Ten Comments You Will Hear Before Pursuing Your Deen

FANTASTIC post I read on: http://annoor.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/ten-comments-you-will-hear-before-pursuing-your-deen-2/

For anyone who ever thought of growing a full fist-length beard, observing proper hijab and/or niqab, or dressing in an Islamic manner but have not been able to do so, this is a must read for you. Insha Allah, it may serve to be a source of inspiration for those who wish to pursue Islamic education. But most importantly, it serves to be a reminder for me and Insha Allah, a means of earning Allah’s pleasure by getting people to practice the Deen in its entirety.

Unfortunately, just before you take your first step on the righteous journey to pursue your Deen, your nafs and shaytaan be it your own shaytaan or people around you, even the ones who deeply care for you, will give you awful “advice” and sincere “nasihah”. Perhaps it may not be because they have evil intentions. It is because they do not understand the big picture—what your Deen means to you. They do not understand that, to you, the reward is worth the risk. In other words, a life of hell in this world or a jail as the hadith says is worth more than a temporal “paradise” for an unknown amount of torment the actual hellfire.

So they try to protect you by shielding you from the possibility of failure, which, as a result, also shields you from the possibility of making a Deeni life for yourself a reality.

Our time here in this world is limited, so let us not waste it trying to live someone else’s life. Do not be trapped by lack of faith and Iman others have regarding themselves and you. Do not let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out the sound of your soul yearning to live a righteous and pious life.

Here are ten tips (lies) people will likely tell you when you decide to pursue your Deen and the reasons why they are dreadfully mistaken:

1. You can follow your Deen someday, but right now you need to calm down and be responsible.

Someday?! When is “someday”? “Someday” is not a day at all. “Someday” never comes. It is not even on the calendar. It is not on the lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar, and ISNA does not even know when “Someday” is going to be based off calculations because it cannot be calculated! It is a foggy generalization of a time that will likely never come. Today is the only day guaranteed to you. Today is the only day you can begin to make a difference in your life. And pursuing your Deen is what life is all about. So do not be irresponsible. Do not wait until “someday.” Make today the first day of the rest of your new life, and fulfill the purpose of your life.

2. You are totally at a loss if it does not work out.

Wrong! This is a giant, lame load of whispers and snares in the form of wasawis. You are not even close to being at a loss. In fact, the worst case scenario is that things do not work out and you go back to doing exactly what you are doing right now. Well you can always make Tawbah, and return to Allah. If the sun has risen from the west for these pessimists, then let them have their judgment, but in reality, this event has not yet occurred. So make use of the time at hand. The door for returning to Allah is still open and everyone has a free pass to go in, even those who were in and went out can return back in. Remember that the Qur’an says mankind is in loss and those who practice the Deen are an exception to that.

3. It is safer to maintain your job.

Sure, I suppose. But you know what is even safer than that? Going home, locking yourself in your bedroom, and never, ever coming out. And just like that, your entire life and your Deen would go down the drain. Remember, safer doesn’t always mean better. Allah is our Provider, and our Sustainer. Allah provides so much sustenance to those who reject Him, to those who associate partners and ascribe children to Him, and to those who have unusual beliefs about Him. Yet, He never abandons them! Are we worse than those people that Allah will not tend to at least our basic needs?! Is this world not a testing center for us?!

4. Fully practicing Deen is impossible!

It is only impossible if you never do anything about it. The reason certain things seem impossible is simply because these people are not aware of anyone who has achieved them yet. But this does not mean that with your help these things won’t become possible in the future. If you truly dedicate yourself to an end result, almost anything is possible. You just have to want it bad enough. The examples of our pious predecessors and the examples of the righteous people of today are in front of us. Resolutions only become available to people of firm resolve!

