to worship and adore him. There are so many people who wish to come that many do not even fit in the mosques and pray on large Persian rugs out on the plaza and sidewalks.

We prayed under the open sky, the desert moon, cut in half like a slice of watermelon (raggae) as my good friend Sarah put it, shone its like down upon us in the courtyard of the mosque as we prayed. The reciter this evening for the suwar of the Quran and the message for the night just so happened to be Sheikh Nabeel Alawdy the same teacher of Islam that had been one of the lecturers at the Bedelha event. He was soooo dynamic in his message and his worship was heart felt and powerful for the glory of Allah. It was a magical night. The hours through the last 1/3 of the night went by like minutes. In between sets of prayers we would take breaks and during those moments I would either hear a lesson from the prayer leader or read in my Quran the Surah that was the highlight of the night, Surat Al-Isra. He also talked about the importance of honoring our parents, one of our biggest duties as good muslims.

I felt so connected with everyone there as we all made our petitions to Allah and worshipped him for his greatness together. I was really happy to have been able to go for the first time there with my friend Sarah. She is such an amazing young Muslima. I feel so proud to know that there are such good young people like her in the world. She has such a big heart, like her cousin Salma. They are such sweet hearts, really I feel so blessed just to know them. Sarah's dream is to work in the hospital here that specializes in care for patients of Diabetes. She is such an inspiration. May Allah grant her the success.

She taught me some Du3aa on the way home which I will post insha Allah soon as well. Here is a great article that can better explain what the experience was like tonight for me. I found it in the Kuwait Times. I hope you enjoy it. I'm looking forward to going to the Grand Mosque again and spending the night in prayer tomorrow and the next and the next..... Although some nights I plan also to pray at home which is also very very good to do, just you and Allah.

Here's the good article about this very topic:

Published Date: October 03, 2007 (Kuwait Times)
By Ahmad Al-Khaled, Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The importance of the final ten days of Ramadan is exemplified by the late night prayer Salat Qeyam Alayl, which can be literally translated to 'pray at night.' After the evening Eshaa prayer, the optional Salat Qeyam Alayl usually begins at or around midnight, lasting for several hours depending on the mosque. Some locals already began their late night prayers on Monday night but most will have started on Tuesday, changing their daily routine in order to partake in the night prayers which offer en
ormous blessings to the faithful.

The struggle to stay awake late into the night was sidelined as unimportant by most of those who participate in the night prayers. "It is not a factor." said Abdulrahman Fahad, who added, "Praying together with hundreds of people in our small neighborhood mosque and knowing there are millions of Muslims around the world praying with us is easy." When Kuwait Times asked if he changed his schedule to accommodate the late night visit to the mosque, Abdulrahman responded saying, "I sleep after Taraweeh prayers
and wake up for Qeyam Alayl and depending on the time we finish I decide whether or not to sleep again before Suhoor...it is not meant to be easy, that is the point - it is a special time, hence it should be a bit of a challenge.

Also commenting on the late night prayers, Iman Jasem said, "I sleep when I can but Allah comes first and it is very little for me to wake up for ten days and worship - especially knowing the Laylat Al Qadr comes sometime during these days." During the last ten days is Laylat Al Qadr or 'the night of power' wherein prayers carry a heavier weight. "I pray the Qeyam Alayl as many nights as I can during the last ten days of Ramadan, Inshallah this year I will pray on each night of the ten days and witness Lay
lat Al Qadr." said Osama Ali. "I pray I receive Allah's grace on Laylat Al Qadr." said Umm Meshary who added, "Qeyam Alayl is a time to forgive and be forgiven, while others sleep I will pray for the salvation of my family.

The last ten days of Ramadan also brings many more women to the mosques than usual. "It is traditional for us to pray at home but during Ramadan we go for the Taraweeh and for the Qeyam Alayl," said Umm Bader who noted, "God is great - I pray with my daughter, daughters-in-law and granddaughters at the mosque every night for Qeyam Alayl - it is tradition and the will of Allah." Salat Qeyam Alayl brings large numbers of followers to local mosques. "I enjoy the fervor of it all...it is an intense time to pra
y...there are so many Muslims praying together you can feel the energy." said Yasser Muhamed. "The large numbers are a sight to see - it is a joy to see all those who walk together in the middle of the night toward the mosque seeking Allah's greatness." said Iman Raed who added, "I particularly like the sound of voices all engaged in prayer in the still of the night - it is very inspiring.

Many of those speaking to Kuwait Times noted that they drive to mosques outside their neighborhoods for Qeyam Alayl. "Our family goes to the Grand Mosque for the night prayers on these ten days - it is filled to capacity and I am moved by its beauty," said Umm Waleed. "My son and I go to the large mosque in Adailiya which is where my father's home used to be - we do so to remember the past." Talal Muhamed had this to say to Kuwait Times readers, "If you are not participating in Salat Qeyam Alayl yourself,
and happen to be awake in the wee hours of the night, open your window and you may hear the faint sounds of millions of voices united in prayer - God is great.

