What It Means - Day 13

"Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret.  Truly He loves not the transgressors."
Quran, 7:55

"Calling upon God humbly and in secret is also an acct attributed to those in dire need in 6:63. All sincere 'calling upon God' entails humility, for it is based upon the realization of one's dependence upon Him.  The Prophet said, 'There is nothing nobler before God than supplicatory prayer (du'a), for supplication is worship'. Calling on God in secret suggests sincerity and lack of hypocrisy in the supplication, for it is not done 'to be seen of men'; see also 19:3 where Zachariah implores God with a secret cry, as well as verses that approve of those who 'fear God in secret', God loves not the transgressors; that is, those who exceed the proper bounds in anything. Both crying out in an unnecessarily loud manner and being excessively long and elaborate in one's supplication are discouraged, according to some.  The Prophet once criticized those who were excessive in supplication, and said, 'It is sufficient for a man to say, "O God, I ask Thee [to grant me] the God and whatever words or works draw me near to it; and I seek refuge in Thee from the Fire and from whatever words or works draw me near to it."'"

What It Means - Day 12

"Truly your Lord is God, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then mounted the Throne.  He causes the night to cover the day, which pursues it swiftly; and the sun, the moon, and the stars are made subservient by His Command.  Do not creation and command belong to Him? Blessed is God, Lord of the worlds!"
Quran, 7:54

"That God created the heavens and the earth in six days is similar in certain ways to the Biblical creation narrative in which God creates the world in six days, but then rests on the seventh. The Quran, however, attributes no such resting to God, for neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep and protecting the heavens and the earth tires Him not (2:255); and in 50:38, mention of the creation in six days is followed by the statement that no fatigue touched Him. For this reason, there is no Sabbath (in the Jewish and Christian sense) in the Islamic tradition. The Quranic account also differs from the Biblical in that it provides no specific sequence for the creation of various phenomena on different days, although some Muslim commentators mention the association of certain days with the creation of various orders of creatures.  In the Islamic tradition, the six days are said to have begun on Sunday and continued through Friday (al-jumu'ah). On this Friday, Islamic tradition maintains that God created Adam and gathered together (jama'a, from the same root as al-jum'ah) all creation, although the name jumu'ah (from the root meaning 'to gather') seems more directly related to the fact that Friday was the day of congregational prayer.  The tradition that Adam was created on this day nonetheless gave Friday a particular religious preeminence in Islam."

What It Means - Day 11

"As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds - We task no soul beyond its capacity - it is they who are the inhabitants of the Garden; they shall abide therein."
Quran, 7:42

"The idea that God tasks no soul beyond its given capacity is an important Quranic assertion found in several verses. It indicates that nothing is asked of a soul that cannot be accomplished, and without overwhelming hardship. Consequently, even the fundamental religious duties of Islam are made easier and less onerous for those in difficult situations; for example, those traveling may shorten their prayers and may postpone a mandatory for a later date; while those seriously and chronically ill may leave off fasting altogether, substituting charitable donations for their fast. This is because God desires ease for you, and He does not desire hardship for you (2:185). For al-Zamakhshari the present verse indicates that human capacity for faith, good works, and righteousness is vast, not narrow or constrained."

What It Means - Day 10

I'm not certain why this popped up in my head this morning, but following my promise to myself to post what I'm thinking about that day (or at least the day I wrote the post, since, as with Proust and the Discography I often wrote the post much earlier and trusted the nano overlords to release it per our agreed upon schedule), but Ramadan starts at sunset on Sunday 5 May.  I'll be turning in my grades that night by midnight so I guess my students won't have a built-in excuse for me grading through harshly based on being weary or grumpy.  It does mean that I'll be fasting throughout the entire Collaborative, although I don't really know what form it's taking this year (or if it has survived), so it will be my colleagues or more likely various and sundry administrators who feel my hungry/sleepy wrath. Last year my good friend Cyndi and a fellow Muslim professor and me out to her house to break the fast on the first day of Ramadan (because she a truly excellent soul). As we were waiting to eat one of my other friends proposed, "You must be really excited about the start of Ramadan?" The Muslim crew replied, unplanned, essentially the same thing at the same time: "Uh, no, not really."  It's not that we didn't appreciate what Ramadan means - and I'll have a lot more to say about that in upcoming posts - but we also clearly weren't that jazzed to get started.  It's truly exhausting, and if you're a convert it also tends to be a very lonely time of year. Nevertheless, I do think I enjoy it more every passing Ramadan, or at least I appreciate it more every year.  One of the central themes which I know will run throughout this year will be my personal struggle between the more internal and external aspects of my faith.  In regards to Ramadan the example would be brothers or sisters who critique you, albeit gently, for not fasting enough hours in the day, whereas to me the much more important issue is what you do with those hours. If it's nothing more than not eating, and calling attention to the fact that you're not eating, then it can quickly become an almost onanistic celebration of yourself, which I would argue is clearly not the point of the entire effort. Having said that, I will be fasting more hours this year.  Technically, we're supposed to fast from the morning prayer, around 3:30 a.m. in the middle of summer, until sunset. I've never fasted that many hours.  During my first Ramadan I woke up at my normal time of 5:30 a.m., quickly ate, and then fasted until sunset.  Then two years ago I started the process at 5:00.  It began at 4:30 last year, and this year I'm setting the alarm at 4:00.  Will there be naps during the day?  Oh yes, most certainly.  However, despite my personal war between the internal and external aspects of the faith I'm also clearly working towards a more "traditional" fast.  Obviously, much more on this later.  As I mentioned above I am writing some of this early (for instance, I'm writing this the morning of 20 February) but I suspect in Ramadan I'll be writing most of those posts "live" to be more in the moment.

