I am in such a good mood which has to be a miracle considering these troubled times. I am sleeping so well as there is no traffic on the busy street, there are no people on the street making noise, It is all rather ideal. Then the New Yorker has the funniest article entitled Quarantine Tips From My Cat, and I almost fell off the bed in laughter. I will include some of the tips at the end of this blog.
Contentment is most unusual, given the state of affairs in this coronavirus panic City, but I am , happy and calm. One reason is the absence of Instagram in my life, its absence immediately had a calming effect. Another factor, perhaps a major one, is that, at present, there is no man in my life. Nary a one, well romantic interest man. There might be one lurking on the sidelines but who knows where that is going, or not going. So everyone in the San Francisco Bay Area is tearing out their hair and in a state of panic and I am happy, happy, happy. But a major thought, I suppose one factor is my recent studies into the Islamic faith and the comfort I feel with its precepts. A precept is a principle, rule, tenet, canon, code, doctrine, guideline, working principle, law, ordinance, statute, command, order, decree, mandate, dictate, dictum, directive, direction, instruction, injunction, prescription, commandment; Judaism mitzvah.
This is the basic working principle of equality within the Islamic Faith: “With the advent of Islam, circumstances improved for the woman. The woman’s dignity and humanity were restored. Islam confirmed her capacity to carry out Allah’s commands, her responsibilities and observation of the commands that lead to heaven. Islam considered the woman as a worthy human being, with a share in humanity equal to that of the man. Both are two branches of a single tree and two children from the same father, Adam, and mother, Eve. Their single origin, their general human traits, their responsibility for the observation of religious duties with the consequent reward or punishment, and the unity of their destiny all bear witness to their equality from the Islamic point of view.”
This makes perfect sense, Adam and Eve are branches of a single tree, have a single origin and both have responsibility for the observation of religious duties.
Another interesting way to view men and women is to compare them to a can and a lid.
“Men and women are, so to speak, like a can and its lid, a unity that comprises the thing and its counterpart; one does not exist without the other. When Allah created the first human soul, Adam, He also created from it its counterpart, Eve, so that he would settle and find peace with her. The Almighty did not leave Adam alone, not even (self sufficient enough) in Heaven. Allah’s discourse, whether in the form of prohibition or command, was addressed to both of them: “Dwell you and your wife in the Paradise and both of you freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you both will be of the Zalimun (wrongdoers)”. [Surah 2:35]”
The faith recognizes that men and women are different, and respects the differences.
What all this comes to is that the woman is different from the man, for she complements him and he her. A thing does not complement itself. The Qur’an emphasises that difference: ” And the male is not like the female”. [Surah 3:36] They are as unlike as positive and negative. Yet the difference does not mean that they are adversaries in any sense. They arise from each other and are for each other: “you are from one another” [Surah 4:25] , and “And Allah has given you wives of your own kind”. [Surah 4:25]
The wife is very independent, not subservient as we Westerners believe. “Islam does not ignore the personality of any woman because of her marriage, as in some cultures which attach the woman to her husband in addition to giving her his name. Islam has kept the distinct, independent personality of the woman as it is, and that is the reason we know the Messenger’s wives by their own names.
In addition, her civil personality is not diminished by marriage, nor does it lose its eligibility for making contracts, etc. She can sell and buy, rent her properties, buy properties, donate some of her money, give charity, deputise and dispute. These are matters attained only recently by the western woman, though she is still restricted in some countries by the husband’s will.”
Faithful readers may think that this fascination with the Islamic faith is the result of my ‘relationship’ with the Sultan (aka Crown Prince of Dubai, aka Fazza). But it is not although he does seem to be most observant, unlike his father, the Ruler of Dubai. My Islamic interests arise from conversations with Personal Driver. Personal Driver celebrated his twenty-eighth wedding anniversary yesterday. He was living in the United States but was called home to Pakistan as his mother was ill. When he arrived home he found his mother well but his parents had made the decision that it was time for him to wed. They had found a suitable bride, they met and immediately wed. She did have the right and ability to say no – but she did not – she said yes. They have three children and are most content with one another. I shall meet the family soon, when all of this quarantine stupidity is over.
But to cheer, here are some quarantine tips from Nikki Palumbo’s cat found in the New Yorker.
Get plenty of rest.
Sleep—anywhere. On or beneath the bed, in a sunny spot, under the covers, by the window, upside-down, on the couch, in the middle of the floor, on top of the refrigerator, in the closet, on your back, in a ball, in a box.
Keep active.
Knock a bunch of coins or small bottles off a table to see how far they bounce and roll. Chase your own tail. Sprawl on top of a good book. Get scared by something—anything—and race out of the room.
Bathe regularly.
Clean behind your ears. Now do it again.
Maintain a balanced diet.
Eat small meals, three to fourteen times a day. Dump food onto the floor for variety. Put your entire hand in a bowl of popcorn but then decide it’s not what you want. Steal a piece of turkey from an unattended sandwich.
More tips in the next blog.
