Hey guys. I KNOW, I know. I haven't put up a serious post in ages. I'm sorry. Life has been a bit hectic and unfortunately will probably continue to be. But I thought I'd drop in to show you guys this awesome thing:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GregoryPatrick
This guy has been living out in the woods, in a garage and going hungry just so that he can feed the cat with what little groceries they can afford. He is barely making ends meet.His knitting is his only source of income as he has been unable to find a job.
I saw him on Etsy today and really wanted one of his adorable hand knit bears but couldn't afford it. I just spent a ridiculous amount on riding gear and my husband was like,"No more stuff for awhile,please." Not wanting him to go hungry for lack of traffic to his page, I sent an email to April Winchell, aka Helen Killer of Regretsy. I thought maybe she'd put up a post on Regretsy to drum up sales for him.
She did one better.She bought every bear he had herself, immediately after I emailed her!
Shes a real angel.^_^ I've never been so glad that I emailed someone.It took one minute and it just bought him groceries and catfood for the month atleast. God bless April. ^_^
I thought I'd share this story with you b/c I know you guys are charitable souls and if you're in the market for a stuffed bear for your kid or something, it might be of interest to you. I think he'll be able to buy plenty of groceries and supplies with the money he got from the bears so I think there will be more bears up for sale soon.Keep an eye out.^_^ I believe he also does custom knitting. I seem to remember seeing blankets, baby sweaters and purses on his blog that he has already sold.
We should all be willing to do a good deed like April did. It could be us someday, hungry and cold and needing help. May Allah keep all of us, especially GregoryPatrick, safe and warm tonight.^_^
UPDATE: As I was typing this April posted her latest bit, including info. on this guys shop. She will be giving away the teddy bears she bought to anyone with a kid who wants one. Isn't that sweet.^_^
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
A response to comments on my earlier Hijab post.
I would've put this under the comments on the Hijab post but its too long. Insha'allah this will also make it easier to read. :)
2 things I would like to point out :
1. You should read my Intro. blog b/c I am not a Sunni, a Shia, Ahmadi or anyone else who follows the hadith or sunnah. So that’s not exactly a compelling argument for me.I don't particularly care much what Bukhari or anyone else who was around 100+ years after Muhammed thinks he or the companions may have said or did. To me and many others, it is simply not a reliable source. This doesn't mean I don't respect those who do, its just something I choose not to do and you can see from the link in my first post or on any site regarding Quran Alone why exactly that is. You will also note in that post that it is not up for discussion here on my blog. Email me about it if you want but I will not debate here. I would suggest www.Free-minds.org for a good summary and a few articles on this topic.
2. Stephanie: The Quran clearly states that believing women are to cover their chest and wear loose garments so as not to attract undue attention and specifically to mark them as respectable believing women who do not engage in various inappropriate activities. It does not state what garment to use to accomplish this. Khimar just means 'a cover'. A tablecloth for instance is khimar for a table. It is not a specific item and it certainly does not specify a headscarf.
Some translations add veil or scarf and some also include niqab and other items.All of this extra nonsense is an addition to Allahs word. Thats why its usually in parentheses. It is the translator’s interpretation.
This is a mercy and wisdom from Allah as it allows women to use whatever is culturally acceptable to accomplish this (a headscarf , a sari,a loose dress, some kind of coat or w/e), without having to look specifically like an Arab or some other ethnic or cultural group they don’t belong to.
If you choose to accomplish this chest coverage with a hijab, or you choose to wear it for some additional reason, that is wonderful! :)
I thoroughly enjoy wearing hijab actually but it is not requiered to cover the hair or head, only the chest region. Many of the current hijab styles are actually pretty pointless, as they cover that which Allah does not require and yet do not cover the thing they are supposed to! :) Feel free to disagree if you choose but these are the facts. Everything else is a matter of interpretation. It is up to you personally to make your own choice on how to cover, based on what is culturally acceptable and what is pleasant to your eye and comfortable for you. It is not a sin TO wear a headscarf nor is it a sin NOT to wear it.
Mrs. Khan has it right when she says it is only sunnah and that it is her choice. She would be just as correct if she chose to wear a coat or a loose shalwar kameez as many women do. That may actually go over better than the hijab Mrs. Khan, since you say your husbands family is Pakistani and objects to the hijab. Perhaps a shalwar kameez with a dupatta worn across the chest and loosely over the head would be a good compromise if they continue to bother you about it. That being said, if you continue wearing the hijab then I wish you the VERY best of luck and I hope they learn to accept it soon. My experience with my family has been similar. :) I support whatever garment a woman chooses to wear as long as it meets Allahs standards of modesty ( as shown above) and it makes you feel beautiful and happy. No sense in wearing something you don’t like, right? For instance, I favor shaylas and comfy things like jeans and loose hoodies. Everybody is different, as it should be. :)
However, it IS a sin to attribute to Allah what is not stated in the Quran or to make something forbidden that is not forbidden by Allah or likewise to permit something Allah has expressly forbidden, such as the consumption of pork.
