Intro/lonely
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Salamun Alaikum
I'm new to this forum. A bit about myself. I grew up in a mixed religeous family but I was a sunni for most of my youth. At pueberty I distanced myself from sunnism because I found as a female, I was treated more as an issue than a member. I considered myself a former Muslim for about half of my life but I never completely removed myself from all the teachings.After college I worked with Somali youth were for the most part al strict Sunni. The girls had to observe hijab at age 1 or 2 and I spent a lot of time fixing them and finding saftey pins. They (and I) were suprised by how much I knew about Sunnnism. Suddenly I was the coolest qaalo ( Somali word for kafir) they knew. My path to true belief began there. It started with Learning Arabic but changed into something much deeper.
I live in Philadelphia which has a huge Muslim population but I still feel deeply isolated. Most Muslims here try to out sunni each other. I want to take Arabic classes at the masjid thats only about 15 blocks from my house and one of the more highly regarded in the city, but they are salafi and all the women are expected to wear Black abayas, jilbabs, khimars and (for married women) niqabs. A few women wear sun glasses in addition to the niqabs.
The men judge themselves by the size and color or thier zeibibas and number of wives. And almost all I have met quote hadith more than Al Quran. I can barely get someone return my salaam unless my hair is covered. It makes for a lonely life.
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Greetings and Peace, all group
@Meemz welcome
Don't worry about popularity; it is a poor trade for Guidance. Have you considered meeting monotheists elsewhere? UU church is full of nontrinitarian Christians (aka monotheists), for example. It may not be the top choice for matrimony (better than ~some~ places )--but it can be a good place to make friends. Don't get boxed in by the past.
There are three primary things that keep me from attending masjids in my town.
(1) I don't believe the same as others who attend believe and don't want to be a cause of discord or conflict. Why go where one is not welcomed?
(2)9107 And there are those who have taken a temple to do harm and cause rejection, and to divide between the believers, and as an outpost for those who fought GOD and His messenger before. They will swear that they only wanted to do good, and GOD bears witness that they are liars.
9108 Do not stand in it ever. A temple that is founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy that you stand in it; in it are men who love to purify themselves. And GOD loves the purified.
(3) ALLAH does not require my worship or anything else, but anything I do, say, or think with the intention of being for ALLAH is for ALLAH alone; why go out of my way to make a public display? Isn't that just another form of taking partners?
Welcome to the forums. ISA you will make some friends on here, even if only online.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.peace
~Abdul-Hadi
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Peace be with you as well and welcome!
aww, i was near Philadelphia just last month!....
I actually just went around near city hall and passed out a version of this flyer
https//docs.google.com/file/d/0BwFbhXgE0EoraWo5UERsWTg3c28/editand don't worry about feeling isolated, thanks to GOd we have the internet to unit...
we're also on facebook
https//www.facebook.com/groups/310518545650653/Recommended readings
God's System of Righteousness (The Reward system for those who are Nice/Benevolent)
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9602900
God's Systems of Guidance and Misguidance
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603904.0
The Original purpose of our creation
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603282.0
~ God's Unconnditional servants ~
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603053
7 "Hells", 2 Heavens, and a "Purgatory"
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603259
Why language is irrelevant!
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603266.0 -
Shalom aleikhem Meemz,
Welcome to the forum.
I hope God guides you to His straight path. I hope you find nice people around you. Yes, it can be very challenging to live under such conditions.
After college I worked with Somali youth were for the most part al strict Sunni. The girls had to observe hijab at age 1 or 2 and I spent a lot of time fixing them and finding saftey pins. They (and I) were suprised by how much I knew about Sunnnism. Suddenly I was the coolest qaalo ( Somali word for kafir) they knew. My path to true belief began there. It started with Learning Arabic but changed into something much deeper.
I find that really odd. I came across some beauty pageant contests for kids. In my opinion, these contests and making a little kid wear full hijab is not nice. It sexualises these kids. They are so young, they do not have to be competing based on attractiveness of physical features or the other extreme of hull on hijab. None of them makes sense to me, and I am deeply disturbed by them both.
I hope God grants you a good life and you hold strongly to his support and strive hard to be on the good side of life.
Peace
----------- Student of Allah -
Welcome! http//www.stormfront.org/forum/images/smilies/beerchug.gif
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I find that really odd. I came across some beauty pageant contests for kids. In my opinion, these contests and making a little kid wear full hijab is not nice. It sexualises these kids. They are so young, they do not have to be competing based on attractiveness of physical features or the other extreme of hull on hijab. None of them makes sense to me, and I am deeply disturbed by them both.
I found it quite disturbing as well. I asked about it since little girls don't have awrah. The response I got was that if they didn't observe hijab until pueberty they wouldn't see the point of it. The teenage girls who had worn hijab still didn't see the point of it. Whenever I had the chance I would kick all the guys out so they could take them off. They loved it! I would braid their hair. One of my pre kindergarden boys told me that if I didn't cover my hair everyone would laugh at me. I found it strange that something so obvious and expected wasn't communicated well at all. Futhermore the expectations for boys (covering from navel to knees) wasn't enforced. What resulted was boys in basketball shorts and girls in jeans, t-shirts full length abayas and shoulder length headscarves in the middle of summer.