Iron Chef - Arabic

This summer I took an intensive Arabic class at my university, the University of Washington. It was 4 hours a day, five days a week, for 3 months. It was a good class. I met a lot of interesting new friends through it too. We had to make a presentation in Arabic and for our group project we decided to do a presentation about Arabic food in the style of a cooking competition. We made it to be a comedy. I hope you laugh! :)

Surat Muzzammil

Assalamu alaikoum wa rahmatAllah wa barakatoh,
It was the 50th anniversary of the marriage of the grandparents of my Jewish friend that I visited just a couple weeks ago. I stayed in their home. They were originally from Tunis and northern Morocco. They are sooooo sweet and kind-hearted and they treated me like their own granddaughter when I was there. They took such good care of me from the first moment I arrived at 3:30 before the rising of the sun. Mariam, and Shlomo. Mariam and I have the same name! Shlomo is Hebrew for Suleman or Solomon in English. I remember Mariam was awake and made me some yummy nescafe and gave me some pastries when I arrived. She didn't know much English so we spoke in part spanish, part Arabic and part Hebrew. It was fun. And she had set up a nice room for me and everything. I loved staying with them. I miss them. I hope that Allah will grant me the favor to have a long and strong and happy relationship with my future husband as she has with her dear husband Shlomo.

At any rate, Ramadan is going great but it is going by too fast!! :( Masha Allah. It was a great learning experience for me. I feel I grew a lot in this short time and I enjoy this great opportunity to draw nearer and nearer to Allah. I had a nice opportunity to talk about Islam with my roommate tonight. Her name is Kara and she is here studying at AUK also. Her major is Philosophy and minor is Islamic Studies. She is very nice and has a big heart and very articulate. Tonight she asked me what this prayer vigil event during the last ten days of Ramadan was all about.

I had not yet studied much about it myself so I took the opportunity to go back and read in the Quran where it is mentioned about this time of Ramadan and about the Qayim salat.

I found a nice commentary about it and Tahajud on http://islami-online.net :
Using the verb fatahajjad, a derivative from the root hajada (meaning to keep vigil), Allah says: "And some part of the night awake for it (fatahajjad), a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate." (Al-Isra': 79) This last verse means to get up and perform Tahajjud Prayer. Tahajjud refers to getting up after sleeping and performing optional night prayer. Since this optional night prayer is most probably performed after sleeping for some time, it is named Tahajjud, though the original name of night prayer is Qiyam, which literally means standing. It is also said that Tahajjud is prayer after sleeping, while Qiyam refers to spending the night in worship in general, whether it is Prayer (salah) or any other form of worship.

Tahajjud and Qiyam are the same thing, namely optional night prayer. However, the only difference appears when these two names are used during Ramadan. The prayer after `Isha' Prayer is referred to as Qiyam (or, more commonly, Tarawih), while spending the night in worship (after some sleep) is called Tahajjud. Both names have been used in the Qur'an. Referring to Qiyam, the Qur’an uses the phrase qum al-layl when Almighty Allah says: "O thou wrapped up in thy raiment! Keep vigil the night long (qum al-layl), save a little, a half thereof, or abate a little thereof, or add (a little) thereto and chant the Qur’an in measure…" (Al-Muzzammil: 1-4)

This prompted me to share wth you ALL of this surat because it give s clear picture of what the Qum al-layl is all about. May this word from Allah fill you with His peace and provide you with clear guidance in your spiritual walk with Him:

A3udu billahi minna shaytaneerrajeem - I seek refuge from the acursed satan
Bismillahirrahmaneeraheem - In the name of Allah, the most gracious the most merciful.....

Surat 73 MUZZAMMIL
- Asad - English / Muhammad Asad

73:1 O thou enwrapped one!

Topics discussed in this Verse:
[Muhammad:enfolded _ wrapped up in garments]

Ya ayyuha almuzzammilu
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ (73:1)


73:2 Keep awake [in prayer] at night, all but a small part
Qumi allayla illa qaleelan
قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (73:2)


73:3 of one-half thereof [2] - or make it a little less than that,

Nisfahu awi onqus minhu qaleelan
نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا (73:3)

73:4 or add to it [at will]; and [during that time] recite the Qur’an calmly and distinctly, with thy mind attuned to its meaning. [3]

Aw zid AAalayhi warattili alqurana tarteelan
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا (73:4)


73:5 Behold, We shall bestow upon thee a weighty message –

Inna sanulqee AAalayka qawlan thaqeelan
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا (73:5)


73:6 [and,] verily, the hours of night the mind most strongly and speak with the clearest voice, [4]

Inna nashiata allayli hiya ashaddu watan waaqwamu qeelan
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْءًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا (73:6)


73:7 whereas by day a long chain of doings is thy portion.

