5 Lessons from Hurricane Sandy

I think everyone was caught off guard by Hurricane Sandy. I think we were all thinking it would be just like Hurricane Irene, but it was a different beast. Some people have homes flooded, others lost them completely. Even entire communities were leveled. Alhamdulillah, I didn't have it that bad, but I did lose electricity and heat for about two weeks. It was tougher than I expected, but lessons I learned from the experience greatly outweighed the hardship. Here are five of them:

1. We're not as self sufficient as we think we are
   On the second night of the storm, when the winds started to pick up and the lights started flickering, we had an idea of what was coming. Last year, during Hurricane Irene, we lost electricity for 6 days, so when we the lights went out, we weren't too surprised. No electricity and no internet was more of a nuisance than anything else. Not really a hardship. But the pain started when the heat started wearing off. Hurricane Irene hit earlier in fall, while Sandy came closer to winter. It was getting really cold. Sleeping would require multiple uncomfortable layers on every part of the body and getting out of bed would be impossible if we didn't have warm water for showers. I realized that in our normal day to day lives, we feel like everything is in our control, but it only takes a few downed wired to put us back in our place and realize all this stability is only thanks to Allah. The challenge though is to remain grateful to Allah after our luxury returns.
   
   
2. Life without internet isn't so bad
   Before Hurricane Sandy took out my electricity, it would be safe to say that I was spending a bit too much time on my computer. I always felt like I had so much to do and would sneak in a couple of Youtube videos to subconsciously avoid doing those tasks. The result would be a stress filled, unproductive day with not enough time spent with family and too many days without calling friends. After I lost internet, it felt pretty peaceful. I didn't feel the constant urge to check my Facebook, email and even this website. I could just sit back, study and spend some quality time with the family without worrying about lost productivity. Now that I have internet back, I have to make sure I manage my time well enough to avoid enslaving myself to my computer again.
   
   
   

The Presidential Debates: Like a Hip Hop Beef

I was watching the presidential debates and started thinking about how little I was thinking about what the candidates were saying and paying more attention to their rhetoric and body language. You cant really blame me though. We're not hearing anything new from these candidates and there's no way to fact check their claims while they speak. When Obama claims that Romney's tax breaks will fall on the middle class, how can we know at the moment whether or not it is true when Romney claims it's false? It's really all a game. Something that both candidates have to do or else it will seem like they cant stand up to their opposing candidates scrutiny. It reminded me of these hip hop beefs and rap battles. No one really is paying attention to the validity of each rappers' claims or wait for the chance of reconciliation, people just watch to see who can insult the other the best. Similarly in these presidential debates, it's not really about the issues, but about the back and forth that goes on between the candidates.

It makes me wish we could pick our leaders like the first few khalifa's of Islam were chosen. The leaders did not run for office, the most pious among them were chosen. Ideally, this system would bypass all of this unnecessary drama of candidates arguing for why they are the best and increase the likelihood of choosing the most qualified and sincere leader. The only problem is that I don't think it's possible today. There is too much ego and too little sincerity. Democracy isn't bad, I just feel like it's not being implemented in a way that achieves it's purpose.

Don't Be a Prayer Pest

This doesn't happen to me much anymore, but I still see it happen to others. It's pretty funny, because how oblivious the person is to the irony of what they are doing. We should be more careful, even when talking to someone near a praying person, because concentration in prayer is essential and it is elusive once lost. Allah says in the Quran, "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness" (23:1-2). So why would we make it harder for someone to achieve this? That'd be pretty messed up if you ask me.  

A Riot's Equation for Change

Yep... makes sense. That happens at every riot, but I still don't understand why. Maybe everyone else knows something I don't. Maybe by making themselves look like imbeciles, the angry mob will earn the pity of congress, who will pass legislation in their favor? Who knows. 

Cartoon Muhammad Has Been Nominated for Funniest Blogger!

Finally some good news! Alhamdulillah, thanks to your support and efforts, Cartoon Muhammad has been nominated for Funniest Blogger for the Brass Crescent Awards. I completely forgot to ask you all for nominate this site, but you did it anyway. I love you guys for the sake of Allah =D.

I'm going up against some tough competition. We have my good friend, Dr. O's hilarious Muslim Medicine blog, Hamzah Moin's legendary Maniac Muslim and Mr. Moo's blog which doesn't seem to be exist anymore. I love all of these blogs, so choose whichever you benefit from and enjoy the most. This is nice, fun competition, but we do it for the sake of Allah at the end of the day.

