American Muslima Writer -Daring to Work Towards Jannah

In an age where Muslims have to keep their heads down and their political views under wraps sometimes we read news pieces that just make up pick up our heads a little bit and find a way to talk more about things that interest us.

I am writing a novel featuring UAE-Iranian Political matters, a work of Fiction, yet based on my observations of real life. I closely follow the Politics of the region and have my personal speculations about how things will turn with certain rising powers. But I try to keep all that off blogland for the safety of my family.

Just saw news on Gulf News about a man who was lynch mobed in a rural village of Lebanon. The Mob of angry Villagers managed to get him from police custody (two officers) and then took Justice into their own hands.  They murdered him and then stripped him down to his underwear and dragged him through the streets and then people stepped all over the body then it was displayed on a car driven slowly through town as more villages assembled. Finally they used a Butcher's Meat hook through the throat to hang him on a telephone pole for all to see.  The Lebanese Army had to be brought in to move out the crowd and retrieve the body.

Mid-afternoon my phone rings and I see my friend's name pop up and look forward to a plesent convo about our lives when her words chill me to the bone.

"My kids were nearly kidnapped just now, at Al-Ain Mall."

She was upstairs (those that know AL-Ain and the mall here can easily visualize this) in Mega Mart the local Mega Grocery Store.  At the front there is a large TV display set up to attract kids into dragging their parents in to see the cartoons they always put there.  Those parents then start wandering the electronics of washing machines, TVs, DVDs, Stove, Fridges, etc...
So my friend's 3 kids pause to watch the cartoon and their mother casually browses the washing machines near-by still within sight distance.  After a short while she notices this man glancing furtivly at her kids and then the escalator (leading to the mall exit).  He continued to mill at the entrance of Mega Mart near her kids.  My friend said her Mommy Radar went off and she rushed over to her kids and the man saw her and ran oof towards the escalator.  She pursued him but he was very fast.  Shaken she took her kids home and called me up.

"It can happen in a split second.  Keep your kids right next to you and never out of your sight."
She warned me and I totally agreed. Later she called security at the Mall and they caught the whole thing on video and freeze-framed the man's face so his picture is now in all Security stations in the Mall.  Insha'Allah he wont be able to strike again.

I often go to Al-Ain Mall since it is 10-15 minutes walking distance from my house to just window shop and get my kids to let off steam.  I make sure they are not only in sight distance but grabbing distance, meaning if I need to get to them I can make a short fast run and be by their side to help them in an instant.  I know the evils of pedophiles and their tactics.  My goal in my children's life is to ensure they never get harmed by one.  My kids are obvious tragets with their curly blonde hair and blue eyes which are highly desired in these Arab countries.  But these pedophiles will attack any child that is grabable.  Do you know how mnay times I've been harassed by security asking if these are my children because some children with their descriptions have been lost or have dissapeared.  It gives me chills.

  Let us not forget what happened to poor Musa, a 5 year old boy who was brutally raped and murdered by an Emirati man IN E'ID MUSALLAH!!!  I was sick all day I heard about that.  May Allah help his family recover.

I have heard true account stories from people who will remain unnaimed, about local Emirati children getting raped repeatedly and harmed repeatedly by drivers and maids who want to get even or to antagonize their Employer.  NEVER EVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD WITH ANYONE YOU DO NOT TRUST WITH THEIR LIFE.

  Sad to say that even family members can harm your child.  Everyone knows stories of "Uncle Georgie" getting fresh with his niece. "Grandpa Joe" having a little snuggle under a blanket etc.....
absolutly sickening.  SO be vary careful who you let spend time alone with your child.

You think the Catholic Priests molesting young boys is sick and think "well they are Catholic, we are Muslim it wont happen to my boy off learning his Qur'an every morning at the Sheikh's house."
WRONG!
I know factual happeneings of exactly that happeneing.  It has been covered up over and over again of Sheikh's (meaning scholorly and knowledgable not just royalty) molesting or raping the boys they teach Qur'an to.  Go with your child to their class.  If you can not manage this then at least LEARN TO TALK WITH YOUR CHILDREN about these kind of dangers!!!!  Let them be prepared! Tell them what to do if there is an emergency.

But first and formost Parents BE AWARE AT ALL TIMES.
May Allah have Mercy on You and Your Children

Long ago before I was Muslim I used to dabble a bit in Witchcraft with some of my friends.

My family and I moved in with my grandfather and I temporarily got to have the library as my room. There was nothing better than waking to a room stuffed with books everyday. But I had a lot of nightmares and scary feelings always in that room. Sometimes I'd wake up screaming. A few times I'd wake trying to scream but nothing would come out. Those were the worst.

