Story: Late for Eid Salat by Shabnam M.

Minna woke up with the sunlight streaming onto her bed and voices from downstairs.  It took her a few moments to realize it was Eid!
She jumped up out of her bed, knowing that she was going to get Eid gifts. She rushed to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Then she ran back to her room and brushed her hair.
Minna didn’t care about changing her clothes yet. She just wanted to get her present. The nine year old flew down the stairway.
Her mother, father, older brother Ibrahim and her younger sister Fatima were all dressed in their Eid clothes.
“As-salamu-alaikum, Minna!” said her father. “You should hurry up. Open your Eid gift quickly!”
Minna ripped open the last unwrapped gift. It was a CollectiCritter, a little stuffed animal. “Thank you, dad! Thank you mom! Thank you Allah for giving us Eid!”
It was as if Ibrahim started to boss her around. “You did not change! You didn’t even shower!”
“I know, Ibrahim! I’m going upstairs!” Minna ran up the stairs the CollectiCritter in her hand, not knowing they might be real late for the Eid salat.
 Minna took a shower and she dressed into her Eid dress. She stopped to look at her CollectiCritter. The bunny face was smiling as if it wanted her to play with him. Minna picked up the bunny and started to play.
“Yummy! Carrots! Oh, no! I forgot my basket! I should go back to my burrow.” Minna played for 5 minutes, then brushed her hair again. She slipped on her socks and walked downstairs.
Every step she took was slow. She liked to pretend, and now she was pretending she was a turtle. “Bum bum bum bum bum!” She stepped slowly and loudly.
Minna stepped into the living room. It was empty. She heard the garage door opened behind her. “Are you done yet?! Oh there you are, Minna. We’ve all been waiting in the car!” said Ibrahim.
“For how long?” Minna asked. Ibrahim peeked at his watch. “For 15 minutes. We’ll be late, Minna! Run!”
Minna followed Ibrahim to the car. “Minna, what took you so long?” her mother asked. Minna shrugged. She didn’t think 15 minutes was very long.
Minna’s dad started the car. She remembered her father’s words from yesterday. “The prayer starts at 8:30.” Minna glanced at the car clock. It read: 8:10.
Now Minna was nervous. The masjid was half an hour away. They would be late!
On the way to the masjid, everyone was quiet and tense. Ibrahim kept glaring at Minna with a mad look. Fatima was sad. She understood they would not get there on time.
After many minutes, Minna looked up and saw the minaret of the masjid. Yay! But Minna looked at the clock. It was 8:35. Five minutes late. Oh no!
 As Minna’s father drove into the parking lot, some cars were leaving. Sweat poured down Minna’s forehead. Minna was the reason for being late, and then missing the entire prayer! This was  a shame!
When Minna got out of the car with her family, she couldn’t walk straight. Her legs turned to jelly. There was a knot in her stomach that kept getting tighter. It’s all my fault, she said in her head. It’s all my fault!
The family stepped into the masjid, worried looks on all their faces. Minna’s father looked at the prayer schedule. He sighed a sigh that sound happy. He turned to face the family. He was smiling.
“We aren’t late! The people driving away from the masjid only attended the previous prayer. Now let’s go into the prayer room and each get a copy of the Qur’an. We’ll read until the prayer starts.”
They stepped into the vast prayer room with green carpet. On a big shelf there was many copies of the Qur’an. Minna’s mother and father got a regular Qur’an, Ibrahim got a Qur’an with big Arabic letters, Minna got a Qur’an with the transliteration, and Fatima took an Islamic book for little kids.
It turned out that some other people were late, but not Minna’s family. Minna was happier than ever.

Learn a Dua today!

Subject:
Against Distress

Arabic transliteration:
Anni massaniya-z zurru wa anta arhamu-r rahimin

English meaning:
Surley distress has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merficul ones.

Every time I venture out in public with this veil on my head, I make myself a walking, moving target. By this conscious decision to wear the veil, I become the victim of scornful stares, petrified reactions, and downright hatred based on my physical appearance and dress. It's not uncommon for security guards and police officers to view me with a heightened level of suspicion.

Yet the headscarf, known in Arabic as hijab, is a personal choice, a choice born out of sense of modesty and respect for the principles of my faith, Islam, which implores women to maintain their integrity and enables them with the rights to conduct themselves in world, dominated by a male hegemonic structure.

