Hijab Awareness

In response to having been fortunate enough to see Hijabi Monologues a few weeks ago, I decided to shed some light on the psychology of hijabi women and dispel some common stereotypes and judgments often associated with us. Many non-Muslims come at us with the misconception that hijab is not a woman's choice but, rather, a constraint demanded upon her by some domineering male in her life. Being the only Muslim in my family, I can pretty accurately say that no one at home is forcing me to wear it. But even many of the young, Muslim-raised hijabis that I meet are often the only ones in their family to have chosen to wear the hijab. And because many people do not truly understand the beautiful role that hijab plays in a woman's life, they cannot fathom why any woman would choose to do that to herself.

There was a brother at the Hijabi Monologues event who used the opportunity to gain participants for a social work study he was conducting. After having filled out the survey myself, I asked what exactly he was out to prove by surveying a bunch of hijabi sisters. He told me that he was examining the effects of hijab on a woman's self-confidence. Thus far, the results have shown that hijabis have more confidence in themselves than sisters who don't regularly cover. As fascinated as I was to hear this, it makes perfect sense that that would be the case. A woman who chooses to begin wearing the hijab must have high self-esteem and confidence in herself to do so in the first place. This is not to say that those who don't choose to cover are not confident women, but that those women who do are most assuredly not victims of low self-image. Allah says in the Qur'an:

"O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known [to be Muslim women] and not be abused [or approached by men]. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful." (33:59)

Allah prescribes the hijab as a protection for women. When you want to preserve the value of something, you cover it. If it is socially acceptable for someone to put a case on their new Blackberry or a tarp over their convertible, why, then, do people have issue with a woman who covers herself to protect her worth? It doesn't make sense to me.

In conjunction with the Islamic Center at NYU, there will be an event on Thursday, April 22nd that I encourage all women, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to partake in. To promote hijab awareness and understanding, I invite you all to wear hijab for the day and discover your own personal experience with it. For those of you who will be in the New York City area, there will be a dinner/discussion later that night (7:45 PM at NYU's Islamic Center) during which anyone is welcome to come and share their thoughts and feelings. I also ask those who cannot attend the discussion to e-mail me about their experiences at LS1790@nyu.edu as I would be very interested in hearing about it. Men are encouraged to attend the discussion as well and share their own opinions about hijab as well :)

Here's the facebook event

The Unique Smoking Experience

Shisha (a.k.a. Hookah) has rapidly become the newest social fad among today's youth. We've all seen the Facebook pictures of our friends blowing out billows of smoke into various shapes or passing it into another's mouth. Most people who engage in this phenomenon are under the misconception that shisha is a harmless alternative to smoking cigarettes.

But the reality of it is that shisha is actually even more detrimental than the ordinary cigarette. In just a one hour session, the average user will have consumed 100-200 times more smoke and 70 times more nicotine than they would have from a typical cigarette. The nicotine concentration of shisha smoke cannot be measured due to packing differences, but is estimated to be the equivalent of smoking between 7 and 10 cigarettes, and with each inhalation, a shisha smoker breathes in 2 liters of smoke- 4 times as much as a cigarette.

Many people are under the false impression that the water in the container is being used to filter out the noxious tobacco substances. Actually, the water merely acts as a barrier, allowing for the air pressure towards the bottom of the tank to be lower in order for air to pass through. The damp, enveloped structure of the vessel makes it a breeding ground for bacteria and a medium for cooling the smoke. This dark, moist environment and the sharing of the mouthpiece heavily contribute in spreading infectious diseases such as herpes, hepatitis, and tuberculosis.

