Internet Shopping

I am an avid fan of shopping online. It's an unhealthy habit, but I keep my spending in check for the most part. I've gotten so much worse since becoming interested in Islam, though, because it's easier to find appropriate clothes online at the click of a button rather than hours of sifting through immodest clothes at the mall to come up with one shirt that may work.

Even before Islam I was a huge fan of amazon.com, though. I loooove Amazon, because I loooove to read. I also love amazon because they have free shipping on orders over $25. I ALSO love amazon because they sell children's books in Arabic. If anyone's interested, http://www.noorart.com/shop_by_age/books_baby_3_years is also a good site for Arabic and Islamic children's products.

So where was I going with this? Oh! My last order came in today. I received:


This excellent workbook for Arabic writing. I know many of the letters already and can write words that I use often, such as our names. Hubby tried to teach me once, though, and we just didn't keep it up so I never really got anywhere. I am serious about it this time, though and have already started the exercises. While I complete them I write down questions I want hubby to clear up in person.

I also received:
if you can't read the subtitle it's: Portraits of Modern American Muslim Women. I'm excited to read this books but am currently in the middle of something I received 2 months ago...
The subtitle on this one is: Experiences of American Women Choosing Islam. This one is really great. It's written by a mother who's daughter reverted 12 years ago. As well as discussing her journey to acceptance of her daughter's choice, it also contains information about other reverts that she collected in a study. I hope to give it to my mom to read once I find the courage to tell her. I think it will help her to see another mother's perspective as well as the positive impact it's had on these women's lives.

I should work for amazon, eh?

In other news, I am also reading this



as well as my English translation of the Qur'an, of course. Being from a Christian background I am more comfortable with translations than born Muslims probably are. Of course I know the Arabic is better...but i don't know Arabic, so that'd be pointless, wouldn't it? This version it the only one I found without (words written in parenthesis) that translators throw in to show 'meaning.' i don't want anyone's 'meaning' but God's, thank you very much, so i went for a direct translation without commentary. I know there are learn-ed people out there who know much more than me, but i want an unbiased Qur'an so that if I have questions I can ask and get opinions, not just say, well my Qur'an says it means this. Make sense? To me it does, at least. (an example is the parenthesis telling women to cover all but one eye to see with...come on...ONE eye, that's it?) I respect my niqab wearing sisters, but I think niqab is a choice and not mandatory. I especially don't want a male translator telling me that i have to wear a full burqa.

Goodness, it's late and the baby's in bed. Why am I up? My cousin's cooking lunch tomorrow. He's a 13 year old boy and he's cooking for the (extended) family, lol. I think it's so sweet. I also think he doesn't know what he's getting himself into!