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basicsofislam · 2 years

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PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)’s BIOGRAPHY : Munafiqs Appear. Part1

When the Prophet honored Makkah, there were mainly Muslim Arabs, Polytheistic Arabs and Jewish people there; there were also some Christians but not many.

After the Messenger of God settled in Madinah, Islam became more common in Madinah. People of Madinah embraced Islam in groups. Meanwhile, the Prophet established a political and administrative organization for Muslims.

Meanwhile, another group appeared: A group of munafiqs (hypocrites) that did not believe heartily but seemed to be believers.

The tribes of Aws and Khazraj, which had been tired of the internal clashes and fights that lasted for years between them, made an agreement and decided to appoint Abdullah b. Ubay b. Salul as their ruler just before the Prophet came to Madinah. They even ordered the crown that he would put on. ( Muslim, Sahih, V. 5, p. 182-183 )

However, the dream of Abdullah b. Ubay to be the leader came to naught when the Messenger of God honored Madinah because almost all of the members of Aws and Khazraj had become Muslims; they all gathered around the Prophet as a necessity of their belief.

This situation offended Abdullah b. Ubay b. Salul, whose dream of being the ruler ended, a lot. When he saw that there were not many people around him, he seemingly became a Muslim. ( Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 540 )

He himself said that he had become a Muslim seemingly due to the psychological pressure of the people around him. During the Expedition of Muraysi, he worked hard to set Muhajirs against Ansar and overstepped the mark by saying,

“Once we return to Madinah, the strong ones will definitely drive out the weak ones.”

Thereupon, the chapter of al-Munafiqun was sent down about munafiqs.

After the chapter was sent down, some people said to Abdullah b. Ubay,

“O Abu Hubab! ( Hubab, was the name of the son of Abdullah b. Ubay; he was a sincere Muslim. The Prophet changed his name as “Abdullah” by saying, “You are Abdullah; Hubab is the name of Satan.” ) Very severe verses were sent down about you. Go to the Messenger of God and tell him to ask for forgiveness from God for you!”

He said,

“You ordered me to believe and I did. You ordered me to pay zakah and I did. There is nothing but to prostrate before Muhammad now.” ( Tabari, Tafsir, V. 28, p. 116 )

The following event also shows clearly how grieved and sad Abdullah b. Ubay was due to losing the hope of becoming the ruler:

Once, the Prophet was going to the house of Sa’d b. Ubada, who was ill, to visit him. On the way, when the Prophet saw that some Muslims, polytheistic Arabs and Jews were sitting in the shade of the house of Abdullah b. Ubay, he greeted them and sat next to them. He recited a passage from the Quran to them; he gave them the glad tiding that good deeds would lead them to Paradise and warned them that bad deeds would take them to Hell.

When the Prophet finished his words, Abdullah b. Ubay said,

“O Speaker! If what you say is true, there can be nothing better than them. However, You should stay in your house and tell them to the people that come to your house. Do not go to the meetings of the people who do not like what you say and do not disturb them!”

The Prophet was offended by what he said. He left that place and went to Sa’d b. Ubada’s house. When he told Sa’d b. Ubada why he was sorry, Sa’d said,

“O Messenger of God! Forgive the mistakes of Ibn Ubay. I swear by God, who sent the Quran to you, that the will of God became manifest by giving you the prophethood.

However, the people of this city had prepared to make him put on the crown and be their ruler. When God gave you the prophethood, his expectation came to nothing and Ibn Ubay became very sorry and got offended by your prophethood; he treated you badly because of it. ( Muslim, Sahih, V. 5. p. 183; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, V. 5. p. 203 )

The leader of the munafiqs was Abdullah b. Ubay. There were many accomplices around him. Besides, there were many people who followed him blindly due to reasons like kinship, being allies. It is not possible to give a definite number about them. However, the number of people that left the Battle of Uhud by following Abdullah b. Ubay was about three hundred. That is, it was about one third of the Islamic army. It was not a number to despise. It shows that they had an influence on the political life of Madinah.

When the Messenger of God returned from the Battle of Badr as victorious, the religion of Islam became stronger. The enemies were intimidated. Thereupon, some Jews in Madinah believed in Islam by saying,

“That is the person whose attributes are mentioned in the Torah! No one can resist him from now on. He will always be victorious!”

Some of them pretended to be Muslims. Thus, munafiqs appeared among Jews, too. Most of the Jewish munafiqs were among Jewish scholars. They were fiendishly clever. They were more mischievous and dishonest than the others. They worked hard to humiliate Islam, to demoralize Muslims and to prevent the polytheists from being converted to Islam. They asked many complicated questions in order to keep the Prophet busy and to trouble him. ( Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 3, p. 174-175; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 1, p. 174; Muslim, Sahih, V. 8, p. 128-129; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, V. 4, p. 239-240 )

We learn from the Quran that there were munafiqs among the desert Arabs called ‘Bedouins’:

“Certain of the desert Arabs round about you are Hypocrites, as well as (desert Arabs) among the Madinah folk: they are obstinate in hypocrisy: thou knowest them not: We know them.” ( At-Tawba, 101 )

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kinglouiswasthekingoffrance · 1 year

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SHAKESPEARE

1-24-23

Act2 scene 1

ANDREW: Here comes the fool.