I'm not here to declare whether it's haraam or halal, but arguing that shisha smoking has any health benefits or that it doesn't cause any physical harm is almost impossible. Surely no one in their right mind would intentionally drop a bowling ball on their own foot because they are aware of the painful consequences. Then why do we deliberately cause harm to ourselves by smoking shisha? While the pain and damage from shisha may not be as apparent or immediate as that of the impact of the bowling ball on your foot, it is significantly more life threatening. Allah states in the Qur'an:

"And spend of your wealth in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loves those who do good." – The Holy Qur'an 2:195

The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said

"Whomsoever drinks poison, thereby killing himself, will sip this poison forever and ever in the fire of Hell." (Bukhari, Muslim)

It is evident from the words of Allah and his Messenger (peace be upon him) that this is most certainly not an issue that should be taken lightly.

Allah is our Creator and we belong to Him. We therefore have no right to intentionally harm ourselves. May Allah grant us the strength to overcome our shortcomings and may He guide us to surround ourselves with only those things that will make us better. Ameen.

Haiti Relief

While in the process of writing my newest blog post, I decided to take a break in order to focus on the disastrous earthquake that recently struck Haiti. For anyone who may not have heard, an earthquake registering at about 7.0 in the Richter scale hit the island nation of Haiti earlier this week. The country was left completely devastated and in ruin, and while the exact number is not yet known, the death toll is estimated to exceed over 140,000. In addition to its already poor healthcare and decaying infrastructure, Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and most definitively lacks the appropriate resources to accommodate victims. As a result, the people there are in desperate need of food, shelter, and medical supplies. We should take it upon ourselves to support the country's relief to the best of our abilities and the easiest way for us to do so is by donating funds to the various groups that are part of this effort. The following groups have pledged to aid in the cause:

Islamic Relief http://islamicrelief.com/
American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/
The Salvation Army https://secure.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&projectid=USN-HaitiDisaster

These are just a few of the many organizations that are involved. I strongly encourage everyone to contribute if able and to raise awareness about the tragedy by encouraging others to donate as well.
May Allah bestow patience and steadfastness upon all those affected by this catastrophe. May He allow us to help to the best of our abilities and may He continue to guide us. Ameen.

"Verily with hardship comes relief." - The Qur'an 94:6



Watch DawahAddict for another perspective on the situation.

Stressing the point

Many of us have just finished celebrating Caffeine Appreciation Week, otherwise known as finals week. It's the week when our friends find us drooling on top of textbooks at the library and Grey and his anatomy are no longer a priority. It's a unique experience for every student, but the one word that can most accurately sum up this week of macchiato-powered nights is stress. A stress is any physical, psychological, or emotional force that impinges on a person. Although we generally take it to be a bad thing, some stress can be positive- like the kind that keeps our body alert and prepared for danger. Stress becomes harmful when our lives turn into an endless series of challenges from which we have no relief and this is often the case for many of us in college. But students are not the only ones under this tension. In fact, most adults are under more stress more often because of their routine jobs and responsibilities. This type of stress and its persistence is becoming an increasing medical concern for our generation.

Stress is like the gateway drug of illnesses. It is the #1 killer today because it increases susceptibility to life-threatening disorders such as heart disease, high blood pressure, eating disorders, and diabetes. In fact, 90% of all primary care visits today are related to stress-linked complaints or illness. The most prevalent causes of stress are fear and lack of control. Uncertainty of what's going to happen and the inability to do something about it often drives people to become restless and uneasy, going so far as to cause severe emotional and behavioral disorders. However, this type of fear is not rational.

It is true that we must do our part in working towards what we want, but, as humans, we only have so much control over the situations in our lives. According to the teachings of the Qur'an, Muslims are encouraged to do everything they can to the best of their abilities and to then put their faith and trust in Allah to take care of the rest. Muslims ask Allah 17 times a day in prayer for this type of help.