First, I want you to travel back in time with me to understand why I wear the hijab, its significance to me, what it symbolizes, and the life experiences that lead up to my decision to wear it.

Born on February 1st, 1980, in Orange Memorial Hospital in Orlando and raised in the once small town of Altamonte Springs, Florida, I had your typical suburban upbringing. I used to walk or ride my bicycle around the block to Lake Orienta Elementary School every day or have my mom drop me off in the carpool lane. I'd cross the Little League baseball field and get a quick sip at the water fountain near the P.E. teacher's office. Then I'd hurry to join the line forming outside my class to wait for us to be let into the building. I'd play hopscotch on the sidewalk with my childhood friend, Summer, who had a flowing blond mane that would shimmer under the hot sun. She had freckles that she hated, but freckles that I thought were absolutely cute and adorable and added to her unique character and personality.

I was painfully shy growing up and still am. I usually won't speak unless spoken to and remain highly selective of my circle of friends. It takes me a long time to open up and feel comfortable with strangers. My elementary school teachers were concerned that I didn't talk and even went to the extent of scheduling a parent-teacher conference to address this issue.

When my mother returned from that meeting, she asked me in the evening, "Nadia, you're teachers say you don't participate in class." I told her quite matter-a-factly "I tried once to do it and raised my hand, but the teacher never picked on me, so I never raised my hand again." She told me to raise my hand again and try, I told her I would and never did.

Around the World: Egypt by Shabnam M.

Why is Egypt cool? There are 4,500 year old pyramids there! Also many Muslims live there, and the longest river in the world flows through Egypt!

Here are some fast facts about Egypt:

Actual name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Continent: Africa
Area: 386,874 sq. mi./ 1,004,000 sq. km
Population: About 72,062,000
Capital:Cairo

Physical: (The real world that Allah made)
Highest point: Mount Catherine 8,652 ft/ 2,637 m
Lowest point: Qattara Depression- 436 ft/ 133 m below sea level
Mountain Ranges: None
Deserts: Eastern, Libyan, Sahara, Western
Seas: Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea
Gulfs: Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba

Politicial: (The things that people shaped, such as cities)
Bordering countries: Sudan, Libya, Israel
Administrative Divisions: 27 governorates
Religion(s): Islam, Christianity
Language(s): Arabic, English, French
Currency: Egyptian Pound
Current leader: Hosni Mubarak (President)
Largest cities: Cairo, Alexandria, al Jizah (Giza), Shubra al Khaymah

Make great Eid cards for your friends and family!

You Will Need:
White Paper
Pencil
Pen
Colored Pencil (optional)
Crayons (optional)
Markers (optional)
Scissors
Glue

What to do:
1. Fold your white paper into fourths.
2. The fold should be on the left side. Draw a picture of something, like a Qur’an, you and your family celebrating on Eid, etc. Remember to color your picture!
3. In dark colors, press down hard and write Eid Mubarak anywhere on the cover of the card you’d like.
4. Write your message on the inside.
5. Give it to someone special!

Our family went to an ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Convention. There were thousands of Muslims! The conference was in a big convention center in Chicago.

There were lots of speeches. My dad and my uncle gave a speech. We listened to it.

There also was a bazaar where you could buy stuff. I bought a set of magnets that made sounds when you throw one to another.

For me, the best part was lunch time, we went to a cafeteria where everything was halal! We picked up some hotdogs, samosas, and biryani.

After being at ISNA for a whole day, we went back to the hotel. We came back again at night to the General Assembly. I liked when they introduced the new ISNA President, Sister Ingrid Mattson. You know, for girls, sky is the limit.

It was amazing to see that there are so many Muslims in America, and there are even more Muslims in America who could not attend this meeting!

Brain Benders

These things will bend your brain!

Pick any number between 1 and 10 and write it down. Write the next four numbers following your first number. Add these five numbers and divide the sum by five. Subtract 2. Now you have your original number back!
Example: 3  +4 +5 +6+ 7= 25.
25¸5=5.
5-2=3.
3 was the original number!

Find out the Islamic year! Use the Georgian Calendar (January, February, etc.). First, take the Georgian year and subtract 622 from the number. Then multiply 1.03125 by the difference you got. Then you have the Islamic Hijri year! (you might need a calculator to do this)
Example: 2006-622=1384.
1384x1.03125=1427.25.
So the year is Ramadan 1427!