What It Means - Day 9

"It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah) that you turn your faces to east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book (Holy Scripture), the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of the love for it, to the kinsfolk and to the orphans and to Al-Masakin (the poor) and to the warfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as Salat) and gives the Zakat, and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient (in severe poverty), and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of truth, and they are Al-Muttaqun."
Muhammad, Hadith

Last year I purchased a multi-volume collection of the Hadith, that is the sayings of the Prophet.  So, sometimes I'll be quoting passages from the Quran, but other times I'll be focusing on the Hadith.  If you would sit through a Friday prayer at any mosque you'd get the same mix of the two.  So, I try to read either the Quran or the Ahadith every day, although, truthfully, I don't always succeed.  One of the nice things about my Kindle is that I have copies of both downloaded so that makes it easier. I chose this one today because I think it nicely supports was I was talking about yesterday.  In this example the Prophet is suggesting that true piety does not relate to questions of which way you face during a certain act, but rather more profound issues such as belief and how you treat each other. I love the emphasis on looking after orphans and the poor and wayfarers; it would be lovely if our most horrible President paid attention to some of these guidelines.

What It Means - Day 8

"The Prophet said, 'A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands.'"
Muhammad, Hadith

I think I already pointed out that I met a fascinating woman in Lisbon when I was there for a conference in December.  She was from Turkey and we spent the better part of a day bumming around Lisbon after the conference.  Among a number of different topics we, I guess quite naturally, discussed the question of faith.  At a certain point she proposed that since I didn't follow some of the basic concepts of Islam that I wasn't truly a Muslim (she didn't mean this in a critical way, and admitted that she didn't think she truly was either).  It did get me thinking about how one even truly defines the concept.  Is it truly just saying the Shadada in the presence of two Muslims (or having recorded on a phone and uploaded onto the Mosque's Facebook page)? Obviously, I would say no, but I don't think I think that it is following every one of the rules either.  Naturally, this gets me back to my struggle between the external and internal elements of the faith.  I think we can get so focused on the rules of the religion (forgetting that they're supposed to be sign posts to head you in a direction, and I would argue, again, that the direction is internal) and forget the more profound elements of the faith. And this brings me to the Hadith (saying) of the Prophet quoted above.  I think to me faith is not a question of how long your beard is or whether you have your hair covered or whether or not you occasionally have a beer, but rather how you treat each other.  It's like the Marvin Gaye song where he reminds us that all God wants is for us to love each other. 

What It Means - Day 7

"He said, "Because Thou hast caused me to err, I shall surely lie in wait for them on Thy straight path."
Quran, 7: 16

"Iblis claims that God has caused him to err, and some commentators have considered Iblis's claim to represent a true statement, albeit one that does not excuse his actions and it may be seen as consistent with Quranic verses that seem to indicate that God 'misleads' certain people or allows them to go astray.  Others held that God caused Iblis to err only insofar as His command to Iblis to prostrate before Adam uncovered Iblis's hidden pride and stubborness.  Nonetheless, this account of Iblis raised profound questions for certain Islamic theologians and mystics.  Some even suggested that in commanding Iblis to prostrate before Adam, God put Iblis in a deliberately impossible position - commanding Iblis to do something He already knew he would not do. Since Iblis, like all creatures, was charged with worshipping and obeying only God, prostrating before Adam would simultaneously represent an act of obedience to God's command and - according to the thinking some commentators and mystics imaginatively attributed to Iblis - a compromise of his obligation to worship only God, since prostrating before Adam would mean bowing to something other than God. The Baghdadi mystic al-Hallaj (d. 309/922) famously imagined Iblis as a sincere lover of God who could not bring himself to bow to anyone other than Him, even on pain of his own ultimate destruction and eternal banishment from his Beloved."

