Why Wudu??? UGHH I don't want to get all cold

Seriously? Is that your excuse? You don't want to get cold?
I know, may Allah (swt) forgive me for being so lazy. It's the worst, but sometimes this really is my excuse. I know it's bad and I promise when I say, "I have the utmost guilt in what I am doing and I need and want to fix it!" My problem doesn't stop there though. You know that feeling when you want to have the utmost khushoo in your salah but you think "eh, I don't even have wudu anyway, so the prayer doesn't even count." Because of my slacking off in wudu, my salah is also ruined. I'm so lazy, that's the problem.  I think of all these amazing miracles, and glorious things about Allah (swt) and I really do believe in them, but when it comes to action especially the most important of actions, Salah, I slack off; one of the root causes for this slacking off is my laziness in wudu, if I even get to it. So here it goes. I'm going to tell myself and hopefully this will be helpful to you, why I MUST get up in the morning to make wudu and pray Fajr (regardless of if I have school or not. I get up for Allah (swt) not for school!)
Note to Self:
1. You need to get out of bed, think of the dua you are saying,
                    "Praise be to You Oh Allah, Who gave me life after making me  die (small death,                                       basically you are in a small death when you are asleep) and we arise to Him"
  Are you so disrespectful, and disobedient that you can't even get up and pray to your Lord Who gave you     life? He gave you life again, use it to thank Him and praise Him.
2.Good, now you're in the bathroom, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT FAKING THAT FAUCET! Allah (swt) knows that you are not really making wudu, even if your parents don't. You are going to pray in front of Allah, The Most Magnificent!!!!!! How dishonorable and bad would it look to go in with a dirty body. Your breath smells bad, hair all oily and tousled, gunk in your eyes, trust me, it ain't pretty from this side.
3. After making your Niyyah (intention) wash your hands, just start with the simple step
4. Yup, now rinse your mouth. You want to have the freshest breath for your Lord. Brushing your teeth would be even better, but its ok we're starting easy right?
5. Now the nose.
6. Then rinse your face. Let the water flow down, as it cleanses and purifies, bringing all the dirt and impurities away. You want to have a shining, pure face for Allah!
7. Now the elbows, yes, I know, you hate that. I hate it too, when you get super cold? But look, you're already half awake, just keep at it and Allah will give you so much more for this small struggle.
8. You've filled your hands with water now drop it and smooth the wet hands over your head/hair/scalp. Look, the thing is you want to be as clean as possible for Allah correct? If you went to meet Barack Obama today you would take a whole shower wouldn't you? Don't try to lie to me, you know you'd be all decked out: teeth brushed, full shower, fresh, clean, ironed, fancy clothing. Come on, anyone would get dressed up for the president of the United States of America! But seriously, this is bigger than the President, it's Allah (swt)! He's not even judging you for slacking off on the teeth brushing. Allah is here for you, He wants to here your duas from His servants who left their comfortable beds for Him. Basically, don't hesitate, this is supposed to be a mini shower.
9. Make sure to get behind those ears!
10. Lastly, the feet. Yes, I agree they can be annoying at times, but again you're almost done! Just remind yourself that you are going to be standing in front of THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN ALL THE UNIVERSE, heck He made the universe, or should I say universes!
11. Alhamdulillah, you are complete!!! Give yourself a pat on the back.
12. But you're not done yet. Now go out there and pour your heart out to Allah (swt). Show Him that you are a believer with faith in action, ready to obey at a moments call.

A New Life, A New Perspective

 Today I went to my aunt's house for dinner. It was my younger aunt. I ate dinner with them as we talked about my cousins at WIHI. After that I asked if we could watch the video my cousin made. It was an assignment for school, World Literature class to be exact. He had to write/tell a story including all the elements of the Hero's Journey. From ordinary life, to call to adventure, refusal of call to adventure, to crossing the threshold, he had to include every element.

 Though he had the option of doing a fictional story, my cousin decided to do his own real journey from India to America. I sat there watching his video as he described his ordinary life. Where he had many friends, family and as I recall 'his two best sisters.' I couldn't help but imagine this wonderful and comfortable life it must have been before. He went on to talk about the call to adventure from his uncle (my dad) who lived in America. (My dad basically called his sisters to come move to America). It was the next thing that my cousin said that really broke my heart. "I told my parents I would not leave. I didn't want to leave all my family and good friends behind. I didn't want to leave behind everything I knew" I imagined my cousin, the good obeying son, refusing to leave, disobeying his parents. Not only was this unlike him but it made me realize how serious and severe this was. It was a decision and move that would change his life forever.

