Naeem's Blog

One of the greatest sources of frustrations for many expats living in Saudi Arabia is the closing of stores during prayer times. You may end up waiting almost 45 minutes before the store re-opens. So around the prayer times, it’s not uncommon to see mad dashes to grocery stores and shopping centers, to make that final purchase right before the Adhan is called and the doors are closed. Countless number of times, my family and I made that same dash only to be thwarted by store employees eager to start their prayer break a few minutes early.

At first, I really let these frustrations fluster me. I would get very upset and angry, at having to make my family wait for almost an hour for an errand that could have been completed in 10 minutes.

And this ‘unprofessional’ concept of time is not only witnessed in the malls, it is widespread throughout the Saudi bureaucracy. Paperwork is NEVER accomplished in one day. It’s normal for a 30-minute process to take over a week. Patience is not a virtue over here, it’s a requirement!

So as these tests of my patience continued to occur, I began to internalize these turn of events and discovered a much deeper benefit. I began to loosen my tight grip on controlling my time. I began to realize that I am a slave of time, not the other way around.

As much as we would like, life does not occur at our pace. We occur at its pace. And this realization, that time is out of our control, is a foundational difference between traditional Eastern societies and modern Western society.

Time as defined by modern society is extremely precise. The beginning of their day is at 12am sharp, otherwise known as midnight. Their months are exact. They know which months are 30 days and which ones are 29 (I think February was adopted). Based on this precision, meetings are made, appointments are arranged, schedules are set, and life is controlled.

And then we have the traditional Muslim society who has trademarked and patented imprecision. The Muslim calendar day begins after sunset, whenever that may be. Really, when does that occur? Here in Riyadh, the Adhan for Maghrib is called right when the sun begins to set – with light still overcoming the darkness. On the other hand, back in the states, I always prayed Maghrib when the darkness had taken over and one was certain that the sun had set.

This got me thinking – if the beginning/ending of the Muslim day is so indistinguishable, when would the deadline for taxes be? Would it be Maghrib 'sharp' on the night before April 15th? How does one define that? Also, how would they celebrate the countdown to the New Year with the whole apple-dropping ceremony in Times Square? Wait, that wouldn’t happen in a traditional society.

Similarly, with no concept of midnight, how would Cinderella’s fairy tale have turned out? She would have had a legitimate gripe with the fairy godmother about the exact timing of sunset. I know I would have.

And then there are the issues with the lunar months. The annual moon-sighting problems of Ramadan and Dhul-Hijjah bring to light the inexact science behind the determination of our Islamic months. That we've celebrated Eid on three separate days in a single community demonstrates the absurdity of the situation. However, my purpose is not to pick on deep-rooted scabs of our Muslim societies. I have higher aspirations. (stop snickering)

Upon more reflection, I noticed a profound foundational difference between the two disparate concepts of time. The traditional system has a deliberate connection with nature that requires for man to remain cognizant of his universal surroundings. In remaining dutiful to his Lord, he has no other choice. He is always mindful of the sun and its daily cycle. He is aware of the differences in the prayer times during the various seasons. He is constantly keeping an eye on the moon so as to measure the months. For those interested in fasting the three middle days of the lunar month, they’re looking out for the full moon. The faces of Muslims are always turning towards the sky, turning towards Allah. This constant reliance on their surroundings imbeds respect and reverence for the universe.

On the other hand, many of us have noticed how modern man has lost touch with nature. The environment has ceased to be a sign of Allah. It has become a tool to be raped for the benefit of man and his insatiable greed. The sun and the moon and their orbits are mere discoveries of science, having been relegated to science textbooks. Modern man rarely turns upwards to the sky – his gaze firmly planted on the earth, symbolic of his outlook on life versus the hereafter.

Time has ceased to be measured by the romanticized cycles of the sun and the moon. Time is now measured by the more precise, yet infinitely more impersonal measurement of radiation from the caesium-133 atom. This divorce from his surroundings has eventually led to man becoming estranged from his Creator.

