Sumaiya's Blog

I’ve been asked a few times for reasons why I’m a vegetarian. So I thought, considering that I haven’t blogged in a while I’d write it down.

As you may know I’m Asian and a Muslim – two traits that make it almost impossible to become a vegetarian, stick with it and not be questioned about it. Yet I have defied this and have adopted a largely vegetarian diet. People have often said that it’s actually against my religion but I find that my faith positively encourages eating a diet of little meat.

Whilst researching for this (yes, I am that much of a nerd), even I was surprised at the ‘vegetarian movement’ amongst Muslims today. Their reasons for looking at what they eat more carefully are pretty much similar to my own. Although their research was a bit more extensive than mine before they started becoming vegetarian.

For me, it all started when I moved out to go to uni in 2006. For some odd reason from that day, until almost a year later, the smell of meat (cooked and raw) would make me feel really ill. Considering it was Ramadhan and I kinda needed to eat I became a vegetarian. It was actually was a hard decision to make – especially since that meant I wouldn’t get food from the prayer hall and had to break my fast on my own in my halls.

Whilst in this mode I decided to do more research into what my faith said about the subject. Firstly I considered the life of the Prophet Mohammed (the sunnah). A lot of Muslims take the way that the Prophet lived to be the model way to live their lives. Thinking about the region and society in which the Prophet lived in then I came to realise that it seemed unlikely that he would have eaten that much meat – and that is something that people who wrote about his life also agreed on. He never refused it when offered but generally the consensus is that he ate is about once a month. The Prophet led a very simple life and meat was quite rare in those times. This is generally because of the emphasis that the society at that time put on livestock as a form of wealth. That is why cattle were used as dowry and a status symbol. Don’t get me wrong – trade was the main way of gaining wealth in those times but, much like some cultures today, cattle were seen as an expression of it.

Looking at that meant that I also ended up looking at things that the Prophets and scholars have said about eating meat. Chief among these sayings that I found was a saying by Imam Ali was ‘don’t make your stomach the graveyard of animals’. I noticed that at home we ate meat every day and probably ate vegetarian food once a month. To be honest this made me feel incredibly guilty, at one point I think I even said that I need to make up for all the years of travesty against animals.

However, there was also a saying by the Prophet that said that you should eat meat at least every 40 days. Apparently this is the saying that many people use to argue that Muslims cannot be vegetarians. To be honest, it’s the reason why I eat meat sometimes, though I don’t like to do so. However, I don’t think it justifies non-vegetarianism. As with most ‘food laws’ it’s important not to forget the context in which these things were said.

For example:

The saying – There’s a recommendation to eat salt when breaking your fast. The context – the Prophet lived in a very hot climate and when it’s hot you sweat and lose the salt that your body needs, so it was necessary to replenish the stores. The fact that Britain has a mild climate and that our diet has considerably more salt in it then we actually need means that we should not have to do this.

Meat is similar – people in hotter climates need the nutrients and people who have a more active lifestyle need the protein that meat provides.

It’s important to note that I do not believe meat is forbidden (haram). In fact I’m fine with eating it but I believe that anything in excess is bad. It’s a choice that I’m glad I made.

