Teacher

Today was Friday, and as usual I had to go attend the Friday prayer.  But before that, I joined the thousands of other people who gathered at the Islamic school a couple of hundred yards down the street in paying final respects to and praying for a deceased teacher.  Yes there were a lot of people, but he was no celebrity.  He was just a 78 year old man who gave lectures over at the local mosque, and a well-respected religious teacher.  I usually attended the lectures he gave every Monday, and listened to him talk.  He seemed to know without my telling of how dangerous my work is, and would pray for me an a few occasions.  He seemed rather alert and energetic for a 78 year old man.  Probably too much so.  His body was laid to rest on the school grounds, beside the graves of other beloved teachers.  From Allah is our origin, and to Allah is our return.

 

 

 

6 bucks

Hi Honey!  How are you feeling, my most beautiful love?  I hope those emotions are beginning to calm down.  Don't worry, everything will turn out all right inshaAllah.  I've been looking at babies lately too, but I have so much to do that I don't let it get to me.  So much to do, leading up to you.  It rained today, so I didn't do any yard work.  Instead I spent the evening opening up coconuts, and getting the juice for my Mom.  These coconuts are older, the juice is a bit sour, so she didn't quite like it.  But I have 18 coconuts to consume- do you know how heavy 18 coconuts are?  It was not easy getting them off the tree.  Good thing I'm getting a taste for coconut meat, and the hang of cooking it.  I don't have many fruit bearing coconut trees, so I'm going to run out of coconuts soon.  It's almost the end of the month, so I'm low on cash, so it's looking like coconut everything on the menu.  Good thing my Mom gave me some bread and eggs.  I need bleach, though.  Can't live without bleach, or the cats will take over.  I need tea, too.

Ha ha, Natty!  What an excellent looking girl gang.  Kudos to your bosses, and whoever thought up the idea, because it's a great idea.  Certainly you didn't cook it up yourself, judging from how expensive those clothes look.  Everyone is going to stare at you!

 

 

 

The Butterfly Effect

Hi Honey!  How are you feeling?  Are those raging emotions dying down somewhat, or are you too busy to tell?  I have been longing for you as usual.  It was hot as usual, and I kind of slowed down today.  So this afternoon I watched the movie, "The Butterfly Effect".  I'm sure you've seen that movie.  Wow, he tried so many ways to save the girl he loves.  In the end, she was happiest when he didn't exist at all.  But was she?  Consonant to the premise of the story, we don't know what happened after the end, after she got married.  We are left to assume she was happy, but we just don't know.  With all these crazy events and crazy people around us Erin, how would we know what other kind of life there is?  Would you have married a big, muscular football player?  Well, we don't know.  The story isn't over yet.  It's barely just begun.

Oh so you're in NYC, Natty?  I thought you were, then for some reason I thought you were in Paris.  Could it be some crazy chaos theory effect that the 2 cities are becoming similar?  No. I don't think they are becoming similar.  Paris will never be like NYC.  And no, I've never been to either city.  I don't have the desire to go, either.  Maybe if I had billions of dollars to spend, I might want to go.  Ooooh, what a beautiful side profile you have!  Just like a crescent moon, and every bit as luminous.  By the way, please wear a helmet when you putt around on your fancy scooter.  Try not to ride on just one tire.

 

 

 

 

Qur'an 20171025

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

11.  Say, "Verily I am commanded to serve Allah with sincere devotion."

12.  And I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to God in Islam.

13.  Say, "I would, if I disobeyed my Lord, indeed have fear of the penalty of a Mighty Day."

14.  Say, "It is Allah I serve, with my sincere devotion."

15.  Serve you what you will besides God.  Say, "Truly those in loss are those who lose their own souls and their people on the Day of Judgement.  Ah, that is indeed the evident loss!"

16.  They shall have layers of fire above them, and layers below them.  With this does Allah warn God's servants: "O My servants!  Then fear you Me!"

17.  Those who eschew evil and fall not into its worship, and turn to Allah: for them is good news.  So announce the good news to My servants.

18.  Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best in it.  Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.

