A Day in the Hijab of Shama

In Imam Nawawi’s collection of 40 ahadith, we find that our beloved Prophet (saws) said:
“When any one of you sees anything that is disapproved, let him change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his heart, though that is the weakest faith.”

It is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Nothing can change the Qadar* except the Du`a’**…"

This Hadith is reported by several authorities on Hadith, such as Imam Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Majah

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:
“Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: ‘Fasting is Mine and it is I Who give reward for it. [A man] gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for My sake.’ Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy when he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of him who fasts is better in Allah’s estimation than the smell of musk.”
It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah).

*Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices.

**Call upon Allah

My dear fellow Muslims, is it just me or do you too suffer from this issue? We all know that in Islam one must cut one’s nails within every forty days (the hadith is in Sahih Muslim). I’ve always been one to keep my fingernails short to where only a thin line of white is visible at the tips. And with my toenails, I cut them to their minimal length as well. But sometimes I get a bit carried away with the toenails clippers and cut too far below what I like to call the comfort line.
So now I’m walking around with my toes curled back in my shows because each step I take causes the tips of my toes to sorely, hit against my shoes. This wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t winter and I could wear open-toe shoes in the rain without getting my feet wet. A nice pair of sandals would also do just fine while I wait for the grow-back process to be completed. As you can see the weight of this part of the dilemma changes seasonally.
Now the issue I’d like to take up with my fellow sisters and brothers in Islam is this: As Salat (the prayer). There are several positions one takes during the salat. The first position, standing (qiyam) is A-OK. The second position, bowing (rukoo’) is fine too. I’m still able to have focus (khushoo') on the Mercy and Blessings of Allah. But then when I go into prostration (sajdah), my toes are required to be pointing downward onto the floor. This added pressure on my overly clipped tippy toes is too much. I don’t want to change the position of my feet by laying them flat on the floor with the bottoms up. So instead I tense my legs so that my toes barely touch the floor, therefore not ruining anyone else’s salah by crying out in pain.
This is the plight of my over zealous toenail cutting. Please tell me I’m not alone in this. Will I ever learn to change my clipping ways?

2:164
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing(changing) of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason. إن في خلق السماوات والأرض واختلاف الليل والنهار والفلك التي تجري في البحر بما ينفع الناس وما أنزل الله من السماء من ماء فأحيا به الأرض بعد موتها وبث فيها من كل دابة وتصريف الرياح والسحاب المسخر بين السماء والأرض لآيات لقوم يعقلون

4:47
O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [to Muْammad], confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate (change) faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of Allah accomplished. يا أيها الذين أوتوا الكتاب آمنوا بما نزلنا مصدقا لما معكم من قبل أن نطمس وجوها فنردها على أدبارها أو نلعنهم كما لعنا أصحاب السبت وكان أمر الله مفعولا

8:53
That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. ذلك بأن الله لم يك مغيرا نعمة أنعمها على قوم حتى يغيروا ما بأنفسهم و أن الله سميع عليم

2:75
Do you covet [the hope, O believers], that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort (change) the Torah after they had understood it while they were knowing? أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلاَمَ اللّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

In my house lurks a toddler of 17 months. She walks, or staggers really. She talks, if one considers "Bye bye," and "Da da," talking. She takes her meals with me. She takes her meals with her siblings. She then takes her meals with her father. She has somehow come to the conclusion that she is entitled to eat at least 9 meals per day. Aside from this revelation of hers there is the fact that she now has a baby sister, 2 months old. Now, in all fairness reining in at only 17 months, she is still very much a baby. But now she has been forced to adapt to not being the center of attention all of the time. She has recently, though reluctantly, graduated from her trusted bottle to a sippy cup. And is persecuted daily from the sight of her baby sister receiving nourishment and comfort from what used to be her bottle. So she then takes out her confusion on the family by demanding our nourishment and disturbing our comfort.

From all of this babbling, what I mean to say is that my toddler eats soooooo much that the contents of her diapers are...shall I say, full of...character. I don't want to change another one of her diapers for the next 100 years! I'm beginning to wonder if there is a thing called Baby Colonics. Because clearly, my baby girl is in need. The stench from these diapers is so hideous that I'm forced to immediately remove them from the house for fear of some organic compost uprising will occur in the middle of the night. I'm afraid I'll wake up bound and gagged in a really really low budget B movie about the contents of the diapers multiplying overnight and spreading themselves all over the walls as a deterrent to my escape. Their agenda being to take over the world.

I realize I'm overreacting a bit (just a bit). But I've counted. And I change roughly 15 diapers a day between the two girls. So diapers play a large part in my daily routine. And if you saw what I have seen, you'd be afraid too. Be very afraid.

SCENE: 1989, Berkeley, California. Telegraph Avenue, two blocks from the UC Berkeley campus. A July morning around 10:30. The sky is overcast with a typical layer of Bay Area morning fog that is predicted to burn away by early afternoon.

MAIN CHARACTER: Goldy Locks, a young man in his early twenties, baby blue eyes are bloodshot. His shoulder length locks are adorned with occasional strands of yarn woven in(how does one lock straight hair?). He's wearing scruffy tattered jeans, 4 sizes too big for his lanky frame and a faded, spliff smoking Bob Marley t-shirt. He smells of Patchouli oil over ashtray. He's leaning against the wall of a record shop, watching people walk by.

A conservative looking woman in her 40's walks by.

"Can you spare some change," Goldy asks.

She ignores him and quickens her pace.

A teenage boy with an irate look on his face passes by.

The boy shoots him an angry look, sighs with over-exaggeration and keeps stepping.

A man, around 30, dressed "Berkeley Casual" strolls past.

"Dude, can you spare some change? I'm tryin to get some breakfast."

The man stops and hands Goldy $1.62 in change. Goldy counts the change before yelling his thanks to the man who has already crossed the street. The man waves in Goldy's direction without turning back.

A group of high school girls approach. Goldy spots the cutest in the bunch and makes eye contact with her as he speaks.

"Morning ladies. Can you spare a starvin artist some change? I haven't sold my first masterpiece yet."

They cackle in unison and apologize. No change.

A couple of students from the college approach. The two young men are wearing their hangovers as they drag past him.

"Hey man, can you guys spare some change so I can get some weed?"

They look at each other, start laughing until they are reminded of the pain in their heads from partying too much last night. They dig deep into their pockets and collectively donate $7. 59 towards Goldy's next high.

"Ring Ring!"

Kiwi: Hellooo?



Banana: Hey girl, how you doin Ki?



Kiwi: Hey B, whatchu up to?



Banana: Nothin much, just thinkin maybe you wanna hook up later?



Kiwi: Aww B, you're so sweet. But I'm too tangy for you. You couldn't handle the tartness.



Banana: What r u sayin? My sweet and your tart would make a great mix girl.



Kiwi: Mmmm idunnooo....maybe...alright i guess-

"beep"



Kiwi: Oh wait somebody's on my other line

two minutes pass. Banana waits for his answer.



Kiwi: Hello, B? That was Grape.



Banana: Tsss, what'd HE want?



Kiwi: He was askin if I wanted to hook up later, talkin bout he was all juicy for me and-



Banana: What'd you TELL him?



Kiwi: (smiling coyly) I told him I was mixin it up with you later and he got all defensive sayin he was just kidding and that he had too much to do later anyways. I can't stand sour grapes.



Banana: Yeah, Haters!