In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful....

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful....

Introduction

This is a journal of my experience in life as as a Muslim convert. I share about the things I learn, question, reflect upon, achieve, and experience on the path of Islam. [96:1-5] Read! In the name of your Lord who created - Created the human from something which clings. Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful - He who taught (the use of) the Pen, Taught the human that which he knew not.

About Maryam

I study Islamic Studies and International Business at the university, and enjoy studying political science and languages as well. On my free time I study Arabic, Hebrew, and religion. I am Guatemalan and American.I am also Spanish, Italian Scottish and German. I also speak Spanish, Japanese, and Italian. I love to learn about other cultures. I also love to learn about nutrition and fitness. I am very active in sports, outdoor activities and exercise, and flamenco dance class. I am fascinated with my country, Guatemala, it is such a beautiful place, full of variety and rich culture and history, especially the Maya. I LOVE to cook and I try to have a well-balanced diet. Someday I also hope to learn Amharic, Persian (Farsi), and Aramaic and I hope to travel to all of the middle east and Ethiopia, Japan, and Sicily.

Knowledge and Understanding

[2:269] He [Allah] grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted indeed receives a benefit overflowing. But none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
[20:114] High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Do not be in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to you is completed, but say, "O my Sustainer! Increase my knowledge."
[3:190-191] Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day - there are indeed signs for men of understanding; Men who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth (with the thought) "Our Lord! Not for nothing have You created (all) this. Glory to You! Give us salvation from the suffering of the Fire."
[39:9] ...Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that remember (Allah's Message).
[58:11] ...Allah will raise up to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge.

Sheikh Mishary Al Afasy

He came to my mosque in the USA to recite from the Qur'an recently and when he prayed salat he cried. My first time to pray the late night prayer during Ramadan was when I went to Kuwait in the Grand Mosque and Mishary was reciting Surat Maryam! Sub7anAllah... Here is a video of nasheed (Islamic poetry) from him. He has been blessed with a beautiful voice for praising Allah, masha' Allah. You can see some of his recitations of the Qur'an at my mosque at this site - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg2QYHmRfY0&mode=related&search=

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Emigration هاجروا (haajaru)

According to Merriam-Webster's definition: em·i·grate Listen to the pronunciation of emigrate
Function:
intransitive verb
Etymology:
Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare, from e- + migrare to migrate
Emigrate: to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere

I was talking the other day with my friend from Iran, Reza. He really has a beautiful mind and spirit mashallah. May Allah give him the success. We were talking about the science competition he did when he was younger which he won first prize in all of Iran. He had the chance to meet the son of Mahmoud Hessabi, the father of physics in Iran that day. Hessabi was a prominent Iranian scientist, researcher and distinguished professor of the University of Tehran. He was also the only Iranian student of Albert Einstein. I had not heard of him so Reza forwarded his biography to me. He pointed out that like me, Hessabi went to live in an Arabian country where he learned the Quran in good way, and went to an American university in an Arabian country.

Reza was telling me how it is a good thing to emigrate for the sake of Allah. He was saying that all great people have traveled, including of course Mohammad (saaws) who emigrated from Mecca to Madinah. He said we should be willing to leave everything we have, everything, and get out of our comfort zone, leave behind what we know, and then gather the new. You really cannot do that without a journey and remaining in another place, and through that journey for Allah's sake we have the hope of obtaining His (swt) mercy and forgiveness.
For example, I took this journey to live in the middle east and to study in Kuwait in order to grow as a Muslim and further development my relationship with Allah (subhana wa ta'ala).

He went on to say there is an aya in the Quran that talks about this idea. In Surat Baqarah (2:218) -

ان الذين امنوا والذين هاجروا وجاهدوا في سبيل الله اولئك يرجون رحمة الله والله غفور رحيم


TransliterationInna allatheena amanoo waallatheena hajaroo wajahadoo fee sabeeli Allahi ola-ika yarjoona rahmata Allahi waAllahu ghafoorun raheemun
LiteralThat those who believed and those who emigrated and struggled/exerted in God's way/sake ,those hope/expect God's mercy , and God (is) forgiving, most merciful .