Therefore Stephanie, I will NOT state that the *headscarf* is a command from Allah b/c its not and not only did many of the garments women use to accomplish this coverage nowadays *not* exist when the Quran was revealed ('amiras' for instance)but, it is clear from historical documents that the early Muslimahs covered in a variety of ways that suited them and that this was acceptable. I will not follow what the scholars happen to think nowadays at the risk of disobeying Allah and attributing things to him that he did not say. Allah does not run out of words ,nor does he leave things out or forget things.He states things in the Quran a certain way for many reasons. Even if the seas were turned into ink, as the Quran so beautifully says, they would not be enough for Allahs pen.
There is *no* authority equal to or above Allah, I do not associate partners with Allah and I do not allow others to make my decisions for me,including the scholars. I am responsible for my actions and Allah will not accept "but the scholars told me to do it" or anything else as an excuse on Judgment Day.
The best garment for a Muslim of either gender is righteousness(7:26). So, if you or anyone else doesn't like to listen to the truth and would prefer lies or specific interpretations that make you feel more comfortable or fit your cultural preconceptions, I would suggest you go elsewhere. Its as simple as that. :)
I also apologize if this seems a bit curt. I take my faith very seriously and state things plainly as I see them.
I will post WHY I was not wearing the hijab in my next blog entry, which should be sometime tomorrow insha’allah. :)
Insha’allah everyone is having a good day or evening depending on where you’re located and thank you for commenting so honestly on my blog. This post was really meant for my family members and close friends but it is always good to hear others thoughts too. :)
2 things I would like to point out :
1. You should read my Intro. blog b/c I am not a Sunni, a Shia, Ahmadi or anyone else who follows the hadith or sunnah. So that’s not exactly a compelling argument for me.I don't particularly care much what Bukhari or anyone else who was around 100+ years after Muhammed thinks he or the companions may have said or did. To me and many others, it is simply not a reliable source. This doesn't mean I don't respect those who do, its just something I choose not to do and you can see from the link in my first post or on any site regarding Quran Alone why exactly that is. You will also note in that post that it is not up for discussion here on my blog. Email me about it if you want but I will not debate here. I would suggest www.Free-minds.org for a good summary and a few articles on this topic.
2. Stephanie: The Quran clearly states that believing women are to cover their chest and wear loose garments so as not to attract undue attention and specifically to mark them as respectable believing women who do not engage in various inappropriate activities. It does not state what garment to use to accomplish this. Khimar just means 'a cover'. A tablecloth for instance is khimar for a table. It is not a specific item and it certainly does not specify a headscarf.
Some translations add veil or scarf and some also include niqab and other items.All of this extra nonsense is an addition to Allahs word. Thats why its usually in parentheses. It is the translator’s interpretation.
This is a mercy and wisdom from Allah as it allows women to use whatever is culturally acceptable to accomplish this (a headscarf , a sari,a loose dress, some kind of coat or w/e), without having to look specifically like an Arab or some other ethnic or cultural group they don’t belong to.
If you choose to accomplish this chest coverage with a hijab, or you choose to wear it for some additional reason, that is wonderful! :)
I thoroughly enjoy wearing hijab actually but it is not requiered to cover the hair or head, only the chest region. Many of the current hijab styles are actually pretty pointless, as they cover that which Allah does not require and yet do not cover the thing they are supposed to! :) Feel free to disagree if you choose but these are the facts. Everything else is a matter of interpretation. It is up to you personally to make your own choice on how to cover, based on what is culturally acceptable and what is pleasant to your eye and comfortable for you. It is not a sin TO wear a headscarf nor is it a sin NOT to wear it.
Mrs. Khan has it right when she says it is only sunnah and that it is her choice. She would be just as correct if she chose to wear a coat or a loose shalwar kameez as many women do. That may actually go over better than the hijab Mrs. Khan, since you say your husbands family is Pakistani and objects to the hijab. Perhaps a shalwar kameez with a dupatta worn across the chest and loosely over the head would be a good compromise if they continue to bother you about it. That being said, if you continue wearing the hijab then I wish you the VERY best of luck and I hope they learn to accept it soon. My experience with my family has been similar. :) I support whatever garment a woman chooses to wear as long as it meets Allahs standards of modesty ( as shown above) and it makes you feel beautiful and happy. No sense in wearing something you don’t like, right? For instance, I favor shaylas and comfy things like jeans and loose hoodies. Everybody is different, as it should be. :)
However, it IS a sin to attribute to Allah what is not stated in the Quran or to make something forbidden that is not forbidden by Allah or likewise to permit something Allah has expressly forbidden, such as the consumption of pork.