I made a comic about this last year, with a nice message, so check it out by clicking --> here <--

#MuslimRage: How They Make Us Look and How We Really Are

I recently made a comic in response to the poor response of some Muslims to the "Innocence of Muslims" movie trailer. To be fair, only a minority of Muslims and Arabs in these countries are the ones thoughtlessly protesting and acting violently. Most Muslims were against these acts and although it was under reported.

It is also worth mentioning that many people from the regions where the protests are occurring think the United States government is responsible, because they don't understand the freedoms and limitations of speech we have here. We have to understand that many of these countries have a long history of state controlled media. Yes, they should have done their research before protesting, but I doubt most of us would take the time to research how Arab/Muslim societies run before expressing our outrage at something they did.

A Naruto Themed Response to the "Innocence of Muslims" Fiasco

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Read here: https://picasaweb.google.com/Akhan07/CartoonControversy?authuser=0&feat=directlink

This whole "Innocence of Muslims" fiasco has really been annoying me. A little known video, that could have easily been made in someone's backyard, that should have been left in the abyss of Youtube videos rarely watched, is now being used to rile up Muslims in the Middle East and other regions. What really makes me upset is how people on both sides, the Muslim-hating bigots and religious/political leaders, are using this video to make the Muslim world do exactly what they want them to. The guy who made the film is getting an early Christmas gift from all the Muslims being portrayed as angry and intolerant barbarians, while certain religious leaders and political parties are gaining supporters by seemingly taking a harder stance on the film and America. Either way, the root of the problem is that, unlike our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we are too quick to anger. As "Princess Mononoke" beautifully portrayed with that boar race, when you become angry, you become stupid and are toyed with easily. Ok, done rambling... for now.

Exam Anxiety (Featuring 50 Cent)

As you may have noticed, I have been out of missing in action for a while. This comic is about what I was busy with and the lesson I learned from it.

Male Hijab

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When we talk about hijab, women get all the attention. A little too much attention. But men have hijab too! Male hijab doesn't cover up as much as female hijab, but it is still important. We obsess so much on what Muslim women shouldn't be wearing and doing out of modesty that we fail to address the violations of male hijab that are becoming more and more common.

Every Friday at the mosque, I cant tell you how many men are sitting their with their midriff, underwear and even butt-crack exposed. No one ever complains of it to the imam and no one looks down on the offending person for not complying with male hijab. If a woman has some hair peaking under her hijab, or has her sleeves rolled up, we instantly judge her level of religiosity (somewhere between mild and medium, but definitely not strong). Come on people, we cant let the brothers get away with it so easily!

Garbage with a Good Beat

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MUSIC IS HALAL! Ok, now that I have your attention... MUSIC IS HARAM! Ok, now that I really have your attention, this post has nothing to do with whether music is halal or haram, but I do want to tell you about something of profound importance!

I have exams coming up, which doesn't mean I am studying more, but means that I am watching more Youtube videos. I regularly check up on what has been going viral and a few days ago I came across one such video. The video showed two little girls, Lennon and Maisy, singing a song and using plastic boxes for percussion. Their voices were absolutely amazing! Here, take a listen:

Parents and Cheeseburger Flavored Hookah

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My dad once told me that when we are children, we think that our parents know everything, but when we become teenagers we start thinking our parents know nothing. Once we grow and mature a bit more, we realize that our parents were right more often than not. I used to keep this quote in mind while growing up, but I still had those moments where I argued with my parents over something I thought I was 100% right about. Low and behold, a few years later I realized they were right, or I could at least sympathize with their point of view.

The Smelly Friend: How to Give Advice

A lot of people mean well when they give advice, but end up doing more harm than good. We often think that if we explain something to someone logically enough, it will make sense to them and they will change our ways instantly. Unfortunately, that happening is more common in our imaginations than in reality. In my experience, giving advice is just as much an emotional issue as it is rational. The way we give advice can make the difference between someone changing for the better and solidifying bad habits.

 This is a major problem in the Muslim community. Many of us become overzealous and advise people so harshly that we either push them further from Islam, or crush their self esteem. If we try advising with love and genuine concern, I'm sure we would see better results and feel better.

 In the comments section, share with us an example from your experience of advice being given the wrong and right way.

