Posts tagged religion.

Inspired by elfsmirk who’s Lent experience jogged my memory of my Ramadan FFF: Forgot [i’m] Fasting Fail

Asked by the-silver-frown

Oh, wow, you give me too much praise for what is an internet dump of interesting aesthetics and, more recently, of playful mockery. Never let anyone stop you from asking questions, esp me, but don’t abuse your teachers [whether they are your friends/peers/co-workers etc]. Do some homework on your own and don’t expect people to always educate you. Although minorities are so use to macro and micro aggressions they will, more often then not, be happy to educate anyone who pays them attention [esp if you are whiter then them]. Acknowledge and understand and take account of it.

Also, get to know your teacher. Religion is a human affair colored by one’s language, culture and experiences. So of course it is deeply personal. If someone let’s you privy to their thoughts, feel honored. This goes for friends or scholars. In the meanwhile you can go to events, use wikipedia, youtube [I have this pretty embarrassing channel: Ask An American Muslim] or read.

As for questions I dislike the most… I secretly dislike the ‘omg how are you so mixed’ as if I planned the whole thing or why I look the way I do—I didn’t plan it and I had very little to do with it [Alhumdullah] and it just makes me feel dehumanized. In real life I am not offended by stupid questions as long as they are sincere and not condescending. 

Hope that helps. And thank you for the great question. ;)

Women have an Islamic right to enter a mosque,
Women have an Islamic right to enter through the main door,
Women have an Islamic right to visual and auditory access to the musalla (main sanctuary), 
Women have an Islamic right to pray in the musalla without being separated by a barrier, 
Women have an Islamic right to address any and all members of the congregation, 
Women have an Islamic right to hold leadership positions and as members of the board of directors and management committees, 
Women have an Islamic right to be full participants in all congregational activities, 
Women have an Islamic right to lead and participate in meetings, study sessions, and other community activities without being separated by a barrier,
Women have an Islamic right to be greeted and addressed cordially, 
Women have an Islamic right to respectful treatment and exemption from gossip and slander.

Women have an Islamic right to be full and complete participants in any and all processes of religious learning, interpretation, and authority.

Speak up. Demand your rights. Stop accepting the status quo. No one is going to change our situation but ourselves. Bring the masjid back to the way it was during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saws). There is no back entrance to the Kaaba, there isn’t a separate room to God. We all have the right to prayer and no one should be prohibiting this, especially ourselves.

— Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

Mausoleum of Mehmet III by christian.senger on Flickr.

— Ali ibn Abu Talib (via poeticislam)