Yusuf AliThose who believed and those who suffered exile and fought (and strove and struggled) in the path of Allah,- they have the hope of the Mercy of Allah: And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
PickthalLo! those who believe, and those who emigrate and strive in the way of Allah, these have hope of Allah's mercy. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Arberry But the believers, and those who emigrate and struggle in God's way -- those have hope of God's compassion; and God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.
ShakirSurely those who believed and those who fled (their home) and strove hard in the way of Allah these hope for the mercy of Allah and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
SarwarThe believers and the Emigrants from Mecca who fight for the cause of God, indeed have hope in receiving the mercy of God; God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.
KhalifaThose who believe, and those who emigrate and strive in the cause of GOD, have deserved GOD's mercy. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Hilali/KhanVerily, those who have believed, and those who have emigrated (for Allahs Religion) and have striven hard in the Way of Allah, all these hope for Allahs Mercy. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.
H/K/SaheehIndeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of Allah those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
MalikSurely those who are believers, and migrated and struggled in the path of Allah, they can hope for the mercy of Allah; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."[218]
QXPThose who attain belief and those who emigrate in the Cause of Allah and struggle to establish the Divine Value System, can rightfully hope for the Grace of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Absolver of imperfections, Merciful.
Maulana AliThose who believed and those who fled (their homes) and strove hard in Allah's way -- these surely hope for the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Free MindsThose who believe, and those who have immigrated and strived in the cause of God; these are seeking God's mercy, and God is Forgiving, Merciful.
Qaribullah But those who believe and those who migrate and struggle in the way of Allah, those, have hope of the Mercy of Allah. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

George SaleBut they who believe, and who fly for the sake of religion, and fight in God's cause, they shall hope for the mercy of God; for God is gracious and merciful.
JM RodwellBut they who believe, and who fly their country, and fight in the cause of God may hope for God's mercy: and God is Gracious, Merciful.

AsadVerily, they who have attained to faith, and they who have forsaken the domain of evil and are striving hard in God's cause - these it is who may look forward to God's grace: for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

When he gave me this verse, I noticed that in the original Arabic, the word being translated most commonly into emigrate is the word haajaru. It sounded a lot like the word for the Haaj, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the spiritual and physical journey all Muslims try to take at some point in their lives according to the Quran. I wanted to look deeper into the meaning of the root that both words Haaj and Haajaru come from, so I looked at all of the translations of this verse from the Quran and then went to my dictionary. I found that it does mean a type of a journey, of shedding things we hold onto and venturing out leaving the old behind and taking on new things.
The definition for the root of the word هاجروا (haajaru) - " هجرhajara/hijraan هجران " in the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Arabic is:
to emigrate; to dissociate o.s., separate, part, secede, keep away (from), part company, part with, to give up, renounce, forgo, avoid (something), to abandon, surrender, leave behind (something), relinquish, leave, give up, vacate something in favor of something else II to induce s.o. to emigrate III to emigrate; to migrate, drift away (from an area); to be carried away, be in ecstasy, be out of this world (because of, by) IV to leave, abandon, give up (something); to talk nonsense, talk through one's hat VI to desert one another, part company, separate, break up

هجر - hajr: abandonment, forsaking, leaving, separation; avoidance, abstention; separation from the beloved one; hottest time of the day

هجرة - hijra: departure, exit; emigration, exodus; immigration (to); abandonment, giving up (of sth), renunciation (of); الهجرة the hijra, the emigration of the Prophet Mohammad (saaws) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD; الهجرة من الريف rural exodus, migration from rural areas

هجرى - hijri: of the Hegira, pertaining to Mohammad's (saaws) emigration (sana) a year of the Hegira, a year of the Muslim Era (beginning with his emigration)


هجرة - hujra/hijra: agricultural settlement of the Wahabi Ikhwan in Nejd

مهجر (mahjar) - place of emigration, retreat, refuge, sanctuary; emigration; settlement, colony


I highly recommend living some place different from your own. It is such a great learning opportunity and a humbling experience. It has really contributed to my spiritual growth and of course the best of any emigration is the one you do for the sake of Allah and forsaking the bad in your life.

By the way, this is a great link for finding various English translations of the Quran - http://islamawakened.com/Quran/
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