Blog Archives
Conversations must have boundaries to lift the chaos
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is much worse. –Nigerian Proverb
A companion of Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings, named at-Tufayl was once told, before he had become a companion, that he shouldn’t listen to Muhammad. Don’t listen to him, al-Tufayl was told. He’s a wizard. He’s a magician!
The Prophet’s enemies told at-Tufayl that the Prophet had fragmented the community, that his words were like magic, and that he severed the ties between father and child, between husband and wife. You must avoid him, the community told at-Tufayl.
At-Tufayl said that they insisted and insisted until he decided that he would not hear anything from him, and inserted earplugs so he would not hear a word from him.
Share:
Allahu Akbar: We Love Life
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
Genuine faith sleeps under all that rubble. It helps us to focus and recognize that God is greater than what we see and hear and understand.
Before anything else, I want to condemn the tragic loss of life in Manhattan. To the victims’ families, I would add:
It is with great sorrow and sympathy that we send our condolences to the families and loved ones connected to the tragic event in Manhattan. The shock of unexpected violence and death can bring about bewilderment and trauma, and it is difficult to make sense of let alone bear. We pray that God comforts their souls in this difficult time.
I also want to take time to discuss the phrase Allahu Akbar, which has been misused by those plotting murder, but also used by billions of Muslims throughout their daily lives. We begin each prayer with the phrase “Allahu Akbar.” But what does it mean, and how do we interpret these words in our lives?
I shared something about the phrase “Allahu Akbar” earlier this year. In light of recent events, I would like to share an updated version along with a video. You can see, in the video, the happiness that comes with the nonstop usage of “Allahu Akbar” at the discovery of a child found alive after a building collapse.
That’s because, Allahu Akbar, or “God is greater,” shows a great love of life.
Share:
Blessed Festival of Sacrifice
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
EID MUBARAK (BLESSED EID)
Tuesday, August 21, 2018, Muslims will mark Eid ul-Adha or Festival of Sacrifice. Eid ul-Adha is one of the major Muslim holidays. It comes right after the fifth pillar of Islam called the Hajj or pilgrimage. The Hajj commemorates the life and trials of Prophet Abraham’s family, upon them peace and blessings. Once in a lifetime, every adult Muslim who has the physical and financial ability is required to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, home of the Ka’bah, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, upon them be peace.
The Hajj pilgrimage is an extremely communal event as over two million Muslims, men and women of varied ethnicities and nationalities, dressed in simple white clothing symbolizing the equality of all people, perform identical rituals.
Throughout the day – people make chants or sing takbeerat – praising God Most High and Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings. You can listen to it in the following video:
Eid ul-Adha celebrations are similar to Eid ul-Fitr with the addition of sacrificing a lamb, goat or cow to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, who Muslims believe was miraculously replaced by a lamb, similar to the Biblical story.
However, on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the pilgrims will continue and return to Mina. The Hajj is not complete as there are three days in devotion and prayer left. Ramy al-Jamarat, throwing stones at stone pillars, a re-enactment of Prophet Abraham who threw stones at Satan when he was ordered by God to sacrifice his son and Satan tempted him to disobey God. The slaughter of a sheep after he was prepared to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command. Finally, the pilgrims return to Mecca for a farewell circling of the Kabah or tawaf and re-enactment of Hajar running between two hills to find water for Ishmael or sa’i.
Jeewan Chanicka explained Abraham’s sacrifice in his Hajj reminders with the following words:
But it wasn’t his son that was slaughtered. It was his attachment. It was his attachment to anything that could compete with his love for God. And the beauty of such a sacrifice is this: Once you let go of your attachment, what you love is given back to you– in a purer, better form. So let us ask ourselves during these beautiful days of sacrifice, which attachments do we need to slaughter?
People share the meat of the animal with the poor and needy, relatives and friends.
The day begins with a special congregational prayer followed by a short sermon. People are dressed in their best clothing, and children traditionally receive new clothing as well as other gifts. Food, holiday congratulations, and festivities such as rides, balloons, and other fun activities for children follow the prayers. The holiday lasts for four days during which people usually visit or invite each other.
In conclusion, I want to share Rumi’s Eid al-Adha Poem.
BISMILLAH! (In the name of God!)
