Is supplication for the destruction of kuffars wrong?

I recently read about this Saudi cleric Sheikh Salman al-Awda (BBC) who wants to stop having a supplication for the destruction of "kuffars" at the end of Friday prayers. Of course, he added the caveat that if "kuffars" are harming Muslim interests it's ok to pray for their destruction. (gotta have that out to placate the masses, donch'a know)

What does that say about Islam and Muslims? ALL non-Muslims have the potential to become Muslim. Sometimes I think that born Muslims forget that once upon a time, their ancestors were "kuffar", too. They forget that Allah (swt) created ALL of us and chooses to guide whom he will to Islam. The very person whose destruction you are praying for today may be in the row right next to you tomorrow.

I've been thinking about this a lot over the past couple of weeks. At first I was really ticked off that anyone would be praying for my destruction (after all, I've been non-Muslim most of my life) EVEN WHILE I WAS LEARNING ABOUT ISLAM. While I know that no one was specifically singling me out, it still hurts. I don't understand praying for the destruction of innocents just because they are different from me.

I asked myself "Would I still have become Muslim if I knew that potentially millions of people were praying for my downfall?" Alhumdilliah, the answer was (and is) "YES!", but I must add a caveat. I most likely would have decided to avoid interacting with folks who actively pray for the destruction of millions of people based on their religion. It seems safer to avoid the judgemental in favor of those who concern themselves with their own actions and reactions.

I ask myself "Should I pray for my family, who are all kuffar, to be destroyed? Or should I pray for Allah (swt) to guide them Islam if it pleases him? Or should I pray for Allah (swt) to guide all of us to a better understanding of Islam and his directions?"

After hashing it out in my mind, now I'm just disappointed and dismayed by my co-religionists. And I think I will continue to supplicate for Allah to guide my "kuffar" family to the light of Islam, rather than their destruction.

Irresponsible Hunters Tick Me Off

I was reading my fav free online newpaper for the Kenai Peninsula the other day and came across an article about two dufus' shooting a bear from the road. Redoubt Reporter

What really ticked me off isn't that they shot the bear, it's that they didn't take into account that the bear could have gone crazy and attacked someone after they wounded it, they broke the law by shooting from the edge of the road (that section of the highway is a no hunting zone for 1/4 mile from the edge of the pavement), they are such lousy shots that they shot it in the *ss rather than set up for a better shot, and further broke the law by finishing the bear off while standing in the road.

As someone who used to live near that area, this story brought up how many times irresponsible hunters would shoot near my cabin and in general make life miserable due to their lazy attitude about getting more than 10 steps off a road to hunt. Invariably, the hunters were not locals and were jerks whenever you confronted them about shooting near your home or in your yard.

As a former (and probably future) hunter, I hate to see anyone not following the regs. I was taught that you respect the animal, respect folks property and safety, and follow the law. It especially chaps my hide when folks aren't safety conscience and can't kill the animal with a minimum amount of suffering. I hope that these two get the book thrown at them, have their guns confiscated, and are heavily, heavily fined.

I won't expound on the stupidity of folks endangering their lives (and their kids) by being so close to a bear as well as endangering motorists lives by impeding traffic on such a blind corner on an extremely narrow highway.

I'm baaaack! Maybe.

I think the title says it all.

Expect occasional and way random posts on news, thoughts, and life experiences.

Salaams and howdy to anyone who's stopped by to see if I'm still alive and or blogging. As you can tell, I've been really lax on the blogging front. Life has been totally crazy for the past several months and in the prioritizing of my life the blog continues to fall somewhere below washing the car and repotting my houseplants. Insha'Allah I'll be less... hectic in the future and can get back to my internet ramblings.

I finally finished the house except for putting in the baseboard and other trim and tiling the kitchen backsplash, alhumdilliah. The lady has yet to pick those out so once she does I'll finish up. I spent the end of April and first 1/2 of May really hitting the jobs hard so I could take nearly 3 weeks off to go visit my folks. All I can say is "Alhumdilliah, my weekends are my own again!" and breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.

I went to visit my folks and my brother and alhumdilliah things went as well as can be expected. Alhumdilliah they were understanding and flexible with the various things in their life that can create problems for me. Unfortunately, Mom shrunk all my new salwar kameez so I am now the proud owner of several pairs of highwater pants, lol. Insha'Allah I'll be able to stretch them out or... something along the lines of a strip around the ankles or...?? Anyways, we all had a good laugh about it, since I'm usually the person to mess up the laundry.

Before I went my gardening partner and I built a 6' tall fence around our 400 square foot garden, turned the soil, and planted the entire thing. Insha'Allah we will have a good harvest and can eat well and share the wealth with those in need. And insha'Allah the weather warms up... the daily high temp has been in the mid to low 50's for weeks, which is not conducive to really good crops (other than the root crops) but is, apparently, conducive to growing weeds. I spend 2 hours today weeding and I can barely see a difference, lol.

Things continue to be busy on the work front. Still working at the office, still got the editing gig, and now I'm back to mowing lawns. Suprisingly, lawn mowing pays really well. The average price is $40 for about 2 hours of work, and since I enjoy being outside and mowing I can hardly classify it as work. This year I am only using a push reel mower, since I'm trying to be environmentaly aware and everything. Plus, I can fit it into the trunk of my car and easily transport it around to my various gigs. Insha'Allah this summer isn't one of those really wet ones 'cause that will make using the reel mower a real drag.

Otherwise, not much really going on. Just getting into the summer groove and hoping to spend lots of time camping. Gas is $4.25 a gallon so I've got to be selective in my camping trips, tho. Is it better to take more short trips or fewer long trips? Some of my usual places are quite a drive away and I may have to forgo them this season. We'll see...

President via Osmosis

I thought I would be able to not post about the presidential election, but I just can't resist anymore. For those who don't know me, I am a right of center liberal who happily votes for whichever cantidate I think is best. With one GIANT exception. I absolutely cannot stand the Clintons. To me they embody everything that is wrong with our political system. There isn't a special interest group they won't take money from, there isn't a lie they won't tell to get power, there isn't a person they won't step on to get what they want.

Obviously, I won't be voting for Hillary if she is able to bribe her way to the nomination. I can't vote for McCain (what person of good conscience can?) so I guess I will be again voting for the third party cantidate. Or doing the write-in thing.

Like many folks I have questions about Obama. I wonder if he will walk the talk if he's president. But I know he can't be any worse than Hilly or McCain. Lets face it, if he just sits there and doodles on the presidential stationary he can't be any worse!

And for all the feminist Hillary supporters out there I have some questions. What ever happened to the ideal that a woman should be valued for her own worth? For having an identity of her own, without her husband? For earning her own way and obtaining her position based on her own worth?

Would Hillary be running for president if her husband hadn't been president? What has she done that countless other women of her generation haven't done? What has she done that distinguishes herself from those women? Would she have become a senator if her husband hadn't been president? Would she have become a senator if she didn't have political chits gathered while her husband was president?

I believe she was a decent first lady for Arkansas. I believe she was a decent first lady of the U.S. I know she used her positions to try to do good for citizens. But, so do/have countless other women who have been "first ladies". I know she spent years working on social issues. But so have countless other women; women, who, I should add, have done so without being married to someone with political connections.

From what I've seen she has done a decent job of capitalizing on her "good" fortune of marrying Bill. Do I think she has done anything to make herself especially qualified to be president of the U.S.? Nope. Do I think being first lady qualifies her to be president? Nope. If it does, then I should quickly marry a soon to be governor so I can be qualified to be governor, too. THEN, if he becomes president I'll be qualified to be president TOO, instead of being just a governor!