Modern Muslims need to realign themselves with the natural concept of time, not the wristwatch concept of time. We must stop becoming so consumed with time and start concentrating on life. Time is measured in minutes and hours, while life is measured by knowledge and deeds. Time is void of blood relations and social acquaintances whereas life is built upon them.

Having spent time in Pakistan, I noticed a pleasant social trend that would be impossible in a modern society so infatuated with time. Relatives, near and distant, as well as close friends would feel comfortable in dropping by at any time. There was no feeling of intrusion, only of joyful reception. Without the concerns of being at a certain place at a certain time, people are free to enjoy each others company.

Critics would say that it is this exact attitude that has prevented Muslim societies from joining the developed world. Their laissez faire outlook is an obstacle in increasing the productivity of that nation's manpower. I say, if the cost of joining modern society is losing its humanity, its connection to the universe, then traditional society has made the correct choice.

So the next time you're seething in some overseas ministry office or governmental department, having wasted an entire day, running from one place to another, in an attempt to process your driver's license - sit back, align yourself with the universal concept of time, and take in a deep, rejuvenating breath of life.

Just be careful of all that second hand smoke in the air.

I just learned about the one-day Palestinian Security Summit, where 41 countries have convened in Berlin to discuss the need to establish rule of law in Palestine.

“The conference is aimed at improving the Palestinians' police force, judges, courts and prisons.”

So the best and brightest of the world have decided that the most effective way to curtail and control armed militias (comprised of the local disenfranchised population) in the occupied territories of Palestine, is not by increasing employment (unemployment currently at 80%), investing in the economy, improving the educational system, allowing medical supplies into Palestine, or basically any other possible action vaguely representing hope.

But they’ve decided that a stronger police force, more judges, more efficient criminal justice system, and best of all - more prisons are the best solution to the woes of the Palestinians.

Yaay for Western ‘civilization’ coming to the rescue!!

As I was contemplating on the beauty of Sura Fatiha, it struck me how powerful the essential dua'a in the sura is:

"Guide us to the straight path"

We're asking Allah (swt) to guide us to the path of righteousness. But which path is that? Thus Allah (swt) answers in the following verse:

"The path of those upon whom You (Allah) have bestowed Your blessings."

So it’s a path characterized not by ideals or principles, but by the people who embody those very ideals and principles.

It's not the path of the Quran. It's not the path of the Hadith. It's not the path of detailed Fiqh or correct Aqeedah. It's not the path of dry texts and lifeless manuscripts.

It’s the path of living, breathing individuals. It’s the path traversed by our noble elders, who are able to pass along the experiences and life-long lessons of this journey. It’s the path of beacons of light who we are blessed to sit with and learn from. It’s the path of following the good examples and shunning the bad ones.

It’s the path of interacting with society, not the path of isolating oneself.

It’s the path of sitting at the feet of a teacher, not the path of Do-It-Yourself.

It’s the path of discovering and emulating these vibrant gems of society, not the path of mechanically memorizing drab data from bloodless books.

It’s the path of debasing oneself before another (for the purpose of learning), not the path of anointing oneself over another (for the purpose of teaching).

It’s the path navigated by our spiritual forefathers.

Let us all embark on our journey down this path.

By now, you’ve all heard of Obama’s hijab-gate 'scandal' and the apology he personally offered to the two Muslim women. This has really been blown out of proportion. He wasn't the one who pushed aside the Muslim hijabis (it was campaign volunteers). But even if the mistake were to have been made directly by him, he would have made the same apology and life would go on.

Obama is like every other politician and he must pander to public opinion. He is a slave who must serve his master - his media image. And as long as that is the case, he must continue to tippy-toe around the issue of treating Muslims with respect.

But lets say we entertain the fantasy that Obama is some agent for (positive) change. The issue then really becomes holding him to a consistent standard which must include eliminating islamophobia.

The real scandal is America's widespread acceptance of bashing, mocking, and deriding anything Muslim. And since I’m lazy, I’m simply going to link to Jinnzaman’s astute post on the issue.

Enjoy the read!

I need to get this off my chest.

