The following image comes via Google Maps StreetView.

See Also: 

• Hookah / Sheesha (Shisha) Smoking: Safer than Cigarettes? Haram or Halal?

View Larger Map

See Also:

• On Huffington Post where artist & editor defend their “art”

Related Posts:

•  Out of the picture: Obama volunteer bars hijabis from photo op
• Is Daniel Pipes a Former Muslim? (Obama & the Apostasy Argument)

Image Courtesy AP

This hadith came up when I took the AlMaghrib Code Evolved class in regards to things that the Prophet (saw) may have personally disliked, but they were still permissible.

But what really interested me, and many others, was to see what exactly this lizard looked like. In English its commonly referred to as the Spiny Tail Lizard (uromastyx microlepis). Apparently it is still a delicacy in some places in the Middle East. I have put some pictures below of what the lizard looks like and some “tasty” ways its served up.

Has anyone ever tasted it??

I should add here that I haven’t tried it, and I don’t think I will. Please read the comments below regarding the Sunnah of dealing with food you don’t like

(more…)

(more…)

I first came across the munaqqabah mutant when avidly devouring the graphic novel collection of The New X-Men: Hellions. I was stunned and delighted to discover the existence of a character who is not only a strong, intelligent young woman but is a practicing Muslimah to boot - who makes it clear to readers why she chooses to observe correct hijaab.

(Source)

Here’s a bit more info about my new favourite superhero (Wiki bio):

Dust is an adolescent Sunni Muslim girl who possesses the mutant power to turn herself into a sand-like substance. Born in Afghanistan, Sooraya is kidnapped by a slave-trading ring after she is separated from her mother. While one of her slavers tries to remove her niqāb, she instinctively lashes out with her powers and flays them all alive with her dust form before passing out. She is subsequently discovered and rescued by Wolverine and Fantomex. Wolverine takes her to the X-Corps base in India. Sooraya hides herself from the X-Men stationed there by turning into sand and spreading herself around the complex. Phoenix senses Sooraya’s presence and telepathically convinces her to reveal herself to everyone present. Sooraya reforms and announces her presence by speaking a single word: Turaab (Arabic for dust).

More here at her official Marvel database page.

If you’re as nerdy as I am, then no doubt you find it pretty darn cool… but of course there’s always that doubt that springs up immediately after you get excited about how there’s finally some positive representation of Muslims in the media (as fictional as it may be!) - how long it will be before the desire to make “Dust” more sexy overtakes any desire for editors to keep up with her proper hijab? How long before the commercial need to sell femininity, as is the case with all other female superheroes with exaggerated figures to make them more desiring for teen boys, will cause Dust’s abaaya to be a figure-hugging uniform? In the world of reel-bad Arabs, it may be a small consolation to see at least an attempt to sell the hijab in a positive manner, but how sincere and long-lasting will the effort be?

Some artists depict Sooraya’s abaya incorrectly, having it tightly cinched around her waist and breasts, which questionably disregards the purpose of wearing an abaya.

Ah well… for now I’m just glad that we’ve got Muslimaat represent in the comic book world - boo yah!

How would you caption this?

The hardest time I have praying is when I have gone skiing (snow-skiing), wearing those boots that don’t really flex at all, and you pretty much have to fall down into your sajdah. In fact, I was skiing this weekend and found a nice spot behind a cabin. Its an interesting feeling doing sajdah in a couple of feet of snow. By the way, I think I remember Sh. Waleed (who loves to scuba-dive) telling me that he too had prayed under water once.

What was your hardest or most interesting prayer occasion? Inspire us!

More pictures below the sleeve

(more…)