Af Somali Lesson
In my “languages I want to learn” list I think the Somali language (Af Somali) is pushing Urdu down to third place. At first I thought the “Af” was just a different pronunciation of the Arabic definite article “al” with the sun letter “Seen” (“S”). So I assumed instead of As-Somali as it would be in Arabic, Somali would say Af-Somali. But according to a Somalian friend, the “Af” means both “language” and “mouth”.
First the Somali alphabet in Roman script: The main differences compared to the English alphabet is that “C” is “Ayn” as in Arabic. “Ayn” is like a constricted nasally “A” which I probably still don’t pronounce all that well. Another difference is that “X” is the Arabic hard “Ha” sound. It’s sounded by taking a normal English “H” sound, constricting the throat more, and sounding it from higher up in the throat—I think. Maybe how an American English speaker might yell when he burns himself: “That’s hot!” And he really stresses the “H” to show how hot the thing is.
Most of the vowels seem to be usually pronounced as long vowels. Although right now I can think of “e” being an exception. So “adiga” (you) is pronounced more like “adeegaa”, as far as I know, and I don’t know much! And “aniga” is “me”.
ha, yes — maya, no — hayya, ok — iyo [eeyo], and
Setahay.
How are you?
Fican.
Good.
Maku hadlo Af Somali.
I don’t speak the Somali language.
Wa baranaya Af Somali.
I am learning the Somali language.
Wa jaclahay … (remember the “C” is actually the “Ayn” sound)
I like …
Ma jaclahay …
I don’t like …
Wa raba …
I want …
Aniga waxn ahay maclam. (mucalam is teacher in Arabic)
I am a teacher.
Adiga waxa tahay arday.
You are a student.
Wan kujaclahay.
I love you.
Wa ku xisay qalbi. (qalbi is “my heart” in Arabic too)
I miss you, my heart.
Gots a new YouTube page
I got a new camcorder, a Canon FS200, so I set up a new YouTube page that will host videos of my stay in Saudi Arabia and other randoms inshallah. Chhhheck it out: http://www.youtube.com/user/ibnbob.
…arahu stagna
{kalla innal insana layatga, arahu stagna. but no for sure man is disobedient because he sees himself as self-sufficient.} from surah al-’alaq.
i see this as applying to the people thinking that they’ll get their provisions from these human-made schemes like gambling instead of trust and obedience to what the prophets, alayhum salam, brought in the bible and quran. in my view society has totally disconnected the idea of obedience to Allah/God from the idea of being provided for, whether food, clothing, or any area of economics really. does not the believer say: ”For us Allah is sufficient, and He is the best disposer of affairs”?
Ohio Voters Approve Ballot Measure to Bring Casinos to State
Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) — Ohio became the 13th U.S. state to allow casinos, as voters approved gaming halls in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
The plan passed by a vote of 1.6 million to 1.4 million, according to the Associated Press. Penn National Gaming Inc., the Pennsylvania-based horse-racing track and casino operator that spent at least $16.4 million promoting the ballot measure, said in an October conference call that it hopes to open gambling venues in Columbus and Toledo by late 2012.
Ya Nasari… Questions I have about Christianity and the Christians
A warning: These might be leading questions to get us thinking! But I do sincerely wonder about each of these questions, and I’m not just trying to be a smart-ass. I would actually like to know Christians’ answers to these. Please feel free to e-mail call me at three-three-zero-704-6796.
1. Can God die? Is Jesus God? Did Jesus die for our sins?
2. Is Jesus the ultimate Savior? Can Jesus save without the permission of God? Does Jesus sit at the right side of God on the thrown?
3. I’ve heard ministers invoke each part of the Trinity in their prayers. Do they invoke the different parts for different occasions/reasons?
4. Do you believe that God is All Powerful? Do you believe the God of All that Exists stayed in the womb of a human and was then delivered and had to be suckled, fed, taught, ate bread, drank water, defecated, and other normal activities that all humans must do?
5. Who talks more about the Trinity in the Bible? Jesus, Paul, or other speakers/authors?
6. Were Adam, Noah, and Abraham righteous servants of God?
Did they worship and call upon God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?
Was Abraham a Christian?
7. Where do the Christians get their information for their holiday rituals and timings? Did/how did Jesus celebrate Christmas, Easter, and Halloween?
