Halal Pork anyone?

This might raise a bit of curiosity...and it did in me; especially since I had been eating out at that Turkish place quite often recently.

Anyway, this restaurant is an a place called Raunheim in germany, and says "HALAL" in big bold letters on the glass windows.

So I was more than a little surprised to see "Schinken" (which is german for pork) on some of the menu items; even though the guy who runs it is muslim. 

I was pretty annoyed when I confronted him and asked him what was going on, offering pork on the menu when the place was supposedly halal.

That's when he mentioned, that Schinken was also short for Truthhahn-Schinken (which is turkey-meat)...and proceeded to take out all the meats from the freezer to show they all did indeed have the halal certification on them.

And even though there is another word for turkeys in german, apparently they use the shortened form of the word, "Schinken" , in order to keep the german customers coming in. 

Now that's marketing worth laughing out at!

Michael Jackson and the Muslimania

I’m not sure if you’ve heard the latest that’s rounding the websites; but apparently the self-proclaimed King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has embraced Islam.

Note that I write “apparently” because at the time of this article’s writing, I don’t have any confirmation (or denial) of this apart from a few websites and stupid Emails that people keeping mindlessly forwarding.

And I’d like to take a wide big yawn and ask…so?

Actually, this is not the first time I’m hearing this; MJ was supposed to have become muslim a long time ago when the rumor first came out in the late 90s.
And then the idea died a natural death.

More recently, it was the Indian astronaut Sunita Williams who apparently was supposed to have seen the Masjid al-Har’am and Masjid an-Nabawi as shining stars and immediately became muslim.

And the last of the news I heard before this was about the paparazzi-craving, drug-abused, messed-up, I-will-shave-my-head pop punk Britney Spears who is allegedly in love with her muslim boyfriend and is thinking about “taking up” Islam.

To be completely honest I couldn’t care less about MJ or Britney Spears; mostly because I don’t look up to them as role-models or even put them on the nice-to-know list.
And if I ever have kids, I’d never want them to think they should grow up to be just like Britney or MJ.


Which brings me to my original question:
Why are we so paranoid about celebrities and make a big deal of them becoming muslim?
Are we really that pathetic that we need a Britney Spears or a Michael Jackson to glitter-up an image for Islam?
Do we think people are gonna say, “Okay, if Britney’s doing it, it has to be good; lemme give it a shot too” about Islam?

I don’t think so.

And to prove it, here’s a real example:
MJ’s older brother Jermaine Jackson did become a muslim and this is a fact. This happened in 1989 and his name is now Muhammed Abdul-Aziz.

And yes he has given interviews and the like on his quest for peace - unfortunately I don’t see what this has achieved on the teen-culture front.

And I don’t blame him. As far as I see, the benefits are only individual; and there is nothing to cheer for the masses here.

Because in the end, only YOU will answer for what YOU do…and it’s every man for himself.

WALL-E Inspired!

Its not everyday that you watch a movie that inspires you to do a post on it, but after I popped in the DVD this evening after work and sat back in my recliner, I had a brainstorm!

Wall-E (pronounced "wally", from Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animations) tells the story of a trash-compacting robot named Wall-E who hitches a ride onboard a space probe to Axion - a human colony in space. The people at Axion live in an artificial, almost-virtual world having all the comforts of life and more...so much so that they start losing basic human traits such as the ability to walk.

As the plot unfolds however, the Captain of the Axion comes to realize that this colony was originally intended only as a temporary home (some 700 years earlier) and the original plan had been to return back to earth after 5 years...which had been all but forgotten.

And so, begins the quest to return back to the REAL home, against the odds of the resident robots who refuse to leave the comforts of the now-familiar space home.

And thinking about this story, it strikes me strange...

How different are WE from the humans in this movie - who think of the space home as their permanent home and not once even begin to think that this may all be just a temporary stopover for a little while. People who are so involved with their day-to-day activities of work and food and sleep that they forgot the real purpose they were here, and that they had to go back one day.

