This is a quote from my November 17, 2023 blog:
I must keep my commitments. Last week I promised to speak of my ‘make shift’ Friday prayer. The Believer begins prayer, then listens to a ‘sermon’ offered by the Imam. This is the substitute ‘sermon’ usually provided by the Imam (which for some reason is always a male, except in China and Copenhagen (more about that later). This ‘sermon’ is found in John Renard’s Ph.D. The Handy Islamic Answer Book. The title of this article : How do classic Islamic sources describe what it means to be “authentically human?” The chapter began Over a thousand years ago Abdu Said al-Kharraz (d.c.900) wrote The Book of Authenticity, one of the earliest words of Islamic pedagogy. I urge you to go back to the November 17 blog and read the “Sermon” Introduction.
This next chapter is being brought to you, written during the hours of Jammah prayer at the Medina Prophet’s Mosque How did Kharraz structure his analysis for seekers?
“He (Kharraz) begun by anchoring his reflections solidly in the Quran: Sincerity is the first (principle), as in the following scriptural texts. “Therefore serve God in sincere devotion: does God not deserve sincere devotion?” (Quran 39:2-3) “So call upon God in sincere devotion.” (40.14): “Say, I am surely commanded to serve God in sincere devotion” (39.11); Say, God I serve with my sincere devotion” (39.14); “And mention Moses ion the Book, he was a sincere man, and a messenger and prophet” (19.51) Then comes truthfulness (sidq) “O you who believe, fear God and be among those who are truthful (9:11) ; “If they were true to God it would be better for them” (47:21) (Among believers are) people who have been true to what they covenanted with God. (33.23); “And mention Ismail in the Book. For he was true to the covenant.” (19.54) and (speaking of a covenant with Noah, Abraham, Moses an Jesus) ‘that He might ask the truthful ones about their authenticity” (33:8) As for the quality of patience (3:200); “And if you are patient, it its best for those who are patient to be patient, and your patience is only from (lit.in) God” (16: 126-127); Patiently await your Lord’s judgment, for you are in Our sight (52.48); “And give good news to those who are patient” (2:155)
It id customary during Friday prayer to take a break. Return to prayer and then resume.
“Kharraz explains how his three richly connotative key qualities/virtues apply to (i.e. are essential characteristics of) all actions. Without them no action is complete; acts that depart from them are vitiated and partial. Similarly, nine of these three principles is integral without the other two; if one is missing, the other two are of no avail. Sincerity is incomplete unless there is truthfulness I it and patience accompanying it. Patience is incomplete if it does not encompass truthfulness and sincerity. And truthfulness is incomplete unless it has patience over it and sincerity in it.”
What is vitiated? I did not know, therefore looked it up. The meaning: ;destroy or impair the legal validity of OR spoil or impair the quality or efficiency The origin of the word: mid 16th century: from Latin vitiat- ‘impaired’, from the verb vitiare, from vitium (see vice1).
There is more knowledge and insight provided by this book purchased by me from the Alhambra Bookstore in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada several months ago. The book is enjoying the weather here. The air conditioner in my room keeps the room extremely cold. I am afraid to call engineering because they might make the room too hot. I prefer cold over hot, probably because I was born in Canada. Who Knows? Who cares? I wear sweaters and socks and have a hot water bottle. One could say that I am an anomaly An anomaly is something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. Not sure that I am fond of some of the synonyms: oddity, peculiarity, abnormality, irregularity, incongruity, deviation, aberration, quirk, exception, departure, divergence edge case; rarity, eccentricity. Guess I would not mind being called quirky, or exceptional or rare. I have been called eccentric.
I am enjoying my existence, have a renewed peace of mind, particularly since news of the cease fire. I am not watching the news like a hawk, just feeling a sense of relief, akin to joy, that the cease fire has finally, and I do mean FINALLY happened. I am in the best of all possible worlds, surrounded by the most interesting people, both the Medina Oberio staff and other Oberio guests. The other morning a woman, clad in in a black abaya and hijab, came to my breakfast table.
She: I love your laugh, I came to speak to you. I enjoy it so much.
Me: Thank you! I have the loudest laugh. It was the loudest laugh in London, in San Francisco, in Abu Dhabi, in Edmonton …everywhere I am. It is a strange gift.
We spoke of many things – of cabbages and kings, well not exactly. That was Lewis Carrol “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax— Of cabbages—and kings— And why the sea is boiling hot— And whether pigs have wings.” We spoke of her family.
She: I have two daughters. Both of them are doctors, graduating from the University of Virginia.
Me: That is amazing and wonderful. They have a good mother, encouraging their education. The West is entirely misinformed, believes lies about the Middle East. Women are not oppressed, they are much freer than they are in the West.
She: I graduated from the University of Virginia in 1982.
Me: Wow. Wow and more Wow! I thought that the rights of women were of recent origin in the Middle East. They have been going on for years!!