Finally I was moved down the hall to the former office room (which used to belong to my Aunt when she was younger). It felt very peaceful and wonderful. I painted it a beautiful color of blue called Blue Flame with African Jewel Lavender trims. Pure relaxation. But when I'd walk down the long hall towards the green bathroom at the end, I'd have to pass the Library. A sudden dread out of nowhere would fill me and my hair would raise off my skin and I would get so scared and creeped out. If other people were around this wouldn't happen. If someone was sitting in there reading or something I never felt it. Only when it was empty.

Many nights I refused to go to the bathroom so I wouldn't have to pass that room. If the door was closed I didn't feel it, only when it was open and my family had a habit of leaving it open a crack at night.

When I badly had to go I'd creep slowly down the hall and glide along the wall furthest from the door until I could see if it was closed or not. Many nights that inky black crack glared out at me filling me with unknown dread. I do have an active imagination but this was different, I wasn't trying to imagine anything. I was purposely trying to clear my mind to enhance reality but it wouldn't help. There was something evil in that room.

I'd take a few breaths to steel myself then reach my hand closer and closer to the doorknob to pull it shut. Every inch seemed to be wanting me to be sucked back into that land of nightmares. Finally I'd manage to touch the cool knob and firmly shut it. But I could still feel it seething behind the door. I would quickly go to the bathroom then rush back to my peaceful room to sleep.

Eventually my Maternal Grandmother's health was deteriorating and it was decided she would move into my Paternal Grandfather's house with us. They emptied the floor of the Library to prepare for her to move in. I was horrified. I went to my favorite Wiccan (witchcraft) sites and was madly browsing how to rid the room of evil spirits. Finding the perfect solution I rummaged my room for the previous Halloween's 2 black tapered candles as the spell required. I knew they would come in handy when I bought them on a whim.

My family had gone out shopping to get her furniture then to pick her up. I entered the Library filled with sunlight but still felt the gloom of evil hanging around. I did not want that thing to effect my grandmother's health and give her nightmares too. I placed the two candles on both sides of the room and then lit them. I recited the opening spell and began to speak directly to the unwanted spirit.

I informed it as the spell required that it was no longer allowed to live here and had permission to leave and was banned from returning. (The spell said it more eloquently but I've forgotten the words now --alhamdulillah--). Then i finished the incantations and brought the lit candles together in the center of the room and on the last word of the spell blew them out together. I used my Gift for Feeling to test the room. It had gone. The spell had said either the spirit would leave the house through the walls out into the world to find another home or it would have been sucked into the candles and would remain therein until they were lit again. I felt the far wall and didn't feel anything odd. I picked up the candles and they seemed heavier than before. I felt a shudder holding them. I threw them on a shelf out of sight.

But it had seemed to work, the room felt happy and clear again. When my family returned and set up the room for my grandmother I was satisfied her health would not be effected by the room ever again.

The next day I took the candles to school in my backpack and showed them to my friends and explained SHORTLY what I had done. Jen (over at A Day in the Life of a Struggling Artist) said she'd take them. I warned her though never to lite them. Years later she said she did so I don't know what happened with that. Perhaps she can finish the tale for us here in comments...

Now I'm Muslim it's hard to know what to think about that. Was it a bad Jinn? Had it really left through the magic I had used? We Muslims do believe Magic exists but we are forbidden from using it and dealing with those who do as All Power comes from Allah. Many times after this I tried at night to go past the library and use my Gift of Feeling to test it but nothing ever felt bad again. I even tried imagining it but it didn't work.

Later when I met my Muslim Roommate and we were about to move into a new apartment she said she had learned we read certain ayahs from the Qur'an to protect the home from Jinn. We had her ex-husband come over and read the proper verses since we both weren't well versed in Qur'an. Also when I Feel something odd I always recite Qur'an now. If I wake from a bad dream I do the same. Oddly enough sometimes in my dreams I'm battling evil forces by loudly reciting qur'an and they are always shrinking back from the power of it and I wake feeling invigorated.

*UPDATE* -Jen finished the story of the Black Candles in the comments so check it out!!!

Have you ever experienced something like this? Let us know either through comments or link me on your blog.