 He talked about coming to America and making new friends. He said the hardest part was learning the accent. He had to struggle a lot but he got it. He talked about how he had to say goodbye to his sisters because they left for India to finish their schooling. He said he made new friends but he never was able to talk to his old friends again and lost contact. (he didn't literally say this but this is what happened. My cousin has this ability to not let things bother him too much).

 Suddenly I was choking on tears trying to keep it in. This little boy at the age of 10 was able to cope with all this. He was so brave, both my cousins. Having to leave family members behind. Making new friends learning a new accent. And do you know what he said at the end of all this? "My reward was my name. I became a new person and I was something (meaning I meant something to this world). I had done something challenging" When I heard this I just couldn't help it. My eyes began to tear up. I thought of how pathetic I was. How the little things that I complained about were really nothing. "I am a spoiled, ungrateful child" was all I could think. But I want to change that. I want to learn to be independent and to work hard.

After that, we left as my aunt reminded me that my OTHER cousin was missing his dad. His dad has to work out in Texas and he just started the job, leaving his son and wife in America for their second year. That just broke my heart even more. Both of them were dealing with something that I just couldn't relate too. I wished I could so that I could make them feel better and just truly understand but I couldn't.

But I realize now that crying about it won't help. I have to do something and the best thing is dua. I pray to Allah everyday that He keeps my brother and my cousins on the straight path. I pray that Allah (swt) keeps them in the best of company and that he protects them from the punishment of the grave. Amin. They've taught me a lesson, those two.That this life is not easy by any means but it's the way you look at it, your perspective that really determines your happiness in this life. And if your goal is Allah swt, and your perspective is looked through the Islamic perspective , then you can never go wrong. With Allah on our side, we can never lose.

New Pet

Omg! Got new fish today! Actually they're my brothers which is awesome because that means I get to watch and play with the goldfish without having to clean out there yucky poop and stuff.  He got it from a fair. Most people say they don't live that long. Well I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Awkward BFF Situation

Hmmmmm............What to blog about? Let's see, its Friday!Clearly, writing this is just an excuse not to call my best friend. Me and her are best friends, but there's one... wierd... problem. I don't know why but for some reason we've never actually talked together on the phone. I mean we've talked when I have to ask her is she coming swimming with me today, or is she coming to the mosque, bur i've surprisingly never talked, talked to her. This week (Monday). I told her at swimming class that we have to call each other. But I kept postponing it. What if it's awkward? What if we have nothing to talk about? Does this mean we aren't BFF's? Oh no, esta muy muy muy confundido!

Why do you wear that scarf on your head?- PART 3

Finally, are the rules of wearing the hijab. In truth it's very simple, our beauty is for our husband and so we are allowed to take it off in front of our husband. We also do not wear the scarf in front of our brothers, fathers, grandfathers, first uncles, etc. Basically the scarf is worn in front of any man who you could possibly marry. Thus, you don't have to wear it in front of anyone who you couldn't marry, for example your brother. Though most people are not aware of this, the term "hijab" refers to the whole body. When people look at Muslim women, we look at this piece of cloth on their head and assume that the scarf is the hijab. However, hijab actually means covering the WHOLE body. You may see some women wearing a long dress/jacket-like outfit. Other women wear skirts and long loose clothing. When we wear the hijab we are covering our whole body from hair, to curves, to anything else, except for the face and hands. Some people cover their faces as well, this is a more greyish area that depends upon the person. And that's it. I hope you all enjoyed these more informative blog posts, and that the next time you meet a woman with a scarf on her head, you'll know that it's not a limit of beauty but rather a beautiful reminder for our purpose in life. If you all want more blog posts like this, just post a comment below asking any questions and I will answer it to the best of my ability, Inshallah(if God wills). :)

