Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas (BAM)

So... I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but this is pretty friggin cool.

In celebration of the extraordinary range of artistic expression in the Muslim world, BAM, Asia Society, and New York University’s Center for Dialogues proudly present Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas. Muslim artists and speakers spanning the globe from as far away as Asia, Africa, the Middle East and as near as Brooklyn will gather for an unprecedented ten-day festival and conference. Through performances, films, exhibitions, talks, and other events—ranging from the traditional (calligraphy, storytelling, and Sufi chanting) to the contemporary (video installations and Arabic hip-hop)—the festival offers New York audiences the opportunity to experience and learn about the cultural diversity and multiple perspectives that represent the Muslim world.

For more info about the event(s) and to purchase tickets, click here.

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BAM is "America's oldest continuously operating performing arts center" with a mission "to be the preeminent progressive performing and cinema arts center of the twenty-first century, engaging both global and local communities."

From their "About BAM" section:

With its first performance in 1861, BAM is a long-standing cultural anchor of New York, particularly Brooklyn. Uniquely situated in the tight-knit neighborhood of Fort Greene, in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, BAM—believing a rising tide lifts all boats—understands that institution building goes hand in hand with community development.

This special obligation to community is realized through BAM’s commitment to serving neighborhood constituencies; rooting itself deeply in the community; reflecting the neighborhood’s unique identity and character; and nurturing a borough teeming with local artistic talent. A central core value is our dedication to neighborhood revitalization, diversity, education, and outreach.

Cultural partnerships with the community development corporation Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation; art and business initiatives with neighborhood economic development organization Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Program; and educational projects with local public housing developments and charter and public schools, underscore our commitment to community development within the sphere of the arts.

http://www.bam.org/

Hadith of the Week 11

It is narrated from Hudhayfa (ra) that he said: Allah's Messenger said: "Do not be conformers who say: `If people do good we shall do good, and if they do wrong we shall do wrong.' Rather, make yourselves ready to do good if people do good, and, if they do wrong, not to do wrong."

[Al-Tirmidhi narrated it and declared it hasan, as stated in al-Targhib and elsewhere]

25 Very Random Things

So I blogged rather than facebooked, but it's cool; I'll fix it up when it's imported, iA...

RULES: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, and/or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under applications on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people including me(in the upper right hand corner of the app), select your privacy setting, then click publish.)

1. I really, really wish I had a nice singing voice.

2. I love talking (on the phone) before going to bed / falling asleep.

3. One of my life goals is to be a character on The Simpsons. No, seriously.

4. I love to write. And I wish I had the guts to show it to people.

5. I like to have a basic knowledge of... everything ("jack of all trades, but a master of none," but I prefer to think I just have diverse tastes in...things?)

6. As a kid, I was scared of snakes, especially in water (thanks, Indiana Jones).

7. I get hurt very easily, but if the offending party genuinely apologizes, I usually end up liking them more than I did before the offense.

8. I fully stand by my statement: "If God had blessed my life with a Muslim Jon Stewart, my life would be complete... unfortunately, He only made one Jon and He made him 'Jon Stuart Liebowitz.' "

9. I also dislike watching TV without multi-tasking. Waste o' time.

10. I need to be involved with community work. Otherwise I feel worthless.

11. My biggest fear as a child (which still persists, a bit) was to fall asleep at night and wake up the next morning middle-aged, unhappy, and "unaccomplished."

12. I love porches and verandas. and swings.

13. I've never broken a bone (alhumdulillah!). Closest I've come is an "almost hairline fracture" (doc's words, not mine) endured during a lunchtime basketball game in 7th grade...

14. I think I would love to be a housewife. I could get so much more accomplished. The only downside may be feeling like a financial burden.