Classic Comic: Backbiting is Bad for Them, But Worse for You

Asalamu Alaikum ya'll,

Sorry, but I couldn't make a brand new comic today. I'm studying for an exam, which is taking up much of my life right now. So I decided to use an old comic I made a number of years ago on good ol' Microsoft Paint. I was planning on making a comic on the same topic anyway, but was hoping to address it in a more relevant way.
The point either way is that backbiting hurts the people you are talking about, but is worse for you. If Allah wasn't so just and made backbiting such a detrimental sin, I can only imagine how much I would do it. It's sometimes so tempting, especially something as common as making fun of your teachers, or that kid in your class who is such an easy target for jokes.

The worst thing about backbiting in my opinion, is that once someone tells you something unpleasant about someone, it is so hard not to judge that person, even if  it's unlikely to be true. There are quite a few people who were really nice when I met them, but after someone tells me a rumor about them, it's hard to take it out of my head and recognize the good qualities these people showed me when I first met them. It's just not fair to do this to someone, especially when they are not there to defend themselves.

That is why Allah says in the Quran, "O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." Allah compares backbiting to eating the flesh of your dead brother to emphasize how disgusting this act is. So let's catch ourselves next time we find ourselves badmouthing someone behind their back and say something good instead. It'll make you feel better, insha'Allah (God willing).

The Need for Muslim Women Leaders

A few years ago, my college's Muslim Student's Association was planning an event on women in Islam. We were looking to invite a female speaker, because it kinda makes sense for a Muslim women to talk about women in Islam. But it was so hard to find anyone! There were hardly any female Islamic speakers we knew from the top of our heads like we know Yasir Qadhi or Hamza Yusuf. I asked sisters for help, but they seemed as clueless as I was. We ended up choosing one of the few female speakers we could find on Youtube. She did well presenting the topic, but had a hard time answering some tough questions, because she didn't have a formal education in Islam. It made me wonder why we were in a situation where Muslim woman leaders are so hard to find. Is it because there are a lack of them, or because they are not in the spotlight? I can think of a few more female Muslim speakers who have gained some prominence since then, who I would have loved to have invited to the event, but they are still a tiny minority.

It may seem trivial, but I think it's an issue worth highlighting. Our sisters in Islam are an amazing resource we are missing out on. We need role models for our young sisters to look up to and emulate. Sisters AND brothers need to understand certain issues from a woman's perspective. When men try to speak for women, they aren't always accurate. There were so many stereotypes about women I learned from male speakers, that I only realized were not true until I was married. I was like "What?! You're not like that?!"... ok it wasn't that bad.

Why Government Snooping of Muslims Is Bad for Non-Muslims

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This is where the jet pack reference is from: An Unbalanced Lifestyle
   
       I got the idea for this comic after listening to a speech by Cyrus McGoldrick at an NYIT MSA event. He said something that really changed the way I looked at these recent laws that give the United States government more power to monitor and detain Americans. He said, from what I understand, to not be fooled into thinking that this is happening because of some war against Islam, but that Muslims are being used as an excuse to give the government more power over all people.
       I don't know how true it is, but it made me think about how I would feel if my conversations were being monitored. How would you feel if someone was reading the text messages you send your spouse? How would you feel if the friend you made at the mosque turns out to be a spy that has been recording your conversations for months? I don't know how bad it has gotten, but there is some evidence to show that even normal people like you and me are not exempt from being monitored.

A Different Way of Looking at the Kony 2012 Controversy

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        Many of you have probably heard about the Kony 2012 campaign by Invisible Children. In the past week, it has gained popularity due to a documentary posted on Youtube by the organization (watch it after the break). Since then, it has gained tens of millions of views. The knee jerk reaction of most people was to completely support the campaign and share the documentary with others. But as it's popularity grew, skepticism of it grew with it. Many of us began posting articles criticizing the Kony 2012 campaign's strategy and Invisible Children's motives.

Multiple Choice Marriage

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Asalamu Alaikum Everyone!

Finally a comic, right? Not only that, but a comic on everyone's favorite subject... marriage!

Alhamdulillah, I was fortunate to get married this summer. I knew who I wanted to marry for a while, so waiting was difficult, but it made me realize the importance of the process of getting married. Many of us living in the west, or even Muslim countries are in a situation where the requirements for marriage are making us wait longer, while the culture around us and our natural inclination tempts us to have relationships early. Not only that, we have no clue how we should go about getting married. Should we do it the western way by dating before marriage, or the way of many of our parents where it would be arranged, or something in between?