Marriage (part one)

Salam everybody. The prophet Mohammad pbuh, as narrated by Anas, said;

"when a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion , so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half."

Islam encourages marriage because it upholds the family unit which Islam places importance on for many reasons that should seem very obvious. At any rate, I thought since the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said the quote above, it is important to begin studying more deeply about it. I have learned a lot about marriage and the role of the wife through my studies as a Christian, but there is so much more to learn about this through Islam. I am not married myself, so this is something I want to prepare for through gaining more knowledge about Islam. Since I was old enough to consider it, I have always seen myself as a mother and wife. I was emotionally ready for that possibility, and everything I did, included the consideration of contributing to the lives of my future husband and children.

Even as a Christian, I knew I wanted to marry someone who I could picture as a good father, not just a good husband. Some people tend to overlook that important factor. He needs to be able to provide for my children not just materially, but spiritually and intellectually. I wanted my children to be able to grow up in a home with strong values and strong faith in Allah. I also thought it important that we compliment each other and someone who I could help. I see the wife as Christians do - not just as love, as a helper to her husband and a friend. As Eve was to be to Adam. I guess without even being aware of it at the time, deep down, I was waiting on a good Muslim.

Another thing that kept me from finding someone at the time was my career. I started working at the age of 16 to help my mom. I finished high school and started community college while working as well. I worked hard and turned out to be good at what I did. I ended up getting into an excellent career path and found success, and my job involved helping many people and trying to be the best example I could be to them. However my career was extremely time demanding and I worked all day long and traveled all around so I was never able to develop a social life except for to go to church and bible study.

I was content because my career involved serving the community and teaching young people important life skills and serving as a sort of ambassador for people coming from Asia and Latin America to work as professionals int the states. I taught them everything from literacy to English to money management to public relations. It was a very rewarding job to be able to help so many people. In addition to this, I was also taking classes at college part time. When I would be back at home, I would be so tired I would just want to spend time with my family. I worked in this career until I felt I could take a break from it to finish my university education and concentrate more on my spiritual life.

I was always very Christian and grew a lot spiritually through my experiences and career but I had questions that I needed to address that required more time dedicated to religious study. I left my career in early 2005. I studied Judaism and Hebrew that year intensively. As I stated in an early post, I wanted to study the roots of my religion, Christianity and its roots included Hebrew and Judaism. I still continue to study Judaism and Hebrew today, but now that I study Islam, Islam is number one for my religious study. I was able to dedicate much more time to myself now that I was not working and just going to college, which I really needed and i was able to complete all my required courses in order to enter the university as a junior. I got accepted into the university recently as I mentioned before. I have been studying Islam for a year now.

My plan was to go to the university to complete my degree in international business but also get my degree in Islamic studies. Since I am new to Islam, I have so much more to learn than someone who might have grown up as a Muslim. I want to make sure I have a base of knowledge of Islam and Arabic entering marriage because I want to be ale to help my children and be a good wife to my husband from the beginning. I know I will still have so much to learn and will continue to study even after I'm married of course, but I want to have a foundation first. I know how important it is to build strong foundations for everything in life. You do not build a tall building unless you first create a deep and well constructed foundation.

I have two more years until I get my first university degree. I figure two more years of waiting for marriage will be fine because I need to have some time just reflecting on my own person as a Muslim. Once I am married I am no longer just me, I am one with my husband so there are different dynamics there. However, I am at a bit of a crossroads.

I want to wait, and there are many good reasons for me to complete my university, but also good reasons why I should just marry now. I was thinking that since I don't know a lot of Muslims now anyway, and I will most likely meet people over time as I go to the university and attend the mosques, I will begin to develop a community of my own of Muslim friends. I am not worried about finding a husband because I know the Lord provides. I just want to properly do my part as well. In this culture, the emphasis is on the individual and the best thing one can do is have success through career or education. As for the cultural issue, MY priority is the family and Islam.

However, I do realize how valuable and helpful a good education is and I hope to have that because it will also contribute to my life and to the life of my entire family and community. However, I have realized recently that I need to be open to the possibility of marriage even if the opportunity comes before I complete my education because of my age. However, if I do that, I would still strive to complete my college education for the benefit of my life and the future. Before I learned what I learned about Marriage in Islam, I would never have considered the possibility of marriage before I finish school. I thought that it would not make sense to spread myself so thin.