Peace

You never know that you have something to lose until it’s gone. You never realise its gone. You never realise how much you took for granted until you no longer have the opportunity. You cn never realise how much the expected can take you by surprise. For four years I watched someone I loved deteriorate to a shell of what he once was, for some years I prayed that God would put an end to his suffering and that he would die. I got my wish on the 7th of January and I wished I never made it. My grandfather helped me make me the person I am today. I carry his name in passport and in my heart. When he died he became more a part of me than ever before; on my mind constantly rather than sporadically. However, there is too much to regret, too many memories and too many things that I wish I could have changed. He was a kind hearted person who put family above all else, apart from, maybe, tennis. The last few years of his life, he tried to live as normal despite being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004. He taught us patience in the face of adversity and strength when your world is falling apart. When he was recommended for knee surgery, to make it easier for him, (he was in pain and had to stop playing tennis), he took up the offer. He should have refused. A reaction to the anaesthetic left him in a hospital bed, not knowing who most of us, his family, were. This was the week I left to go to University, to live away from home for the very first time. I didn’t want to leave him, at that point I thought he would die, and it would be selfish of me to live my life on my own whilst he lay dying – wouldn’t it? I couldn’t see him the day that I left, we were running late and there was too much to do. My mum said that later she told him that I was moving away from home and he was confused and thought that I was my cousin’s kid, who was about 5 at the time. When he got discharged, I was happy, but I didn’t go home that weekend – that wasn’t in my plan. In the years that followed I visited their hose most times that I was in London. The thing is that some of these visits were, more or less, against my will. To watch someone who was once such a constant presence my world, suffer like that hurt too much to see. Don’t get me wrong, I helped out s often as I could, in whatever way I could. I hated the fact that I was away and couldn’t do more for them. My family did a lot, no matter how much it hurt, but I wasn’t strong enough to do the same. He survived till I graduated but I ended up working t University. This time, his illness wasn’t even a factor – the job was just too good for that. He lay dying when I was in Coventry, though I managed to get to London in time for his final hours. His smile when I entered the room – even when I’m sure he did not know who I was – let me know that he loved me. We never really said it; it was something we just knew. This is the moral of the story, to both the new and the old generation, sometimes hearing the words is better because they outlive you and will be remembered by those who loved you and who you loved. Always remember that, sometimes, telling someone you’re proud of them can be the best thing you could ever do. There is much I took for granted. Too much I wish I could have said to him. I know that he will live on in the people that knew him and the things he did, but sometimes it would be nice to have him back.

Every year I learn something new, every month I meet someone who will change my life forever and every day I grow as a person. The person I was when I came to university is a distant memory and the person I was yesterday doesn’t exist today. Never assume you know who I am and what I’m thinking, chances are I changed my mind as soon as the words came out of my mouth. But one thing has never changed about me, when something that I don’t like happens I run away.

I was on my merry way to Coventry on Tuesday because I had some random stuff to do on campus. I got on the train, put my bag on my lap and, seeing that it was Ramadhan and I wasn’t doing much on the train, I decided to read Quran for a bit. After about 20minutes I took a small break. This guy walked past me, on his way to the shop on the train, and he stopped and said ‘I like your badges’ (on my bag) I was a bit taken aback but replied ‘thank you very much’. Something in his voice made me think that there was something wrong with him – there was something not quite right about him.

Having thought that was the end of the matter, I decided to listen to my iPod since reading and moving vehicles don’t really mix well. Then the guy came back and gave me a bar of chocolate and then walked off. To be honest I was really surprised, again, but thought he was being nice and just left it. 

About 10minutes after that the guy came back with all the stuff he came on the train with. Panic kinda stuck me at that moment. He asked me ‘how was it?’. Considering I was fasting I actually put the chocolate in my bag but really didn’t want to tell him so coz he seemed like he would take offence I said ‘it was good, thank you’. Then he went to the seat across but in front of me and asked me if it was free and I said it was so he went and sat down then asked me if the seat next to me was free, alarm bells deafening at this point, and I said yes. Buried my head in my Quran again but I could tell that he was looking at me from time to time.

Thankfully not that long passed and my stop came so I started to get off the train hoping he wouldn’t notice. Suffice it to say that he did not so I was safe : ) but before I left I noticed that he had a leaflet for a Quran competition that he took from the magazine that he was reading. I hate to be the one to stereotype but the guy was white, over the age of 30 and did slightly creep me out. God knows if he actually wanted to talk to me but all I can say if thank God I didn’t have to be on that train for that long.

Peace

We all have different sides to us. Every human being is a product of their circumstances – the things that we have been through influence us to the extent that they create our personalities. Well that’s my opinion anyway.

The holidays have helped me realise something: that no one knows who I am really. I am a product of my circumstances but I do not use them as an excuse for the flaws in my personality. I don’t want you to know them so you can understand me because you should have enough humanity in you to understand what it truly means to be a friend.