Therefore Stephanie, I will NOT state that the *headscarf* is a command from Allah b/c its not and not only did many of the garments women use to accomplish this coverage nowadays *not* exist when the Quran was revealed ('amiras' for instance)but, it is clear from historical documents that the early Muslimahs covered in a variety of ways that suited them and that this was acceptable. I will not follow what the scholars happen to think nowadays at the risk of disobeying Allah and attributing things to him that he did not say. Allah does not run out of words ,nor does he leave things out or forget things.He states things in the Quran a certain way for many reasons. Even if the seas were turned into ink, as the Quran so beautifully says, they would not be enough for Allahs pen.
There is *no* authority equal to or above Allah, I do not associate partners with Allah and I do not allow others to make my decisions for me,including the scholars. I am responsible for my actions and Allah will not accept "but the scholars told me to do it" or anything else as an excuse on Judgment Day.
The best garment for a Muslim of either gender is righteousness(7:26). So, if you or anyone else doesn't like to listen to the truth and would prefer lies or specific interpretations that make you feel more comfortable or fit your cultural preconceptions, I would suggest you go elsewhere. Its as simple as that. :)
I also apologize if this seems a bit curt. I take my faith very seriously and state things plainly as I see them.
I will post WHY I was not wearing the hijab in my next blog entry, which should be sometime tomorrow insha’allah. :)
Insha’allah everyone is having a good day or evening depending on where you’re located and thank you for commenting so honestly on my blog. This post was really meant for my family members and close friends but it is always good to hear others thoughts too. :)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
To English Varangian and those like him.
1. I am NOT an extremist.In fact, I am QUITE the opposite. I am actually what one could consider part of a reform movement in Islam.
"Liberal movements within Islam include Quranists who support western-value human rights and promote reinterpreting Islam as "a belief system committed to the liberal values of a democratic world"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran_alone
So congratulations. You've successfully made an enemy of one of the very few Muslims that AGREES WITH YOU that the extremists need to go immediately. Good job, dumbass. Do you really think a white, American woman ,raised in a military family with a soldier for a husband would be some kind of backwards Wahhabi nutcase? Have you lost your mind?! You could've just asked instead of making a very stupid assumption.
2. You don't know WHAT it is I stand for because, as demonstrated above, you never bothered to ASK. Thats YOUR judgment error, NOT mine. I never said I agreed with everything TeDua posted, I merely stated that he had ALWAYS been polite to *me* and *my* friends and therefore I had no cause to dislike him on a personal level. We are merely friendly acquaintances.
That being said, I detest racism and stupidity of all kinds,which should be perfectly clear by NOW and I HAVE asked TeDua to be more respectful. I would like to warn you however that he is HARDLY the worst of the lot and is indeed mild compared to the extremists. THEY would've filled your channel with "Fuck you and you're going to Hell." while TeDua and I were a bit more tactful. Honestly its a little hard to not get angry when you've done NOTHING WRONG and some self-righteous Brit takes it upon himself to bother you incessantly.
3. I COULD explain to you WHY and HOW the Muslim world got to be the way it is in very logical terms, which you would probably agree with and find enlightening BUT, you don't seem interested.Instead it would seem you would rather make a fool of yourself and insult people.
So, until you're ready to hear the truth of the matter I would request that you take your bullshit elsewhere. Because I certainly have no interest in people playing the victim whilst sitting with their fingers in their ears and pretending to be reasonable when they are NOT in the slightest.
"Liberal movements within Islam include Quranists who support western-value human rights and promote reinterpreting Islam as "a belief system committed to the liberal values of a democratic world"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran_alone
So congratulations. You've successfully made an enemy of one of the very few Muslims that AGREES WITH YOU that the extremists need to go immediately. Good job, dumbass. Do you really think a white, American woman ,raised in a military family with a soldier for a husband would be some kind of backwards Wahhabi nutcase? Have you lost your mind?! You could've just asked instead of making a very stupid assumption.
2. You don't know WHAT it is I stand for because, as demonstrated above, you never bothered to ASK. Thats YOUR judgment error, NOT mine. I never said I agreed with everything TeDua posted, I merely stated that he had ALWAYS been polite to *me* and *my* friends and therefore I had no cause to dislike him on a personal level. We are merely friendly acquaintances.
That being said, I detest racism and stupidity of all kinds,which should be perfectly clear by NOW and I HAVE asked TeDua to be more respectful. I would like to warn you however that he is HARDLY the worst of the lot and is indeed mild compared to the extremists. THEY would've filled your channel with "Fuck you and you're going to Hell." while TeDua and I were a bit more tactful. Honestly its a little hard to not get angry when you've done NOTHING WRONG and some self-righteous Brit takes it upon himself to bother you incessantly.
3. I COULD explain to you WHY and HOW the Muslim world got to be the way it is in very logical terms, which you would probably agree with and find enlightening BUT, you don't seem interested.Instead it would seem you would rather make a fool of yourself and insult people.
So, until you're ready to hear the truth of the matter I would request that you take your bullshit elsewhere. Because I certainly have no interest in people playing the victim whilst sitting with their fingers in their ears and pretending to be reasonable when they are NOT in the slightest.
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