8. Did Jesus call himself a Christian?
9. Why does it seem that now Christians (and Christianity?) only hold the first ten commandments of the Bible to be important but not the other commandments?
10. The Trinity seems at face value to contradict the first commandment that we shouldn’t have any deities besides God. How did Jesus explain this perceived contradiction?
11. According to Christian theology, if someone only worshiped God The Almighty, without ascribing partnerships to Him (like a son or mother) in His Lordship, and only thought of God as his savior, and assuming this man lived a righteous life and repented, would he go to paradise or hell?
12. If Jesus was standing here in person should a Christian pray to him or pray to God? If Jesus was standing here in person and he prayed would he pray to God or to himself? If Jesus was standing here in person and he was leading a prayer for us, should we pray to him or to God? If Jesus is God why did he pray at all and what did he pray to in the Gospels?
13. What was Jesus doing when he “fell upon his face”?
Peace and blessings be upon Jesus—The Christ—The Spirit from God—The Master Teacher—’Isa bin Maryam—the one born without a father—and upon all his true followers, and I hope to say nothing about him or his followers that he or God Almighty did not say about them.
Indeed all praises and dominion are do to God Almighty, Who there is no helper except Him. I hope to say nothing about Him that He or His prophets did not say about Him, Glorified and Exalted. And I seek refuge in the perfect words of God The Wise and The Light:
~{From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, but they forgot a good part of the message that was sent them: so we estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the day of judgment. And soon will God show them what it is they have done. * O people of the Book [Jews and Christians and others who've been sent revelation]! There has come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary). There has come to you from God a (new) light and a perspicuous Book * Wherewith God guides all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leads them out of darkness, by His will, unto the light, guides them to a path that is straight.}~
Quran, The Table Spread, 14-16
It’s a spooky culture
It’s a strange culture in which they laugh at who they call God when displayed in cartoons and dress up their children as what they think the devil looks like.
It’s a strange culture in which they dress up in costume to ward off the evil spirits the while they drink spirits categorized under depressants.
It’s a strange culture that claims a modern view yet continues ancient European pagan rituals.
About time to start putting the wreaths and mistletoe up! 
Scholar’s 700-Year-Old Writing Making A Lot of Sense Regarding the Modern ‘Extremist’ Groups of Islam
I just finished reading “Enjoining Right and Forbidding Wrong” by the scholar Ibn Taymiyyah (died 1328 ad), and I felt as though he was alive today speaking about some of the groups terrorizing and killing people, both Muslims and Nonmuslim citizens. As far as I can tell, and from what I hear, these so-called extremist, “islamist” groups are enjoining right and forbidding wrong without sufficient knowledge of the shari’a (law).
He writes, “This group [he's speaking in general] then enjoins and forbids believing that they are in obedience to Allah ta’ala when in reality they are transgressors of His boundaries. In this way, many of the deviant and misguided groups consider themselves to be enjoiners of right and forbidders of wrong such as the khawarrij, and the mu’tazilah, and the raafidha (Shi’a), and others of those who erred in understanding that which Allah gave them in terms of enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and fighting jihad, and other issues. The corruption caused by this kind of enjoining and forbidding is much greater than any good which may result.”
He lays out what exactly the concept of ”enjoining right and forbidding wrong” is, where its boundaries are, its pitfalls and challenges, and its morals and manners. He writes, “Just as Allah has informed us that this ummah (nation) will fulfill this function, He has also made it a collective obligation (fardh kifaya) upon the Muslim Ummah saying:
{Let there be from among you a group which calls to what is good, enjoins the right, and forbids the wrong. These are the successful ones.}
Ibn Taymiyyah writes: “Friendliness and sympathy are the correct way in enjoining right and forbidding wrong. For this reason, it has been said: ‘Let your enjoining of good be good, and let not your forbidding of bad be bad.’”
He goes on later to write, “Thus whenever the adverse effects (mafsada) of any act of enjoining or forbidding are greater than its benefit (maslaha), it is no longer part of what Allah has enjoined upon us, even if it be a case of neglecting obligations or committing the forbidden. This is because it is upon the believer to fear Allah in relation to His slaves, and their guidance is not his responsibility. This is part of the meaning of the verse in which Allah says:
{O you who believe, your selves are your responsibility, those who go astray will not harm you when you stick to guidance.}
But he advises as he quotes Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anhu) admonishing concerning the people who totally left enjoining right and forbidding wrong, including fighting jihad for the sake of Allah, based on the above verse.
