Repost from Muslim Matters: Sex MashaAllah | Muslim Vignettes on Female Sexuality

Sexuality in Islam is usually a very culturally sensitive issue with frank discussions on it being very rare. Although Islam teaches us that there is no shyness when learning about matters related to the religion, cultural taboos make it difficult. 

MuslimMatters discusses a very important topic on the issue of female sexuality in Islam in a manner that I really liked. I feel that this issue is important considering the level of divorce going up among Muslim communities and unhappy marriages. Also, usually on this subject cultural views are given more priority and islamic facts go unread. However we tend to forget that Islam is a religion that encompasses everything and therefore there is no haya - shyness when it comes to matters of religion. 

"Blessed are the women of the Ansar (citizens of Madinah), shyness did not stand in their way for seeking knowledge about their religion." [Bukhari & Muslim]

Sex MashaAllah | Muslim Vignettes on Female Sexuality

(Below is an exercpt; click on the link above to read the whole article)

Disclaimer- this post is meant for a mature audience only as it contains sexually explicit material.

Many men and women in our communities live under the illusion that only men feel desire or have an interest in being sexual, and that women should not or cannot feel attraction, do not experience sexual pleasure, and can live healthy intimate lives without sexual satisfaction for lengthy periods of time.  This leads to misunderstandings and disappointments about wanting sex, initiating intimacy, and/or feeling excitement when sexual stimulation occurs.

This series of articles contains the perspectives of several Muslim women at different stages of life who have grown up and lived in different parts of the world, East and West, and want to share some insights with Muslim men – both married and unmarried – who don't want sexually repressed, bitter spouses and failing marriages.  This is a look behind the scenes to aid understanding of a universal social issue. For the sake of privacy, each writer is identified only by her marital status. May Allāh bless all of us with loving, passionate, and fulfilling intimate lives.

Anti-Niqab activism in Tunisia

I came across this linked video on You Tube. The video is an effort by an anti-Niqab activism group EgaliteParite in Tunisia which is protesting against women wearing Niqab.

What I thought was a bit silly though is the automatic assumption that women who wear the niqab / face-veil are forced. Secondly, it took me a while to overcome the fact that there are people calling themselves anti-Niqab activists considering the Niqab / Face-veil is a cloth worn my Muslim Women to cover their faces for reasons of modesty / culture / religion. Don't they have other things to protests against in Tunisia? Or call for reform for say, education? Why is the Niqab such an important factor for people to dedicate their lives into seeing its removal?

It is a bit hypocritical though as these people who advocate banning the Niqab are taking away the choice of women who choose to wear it, just like I and thousands of women who do so. These same activists group claim to champion "women rights" are in fact, enforcing on other women their own beliefs.

Instead of showing the face-veil in such a degrading manner, steps should be taken to promote tolerance and understanding among communities. Religious discrimination is still discrimination and the world should not turn their head the other way simply because they might not understand the practice or don't know what it means for women who are forced to remove their face-veils.

Snippets from Ibn Al Jawzi: Disciplining the Soul

I have started reading a book by Ibn Al Jawzi: Disciplining the Soul. To be honest, I haven't touched anything spiritually uplifting in a while because of my busy schedule and while browsing some books I had I came across this so I picked it up.

Ibn Al Jawzi was an amazing scholar and I'm very fond of reading his works. This book starts of by discussing the idea of excess desires and I thought I'd post it here:

First and foremost I feel that this book is speaking directly to me. Sometimes I've caught myself doing things like eating too much or some other activity which is in fact in excess when I could be doing something more productive. Like sitting in front of the laptop for too long doing nothing but browsing the internet when I could be reading a productive book.

Annoying Political Posts

For as long as I can remember I've tweeted / posted / written about political and religious issues. They interest me and it is something I like keeping track of. Sometimes they hit home. Sometimes they're things you'd cry about. Sometimes they're things about people in captivity for more than 10 years but no trial. Sometimes they're things about innocent people being massacred because their government doesn't like them. 

All in all, it isn't happy and entertaining stuff. It is reality. Apparently though, some people don't like it when it hits their little bubble. I've had a lot of people / friends who've requested in the past to cut down on my political posts. Some who express their concern for me and others who ask why I don't post "happy" things. Some are genuinely worried and others think I shouldn't be posting such dire stuff.

The world isn't a bubble full of happiness and contentment. There are things that happen to others that are inhumane and not right. As our duty as fellow humans we should share the struggles of these people. We should read and know what is happening in this world. We need to educate our future generations.

I can understand escapism, God know I do it much myself, but flinching away from the brutal happenings of this world isn't going to make it go away. It is better to be prepared and educated instead of your little bubble of food, parties and humour being pinched with a sharp knife. 

Refreshing faith

Faith is something that has the tendency to fluctuate. I've been out of the spiritual loop for a while and I was getting worried because that peacefulness that I would tend to feel just wasn't there. 

Today morning though I met someone who is a convert to Islam from Christianity and we had a long chat about everything. It really boosted my Imaan hearing how she found Islam and how it all made sense. To be frank, it is a religion that completely makes sense especially when compared to other religions. 

You believe in one God, you have no barrier between you and him, you stay away from vices like alcohol and gambling which are things that everyone knows are bad for you, you respect your parents, as a woman you cover modestly and so on. These are just the basics but it makes so much sense because it is absolutely logical. I'm not surprised that there are so many people who become Muslim. 

Obviously as a born Muslim you know these things already but sometimes when you hear converts talking about it, it really hits you again that yes, this is the one true religion and it refreshes your own faith. 

Next time your faith is down, go talk to a revert/convert and hear their stories. :-)

Amal Kassir: BNV Finals: Denver round four

I watched this video a month ago and I absolutely love this girls passion and talent. This is one of those must watch videos that blow you away.

Amal Kassir is a very talented girl from Syria who speaks out in poetry form about what is happening in there.

From the excellent words of Aaidh Qarni

عَسى تَأخيرك عَنْ سَفر خَيـر

 It is highly possible that you being delayed from a journey is better for you

...

و عَسى حِرمآنك مِنْ زَوآج "بَركة"
And it is highly possible that you being deprived of marriage is a blessing

و عَسى طّلآقّك منّ زوجك "راحة"
And its highly possible that your divorce from your spouse is ease

و عَسى رَدك عَن وَظيفة "مَصلحة"
And it is highly possible that you being refused a position is in your best interest

و عَسى تَأخرك و حِرمآنك مِنْ طِفل "خَير"
And it is highly possible that a delay in having a child or being deprived from one is for the best

{وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ.}
And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know(Aayah 216 Al Baqarah)

لأنّه يَعلمْ و أنت لا تَعلمْ ..
Because He knows and you do not know

فَلآ تتضآيق لأي شَيء يحدُث لك لأنه بإذن الله خَير ..
So do not be angry and annoyed for anything which happens to you because by the permission of Allah, it is best for you

 يُقآل ..
It is said

 لا تكثر من الشكوَى فَيأتِيك الهمّ ،
Do not complain excessively, as worries will come your way

ولكِـن ؛
But
آكْثِر من الحمدُلِلـَّه تأتيك آلسعَآدة "
Increase praising Allah, and good fortune will come your way♥