The crowds 39:11-18
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I love Erin

My life is not complete without my wife.  We are only beginning, my love.  How was your day, Honey?  How was work?  I hope you are not overworking.  I had an easy day today.  That's probably because I slept in after the dawn prayer, and woke up later than usual.  That's probably because I woke up at 3 am and did some extra worship.  That's probably because some mosquitoes woke me up, so I got up, lit some mosquito incense, and did extra worship.  I should probably be more proactive about early morning supplementary worship, but I guess that time will come when I have to nurse infants.  You get back to sleep Honey, I'll take care of the baby and pray at the same time.  I didn't do any yard work this evening.  I had to make a batch of dough, and after that I fired up some bread and heated up the curry that was in the freezer.  Curry gets sour like milk does, so it has to be frozen every time.  It was a huge helping of chicken curry, so I'm very full right now, and there's more left over, which I stuck back in the freezer.  Want some?  Then my Dad gave me some donuts.  Local donuts.

Oh, you are in Paris!  Natty, I thought you were in NYC.  That's just awesome.  I think you should spend most of your time in Paris, I think you would find it very rewarding and relevant.  Let someone else have the USA.  I must say you are look very modern and metro, but I love that easy-going, feminine and modest look best.  Gets to my heart, that does.  Have you tried escargot?  I guarantee you will get the runs.  Sensitive tummy.  I think escargot would taste great on pizza though.  You've never tried it?  Tastes like shellfish.  Except the foot of the snail, which is like a fish scale and unpalatable.

 

 

 

 

Qur'an 20171024

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

7.  If you reject, truly Allah has no need of you, but God dislikes ingratitude from God's servants.  If you are grateful, God is pleased with you.  No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.  In the end to your Lord is your return, when God will tell you the truth of all that you did, for God Knows Well all that is in hearts.

8.  When some trouble touches man, he cries unto his Lord, turning to God in repentance.  But when God bestows a favor upon him as from Godself, he forgets what he cried and prayed for before, and he sets up rivals unto Allah, thus misleading others from Allah's Path.  Say, "Enjoy your blasphemy for a little while, verily you are of the companions of the fire!"

9.  Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night, prostrating or standing, who takes heed of the hereafter, and who places his hope in the mercy of his Lord... Say, "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?   It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition."

10.  Say, "O you servants who believe!  Fear your Lord.  Good is for those who do good in this world.  Spacious is Allah's earth.  Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!"

The crowds 39:7-10
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Hi Honey

Are you feeling OK today?  Aw Erin, I love you with all me heart.  You are so beautiful, and you are my life, my future.  Please take heart dearest heart, I will not abandon you inshaAllah.  Every day, bit by bit, we are coming together.  God will bring us together inshaAllah, so let's work towards that.  It's Monday over here, and this morning I had to take my Dad to the hospital.  Before that and after my usual daily chores cleaning up after the cats and watering the plants, I vacuum cleaned my parents' house.  Then I had an early lunch: I made some tortillas and wrapped up some burgers with leftover eggplant on mole sauce and leftover coconut cole slaw.  Good stuff, not bad at all for leftovers.  Then I drove my Dad to the hospital, then came back and took a nap.  I've been taking my noon naps outside, I think I told you that.  I picked up my Dad right before voice training, and after voice training I cut the grass over at your house inshaAllah.  I cut the grassy areas front and center of the house.  The other parts don't work too well with a nylon blade, because of all the saplings.  The west border of the house is full of saplings, and vegetation grows fast here in the tropics.  I'll go over them tomorrow with a scythe before I take the weed whacker to them.  The weather was hot, and it made me cut the grass faster, because I was uncomfortable.  I seem to cut more area and save more gasoline when I cut fast.  We need a gardener.  And a maid.

Natty, what a beautiful Sunday outfit that is!  It's so modest and feminine and pretty, I love it and you!  I'm guessing that's NYC, there's lots of places to eat I'm sure.  Did you have a nice brunch?  You should take photos of your food.  Terrorize the food industry!  Oh, it was fruit and salad?