Most of us have gotten the memo that we must take back the lofty ideals of Jihad from the misguided terrorists...yeah, yeah, they've hijacked Islam, they don't speak for us peace-loving Muslims, they are using Islam for their political agenda, and so on. Jihad is not suicide bombing, airplane hijacking, contractor beheading, killing the infidels, crushing the Jews, blah, blah.

Fine, we get that.

But it seems that the only other alternative is itself another extreme. The concept of Jihad now being peddled seems disconnected from the traditional, balanced view. This modernized version has been sculpted to be more palatable to the western world than to the Muslim world.

Jihad is now the struggle of the nafs.
Jihad is the daily struggle to remain Muslim in the west.
Jihad is a purely historical phenomenon.
Jihad has no place in a pluralistic society.
Islam is about Mercy and Forgiveness, not Jihad.

Sure, the overriding message must be one of mercy (didn't Allah (swt) Himself declare that His Mercy overcomes His Wrath?), but has our Islam become so emasculated and emaciated that any talk of Jihad, regardless of the context, is immediately dismissed as terrorism or Islamism?

The choice thus presented to us is either the extremists' version of Jihad or the 21st century version of Jihad.

'You're either with us or with the terrorists' (sound familiar?)

It's gotten so bad that any mention of the word Jihad sends people to instant denunciation mode. Jihad has become taboo. We don't even have the courage to openly declare the legitimacy of the Jihad being waged against American occupation forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

We need to take Jihad back from those intent on watering it down, stripping it from any confrontational aspect, relegating it to the passive realms of inner purification.

Jihad is about justice.
Jihad is about sacrifice.
Jihad is about talking to the tyrant and giving help to the homeless.
Jihad is about fighting oppression, be it economic, political, or religious.
Jihad is about taking back your land, your rights, your humanity from the one who has no right to them.
Jihad is about taking the wallet out of your back pocket, the pen out of your pocket protector, and the sword out of its sheath.
Jihad is about the political as much as it is the spiritual.
Jihad is about the society AND the self.
Jihad is about confronting the forces that are intent on sabotaging Islam.

And its that last statement that makes many Muslims uncomfortable. In this day and age, it’s a bit discomforting to think in such a militant manner, no?

Talk of the ongoing battles between Haqq and Baatil, the forces of Truth and the forces of Shaytaan come off as a bit too 'Lord of the Rings'-ish, no?

But the reality is that never has a time passed when the flag-bearers of righteousness and justice were not confronted and challenged and rejected and fought and oppressed by the forces of greed and injustice.

Is this epic struggle not the way (sunnah) of Allah (swt)?

So what concept of Jihad are we advocating?

Are we remaining faithful to our beliefs when in the process of rejecting terrorism, we end up promoting a submissive Jihad?

In trying to placate the fears of western society, that Muslims are no fifth column, have we convinced ourselves that there is no room for a military aspect to Jihad?

Is military Jihad to be relegated to the outdated backwaters of Islam, with the likes of the slaves, dhimmis, and concubines?

I need to know, is that what Muslims in the West are now promoting?

I've been lazy in updating my site. So I've added a few more noteworthy blogs and websites while removing some dormant ones.

MuslimMusings – written by a female, Muslim lawyer. Talk about three strikes...

Susie's big adventure – an American sister who recently moved to Jeddah.

Muslim Kid – Young brother sharing his struggles growing up Muslim in America

Tabsir – a site with very insightful articles on Islam, but don't get too excited. (see what I just did? I'm so cool)

Alltop - here's a nice site listing a bunch of Muslim blogs, including yours truly.

Here's a special post for the Muslimahs Speaking Up carnival. Yeah, that's all we need...more Muslim women sharing their thoughts. I kid.

Tabsir reprinted an article from the Engage Minnesota which documented the efforts by Rep. Keith Ellison to shed some light on the estranged US-Iran relationship. The piece continued by presenting the various arguments countering the immense disinformation campaign being waged against Iran.

Its really a worthwhile read.

