Saturday September 6, 2025
I just received notification from Nesh.
He: Good morning Alexis. The latest log breakdown is up and live!! How are you today?
Me: Absolutely fabulous. You are getting ahead of me. I just finished the blog responding to the day before breakdown.
He: Amazing!! Love to hear this! Your energy always brightens my day!!
Me: I will send the draft to you. Shamir coming at one. Hilarious conversation and a GIF about that. Will send you GIF for a giggle.
He: Oh yesss. I could use a giggle!! Ahahaha
So I did, with the back story which you have read, if you read yesterdays blog.
It is now a little past noon. I am writing in a Lyf meeting room, playing catch up. Already is is time to define a word and a phrase. A caboose is either: a railroad car with accommodations for the train crew, typically attached to the end of the train OR a person’s buttocks. I think I prefer the railroad car. Hahahaha I am behind, which is a problem as I am supposed to be in the lead. “Playing catch up” means to make a special effort to reach the same standard, level, or position as others after falling behind them, often in a competitive situation like sports or business. “ This is certainly not sports, nor is it really a business.
Well, rather than worry about it, best I ‘get to it”. I am now making a special effort to reach the same standard as Nesh. This particular blog breakdown has received, so far 161 views. The title: Paper Muslims: Bedtime Stories and My Flawed-but-Faithful Umrah.
First of all, I have to say that I am in awe of the photo Nesh selected. I am standing in front of Jabal al-Nur, devotees in the background. I am covered, wearing a Palestinian scarf. I purchased the scarf at an Edmonton Muslim Festival in October of 2022. It was not yet fashionable to be wearing one. I was ahead of my time. I am not laughing, look what happened to make them fashion accessories. Nesh begins.
“This one is personal. It’s about how I came to coin the term “Paper Muslim”, what I learned digging into Malaysia’s Constitution, the jokes I’ve shared about it, and why faith is so much more than what’s written on paper.”
Nesh, what a great beginning. It does make me want to go on reading because of the jokes, and finding out why faith is so much more than what’s written on paper.
“Some things you can’t legislate. Faith is one of them
I’ve been reflecting on what I call “Paper Muslims”” people labeled by law but untouched in spirit. Article 160(2) of Malaysia’s Constitution may tie Malay identity to Islam, but no government can write faith into someone’s heart.
I know one “Paper Muslim’ personally, we joke about it moving him from Paper > Cardboard> Bauxite as he learns more. I even gave him a book for his birthday, hoping to plant a seed. But it reminded me: Real faith education doesn’t start with heavy texts. It starts small. With curiosity.
That’s why I began my Bedtime stories on YouTube, reading, teaching and sharing.
Because faith passed through love and storytelling runs deeper than anything written on paper.”
Now ain’t that the truth. Back to Nesh.
“And yes, I think back on my 2022 Umrah. It was flawed, imperfect. But Allah sees intentions, not checklists. A flawed Umrah with sincerity is worth more than a perfect one without devotion. Alhamdulillah I believe mine was accepted.
The truth I keep learning. Islam is not paperwork, privilege, or labels. It is the quiet sincerity of a heart turned toward Allah. Everything else is decoration.
Swipe the carousel for the full breakdown. And real the full story of the blog. And catch the Bedtime Stories playlist on YouTube (all linked in bio)”
Now I am swiping.
“Paper Muslim Defined
I came across Malaysia’s Article160(2) where Malay=Muslim by law. That shocked me. A government can’t declare someone a believer, faith isn’t on a birth certificate or an ID card, it’s in the heart/ That’s where ‘Paper Muslim” came from.
Legal vs. Spiritual Muslims
On paper, Malays get privileges, education quotas, land rights, opportunities others can’t. But what happens when life ends? What about the afterlife? I can’t help but see the difference between Legal Muslims who hold a titles and Spiritual Muslims who actually live the faith. The second is what matters.
Educating a “Paper Muslim”
I know a Paper Muslim personally. We joke about it, first Paper, then Cardboard, then Bauxite as he learned more. I even gave hm a book on Islam for his birthday because he asked for it. I wanted to help him move from a title to the real thing.
The Silence and the Lesson
For awhile he sent me reflections, even emailed about charity. But then silence. That’s when it struck me: real education in faith doesn’t start with heavy texts, it starts earlier, with bedtime stories, with mothers passing on faith simply and lovingly.
Back to Bedtime Stories
That’s why I began Bedtime Stories on YouTube, reading aloud teaching through simple narratives. Because stories shape hearts long before laws or books do. And it’s a way for me to pass on what I’ve learned, even if it came later in life. “
Nesh, my dear, later in life is an understatement, I laughingly say. I became Muslim on October 20, 2020 at the ripe old age of 77 years and almost 5 months. I do laugh when I see little children, saying to them and their parents that they have been Muslims longer than I have been. There are definite advantages to this. I did lead a wild and crazy life, when such a life was possible without being self-destructive. Birth control, abortions, scarcely any sexually transmitted diseases. The Women’s Movement in the beginning stressed two pathways; Children OR Career. I had determined not to have children at the age of 13 but to have societal blessing on this choice was a blessing. So I was free, independent. My first husband and I went to live in San Francisco during the summer of love in 1967. Divorce is possible and permitted when there are no children – no one suffers. I was abler to further my career – go to law school at night while working all day for the County of Marin, just over the Golden Gate Bridge. Born into a Christian family and properly schooled in the faith I nevertheless became an atheist as the age of 19. The University Alberta offered a course on the Sociology of Religion. I learned, it was absolutely evident that religion was used to oppress the poor and enrich the rich. I do not recall that the curriculum included the Islamic Faith.
Nesh has designed new blog business cards for me. A photo will be included. I am described as being a Writer/Scholar/Feminist/Seeker. That’s me. It was my feminism that brought me to the Islamic Faith, learning that girl babies were being tried alive before the Prophet (PBUH) called a halt to that. It was impressive. The card goes onto say “I share candid reflections on faith, womanhood and transformation through my blog and books.” (Oops, reflections is spelled wrong, I just discovered.). Anyway, back to Nesh’s writing.
“My Flawed Umrah
I shared photos from my 2022 Umrah. It was flawed, messy, not perfect by any means. But Allah knows intentions. A sincere heart matters more than perfect rituals. I believe mine was accepted, even in its imperfection, and that truth keeps me moving forward.
From Paper Muslims to bedtime stories, from imperfect rituals to sincere intentions; ,y journey keeps teaching me that Islam is about the heart. Not paperwork, not privilege. Just truth, intention, and Allah’s mercy.”
My goodness gracious. Instagram just told me that I have had 22.1K views in the last 30 days. It is, to me, totally mind boggling. What is the definition of that? Extremely surprising and difficult to understand or imagine. Or in slang: intellectually overwhelming. a mind-boggling puzzle. emotionally or psychologically overwhelming; mind-blowing.
The QuranFaith.com quote of the day is this “And ‘remember’ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.” (Quran 14.7) I am SO grateful, I am. Every moment of the day I thank Allah for my blessings and the hardships as well. If not for the hardships I encountered I would not be a Muslim.
There shall be a photograph of my newly designed blog card and a photo that led me back to Saudi Arabia in July of 2022. The story can be found on the blog, under the heading The Photo. Perhaps I can convince Nesh to rewrite the entire section.
Just received word from Nesh that my most recent blog breakdown is up. Alhamdulillah
