Letter to Julia 20131107

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

Hello there, my most precious beauties.  How are you feeling today?  I think I've been talking too much lately, so it's about time for another week of isolation.  Please dn't take it personally, or feel slighted, for it has nothing to do with you.  In fact, i love you, and I need you, and I wish you were here with me to share my isolation.  I occasionally take a week off to stay away from the Internet and the crowd as much as possible, so I won't be blogging as much as I usually do.  But like I said, I wish you were here with me, so I could just whisper in your ear instead of having to communicate in this public place.  I love you so very much.

For a basic understanding of the supernatural, you must accept that there not one but two dominant races on Earth: the human race (made of earth and water) and the jinn race (made of fire).  Both races are banished to Earth until Judgement Day.  Satan is a member of the jinn race, but not all jinns are evil, just like not all humans are evil.  There are good jinns just like there are good people, and there are jinns who worship Allah just like there are humans who worship Allah.  Allah is the Creator of both races, so it is a mistake to place the jinns on the same level as God.  Allah has Power over all, so if you feel fear towards the supernatural, then seek your refuge with Allah.  Allah comprehends all, and God's Grasp is over all vision.  It is the humans who create false worship.  But do not revile their gods lest they revile Allah out of spite.

Letter to Julia 20131106

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

Hi Julia!  How are you feeling, my beautiful beloved Queen?  I had to climb up onto the roof to fix a leak this evening.  I didn't actually stand on the roof, because the shingles are too brittle.  The section where my toilet is is made entirely of brick, and has a flat top with no shingles.  I hate working on the roof.  I'm afraid of heights.  For dinner it was chicken and bamboo shoot stew again, because I had just bought some chicken breast at the night market.  I usually use the bones for soups after removing the meat.  Chicken stew is a no-brainer: while still dripping with sweat from physical labor, I fried up lemongrass, garlic, onions, chicken, bamboo shoots, added water, put curry leaves and bouillon, and brought the water to a boil while I took a shower.  Then I left it to simmer while I prayed the sunset prayer, so my grub was ready after I finished worship.  I have some left over, do you want it?  I love you, Julia!  Say, did you see the squid at the night market?  It was going for RM6 a kilo, and that's a hefty helping of squid!  The squid was about the size of half a pinky each, which made them difficult to process.  The beaks were negligible, the ink sacs weren't a problem as long as I didn't rupture them, but the spines were obnoxious.  They would get stuck in my teeth, so I had to get rid of them.  Not all the squid were tiny, so only half of my fried calamari was a disaster.  I still have half a kilo of squid left, so I think I have a better plan for my next batch of fried calamari.  Want some?

Erin my dearest Queen, I'm not upset with you.  I just want you to be healthy and happy.  It's just that I was so worried when I saw those photographs, I just want to be sure that you eat properly, and take good loving care of yourself since I can't be there with you to take care of you and embrace you and help shield and protect you.  Please don't allow the words and actions of hypocrites make you feel bad or doubt.  I love you and I need you, and I want to look after you, and I want you to be healthy and beautiful.  So please take tender loving care of yourself until the time comes when we are married inshaAllah, and I will be able to guard and caress you and Julia with all my love.  I look forward to seeing you all healthy and confident when I watch the next Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Letter to Julia 20131104

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

As I told you before my dearest Julia, when Allah grants me the wealth I need to be married inshaAllah, I will proceed to buy the land for this little house I live in now, plus the land for Casa de Julia inshaAllah.  Then I will renovate this little house to make room for you, then I will send someone to get you, and we will marry inshaAllah.  Then we will stay in this little house while we supervise the building of Casa de Julia.  When Casa de Julia is completed, then I will marry Erin inshaAllah.  Let's see: I need to build a master bedroom, Julia's bathroom, tile the entire floor, do some roof repair, replace the ceiling because it's hideous, paint outside and inside, make the doorways taller, install a washer and dryer for Julia, put in a new sink and counter top with a new stove top and ventilation system, do some basic furnishings, and I think that should do it for this little house inshaAllah.  I have to confess that I love this little house.  When Allah grants me ownership inshaAllah, I wont ever part with it until I die.  When Casa de Julia is completed inshaAllah, I'll use this little house as my studio and to house my cats.  I really love my cats, Julia.  I'm a lonely person but hey, I gave the music to Allah, so there it is.  I love you and I need you Julia, and I beg you to please be patient with my cats.  And please be constant in your prayers.

Ah Erin!  It's nearly time for this year's Victoria's Secret fashion show.  I had to stop watching that show because my Julia wasn't in it anymore, but now I'm going to be marrying Erin inshaAllah, I have to start watching that show again.  I'm looking forward to seeing you, Erin.  I want to make sure you're taking good care of your health, that you're not too thin.  I had some photos where your face was so gaunt, I thought it was photo manipulation.  I has to delete them, because I couldn't look at them, because it broke my heart.  we all want you to be beautiful, and you are beautiful, but I want to make sure you are healthy.  Please take good care of yourself and your body, OK?  Please eat properly, and get sufficient rest.  I love you, and I need you.

