Sunday, November 6, 2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Happy Birthday to Imam W. Deen Mohammed!!!
While in the midst of working on my G-d given mission, I had to write the date and it dawned on me that TODAY is our Beloved Leader & Teacher's Birthday!!! Imam Warithuddeen Mohammad came into the world on October 30, 1933 and for that I am so very grateful!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER IMAM!!! We love and miss you BUT we are moving FORWARD with your G-d given Vision, Mission, & Wisdom!!! I pray that we make you proud!!!
These pictures were taken during one of his many visits to Durham, NC that were facilitated by our beloved Imam Abdul-hafeez Waheed!!! We were at First Presbyterian Church. Felecia Griffin & Luqman Rasheed THANK YOU for taking these pictures of us with the Imam!!! Deep gratitude for capturing these moments!!!
#StudentsOfImamWDM
#TheDaysOfDisposableCameras LOL!!!
A Life Well Lived, A Life Well Loved
Today, as the community collectively offers Janazah Prayer for and pays tribute to Imam Ibrahim Pasha of Atlanta, GA, our hearts are full and we are grateful for his life of service and sacrifice ... From Allah we come and to G-d is our return ... May G-d have Mercy upon his soul, grant him forgiveness, make his grave spacious and grant him entrance into Paradise ...
"(To the Righteous soul will be said) 'O soul in complete rest and satisfaction, return to yout Lord pleased with yourself and pleasing unto G-d, enter among My servants (My workers, My devotees) enter my Paradise!'" (Holy Qur'an 89: 27-30)
May his wife and family continue to be surrounded and comforted by the Love of G'd, Family & Community.
AMEEN - G'd is with those who Believe, have Faith, & put their Trust in Him!
#GoneButNotForgotten
#ALifeWellLivedALifeWellLoved
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER: A "Literary Equation" - One Band, One Sound
Last weekend when the menfolk stepped out, my husband Luqman and our 2 sons, Sajdah and I finally had some alone time ... just mother and daughter. So we were talking - sharing and talking, talking and sharing. At some point she went to get her clarinet and she began to share with me an observation that she had made earlier in the week during band at school. She was telling & showing me that during rehearsal, a piece on her clarinet had come loose. She made the observation that ONE particular piece being dislocated on her clarinet had altered the sound of ALL the other notes on the clarinet. But once the piece was firmly back in place, everything was back to normal. I of course smiled inside my heart and outwardly with my lips as she related this story to me.
I was instantly taken in my mind to a saying of Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH). There are various translations for this particular saying but here is one: "The Believers in their affection, compassion, and love for one another is like one single body. If a part of it suffers from pain, the whole body will suffer in pain." So, I immediately shared this analogy with Sajdah so that she could also make the connection between what happened with her instrument and what happens in real life not just with the individual human body, but with the human family and the human community! G-d says: "On earth there are signs for those with sure faith and in yourselves too. Do you not see?" (Holy Qur'an 50: 20-21)
And THIS is the reason why G-d has moved me to write "MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER: Modeling Muhammad the Prophet to Make Waves in Your Marriage with the R.I.P.P.L.E. Effect" (Respect, Intimacy, Partnership, Peace, Love, & Equality). Even as a young child, my sensitivities were directed towards the preservation of family life. Inspired by personal family experiences, at the age of 13, I coined a speech on "Broken Homes" which I subsequently delivered in oratorical competitions including ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) sponsored by the NAACP. After winning at the City Level, I was mentored in public speaking by the renowned Civil Rights Activist Julian Bond to prepare me for the competition at the State Level. And so my journey towards speaking out about preserving families began and after 15 years of marriage, this journey has come full circle.
I am an advocate for the preservation of healthy marriages, families, and communities. I see communities as a group of healthy families, marriages, and individuals that are "banded" together as one, helping each other as in a relay race, striving together towards all that is good. In the movie Drumline, one of my FAVORITE movies, the main character has to learn that even though he is GREAT as an individual musician, when the entire band is on the field, the motto is "ONE BAND, ONE SOUND." If one individual is trying to steal the show or if one section is off key, this dysfunction disturbs the inherent UNITY of the BAND.