What It Means - Day 6

"Hast thous seen the one who denies religion?  That is the one who drives away the orphan, and does not urge feeding the indigent.  So woe unto the praying, who are heedless of their prayers, those who strives to be seen, yet refuse small kindnesses."
Quran, Surah 107

What It Means - Day 5

"Nothing is heavier in the balance than good character."
Muhammad, Hadith

As I've said I'm mainly going to be talking about what I'm thinking about on a daily basis; so, no great unfolding plan of where this is headed.  At least with the daily ruminations on Proust that I had a structure and a definitive end point because I was working my way through Remembrance of Things Past. While I read the entire Quran, including the extensive commentary included in Nasr's The Study Quran, every Ramadan, I also read bits of the Quran every day (or at least almost every day). Truthfully, the quiet moments spent studying the Quran qualify as my favorite part of the faith, which is probably the best evidence that Islam is a good fit for me because I've never had the same response with my readings of other religious texts (even if I truly enjoyed them). I guess it's also true in regards to Friday communal prayer.  I've never felt like taking off in the middle of the day to drive out to Colchester to attend the midday service was an imposition; essentially, I've never blown it off because I just wasn't in the mood or was busy.  At school I'm always happy to teach a class at any time (and I think my generally churlish behavior is forgiven because I'm always happy to take an 8:00 a.m. class) but my own stipulation is that I can't take a 12:30 WF class because it conflicts with the midday prayer.

If I'm not reading the Quran during the day I'm reading the Hadith, which are the sayings of the Prophet (and they deserve a few blog posts themselves, not simply specific ones but more generally the concept itself). Anyway, the passage above is one of my favorite sayings of the Prophet. I think I like it because it gets to the heart of what I think the faith - and for that matter any faith - should be about: what you do with your faith, how you live it.  And, yes, those actions are a reflection of your character, but I think that character is defined by your dedication to doing the right thing and serving the broader community and being consistently kind to other people, much more than it's defined by rigidly keeping Halal or starting your Ramadan fast on time.

As Nasr tells us in the Study Quran, "The image of a balance weighing good and evil deeds is used in other Quran passages as a metaphor for Divine Judgment.  This image is consistent with repeated Quranic injunctions to weight with justice and integrity in commercial transactions as well as with the larger Quranic theme that God creates all things 'in due balance' and thus 'sets [or sends down] the balance' for everything in the created order."

What It Means: Day 4

As I discussed, this year-long reflection is going to take on a number of different directions, and, truthfully, I have no idea where the hell it's going to go.

With that in mind, I'm including a link to an article that I found on Twitter. Obviously, I'm on Twitter way too much of the time, and I follow many folks from inside the Muslim world. This article, written by Kalpana Jain, shares the thoughts of Hannah Allam, who wrote for BuzzFeed News, on how reporters should report on Islam and Muslims in the US.  It showed up on journalistsresource, org, and I shared it on Twitter and Facebook.  Here's the link. Simply on the level of a discourse on the media and how to report on Islam it makes for an important story, but it also delves into the complexity/diversity of the Muslim experience in America and how it is so often, intentionally and unintentionally, misrepresented.

While you should follow the link and read the article, I'll summarized her points:

1. In seeking the perspectives of Muslims, look beyond the mosques.

From the article: "According to a Pew Research Center survey, 4 in 10 American Muslims attend a mosque weekly.  About 30 percent of American Muslims go to a mosque only a few times a year, and about 25 percent do not go at all." So, when reporters are researching a story and they dutifully start by contacting that Imam at a local mosque they are providing a valuable insight, as compared to simply reporting on what they think is true, but it also is hardly representative of the experience of all American Muslims. What I thought was that while the truly devout may find these numbers troubling, it doesn't make them any less true.  If all the stories represent all Muslims as praying in the mosque then it dramatically oversimplifies the actual world of American Muslims.

2. Before choosing to use an Arabic word in a story, think about why you're choosing it.

From the article: "When reporting on Islam for English-speaking news outlets, many journalists use Arabic terms or other foreign words such as 'Allah,' 'hijab' or 'Sharia.' 'Allah' is Arabic for God, while 'hijab' is not just a head covering; it is a broad term to describe modest dress."

"Similarly, she recommends that reports ask themselves why they are using an Arabic word for God.  It makes sense to use 'Allah' within a direct quote, or within a specific reference, such as a Muslim greeting of 'Inshallah,' which means "God willing,' she says. But in a ore general reference to God, she cautions against using the word 'Allah' just because the story refers to Muslims.  She urges reporters to ask: If a reporter would not use the 'Dios,' the Spanish word for 'God,' when reporting on religion in relation to Latinos, why would they refer to God as 'Allah' in stories about Muslims?  That makes it appear as thought Muslims worship a different God and makes them look like 'the other,' Allam says."