Qur'an 20131104

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

88.  This is the Guidance of Allah.  God gives that Guidance to whom God pleases of God's worshipers.  If they were to join other gods with God, all that they did would be in vain for them.

89.  These were the men to whom We gave the Book, and Authority, and Prophethood.  If these reject them, behold!  We shall entrust their charge to a new people who reject them not.

90.  Those were who received Allah's Guidance.  Copy the Guidance they received.  Say, "No reward for this do I ask of you.  This is no less than a Message for the nations."

91.  No just estimate of Allah do they make when they say, "Nothing does Allah send down to man."  Say, "Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought?  A light and guidance to man, but you make it into sheets for show, while you conceal much.  Therein were you taught which you knew not, neither you nor your fathers."  Say, "Allah."  Then leave them to plunge in vain discourse and trifling.

The Cattle 6:88-91
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No reward for this do I ask of you.  This is no less than a Message for the nations.

Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought?  A light and guidance to man, but you make it into sheets for show, while you conceal much.  Therein were you taught which you knew not, neither you nor your fathers.

Allah.

Letter to Julia 20131102

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

Happy Birthday, my dearest, beloved Julia.  It was wonderful to see you again.  You are so very beautiful, and have become even more beautiful.  I love you so much.  I wish you a most happy day, and life, and it is the meaning of my life while I work my cause for Allah inshaAllah that I look after and help protect you and Erin and our children, and that you age with grace and dignity inshaAllah.  Allah is the Best to Protect.  You are so precious and valuable to me, you are my life, you are my heart.  I want to thank you for your love and patience.  I truly and deeply appreciate it.  I love you, Julia.  I love you, I love you, I love you.  I love you with all my heart.

Happy birthday, Julia.

Letter to Julia 20131031

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

Running hot water!  Julia my queen, how dearly are you attached to running hot water?  There's a water heater in my shower which I never use.  It's electric.  There doesn't seem to be a reservoir, so I assume the water is heated in real time.  All the showers I take are cold.  Well, I use a hose.  Force of habit.  Spartan, not barbaric.  I don't like using running hot water here in Malaysia because I'm sensitive to fungus.  The option to an electric water heater is of course, a gas powered boiler.  Propane again!  Assuming we can get propane-powered appliances, that will be at least 4 active tanks at any given time: boiler, stove top, oven, and clothes dryer.  At least a boiler doesn't need a vent.  I examined the pipe for the faucet in my toilet, and it seems to be running inside the wall through solid brick.  Whether or not it is solid brick or a cavity, it seems that we can run pipes inside the walls.  Pipes here in Malaysia are either steel or copper.  I haven't seen much plastic being used here for water or waste.  We would need a separate pipe system for hot and cold water.  Plus a pump or two to get the water up to the second level and reservoir of Casa de Julia.  Do you really want or need running hot water, Julia?  There won't be running hot water here in my little house.  No room for a boiler.  Well, you can have the electric water heater.  InshaAllah.

It's time for you to get your own Qur'an, Erin my queen.  This is a serious matter, so please be serious about this, for every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts.  Shop for a bilingual Qur'an at an Islamic bookstore, so you can browse among many publishers for one that's easy for you to digest.  Buy your Qur'an from Muslims only!  Hard copy, not digital!  Make sure it has the original Arabic text as well as the English translation, so you can naturally learn Arabic, Mrs. Global.  Let's start by doing a simple daily reading.  Offer a prayer first thing in the morning, say "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the rejected", say "In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful", and say "Ya Allah, increase me in knowledge".  Then close your eyes and choose a random verse.  If you have a question to ask God, then formulate your question silently before you choose a verse.  Then compare what you read with what happens to you and what you observe during the day.  Only ONE verse, ONCE a day for now.  Take it slow!  Don't be in a rush!

Ya Allah, please protect and guide my Julia and Erin.

Qur'an 20131031

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

70.  Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world.  But proclaim this: that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts.  It will find for itself no protector or intercessor except Allah.  If it offered every ransom, none will be accepted.  Such is those who deliver themselves to ruin by their acts.  They will have to drink boiling water, and for punishment, one more grievous; for that they persisted in rejecting Allah.

71.  Say, "Shall we indeed call on others besides Allah, things that can do us neither good nor harm, and turn on our heels after receiving guidance from Allah?  Like one whom the evil ones have made into a fool, wandering bewildered through the earth, his friends calling, "Come to us", guiding him to the path?"  Say, "Allah's Guidance is the Guidance, and we have been directed to submit ourselves to the Lord of the worlds."

The Cattle 6:70-71
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Shall we indeed call on others besides Allah, things that can do us neither good nor harm, and turn on our heels after receiving guidance from Allah?  Like one whom the evil ones have made into a fool, wandering bewildered through the earth, his friends calling, "Come to us", guiding him to the path?

Allah's Guidance is the Guidance, and we have been directed to submit ourselves to the Lord of the worlds.