5. Only a lucky few “make it.”

That is because those lucky few got off their rear ends and did something about it! They had the drive, determination, and willpower that you have right now. You can be one of them. It is up to you, and only you. Keep in mind the lives of the pious people. They had to deal with the taunts of people also. In fact it was said that the recitation (Qira’ah) of Imam ‘Asim (the teacher of Imam Hafs) and the jurisprudence (Fiqh) of Imam Abu Hanifah would not reach outside Kufa….Look who gets the last laugh now!

6. You might fail and sin. And sinning is bad.

Failures which lead to sinning are simply stepping stones to repentance. No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something: win–win. The biggest mistake you can make is doing nothing because you’re too scared to make a mistake. If you can’t handle failure, then you can’t handle success either. In the end, you will have attained the love of Allah. How you ask? Allah mentions in the Qur’an that He loves the pious and the righteous. But Allah also mentions that He loves those who frequently repent. One will only frequently repent when one frequently fails and sins.

7. You do not have access to the right resources.

It is not about having the right resources; it’s about using the resources available to you. Imam Abu Yusuf was a poor person. He did not have the luxury to give everything up and sit and learn. What he did have though, was his eyes on the prize and sincere yearning for learning. That resulted in the great Imam Abu Hanifah noticing this and resolving to look after the financial needs of Imam Abu Yusuf. Get it? Got it? GOOD!

8. You need more money saved before you can take the first step.

You do not need more money. You need a plan. You need a budget. Eliminate ALL the nonessential costs in your life. If pursuing your dream requires you to leave your day job, figure out the absolute minimum amount of income that you realistically require. Studying the lives of those who have succeeded with similar ventures helps a great deal. But above all, take baby steps. Do not be foolish and assume that you must have a certain amount of money saved right now, or that you must quit your day job today in order to pursue your Deen. Instead, ask yourself this question, “What actions can I take right now with the money and resources I have right now that will bring me closer to the desired goal of practicing Deen properly?”

9. You do not need any help. It is smarter and better to learn and practice on your own.

You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you socialize with the wrong people, they will negatively affect you. But if you socialize with the right people, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone. Find pious people who you click with and work together to make a difference in all of your lives.

10. That sounds like a lot of hard work.

You are darn right it does! But that does not mean it is not worth it. I think success in life hinges on one key point: finding work you love doing and knowing that Allah also loves that work. As long as you do not do anything to incur the wrath of Allah, remain true to yourself and follow your own interests, values, and dreams, you can find success through passion. Perhaps most importantly, you won’t wake up a few years from now in a situation you and Allah despise, wondering, “How the heck am I going to be like this for the rest of my life? What is Allah going to do to me if I were to die?” So if you are not breaking the laws of Allah, nor going against the Sunnah, and you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, do not stop. You are onto something big. Deen is not hard when you concentrate on it and make Deen your passion.

Disregard these misguided bits of nonsense and Insha Allah, you will be on your way to fulfilling your Deen. Now get up and go earn Allah’s pleasure!

sirat-al-mustaqeem sistas

who's the first one the Prophet (pbuh) went to? Khadijah.
yeah, they laid this track down proper :)

insh'Allah I'll start updating more often.

It's Tough Being a Girl - Khalid Latif

notes:

so your solution does not rely on me...you have to develop a sense of self-entitlement by empowering yourself with a certain base of knowledge and going out and learning your deen. so that if somebody who is deemed to be authoritative in your community justifies through scripture of poor treatment of you, you can say, "no, I know what I know and you can't tell me that his is religiously correct." ...but until you go out and learn it for yourself, you're just going to have to deal with this.

If a person does not wear it does that mean that they are immodest? and it doens't meant that. and we have to understand that. because if one does not have that qualifying term of what you associate it to be it doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be the extreme opposite of it. our rhetoric around it is so disenchanting that no one's really going to wanna do it because of the way we talk about it.

there has to be gentleness, sense of compassion and mercy in the ways in which we engage with eachother. It's not easy to go out there right now and wear your religion on your sleeve...we have to let people explore and grow and be a means of positive reinforcment not be a people who discourage them from this deen. And we have to start to think about it in this way.