15. I actually enjoy looking at other peoples' family albums.

16. I was a total tomboy as a kid (with the scars to prove it), but I was also a closet-nerd.

17. I have more faith in people than I'll publicly admit.

18. When I was 6, my cousin hit me on the head with a frying pan.

19. I hate when people think anything short of perfection isn't worth pursuing.

20. That being said, complacency also annoys me.

21. While I'm not completely against the idea, I don't really aspire to be a homeowner.

22. I often give advice in the form of "Farah's Life Lesson ####:..."

23. I have been featured in a webcomic (Thanks, Chen!)

24. I'll joke and try to get along with everyone, but those that I truly consider close friends (regardless of how much/little we may talk) are those with whom I can be serious or discuss religion and/or those who push me to do good.

25. I've spent the last 30 minutes pretending to fill out this thing instead of actually doing the homework I have that's due in 2 hours.

Done!

Is Peace Out Of Reach? (60 Minutes, CBS)

Absolute must-watch.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Has peace in the Middle East become nothing more than a pipe dream? As Bob Simon reports, a growing number of Israelis and Palestinians feel that a two-state solution is no longer possible.

The Hijabi Monologues

Really interesting concept; wish I had been able to attend in DC.

Facebook Group

Article

Highlights:

Using real stories from Muslim women, this performance goes beyond the much-debated head scarf and presents a deeper journey into the soul of the Muslim-American hijabi.

"The Hijabi Monologues" takes the visible head scarf and allows the woman wearing it to speak in a personal way.

"The hijab, because of how public it is, it brings out a certain set of assumptions and a certain set of experiences that only women wearing hijab would go through," Ullah said. "It's such a public physical marker, and we've infused so many meanings to it, as if it speaks for the woman.

"Yet we don't really get to hear a woman talk about her experiences and her views."

Reaction to the monologues has been overwhelming, Ullah said. Muslim women have said they found the stories to be realistic and cathartic. Non-Muslims said they felt connected in a way they never imagined.

"DC Muslims Embrace the Environment" By Lester Feder (americanprogress.org)

I really need to get to DC.

I think this article does a fantastic job at highlighting a grassroots effort which is quickly (inshaAllah, alhumdulillah) growing into a more staple movement among, at least, local DC area masajid. May Allah swt grant them success in this life and the next and allow all of us to exemplify this "manifestation of our faith." Ameen.

I highly recommend reading the whole article (when do i not?); it's really pretty short.

Note to self: this is like the 4th awesome movement I've read about in the last week or so with which Imam Johari Abdul-Malik has been working; I should stalk him at ISNA/MANA, inshaAllah (booo no videos on halal tube or books on amazon).

Highlights:

At the dinner’s conclusion, Sarah Jawaid, one of the evening’s leaders, offered a soliloquy on the "Niyyah of Space," applying the Islamic concept of doing something well-intentioned for Allah to questions of the built environment. She urged participants to be “present in the moment so that we are [in] position to see God work in our lives and finally, to look within and find ways to be better protectors of this earth in whatever capacity works for us."

The ADAMS Center, which serves more than 5,000 families, made a goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 10 percent in one year. Located in DC’s sprawling outer suburbs, the center has created parking spaces reserved for carpoolers to encourage congregants to reduce their driving. It has installed solar-powered lights in the parking lot and upgraded to energy-efficient lighting inside. As part of a new extension to the building, the center is now considering installing a wind turbine on the roof, which could even produce surplus electricity that could be sold back to the electric company.

But he stresses that Islamic environmentalism grows organically out of the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. “The Prophet Mohammed said, ‘You do not waste water even if you are beside a river,’” he quotes. “Muslims are the trustees, the ones who pass from generation to generation this way of life.” Taking care of the environment, he says, is simply a “manifestation of faith.”

"Why and How to Learn Arabic for Comprehension of the Quran" - Nouman Ali Khan

Tarique's nikkah friend knows what's up.

SubhanAllah, it seems anywhere I turn nowadays, I keep being reminded to focus on the Quran... I need need need to let go of my ego and overcome my lethargy to finally, properly learn tajweed.

I miss Troy.

JazakAllah khair for sharing, Faycal.

