Friday, March 2, 2012

Letter to Julia 20120302

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

At the same time, please don't expect others to follow the path that which Allah has guided you. Ask any "scientist" what hard evidence is, then ask them if they would still debate it and test it after they receive it. No, don't trust them: put your trust in Allah. I remember in my heart quite clearly the dark times when only Allah was my friend, and the same holds true for me today. And they create idols so they can worship them, because it's what they want to do, even though these idols con neither help nor harm them. But we are not idols, we refuse to be idolized, right? We only want the blessings of Allah, and for Allah to keep us in security and happiness in this life as well as the hereafter.

Qur'an 20120302

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

54. It is God who created man from water: then has God established relationships of lineage and marriage: for your Lord has Power.

55. Yet do they worship, besides Allah, things that can neither profit them nor harm them, and the disbeliever is a helper against his Lord!

56. But you We only sent to give glad tidings and admonition.

57. Say: "No reward do I ask of you but this: that each one who will may take a path to his Lord."

58. And put your trust in God who lives and dies not, and celebrate God's praise, and enough is God to be acquainted with the faults of God's servants.

59. God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between in six days, and is firmly established on the Throne. The Most Gracious: ask you then about God, of any acquainted.

60. When it is said to them, "Adore you the Most Gracious!", they say, "And what is the Most Gracious? Shall we adore that which you command us?" And it increases their flight.

The Criterion 25:54-60
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No reward do I ask of you but this: that each one who will may take a path to his Lord.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Letter to Julia 20120301

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

Hi my Julia. You're so beautiful, and I love you. I hope you're not thinking about opening your own fashion house. It's not necessary! Running a business is very time-consuming, and soooo much work, and you already have so many friends who are doing such a thing, plus others who are more able to put in the work and the time. Slow down, my dearest! All you need to do is be beautiful, and you already are. You are so, very beautiful. You are my most beautiful beloved Julia, and I love you. Alhamdulillah.

Most certainly you have encountered skeptics and disbelievers who bark negativity at you, but that's what makes them so easy to identify. Maybe sometimes they use smooth voices and talk, but when they express or suggest opposition to God and our love, that's when you know to fight back at them with due strenuousness. It would be a much easier thing to do than agreeing with them, and more enjoyable at that. Allah commands us to slow down and be patient, while they tell us to hurry up. Don't ever forget the First Law of Mass Media: the audience wants to run you into the ground as quickly and as miserably as possible. Don't let them.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Letter to Julia 20120229

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

Oh dearest, we humans are such limited creatures. Our minds and hearts can only absorb so much before we take it out on the rest of our body. Why push until we break? The best we can be is on the edge, insyaAllah. Which is why we cannot cram the Qur'an into our brains as quickly as possible: it is meant to be revealed and absorbed gradually. It took prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) 23 years to receive the entire Qur'an. Let alone lower ranking mortals like us. Let's try to slow down, my Julia. Let's try to enjoy our love and life together.

The locals here aren't too concerned about portraying sophistication in their personal attire, but we are a humble bunch. Apparel sales here should be geared towards giving visitors a souvenir to take home that they can wear. Now, there is no real, distinct brand name when it comes to Islamic women's apparel, not one that I know of anyway. Like I said before, there is only one type of dress design varied using different patterns of fabric, or people just patch up Western apparel with a headscarf. Western fashion at its highest is usually a house bearing the name of a fashion designer, right? Chanel, Gucci, Christian Dior, Versace, etc. There are no such fashion houses in Islamic women's apparel. Not that it would be easy to establish one. Snooty buyers would turn to the famous western fashion houses, right? Entrepreneurs in the business would need a leg up to be established as a fashion house. A trend. An opportunity, rather. Like our rock and roll situation, insyaAllah. Of course, the other fashion houses could take this opportunity to establish credibility as designers of Islamic women's apparel. They would have to be Muslims, though. Don't you agree?

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Letter to Julia 20120226

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

Hi Sweetie! I had to run a quick errand today, so I thought I'd drop by and say hi to my sweetie. Hi Sweetie! Are you taking good care of yourself and maintaining your prayers? Don't work too hard, now. Try to slow down! I don't have the time to play SL and be a virtual model today, even though I would dearly love to. You're just going to have to take over the fashion biz by yourself for now!

Qur'an 20120226

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

11. No, they deny the Hour, but We have prepared a fire for such as deny the Hour.

12. When it sees them from a place far off, they will hear its fury and its raging sigh.

13. And when they are cast, bound together into a constricted place therein, they will plead for destruction there and then!

14. This day plead not for a single destruction: plead for a destruction oft-repeated!

15. Say, "Is that best, or the Eternal Garden, promised to the righteous?" For them, that is a reward as well as a goal.

16. For them there will be therein all that they wish for. They will dwell for aye, a promise to be prayed for from your Lord.

The Criterion 25:11-16
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Is that best, or the Eternal Garden, promised to the righteous?

Friday, February 24, 2012

Letter to Julia 20120225

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

As you know, this old soldier isn't all that fussy about what to wear nowadays. I mean, it's OK for a man to be butt-ugly, right? I would be satisfied if I wore just a sarong everywhere, except that I sunburn easily, and am sensitive to the weather in general. I suppose that could be extreme modesty, or simply extreme. Or perhaps fatalistic: pretty clothes aren't going to make me pretty or rich. But don't worry, dearest. I'm just being temporarily gloomy. I promise to dress respectfully in public. After all, when prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) came to me in a dream, he was neatly dressed wearing a shirt, slacks and shiny shoes, and his beard was professionally trimmed. He was well known during his lifetime to be a slick-looking dude. The next time he dropped by, he was wearing a similar outfit, but his face was cleanly shaved. I AM trying to be patient, insyaAllah. Which is why I enjoy Second Life so much, even though Muslim women shouldn't wear such outfits, but it isn't reality, so may Allah forgive me for my abject longing for heaven.

Today, my Mom told me to spruce up one of those ancient sewing machines she had in her storage room. Y'know, the type you pedal with your feet to move the needle. I'm guessing it belonged to my grandmother before. It's in poor condition: full of dust, cobwebs, and it's been rained on. The needle hardly moves. No, I don't plan on doing any fashion designing, or sewing at that. I almost get a heart attack just mending my raincoat. I suck at sewing. It tenses me up.

Most people here don't really try too hard to look sharp anyway. So of course, it wouldn't be any effort for you to out-dress everyone. Do you remember that I told you that there is a HUGE market for Islamic women's apparel? This is because of a general lack of creativity in the industry. It seems that there is only one type of dress design varied using different patterns of fabric, or people just patch up Western apparel with a headscarf. This is not just here, but a everywhere around the world. I feel Islamic women's apparel is an opportunity that's about to explode, given our situation is the right situation, or trend. InsyaAllah! So start sewing, y'all!