It’s a habit of yours to walk slowly.
You hold a grudge for years.
With such heaviness, how can you be modest?
With such attachments, do you expect to arrive anywhere?Be wide as the air to learn a secret.
Right now you’re equal portions clay
and water, thick mud.Abraham learned how the sun and moon and the stars all set.
He said, No longer will I try to assign partners for God.You are so weak. Give up to grace.
The ocean takes care of each wave
till it gets to shore.You need more help than you know.
You’re trying to live your life in open scaffolding.Say Bismillah, In the name God,
As the priest does with knife when he offers an animal.Bismillah your old self
to find your real name.
– Jalaluddin Rumi
I wish everyone in all places at all times a blessed Eid Mubarak. May God accept your good deeds and all your efforts during the blessed month of Dhul Hijjah (the name of the month in the Muslim lunar calendar).
Check the following calendar for prayer services and Eid Activities today and the coming days.
Fedwa Wazwaz is a Palestinian-American born in Jerusalem, Palestine and raised in the US. She was the chair of the Interfaith Relations at Islamic Center of Minnesota. She has completed training in restorative justice at the University’s Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking. She was a 2008-2009 policy fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. She lives in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Follow EngageMinnesota on Twitter
Follow EngageMinnesota on FaceBook
WANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?
If you like this piece, share it on social media. We invite you to join us in this project on our social media sites. We welcome your voice to the Comment section below — or consider writing a commentary, podcast or photo story. (For more information, email engageminnesota@gmail.com.)
Share:
Give in charity
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
“God is in the aide of His servant as long as His servant is in the aide of others…” Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings.
We can fall in despair at the news reaching us that people are hurting all over the world, or we can figure out how we can help.
I recall reading some words of wisdom by Dr. Ingrid Mattson regarding trials and tribulations:
“As Muslims we believe that human suffering is not always explainable or understandable. We do know that innocent people suffer all the time, from sickness and natural disaster, and that in such cases, we are required to do two things: First, pray and remember, as the Qur’an says that “to God we belong and to Him we return.” Second, we must help those who are suffering.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, reported in a Sacred Hadith [Prophetic Saying] that if we want to be close to God, we should visit the sick and feed the needy. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will say, “O son of Adam, I fell ill and you did not visit me.” The person will say, “O Lord, how could I visit you when You are the Lord of the worlds?” He will say, “Did you not know that So-and-so fell ill and you did not visit him? If you had visited him, you would have found Me with him [the hadith continues.”
Likewise, the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said: “Allah is in the aide of His servant as long as His servant is in the aide of others…”
Instead of listing organizations or how you can give, I would prefer to leave it to you to research the best way you can give and motivate you to do so.
Start by asking questions and find out who has more rights upon you when giving.
Who else is impacted with your charity? You don’t want to place yourself in debt when giving or leave people under your trust – without aid and support as well.
What organizations do you trust that you can reach out to?
What else could you do?
What else occurs to you?
Fedwa Wazwaz is a Palestinian-American born in Jerusalem, Palestine and raised in the US. She was the chair for the Interfaith Relations at Islamic Center of Minnesota. She has completed training in restorative justice at the University’s Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking. She was a 2008-2009 policy fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. She is a public speaker and writer and lives in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
WANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?
If you like this piece, share it on social media. We invite you to join us in this project on our social media sites. We welcome your voice to the Comment section below — or consider writing a commentary, podcast or photo story. (For more information, email engageminnesota@gmail.com.)
© Copyright 2005-2017. Fedwa Wazwaz, All rights reserved.
Share:
Security is a human right for all
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
Security is a two-way street. None of us can be secure at the expense of another’s insecurity.
What is security and how do we find it?
A sense of security—in our families, our homes, and our communities—is a basic human need and a human right. None of us is ever completely safe from the unpredictable dangers of our world. At any moment, a storm might blow up, or another driver might lose control of their car. But we do need to feel reasonably protected in our relationships with others, both near and far. We need to feel that the other drivers of this world are staying in their lanes.
What is reasonable protection? Does our security mean building an enormous Humvee, or blocking other drivers from using the road? The concept of “security” can easily become distorted, driving us into an aggressive “security” that makes us progressively less secure.