Yes it's important, yes the way we are perceived by society, yes the way we carry ourselves, but this is something that is important for men and women. most of us as men are only identified as being muslim because we are walking next to a women who's wearing a headscarf. most of us as men don't even realize what our hijab actually entails. we don't even know how to dress...

no matter how many sins or mistakes that you have committed in the course of your life can it exceed the mercy of Allah (swt)? but contingent for us to be recipient of that Divine mercy is that we exert an air of compassion and mercy amongst ourselves. and we don't do that. and we have to start doing it.

ameen to creating solid women's education initiatives.

Batman's Muslim Sidekick

The Struggle to Fight the Oppression of the Self

Khutbah: "Understanding Desire" by Imam Mustafa Umar. from Islamic Institute of Orange Cty on Vimeo.

This is a khutbah by Imam Mustafa Umar (more here: http://mustafaumar.com/) that I felt was very fitting for Valentines Day. and just a great reminder in general. Here are notes I took that you can follow along with:

"Whoever fears the position of his Lord and forbids his inner-self from following it's destructive desires, Paradise will be that person's destination." Our self/nafs/ego is something which pushes us towards action - the human being is composed of many aspects: intellect and rationalization; ability to reflect and choose drives us to do certain things.

There is also a spiritual aspect: self / ego that drives the mind to make certain decisions. this is where free will is. That self needs to resist temptations and pleasure because of one simple fact that no one can deny: the self and ego becomes addicted to the pleasures of this world.

Allah (swt) has created these appetites within us (hunger, thirst, desire) they are here not only to give us pleasure but rather to prolong the human race. However, He has not given the permission to let that desire / inclination run unchecked. When it runs unchecked is when we lose our lofty position and get down to the level of animals. When their desires overcome them, they are no longer in the position to choose what is right and wrong.

Econ principal: "diminishing marginal utility" directly has an effect on how we understand desires. People use it to see how they determine supply and demand - your amount of desire in one specific sitting will decrease based upon the amount of desire you indulge in. some people may mistakenly think that if you indulge in your desires then they're going to get out of your system. MISTAKE. Infact, the more you fulfill and indulge in your desires the more your desires go further. The more you begin to crave it. It doesn't get out of your system. it stays and becomes a part of you.

Allah (swt) has told us that we must resist our inner desires and fight back against ourselves. if we do not fight and control our temptations it will get out of hand. We live in a society that doesn't mind promoting things such as dating, sex, etc. We as Muslims must understand what society we're living in and we need to decide consciously how we're going to react to that society.

America has the highest rate of rape in the world. why? It's because we live in a society that does not check the inner self. It not only allows you to follow your desires but it promotes the following of desires. it's a high pressure society, how are we going to act and react when we are put in those situations? We need to be among those people that are willing to participate in the struggle against ourselves. We must have the discipline, ability, intellect and the insight to lower our gaze, to say no. The only way we can do this is if we are prepared. If we think all we have to do is say "There is no God but the One" and then sit back and be admitted into Heaven, then we're WAY mistaken.

Remember that each and every single one of us is going to be tested, "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!" Quran 2:214. The test may be difficult but it is never impossible. Because Allah (swt) promises "On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear." Quran 2:286. And that is a sign of reassurance for each and every one of us. You can never make the excuse and cop out saying that this is too difficult for you to handle. There's already a selection process thats been made before you've been given the exam; its already in-line with what you can handle.

So Islam has taught us that we must resist for our own good. Of course, for the sake of Allah (swt), but all of these things are in essence for our own good at the end of the day. If you make the decision that you're going to fight and resist then one of the difficulties that you're going to face is that you've been so accustomed to doing something over and over again that its difficult for you to get out of it. There will be some withdrawal symptoms; you're going to find a sense of boredom and you'll think that nothing is fun around you. Adjusting is difficult but it's something that you wll get used to and it is something very plausible. There's going to be a hill you need to cross over if you want to fight your self - remember Allah swt's promise: "As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allah is with the Muhsinun (good doers)." Quran 26:69 if you do it for the sake of Allah, you resist and fight your self for the sake of Allah, He will guide you and He will help you.

