Reader's Digest

This thing has sort of turned into more of a digest than a daily blog lately, but I feel a sense of accomplishment listing out the things I've done in the last few days. So until stuff calms down at work/home (When would that be you ask? Well, NEVER!) I am going to continue to take some liberties. At least I'm not all sloth-y and avoiding you because of how ashamed I am for not doing anything. That would be worse. Right?

After seeing this adorable baby sloth I feel bad suggesting they're lazy.
In fact, they're just slow. Physically.
Not sure about their mental quickness. No time to do sloth research.
I'm not lazy, just busy. Really!

Longest photo caption ever!!!




EXERCISE
My last post was heavy on the Islam with not much going on in the exercise department but this time around it's been flip-flopped. By the way, it's officially flip-flop weather here in Minnesota. Just thought I would mention that.

Here's what I did since Friday to boost my metabolism, burn calories, and get all sweaty in the face:

FRIDAY: The night before any housewarming party is the best time to clean your entire home from top to bottom. Preferably this is the first real cleaning it's gotten since you moved in, making it an extra-fat-burning activity. I scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom down, including the tub which always makes all muscles and bones feel terrible. I vacuumed all the furniture and carpets so you could see the real color that's usually hidden by Willy's abandoned fur. I dusted everything, folded all the laundry, and hung some art while futzing around with the furniture and stuff. It took three hours.

SATURDAY: After my party (which was in my book a huge success, especially after the rave reviews of the super-cheap grocery store brand lemonade people though was fresh-squeezed) one of my pals and I took a walk in my neighborhood and looked at fancy houses on a street famous for Victorian homes. It was warm but not hot and we went up and down small hills. Good stuff!

SUNDAY: I got out of Arabic class and headed over to another friend's place with my walking buddy from Saturday. After getting some bomb pizza and kebabs from the Afghani place around the corner (don't count those calories here please!) we went in and deep-cleaned several rooms in her house. You see, she's on vacation with her family (a husband and 5 boys!!!) and all those duders make for a messy home. It's just impossible to keep up. So we, along with her mom who has been doing a room here and there all week, went to town on the older boys' room (GROSS) kitchen, bathroom, and living room. I can't wait for her to see it. Don't worry about her reading this—her mom already told her about it. But I know she'll still be shocked. And that makes me happy. 

MONDAY (today): At work we did Day One of the big move to our new building. I almost ran into a pole with the U-Haul truck while trying to look all cool and back it into a loading dock to pick up furniture, but just ALMOST. While I didn't do any of the heavy lifting for the move (we have guys to carry boxes while the ladies just look pretty) I did help move a ton of chairs that we got for free from a contact of mine. About 30 chairs needed to go into and out of the truck and get routed to different offices so that was a small workout.

Right now I'm sitting on the couch, eating risotto because Day Two is tomorrow and we're hitting up the free furniture place again. I also had some faux chicken strips and peas, so it wasn't that bad.

Health Tip of the Day: Host a party. It will make you clean and that is a good way to get in shape. If you hate people or your apartment, just go to someone else's place, break in (legally) and clean it for them. They will die of gratitude and you will feel real good, both because you helped someone out and you did the equivalent of 30 lunges just getting that stuff from behind the toilet off the floor.

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ISLAM
Arabic class was on Sunday, so that's the only real update since Friday when I told you about the new Surahs I've been learning. We reviewed some grammar that somehow got lost between Arabic 5 and 8 so we're no longer in the doghouse with our teacher for not knowing stuff we're supposed to know.

We also went over Hadith #15 in Imam an-Nawawi's 40 Ahadith. It talks about the permissible reasons for spilling the blood of another Muslim. This hadith is really important because it educates both Muslims and non-Muslims alike about what constitutes justice in Islam.

It's important to note that these sentences can only be carried out by the ruling authority in the land (like the caliph) who has knowledge of the laws and not just any person who feels like taking revenge. It's astounding to me when I hear about ignorant people who take the lives of others and claim they have a right under the Sharia. They have no authority to do this, and by taking matters into their own hands, they have actually gone against the laws of Islam.

There are many conditions and provisions in these laws (such as needing four reliable witnesses who actually saw the physical act of intercourse take place in the case of adultery) that it's really only appropriate for the most knowledgeable people in positions of authority to interpret and apply them.

May Allah make us among those who learn, follow, and respect His laws in a way that befits His ultimate knowledge and majesty. May He make me a person who constantly strives to obey Him in everything I do while sharing the beauty of this whole-life system of Islam with the world.