Do we really think of ourselves as immortals, to inherit the earth forever? Or do we think that we will never die and go on living?

That Space Station was a temporary home for a specific purpose, and so is ours. They had to go back to their real home one day, and so will we.

It is opening your eyes to what lies beyond the obvious, that is the difficult part.

Let’s get married

I’m no expert on relationships and stuff, but I’m willing to guess one of the biggest problems facing young people is marriage…and about getting married.
Now when I talk about stuff like this to my friends however, one of the statements that drive me up a wall is:

“Marriage? Are you crazy; I’m just 25 now!”

…as if it were illegal to get married before you were 30 or something.
Of course, some of my other friends think on a different line, which goes something like,

“What’s the hurry? Why can’t you wait till you’re more mature – after all this is a huge step.”

Which makes me think…its okay to have a boyfriend-girlfriend thing going on; make out on college campuses, watch less-than-family-flicks in shady dark dormitories, try to make a pass with the waitresses at the café and try to hit on the new recruits at work…but its not okay to get married?
There’s something seriously wrong with the whole system here!

Let’s be honest here; boys and girls start wondering about each other all along ever since you hit like 13 or so; and there’s nothing to lie about here – physical attraction is one of the most instinctive of instincts; and part of what makes us human.

So where’s the problem here?
The problem lies with the fact that people go on with their instincts and follow the signs alright – except that they don’t wanna commit on a relationship and call it marriage because of the bundle of responsibilities that come with the package.

Why?
Because of the safety margin that leaves room for error – boyfriends to dump; that cute girl in the next office to look at, the date you went on and later decided she’s not your type…the endless possibilities.

Now the trouble is, even after people do find their type, they future-plan their marriage to say like three years from now…because it leaves space to get ‘settled’ before getting married.
I’m really not aware of any rule that states you WILL settle when you hit 29 but what this really shows is the lack of Tak’wah and the fact that all provisions come from Allah. If you get that point straight, you’re on the right track.

Otherwise, if you’re 29 and not yet settled, the only driving force is the desperation when you know its already too late wait any longer.

So the big question is: what do I do?
Simple. Trust your heart…and not the reasons that everyone else throws at you.
And when you know you need to get married, pray, and just do it!

As Peace Descends

I can’t believe its been over 9months since I made that first post on this blog; it was on Eid day and the post was about Eid as well and I remember proudly Emailing the link to my friends about my ‘achievement’.
What was I thinking back then?

Anyway, things have come a long way since that first post when I was all depressed about Eid being alone and everything. As the blessed Month of Forgiveness gently swept by us this past 29days I experienced what I am sure was my best Ramadan in a long time.

For starters, I now shifted to a comfortable two-bedroom house in a quiet little village overlooking the edge of the woods and 5minutes from work so logistics and travel wasn’t an issue.
Alhamdhulillah work wasn’t so bad to keep me preoccupied all the time.
The weather was incredible; and the best part was that my roomie (who is not even muslim) also decided to join in the true spirit of Ramadan and fasted the entire month. In all senses, things could not have been better.

Fasting takes your mind off the things we spend a lot of time on; like lunch & dinner, thinking about what’s for lunch and dinner, and thinking about how to cook or where to grab lunch or dinner. I guess we spend a lot of time thinking about food… and fasting gives you a chance to concentrate on more important aspects of living.

It truly was a peaceful, blessed month that swept by us; as a soft breeze would brush by your face; serene and so gentle, you wish it lasts, but passes over you before you comprehend its full beauty. I miss Ramadan already.

Wishing you all a very blessed Eid al-Fitr!!!

Food Festival

This entry may be a bit late in coming – Ramadan already started over a week ago – but somehow I wasn’t able to put this down till now.

In any case, Ramadan is finally here, after a full year has gone by and we as Muslims are asking ourselves a lot of important questions this month.