May Allah (swt) allow us to pass these tests. May He give us the strength and insight to see thorugh the deceptions in our society and allow us to make the right choices. Oh Allah guide us ON the straight path. Ameen.

Wasted is the goodly advice which is ignored.

So for those of us who are sometimes questioning the purpose of our life or just need a refresher or a point to start from, THIS is amazing to start your day off with:

1. Wasted is a scholar who is not asked about what he knows.
2. Wasted is the wealth which is not used in good.
3. Wasted is the knowledge which is not acted upon.
4. Wasted is the goodly advice which is ignored.
5. Wasted is the mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) which is not recited from.
6. Wasted is the heart which is firmly planted in the mud of dunya.
7. Wasted is the life which has made no provision for the ultimate journey.
8. Put your hopes in no one except your Lord, have fear of nothing other than your sins.
9. The extent to which one understands the nature of dunya measures the degree of his attachment from it.
10. O son of Adam! Allah has nourishingly created you for Him alone, yet you so desire to belong to others.

[Above quotes by Othman radi Allah anhu]

(taken from lessonsoftheday.com)

The last three especially get to me. may Allah (swt) make it easy for all of us to fulfill our purpose here on this earth. Allahuakbar.

"There are lovers content with longing. I’m not one of them." -Rumi

"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments."

-Oriah Mountain Dreamer (L'Invitation)

This has so many sufi themes it excites me like no other! If this touches you, share it.

Peace.

For The People

^this picture is of Egyptian Christians protecting Egyptian Muslims while they pray. mA.

“The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) declared, “Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: the fasting person until he breaks his fast, the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.” [Tirmidhi]

Fast tomorrow and make dua for all of our brothers and sisters around the world facing oppression.

The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "When any one of you sees anything that is disapproved (of by Allah), 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 (kind of) faith." [Muslim]

one mic, one stage.

Khalid ibn al Walid (r.a.) narrated the following hadith:

A Bedouin came one day to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and said to him, "O, Messenger of Allah! I've come to ask you a few questions about the affairs of this Life and the Hereafter."
"Ask what you wish" said Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I'd like to be the most learned of men.
A: Fear Allah, and you will be the most learned of men.
Q: I wish to be the richest man in the world.
A: Be contented, and you will be the richest man in the world.
Q: I'd like to be the most just man.
A: Desire for others what you desire for yourself, and you will be the most just of men.
Q: I want to be the best of men.
A: Do good to others and you will be the best of men.
Q: I wish to be the most favoured by Allah.
A: Engage much in Allah's praise, and you will be most favoured by Him.
Q: I'd like to complete my faith.
A: If you have good manners you will complete your faith.
Q: I wish to be among those who do good.
A: Adore Allah as if you see Him. Even if you don't see Him, He sees you. In this way you will be among those who do good.
Q: I wish to be obedient to Allah.
A: If you observe Allah's commands you will be obedient.
Q: I'd like to be free from all sins.
A: Bathe yourself from impurities and you will be free from all sins.
Q: I'd like to be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light.
A: Don't wrong yourself or any other creature, and you will be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light.
Q: I'd like Allah to bestow His mercy on me.
A: If you have mercy on yourself and others, Allah will grant you mercy on the Day of Judgment.
Q: I'd like my sins to be very few.
A: If you seek the forgiveness Allah as much as you can, your sins will be very few.
Q: I'd like to be the most honorable man.
A: If you do not complain to any fellow creature, you will be the most honorable of men.
Q: I'd like to be the strongest of men.
A: If you put your trust in Allah, you will be the strongest of men.
Q: I'd like to enlarge my provision.
A: If you keep yourself in order (clean), Allah will enlarge your provision.
Q: I'd like to be loved by Allah and His messenger.
A: If you love what Allah and His messenger love, you will be among their beloved ones.
Q: I wish to be safe from Allah's wrath on the Day of Judgment.
A: If you do not loose your temper with any of your fellow creatures, you will be safe from the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Q: I'd like my prayers to be responded.
A: If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will be responded.
Q: I'd like Allah not to disgrace me on the Day of Judgment.
A: If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the Day of Judgment.
Q: I'd like Allah to provide me with a protective covering on the Day of Judgment.
A: Do not uncover your fellow creatures faults, and Allah will provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgment.
Q: What will save me from sins?
A: Tears, humbleness and illness.
Q: What are the best deeds in the eyes of Allah?
A: Gentle manners, modesty and patience.
Q: What are the worst evils in the eyes of Allah?
A: Hot temper and miserliness.
Q: What assuages the wrath of Allah in this life and in the Hereafter?
A: Concealed charity and kindness to relatives.
Q: What extinguishes hell's fires on the Day of Judgment?
A: Patience in adversity and misfortunes.
(Related by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal)