FOOL: How now, my hearts? Did you never see the picture of "We Three"?

TOBY: Welcome, ass! Now let's have a catch.

I like this exchange from ACT II because it is funny the thought of being a fly on the wall and getting paid to be called an 'ass' and then sing songs.

Act2 scene 4

ORSINO: {giving money} There's for your pains.

FOOL: No pains, sir. I take pleasure in singing, sir.

ORSINO: I'll pay thy pleasure, then.

FOOL: Truly sir, and pleasure will be paid, one time or another.

I really do like this back and forth with the Fool and Orsino, because I think it represents a sincere thought of how the Fool views his role as bringing pleasure through music.

Act 3 scene 1

VIOLA: Save thee, friend, and thy music. Dost thou live by thy tabor?

FOOL: No, sir, I live by the church.

VIOLA: Art thou a churchman?

FOOL: No such matter, sir. I do live by the church, for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.

I really like this exchange because it is very witty especially from the point of view of the Fool, especially when he says that simply lives by the church, but that does not mean he is a churchman or has anything to do with the church, he just lives close to it.

1-30-23

Act 5 Scene 1

FOOL: Why, "some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon them." I think this is a good quote because it is true often in history especially concerning great leaders of history.

Merchant of Venice:

Act 1 Scene 1

ANTONIO: I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad one. I like this line because it is line often quoted by Shakespeare.

Act 1 Scene 3

BASSANIO: If it please you to dine with us.

SHYLOCK: Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into. I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. I like this exchange because what Shylock is saying about not eating, drinking or praying with Bassanio speaks to the obvious truth that Shylock being Jewish cannot do these things that Christian do because it runs against Jewish religious beliefs.

2-7-23

Act 2 Scene 8

SALANIO: The villain Jew with outcries raised the duke, who went with him to search Bassanio's ship. --By calling Shylock 'the villain Jew,' instead of just 'the Jew,' demonstrates here how Shylock is viewed by many in this play.

Act 3 Scene 1

SALANIO: Now, what news on the Rialto?

SALARIO: Why, yet it lives there unchecked that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wracking on the narrow seas...

I like this opening scene in Act 3 because I find it kind of funny that Antonio was counting on his ships to help pay off Shylock. Now that the ships are gone, all of a sudden there is this drama about what Antonio is going to do now

Act 4 Scene 1

SHYLOCK: ...you'll ask me why I rather choose to have a weight of carrion flesh than to receive three thousand ducats: I'll answer that: but say it is my humor...

This part of the line in court that Shylock gives to explain why he would rather get some flesh than receive money. His 'humor' is the expectation that Jews only care about money and only money, so to appease this bit of humor that has become his own humor that he now owns, he chooses a pound of flesh instead. I like this line from Shylock, because it demonstrates some of the pressure he has felt about stereotypes Christian and other non Jews feel concerning Jewish motives such as the idea of worshipping money.

Week 5

Coriolanus Act 1 Scene 1

First Citizen: If I must not, I not be barren of accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side of the city is risen: why stay we prating here? to the Capitol!---------So, this sounds like there is some discontent brewing early in this play. First Citizen's shout 'to the Capitol' makes me think of the march to the Capitol in 2021 in Washington DC.

Act I Scene 2

Aufidius: ...'tis not four days gone since I heard thence; these are the words: I think I have the letter here; yes, here it is [reads] 'They have pressed a power, but it is not known whether for east or west; the dearth is great; the people are mutinous... so they are in the senate discussing the restlessness in the streets of Rome. I like this people it helps to heighten the sense of tension and the concern about what the citizens of Rome might do to harm the government of Rome.

Act II Scene 1

Menenius: In what enormity is Marcius poor in, that you two have not in abundance? Brutus: He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all. Sicinius: Especially in pride. Brutus: And topping all others is boasting. --------I like this exchange between Menenius and Brutus and Sicinius because it is witty and also because it reveals how the two of them view the character of Marcius

Week 6

Act III Scene 1

Coriolanus: As for my country, I have shed my blood, not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs coin words till their decay against those measles... I like this because as Coriolanus was giving his speech, other senators were expressing that they wished he would just stop talking, he was like why should a man that has gone those so much for his country not be allow to speak fully.

Act III Scene 2

Coriolanus: Let them pull all about mine ears, present me death on the wheel or at wild horses' heels, or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian Rock.... I like this quote because it further expresses the feeling that Coriolanus has regarding how the populous feels about him.

Act IV Scene 1

Coriolanus: ....Nay, mother, where is your ancient courage? you were used to say extremity was the trier of spirits... I like how Coriolanus was trying to remind his mother about the honor and courage that she had espoused.