This principle of "One Band, One Sound" is the same that is present in the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about the "band" of Believers - that in terms of affection, compassion and love, if one body of a Believer aches then the whole body of the Believers aches. The same holds true for marriages in community - if one marriage or family aches, then all families and marriages in the community ache. This simply means that we should all be concerned about the condition and longevity of ALL marriages and families, past, present and future. They are the foundation upon which model communities are built. This simply means that we should want and desire for our brothers and sisters what we want and desire for ourselves. It's no coincidence that the development of mathematical and musical abilities are in the same portion of the brain. As a math major, I have concluded that this "formula" of care and concern for one another is also the "solution" for establishing healthy, productive and happy marriages, families, and communities.
Our beloved spiritual leader and teacher Imam W. Deen Mohammed has said, "In your education, your schooling, the academic world tells you that the family is the first unit of society and this is what we have lost, family. This problem is not germane to any one group. It has taken over all people and all religions. All religions are suffering the corruption of the family."
As I merge my degree and passion for mathematics with my passion for using my writings to help build, heal, and sustain healthy marriages, as a Duke administrator recently expressed to me, "This is a Literary Equation!"
"MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER" is a solution-oriented book that is sure to do just that - help to build, heal, and sustain healthy marriages, families and communties!!! While the book itself is universal in its application, it uses faith-based strategies from the Qur'an, the authentic life example of Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH) and the commentary of my spiritual leader and teacher Imam W. Deen Mohammed to address common marital issues such as: the treatment of women, gender stereotypes, distribution of household labor, work-life balance, and the rearing of children. These issues transcend race, religion, socio-economic status, & spiritual and educational achievement.
#MuslimMarriageMakeover
#OneBandOneSound
#Unity
#Cohesion
I was instantly taken in my mind to a saying of Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH). There are various translations for this particular saying but here is one: "The Believers in their affection, compassion, and love for one another is like one single body. If a part of it suffers from pain, the whole body will suffer in pain." So, I immediately shared this analogy with Sajdah so that she could also make the connection between what happened with her instrument and what happens in real life not just with the individual human body, but with the human family and the human community! G-d says: "On earth there are signs for those with sure faith and in yourselves too. Do you not see?" (Holy Qur'an 50: 20-21)
And THIS is the reason why G-d has moved me to write "MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER: Modeling Muhammad the Prophet to Make Waves in Your Marriage with the R.I.P.P.L.E. Effect" (Respect, Intimacy, Partnership, Peace, Love, & Equality). Even as a young child, my sensitivities were directed towards the preservation of family life. Inspired by personal family experiences, at the age of 13, I coined a speech on "Broken Homes" which I subsequently delivered in oratorical competitions including ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) sponsored by the NAACP. After winning at the City Level, I was mentored in public speaking by the renowned Civil Rights Activist Julian Bond to prepare me for the competition at the State Level. And so my journey towards speaking out about preserving families began and after 15 years of marriage, this journey has come full circle.
I am an advocate for the preservation of healthy marriages, families, and communities. I see communities as a group of healthy families, marriages, and individuals that are "banded" together as one, helping each other as in a relay race, striving together towards all that is good. In the movie Drumline, one of my FAVORITE movies, the main character has to learn that even though he is GREAT as an individual musician, when the entire band is on the field, the motto is "ONE BAND, ONE SOUND." If one individual is trying to steal the show or if one section is off key, this dysfunction disturbs the inherent UNITY of the BAND.
This principle of "One Band, One Sound" is the same that is present in the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about the "band" of Believers - that in terms of affection, compassion and love, if one body of a Believer aches then the whole body of the Believers aches. The same holds true for marriages in community - if one marriage or family aches, then all families and marriages in the community ache. This simply means that we should all be concerned about the condition and longevity of ALL marriages and families, past, present and future. They are the foundation upon which model communities are built. This simply means that we should want and desire for our brothers and sisters what we want and desire for ourselves. It's no coincidence that the development of mathematical and musical abilities are in the same portion of the brain. As a math major, I have concluded that this "formula" of care and concern for one another is also the "solution" for establishing healthy, productive and happy marriages, families, and communities.