Surprisingly, one of the most frequently asked question is:

“What’s cooking?”

I don’t mean to exaggerate but the way things are sometimes, you almost start to wonder if its a month long food festival. While businesses in places like the Middle East tag up a “Ramadan-Special” for almost anything – ranging from discount sales to lavish evening buffets, more and more normal people seem to be concerned about just one thing: Food.

Every time I call up one of the guys, they want to know about what I had for Iftar, or planning to have for Sahur or the midnight snacks right now.

I guess its time we stepped outside our food fantasies for a while and started concentrating on what Ramadan’s really about: Ibadah, Qiyam-ul-Layl and in other words; supplications.

Ramadan is a month of blessings, and thus makes sense to ask Allah for forgiveness and turning to Him in repentance.

The food factor can take the back seat for a while.

Peace.

Dhikr and the Law of Burglary

This was something that I was inspired to write on from an excellent speech I'm listening to...

Ibn Al-Jawzhi, gave an advice in his book Sayd al-Khatir where he mentions the single most important rule which every Burglar must learn if he wishes to become an expert on break-ins. And that rule is:
"Take what is light in weight, but heavy in value"

In other words, you don't wanna walk out with the couch or the wardrobe...you search for the safe and made do with the jewelery, gold and the diamonds.

Not to be teaching anyone about robbing a house, but this is also the principle we need to follow when it comes to Amal as-Sa'lih - good deeds.
You don't wanna waste time doing big things which get you little reward...time is short so we need to do things that are light in weight but heavy on the scale on the Day.
And one of the most important of such things is the Dhikr of Allah.We might think that just because its easy to say, it might not be of much benefit but that's not how it is.

Dhikr can carry enormous rewards.
For instance:
Subhanallahil Atheem....gets you a tree in Jannah!
La howla wala khowwatha illa billah...is among the treasures of Jannah.

So go ahead - and build up your place!

Islam and the Phobia

I’m not really sure if “Islamophobia” is a real word by any standards; but what I do know is real is the concept.

I don’t think any culture or religious belief in history has ever been subjected to the insults as Islam is today.
I have had the personal experience of being asked “Why all muslims are terrorists”; I’ve had my blog vandalized with anti-Islam scum, and have had the ‘privilege’ of seeing the most disgusting hate-speech anyone can write on the Internet.

So I ask myself, WHY?

The first thing I get: the terror tag.
Now I know there’s a lot of weidos running around with guns and bombs and stuff, but wait a sec, its not like muslims are the only ones doing all this stuff.
What about those college boys in the U.S. shooting their teachers, classmates and girlfriends at campus? (“We were terrified” – one of the survivors)…and yet no TERRORIST?
Or how about the attacks in Finland?
Anyone remember the LTTE?
Those guys up in Northern Ireland?

Almost makes me wonder if terrorism can be called such only when done by a guy from the Middle East shouting stuff in Arabic.

And then there is 9-11.
Referred to as the biggest threat to the free world, the sole cause for starting unilateral invasions of two sovereign countries, and presumably a major factor in the U.S economic recession, global oil prices and the current food shortage.

Of course, looking at all the facts (?) surrounding the attacks didn’t make sense…there are hundreds of theories on how an airline can never hit the pentagon and simply vanish (you can check out the videos here) I’m not gonna get into all the detailed theories; but we have to admit, there are other explanations given to the attacks…and that the US intelligence isn’t all that accurate all the time (anyone remember the supposed “Weapons of Mass Destruction” in Iraq?)

But what hurts me the most is not the ‘random security checks’ at the airport or impolite questions I sometimes get on my beliefs.
Its something even low: Hate campaigns.

Shortly after the Danish cartoon controversy, YouTube was loaded with low-life scums who took pride in tarnished caricatures.