“O people,” Abu Bakr said in a khutba, “verily you read this verse [above], and you apply it where it does not belong, for I heard the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalaam) say: ‘Verily when the people see the wrong-doer, and do not seize his hand, Allah is about to inflict them with a general punishment.’”
There’s so much more knowledge in this book that gives a much-needed perspective on current situations, but I’d probably be doing it an injustice by slicing it up from it’s original form. You can download the whole book from a number of sites via Google.
Ya Allah join our hearts under true Islam, under true submission, and protect us from the evil of the Shayateen and from the evil in our selves, and save us as we’re on the brink of fire, and may You purify our hearts from the diseases of racism, tribalism, nationalism, unhealthy jealousy, and unhealthy suspicion of our brothers and sisters. Ameen.
Dawah Material – Hawa vs. Allah’s Law
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem ~ In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
Taking our desires for worship over The One
The one question that every human must ask himself is “What is the point to life?” Is it to make money, succeed in a career, live comfortably, raise children, serve the poor, or just be a good person? According to spiritual scriptures, the point of life is to worship God; The One; the Source of Love, Light and Contentment; or whatever name you call “him”. According to our popular culture, the point of life seems to range anywhere from making money and consuming products to being a well-adjusted psycho-analyzed citizen.
But it is important that no matter how “successful”, “good” or “nice” people are, those who take these cultural desires as their end goals are in the end worshipping these goals instead of God. This is not to say that those goals are inherently evil, but if they are aimed at without the ultimate goal of pleasing God, they are baseless and, if anything, only profitable in this life. And for sure this life is short, with the average lifespan in the US being 78. And the afterlife can be either eternal peace or eternal suffering, as so many of the religious traditions have explained.
It is natural that the human has these vain desires, but the key is how he interacts with them. A scholar Ibn Taymiyyah wrote that there are three categories of people with regard to their vain desires and God’s law: one who acts upon all his vain desires without any consideration of God, one who acts upon God’s law only when it is inline with his vain desires, and one who acts upon God’s law despite his vain desires. That said, every human, by the mere fact of his humanness, will act outside the law, will sin, at times. The key is his returning to God for forgiveness and his resolve to not transgress in the same way again.
As to the people of this society, most of them seem to be in the second category; they want to be “good people” but only as far as their own vain desires will let them. But I wonder where this course will lead the people and what power do these desires have over God in the end, where God The Sublime is the final judge and is well-acquainted with all?
{And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides God as rivals (to God). They love them as they love God. But those who believe, love God more (than anything else). If only those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to God and that God is Severe in punishment.} Quran, 2.165
{Have you seen him who takes his own desires as his god, and God knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after God? Will you not then remember?} Quran, 45.23
STARK ISLAM EFFORT – StarkIslamEffort@gmail.com
Dawah Material – Islamic Vocab
~*~ In the Name of God, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful ~*~
Often great confusion can come out of misunderstandings of words’ definitions. Here we explain the straight forward and simple religion, or rather way of of life, of Islam through some basic definitions as well as verses from Islam’s holy book, The Quran. For more information about Islam, contact your local mosque’s leader, who will be more than happy to speak with you, God willing. Be very careful of Web sites claiming Islamic information. It is always better to contact real, knowledgeable and practicing Muslims. Use www.islamicfinder.org to find a mosque near you. May God reward you for your efforts in learning, and may we all seek The Truth and act upon it, and may God make us of the people of paradise. Ameen.
Allah is the Arabic language’s word for God All Mighty, The Creator, etc.
{Call upon God, or call upon The Most Gracious: by whatever name you call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.} Night Journey, 110
Islam literally means “submission” in Arabic, and that is submission to God. At Islam’s very core is the fact that “There is no deity to be worshipped or prayed to except the God All Mighty.” This is the same as the first commandment in the Bible.