Week 7

Act 1 Scene 1 Henry IV

KING: ....O, that it could be proved that some night-tripping fairy had exchanged in cradle-clothes our children where they lay, and called mine 'Percy,' his 'Plantagenet' ! ----I found it an interesting thought of what a 'night-tripping fairy' would look like?

Act 1 Scene 2

When asked about the time, this is how Prince responded: .....What the devil hast thou to do with the time of day? Unless hours were cups of sack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds, and dials the signs of leaping-houses, and the blessed sun himself a fair hot wench in flame colored taffeta, I see no reason why thou shoouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of day.-----This is a really funny answer to a simple question. I love the visuals which are all over this quote.

Act 2 Scene 1

Second Carrier: I have a gammon of bacon and two races of ginger to be delivered as far as Charing Cross. -----There is interesting language sometimes with phrases like 'gammon of bacon,' or 'race of ginger,' which I could only understand if I look up the meaning. It is fun to learn new phrases from Shakespeare!

Week 8

Act 4 Scene 1

HOT SPUR: Zounds, how has he the leisure to be sick in such a hustling time........I like how Hot Spur complaints about something that can't be helped: like being sick.

Act 4 Scene 3

HOT SPUR: The King is kind, and well we know the King knows at what time to promise, when to pay. My father and my uncle did give him that same royalty he wears......after Blunt sends his message from the King, Hot Spur has an interesting reply in that he reminds him of how his father kind of man him the person that he had become.

Act 5 Scene 1

KING: How bloodily the sun begins to peer above yon bulky hill. The day looks pale at his distemperature.......I like this opening line of Act 5 by the King, because it is funny the way he describes the sun as being 'bloody' which is probably an accurate description, but I would never think to use that word, maybe I would say 'fiery red sun' or something like that.

Week 10

Henry V Act I Scene I

When Bishop of Ely stated that the King was 'a true lover of the holy Church, Bishop of Canterbury answered:

BISHOP OF CANTERBURY: "....the breath no sooner left his fathers body but that his wildness, mortified in him, seemed to die too. Yea, at that very moment consideration like an angel came and whipped the offending Adam out of him, leaving his body as a paradise t' envelope and contain celestial spirits..." I like these lines because it helps me as the reader get an idea of what the King's mental condition is.

Act I Scene 2

It is funny how when the bishops are speaking amongst themselves, they are so free to express how they really feel about the King, but the exchange below at the top of Scene 2 demonstrates how he must speak when in the presence of the King:

BISHOP OF CANTERBURY: "God and angels guard your sacred throne and make you long become it."

ACT I Scene 2

A little further down in scene 2 around line 255, the Ambassador and the King have a funny exchange regarding his youthful pastime:

AMBASSADOR: ......"he therefore sends to you, meeter for your spirit, this tun of treasure and, I lieu of this , desires you let the dukedoms that you claim hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks."

KING HENRY: What treasure, uncle?

EXETER: Tennis balls, my liege.

Wk 12 4-4-2023

Henry V Act 4 Scene 1

CHORUS:" ...fire answers fire, and through their paly flames each battle sees the other's umbered face; stead threatens steed I high and boastful neighs piercing the night's dull ear..." I like the opening line from the chorus because it serves to demonstrate what is going on in the field of battle.

Act 4 Scene 1

KING HENRY: ..."'Tis good for men to love their present pains upon example. So the spirit is eased; and when the mind is quickened, out of doubt, the organs though defunct and dead before, break up their drowsy grave and newly move with casted slough and fresh legerity..." I like how when Erpingham speaks of sleeping like a king, King Henry responds by giving a very unflattering account of the effect such a sleep for the King would be like.

Act 4 Scene 1

PISTOL: "The King's a bawcock and a heart of gold, a lad of life, an imp of fame, of parents good, of fist most valiant. I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heartstring I love the lovely bully..." I like this exchange between King Henry and Pistol because it's funny how Pistol responses to the King when the King says: "Then you are a better than the King?" and with that he makes a response which sounds flattering because he uses words like 'gold..fame' but he says 'imp of fame' and I kiss not just his shoe but his 'dirty shoe' which makes it extra funny.

Week 13: 4-11-2023

Antony & Cleopatra

Act 1 Scene 1

ANTONY: "Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall. Here is my space. Kingdoms are clay..." I think that Antony's attitude in regard to the Roma Empire might be foreshadowing how he might deal with Rome once he gains power.

Act 1 Scene 2

CHARMIAN: Good sir, give me good fortune.

SOOTHSAYER: I make not, but foresee.

CHARMIAN: Pray the, foresee me one.

SOOTHSAYER: You shall be yet far fairer than you are.

CHARMIAN: He means in flesh.

IRAS: No, you shall paint when you are old.

CHARMIAN: Wrinkles forbid!

I just found this to be a fun exchange and it will be interesting to see if this interaction will play an important role later in the play.