Why do you wear that scarf on your head?- PART 2

In Islam, we believe that this life is a test. God is testing us to see how willing we are to obey Him. God limits us with certain things like wearing the scarf, or not drinking alcohol and He wants to see how willing are we to obey the One who created us. How willing are we to sacrifice our desires (of this world) for the sake of God, the one who created us, gave us life, and gives us life every single morning? And on the Day of Judgement, God will determine where we will go, (heaven or hell) based on the good deeds we do now. Islam answers the question, What's my purpose in life? As Muslims, we believe that our purpose in this life, is only to worship and please the One and Only God, Allah. Pleasing Allah involves sacrificing the worldly desires we have in this world (on Earth). For example, sacrificing the desire to have a boyfriend/girlfrind, or sacrificing the desire to gamble, or lie, or cheat, or steal, or even sacrificing the desire to simply yell at your parents. All of these are sacrifices we make to please Allah (God) Thus, when God tells us as women, to cover our hair, we hear and we obey immediately. We know that this life is temporary and it is a test and we want to succeed in this test by obeying Allah's orders. Also, the fact that it is coming from God, the One who gives you life every morning, doesn't it make you think that He has the right to be obeyed no matter what? We can never repay our Creator for giving us life. The hijab is also a reminder. Every time I put on my scarf and cover my body in loose clothing, I am reminded of why I am here. I am reminded that my purpose is not to attract men with my beauty, or to make other women jealous, or any other reason, but rather it is to worship God. This scarf on my head is a beautiful reminder to both the women and Muslim men to forget about the materialistic desires of this world and to instead focus on the main goal- pleasing God. There is an analogy that talks about clothing. When you want to wash a piece of clothing you look at the tag to see how the creator tells you to wash it. You don't say "Oh the whoever made this garment doesn't know anything, I'm gonna wash it whichever way I want!" While you can say this, chances are your clothing is not going to be washed properly. In the end, it is the creator of the garment who knows what is best for it. In the same way, our Creator, God knows what is the best for us and when He tells us, to avoid gambling, and forbids us to drink alcohol, and tells us to cover our bodies, God only has our best interests in mind. He created us, don't you think He would know what is best for us?

Why do you wear that scarf on your head?-PART 1

Why do you wear that rag on your head? Do you wear it in the shower? Do you wear it at home? I understand that its because of your religion but what does that mean? I have been asked this probably a dozen times, and surprisingly I'd like to thank all of you for asking. For anyone reading this, I'd like to tell you that if you're ever wondering about something please ASK!I would prefer that much better than people getting their information from the media. Unfortunately the media portrays Muslims in a very negative, and completely inaccurate light. Anyway, back to the question, Why? Why do I wear my head scarf? The simple answer is "because God told me too" but that's not the full answer. In truth there are three parts to this "rag" or "hijab" as we call it in Arabic. There is the numerous benefits that we get from wearing the hijab, there is the ultimate reason why we wear it, and finally there are the rules concerning the hijab and how Muslim women must wear it. For starters, as I stated before, there are many benefits to wearing the scarf. The best I believe is the status it gives women. It raises us women to a more repective scale. When a woman wears the hijab and covers her body, it forces the man to look at her as an intelligent human being as opposed to some pretty object. Naturally, when a man looks at a woman, the first thing you see is their beauty, whether they're good looking or not. This is natural. However, as a result the man looks at the woman as an object  which he may want or desire, or he may think she is not beautiful and completely dismiss her. The hijab sets all women equal to each other based on their appearance. Thus, when a women goes in for an interview, she is judged based on her intelligence and hard work ethic, as opposed to her beauty. You'd be surprised how many executive officers hire women into their work area based on their attractiveness! Also, when a woman covers her body, a man gives her alot more respect because he knows that she wants to be taken seriously. When my mom was in medical school, everyone told her about this horrible teacher/doctor who swore right and left. Everyone hated that about him and my mom dreaded the day that she would also have to study under him. When that day came she was surprised at his politeness. The whole day he didn't swear once because he realized he was in front of a woman who was serious, honest, but most importabtly respected herself. Thus he respected her for that. The hijab gives a woman confidence that success is not based upon beauty, and outside appearance. I'm not saying that every person who doesn't wear the hijab is shallow, I have many friends (both Muslim, and not) who don't wear the scarf, but unfortunately there are some people who base their entire success on the shallowness of outer beauty; i'm specifically referring to models and prostitutes. They have really stooped so low, to the place wear their success depends on how attractive they look. They are only their for men to look at, which in truth is not what we women were created for! In Islam, we hold marriage as a beautiful, and honorable action. And one of the beauties of Islam is that as a woman we complete our husband's deen (faith), we are the gift to our fathers, when we become mothers, heaven lies beneath our feet (this just means that if you serve your mom you get great reward). So you see? Women have a very high status in Islam, and we are so much more important than what you see on the outside.

Pretzels

Today I ate the most delicious pretzels. Mmmmm. It got even better because my best friend loves pretzels and so I sent this to her and she was soo jealous. She was stuck in Chicago visiting family and so she couldn't come over and eat them. But seriously these pretzels are delicious especially with creamy, hot cheese! It's just sinfully delicious! Have any of you ever tried a pretzel dog?