{This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam [i.e. submission to God] as your religion.} The Table Spread, 3
Muslim literally means “one who submits” to God. These are the people from all over the world, from every race, who believe and practice the conviction that “There is no deity to be worshipped except God All Mighty, and that Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
{Whoever submits his whole self to God, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the most trustworthy hand-hold: and with God rests the End and Decision of (all) affairs. * But if any reject Faith, let not his rejection grieve you: to Us [God] is their return, and We shall tell them the truth of their deeds: for God knows well all that is in hearts. * We grant them their pleasure for a little while: in the end shall We drive them to a punishment unrelenting.} Luqman, 22-23
Quran literally means “recitation” and is the holy book that completes the earlier holy books, such as the Gospels, Psalms, and Torah.
{This is the book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who are conscious of God. * Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them [charity for example]; * And who believe in the Revelation sent to you, and sent before your time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. * They are on guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.} Heifer, 2-5
Muhammad is the final apostle who was sent to complete humankind’s religion and came in the tradition of all other apostles, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. His message, like the other apostles, was “No god but God.” Muslims do not worship any of the apostles. Only God should be worshipped and prayed to. Every human has a direct connection to their Creator.
{Say: “We believe in God and in what (revelation) has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve sons of Jacob, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (God) we have submitted (in Islam).”} The Family of Imran, 84
STARK COUNTY ISLAM EFFORT ~ StarkIslamEffort@gmail.com
Wisdom in The Dhammapada
I guess I was sort of a Buddhist before I accepted Islam, and perhaps in some ways I still am, though I wouldn’t call myself so. It depends on how you classify Buddhism or even a Buddhist. A lot of Buddhists say you can continue in whatever religion you claim and still practice Buddhism; they don’t even refer to it as a religion. That said, Muslims sometimes say Islam isn’t a religion, but rather a way of life.
It’s also worth noting that, as far as I heard through listening to quite a few Buddhist lectures, ”real” Buddhists do not worship or pray to the Buddha, but rather revere him as an enlightened teacher, a man who “crossed the ocean” from this world of desires to the enlightened world of total compassion and peace. I think it is important that the fact that the Buddha was a human and didn’t say to worship him (sound familiar?) should be known by the Muslims giving dawah to nonMuslims. Also, prostration (like sujud)—and not to a statue—is performed in the Buddhist tradition. Buddhism is where I first learned about the practice of prostration, which eventually got me thinking that the Muslims weren’t just kissing the ground and that sujud was a deep spiritual practice.
I always have loved the simplicity of The Dhammapada, a book of verses attributed to Buddha. And rereading it after I got into Islam, I realized how “Islamic” the Dhammapada is. I think anyone from any religion or antireligion can get with this book because it’s just so plain and morally straight forward. Of course I’ve read it in English and not the original language, and I’m not sure if the original version is still around. But like with other holy books, aside from the Quran, I hold the Dhammapada at an arm’s length and just take the good from it.
The Dhammapada’s most off-putting ideas to one from the Abrahamic traditions would be the mention of “the realm of the gods” and “the cycle of birth and death.” In reading things with mention of demigods or a “realm of gods” I find that I can usually replace these concepts with the concept of angels. And with the cycle of birth, or reincarnation, I replace that concept with the various “lives” we go through in this body and eventually to the final death and rebirth of the judgment. Again, I keep it all as general wisdom, rather than straight literal fact on the best spiritual path to take. Here’s some verses:
“‘I have children, I have wealth.’ These are the empty claims of an unwise man. If he cannot call himself his own, how then can he claim children and wealth as his own?” – The Fool, verse 3, Dhammapada
“The scent of flowers is carried no farther than the wind allows, neither the sandalwood, tagar, nor jasmine. But the fragrance of the deeds of good men spreads to the ends of the earth, in all directions, regardless of the wind.” – Flowers, verse 11, Dhammapada
“The doer of evil reaps suffering, here and hereafter, in both states remembering, ‘I have committed evil.’ Not only here, but hereafter, he experiences more suffering, because he has gone to a state of suffering.
The doer of good deeds reaps happiness, here and hereafter, in both states remembering, ‘I have done good deeds.’ And there is more joy, because he has gone to a blissful state.” – Twins, verses 17 and 18, Dhammapada
“Some are ashamed of what is not shameful, and shameless about what is shameful. Following such false views, they go to a sorrowful state.” – State of Woe, verse 11, Dhammapada
“A foolish man clings to wrong views, mocks the teachings of the righteous. Such a person reaps what he sows, inviting ruin and destruction, like the fruit-bearing bamboo tree.” – Self, verse 8, Dhammapada