Act 1 Scene 3

CLEOPATRA: Why should I think you could be mine, and true-though you in swearing shake the throned gods-who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness, to be entangled with those mouth-made vows which break themselves in swearing. ------These are great lines from Cleopatra as she is going back and forth with Antony...and it is funny to see how Antony is trying to reassure her that everything is okay in his response to her concerns.

Week 14 4-18-2023

Act 1 Scene 4

CAESAR:" ....On the Alps it is reported thou didst eat strange flesh which some did die to look on." I like how Caesar here is tearing down the character of Pompey's military coming over the Alps to invade Rome.

Act 2 Scene 1

When Menas speaks of how ignorant they are, and that they are begging for their own harm, Pompey responds like this:

POMPEY: I shall do well. The people love me, and the sea is mine; my powers are crescent, and my auguring hope says it will come to the full. Mark Antony in Egypt sits at dinner, and will make no wars without doors. Caesar gets money where he loses heart. Lepidus flatters both, of both is flattered; but he neither loves, nor either cares for him. --------I just like the way that Pompey knows how to characterize all of this adversaries which is a good quality I think.

Act 2 Scene 2

Antony here says something interesting in regard to Pompey:

ANTONY: "I did not think to draw my sword against Pompey, for he hath laid strange courtesies and great of late upon me...." ----I am just picturing Pompey saying and doing all kinds of nice things to Antony to disarm him and cause him to like him.

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dikleyt · 3 years

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The last century has shown that if you make your country an unsafe place for Jews, then whether those Jews are Zionists or not, they're going to end up fleeing to Israel. And if they're not Zionists, their children and grandchildren will be.

This was true in the USSR and its satellite states, and it was true in the Arab world - is still true in Yemen, where the last Jews are believed to have finally left to escape Houthi persecution. The Houthis, scumbags who actually simultaneously say "curse on the Jews" and "we're anti-Zionists, not antisemites!" while extorting and bullying and beating non-Zionist Haredi Jews. Acknowledging what they’re doing isn’t an expression of support for the war there. It’s just saying “Hey look, the ethnic cleansing of Jews from the MENA is ongoing and is rooted in a history that long predates Zionism, and maybe we should acknowledge this instead of denying the trauma of an entire community except where convenient, e.g. when Israel is doing it!”

And to be honest I've gotten tired of telling the people forced to emigrate to Israel on account of ethnic cleansing, "Zionism is bad." I've had those conversations, and I've usually ended up ashamed of myself. This has a lot to do with why I've dropped the label "anti-Zionist" for "non-Zionist." It turns out a lot of non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews were chased out of their country by self-described "anti-Zionists," because to most of the world the word "anti-Zionist" is just a way for them to rebrand their antisemitism. They’re not sincere in claiming to be “anti-Zionist, not antisemitic.” To these people, the difference is just a cudgel, a way to beat people who call out their antisemitism. And if you don’t acknowledge this, you’re part of the problem.

I don't see the solution to all of this as "embrace the state of Israel as the only possible solution to the problems of world Jewry, with all of its history and toxic culture and historic efforts to erase Diaspora culture and inexcusable treatment of its minorities and Palestinian Arabs”, but I do know this: if you really hate Zionism and love Jews, stop actively creating the conditions that justify Zionism. If you hate Jews and just want us all out of your country, then I guess you're doing it the right way, but if you then complain when they end up in Israel, your bad faith is obvious. Stop being so indirect about it; just say you hate Jews existing anywhere at all.

#zionism #antizionism #anti zionism #ussr #mena #yemen #houthis #nonzionism #non zionism #bad faith

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hazel2468 · 3 years

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New rule. If I see you using the word “freak” as a way to insult people (and not in the fun way, you know, “I’m a freak in the sheets”, just to be very clear), your ass is getting blocked on sight.

Sincerely, a tired genderqueer ND Jew who knows the signs of an asshole when she sees one after years of being bullied with the word freak in relation to my neurodivergence and sexuality who doesn’t, for a single second, buy that all the people calling others “freaks” on this fucking site have absolutely no connection to the abelism, queerphobia, and all the other reasons people have historically been called “freaks”.

#yeah no i mean it #look if you think calling someone a freak as an insult #especially in regards to like fandom bullshit #or in regards to someone acting even vaguely ND #get the fuck out #i see you #we all see you #and even if you personally don't ascribe to that #the BS purity culture that the word is often thrown around in the context of #is 100% based on all of that super bad stuff so #maybe think about that

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hidingoutbackstage · 2 years

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You don’t like Wesker because he challenges your own superiority complex.

It’s ok I’d feel threatened by him too if I looked like a 13 year old who uses shitty dollar tree makeup and shaved my head to express my hatred to my father who doesn’t love me as much as my other siblings.

