Strong Imaan

Courtesy of Mamu.

A strong woman works out everyday to keep her body in shape,
But a woman with strong Imaan prostrates in prayer to keep her soul in shape…

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything,
But a woman with strong Imaan shows courage in the midst of fear…

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her,
But a woman with strong Imaan gives the best of herself to everyone…

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids making the same in the future,
But a woman with strong Imaan realises life’s ‘mistakes’ can also be Allah’s blessings and capitalises on them…

A strong woman walks sure footedly…
But a woman with strong Imaan has sabr (patience) when she falls…

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face,
But a woman with strong Imaan wears grace…

A strong woman strives to look beautiful and perfect,
But a woman with strong Imaan knows that she can possess nothing more attractive than the adornment of faith and the beauty of taqwa…

A strong woman has faith knowing she is strong enough for the journey,
But a woman with strong Imaan has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong…

May Allah guide us and help us to be the women and men of strong Imaan, ameen.

Liberation Theology

I was with a friend of mine who is involved with interfaith work. She shared this poem as one that inspires her when doing Islamic work; I think this poem is a wonderful example of how communities of faith share much in common. Although I don’t agree with some of the concepts in this poem from an Islamic perspective, the overall lesson to a worker for God is illuminating.

“Oscar A. Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, in El Salvador, was assassinated on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in a small chapel in a cancer hospital where he lived. He had always been close to his people, preached a prophetic gospel, denouncing the injustice in his country and supporting the development of popular and mass organizations. He became the voice of the Salvadoran people when all other channels of expression had been crushed by the repression.

The following prayer was composed by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw, drafted for a homily by Cardinal John Dearden in Nov. 1979 for a celebration of departed priests. As a reflection on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Romero, Bishop Untener included in a reflection book a passage titled “The mystery of the Romero Prayer.” The mystery is that the words of the prayer are attributed to Oscar Romero, but they were never spoken by him.”

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
Amen.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

- Jalaluddin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Barks

Islamosmileia

Islamosmileia — n. an act or instance of smiling in the face of islamophobia.
move past islamophobia, one smile at a time

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Muslim Heroes During the Rwandan Genocide?

Great piece on how Hutu Muslims saved Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide. Turns out the roving bands of genocidal maniacs refused to enter masjids because they thought Islam was evil. Guess Islamophobia does have its uses.