I wanted to be able to focus completely on my marriage and not on both school and marriage at the same time. I still feel that way, but now I am more open to that possibility if that is what Allah wills for my life. I have read in many Muslim texts that marriage should not be put off or delayed especially if one has the means to do so. Another reason for me to have an open mind towards getting married is that choosing marriage is another way of displaying obedience to Allah.

A man, however should not marry if he or she does not possess the means to maintain a wife and future family, or if he has no sex drive or if he feels marriage will seriously affect his religious obligation.The general principle is that prophet (pbuh), encouraged his followers to get married.

The Arabic word "zawj" means "a pair or a mate." In general it refers to marriage. The general purpose of marriage is that the sexes can provide company to one another, love to one another, procreate children and live in peace adhering to the commandments of Allah.

One difference between Islam and Christianity that I have noticed through my study is that in Christianity there was no rush for me to marry. On the contrary, the pastor of the church recommended to wait until mature enough and have finished school if possible. Also, I thought by waiting and just devoting time to religious study and community service and educating myself, I was not doing anything wrong. But in Islam, putting of marriage is not recommended. On the contrary, if you can, get married. In the bible there is a part that states that it is good for the man to not marry, but this is only in the cases where it would affect his ability to perform his religious obligations. This is a part in the bible that I believe was exploited by the church with regards to Catholic bishops, etc. You know what I'm talkin' about....

As a Christian I learned that one of our roles on earth is servitude and shining the light of God through our lives. So while I was single, I wanted to dedicate my time and focus my energy on my own development and on the serving of others and that is what my career was about. But Islam has shown me how much being married can also be a blessing for the community, and not just for me and my family. One thing I love about Islam is how everything in day to day life is so well-defined, al7amdulellah. When it comes to marriage, there are so many guidelines, including that which we might just assume to be so, such as the consent of both parties to go into marriage and in choosing their mates.
One verse in the Qur'an states;

"Do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they agree between themselves in a lawful manner. (2: 232)"

Another aspect is greatly emphasized by Imam Bukhari:

"When a man gives his daughter in marriage and she dislikes it, the marriage shall be annulled." Once a virgin girl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said that her father had married her to a man against her wishes. The Prophet gave her the right to repudiate the marriage. (Abu Dawud).

Another interesting point about the process of marriage in Islam is about the "courtship." I put it in quotes because courtship in Islam is not viewed in the same way as it is in the western culture. I love this because I also agree with Islam that dating the western way is not in line with God's will for us. I wish that Christians today and the leaders of the church saw dating the same way that Muslims did, because I feel bad for all the people who are mislead in this. The Muslim way is so much healthier and wiser. Sub7anallah.

This passage is from one of my favorite website publications (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/humanrelations/womeninislam/marriage.html
USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts):

In order that problems should not arise after marriage the Prophet (peace be upon him) recommended that, in the selection of his bride, a man should see her before betrothal lest blindness of choice or an error of judgment should defeat the very purpose of marriage. But this "seeing" is not to be taken as a substitute for the "courtship" of the West. The man should not gaze passionately at his bride-to-be, but only have a critical look at her face and hands to acquaint himself with her personality and beauty. However, if a man so desires, he may appoint a woman to go and interview the proposed bride, so that she may fully describe the type of girl she is.

Since believing men and women are referred to in the Qur'an, a woman also has the right to look at her potential husband.

The special permission for men and women to see each other with a view to matrimony does not contravene the code of conduct for believing men and women to lower their gaze and be modest which is laid down in the Holy Qur'an.

And in closing, let me leave you with this verse from the Qur'an;

[24:32]
You shall encourage those of you who are single to get married. They may marry the righteous among your male and female servants, if they are poor. GOD will enrich them from His grace. GOD is Bounteous, Knower.

On that note, I highly recommend marriage to those who are single. I would love to be married and I think it is helpful for all who do the way Allah commands. Marriage is a fascinating and important topic for everyone. As for me, I hope to marry soon insha2 Allah. I am open to Allah's will for my life. Whatever He wills for me is what I want. Allah knows best. I will just do what I can to be a good Muslima and learn what I can by educating myself through the university and my personal study, praying at each step I take for Allah's guidance, and leave the rest in His hands. I hope to continue discussing it as I learn more. May this entry contribute to your pursuit of knowledge even if indirectly.
Alla ma3ak.