[source: supermuslims.tumblr.com]

"hijab is a threat to consumerism" *cheers*

This was the most thought-provoking argument for hijab I have heard. love it. Today's (and history's) beauty standards presuppose that we are all sick or broken or in need of fixing. I read one of my favorite chapters in "Full Frontal Feminism" today, here are little excerpts that connect back to the video & to the fact that society keeps women obsessed with their looks for a purely gross, sexist purpose. ew. get familiar:

"Whether we're puking, or not eating, or cutting ourselves (or letting doctors do it), young women are at the center of the beauty cult. We run that shit. But when people talk about young women having eating disorders or getting plastic surgery, they often assume that we don't know the consequences- health or otherwise. The sad truth is, young women do know. We just don't care."

"When you're taught that the majority of your worth is in how aesthetically pleasing you are to boys - and then boys tell you you're ugly - there's something soul crushing about that"

"If you're a younger woman, no matter how much work you do, someone is always going to claim that your success is dues to the way you look...young women are constantly reminded that their only real worth is their ability to be ogled or ridiculed."

"Consumerism is at the heart of beauty standards. After all, who's telling you what's (and who's) hot? Fashion mags, for example, survive by selling ads, ads that tell you your skin will be disgusting if you don't buy the latest microderm scrubbing bubbly foamy face wash. They all depend on your feeling ugly. Because guess what? If you think your looks are just fine and dandy as they are, you're not going to buy face creams and makeup and diet pills. You're just going to hang out, feeling great and doing productive things. But if you feel ugly and fat, you're going to spend as much money as possible to make sure you're doing all you can to be pretty...It's important to remember why some folks need us to feel ugly. It serves a specific purpose: to make us spend, to distract us, and ultimately to make us disappear."

So what now? It's going to take awhile for the beauty standards of society to change, it's all little steps. Get educated about this and start liking yourself the way you are. Honestly, I need this advice more than anybody - so I'm not trying to preach. I don't wear hijab yet, but madprops to all of the Muslimahs out there that do. Accepting yourself the way you are is revolutionary in itself. I'm convinced that hijab is one step closer to that.

It's Not an Identity Crisis

currently reading:

"Religious experience is, by and large, ineffable. This indescribability is, in fact, one of the defining characteristics of mysticism and other forms of spiritual awareness. As listening to a piece of music that moves us to tears may defy our ability to explain those tears, spiritual encounters often resist our desire to describe them." - LA Times

"A gorgeously written memoir about what it means to be a human in a fractured world, told with warmth and wit to spare. It will stay with you for years." - Reza Aslan

Okay, not gonna lie, the reason I picked up this book as I was browsing was because of the praise from Reza Aslan! So I'm only about ten pages in, but so far so good.

LOVE: "To me Muslim and American are inseparable. I am a Muslim and an American. Politically this is incredibly irritating, but it's not an identity crisis." - excerpt from the book

hope.