Nouman Ali Khan of the Bayyinah Arabic Institute (www.bayyinah.com) gave this speech in Houston, Texas. He explains the importance of studying Arabic for comprehension of the Quran. And he discusses the pitfalls of many techniques used by students. Finally, he describes the advantages of the methods used by Bayyinah. A must-see for any student studying Arabic to better understand the Quran and Islam.

EDIT/UPDATE: subhanAllah!! I just looked over the website/program that he plugs at the end of his program. The program is designed to help people.... not just learn Arabic, but learn enough that they may get more from their prayer.

DEFINITELY check it out: http://www.bayyinah.com/
Particularly the ONLINE section: https://bayyinah.webex.com/

Bayyinah is humbled and proud to announce the launch of its OLINE INITIATIVE. At this time our online program is designed to review and then advance the studies initiated through the Fundamentals of Classical Arabic, ten evening intensive. The intensive has been taught in numerous communities around the country and now students have a chance to refresh what they originally learned and move on to complete the entire Qur'anic Arabic track.

Hadith of the Week 10

"Faith wears out in the heart of anyone of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your heart." [Tabarani]

Qari Waheed Zafar Qasmi - Faslon ko Takalluf

Stumbled upon this classic naat (religious song in Urdu) by one of my favorite reciters. Plus, I found the lyrics (with translation!) from this guy. Thanks, guy! Tossed in a few edits as well, though (not that my horrible urdu helped anything).

Totally reminds me of singing/reciting during the drive to visit relatives every jummah in Pakistan. Sigh. I should (re)post that article I wrote.

Add in a youtube embed, and we're good to go.

{Faslon ko takalluf hai hum se agar,
hum bhi bebas nahin besahara nahi.

Khud unhi ko pukarengey hum door se
Raaste mein agar paon tak jayengey } 2

Distances, if pretentious to us,
We are not helpless, nor despairing.

We shall beseech Him from afar,
If our feet become weary along the way.

Hum Madine mein tanha nikal jayengey
Aur galiyon mein kus dun batak jayengey (2)

Hum wahan jakey wapas nahin ayengey
Doond te doondte log tak jayengey (2)

Companionless/alone, we shall enter Madina,
And in the streets, we shall be deliberately lost.

Having reached there, we shall not return,
Searching for us, people will grow weary.

Jaise hi sabz Gumbad nazar ayega
Bandagi ka kareena badal jaye ga (2)

Sar juka ne ki fursat miley gi kisey
Khud hi palkon se sajdey tapak jayengey (2)

As soon as the green Minaret is sighted,
The flower of slave-hood shall change.

Who shall have the opportunity to bow their heads?
By their own accord shall prostrations drip from eyes.

Naamey Aaka jahan bhi liya jayega
Zikr unka jahan bhi kiya jayega (2)

Noor hi noor seeno mein bhar jayega
Sari mehfil mein jalwe lapak jayegey (2)

Wherever the Lord's name shall be mentioned,
Wherever His remembrance shall be made,

Light upon light shall fill the chests,
Majesties shall leap among the entire gathering.

Eh Madiny ke zahi Khuda ke liye
Daastaane safar mujko yumad suna (2)

Baat bhar jayegi, dil tarap jayega
Mere mohtat aasoo chalak jayege (2)

O sojourner of Madina! For God’s sake,
Do not tell me the stories of the journey.

The matter shall exceed, the heart left bereaved,
My cautious tears shall flow forth.

Unki chashme karam ko hai iski khabar
Kis musafir ko hai kitna shaukey safar (2)

Hum ko Iqbal jab bhi ijazat mili,
Hum bhi Aaka ke darbar tak jayegeney (2)

His generous vision has knowledge of,
How much each traveler aspires to the journey.

Iqbal! Whenever granted permission,
We too shall visit the court of the Lord.

Faslon ko takalluf hai hum se agar,
hum bhi bebas nahin besahara nahi.

Khud unhi ko pukarengey hum door se
raaste mein agar paon tak jayengey

Distances, if pretentious to us,
We are not helpless, nor despairing.

We shall beseech Him from afar,
If our feet become weary along the way.

"Mistake of The Future Student of Knowledge from the West" by Abdul Sattar

An excellent reminder (and approved by a few friends of mine who have studied abroad!).