Alcohol and other intoxicants

While visiting my family over the holidays, I got into some fun and interesting conversations with my cousins and stepsisters, as usual. Somehow the conversation ends up gravitating towards religion at one point or another, al7amdulellah. This time the topic of alcohol was brought up when my cousin had been chatting about hanging out with another family member to go out for drinks or for "happy hour." At any rate, he noticed I do not drink alcohol. He asked me why not in a loving way. I explained that Islam forbids it. I also explained that it is also my personal preference not to. I knew it would not end there because my cousin likes to ask hard and intelligent questions which I always appreciate because it inspires me to continue pushing for and seeking more knowledge. He asked me why Islam forbids it. I stated it is a command from Allah and I obey it. I stated that the Qur'an specifically addresses it.
He asked me where in the Qur'an and I told him the verse from -al-Baqarah 2:219
" They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit."

He wanted to know where else this was mentioned about prohibiting it completely, because he reasoned that it should be okay to drink with moderation, as he used the example of Jesus (pbuh) turning water into wine. However, many fail to look deeper into the issue of Jesus and alcohol (which I hope to address in more detail at another time insha allah). Jesus (pbuh) changed water into wine, yes. It was seen as a miracle and one must fully read the story of that day to fully comprehend what this meant. It could be argued that Jesus (Pbuh) drank of wine on occasion in different verses of the bible (John 2, Matthew 26:29), although I would have to further examine this to be for sure and on that note let me explain a little about what wine actually was in those days. In Jesus' (pbuh) time, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation, the water was filled with bacteria and viruses.

As a result, people often drank wine (or grape juice) because it was far less likely to be contaminated. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Timothy was instructed to stop drinking the water (which was probably causing his stomach problems) and instead drink wine. In that day, the common drink of wine was fermented, but not to the degree nor for the time it is today. It is incorrect to say that it was grape juice, but it is also incorrect to say that it was the same thing as the wine we use today.

While the bible does not specifically prohibit the consumption of alcohol, it does command to absolutely refrain from drunkenness and addiction to alcohol (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12). There are definitely points in the Bible that make it extremely difficult to argue that a Christian drinking alcohol in any quantity is pleasing to God. So, in my view, I see the religions as a progression for humanity. God gave us a process. He did not slam us at once with the commands in the Qur'an, but slowly built up to it. It was a progression from Judaism to Islam.

The complete prohibition of alcohol therefore came with time and progress. So easy for us to swallow. Al7amdulellah. As for the Qur'an, when my cousin asked me to state other points where alcohol is specifically prohibited in the Qur'an I began to realize that I actually had no recollection of reading a part in the Qur'an where it specifically prohibited alcohol completely and explicitly. So I told my cousin I would look into that. I explained to him in the mean time that it may have been acceptable to drink a little as long as one did not get intoxicated before the Qur'an was revealed.

I know it was never condoned in the religion even before Islam to get intoxicated because the old testament specifically addresses this. The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or might encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say they are drinking alcohol to the glory of God, and Christians are commanded that everything they do that they do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Intoxicants altogether were forbidden in the Qur'an through several separate verses revealed at different times over a period of years. At first, it was forbidden for Muslims to attend to prayers while intoxicated (the Arabic word for drunk or intoxicated is "Sukara" which is also from the same root that the word sugar comes from.)(4:43). Then a later verse was revealed which I mentioned at the beginning. This was the next step in turning people away from consumption of it. Finally, "intoxicants" were called "abominations," intending to turn people away from God and forget about prayer, and Muslims were ordered to abstain (5:90-91).

The word for "wine" or "intoxicants" is al-khamr, which is related to the verb "to ferment." So basically any fermented drink could be interpreted through this or any intoxicating substance, including drugs.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was also quoted as saying something like this to his followers: if it intoxicates in a large amount, it is forbidden even in a small amount. Muslims respect and take to heart the words of the prophets in addition to the holy words of the Qur'an.

One more thing I wanted to mention is that it is not only about submission to Allah, but also it is for our good. For example, if we are not even allowed to drink a little bit, then we do not have to be concerned about at what point we would know we could get to without becoming intoxicated, for everyone is different in regards to this. Also, alcohol is like a snake, you do not know its got you until it has bitten you. By then it is too late. This was inspired through a biblical proverb I read a long time ago. Also, some people have tendencies toward alcoholism, and even one little sip can get them addicted to alcohol. Some may not even know they have this until they try their drink and by then it would be tool ate for them too. So in the end, it is not only better judgment to avoid it, but it is commanded of the All mighty and He knows best. Sub7anallah.