3. Don't overgeneralize.

From the article: "American Muslims are a highly diverse group.  There are many Muslim subcultures, traditions and practices. . . Therefore, says Allam, 'Try to stay away from writing about "the Muslim community."' There's no such thing." Islam is the most diverse religion in the world, and in the US for that matter, so it's difficult, if not impossible, to make statements that truly reflect the lives of all Muslims.

4. Be careful about portraying Islam as a roadblock to personal achievements.

Essentially, if your subjects aren't newsworthy apart from being Muslims why are you writing about them?  A story about the first female Muslim members of Congress is a hallmark, playing basketball while wearing a hijab is not a story.  It is reductive and condescending.

5. Make an effort to include Muslim voices in many types of stories.

From the article: "On the other hand, Allam encourages reporters to include Muslim voices in stories that are not explicitly about Islam.  Quote them in stories about topics other than religion, hate crimes or national security." As Allam points out, 11% of New York City's engineers are Muslims, so why would you not value them as a source in a story about engineers in New York City?

6. Showcase diversity in your image choices, too.

Don't simply use stock footage.  Endless shots of women wearing a hijab or older men praying in a mosque is hardly representative of the Muslim experience.

What It Means: Day 3

This is another repeated posting, also from almost two years ago. Again, I haven't changed anything.  It's just an effort on my part to cull out the number of times in the Quran where "believe" and "righteous deeds" are linked.  That is, we are reminded that these are the keys to the next world.  I guess my argument, which I'll discuss more as the year progresses, is that they're also the keys to this world.


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Not too long ago I wrote a deeply personal post on what I thought Islam was about, which I entitled What It Means, appropriately enough, and with the requisite nod to the Drive-By Truckers album. I will not include another lengthy exegesis (I've included a link instead).  Essentially, my point was that as I work my way through the Quran, which I read throughout the year but obviously much more intensely and holistically during Ramadan, it seems to me that what really matters is faith (and not blind submission; but instead based on thoughtful reflection) and righteous deeds (which is mainly just giving back more, time after time, than you received).  So, I culled out all the times (or at least most - I'm sure that I missed some, in which case I'll go back and amend later) that the two concepts are paired in the Quran, which is, obviously, a lot. It's not as if everything else isn't important, but to me, in its most simple form, what we're talking about is what we can control and what we can't control.  Or, what we can know and what we can't know.

"And give glad tidings to those who believe and perform righteous deeds that theirs are Gardens with rivers running below." 2:24

"Truly those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabeans - whosoever believes in God and the Last Day and works righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord. No fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve." 2:62

"And those who believe and perform righteous deeds, it is they who are the inhabitants of the Garden, therein to abide." 2:82

"Truly those who believe, perform righteous deeds, maintain the prayer, and give the alms shall have their reward with their Lord.  No fear shall come upon the, nor shall they grieve." 2:277

"'And as for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, He shall pay them their rewards in full. And God loves not the wrongdoers.'" 3:57

"They believe in God and the Last Day, enjoin right and forbid wrong, and hasten unto good deeds.  And they are among the righteous." 3:114

"But for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, We shall cause them to enter Gardens with rivers running below, abiding therein forever.  They they shall have spouses made pure, and We shall cause them to enter plenteous shade." 4:57

"But for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, We shall cause them to enter Gardens with rivers running below, abiding therein forever. God's Promise is true, and who is truer in speech than God?" 4:122

"And whosoever performs righteous deeds, whether male or female, and is a believer, such shall enter the Garden, and they shall not be wronged so much as the speck on a date stone." 4:124

"As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, He shall pay them their rewards in full, and will increase them from His Bounty." 4:173

"To those who believe and perform righteous deeds, God has promised forgiveness and a great reward." 5:9

"Truly those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Sabeans, and the Christians - whosoever believes in God and the Last Day and works righteousness, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve." 5:69

"There is no blame upon those who believe and perform righteous deeds for that which they have eaten, so long they are reverent, and believe, and perform righteous deeds, then are reverent and believe, and then are reverent and virtuous.  And God loves the virtuous." 5:93

"Those who believe and who do not obscure their belief through wrongdoing, it is they who have security, and they are rightly guided." 6:82

"As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds - We task no soul beyond its capacity - it is they who are the inhabitants of the Garden; they shall abide therein." 7:42

"But the believing men and believing women are protectors of one another, enjoining right and forbidding wrong, performing the prayers, giving the alms, and obeying God and His messenger. They are those upon whom God will have Mercy. Truly God is Mighty. Wise." 9:71

"Unto Him is your return all together; God's Promise is true.  Verily He originates creation, then He brings it back, that He may recompense with justice those who believe and perform righteous deeds." 10:4

"Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds, their Lord guides them by their Faith. They shall have rivers running below them in Gardens of bliss." 10:9

"Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds and are humble before their Lord, it is they who are the inhabitants of the Garden; they shall abide therein." 11:23

"Those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs in blessedness and a beautiful return." 13:29

"Those who believe and perform righteous deeds shall be made to enter Gardens with rivers running below, abiding therein by the leave of their Lord.  Their greeting therein shall be, 'Peace!'" 14:23

"Whosoever works righteousness, whether male or female, and is a believer, We shall give them new life, a good life, and We shall surely render unto them their reward in accordance with the best of that which they used to do." 16:97

"Truly this Quran guides toward that which is most upright, and gives glad tidings to the believers who perform righteous deeds that theirs shall be a great reward." 17:9

"Praise be to God, Who sent down the Book unto His servant, and placed no crookedness therein, upright that He may warn of a great might coming from His Presence and give glad tidings unto the believers who perform righteous deeds that theirs shall be a beautiful reward . . ." 18:1-2

"As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, surely We neglect not the reward of one who is virtuous in deed." 18:30

"But as for the one who believes and works righteousness, he shall have a reward, that which is most beautiful, and we shall speak unto him that which is easy from our command." 18:88

"Those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be the Gardens of Paradise as a welcome." 18:107

"Then they were succeeded by a generation who neglected prayer and followed their desires. So they shall meet [the reward of] error, save for those who repent and believe and work righteousness.  It is they who shall enter the Garden, and they shall not be wronged in the least." 19:59-60

"Surely those who  believe and perform righteous deeds, for them shall the Compassionate ordain love." 19:96

"But whosoever comes unto Him as a believer, having performed righteous deeds, theirs shall be the highest ranks - Gardens of Eden with rivers running below, abiding therein.  That is the recompense of one who purifies himself." 20:75-76

"And surely I am most forgiving toward the one who repents and believes and works righteousness, and thereafter is rightly guided." 20:82

"But whosoever performs righteous deeds and it a believer, he shall fear neither wrong nor deprivation." 20:112

"And whosoever performs righteous deeds and is a believer, there shall be no ingratitude for his endeavor, and surely We shall write [it] down for him." 21:94

"Truly God will cause those who believe and perform righteous deeds to enter Gardens with rivers running below." 22:14

"Truly God will cause those who believe and perform righteous deeds to enter Gardens with rivers running below, adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl, and therein their clothes will be of silk. And they shall be guided unto that which is good in speech, and be guided unto the path of the Praised." 22:23

"And as for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be forgiveness and a generous provision." 22:50

"Sovereignty that Day shall be God's.  He will judge between them, and those who believe and perform righteous deeds shall be in a Garden of bliss." 22:56

"God has promised those among you who believe and perform righteous deeds that He will surely make them viceregents upon the earth, as He caused those before them to be viceregents, and that He will establish for them their religion, which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change them from a state of fear to [one of] security." 24:55

"He shall abide therein, humiliated, save for those who repent and believe and perform righteous deeds. For them, God will replace their evil deeds with good deeds, and God is Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever has repented and works righteousness does indeed repent to God with true repentance." 25:69-71

"And as for the poets, the errant follow them. Hast thou not considered that they wander in every valley, and that they say what they do not do? Not so those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and remember God much, and help one another after having been wronged." 26:224-227

"As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be Gardens of refuge, as a welcome for that which they used to do." 32:19

"Those who disbelieve say, 'The Hour will never come upon us.' Say, 'Nay! By my Lord, by the Knower of the Unseen, it will surely come unto you.' Not a mote's weight evades Him in the heavens or on the earth, nor smaller than that, nor larger, but that it is in a clear Book, that He may recompense those who believe and perform righteous deeds; theirs shall be forgiveness and a generous provision." 34:3-4

"He said, 'He has indeed wronged you in asking that your ewe be added to his ewes. Truly many associates transgress against one another, save those who believe and perform righteous deeds. Yet how few are they!' And David understood that We had tried him; so he sought forgiveness from his Lord, fell down kneeling, and repented." 38:24

"And We did not create Heaven and earth and whatsoever is between them in vain; that is the conjecture of those who disbelieve.  So woe before the Fire unto those who disbelieve! Or shall We make those who believe and perform righteous deeds like those who work corruption upon the earth? Or shall We make the reverent like the profligate?" 38:27-28

"And the blind and the seer are not equal; nor are those who believe and perform righteous deeds and the evildoer. Little do you reflect!" 40:58

"Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be a reward unceasing." 41:8

"And who is more beautiful in speech than one who calls unto God, works righteousness, and says, 'Truly I am among those who submit'? The good deed and the evil deed are not equal.  Repel by that which is better; then behold the one between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal, protecting friend." 41:33-34