Article

Highlights:

In our dreaming about the future, our hoping about studying in the days to come, our planning about seeking this blessed life-giving water, we have completely, utterly, and carelessly neglected to seek knowledge - in the present. In the here, and now.

“Time is the substance of life, the sphere in which man exists, the citadel of his spirit, and his subsistence-him benefitting himself and others.” -Sh. Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah

When there are ‘ulama, organizations, halaqaat in our cities and localities, resources available online with live teachers, so much wealth at our fingertips - how is it that I can profess to want knowledge - yet ignore it when it is laid at my feet? Time is slipping away from you and me, every second, and each second in which we did not seek to learn testifies against our saying: “I love to learn about Allah’s deen.” Each second in which we found some reason or another to say: “I don’t like any of the scholars in my area” is another second that testifies against our saying” “I wish to study Islam”.

It is understandable that many of us have lives to live, rizq to earn, families to feed, and education to gain. However, our spare time, the weeks we have on our breaks, the weekends, those commute times to school or work, those moments in the car, - we have discarded them as if they didn’t exist for the seeking of ilm - precious seconds of life and breath that were gifted to us.

SubhanAllah, this is so so true. Many of us (including myself) endure lengthy commutes on the way to and from work or school. Such times are PERFECT for listening to a 20-30 minute lecture or even just doing dhikr for a bit. May Allah swt help us in utilizing our time beneficially, inshaAllah.

If we understood that that seeking ilm is not a one year, two year or five year oddessy overseas, but a commitment to build our understanding of the deen every day of our lives, we would take the time to organize ourselves, seek a scholar, a halaqa, an organization, a system, that could take us and provide us a better understanding in an organized, methodical, and goal-oriented fashion. We must ask ourselves, “am I truly so occupied that I do not have time (and this is possible), or am I lazy, or do I have so much pride that I do not like the background, speaking style, or opinions of the scholars around me so I will take nothing from them?”

SubhanAllah dear brothers and sisters, so many resources we have that we can have such an experience in our spare time. Let us make the intention to take advantage of them. We have fallen into the trap of seeing the seeking of knowledge as an event, or a phase in our lives, a future endeavor - instead of an obligation, a love, a mision to be undertaken from now until the day that we die. Instead of a process of self-improvement to be sought from today until our last breaths. And in this trap, we have ignored all of the many opportunities to grow in our understanding of His Religion.

As our mentor Imam Suhaib said:

“The way of the salaf was to seek knowledge in their localities, then move out. Waiting to study with scholars overseas could be a sign that one lacks sincerity to the knowledge since, at that point, they may be following their desires instead of following the knowledge. In other words, if one is sincere to the knowledge, he will seek it even in Kansas. In addition, if one loves the knowledge, he will take it wherever he can like Musa. In other words, by failing to use local resources, this could be the greatest sign of spiritual malaise, intellectual deficiencies and riya (showing off).”

"...we should feel the importance of committing the Quran’s words and meaning into our hearts. It doesn’t matter how much you finish - what matters is that your heart is constantly increasing in how much Quran it holds, and that your limbs increase in how much Quran they implement."

Begin to seek knowledge consistently, and constantly, in an organized fashion. Do not simply seek Iman boosts any longer, but begin to seek those things which will increase your understanding of the Deen and place your roots deeper into the ground. Find a teacher in your area and begin learning.

Hi ALIM.

Your motivation:

Imagine standing in Salah in Ramadan during Tarawih, as each verse, each word, opens up its meaning to you and imparts to you the message that your Lord gave to you. Imagine knowing the meaning of the words, and imagine knowing what your Lord is asking you to do as you hear them.

"Getting There from Here: How should Obama reform health care?" by Atul Gawande

Stolen from Hend :)

I <3 Atul Gawande, even if I have no idea how in the world he manages to find the time to research and write these amazing articles on health and healthcare in between his inevitably busy life as a surgeon.