I am an introvert who pretends to be an extrovert because that is the only way I can talk to people. Understand only this: there is method to my madness. If I am distant then it’s because I have never been close to anyone as I feel I am close to you, if I am loud it’s because I’ve struggled to be heard all my life, and if I confide in you, I trust you like I have not trusted many before you.

I wanted to say this to your face, but I was always defeated by logic. I wanted to tell you what it means to be a true friend. I realise now that I haven’t been one to you. I used to look upon your face with happiness but now my vision is cloudy with betrayal. I told you many things, showed you my weaknesses and hoped that you would help me grow into a finer human being. I realised now that we are all human and I expected too much from you. I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that I made you sin by allowing you to have so much to criticise about me that you had to express it to other people where your words were overheard and twisted by corrupt ears. I’m sorry that you find me so hard to deal with that you cannot defend me when harsh words are spoken out of my earshot. I’m sorry that I made you lie – for in front of my face you would say you loved me. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you I knew of your duplicity – causing you to lie further. I’m sorry that I trusted you. But most of all I’m sorry that I ever called you friend.

This is another circumstance and, I won’t lie, it has hurt me. But I want you to know, that despite this, I don’t hate you. You have taught me that no one can be trusted – allowing me to be beyond this pain for a while at least. You have taught me that devils can have the face of angels. But strangely you have also tested my faith to such an extent that I’m closer to myself and my Lord than I was before.

I realise that as I write this you will know who you are inside, but you will not have the courage to say something to my face. Similarly I will never say this to yours because I don’t want to hurt you.

I thank you for teaching me, I’m sorry that I made you sin.

Peace

In keeping with my tendency to come up with really interesting perspectives whilst on a fever-induced high I came up with a very interesting phenomena the other day and thought I’d share it.

After having caught a particularly horrific cold I decided to stay in bed for as long as I could – and since I have the inability to just sit there and do nothing for more than like 10 minutes I decided to watch films. For some strange reason fevers also make me appreciate the mindlessness of Disney films as well so I was limited in choice. I thought I’d go for something I hadn’t seen before – which left me with the likes of Cinderella 2, Cinderella 3 and The Little Mermaid 2. This particular entry is in regard to Cinderella 2 and 3.

I didn’t particularly like 3 – only Disney could get away with that much cheese and I don’t get the whole ‘you hold someone’s hand and know you’re gonna be with them forever’ stuff. However 2 was kinda funny, but that’s because it was all about the mice – who were my favourite characters in the first one.

Anywho, I’m drifting off topic – also something that can be blamed on the fever that I’m still running. Basically, has anyone noticed how Cinderella always refers to her Prince as ‘The Prince’ and never by name? I mean even Ariel, in The Little Mermaid, had Prince Eric! This makes me draw a very interesting conclusion about one of our most beloved fairytale princesses – despite all the malarkey about true love, soul mates and whatever, Cinderella married for status! Why else must she feel that she has to continuously say ‘The Prince’?

A mate of mine said that his name could be ‘Prince’. However, if this was the case then how come she didn’t refer to him as ‘Prince’? Why add ‘The’ to it unless she was referring to a title? I mean even ‘My Prince’ sounds slightly better, albeit very possessive, it still doesnt make you think she’s only thinking about what he is title-wise.

 However, I’m not sad enough to go through the credits to see if someone deemed it fit to give the dude a name even after 3 films nor do I care enough to find out if other Disney Princesses had Princes with names beyond ‘Charming’ or ‘Beast’ (now those ARE interesting words to describe the same sort of guy). However, just thought it was an interesting thing to share 🙂

 Not bad for a first entry methinks – I’ll try to make the next one a little less random but no promises 🙂

 Peace 

Hey y’all,

In the likely event that you may not have realised, three years are up and now I have to graduate soon!

In preperation for such a momentus occassion I’m prioritising:

1) order robe

2) move blog

3) revise for finals

As a result of number 2 the following blogs will, in fact, be a copy of the entries I’ve already done but had to move.

Peace