May this entry enrich you.. This is dedicated to my beloved cousin to whom I invite to always continue to ask the hard questions as it is a sign of wisdom and a thirst for knowledge, an admired quality to possess. For more interesting knowledge about Islam, I recommend www.islamonline.net

Aramaic

Another language I would like to learn eventually is Aramaic. Issa (Jesus), peace be upon him spoke this. And some of the gospels were written in this language as well. There is one phrase that Issa said in particular that sparked my curiosity. When he was supposedly on the cross, this was written about it:
"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Issa cried out in a loud voice:

"ELOI, ELOI, lama sabachthani?!" (This is Aramaic, how beautiful it sounds)

It means "My Lord my Lord, why have you forsaken me??"

What I thought at first, is that it seemed pretty out of character for Issa to say something like that at such a pivotal moment, and that they were his last recorded words! But what many people do not know, is that Issa often quoted from the Talmud. Much of what he preached if not all, came from the untarnished version of the Torah or Talmud that he miraculously knew by heart. If you look into it, you will know that this phrase is the first sentence of King David's (peace be upon him) Psalm #22. If you read the whole Psalm, you will see it is actually a very powerful and positive message about God, and not a message of doubt or despair, but one of hope. Is it possible Issa was just alluding to this Psalm in his last moment on earth? Also, if he said this indeed, then it would been that he believed that Allah was within listening distance of him. Otherwise, if he had been without hope or faith, he would not have even tried to communicate to Him in the first place.

At any rate, I am aware that Muslims do not believe that Issa died on the cross, but I still have some researching to do about whether he was even hung on it at all and if not, then what of his powerful words on the cross? Well, his was just to address this phrase, although it could also just have come from the man who was in Issa's place on the cross crying out for God. But based on what I have learned so far, it does seem to me that it would have made sense for Issa to have said this after all. Below is the complete Psalm so you can see what I mean. At the third verse, you will see how it affirms the power of Allah, which is maybe what Issa was indicating through starting to say this Psalm in his last words before ascending to where Allah sent him, without tasting death. It truly is a lovely and inspirational Psalm:

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;

and by night, but find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;

8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe from my mother’s breast.

10 On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bã’shan surround me;

13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

15 my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled;

17 I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me;

18 they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

From the horns of the wild oxen, you have rescued me.

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.

30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,

31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Family - USRA

I have noticed that a lot of people tend to inquire about my family when we are talking about my conversion to Islam. I thought it would be a good topic to address in my blog. All my life my family has supported me. They love me, and one way they express this love to me is to help me get on a righteous path. My family all comes from a Christian background of different sects, from Mormon to Episcopal to Pentecostal to Catholic. As a youth, my mother was a devoted Christian, even doing radio broadcasts of messages from the bible in Guatemala where she grew up. She was very strict with herself in reverence of Allah with every aspect of her life. She prayed and fasted feverently. We never missed church on Sunday. She always taught me the bible at home and sent me to church school when I was a child every week. At any rate, my mom always kept in her heart the scripture from the bible in Solomon's book of Proverbs (22:6) that says:

"Instruct a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it."

This is so true. My mother put me on the path that led me to Islam. She instilled in me a love for righteousness and a passion for pursuing the truth and obedience to Allah. May Allah bless my mom richly for what gifts she has given to me through this. I really began to study the bible on my own at the age of 14. This is when I began understanding the words without needing much outside interpretation. I knew I was beginning to grow spiritually. My mom allowed me the room to decide for myself. She never forced me to go to church. She just set the example of attending church, reading the bible, prayer and fasting and worship and serving others. All of these values easily translated into Islam for me.

I became a very devoted Christian however, before I even began to study other religions. I wanted to make sure I had a solid foundation in my faith before I began studying other faiths. I think that this makes sense. How could I look into other paths without fully questioning and testing my own religion? Once I completed a few complete read-throughs and thoughtful studies of the bible, I began to ask the hard questions. I began to wonder why we did not worship in a fashion more similar to how Jesus worshipped. I began to wonder why we needed an intermediary between us and God if Jesus' disciples did not and neither did Jesus, peace be upon them. I began to wonder why we believed that Jesus had to die for our sins to be erased, when Allah is oft-forgiving? Why if we can just kneel and ask God for forgiveness and repent from our sins we can be forgiven, would we need Jesus to die and be resurrected for God to forgive us?