Inna laka fee alnnahari sabhan taweelan
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي اَلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا (73:7)


73:8 But [whether by night or by day,] remember thy Sustainer's name, and devote thyself unto Him with utter devotion.

Waothkuri isma rabbika watabattal ilayhi tabteelan
وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا (73:8)


73:9 The Sustainer of the east and the west [is He]: there is no deity save Him: hence, ascribe to Him alone the power to determine thy fate, [5]

Rabbu almashriqi waalmaghribi la ilaha illa huwa faittakhithhu wakeelan
رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا (73:9)


73:10 and endure with patience whatever people may say [against thee], and avoid them with a comely avoidance.

Waisbir AAala ma yaqooloona waohjurhum hajran jameelan
وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا (73:10)


73:11 And leave Me alone [to deal] with those who give the lie to the truth [6] - those who enjoy the blessings of life [without any thought of God] - and bear thou with them for a little while:

Watharnee waalmukaththibeena olee alnnaAAmati wamahhilhum qaleelan
وَذَرْنِي وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُولِي النَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا (73:11)


73:12 for, behold, heavy fetters [await them] with Us, and a blazing fire,

Inna ladayna ankalan wajaheeman
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا (73:12)


73:13 and food that chokes, and grievous suffering [7]

WataAAaman tha ghussatin waAAathaban aleeman
وَطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًا (73:13)


73:14 on the Day when the earth and the mountains will be convulsed and the mountains will [crumble and] become like a sand-dune on the move! [8]


Yawma tarjufu alardu waaljibalu wakanati aljibalu katheeban maheelan
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًا مَّهِيلًا (73:14)


73:15 BEHOLD, [O men,] We have sent unto you an apostle who shall bear witness to the truth before you, even as We sent an apostle unto Pharaoh: [9]

Inna arsalna ilaykum rasoolan shahidan AAalaykum kama arsalna ila firAAawna rasoolan
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا (73:15)


73:16 and Pharaoh rebelled against the apostle, whereupon We took him to task with a crushing grip.

FaAAasa firAAawnu alrrasoola faakhathnahu akhthan wabeelan
فَعَصَى فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا (73:16)


73:17 How, then, if you refuse to acknowledge the truth, will you protect yourselves on that Day which shall turn the hair of children grey, [10]

Fakayfa tattaqoona in kafartum yawman yajAAalu alwildana sheeban
فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيبًا (73:17)


73:18 [the Day] on which the skies shall be rent asunder, [and] His promise [of resurrection] fulfilled?

Alssamao munfatirun bihi kana waAAduhu mafAAoolan
السَّمَاء مُنفَطِرٌ بِهِ كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولًا (73:18)


73:19 This, verily, is a reminder: let him who wills, then set out on a way to his Sustainer!

Inna hathihi tathkiratun faman shaa ittakhatha ila rabbihi sabeelan
إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَن شَاء اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا (73:19)

73:20 BEHOLD, [O Prophet,] thy Sustainer knows that thou keepest awake [in prayer] nearly two-thirds of the night, or one-half of it, or a third of it, together with some of those who follow thee. [11] And God who determines the measure of night and day, is aware that you would never grudge it: [12] and therefore He turns towards you in His grace. Recite, then, as much of the Qur’an as you may do with ease. He knows that in time there will be among you sick people, and others who will go about the land in search of God's bounty, and others who will fight in God’s cause. [13] Recite, then, [only] as much of it as you may do with ease, and be constant in prayer, and spend in charity, [14] and [thus] lend unto God a goodly loan: for whatever good deed you may offer up in your own behalf, you shall truly find it with God - yea, better, and richer in reward. And [always] seek God's forgiveness: behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!

Inna rabbaka yaAAlamu annaka taqoomu adna min thuluthayi allayli wanisfahu wathuluthahu wataifatun mina allatheena maAAaka waAllahu yuqaddiru allayla waalnnahara AAalima an lan tuhsoohu fataba AAalaykum faiqraoo ma tayassara mina alqurani AAalima an sayakoonu minkum marda waakharoona yadriboona fee alardi yabtaghoona min fadli Allahi waakharoona yuqatiloona fee sabeeli Allahi faiqraoo ma tayassara minhu waaqeemoo alssalata waatoo alzzakata waaqridoo Allaha qardan hasanan wama tuqaddimoo lianfusikum min khayrin tajidoohu AAinda Allahi huwa khayran waaAAthama ajran waistaghfiroo Allaha inna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَؤُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَى وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَؤُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (73:20)