History- His story

Everyone has a story.... When you meet a person, its not just their behavior, or appearance that makes them, they each have a story, a childhood, a lifetime they are living through. I went upstairs to my room and looked out my window to see my neighbor taking in the garbage herbicurbies. I had just finished talking with my dad about his life in highschool. He'd gone to a boarding school in India, and i know what you're thinking, but it was actually nice. i was surprised and his story interested me. I sat their for a long time imagining my father as a little Indian boy playing soccer and being naughty :) His story really made me realize this idea of never really knowing someone. 16 years... 16 years is how long it took for me to realize the many troubles and also good things that happened to my dad. For 16 years i thought i knew him. I mean i lived with him so i guess i just assumed i knew exactly what kind of person my dad was. I never even realized there was a whole other life of him that i never knew about. And as advice to all those reading this blog, i hope you all come to realize that we should NEVER judge a book by its cover! I hope that all of you teenagers out there (or not) soon come to realize what i have and that you pass it on to others. In Islam, God teaches us to love for your brother (or sister) what you want for yourself. In this context so we should learn to get to know people and want good things to happen to them. Because the truth is you may grow up hating a person but in reality you may just not know their whole story. So the next time someone is being rude to you, or you assume they are a nerd, or a girly girl, or a tom boy- imagine they had a bad day, or are having a stressful time and want for them what you would want for yourself. These acts are the most beautiful in the sight of God and it is only His pleasure we truly seek.

Life

Life is so confusing!

Muslim High School Confusion

All my life I have (for the most part) stuck to the middle side and done things in moderation. I've ate healthy and done my exercising but not overdone it. I've seen the balance that I need between music and work, or prayer and my duties in a dunya world. But I'm stuck at one point, where is the middle ground between school and a social life. I know that currently I'm not at a good balance. It's gotten to the point in my schoolwork where I work SOO hard for too long, that I'm getting sick. I'm hurting the amana and trust that Allah (swt) has given me- my body. I must realize that my worship to Allah swt is the only reason why I am here. But where is the balance between total prayer like salah, and making your intentions for Allah swt by doing something like going to school? Or am I wrong, is there even any difference at all? I'm so confused!

Hospital Tour!!

This evening, I visited the hospital where my dad works...
To say it was amazing is an understatement to it's true beauty and awe. He took us on a tour through the entire building. My brother and I were able to see what happens beyond the waiting room. We went into the Sleep Room, which is a sector within the hospital where usually Anesthesiologists care for patients and run different tests. We visited CCU(Critical Care Unit) and my parents explained to us what each machine did in the room. From heart scans to oxygen tubes they explained it all. We met the nurses and went through the Women's Health Center and also
The ER(Emergency Room).
It was a nice place, hospitals are really big and each door is like a double door for rolling beds in and out of hallways. Everything has locks and keypads, and every place smells like a newly washed piece of clothing. In fact, within every room (or hallway) is a wall hand sanitizer dispenser! More than that, when my dad walked into that building I could see the expression on the nurse's faces. Everyone knew my dad and treated him like.... Like.... Well like a hero. I could see that respect in their eyes for him, that this man was not just a knowledgable doctor but a person who saved lives everyday all thanks to Allah(swt) will and permission.
My dad was grinning from ear to ear. I will probably never see him as happy or proud as he did that day. Every door he opened had a new treasure to see and when he looked at our faces full of admiration, his eyes lit up and his smile grew. You could tell that no matter how many late nights it would cost him, or millions of phone calls, this man was so happy with the career path he chose and what he did everyday.
And that's when it hit me. I realized how badly I wanted this. To walk the fresh- smelling hallways in a lab coat and stethoscope. To gain respect from these people, and most importantly to help a person in need. I wanted that thrill of seeing a patient look me in the eyes and ask for help. I would pray to Allah (swt) to help me make this person feel better. It feels good to know that you can do something for the society. I want to focus, it'll be hard and especially with medical school and everything. It takes a long time to become a doctor and kind of disgusting, but I want to try my best and if Allah (swt) doesn't want this for me then maybe I can go into dentistry, or some other career. What do you guys want to be when you grow up? I need some career options.

What Happens When you Bottle Feelings Up?

Sometimes I wish I could just scream at the top of my lungs until there's no more left. But I can't. I'm stuck, in this oxygen sucking house, where no mater where I go, someone will hear me. I cant even go outside. My neighborhood is like a ghost town so screaming would wake up the whole neighborhood. You know that feeling, when you have this lump in your throat, and you just want to cry but you can't? The only thing that would make it feel better would be screaming so loud!... but you can't? And then your just left having to grit your teeth and smile as if everything is alright. That is how I feel. I don't know what to do, I'm writing this as my form of vent since the screaming won't work but the lump is still there. I don't know what to do. Most of the time I just hate myself because I always put the fault on me. I guess sometimes it may be someone else's fault, but in the end after all the anger and hurt has subsided I realize it was all just my own fault and then I just get angry at myself, scolding myself inside until that lump comes again.