Self Auditing

Abu Darda radiyaAllahu ‘anhu is reported to have said

No one can achieve complete understanding of Islam until he condemns people for the sake of Allah and then returns home and condemns himself even more.

Quoted from http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/purification/0037.htm

waAllahu ta’aala a’alem.

The R-Word

Over the course of the past week, two notable figures in Rahm Emanuel and Rush Limbaugh made headlines for their usage of the word ‘retarded’ when attempting to denigrate congressional democrats.  Rahm Emanuel has since apologized for his statement, and has avowed to remove that word from his vocabulary and was amongst the first signatories on the r-word.com, an online pledge campaign dedicated to eradicating the r-word from societies vernacular. Last I checked, over 50,000 people had signed on and the goal is to get 100,000.

“13 Activities for Muslim Families To Do On A Snow Day”

This winter is bringing us some of the heaviest snow we’ve seen in a looooooong time.  Take advantage of this time to do something new or different with your families.  Here’s a list of 13 activities for Muslim families to do on a snow day:

1. Read Qur’an with translation
2. Open a book about the Seerah and learn about the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)
3. Discuss modern day issues with your children from an Islamic perspective
4. Take out some boardgames and play
5. Prepare a batch of cookies or bake a cake for your family and your neighbors

SubhanAllah :)

Swiss antagonist of minarets embraces Islam

Source
RENOWNED Swiss politician Daniel Streich, who rose to fame for his campaign against minarets of mosques, has embraced Islam.
A member of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and a well-known politician, Daniel Streich was the first man who had launched a drive for imposition of ban on mosques minarets, and to lock the mosques in Switzerland. The proclamation of Streich’s conversion to Islam has created furore in Swiss politics, besides causing a tremor for those who supported ban on construction of mosques minarets.

Muslim Womens Shelter Provides Support

http://www.npr. org/templates/ story/story. php?storyId= 120752667&sc=emaf

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2010As families come together over the holidays, the victims of domestic abuse are often sequestered in shelters — a situation that’s especially difficult for Muslim women, because few facilities meet their cultural and religious needs.

At one home for Muslim women in Baltimore, women from different backgrounds recently gathered in the kitchen to prepare dinner together. Oil splattered on the stove, and Asma Hanif, the woman who runs the center, joked that the night’s dinner would be the end of her.

Ball

Salinger Passes Away…

JD Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye, passed away two days ago at the age of 91.  I first read ‘The Catcher’ when I was 15; our family was spending the evening at my grandparents house, and since my grandfather was a professor, his house was (and continues to be) littered with textbooks throughout the house.  When shuffling through boxes trying to find something to read, I came across The Catcher in the Rye, and decided to pass time by reading a few pages.  In a matter of minutes, I was drawn in and it stands today as one of my favorite books that I’ve ever read.

NPR has been providing some really good coverage of his life yesterday and today, and the following article is one that I found to be an interesting read as it speaks about Salinger and his life…

Article

Howard Zinn dead at 87

Howard Zinn, an author, teacher and political activist whose leftist “A People’s History of the United States” became a million-selling alternative to mainstream texts and a favorite of such celebrities as Bruce Springsteen and Ben Affleck, died Wednesday. He was 87.

Zinn died of a heart attack in Santa Monica, Calif., daughter Myla Kabat-Zinn said. The historian was a resident of Auburndale, Mass.  Full story at the following link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_en_ot/us_obit_zinn

Thank yous

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: The Prophet (sallahAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful.” It was asked, “Do they disbelieve in Allah?” (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He (sallahAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, “They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, ‘I have never received any good from you.” (Sahih Bukhari. Book #2, Hadith #28).

Funny

This is too funny, lol.  If you’ve ever seen Fresh Prince of Bel Air, you’ll get it.  If you havent, then you wont.  There’s also a Star Wars call in, LOL.