Spring renewal.

It's a glorious May here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and the last couple of weeks of rain have jump-started the lawns and trees into hyper-green mode, making for verdant and refreshing scenery all over the Twin Cities. This has also been a season for the new-and-improved in my life. I just moved to a fantastic new place with a boss view and all the amenities a blue-collar girl from Southern Minnesota could want. I'm planning to change my name ASAP to follow the commandment in Islam to keep one's father's name regardless of marriage or divorce. Although I will be going back to my old name it will be "new to me" again, like when you find a beautiful treasure you forgot you even had in the upstairs closet of your parents' house after your mom threatened to finally throw out all that garbage that's been taking up space in her house for the last 14 years since you moved out. I'm also due to get a new car. My lease is up soon and I'll be selecting a new object of abuse that I can drive too fast around curves, fill with all my junk for different activities and events, and cover with a fine layer of french fry salt during my many on-the-run meals.

It's fun getting new stuff.

Now if only I could get a new brain that would work like mine did when I was 22, we'd be in business.





EXERCISE
I am going to exercise my right to pass on this tonight. I don't feel too hot right now for some reason, maybe I ate something weird (not unlikely). I will try to do some stretching before bed because I really need to catch up on sleep and I think it does help, but I just can't make myself perform any real physical activity right now. I MUST MUST MUST try to get this done before I leave work (preferably in the morning before work, if I could only sleep at night) so I don't keep ending up trying to work it in after 10 p.m. when I finally get home on most days.

Instead of a Health Tip of The Day from me, why don't we do a Reader-Submitted Health Tip List for everyone out there? Please comment on this post with anything that helps you feel better, something you read somewhere that might be useful, or just some made-up mumbo-jumbo that a QVC vitamin salesman said at 2:13 a.m. last night, that you only saw because you can't sleep either. No one cares, this is just a blog!

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ISLAM
Tonight was our weekly halaqa (class) with Sh. Hatem al-Haj. This entry would have been a lot better if I had written it during the class when things were making total sense and I had them fresh in my mind, but again, I am not 22 anymore and can't always use my noodle to capacity.

Here are some notes from tonight's discussion on the criteria used by Allah to judge us when we come before Him:

Three Arguments on the Day of Judgement. Allah will present us each with three proofs that we knew the truth all along whether we obeyed Him or not:

1. The covenant given by all of mankind upon our creation that we would obey Him alone (and the remaining fitrah or innate belief in one unique God who created us all). 
2. The universe and His entire creation—for who can see even the simplest of creatures and not recognize the intricacy and perfection with which it was created and investigate its origin?
3. He sent messengers to notify you of His existence and tell you how He should be worshipped along with a warning to those who ignored these messengers. And we are told that none will be held accountable without being sent a messenger first as a warning—and He is the All-Merciful!

Intention over perfection: Allah will accept a half-accomplished deed or act of worship which you had fully intended to do but he will not accept even the most perfect and complete act if even 1% of your intention was to please another person. Bottom line: Check your intentions!

You go to paradise based on your actions but not in exchange for your actions. This means Allah will consider your good deeds and worship and if He wills, you'll be admitted to Paradise by His ultimate mercy alone. For who among us could ever do enough to truly earn Jannah? This is not a transaction. Allah doesn't need any of us to worship Him—we do it to benefit ourselves.

May Allah protect us from arrogance and self-security in our worship. May He help us correct our intentions to please Him alone and may He grant us all a seat in Jannat al-Firdous (the highest station of Paradise).