"Thou seest the wrongdoers wary of that which they have earned; for it will fall upon them. And those who believe and perform righteous deeds shall be in flowering meadows of the Gardens.  With their Lord they shall have whatsoever they will. That is a great bounty." 42:22

"He responds to those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and will increase from His Bounty. Yet as for the disbelievers, theirs shall be a severe punishment." 42:26

"As for those who believed and performed righteous deeds, their Lord causes them to enter into His Mercy. That is the manifest triumph." 45: 30

"And those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and believe in what has been sent down unto Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He has absolved them of their evil deeds and set their state aright." 47:2

"Truly God causes those who believe and perform righteous deeds to enter Gardens with rivers running below, while those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire shall be an abode for them." 47:12

"Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who are with him are harsh against the disbelievers, merciful to one another. You see them bowing, prostrating, seeking bounty from God and contentment; their mark upon their faces is from the effect of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah. And their likeness in the Gospel is a sapling that puts forth its shoot and strengthens it, such that it grows stout and rises firmly upon its stalk, impressing the sowers, that through them He may enrage the disbelievers. God has promised forgiveness and a great reward to those among them who believe and perform righteous deeds." 48:29

"The day that He gathers you for the Day of Gathering, that is the Day of Mutual Dispossession.  And whosoever believes in God and works righteousness, He will absolve him of his evil deeds and cause him to enter Gardens with rivers running below, to abide therein forever.  That is the great triumph." 64:9

"And whosoever believes in God and works righteousness, He causes him to enter Gardens with rivers running below, to abide therein forever.  God has indeed prepared for him a beautiful provision." 65:11

"But God knows best what they conceal. So give them glad tidings of a painful punishment, save those who believe and perform righteous deeds; theirs shall be a reward unceasing." 84:23-25

"Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be Gardens with rivers running below: that is the supreme triumph." 85:11

"By the dig and the olive, by Mount Sinai, and by this land made safe, truly We created man in the most beautiful stature, when We cast him to the lowest of the low, save those who believe and perform righteous deeds; for theirs shall be a reward unceasing. What then will make you deny religion? Is not God the most just of judges?" 95:1-8

"Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds, it is they who are the best of creation." 98:7

"By the declining day, truly mankind is in loss, save those who believe, perform righteous deeds, exhort one another to truth, and exhort one another to patience." 103:1-3

What It Means: Day 2

"And remember thy Lord within thy soul, humbly and in awe, being not loud of voice, in the morning and the evening, and be not among those who are heedless."
Quran, 7:205

What path is this year-long discussion of faith going to take?  Well, I'm leaving that pretty open-ended. I suspect much of it will be related to specific passages from the Quran of the Hadith, but others might be a response to something happening in my day-to-day life (Ramadan would be an obvious example) or events in the news or newspaper articles or Tweets.  Yesterday I repeated a post from two years ago where I reflected upon what Islam meant to me, which in turn has given it's name to this series. Today I chose one of my favorite passages from the Quran.  It's funny, I can read the Quran many times, and as a Muslim I, by definition, read it many times in the course of a year, and then suddenly a particular verse will jump off the page. This one is a classic example.  The 7th surah, being one of the first ones, at least in the structure of the Quran, is naturally one of the longest chapters and there are many concepts discussed in it.  I don't know how many times I had read the surah before this verse hooked me.  As I've discussed elsewhere, the Quran, something like fifty times, pairs the need to believe and perform righteous deeds together.  Yesterday's repeated posting focused on my (and, as I will always emphasize, ONLY MY) take on what a righteous deed entails.  So, what does it mean to believe?  And believe in what?  I'm sure I'll revisit this theme in the next year repeatedly, but this specific verse strikes me as a good place to start.  It seems to me that one's relationship to God, no matter how you define it, should be a deeply personal and quiet and humble/humbling experience. As Muslims we're supposed to pray five times a day, although, as the good folks at Pew tells us, that's not a universal accomplishment (especially not for American Muslims). This verse is certainly not saying that you should only pray in the morning and the evening, but rather that beginning and ending the day thinking about God and faith is the best approach.  That said, the first and last prayers of the day are the ones I find most fulfilling/meaningful - I'm hesitant to say enjoy the most - but rather they are the ones where I feel the most peace and connection; although that may also simply be a reflection of the fact that they're the ones that are more focused and less distracted or hurried.