It was awful. I was sleep deprived already when it started!
He was so agitated and then when he got mean I knew I was in trouble. His eyes narrowed in belligerent anger and he lashed out with only thing he knew how to. His hands. But his hands were holding something. A heavy cup. He wasn't far from me, conversational distance. He pulled his full arm back cup high above his head and then just threw it with all his strength. I winced knowing it was coming, unable to stop it. It hit me smartly across the side of my head. Slightly above the temple along the top corner of the hairline. The pain radiated from my head to my body. I felt the spot for bleeding. It was so incredibly tender to touch. There came a few drops of wetness to my probing fingers. All I could think of was astagfirullah some women feel this pain every day! I remained laying on the little floor mattress that I had dragged to the living room to watch a movie. He didn't even bother to see if I was fine. The movie was too important. He sat on the couch but he wasn't through with his attitude spat. My daughter got a little feisty towards him and he cuffed her a good one to. Luckily for her without the cup. My head screamed for me to go to sleep. But the kids weren't sleeping so how could I leave them to their own devices? I can't. I had to remain awake for them. I held my head as the kids jumped around me playfully. Tears in my eyes every time they jostled my head. I kept thinking about a story I saw online at Lisa/Yasemin's Blog. Someone had died from getting hit in the head. I thought what if suddenly without warning I just died from this wound? Then I remembered the last post I wrote about how Allah is the Owner of All things. I felt more peaceful that should this result in death that is ok because it is Allah's Will and He will take care of my beautiful Children.
But that's my drama side talking, I knew it wasn't that seriously injured because my son had received worse head injuries and was just fine. I was upset about his sudden burst of violence over nothing. How could I stop him from doing this again? But I did learn an important lesson this night:

Never try to appease a toddler with a heavy sippy cup when they are acting out and angry. It will come back to hurt you! I spent the night cradling an ice pack to my head.

(to nip comments about spousal abuse in the bud, for those that didn't understand the story I will spell it out more clearly, my baby boy hit me in the head with his heavy sippy cup not my husband with an adult cup. My husband was peacefully sleeping while this brawl happened.)

;)

How many times have you heard about some idiot dude harassing a woman and All you can think of to say is "SLAP HIM!" or "I'd give my teeth to slap him!" Yet if a man said this within hearing distance of any woman we'd be all over him like truck drivers at a mud wrestling ring.
We'd protest abuse and violence etc.. yet rarely is it noted that this is not acceptable in return from Women to Men. In the "West" we grow up thinking this is the right thing to do when you are highly insulted. It is practically something graceful to do! Old Movies even show it as a main part of Romance. Man grabs her elbow forcing her to him, she pulls back and dignified raises her hand to slap his face. He holds her tougher in return and they passionately kiss to make up.

*snort* yeah right. This is not how it happens in real life.

In Islam it is not allowed to hit people on the face because it is a source of great shame and brings deep embarrassment. The face is a place of dignity.

* Atonement for slapping on the face:Islam requires freeing a slave if the slave master slaps or hits his slave on the face. This is based on the Hadith of Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Whosoever slaps his slave or hits him/her on the face must pay an atonement by freeing him” [Bukhari]. Footnote: 1. From his book Misconceptions About Human Rights in Islam*

Think hard:
"Hypothetical Question":

There is a new law in all first world and second world countries stating you can only have one child. In the next 72 hours armed government officials will be coming to everyone's house and taking all but one of your children. Unless they were born as twins. Which must be documented.

Do you choose to be a law abiding citizen and give up your children? If so how do you choose which one to keep?

Do you choose to run from the law and take your children and family away where no government officials will find you? If so where will you go and how will you keep the gov from finding you?

Don't make fun of anyone who chooses something different that what you'd pick ok. This is open to all points of view. Let's hear them....

Women's Silent Tears

How many tears have been shed,
because of few words said,
by voices low and deep,

how many more must weep,
withhold them, they cannot keep,
down faces very pale,

through grief; the silent wail,
battling emotions, they fail,
yet inside they harden,

though they beg for pardon,
hearts locked up by wardens,
who really has the key?

A lioness all will see,
selflessly, protects her family,
yet inside a mouse,

rocking numbly in her house,
always pining for her spouse,
those escaping little tears,

exposing all her fears,
subjecting her to jeers,
but her soul's strong,

though they do her wrong,
she'll bite her willing tongue,
bottled in her head.

Many more tears shed,
ringing her eyes with dread,
underneath they simmer,

resolving with a glimmer,
blurring smiles with a shimmer,
they fall without sound,

fresh throughout the rounds,
pacing the same ground,
so soft she was made,

but, she must stand brave,
his mercy does she crave,
Women's silent tears.

~(c) Brandy A. Chase -2009
~[do not reprint without permission]