Our conversation began in the breakfast room but has continued through the auspicious of WhatsApp. It is shared with her permission.
Me: I was actually writing about you in my blog at the moment. I shall not, of course , mention your name. Everyone, but me, retains their privacy.
She: No its okay with me. I am proud of myself. My name is Salaha Abdulkareem
Me: Great! I shall tell of our conversation. And your justified pride in yourself!
She then sent me two stickers of the Kuwaiti flag revealing two Arab men.
Me: Who are these handsome Arab men?
She: One is the Emir, the Ruler of Kuwait. The other is his Prime Minister. I am proud of my country of Kuwait.
Me: You should be! .
I knew of Kuwait. I am now revisiting Wikipedia to bring some information to you.
“Kuwaiti women are considered among the most emancipated women in the Middle East. In 2014 and 2015, Kuwait was ranked first among Arab countries in the Global Gender Gap Report.[187][188][189] In 2013, 53% of Kuwaiti women participated in the labor force,[290] where they outnumber working Kuwaiti men,[291] giving Kuwait the highest female citizen participation in the workforce of any GCC country.”
There is more good news.
Kuwait ranks among the world’s top countries by life expectancy,[296] women’s workforce participation,[291][290] global food security,[297] and school order and safety.
More great news for Kuwaiti residents.
Kuwait has a state-funded healthcare system, which provides treatment without charge to Kuwaiti nationals. There are outpatient clinics in every residential area in Kuwait. A public insurance scheme exists to provide reduced cost healthcare to expatriates. Kuwait has the highest literacy rates in the Arab World. Kuwait has the oldest performing arts industry in the Arabian Peninsula. Kuwait produces more newspapers and magazines per capita than its neighbors. Stellar museums. And Canadians, wait until you hear this? They play hockey in Kuwait.
In case any of you are geographically challenged and need orientation: Kuwait borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia.A prior blog informed the world that Saudi Arabia has better neighbours than Canada and the United States. This has been verified with news of Kuwait. I love being right and winning. A leftover from the long years of being a lawyer.
The day before yesterday was a red letter day which is a special, happy, and important day that you will always remember. That is because I also received the most exquisite of compliments. A story was posted by an incredible young Saudi woman. I shall include the link, it shows me laughing in the Tea Room of the Oberio Hotel. The post read.
A memorable tea time with my new friend Alexis, a writer and former lawyer who embraced Islam about three years ago. We crossed paths at the Prophet’s Mosque one day, and exchanged contacts. Such a friendly, bubbly and kind soul who has so many great and interesting stories to share. She also paid me a visit at work once, Even my colleagues love her! I look forward to meet her again in the future. “
I publicly responded.
Me: That is me!! Having a wonderful time with an amazing young woman. One of the million or so reasons that I am blessed to be of the Islamic Faith. The other HUGE reason its that I am in Medina. Our Prophet’s (PBUH) favorite place. He loved Mecca more than Medina.
One person wrote: 3 years and already in Medina.
Me: I am truly blessed and so full of Gratitude
Here is the Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0AktCWoycG/
Afrina and my conversation continued and shall be the subject of a future blog. It is not difficult to visit her at work. The Prophet’s Mosque is just a short hop, skip and a jump away. She is a volunteer translator. It is actually a very difficult job. You could not pay me to do it. Of course I would never be hired as speak only English. Hahahaha. However, I am rather gifted in the art of sign language.
Hop, skip and a jump means a very short distance.
This portion of the blog is being written on Sunday morning.
I did not want to prick the bubble, the balloon, of the joy of the cease fire by reading about what was actually happening. Forced myself last evening and was Al Jazeera. My report from my favorite correspondent, Marwan Bishara.
He deftly summarizes the complexity of it all. I give you this example.
“Indeed, Israel’s deliberate, industrial-scale murder of the Palestinian people under the pretext of “self-defence” won’t enhance its security or secure its future. Rather, it will produce greater insecurity and instability, further isolate Israel and undermine its chances for long-term survival in a predominantly hostile region.”
This one sentence is a masterpiece.
To paraphrase Israeli diplomat Abba Eban’s infamous quip, Israel “never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity”.
In his usual fashion, Bishara ends strongly.
“Like all other violent intruders, from the ancient crusaders to the modern-day colonial powers, this last colonial entity, Israel, as we know it, is destined to vanish, regardless of how much Palestinian, Arab and Israeli blood it sheds.The Gaza war may turn out to be the beginning of the end, but not for Palestine. Just as apartheid South Africa’s bloody supremacist regime imploded, so will Israel’s, sooner or later.”
Photographs shall include a photograph of Afrina and I taken in the Tea Room on that fateful day. You will notice that she is ‘covered’. A reel will reveal a young beautiful Oberio staff member helping tie my hijab. And another photo of the lobby in my Oberio Hotel Refugee Camp.