What It Means: Day 1

OK, this is actually a copy of a post from two years ago. I haven't changed anything.  It was written during the middle of my second Ramadan after my conversion.  It seemed like as good a place as any to start my year-long reflection on my faith, and my struggles to follow that faith.  As I will be repeating endlessly over the next year, this is only MY REFLECTION on MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY FAITH.  One of the things that I love about Islam is that it's an intensely individualistic faith (while also having a strong communal aspect).  I am certainly not qualified to speak for my faith, and I think I would argue that no one is qualified to speak for our faith; rather, I think there are individuals who are qualified to talk about it. And, if no one is qualified to speak for our faith then, by definition, there is no one, since the passing of the Prophet, who is qualified to speak for God, although, sadly, there are people in my faith (as in all faiths) who seem to think that they are.

So, my goal for the next year is to devote time every day to reflect upon some aspect of this journey.  It's going to be pretty random, as I don't have an overarching structure in mind.  Whenever we run our Discography music discussions I plan ahead, choose a song and write up a commentary, and then end up changing my mind five times and starting over.  If I can't even follow a structure and a schedule that simply, and that unimportant, then there's no way I can plan out anything about a topic this complicated and daunting.  To paraphrase the excellent Sanford Zale, I'm going to talk about what I'm going to talk about.

When I undertook my two year on Proust's Remembrance of Things Past (which I'm actually now rereading) I did so because it forced me to slow down and reflect upon the deeper meaning of the novel, but also how those themes related to my own life; essentially, it, among other things, created a space for a structured self-reflection. I suspect this will at times follow the same path, although, as I said, I have no idea where it's going.

Once again, this is MY PERSONAL REFLECTION on MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH MY FAITH.  I don't speak for anyone.  So, if you'd like to contact me to critique or complain, don't. Work on your own shit.


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Considering how much music has dominated the last year of this blog (it's not just about Proust) it seems like this should be a post about the wonderful Driver-By Truckers album American Band.  We're taking a brief break from our Discography discussion so that everyone can recharge their batteries and listen to new music before kicking off again in September.  Instead, I want to take a few moments to talk about something that's increasingly important to me, although also something that I don't talk about very much: faith.  This is not an attempt to tell people what to believe, because if I know anything at all it's that I don't know much of anything at all.  Faith is obviously a deeply personal experience, and I can assure you that I don't know anything more than anyone else about this particular subject.  Rather, I want to record some of my thoughts for later reflection (see, Proust has impacted me).

I'm in the middle of my second Ramadan.  In the popular imagination Ramadan is mainly a time of fasting and feasting. In regards to the latter, my feasting mainly consists of heating up in the microwave what everybody else here at Bleak House ate three hours earlier.  The fasting is easier than I thought it would be, and some of that relates to the fact that I did it last year and simply knowing that I was able to do it made it immeasurably easier this year. Truthfully, I could also be more diligent in my fasting.  I fast every day, but technically I'm supposed to start before morning prayers, which in this yankee hellhole is around 3:30 a.m.  Instead I usually start my fast by 5:30 a.m. and then break it at 8:30 p.m., which is still a long slog, although, again, not quite as long as it is supposed to be. Essentially, I'm supposed to be fasting around seventeen hours a day and instead I fast for fifteen hours.  Anyone who knows me can tell you with complete certainty that I don't like rules, and maybe this plays a role in my decision to not start fasting at 3:30.  I mean, it would be difficult, but fasting from 5:30 on is already a challenge and I'm sure I could make 3:30 work.  No matter my faith, I'd be that guy in the back of the church/mosque/synagogue/temple turning to the poor soul next to him and saying, "You know that's just a metaphor, right?"  This doesn't mean that I'm not serious and sincere in my faith because I am, and I battle with my own skepticism and inherent rebellious nature all the time.  One of the things that I'm always cognizant of is the great temptation to exist only on the surface level, which happens way too often in religion.  Sure, you're supposed to fast during Ramadan, but you're also supposed to spend hours every day praying, meditating and reading the Quran, and, to me anyway, that is far more important than the fasting.  Still, I do both, and the hours that I spend every day working through Nasr's Study Quran is probably what inspired this post.