I just wanted to highlight one sentence, which really struck me as noteworthy:

"On August 9, 2005, it was announced that the highest authority in Iran (above President Ahmadinejad) the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa (religious edict based on primary sources of Islam and scholarly thinking) which stated that The production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islam and that the Republic of Iran shall never acquire such weapons."

Seeing that Iran is a theocracy, which means the final say goes to the Ulema (scholars); and

Seeing that Ahmedinajad is a devout Muslim, which means he considers it a sin to act in direct opposition to a fatwa (declared by one of the highest ranking scholars),

Isn't it safe to conclude that in both the political sphere as well as the religious one, his hands are tied??

The media as well as the blogosphere constantly decry and condemn questionable fatwas ranging from those calling for suicide bombings to making a woman a mahrem by drinking her breastmilk to the infamous Salman Rushdie fatwa, but how many have heard of this fatwa, which can arguably be considered the most politically relevant fatwa of our times?

My guess is not many.

Hate is a powerful emotion. It stirs up images of rage and violence. It reeks of loss of control. It places one in a position of arrogance and certainty, distancing one from humility and modesty.

Its one thing to hate on issues of black/white, but really, how many of those are there?

I'm talking about hate when it comes to the gray areas. I'm very cautious in opening my jar of hate on any debatable issue. I reserve my feelings of hate for the truly evil abominations, such as rapists, pedophiles, capitalists, MSM, and the sort.

So when it comes to my relationship with America, I don't consider it love-hate. Its more a like-dislike thingie.

And so, to prove that my recent post on why I can't love America wasn't rooted in any irrational hatred against the US, I decided to counter with a list of reasons why I don't hate America:

Because it's essentially a meritocracy. You work hard, you do well. You slack off, you pump gas.

Because rule of law not only exists but is the societal norm. The exception occurs when the law is broken, as opposed to the other way around. Yes, I realize I’m working with pretty low standards here (read Muslim world).

Because of American higher education. Eventhough their primary and secondary schools suck bigtime, the universities are the best in the world.

Because cleanliness is contagious. Americans have pride in keeping their communities and surroundings clean.

Because Americans are polite. 'Thank you', 'please', 'nice to meet you', holding the door open, letting you merge in, waving as you pass by – all small acts of kindness and politeness which reveal a desire to be nice to their fellow human.

Because the underprivileged and the outcast and the neglected of society are given due attention. Whether it’s the handicapped or the divorced mother of three or the ex-con trying to get his life back, America gives them the opportunity to be more than just a burden on society.

Because their anti-immigrant xenophobia is nowhere close to the levels seen in many European countries. Immigrants aren't cordoned off into ghettos, but are actually given the opportunity to integrate into greater society.

Because Muslims are more free to practice their religion in America than most anywhere else in the world. Sad but undeniably true.

Tried to add more to this list, but struggled to come up with anything else.

Suggestions?

Recently a commenter on this blog was questioned on her choice of screen name (hijabisoverrated) and I wanted to chime in on the matter. I can't speak to the motivations of the sister, but I must say that I agree with the sentiment expressed in the name.

Muslims have for too long missed the forest for the trees. We've become so preoccupied with the minutiae of fiqh, aqeedah, hadith, tafseer that we've missed the greater purpose, living a life to please Allah (swt).

Of course aqeedah and fiqh are important, but they are means to a goal, not the goal itself! Were we merely created to master every minute detail of how to tie our turbans? Will our lives be judged based on how we answer the question, where is Allah?

I remember one Imam saying that we will never achieve success until we get out of the bathroom. He was referring to the incessant focus placed on fiqhi issues, such as going to the bathroom.

Hijab is another one of those issues that we all need to get over. Let's move on folks. Let's talk about wider social issues such as education, standing up for the rights of the oppressed (both locally and internationally), fighting against economic injustice, fighting for international justice, countering secularism and liberalism and their evil sidekick capitalism. And let us stop with this ill-advised obsession with peripheral issues.

Its all about misplaced priorities.
Looking 'Muslim' is more important than Acting Muslim.
Talking 'Muslim' is more important than Walking Muslim.

