I know you’ve felt this way before:  you’ve invited guests to come over and you’re staring at the clock wondering, “When is everyone going to show up?  Do I have enough food?  That person never called me back to let me know if he was going to come… I wonder if he decided on it or not.  Is that someone at the door?  Nope… where is everyone?”

I know this is a common feeling people have because I’ve actually heard people complain about that exact circumstance before.  I’ve even heard people say that it makes them feel unimportant, kind of loserish, and even slightly rejected.

Is that the way a host or hostess should feel?  Someone who is so kind as to invite you over to his or her house?  Apparently not, according to our beloved Rasulullah sallalahu alayhi wasalaam

Abu Hurayrah (radhiyallaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The rights of the Muslim upon the Muslim are six.” It was said, “And what are they Oh Messenger of Allaah?” He replied, “When you meet him, give him the greeting of peace, when he invites you, respond to his invitation, when he seeks your advice, advise him, when he sneezes and praises Allaah, supplicate for mercy upon him, when he becomes ills, visit him, and when he dies follow him (i.e. his funeral).”  [Sahih Muslim]

Imagine that, as a host it is your right as a Muslim that when you give an invitation, your guests respond.  It is your right that if they don’t have a valid excuse, they must attend your invitation.  It is your right that if your guests tell you they are coming, that they come on time. Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine you and a friend sitting on the couch watching TV.  All of the sudden, your friend remembers that she needs to pray.  She jumps off the couch, makes wudu, and comes back into the room.  You, having already prayed, are sitting on the couch continuing to watch TV.  Your friend stands up, faces the qiblah, puts her hands to her ears, and says the takbir.

What do you do?  Turn the TV off?  Or leave it on?  Isn’t having the television on during salaah distracting for your friend?  And wouldn’t it be a courtesy to her to turn it off?  Or do you think that she should just have enough khushoo‘ to concentrate over the TV and that her imaan is strong enough to focus on her prayer.  You, after all, were sitting there first, and were enjoying whatever show was on.  And concentrating on her salaah is her duty, not yours.  You already fulfilled your obligation of praying, so now she must deal with the consequences of waiting, and having to pray in a loud environment.

You’re nicer than that, aren’t you?  And wouldn’t you agree that it’s easier for you to turn off the TV than it is for your friend to concentrate in her prayer?  We all know how hard it is to concentrate even when the room is quiet.

Read the rest of this entry »

Shyea… I wish.

I’m bored.  School is almost done and I need something to do this summer.  Any suggestions? Someone at school wants to be tutored over the summer, but I don’t know if I want to spend more time teaching, preparing lessons, and working around someone’s schedule.  That requires too much productivity, and I don’t think that word goes well with the summer.

Speaking of productivity, this past weekend I was productive with Osman and Hunno.  We painted their nursery   It’s striped!  And it’s also very well done, if I may say so myself… ahem

And speaking of coughs (are we really speaking of coughs, or did I just make a cough sound effect?) I’ve had an annoying cough that hasn’t gone away for three weeks.  It isn’t as bad as before.  Now it only acts up after I drink anything.  One or two coughs and it’s gone, but then it always comes back.

Speaking of coming back, I wonder when Shoaa’s coming back from her honeymoon?  I want to talk to her and see how married life is treating her.  I’m sure it’s sunshine, lollipops and rainbows… insha’Allah.

Speaking of rainbows, it’s been raining a lot lately.   No signs of any rainbows though.  I remember last year after the MIA graduation there was a magnificently beautiful rainbow in the sky.  Fati tried to take a picture of it.  The camera didn’t do it justice.

I accidently ran a red light the other day.  Here in the wonderful state of Illinois there are cameras set up at most intersections just to take pictures of people who violate traffic laws… even the ones who do it accidentally!  I’m scared I’m going to get a notice in the mail.

Speaking of the mail, I flipped through the Meijer circular today.  It was sitting on the kitchen table.  There are a lot of good deals this week!  I wish I could go there and buy some groceries.  But I don’t think we’re in any need of discount cereal and chips.

Speaking of chips, I made myself a lunch–turkey sandwich, pineapple slices and juice.  No chips though.  We only had Cooler Ranch Doritos, and I’m not a big fan.

In the teacher’s lounge one of my co-workers had brought her daughter down into the room from babysitting to eat lunch together.  My friends and I were sitting at one part of the table sharing a bag of chips, and the woman’s daughter wanted some.  We happily gave some chips to the little girl.  The mom told her that was all she was going to get.

After eating her chips, the daughter wanted more.  The mom said no, but the daughter threw a fit.  So the mom caved in and gave her daughter some more chips, again saying that this time was the last.  Of course, the same thing happened at least two more times.  After the third time, the mom finally decided to tell her daughter there weren’t anymore chips… she lied!

Well, after eating her chips, the daughter wanted more.  So she started crying for it, again.  The mom kept telling her the same old lie:  there weren’t anymore chips.  But she finally realized her daughter didn’t believe her, so she turned to me and said, “Can you give her some more chips?”

I was a little annoyed.  Didn’t she just tell her daughter the chips were done?  I actually mentioned that to her, “You told her there weren’t anymore…?”  The mom said, “Yea I know, but she wants it now.” Read the rest of this entry »

Remember last year before I moved to Illinois I started writing tribute posts to people, places and things I loved in Michigan?  One of them was about Meijer, the grocery store.  Well today, I got to reunite with my long lost love.

I had to go to a store in Aurora to return something, and on the way back I was planning on hitting up a grocery store to buy supplies for dinner, which I was planning to make later that day (chicken pot pie, another post, another day).  Anyway, there I was, driving down IL-59, looking out for Aurora Ave to make a left turn, when there it was.  On the horizon like a beautiful tree with red apples.  Only the apples were letters, and it spelled out… Read the rest of this entry »