July 25, 2024
This morning at breakfast the television transmitted tawdry snippets of USA politics. The problem with television ‘reporters’ is they have no sense of history. They do not have the time as they can barely keep up with all of the stuff of the world. The very most important decision will be made soon by both the Republican and the Democratic candidates for the Presidency. Their choice of running mates. We would be not seeing Kamala Harris at this time if Biden had not chosen her. At the time I thought it was a ridiculous choice – that Elizabeth Warren would be perfect for the job. However, Joe was not listening to me. Trump please tune in. You should pick Elizabeth Warren as your running mate. She has enough brains for the two of you. Kamala you should pick Michelle Obama as your running mate. That seems unlikely since the Obamas have not endorsed you. However, you could kiss and make up. Probably just on the cheek – otherwise there would be much speculation. Hahaha
July 27, 2024
Read somewhere that Trump did not listen to me, instead of choosing an extremely intelligent Democratic senator he picked a guy of limited intelligence by the name of JD Vance. He is too boring and superficial to require an in-depth analysis. Read another article speculating upon the Kamala vice presidential hopefuls – Michele Obama not listed. Thinking I will just give up and let them do their own thing. Love that phrase. If you do your own thing, you live, act, or behave in the way you want to, without paying attention to convention or depending on other people. Okay Trump and Harris – do what you want, do not pay attention to me. New Headline with new news from Al Jazeera Nod from former US president and first lady Michelle Obama means Harris has won backing of all key Democrats. OKAY maybe someone is listening to me after all. Hahaha
I am so incredibly blessed to be living in a country with no world power aspirations. PHEW. The fortuity of being here at this time and this place! Fortuity is the state of being controlled by chance rather than design. Well, let us put it this way – it was not my design for me to be here but this cannot be chance.
Chance is the occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design. Please note the use of the word – obvious. Allah (SWT) is the greatest of planners. One of His 99 names is AL-MAKIR (The Planner). Quran 13:42 “Those before them did also devise plots but in all things the master plannings is God’s. He knows what each sole does. Those who deny the truth shall soon know for whom is the final abode.”
Effortlessly this leads to the next topic – my evolving prayer practices. .
These past two + month Lexis Suites Stay has brought infinite blessings. The peace, the support of fellow Muslims has enabled me to concentrate on worshiping Allah (SWT). Faithful readers are aware of the beginning days of my reversion to the Islamic Faith. Those pandemic days and nights found me living in living in San Francisco. The mosques were closed and I did not have any Muslim sisters to instruct me in the essential Muslim rituals. – the most essential, of course, is prayer.
I have slowly developed, over the course of the last three years , knowledge of what to do and when. Strangely enough my primary sources have been children’s books, purchased in Medina. These lavishly and cleverly illustrated books have h instructions in both Arabic and English. As well, helpful Muslim friends and acquaintances have provided links to instructive children’s YouTube channels. A wonderful Muslim sister employed working in the Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque gave me my first hands-on instruction in 2022.
Also received hands on instructions, in a Mecca home, from a retired school principal and her daughter.
One absolutely treasured memory occurred during my December 22, 2022 Umbra. I could watch from my hotel window the women gathered for outdoor prayer at the Kaaba. would follow the movements of women in wheel chairs. My knees make it impossible to prostrate – the up, down and all around cycles would not only be painful but also wreck havoc with the ligaments etc etc etc. I have prayed publicly on vary rare occasions. . Will always remember praying with Grandson Hamza’s family in their Medina home. Afterwards Hamza remonstrated;
He: Granny! You hold your hands wrong and your hair was sticking out.
Me: Thank you Hamza. How should I hold me hands?
He: Like this Granny.
I once prayed in the Grand Mosque’s Women’s Prayer Room watching the children play with as their mothers knelt in prayer. It was a precious sight, such a lovely beginning to a life of prayer.
I have no fixed Lexis Suites schedule so I am free to fashion my days and nights around the obligatory prayer times. I pray privately in my room. All Muslim women are encouraged to pray in their homes. Once or twice a Malaysian Sister prayed with me, allowing me to observe her practices. I have also prayed privately with a Muslim man who taught me specific practices adapted to those who are unable to prostrate and must sit in a chair during prayer.
I have slowly adapted to my unique situation and shall describe some of my prayer habits in the hope that they may be helpful to those in the faith. I have observed on the few occasions I prayed publicly or privately with those born in the faith that their prayers are perfunctory. By that I mean carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection. It seemed more an exercise in gymnastics, but, of course, I do not know the inner thoughts of those praying. Once received elaborate instruction, the exact placement of my hands, feet, forehand, knees etc etc. Thought to myself, of course not uttering these words outlaid.
