Remembering Malcolm X

Today's the 21st of March and on this very date 43 years ago a man was martyred in the cause of the Truth - I speak of none other than Brother El Hajj Malik al Shabazz (aka Malcolm X).

I'm been reading his autobiography recently, and it is absolutely amazing (it can be purchased from here).

He spoke the Truth with no fear and he really was, and is, a great role model for people who want to make a change for a brighter future - may Allah bless him for all the good he did and all the good he has done after his death. Allah says about the martyrs that they are alive, and as we can clearly see, Malcolm X's legacy lives on and inspires so many people to the straight path even today.

Here's a short video about Malcolm X - enjoy:

I'm back...

Assalaamualaikum,

I promised to keep people updated on what I got up to while I was at Hajj, but as soon as I came back (on the 18th of Jan), I was bogged down with so many things that I just couldn't find the time to write about my experiences.

However, I'm back now (it depends if you see that as good thing or a bad thing) and want to share what happened when I first got to Makkah and to the House of Allah.

We (I mean my family and I) had a 7 hour stay in Cairo before we got to Makkah, and as such were really really tired. I couldn't soak in everything as I was getting used to wearing two pieces of white, unsewn cloth and I was so tired.

We were lucky enough to have an old family friend in our Hajj group, and he had been coming for the past 26 years to perform either Hajj (pilgrimage) or Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage).

I remember walking for about 5 minutes before we got to the beautiful mosque, the marble looked so pure, and the atmosphere was electric - I was finally going to get the chance to see THAT house, I was finally going to see it with my own eyes. No TV broadcasts, no sir, I would get a chance to see the House of Allah for which so many believers in the past have strove to protect. As water washes away dirt, the thought of finally seeing Baitullah (the House Of Allah) washed my fatigue right out.

We entered through one of the doors that was close to mount Marwa (one of the two hills that Hajira/Hajar - the wife of Ibrahim/Abraham peace be upon him - ran on to try and find some water to quech her screaming baby's thirst).

There were so many people - all the men dressed in simple white cloths, no one could tell who was a king and who was a pauper, but they all had one common goal, to follow the Command of Allah.

As we got closer to the House I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up, I hadn't even seen it yet, but I could sense that it was there.

And then I saw it.

And I cried, and I kept crying, throughout the time I spent there that day that is all I did, such was the effect of Allah's House.

When we got to the end of the ritual, the men went to get their hair cut and then we all headed home to change out of our Ihram clothes (I did the type of Hajj where you take the Ihram clothes off after having done the preliminary rituals and then don it again when the 5 days of Hajj begin).

However something weird happened over the next couple of days, I couldn't feel any emotions when I looked at the Kaabah while I was in the Mosque - had I become so impure from within that I couldn't even show thanks, even FEEL thanks?

But that's when I realised - it wasn't that I couldn't feel anything when I looked at the Kaabah - the truth was that I was experiencing a new emotion that throughout my hectic life I have never encountered - sakinah (tranquility).

In the hustle and bustle of today's world where is the chance to just sit and thank Allah? I had all the time in the world to say thank you to Allah, and it was due to this new feeling of trainquility that Allah bestowed every time I looked up at the big beautiful House Of Allah.

There's so much more to say, but if I say it all now I'll need to make a new blog! Instead, from time to time I'll let you know what happened.

Fiamaanallah,

Abu Funza

Back from Hajj

Well I’m back. Truthfully I got back over a month ago but have had so much to catch up with uni stuff that I just I haven’t had time to update this blog. But now good luck getting rid of me for a while! I suppose I should be typing up my promised diary but it was a stupid promise to keep because I hate keeping diaries- it makes me feel foolish (even looking back at these entries make me cringe), and besides any spare time in Saudi was taken up praying, sleeping, looking around, or trying desperately to get my essays finshed.