Sites loaded with supposed rubbish ‘facts’ about Islam that anyone with a grade-school education would find ridiculous to believe….
Public abuses and insults thrown at our Prophet (Recall what Israeli soccer team did?)…
Comments on personal blogs inciting hate….

How can anyone civilized, be so hateful?

How Scary is the Shariah?

In keeping with the good writing spirit, I’d like to state that this post was inspired by an excellent article written on the topic by Noah Feldman – a law professor at Harvard University.
It is extremely well written and I strongly recommend you read the full article.

He writes, and I quote;
“To many, the word “Shariah” conjures horrors of hands cut off, adulterers stoned and women oppressed....

In fact, for most of its history, Islamic law offered the most liberal and humane legal principles available anywhere in the world."

Although I would like to disagree on his opinion that the Shariah was alright only “for most of history”, seeking to imply that it probably isn’t anymore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank him if I could for setting things right in his own way so far as the image of Shariah goes.

In his article Professor Feldman writes, when Rowan Williams – the archbishop of Canterbury – suggested in his lecture that it might be a good idea to allow Islamic and Orthodox Jewish courts to implement their religious law, it was “the word “Shariah” that was radioactive”

Now, thinking back on how this whole image thing got where it is now, I think we form part of the problem because we don’t tell people what our religion and our principles are all about.

This reminds me of an incident when I was still in India last year when a friend of mine and I had the opportunity to discuss Islam with a student of architecture on a train with us.
To our surprise, she hardly knew anything about Islam - in spite of her claiming to have ‘several Islam friends’.

While we explained to her on some of the aspects of Islam – this also included the usual questions on polygamy, hijab and the implications of the Shariah – it occurred to me that this was probably all the information what most people who don’t have much contact with muslims had.

And if this is the case in a country where Muslims form a sizeable part of the population, I’d hate to think on how much people know about Islam in places where you don’t have that many Muslims.

And like I always say, it’s up to us – every single one of us – to set things straight.

Fooled ya!

Yesterday, I just sitting at my desk minding my own business when a client walks in with an ‘Oh-my-God’ look and announces,

“Guess what, GEN 273 just halted”

Now this may not mean much to most people, but for me, it’s the equivalent of someone saying,
“Empire State just collapsed”

Two minutes after I started to panic, he bursts out laughing with a
“Fooled ya, it’s the first of April you know!”

And it also so happens that a lot of muslims keep asking, “why don’t we celebrate April Fool’s Day as well”. Leaving aside the stupidity and sheer incompetence this shows, I’d like to discuss on a bigger aspect; why we always wanna imitiate the west.

Historically, it is an accepted fact that the weak society always follows, or tries to follow the strong society. I’d like to take an example of the Bani Israel. When they were led out of Egypt and saved from the Pharaoh, what was the first thing they did?

Well, they apparently saw a group of people worshipping idols, so they go over to Musa (peace be upon him) and ask,”Why don’t you make for us a god like they have gods?”

Now, this happens after they witness the splitting of the Red Sea and seeing Pharaoh and his men drown with their very eyes. So is this their belief?

I wouldn’t think so. The thing is, the Bani Israel had been oppressed and enslaved for so long, that they had started to suffer from an inferiority complex. And anything someone else did, looked better than what they had.

This is exactly the problem with muslims today. We (I have to admit) are a weak people today. And by that, anything we see the west doing, we try to adapt. Be it April Fool’s Day, or New Years’ or Valentine’s Day, we wanna be a part of it just because we think that the stronger nation is always superior.

Its time someone set that straight.

The war turns Five

Yesterday, on the 19th of March 2008, the world either celebrated or mourned, depending on your perspective, what is the fifth anniversary of what news channels called, "The US-led War on Terror”
I simply call it, America’s unjustified invasion of Iraq.

Now, 5years and some $200 billion later we are still clueless. There were no “Weapons of Mass destruction” (is this getting too old?), no “links to terror organizations” and as we see now, no reason to continue. Except that it’s already too late; people are still dying, violence is only on the up rise, and the economies (both Iraq and the US) can’t be much worse.