This last semester one of my friends who knew about my faith, and, again, I don't share things like this very easily, asked me to come talk to her class.  I grudgingly agreed, mainly due to the fact that it was a request from a close friend.  One of the first things we discussed was why Islam?  You could certainly ask that question about any faith, obviously, but in today's world, and especially in today's U.S., it may seem like an odd (and not particularly well-considered) choice.  Well, first off, it wasn't about any great concern about the next world.  Truthfully, I never worry about things like that, and not because I'm oblivious, but rather because I think that if you lead a good life in this world then things will take care of themselves in the next.  And with that in mind, what led me in my mid-50s to make this decision was the sincere desire to be a better man.  I felt that I needed to be a better father and boyfriend and titular step-father and friend and son and brother and uncle and nephew (I'm sure I'm forgetting a category, and a category at which I routinely failed).  OK, so why Islam?  Part of it was doubtless all the time I've spent in the Middle East and the broader Islamic world.  Simply put, it's been my experience that Muslims much more routinely walk the walk and not just talk the talk.  Having said that, I think there are a thousand paths of God (no matter how you define God, he/she/it/they).  There are certain specific aspects of the faith I can identify that drew me to it.  For example, I've always identified with the Islamic view of Jesus, who is a remarkably well-respected and beloved prophet (arguably the second most important prophet in the faith) but who is not considered the son of God, not because there's something wrong with him but rather because Muslims don't believe that anyone is the son of God.  There also is much less hierarchy in Islam and a much less powerful and intrusive priesthood; mainly it's just you and God, and a structure wherein you stop and pray five times a day, meditating upon the transcendent.  There are other aspects of the faith that I can't really quantify as easily.  In my trips around the world I've spent time in churches and synagogues and Hindu temples and Buddhist temples and Jain temples, and it's only in mosques that I've felt a true sense of serenity.  Why?  Who knows?  Nevertheless I've always felt that.  So, for reasons both specific and more ethereal I was drawn to Islam.

Finally (I need to get back to my other more official writing), what do I think the faith means? If I spend hours every day during Ramadan praying and meditating and reading the Quran, what have I learned?  As I said earlier, one of the reasons why I wanted to include this post is to create a time capsule that I can revisit in the future as my faith continues to evolve.  It's not as if I haven't read the Quran before, because I have several times, but I also think that with every reading my views crystallize.  My views will doubtless be different next year, and maybe someday I'll figure this all out, although I suspect no one ever truly figures out the answer when you're talking about faith.  If you think you've figured it all out then it means you've probably failed at your quest.  As I've been re-reading the Quran it really struck me how many times, when discussing those who are going to Paradise, they are described as those "who believe and perform righteous deeds."  I've even started counting them, and I'll have a final, although probably incorrect, number soon; at this point suffice it to say that it is repeated dozens of times.  For example, when I spoke in my friend Kelly's class one of the question was would I be willing to share a specific surah from the Quran, and I identified surah 103, sometimes called "The Declining Day." As the Quran progresses the surahs (chapters) get shorter and shorter, and surah 103 in its entirety is: "By the declining day, truly mankind is in loss, save those who believe, perform righteous deeds, exhort one another to truth, and exhort one another to patience."  I like this surah because when I think about living my life I can definitely focus on those four aspects. Although the specific language varies, it comes back again and again to the notion of faith and righteous deeds.  The other days I was swapping emails with my friend Kathy and she she pointed out, "yeah, but the problem is what constitutes a righteous deed, and everyone has a different answer."  Which, of course, is the key point, and I told her (and you indirectly) that I can only give my own personal answer.  I think righteous deeds happen a hundred times a day, or at least the opportunity for a righteous deed presents itself a hundred times a day.  In Islam we're taught that good deeds are weightier, more powerful, more substantive than evil deeds; essentially, they're not equal.  Good is more powerful than evil, which is why good deeds are worth more, attain more merit, than evil deeds.  In surah 41 it says, "The good deed and the evil deed are not equal.  Repel by that which is better; then behold, the one between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal, protecting friend." Or, in surah 23, "Repel evil by that which is better."  Muslims, although we are enjoined to stand up for what is right and to fight oppression, do not believe in an eye for an eye.  So, this is how I think about it: a hundred times a day you come into contact with someone, a loved one or a friend or some anonymous character.  How do you interact with them?  Do you "repel by that which is better"?  Do you treat them better than they treated you, even by a small amount?  Do you try and be of service?  Do you try and make their lives better, even for that one second that you're in contact?  Islam is a complex and fascinating religion, and you only need to read Nasr provide two pages of small print commentary on one sentence to understand that, but I think how we interact with each other is a much simpler matter.  When push comes to shove (and hopefully there won't be a push or a shove) I would argue that all religions have a similar message - and, for that matter, this brings me back to certain aspects of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - and if we all could just master this one simple principle life would be a lot easier. This is where I am right now, and I'm sure I'll have a more sophisticated answer next year, although maybe not a truer one.

A True Unsung Hero

Thanks to my friend and colleague Betsy Allen-Pennebaker for sending me this picture.  It's of the universally excellent Anna Matich receiving the Unsung Hero Award tonight at a Champlain College event. Anna is one of the students who went on the Zanzibar trip in January 2018, and then came back and formed TechDren.  She, Jackie Noborikawa and Abbey Barr started meeting weekly, raised thousands of dollars, and collected hundreds of computers to support elementary school students in Pemba, Zanzibar and further afield.  It's been such a pleasure to see her blossom into the extraordinary woman she is today.

This is what happens when Hoosiers start travelling . . .