Our beloved spiritual leader and teacher Imam W. Deen Mohammed has said, "In your education, your schooling, the academic world tells you that the family is the first unit of society and this is what we have lost, family. This problem is not germane to any one group. It has taken over all people and all religions. All religions are suffering the corruption of the family."
As I merge my degree and passion for mathematics with my passion for using my writings to help build, heal, and sustain healthy marriages, as a Duke administrator recently expressed to me, "This is a Literary Equation!"
"MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER" is a solution-oriented book that is sure to do just that - help to build, heal, and sustain healthy marriages, families and communties!!! While the book itself is universal in its application, it uses faith-based strategies from the Qur'an, the authentic life example of Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH) and the commentary of my spiritual leader and teacher Imam W. Deen Mohammed to address common marital issues such as: the treatment of women, gender stereotypes, distribution of household labor, work-life balance, and the rearing of children. These issues transcend race, religion, socio-economic status, & spiritual and educational achievement.
You can PRE-ORDER my debut book "MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER" for a discounted price for a limited time on my website www.writing4peace.com
Let's make waves TOGETHER with the R.I.P.P.L.E Effect!!!
#MuslimMarriageMakeover
#OneBandOneSound
#Unity
#Cohesion
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Additional Confirmation
While looking for baby pictures on an external hard drive to celebrate my daughters 13th birthday, Sept. 16, insha'Allah, I came across a marriage exercise that I created for my husband and I to complete on Aug. 22, 2006!!! In the document at the end, in BOLD, RED letters, I wrote, "PS - I will use this in the book that I write later in life. So, I am open to constructive criticism." WELL I would say that 10 years later is later in life LOL!!!
#EvenMoreConfirmationThatIAmFollowingGdsWillForMyLife
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Al-Amin!!! All the Praise & Thanks are due to the Lord of the all the Systems of Knowledge!!!
G'd gave me a mighty test and now I am giving what I pray will be a helpful testimony!!!
Insha'Allah ... AMEEN - G'd is with those who Believe, have Faith, & put their Trust in Him!!!
#Writing4Peace #MuslimMarriageMakeover
#ModelingMuhammadTheProphet
#TheRIPPLEeffect
#Respect
#Intimacy
#Partnership
#Peace
#Love
#Equality
#EvenMoreConfirmationThatIAmFollowingGdsWillForMyLife
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Al-Amin!!! All the Praise & Thanks are due to the Lord of the all the Systems of Knowledge!!!
G'd gave me a mighty test and now I am giving what I pray will be a helpful testimony!!!
Insha'Allah ... AMEEN - G'd is with those who Believe, have Faith, & put their Trust in Him!!!
#Writing4Peace #MuslimMarriageMakeover
#ModelingMuhammadTheProphet
#TheRIPPLEeffect
#Respect
#Intimacy
#Partnership
#Peace
#Love
#Equality
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Moving Forward with Faith Not Fear
As I prepare to announce the "Release Date" for my debut book later today G-d Willing, I am in the process of adding my "Writing 4 Peace Blog" from 2009 to my "Writing 4 Peace" Website. As I look back on the many posts that I "Saved as Drafts" starting in 2009 continuing into 2011, 2012, and 2014, I realize that one thing is certain, my message has been consistent. I have always had a strong desire to share information that will help myself and others to successfully navigate and overcome the tests and challenges of marriage and motherhood.
Although many posts were never shared, looking back at them, it is as if I had written them today - on the eve of announcing the "Release Date" for MUSLIM MARRIAGE MAKEOVER: Modeling Muhammad the Prophet to Make Waves in Your Marriage with the R.I.P.P.L.E. Effect.
Often I saved my blog posts as drafts because I was paralyzed by the "fear" of what others would think. However, G-d encourages us not fear the criticism of those who criticize. So this time, I MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH NOT FEAR. I received a very timely e-mail message in my inbox this morning entitled "The Paradox of the Flawless Record".
In it the author says:
If your work has never been criticized, it's unlikely you have any work.
Creating work is the point, though, which means that in order to do something that matters, you're going to be criticized.