Outward expressions of superficial value have been given priority to the more substantial realms of inner purification and social activism. And why not? The former are quicker to carry out and easier to judge than the latter.

I believe there is a balance between the micro (individual) and the macro (society). Since we've lost control over our macro, too many of us have relegated our lives to dominating the micro, explaining our imbalanced infatuation with personal expressions of piety, resulting in major bouts of hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

Finally, I'm not as pissed as her, but Achelois has a nicely written rant on a similar subject.

I’ve been seeing highlights of the French Open on the news and I got to thinking. Am I the only one who thinks those skimpy tennis outfits worn by the women are totally sexist?

How come the men get to wear knee-length shorts and short-sleeve shirts while the women have to scamper around in tight-fitted tank tops and ultra short mini-skirts? Do the women get some sort of competitive advantage running around in lingerie? If that were the case, I’m sure the men would be playing in speedos.

I’m not even making some Islamic hijab-based argument for covering up. I’m just talking about wearing the same gear the men are wearing.

Tennis seems to be the only sport that has such clothing-based gender discrimination. Basketball, softball, soccer, track and field – all sports wherein women don the same uniforms as their male counterparts.

And truly indicative of their warped sense of morality, these folks ballyhoo the equal prize money as a sign of advancement in gender equality (eventhough women play three sets while men play five!), all the while ignoring the more sexist clothing arrangements.

Warped indeed!

Many activists talk about women being their own worst enemy in the fight against patriarchy and misogyny, referring to cases where women themselves perpetuate social and cultural norms antithetical to gender equality. Choosing to objectify one’s body surely places one into this category.

These female tennis players are equally guilty of sabotaging the women’s rights movement as the Pakistani mother who forces her daughter to return to her abusive husband in the name of preserving family honor.

Shame on these women and shame on the tennis world (organizers, sponsors, and spectators) for allowing such sexism.

when I invite you to my house for dinner and you have the gall to ask me who else is coming.

And you're a pompous, self-centered orifice in the rear end if your acceptance of my invitation is then *dependent* on how I answer your stupid question.

Please do us both a favor and tell me you can't make it by pretending your kid is sick.

Inspired by Organic's recent post I love America, I put together these thoughts. I can't love America not for lack of trying.

I really want to love America as it’s the closest thing to a home that I have. I can't call Pakistan home as I've never lived there. And no matter how long I live here, I can never call Saudi Arabia home. So America was and has always been my only hope of having a home in this life.

But it just ain't happenin'. I can't get myself to love America.

Because America constantly thumbs her nose at international attempts at global civility. From the Kyoto treaty to the Ottowa Treaty (banning land mines) to the International Criminal Court to the latest effort to ban cluster bombs – she's proven to be a poor citizen in the neighborhood called Earth.

Because Americans so easily allow themselves to be deluded by their leaders, happily choosing to turn a blind eye and instead indulge in their opium.

Because Americans have accepted their luxuriously unsustainable standard of living no matter what the cost to the rest of the world.

Because Americans choose to constantly live beyond their means, riddling themselves with debt beyond comprehension. Crass consumerism gone wild.

Because I read Howard Zinn's "The People's History of the US", a book that every American should read.

Because I watched The Story of Stuff, a video that every American should see.

Because American democracy is a sham that it paradoxically touts as the pinnacle of human civilization.

Because the homosexual way of life is being peddled as an acceptable social norm, as opposed to relegating it to the seedy underbelly of society where it's always resided.

Because of the in-your-face hypocrisy displayed on a daily basis in the world of international politics (Saddam is evil dictator, Musharraf is good dictator).

Because American capitalism sucks. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer (Exxon’s first quarter profit - $11billion, Shell – $9billion...that’s profit in THREE MONTHS folks!).

Because of Gitmo Bay and the entire Chaplain James Yee fiasco (where the government unsuccessfully tried to pin adultery and porn charges on him after their initial charges of espionage and treason failed).

Because America has/had the potential to be a positive force in the world, but screwed it up.

And the list goes on...