So an ultra quick summary of my Hajj was that it was the most amazing experience of my life. And I’m not just saying that because as a Muslim it should be- what with all the praying and history etc. And of course that (the praying and the history etc) was a big part of the experience, but what made it for me was all the people there. How even though they were so different, how incredibly friendly they were. And this friendliness came from rich and poor alike. Examples? Between our hotel and the Ka’baa there used to sit a man with hundreds of the juciest dates you ever did see piled in front of him, and as people passed he would offer them. Now what other city in the world would a young woman (or for that matter anyone) accept food from a random man in the street? Or the sight on the street of the not very well-off old man on his prayer mat standing next to a young man without a prayer mat, so the old man turns it around sideways so they can share, even though he’s now standing on the unprotected concrete. Closer to home, my dad must have given away at least twenty prayer mats after praying with people who did not own any. To someone from this part of the world it would be astonishing how willing people were to share EVERYTHING- whether it be the man who saw my brother, father and I wondering why on earth he was spraying into his hat, so insisted dad and my bruv spray some in their’s too and sprayed some on my wrist (and man did it smell nice) or people who would share their food with randommers in the Ka’baa between different namaaz.

The sight of people standing next to each other- poor, rich, sunni, shi’ite, black, white, MAN, WOMAN, (yes you read that right), old, young, colourful Africans, sombre Arabs- all trying to squeeze another person in the lines next to them.

To me, this is what true Islam is- not the debates on how a hijaab should be worn, who was the right caliph, how long a beard should be, and of course not terrorism and causing death in any form (their own or others).

Of course I have a whole host of other memories but I will share them as they become relevant or if I just feel like it. Also photos that would have been here but the computers being dumb so maybe next time.

xxx

Future plans

Will Smith?? At hajj?? I bloody wish. But then again, saying that, what would the likelihood of me actually seeing him be? Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nada. But let’s not be too pessimistic here. 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000001%. Gawd I gotta admit that’d be amazing though. I love that man- he’s given us great films, great music, and great laughs every night when me and my brother watch old episodes of the Fresh Prince. The dude’s a genius. In fact I’m all up for him becoming the first Black President of the United States of America. But that’s another thought and another post. (See how easily I got distracted? Thanks to Abu Funza.)

The reason for me posting is to let you are readers know, that as you may have already gathered, Abu Funza and I are both planning on going to Hajj this year, so we thought we’d do a diary about it. Mine will probably be the bitchy, ihatearabs, isn’t religion quirky? one (don’t I really sound ready to go?) so WARNING if easily offended don’t read. And Funza’s, as a nicer, more tolerant, devout person than moi, will most likely be a more inspirational and religious reading.

I hope your looking forward to them.

It's that time again

Assalaamualaikum all,

'Tis the season to be jolly, and no, I'm not referring to Christmas (although Merry Christmas to all my christian friends out there).

I'm talking about Hajj, and insha'allah this year I'm going to be going for this beautiful journey aswell. It's been hell trying to get the visa, but hey that's bound to happen when you got a a corrupt government handing out visas (and no, I'm not talking about Blair and co. today, but about the Saudis).

But it seems a special someone might be joining me there aswell....

This is from an article from USA Today:

"I'm 38 years old, and I'm just getting an understanding of what life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness means," he says….

He's friends with vocal Scientologist Tom Cruise and attended Cruise's wedding in Italy. Although Smith has learned about the controversial religion, he has not converted to it. He says he's a connoisseur of all faiths.

"I want to go on the hajj to Mecca," [Will] Smith says. "I don't believe in religious separatism. I love people, and I don't believe that the twin towers getting knocked down means all Muslims are bad.

"I was raised in a resurrection Baptist church in Philadelphia, and my grandmother was a devout member of the church. The things that I believe are 90% morally what I learned growing up. But the additions that Jada and I have made — we've travelled around the world."
They have been "to India, and United Arab Emirates, and to Jordan and to Jerusalem. We are students of world religions."

Now I'm not saying that Will Smith is a Muslim (although according to Wikipedia he is - as is Ice Cube :P), but only Muslims can go on Hajj, so you never know...

Well seeing as most of our mosque leaders can only speak urdu or hindi it's good to see that Brother Will Smith is trying to learn how to communicate with them, cos I doubt the mosque leaders will know how to "get jiggy with it" ....

Fiamaanallah,

Abu Funza