I believed that Jesus was destined to be a martyr, and he knew that he had to, but not for that particular reason. I wanted to pray directly to God as Jesus had given through his example. I wanted to throw myself before God in prostration as Jesus did, not standing proudly as we do in church today. I wanted to humble myself before God. I could do all of this as a Christian however, if I wanted to, so this yet was not enough for me to separate myself from Christianity. At any rate, back to the topic - my family. When I first began to study other religions I had just taken a break from my career of 10 years in professional baseball, international relations. I was back at home and I wanted to study Judaism because Jesus lived as a Jew and Hebrew was the language used by the Hebrews with Moses and was a divine languages used by God. It was also related to other beautiful languages like Arabic and Aramaic.

I was fascinated by the roots of Christianity and I wanted to to the bottom of things. Why Christianity was as it is today with churches and pastors and their style of worship and belief in Jesus as God and the holy spirit. I wanted to understand where it all came from and why we needed it. I also admired the story of the prophets including Jesus, peace be upon them and I wanted to learn more about them. I was considering converting to Judaism because I wanted to worship only one God as the prophets did, peace be upon them. I wanted to go closer to the roots, and Hebrew was a better translation of the word of God than English in the bible. I wanted to learn what was included in the Jewish bible that was no longer or never included in the Christian bible, which I will not negate because I have learned so much from it and it helped to form me.

When my family saw me observing the sabbath in a more holy and reverent way than when I was christian, and when they saw that I began to take care of what I eat (kosher) and when they saw how I changed how I dress and how much I was learning about religion, they were supportive of my thoughts to become Jewish, like the prophets were before peace be upon them. I studied a lot about the Jewish religion, and I still do today, but one thing did not allow me to ever become Jewish. They do not believe that Jesus is a prophet of God! I could never turn my back on Jesus. NEVER. I love Jesus and believe in his message and I believe he was sent of Allah.

So I was at a crossroad. I did not believe from what I had read in the bible, that Jesus wanted for us to worship him like a God. I think he had different intentions than that. He was sent of God to bring an important message. Isn't this special enough? I love him just as much now as I did when I believed he was God. I just do not worship him. I only worship God. So I was stuck. I could not be Jewish and I could not be Christian. And I believe religion is important because it gives you guidelines to follow in your life. If you just decide to believe whatever you believe and be on your own, you will miss out on a lot and may miss the target for the after life. This is when I began to study Islam. I already told you that story so I will get back to family.

When I began to study Islam, my mom knew it because I shared with her the Surat Maryam. We began to discuss what little we knew about Islam. I began to study and ask a lot of questions about it. The more I learned the more I realized this is the path for me. When my mom knew I was planning to convert to Islam, she fully supported me. She helped me when I began to learn how to pray Salat and she always liked to hear me read the Qur'an. She has even expressed interest in becoming Muslim and she asked me for a Qur'an in Spanish which I got for her. Al7amdulellah.

My father was also very supportive of me. My parents are divorced so he is not around me as much as my mom. When we are together, we always talk about Islam. He is fascinated by it too. My grandmother and the rest of my family are happy that I am happy. My stepsisters support Palestine and seem to enjoy learning about Islam and the middle east. They also have Muslim friends, so my family is exposed to Islam in many ways, but through our own independent paths as Islam is not mainstream where we grew up here in Washington. My stepsisters' aunt's husband is Muslim and he lived in Kuwait for many years. He is originally from Pakistan. He talks with my family about Islam too.

Already I see how my life changed as a result of applying Islam to my life. I am also happy that I will be able to study Islam in my university. I was accepted not only to one but both universities and I was praying that even one accepts me because both are difficult to get into. I will be a junior this year, so I have two years left before my master's degree now. Al7amdulellah. So in the end, I love my family very much. I am the first Muslim in the family. I do not say the only, because maybe someday more people in my family will also take this path. insha allah. Anyway, I am very happy for this new path and I hope to share more with you about it in the future. Please share with others my web site and don't forget to leave me a comment or sign my guestbook and map. Peace be upon you all.

I am officially a university student!!!! alhamdulellah!

Ya salam! I made my decision today. I had to decide today which university I was going to attend. I was stuck between the University of Washington and Pepperdine University. But I prayed about it and I decided to go to the university of Washington. It will be my third year, as a Junior. I have two years before I get my bachelor's degree. I like this school because there I can study international business and Islamic studies. Pepperdine because it is a Christian university, does not offer Islamic studies. Pepperdine is a very well-respected private university and very very difficult to get into. But I know that University of Washington is a better fit for me and I trust in Allah that this is the right choice. I'm excited to see how it will be. I begin this March as a Junior insha allah, which means I will have two years left before I get my degrees in Islamic Studies and International Business.