Being 13 is hard but you’ll grow up soon and realise that your repetitiveness on the Wesker is a Nazi situation is boring

You and your 3 mutuals are the only ones who seems to believe this and clearly skip out many parts of the lore

Sincerely, a POC Jewish person who appreciates Albert Weskers character and not your absurd headcanons :)

G-d where do I even begin with this? The tired ass “fatherless behavior” joke? The fact that you’re going so hard defending a fictional nazi who, newsflash, I do appreciate as a character for the real life themes he represents, and not someone to be attracted to. The way that you’re clearly not a jew of color since you’re on anon and no jew of color I’ve met in my life especially online has ever called themself a “person of color jewish person” like if you’re gonna lie at least try a little harder bro

#sid answers #anon #saving this as a copypasta thank you anon

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sephiroths-stuff · 3 years

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Don't make me fucking say it again I'm so fucking tired of people talking about how progressive and intersectional and diverse and allies they are then uncritically stan wandavision because "uwu we might get mutants in MCU" SHUT THE FUCK UP GOYIMS. THIS IS REAL LIFE NOT ABOUT JAN GREY. They are whitewashing and stereotyping real people and ethnic groups that are suffering in real life and they have been and are erasing backstories of characters that were positive and real representation.

Wanda Maximoff is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors, Magneto, and a Roma woman. Mcu erasing that, having christian iconography associated with her in her living quarters, making her a Nazi agent??????, Her actress saying the G slur, having her dress as a "fortune teller", erasing her Jewish heritage, whitewashing her, I could go on. Why the HELL are people supporting this.

They did the same to Pietro. They did it twice to him with Fox. And the MCU. And as much as I love Ian McKellen, he shouldn't have played Magneto. That role belongs to a Jewish man. It's not that hard to find Jewish actors. But this isn't about them. Right now I'm talking about the fact that Wanda Maximoff specifically, her portrayal in the Mcu is blatantly racist and offensive, and people who are stanning the show and supporting it without acknowledging the blatant racist, anti-semitic aspects of it are fucking morons and honestly have no right to brag on their activism.

Sincerely an angry Jewish kid who grew up with a jewish dad who taught them abt activism with Magneto.

HEY. Non roma and non jews? Your input on how it isn't that deep or that racist? or your bragging abt how woke you are etc is not fucking needed. What jewish and roma people need is support. Donate to local synagogues. Help roma people and gofundmes. If you know of any please link them. That is the only goy input I accept.

#wandavision #angry post #rant #activism #jewishness #goyim dont fucking clown #goyim shut up challenge #mcu you fucked up #mcu shut up challenge #wanda stans dont interact

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mikhalsarah · 2 years

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The Converts Are Tired (well, this one is):

Reasons To Think Twice About Choosing (Liberal) Jewish Life

Most of the time when you read a popular article about a convert complaining about Judaism it will fall squarely into the genre of “Orthodox Judaism Bad”. This is because (as in most small communities) a tiny, elite, group controls the public discourse. In the case of Judaism this is mostly a cadre of wealthy, educated and firmly progressive-bubble ensconced Ashkenazi Jews who are either secular-atheist ethnic Jews of the “Jews are not a race we’re a culture” variety (Bagels and lox and the reading of Vox). This means they don’t like the religious generally and the Orthodox specifically, and love to publish any story that makes the Orthodox look bad.

Or they’re liberal Jews who believe exactly the same things as secular Jews but go to synagogue occasionally to learn how the things liberal Gentiles decided to believe only just last week are actually authentic Torah-approved tikkun olam, straight outta Sinai, so Jews really believed them first.

This last one illustrates the competitive streak in Jews that means that whatever you mention, Jews always believed it first, or had it first, or did it first, and are always much better at it than the Gentiles. In the Orthodox world there are some compensatory attitudes, a sense of awe and humility at having been chosen for the awesome spiritual responsibility of wearing the yoke of heaven, of bringing Light to the Gentiles. There is no such counterweight for the secular and the liberals often end up burying it with the counter-counterweight of pride in their “superior” politics. The result is that a lot of prominent left-leaning Jews today spend most of their time bringing Spite to the Gentiles, instead. (Here’s looking at you, Bette Midler)

That may well be the first thing you get tired of.

That competitive streak also extends to other Jews, like the Sephardim, Mizrahim, Yemeni etc etc. Whatever an Ashkenazi Jew finds to be worthwhile and admirable, you can bet that they will assert that Ashkenazi Jews did it or had it first, or are better at it, or possess that quality in greater amounts than other Jews. Orthodox Ashkenazim value piety, so of course the non-Ashkenazi Jews are never pious enough, their women never cover enough, their halakhahic understanding is deficient. Secular and liberal Jews value progress and modernity and universalism, so the non-Ashkenazi Jews are too religious and superstitious, too backwards, too parochial and clannish.

“Ashkenazi supremacy” might be the second thing you get tired of. There’s so much of it around that perhaps it’s understandable that so many Jews now find it reasonable to assume that “White Supremacy” is lurking about in the Gentile world to the same degree. (White Hegemony perhaps, but having greater numbers and wealth does not equal a widespread attitude that whites are intrinsically superior.)