"When shaytan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future."

"the pure men are for the pure women, and the pure women are for the pure men." [36.24]

A great talk on girlfriend/boyfriend relationships in Islam. seriously these are worth the watch, the speaker provides great info & perspective.







Worrrdd on the shaytaan not being very creative when it comes to this - but it's true...if it aint broke, don't fix it. I really like the escalator metaphor - it's true, once you're on it's way hard (and awkward) to get off. so my loves, save yourself the unnecessary exertion. Another point that he brought up that I've also seen in my own environment is that once you start disobeying Allah swt you aren't really happy...and at one point you'll be committing this sin just to get you back to the "normal" state and then you'll fall into depression and you do it again to get out. These homies aren't jumping up for joy. We have all seen that. Keep yourselves straight. & it's an ongoing struggle so don't get down if you think you're reading/hearing this too late - pray to Allah (swt) for strength and guidance.

Allah swt will never bless you in something that is haraam even if your eventual planned outcome is halal. so don't fool yourself. Starting today, make your actions so that they are worthy of your respective "Muhammad" or "Khadija" iA.

A Humanitarian Gift Guide

Came across this amazing article in the NY Times full of organizations that I have grown to admire deeply. Be sure to check out the full article, I'm listing my favorites here:

Arzu (ArzuStudioHope.org) employs women in Afghanistan to make carpets for export. The women get decent wages, but their families must commit to sending children to school and to allowing women to attend literacy and health classes and receive medical help in childbirth. Rugs start at $250 and bracelets at $10, or a $20 donation pays for a water filter for a worker’s family.

Fonkoze (fonkoze.org) is a terrific poverty-fighting organization if Haiti is on your mind, nearly a year after the earthquake. A $20 gift will send a rural Haitian child to elementary school for a year, while $50 will buy a family a pregnant goat. Or $100 supports a family for 13 weeks while it starts a business.

Panzi Hospital (panzifoundation.org) treats victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo, rape capital of the world. It’s run by Dr. Denis Mukwege, who should be a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. A $10 donation pays for transport to the hospital for a rape survivor; $100 pays for counseling and literacy and skill training for a survivor for a month.

Camfed (camfed.org), short for the Campaign for Female Education, sends girls to school in Africa and provides a broad support system for them. A $300 donation pays for a girl to attend middle school for a year in rural Zambia, and $25 sends a girl to elementary school.

Edna Hospital (ednahospital.org) is a dazzling maternity hospital in Somaliland, an area with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Edna Adan Ismail, a Somali nurse- midwife who rose in the ranks of the World Health Organization and also served as Somaliland’s foreign minister, founded the hospital with her life’s savings and supports it with her United Nations pension. A $50 gift pays for a woman to get four prenatal visits, a hospital delivery, and one postnatal visit. Or $150 pays for a lifesaving C-section for a woman in obstructed labor.

EDUCATE THE WOMEN FOR A BETTER WORLD!

Child Rise

(start at 2:47 for "Child Rise" - this song speaks to me)

introducing my new muse: Naima Shalhoub
Naima's poignant lyrics emerge from a life of straddling cultural and national borders as an Arab-American, born in the US with familial roots in Lebanon and Sierra Leone. She has her master's degree in postcolonial anthropology focusing on gendered violence, effects of occupation in Lebanon and Palestine, and racial justice in the US. She continues to do advocacy work such as her past experiences including volunteering in refugee camps in Lebanon, Bay Area campaigns to end violence against women, and organic forming in Costa Rica. Naima is a current member member of the San Francisco based Arab Resource and Organizing Center, and also works with youth facilitating workshops on music, song-writing, and empowerment.
(taken from NaimaShalhoub.com)

OH and she plays uke, like me! well, baritone uke, so it's like the love-child of a guitar & ukulele.

Basically she does everything that I would like to ideally be doing. I don't know about the degree anymore, because I'm already almost done with undergrad, but iA everything else :)