I have been thinking a lot about Christians and Jews. I love and respect both religions very much. I have learned and grown so much spiritually as a direct result from the knowledge I have obtained through study of these religions. It has brought me closer to God. However, now that I know what I know, I can't help but think that maybe we are all meant to be Muslim in these times. Maybe at one point in our history we were even Jewish, somewhere along our bloodline, and this is special. But in the end, the fact is that Jesus is a prophet, peace be upon him. He was more than just a good man, and not quite a God. Islam unlike Judaism, embraces Jesus as a prophet and Mary as his virgin mother. I could never deny Jesus' prophet hood. It is so crystal clear even in the bible as I read it. As a learned about Mohammad, peace be upon him, and the Qur'an, I could never deny that this came from Allah either. It is good, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

He was sent of God and he brought a message, a message of affirming the laws and tying this together with the intentions of the heart. We are to love the Lord our God with all our might. But when the Qur'an was sent through the angel Gabriel to prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, this was a revelation for all of us. Not just one group. It was the seal. It was for us to combine heart and law and incorporate it into our lives. When you think about it, becoming a Muslim does not require one to give up his belief in Jesus as a holy man sent of God to earth, and it does not require one to give up his belief in the Talmud or the Torah. It does not require one to turn his back on his beliefs. It is simply a change in religious custom, tradition, and a new and complete set of guidelines to follow in life. At first, I saw it difficult for a Jew to convert to Islam. Because most Jews are Jewish because they inherited it over centuries.

How could one just give all that up? But really, what is one giving up? You keep the same blood, you stay Jewish, you are just following the reformed religion, the same religion, just reformed into its final form - Islam - submission to Allah. Before I believed that it's okay for believing Jews and Christians to stay as they are as long as they are sincere in their dedication to Allah. But now I think that it is each person's responsibility within his means to seek the truth, to pursue knowledge. Jesus knew all of the Torah and studied the Talmud even at a young age. We should also study. Why should we limit ourselves to our bibles or Jewish texts? We should also expand the study to other religions. Ignorance is not an excuse we can give God on judgment day. We are all in agreement there will be one.

We must all take initiative to study. If our faith is as strong as we believe it to be, then it will not hurt our faith to study the other religions. It will only make it stronger. Becoming a Muslim was not leaving God and the prophets behind, it was seeing them in a new light, and receiving new guidance for my life through the unchanged word of the Qur'an. It is my prayer that all Christians and Jews at least study this for themselves. Allah will lead those who seek truth to it. I don't agree with people who hide behind their religion and fear to study other religions because they think it is like a sin or something. Studying about another religion does not mean you are changing to that religion. You are just educating yourself, which is so important to do. Maybe it will lead you to the conclusion that you should get on a different path, maybe it won't, but either way you will be enlightened. And we all can benefit from increased knowledge. All three books emphasize the value of knowledge. I believe Allah appreciates that we care enough to look into these matters.

Salat Al Istikhara

Hi!!!! Sorry for taking so long to write. I got sick with a cold for about a week and fell behind with everything. I am feeling better now, alhamdulellah. I don't know why I got sick as I had been taking very good vitamins, eating fresh homemade vegetable and fruit juice and eating very healthy and exercising. I think maybe because of the change of weather, it has gotten very cold suddenly here. I am very happy because I was accepted for admission to both universities I want to attend - University of Washington and Pepperdine in California. I still don't know which one I will choose. One is private and very expensive, but it would be in California where there are many opportunities and many people of all nationalities. It is very interesting. It is also a very prestigious school. The other has one of the top twelve business schools and also offers Islamic studies as a major. I will pray about it a lot. There is a special prayer in Islam for this type of thing. It is called Istikhara. It is actually considered a du3a. SALAT AL-ISTIKHARA is a ritual prayer for seeking guidance from Allah in seeking the best option. The prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, used to pray this, and he is quoted as having said in teaching others this prayer:

"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.

Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub :

O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.

Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h :

If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"

wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin :

* When making the du'a, the actual matter or decision should be mentioned instead of the words "hathal-amra" ("this matter").*

AMIN! This is excellent. Allah knows best!

So I will keep you posted as to my decision. I was going to talk about angels this post, but I will leave it for my next one.