As we were driving around Amman the other night and the jolly Christmas lights and decorations glared from the balconies of apartments and doors of homes, my friend wondered out loud why there’s so much emphasis on Christmas but not on Eid Al-Adha. My initial response was not all that well thought out as I […]

I.
“What would you like?”
“Oh, no, that’s ok. I don’t drink.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t drink.”
“Why? Because of religion?”
“Pretty much.”
“I don’t understand.”
II.
“Here, have some.”
“Oh, no, that’s ok. Sa7tain. I’m fasting right now.”
“Why?”
“Um, I sometimes fast on Monday/Thursday.”
“Why? Is it a religious thing?”
“I hope so.”
I used to have these moments of dialog, these brief cultural exchanges, these […]

By now, everyone has heard of the Saudi girl of Qatif, who was gang raped by seven men who found her in a car with an unrelated male in 2006. By now, everyone has also heard that she was sentenced by the court to initially receive 90 lashes for being in the car in the […]

A few of the stories I found interesting these past few days:
- UnIslamic Ringtones: A top Islamic body in Saudi Arabia has hosted a stormy debate on controversial issues, including the use of Koranic verses as mobile phone ringtones, newspapers reported Monday. “The scholars were divided on the use of verses from the Koran […]

Today I woke up for fajr prayer, while the world was still dark outside. With eyes more than half closed, I stumbled into the bathroom for wudu’ and with a turn of the faucet I was overcome with a nostalgic epiphany of sorts. It’s November. And I had forgotten how cold Jordan can be. For […]

What a skilled man can do with a hammer
The advanced pilgram can do with
Thought.
One builds their own seat in this world
Using God -
The only material
That is
E
v
e
r
y
w
h
e
r
e
.
- Hafiz

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DISCLAIMER: The following post is totally a rumor. I usually don’t believe in rumors, especially of Jordanian origin, but I’m inclined to believe this one for various reasons. This disclaimer is by way of asking you to please read at your own discretion.
A fellow Jordanian blogger pointed out a few days ago, the political […]

Eid il-Fitr, just like the holy month that precedes it, is naturally a religious holiday and celebration. In Islam, there is an entire list of “Eid Etiquette” rules or guidelines to follow and many of those rules have become embedded in the way we celebrate the day. The sunnah (way of the Prophet pbuh) outlines […]

Friday is Eid il-Fitir in Jordan. Eid Mubarak everyone!

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Some people work and become wealthy.
Others do the same and remain poor.
Marriage fills one with energy.
Another, it drains.
Don’t trust ways.
They change.
A means flails about like a donkey’s tail.
So always add the gratitude clause:
‘if God wills’.
Then proceed.
You may be leading a donkey, no, a goat, no, who can tell?
We sit in a dark pit and […]

Why does every thing seem to slow down during Ramadan?
Lunatic drivers seem to be the only people going fast these days, both before and after breakfast. Banks, who with their typical 9 to 3 hours already make it hard for customers to bank, seem to close shop before they even open, with their 9 […]

Action Committee is a group affiliated with Family International Jordan, and they arrange outings for kids from impoverished areas, such as the Baqa’ refugee camp. This Ramadan they’re distributing large “Ramadan Food Bags”. Each bag includes staples such as rice, sugar, dates, pasta, tomato paste, tea, beans, lentil, oil, maggi and amar al-deen.
Those familiar with […]

Since this is my first Ramadan in Jordan since 2000, I thought I’d share a thought or two. First of all, I’ve been having difficulties reconciling with this new environment where religion interacts with culture. West Amman is like an odd sample in the petri dish. Nothing about this place adds up or makes sense. […]

What
Do sad people have in
Common?
It seems
They have all built a shrine
To the past
And often go there
And do a strange wail and
Worship.
What is the beginning of
Happiness?
It is to stop being
So religious…
Like
That.
- Hafiz
The mosque of this affluent neighborhood is crowded. My father lives here and prays here but is not from here; not of here. His spirit […]

Would you think it odd if Hafiz said,
“I am in love with every church
And mosque
And temple
And any kind of shrine
Because I know it is there
That people say the different names
Of the One God.”
?
Would you tell your friends I was a bit strange
if I admitted I am indeed in love with every mind
And heart and body.
?
O, […]

Emad Hajjaj does, what I personally consider, the best social commentaries on Ramadan in the Arab world, especially in Jordan. They portray Jordanian society in all its aspects. From the workplace environment with the angry boss who hasn’t had a cigarette, to setting new working hours according to who’s fasting and who’s not, to the […]