If your goal is to be universally liked and respected and understood, then, it must mean your goal is to not do something that matters.
Which requires hiding.
Hiding, of course, isn't the point.
Hence the paradox. You don't want to be criticized and you do want to matter.
The solution: Create work that gets criticized. AND, have the discernment to tell the difference between useful criticism (rare and precious) and the stuff worth ignoring (everything else).
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2016/09/the-paradox-of-the-flawless-record.html
Whether it's parenting, "Writing 4 Peace", OR being an advocate for social justice, there will always be those who criticize "your" G-d given work. So move forward anyway ... with Faith not fear ... silence the voice of others so that you may hear, internalize, accept and act upon the Guidance of G-d.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
~Marianne Williamson
This time, I'm ready!!! Are you ready?
#Forward
#Writing4Peace
#FaithOverFear
#MuslimMarriageMakeover
#MakeThatChange
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
A Moment in Time: Giving Yourself Permission to Breathe
It's been almost 4 years since I've posted but I feel compelled to write ... This one comes to me from November 16, 2014 ... many written but never posted :-) That's my M.O. but G-d willing all that will change very soon. Why must we give ourselves permission to breathe? Why does it feel foreign or strange to just be? To just sit? To just be still? Why must we give ourselves permission to breathe? Why do we feel guilty if we sit and do absolutely nothing? Why do we feel as if something is wrong if we just sit and breathe? Why does it feel strange and out of the ordinary? Why do we feel incomplete if we STOP to nurture ourselves? Why does sitting still for just a moment in time feel wrong when actually our bodies have rights - and this - this STOPPING - this breathing - it's right ...
Because sometimes we as mothers find ourselves overly consumed with doing. Oftentimes to the neglect of our own selves. Often to the point where we are moving day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, trying to get it all done, trying to hold it all together, giving ourselves burdens that we were not meant to bear. After all, it takes a village. And down time is priceless. Sometimes we just need to be still - mind, body and soul. Sometimes we just need to sit in silence. Sometimes we need to just sit in peace. Sometimes we need to say "Please be still".
But other people's judgments and unrealistic expectations reign supreme and take hold and take over. And we always feel like we don't have time to breathe because there is too much work to be done. And we own it all by any means necessary. Even if it causes us pain, we own it all. Even if it means that our muscles are permanently contracted, we own it all. To the extent that we have to learn to let go and breathe again. An act that was once natural, innate, automatic and unconscious now becomes another task on our to-do list - something else that we have to learn, something else that we have to facilitate and regulate - another chore. Another battle that we have to endure that we may or may not win. ENOUGH! Breathe. Relax. Relate. Release. And make no excuses and give no apologies for it. You are enough. Your job is enough and you deserve to live. You deserve to breathe. You do not have permission to make yourself mediocre by cutting off your own oxygen supply. Take time for you and make no apologies. Give yourself permission to breathe.
Because sometimes we as mothers find ourselves overly consumed with doing. Oftentimes to the neglect of our own selves. Often to the point where we are moving day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, trying to get it all done, trying to hold it all together, giving ourselves burdens that we were not meant to bear. After all, it takes a village. And down time is priceless. Sometimes we just need to be still - mind, body and soul. Sometimes we just need to sit in silence. Sometimes we need to just sit in peace. Sometimes we need to say "Please be still".
But other people's judgments and unrealistic expectations reign supreme and take hold and take over. And we always feel like we don't have time to breathe because there is too much work to be done. And we own it all by any means necessary. Even if it causes us pain, we own it all. Even if it means that our muscles are permanently contracted, we own it all. To the extent that we have to learn to let go and breathe again. An act that was once natural, innate, automatic and unconscious now becomes another task on our to-do list - something else that we have to learn, something else that we have to facilitate and regulate - another chore. Another battle that we have to endure that we may or may not win. ENOUGH! Breathe. Relax. Relate. Release. And make no excuses and give no apologies for it. You are enough. Your job is enough and you deserve to live. You deserve to breathe. You do not have permission to make yourself mediocre by cutting off your own oxygen supply. Take time for you and make no apologies. Give yourself permission to breathe.
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