Me: If I had to concentrate on exactly where my hand and feet were during prayer I could not concentrate on who and what I was praying to or about. I am not very well coordinated, not very athletic and cannot concentrate on more than one thing at once. Remember that idiom about walking and chewing gum at the same time? I cannot even walk and chew gum at the same time. That is me. By the way, it is NOT a sign of limited intelligence, quite the opposite
Something happened here I am off topic, so to speak. I was speaking about prayer.
Often the prayers hurriedly muttered by by puritanical Muslims are repeated in a very speedy, almost rote fashion. I am not being critical. As the Quran states in Chapter 109 Those That Deny the Truth: “You have your religion and I have mine.” This could also apply to differences within the faith. This is my interpretation, cannot cite to any authority. Moreover, it needs to be remembered that prayer practices were modeled for mosques with many in attendance, often with a revered man leading others in prayer. Women prayed in mosques during the Prophet’s (PBUH) lifetime. Private prayer can be more individualized, meeting the needs and expectations of the believer. If everyone was doing their own thing during public prayers at a mosque it would be rather chaotic and most disruptive. My prayers can be individualized, I, laughingly, think (and say) that reverts have to pray longer and harder to make up for lost time.
I have individualized my prayer practices in the following manner which I have found meaningful. It is not my obligation to please puritanical Muslims, those that demand strict observance to the rules, no matter what the circumstances nor the individual. They are most frequently impossible to respect or to please. This is a truth: one cannot respect anyone unless you first respect yourself.
Obligatory prayer entails a specific number of rak`ahs. Mercifully, early morning prayer requires only two. I shall now in ordinary Alexis English explain the meaning of rak’ah. (I hope and pray I get this correct.) It is a cycle which includes words of praise, recitation of the first Chapter of the Quran, the recitation of a memorized verse of the Quran and the gymnastics required of one who prostrates. One must be facing Mecca, eyes on the prayer mat.
Quite recently ,when residing in the Medina Oberio Hotel , I made the determination to kneel to pray – five times a week met with Mona, a Muslim Sister hired as a trainer by the hotel. We formed a friendship that has lasted. I am so proud of her accomplishments and determination, I, in turn, inspire her. After leaving both she and the Oberio in late December, gave up on the knee exercises. I am content to sit, concentrating on my thoughts, not my knees.
The second modification is the requirement of the recitation of the Quran. Memorization is difficult for me. Instead I read verses of the Quran. This is possible as 1) my reading does not impact nearby worshippers and 2) I can read. Purist Muslims insist on praying in the exact manner of the Prophet (PBUH) without taking into consideration that Muhammad (pbuh) could not read or write. The Sunni ‘branch’ of the faith allows the use of reason to interpret the Way of Ease found in the the Quran. This is not true in other, shall we say, ’branches’. Salafism, is one example of another branch. Salafism scholars instruct students at the Islamic University of Medina , found to my dismay that the school does not admit female students. Spoke of this here Catalyst Defined: To Be or Not to Be a Catalyst for Female Admission to the Islamic University of Medinah? : Revert Explained; Where am I From?; Examining the Formation of the University Discovers Salafism; Now Egg on My Face: Readers Urged to Sign Petition Allowing Acceptance to the Islamic University of Medinah; Other Possibilities Being Explored; Link to a University Founded by a Woman
Just discovered, totally accidentally, that I just provided the link to the June 24, 2024 blog. Its a miracle, it seems to me
Back to my prayer practices. By reading instead of reciting memorized passages of the Quran I, as the expression goes, kill two birds with one stone. I am becoming intimately familiar with the Quran while pursuing better (for me) prayer practices.
The phrase: ‘kill two birds with one stone’ simply means solving two tasks at the same time or with one single action. The example provided by gingersoftware,com “Whenever I jog, I like listening to English rap music. That way, I kill two birds with one stone; I stay fit whilst I improve my English language skills.”. Also provided was this interesting tidbit. “This phrase is dated back to the Roman era – when they literally killed two birds with one stone.”
Not sure what tomorrow may bring, but at this moment my writing plans include more discussion of prayer practices. Yesterday Trish told me I was to be moved to another room so this one can be thoroughly cleaned. She says it is a better room and I shall have sunrises instead of sunset. This could be a new beginning, We hall see. The first loathsome task is to stuff. I renewed my stay for two more weeks. More about my plans as they evolve.
Finished writing, at point in time on July 28, 2024 leaving for breakfast. While there met a fascinating threesome. A Muslim woman, covered complete with a niqab, her daughter colorfully dressed and her younger brother. Was delighted to learn they were from Dammam, next door to Kohbar where I lived for six weeks. We had a wonderful time chatting. Malak and her daughter Alamoud carefully wrote their names in both Arabic and English – providing me with the Arabic spelling and writing of colors. Although they took a photo of me I did not take one of them. Perhaps another morning.
Photos will include the Arabic and English words as well as the views from my December 2022 Umrah hotel.