In this piece, he (briefly) explores how other industrialized nations happened upon their own universal healthcare programs, revealing that the change was rarely a sharp policy or ideology shift but rather a transition (often caused by a national catastrophe) which build on a country's existing system. In doing so, he urges us to realize that if universal healthcare is going to be a reality in the US, we have to follow a similar example by building on or expanding our current policies, regardless of how haphazardly put together they may seem. "The [new] system," he says, "will undoubtedly be messier than anything an idealist would devise. But the results would almost certainly be better."

Article

Highlights:

"Every industrialized nation in the world except the United States has a national system that guarantees affordable health care for all its citizens. Nearly all have been popular and successful. But each has taken a drastically different form, and the reason has rarely been ideology. Rather, each country has built on its own history, however imperfect, unusual, and untidy."

"Social scientists have a name for this pattern of evolution based on past experience. They call it “path-dependence.” In the battles between Betamax and VHS video recorders, Mac and P.C. computers, the QWERTY typewriter keyboard and alternative designs, they found that small, early events played a far more critical role in the market outcome than did the question of which design was better."

Hm. Makes me think of The Tipping Point...

"Yes, American health care is an appallingly patched-together ship, with rotting timbers, water leaking in, mercenaries on board, and fifteen per cent of the passengers thrown over the rails just to keep it afloat. But hundreds of millions of people depend on it. The system provides more than thirty-five million hospital stays a year, sixty-four million surgical procedures, nine hundred million office visits, three and a half billion prescriptions. It represents a sixth of our economy. There is no dry-docking health care for a few months, or even for an afternoon, while we rebuild it. Grand plans admit no possibility of mistakes or failures, or the chance to learn from them. If we get things wrong, people will die. This doesn’t mean that ambitious reform is beyond us. But we have to start with what we have."

"It will be no utopia. People will still face co-payments and premiums. There may still be agonizing disputes over coverage for non-standard treatments. Whatever the system’s contours, we will still find it exasperating, even disappointing. We’re not going to get perfection. But we can have transformation—which is to say, a health-care system that works. And there are ways to get there that start from where we are. "

Hadith of the Week 9

Early or late, take your pick.

Anas ibn Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah said to me, 'My son, if you can be without any grudge in your heart against anyone in the morning and evening, be like that.' Then he added, 'My son, that is part of my Sunna. Whoever gives life to my sunna has loved me and whoever loves me is with me in the Garden.'" [at-Tirmidhi]

The Greatest Thing Ever.

Received the following email from a friend.... and I must admit... this might actually be the greatest thing, ever.

I was looking up an AC360 clip when I came across a clip of The Shot featuring THE GREATEST THING EVER. I quickly youtubed the actual clips referred to in The Shot and found this:

Every Friday, if there are no major traffic delays or weather concerns, the hugely talented traffic reporter for WKRC-TV Cincinnati Channel 12 News dances, literally dances, the report. His name is Bob Herzog and he is clearly destined to one day become the greatest network television evening news anchor of all time. But until then, he completes his 5:45 AM traffic reports (sometimes in costume) breaking it down to Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the Block, Billy Idol and Elvis just to name a few. I've linked you to a few of my favorites but I invite you to spend the rest of your winter break youtubing all of these glorious videos as I will certainly be doing.

And to you, oh [local] journalists I ask, why has KOMU not adopted this for their own broadcasts? Surely Dean Brooks needs to be made aware of these advances in journalism taking place in Ohio of all places. Surely Columbia, home to the greatest school of journalism in all the world, should be privy to its own dancing television news program. Please get on this as soon as possible.

In any case, I've never truly wanted a blog or a facebook until right this moment because this must be shared with the masses. So I give you this: Dance Party Friday!!

NKOTB (in which Bob wears a denim jacket):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4MPZJZc5WY&feature=related

Billy Idol (in which Bob literally dances with himself):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMrsjicVBZw&feature=related

C+C Music Factory (in which Bob raps with a co-host):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cJsw-XhDjc&feature=related

The Go-Gos (in which Bob returns from vacation solely for DPF):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQ00_M6MlE&feature=related