I don’t know where things go from here.
I can only pray, ask Allah subhana wa ta’ala to give peace and victory to the innocent, hungry masses that roam the streets without food for no fault of theirs.
Ameen.

Just another evening...

This is something that happened to me quite some time ago while I was still in Chennai. I immediately put it down on paper but being the lazy couch-potato that I am, I completely forgot abt it. So without further delay we present, just another evening:

It was a typical Saturday evening; and like most other Saturday evenings, I was looking forward to doing what most of us do best on weekends – have fun.

A person I knew was getting married and we were supposed to attend his wedding reception at around 7pm. I had just finished Magrib and left my house to the bus stop hoping to catch an early bus to where the reception was. Now it so happens that I’m not exactly thrilled about traveling in buses but then, being in Chennai means a bit of a sacrifice sometimes (not to mention forbidden costs for traveling the same distance by autorickshaw! :-)

Anyway, while on the bus I conveniently forgot about my stop and remembered it just when the bus nearly started. Now again, being the true blooded Chennai-ite that I was, I decided to get down anyway. I hardly put my first foot down when I lost my balance and all 140 pounds of me came crashing down on the asphalt. Knee first and then on knuckles. I got up as fast as I fell (boy it’s so embarrassing falling off a bus) and brushed away the dirt as if nothing happened and that’s when I noticed a 2inch hole cut into my terribly expensive new trousers. Needless to say, I made the reception and had a good time, except for the part when everyone asks you about the scratches in your hands and the cut in your trousers.

Later that night, thinking about the whole incident, it occurred to me strange. To be quite blunt, I could’ve quite easily died that evening – all that was needed was for me to fall head-first, or a car to run over me, or get caught in the wheels.. it gives me shivers just thinking about it. And all I ended up was, with a pair of ruined trousers. Actually that evening after Magrib before leaving the house, I asked dua to get there safely and get back safely and in the small corner of my twisted mind I actually wondered if anything could go wrong.
Guess I got my answer. Life can change in an instant for any of us, and when it does, we better be prepared for it. Because unlike my bus, this is a one-way trip…

Why is everything Haraam?

I don’t know who said it, but there’s a saying that goes, “All good things in life are either banned or illegal or fattening”.

Many of the guys I know feel the same way about Islam too. Lots of discussions I have with someone at one point kinda takes the “ah dude, that’s haraam too?” turn and let’s face it – many of us at one point would’ve felt the same way about certain issues.

So where does the problem lie anyway? I guess the real issue lies in two things:

One, in spite of our co-called identity, our lifestyle does not adhere to the teachings of Islam. At a recent corporate dinner I was at recently, I was almost an outcast for not joining in with the ‘social drink’ along with everyone else…and as expected, someone needed to be told that alcohol is haraam.
I guess the same thing goes for eating pork, social intermingling at parties and places, chick-flicks on the tube, and just about every other thing that just so happens to be a part of our lives. And the really bad news is that all of these things just seem to only get worse as you climb up the proverbial ladder. And unless you're careful, pretty soon you're bound to think that Islam probably might not fit in with the times.

Two, and most importantly, is in our Taq’wah. (and btw, if you’re like lost and scratching your head right now, this is a good time to go brush up on terms we need to know, especially ones used in the Qur’an a lot of times)
Part of that lies in knowing that Allah, as Creator, knows what is best and decides that for us. And being guidance for all of humanity, the Qur’an is the final word on what is right and what’s not…and not for us to figure “Gee, I’m not too sure why that seems to be haraam, I mean it seems alright to me” because we are not the authority debate on that.
I really don’t know how to explain this further; like I said, it lies in our Taqwah.

We pray to Allah to give us Ilm-un-Naafi’a and for the courage to stand up against the crowd for what you believe in.

But one thing we need to remember: this is our religion.
And our principles are not for sale.