"it is only You that we worship and only Your help do we seek."(1:4)

Although it doesn't come across in English, the Arabic word translated as "help" implies that the person asking for help has already taken substantial action towards the final goal and is now looking to Allah to help him/her complete the task. When faced with problems in our fast-paced, modern lives we often mistake our powerlessness for failure. We forget that we do not control all the variables of the world. While no one is immune to stress, some are better able to handle it than others. Remembering that Allah is in complete control gives us the strength to remain patient in the face of difficulty and protect ourselves from the negative effects of stress that can put our lives in jeopardy.*

I repeatedly find that people facing hardships will say that God hates them. But these afflictions that we must often endure are tests of our patience and expiation of our sins. Allah says in the Qur'an:

"Be sure We will test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives, but give glad tidings to those who are steadfast, who say when afflicted with calamity: To Allah we belong and to Him is our return. They are those on whom blessings descend from Allah and mercy and they are the ones that receive guidance." (2:155-157)

Allah blesses those who remain faithful to Him even when they have lost so much. Medical studies show that observant Muslims are less likely to develop stress-related heart conditions because of their consistency in praying and fasting. It is easy to forget Allah when we are stressed out and panicked, but it is in these times that we should remember Him most. Whether things go the way we hope or not, everything happens according to Allah's plan and only He knows what is best for us. Islam's comprehensive way of living is the prescription for a stress-free life.

*The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained "The affair of the believer is amazing. The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good for him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is also good for him." [Saheeh Muslim]

No Pork on My Fork

Over the past few days, I've had a number of pork-related conversations. It is amazing to me that pork is such a respected delicacy here is the U.S. I mean, you would think that one of the leading countries in the field of health and medicine would have been convinced about this issue by now. But instead, we hear people talking about how they just can't wait to dig into their Christmas ham. Subhan'Allah.

Islam irrefutably prohibits the consumption of pork. Verse 6:145 of the Qur'an states:

Say, "I do not find in the revelations given to me any food that is prohibited for any eater except carrion, running blood, the meat of pigs, for it is contaminated, or what is impious (meat) on which a name has been invoked other than Allah's." If one is forced (to eat these), without being deliberate or malicious, then your Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

Muslims don't eat pork because it has been forbidden by Allah. But why would Allah forbid it? He tells us- "it is contaminated." Countless scientific and health studies show that eating pork provides almost no health benefits and causes an assortment of unwarranted destruction on the body. Fortunately, there are some people who have picked up on this, refraining from pork altogether. Unfortunately, the majority of people have not.

Pigs are in a category by themselves. For one, their digestive systems are much different from that of any other animal. They are gluttonous, omnivorous creatures who eat anything and everything and because of this, the sheer volume of food that they consume ends up diluting the acid in their stomachs. As a result, their stomachs are no longer protective organs against contaminants. Parasites, bacteria, viruses, and toxins are permitted to pass through, into their fat, and onto that plate in the center of the dinner table.

One of the most common parasites found in pig meat is trichinella, the worm that cause trichinosis*. How does the pig get it? By eating the waste products of other animals (I wasn't kidding when I said they eat anything). Raising a pig in captivity doesn't prevent it from being able to eat its buddy's feces. These toxins remain in the pig's fat (a.k.a. - lard) which is ironically what billions of people pay good money for every day.

In addition to all of this, pork has been found to be linked with cirrhosis (liver degeneration). Chances are that most people who eat pork to begin with aren't keeping their alcohol consumption down (Islam also prohibits alcohol, but that's a WHOLE other post). Cirrhosis occurs when your healthy liver tissue is replaced by excess collagen and scar tissue and thus effectively prevents your liver from being able to perform at its best. This condition is usually irreversible and its treatment aims only at preventing further damage from occurring. In its critical stages, the only option is a liver transplant. Having a glass of wine with your pork chop will only make your liver beg for mercy.

Pork is basically pure fat. It's the last thing you need to be eating, especially in a country like the U.S. where 63% of us are overweight and 31% of us are obese. If you want to be around to watch your grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up you need to get the pork off your fork.

Joel Olsteen gave a sermon about the prohibition of pork in the Bible. It's a three and a half minute video that I think is worth watching.

*Trichinosis is a disease in which cysts burst open inside the intestines and grow into adult roundworms. The roundworms give rise to other worms that are able to move through the intestines and into the bloodstream. They tend to invade muscle tissues, including the heart and diaphragm and can also affect the lungs and brain.