In a rare instance of agreement, both the frum and frei (religious and liberal/secular) Ashkenazim find non-Ashkenazim to be Not Quite Smart Enough. As you will hear over, and over...and over... in the Ashkenazi-dominated Jewish world, Ashkenazi Jews have an average IQ of 115, the highest of any ethnic group.

That you will not only tire of, but may start to roll your eyes in exasperation at, after the umpteen-millionth time you are informed of the fact.

If, like me, your IQ has been measured quite a bit higher than that, you may even have to bite your tongue not to sarcastically ask when you can be expected to be appointed the local Pooh-Bah of Judaism due to your superior intellect, since, clearly, they’re implying that IQ scores leads to the right to dominate and rule others and tell them how to go about their business. You’ll get tired of hearing about Freud, and Marx, and famous actors, and Nobel-prize winners and when everyone is praying asking for the merit of their ancestors to accrue to them, you will sincerely hope, for the sake of their descendants, that the Jews of yore had some hardcore leanings toward humility.

You will get particularly tired, even in Orthodox synogogues, of having the Jews who left Judaism held up in admiration, even when they stabbed Judaism and Jewry in the back, like Karl Marx did. It will soon become clear that many Jews are so interested in admiring others of their race that they would rather have famous atheists like Sarah Silverman or Seth Rogen in their congregation than the most committed converts.

Now, the liberals aren’t completely wrong about the Orthodox, they can be right schmucks sometimes. One poor man, a friend of a friend, who was halakhically Jewish but not raised with any religion, decided to show up unannounced at my local Orthodox shul on the grounds that if he was going to do Jewish, he wanted to do it “right” ie Orthodox. He was asked if he was Jewish (normal at a shul), to which he answered yes, then he was asked his last name. For those who don’t know this is the butt-sniffing phase of Jewish interactions...an attempt to find out what part of the Jewish world, if any, a person descends from, how illustrious their ancestors might have been, and who they are related to that you know, in order to figure out who is above whom in the unwritten hierarchies of Jewish life. As a product of a mixed marriage, he naturally had his father’s non-Jewish last name and was told by the inquirer that the last thing the congregation needed was another “safek mamzer” (a possible bastard). The man had no idea what a safek mamzer was, thus no idea how to defend himself from such a hot mess of a take on Halakhah, but he knew he was being insulted and never returned...to any shul.

The liberal and secular Jewish conceit is that they don’t do any of those boorish and clannish things, and are “open and accepting”. Well, they do. They cloak it better, but they do. The interrogating of names is the start. Then all the questions about education and occupation. In all but the most competitive elite Gentile circles, you will rarely be asked what you do or what your level of education is, mainly because people don’t feel a driving need to know, and at churches it’s a “worldly concern” which interferes with the fellowship of believers. Even in the elite circles, there’s a sense that it will come up naturally in conversation, and that outright asking, or dropping the info like a bomb, is gauche...like asking new acquaintances about their salaries or tax returns.

Then it’s the attacks on anything that smacks too much of Orthodoxy and too little of being on trend with the elite Gentiles, like wearing kipot outside of shul or wearing tallit katan/tzitzit at all, or dressing too modestly if you’re a woman or, chas v’shalom, valuing marriage....or anything that anybody remotely religious or conservative might value.

Then the politics. Oh, you simply must want to joint my Progressive Jews Facebook group! You really need to come to this left-leaning social justice event. What? You’re not a Progressive? You’re a what? A Communitarian? (puzzlement) A conservative? (disgust) You’re not a liberal? You’re a Zionist? (ugh!) You’re not a Zionist? (horror!) You don’t think all Muslims want to kill us? (Are you insane?!) You think some Muslims do want to kill us? (Are you an Islamophobic bigot?!)

Oh yes, you will get very, very tired of the underlying assumption Jews have their their way of doing Jewish, voting, and thinking, is the only possible correct viewpoint to have.

And the intersection of that with being a convert is a fun game called Schrodinger’s Jew. Whenever you agree with another Jew politically you are, to them, a “real Jew”. Whenever you disagree with another Jew politically you are suddenly “not a real Jew anyway”. So for every Jew you meet, you’re a strange cat in a box with a question mark on it, and they’re waiting until you open your mouth to decide whether you deserve (metaphorical Jewish) death or not.

You will get so tired of this you’d want to puke, if you had the energy.

You will get tired of annoying older Jewish men flirting “harmlessly” with you, if female, or constantly ribbing you if you are male. You will get tired of Jews either completely ignoring you as a dating prospect (with liberal Jews, you’d have stood a better chance of marrying one of them if you’d stayed a Gentile) or foisting every broken misfit Jew or other convert at you, hoping to make a shidduch. I like misfits, I just like to choose the compatible ones myself and not have them awkwardly shoved at me, “This is Aaron, he’s single too. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted”, or more likely stand there red-faced and horrified, before making excuses to escape and never making eye-contact again. Ditto for your natural social contacts with the opposite sex. Some Jew, probably a Boomer man, will spot you and, eyes twinkling, make a beeline right for you to make a Big Deal out of Things and embarrass both participants into avoiding each other like the plague henceforth.

You’ll get tired of sitting alone every Shabbat and holiday, except for some reason Pesach, when everyone suddenly remembers you exist, and that they have unfilled table-places, and invites you to their home. They don’t, of course, remember that you’re trying to be Sabbath-keeping (so quaint!), and that their house is a 3 hour walk away from the synagogue you live 5 minutes from. In fact, it’s actually past city limits in the incorporated adjacent village and there are no sidewalks. Because they don’t keep those mitzvot, they think you shouldn’t bother keeping them either.

So drive on Pesach you will, because persisting stubbornly with the mitzvot makes them accuse you of thinking you’re better than them. I’ve lived long enough to realize that this is an accusation mostly lobbed by people who spend a great deal of time contemplating who is better than whom, and where they stand in a hierarchy, and can’t imagine that anyone has intrinsic reasons for doing anything. Therefore everything you do is unpacked as attempting to signal superiority and how dare you not know your proper place and try to trump me, a born Jew, or usurp my place!

You’ll get tired of envying those older married Jews who keep sabotaging your dating life, who met at a time when Jews still wanted to marry other Jews, and when liberal Judaism still wanted to help them do so. Thanks to the push to be “inclusive” of intermarried couples, you will tire of envying the Gentile spouses, too. They can’t go up on the bimah like you can, but in every other way they are far more accepted and integrated into the community than you will ever be. They will never want for a place at a Shabbat table, even though they don’t actually want it, or else they’d be a convert, wouldn’t they? Now that we all seem to be allowing all sorts of non-Jews to be synagogue members, not just the intermarried spouses, you will also get tired of wondering why the hell you bothered investing so much time, money and energy in the conversion process at all. The non-Jewish members and spouses have the right education, and the right jobs, and the right politics and you have.... a nice certificate that is worth the water you paid good money to be dunked in.

And you’ll get tired of explaining Jewish behaviour to Gentiles.

Yeah, yeah, the weird Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox stuff because all the Gentiles are watching Unorthodox and My Unorthodox Life on Netflix but that’s a curiousity that will be short-lived and they’ll all move on to the Amish, or Mormons, or the Real Housewives of ISIS or something.

It’s the everyday stuff you’ll tire of. Explaining Zionism, and non-Zionism, and anti-Zionism, and BDS, and whether and to what degree it might be Antisemitism and under what circumstances. Explaining the Israeli government’s latest idiocy even though you don’t live there and most likely never will. Explaining why Jews harp on about it being “the Jewish State” and the center of Jewish life and donate loads of money to it, and lobby their Diaspora governments to support it but still get mad when anyone intimates that they could possibly be in any way associated with or responsible for whatever idiot thing the Israeli government has just done. Explaining the never-ending dramas between different Jewish denominations going back to the Victorian Era, if not the Roman Occupation, between secular and religious Jews, between different ethnicities of Jews, and colours of Jews, and economic classes of Jews. and between Israelis and Diaspora Jews.

And explaining the clueless, classless and classist behaviour of various publicly Jewish celebrities and talking-heads. Explaining the subtle anti-Gentilism and elitism of them...sometimes the not-so-subtle kind. It is difficult to explain to Gentiles how it is that someone who hasn’t done a Jewish thing since their bar-mitzvah in 1950 can still believe that “the worst Jew is better than the best Gentile”, an actual quote, aimed at my Gentile sister-in-law, by her ex-boyfriend’s grandfather, which was the first time I heard the phrase...unfortunately not the last.

It’s also difficult to explain to the regular, non-liberal-elite Gentiles among whom I live and work why a Jewish singer born in one of the wealthiest American neighbourhoods who will never need a drop of the Build Back Better money (net worth $250 million) feels so personally betrayed by a politician on her own team, that it justifies mocking all the inhabitants of the poorest state in her country, mocking unemployment, depression and drug addiction, and mocking illiteracy rates that are actually lower than in her own state. And basically blaming them for voting Trump, thereby causing and deserving their situation, as though they haven’t been the poorest state since they joined the Union, and through most of that voted Democrat.

Oh yes, you will get very tired of running interference for the boorish and bigoted atheist Jews, as well, and their smug attacks on Christianity and the Christians who today overwhelming support Jews and Israel. Which extends even to wanting to mock and desecrate and otherwise gleefully ruin Christmas for those who are merely nominally or culturally Christian. And who not only stir up actual pre-existing antisemites, they leave such a bad aftertaste in the mouth of every ordinary Gentile in their orbit, that they overwhelm all the cultural goodwill toward Jews that took decades to build. The privileged secular and atheist and liberal Jews have platforms such that their every flippant temper-tantrum tweets gets far more press than any number of Jews delivering Christmas gifts to first responders or Xmas care packages to poor, sick or elderly Christians .

If you’re working-class yourself you’ll get tired of the subtle awkwardness, exclusion and put-downs that are personal. As in, aimed at you personally. And being treated as much like an exciting curiosity as the ex-ultra-Orthodox are. You are an amusing and flattering but lesser imitation of Jewishness, like the Chimp’s Tea Party at the Zoo. Aren’t you sooo cute all dressed up in your kippah and tallit, tapping away with the yad up on the bimah just like a real Jew!

And the Wokeness... a word which I only use because I am so old and decrepit and out of touch with the youth of today... and also because calling it Critical Social Justice evokes puzzlement from the same people who hate you calling it by the very word they themselves called it until sometime last week, being “Woke”. Even before Wokeness hit, the Conservative Seminary was churning out 20 times as many “activist Rabbis” as ones actually interested in Halakhah and scholarship. Apparently intellectual pursuits just weren’t compelling to the young...yet Orthodox youth who go into the Rabbinate don’t seem to find Talmudic study dry, boring and irrelevant. Hmmm....

Well, maybe I’m wrong about Progressivism and Wokeness, anyway. Maybe if you’re a smugly self-hating elite liberal white person, you will really like joining a synagogue full of smugly self-hating elite liberal Jews who aspire to nothing more than to be smugly self-hating elite white people. Personally I think it’s a lot of work just to come full-circle, but knock yourself out.

You might like being handed a copy of White Fragility on Shabbat. I mean, what convert who has already been treated to the subtle anti-Gentile bigotry, and the anti-convert bigotry, and the classism, already been automatically assumed to be dumber than the average Ashkenazi Jew, worse that the worse Jew, and had a little Rashi quoted at them to remind them that they are a ‘sore’ troubling the pure Jewish people, doesn’t also like to get a little second-hand Black-power bigotry directed at them at shul telling them they’re a “white devil” who needs to be “less white”. If I enjoyed that I’d have tried to join the Nation of Islam or the Black Hebrew Israelites, instead. And how the fuck do I be less of something that is an immutable characteristic involving my dermis? You are conflating race with culture. If being punctual were a racial trait linked to European melanin levels every participant at an Irish or Ashkenazi event would be there on time, which I can tell you as a frequent flyer at shuls and Irish language or music events is laughable, and every Japanese event would start late and UK newspapers would not muse about the excessive Japanese devotion to precise train departure times.

And what convert, sitting amongst Woke Jews, doesn’t feel warmed in the cockles of their heart to hear that “people should stay in their racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious lanes”? I mean, it’s not like conversion is a MASSIVE life-changing lane change involving peoplehood, religion, language and culture or anything, is it? What’s to be offended by?

Who knows, you might kvell with pleasure when your hyper-Zionist straight-pretending-to-be-Queer Rabbi-couple harangue you, a lesbian, gay or bisexual, and the whole congregation about 2SLGBTQQIAA+*$#!!!! issues, or post up on Facebook about your country “sweeping Indigenous genocide under the rug” on Canada Day, incidentally the same day that Israel had planned to annex the West Bank, which said Rabbis didn’t condemn. You know, that Indigenous genocide that was swept so far under the rug that our Prime Minister apologizes for it publicly at least once a month and for which we just had the flag at half-mast for four months, making it rather convenient that Prince Phillip, the husband of our Head of State, opted to kick the bucket several months beforehand or we’d possibly have had to bury the flag in a shallow grave, which I’m sure the Rabbis would have applauded as appropriate, and Trudeau would’ve made a moving speech about. Of course it’s all performative; his government drags out Indigenous land claims through the courts and has done nothing about housing, clean water or the continuing fallout from the Mercury-poisoning at Grassy Narrows, but if you’re Woke yourself you already know that it’s all virtue-signaling bosh and you’re ok with that.

It’s not about doing better, it’s about pointing out how others are doing worse. It’s my Plymouth Brethren auntie hitting someone’s car in a parking lot and slinking away to park elsewhere because nobody saw her, but saying Grace at the top of her lungs in a fish and chips shop and exclaiming, “Praise the Lord” every five minutes, as though the Lord somehow doesn’t have the precise measure of people like her, whose lips praise Him but whose hearts might as well have been shot into space with the Voyager 1 probe.

Speaking of hyposcrisy while circling back to the topic, apparently liberal Judaism is no longer abiding by, “ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. “ Instead they are publicly attacking and condemning the countries they live in, and calling for them to be “dismantled”. And when the citizens who don’t have another country waiting for them with open arms point to this lack of loyalty with disgust, these same Woke Jews will be quick to scream, “Antisemitism! That’s the canard of the rootless cosmopolitan Jew with no loyalty to Diaspore countries!”

No mate, a canard is “an unfounded rumour or story”. When you post it up on your public Facebook feed It’s not a canard, it’s a fact.

You might not even mind when your Rabbi tanks the entire shul and the building goes up for sale and you have nowhere to pray. Because who needs a synagogue? You can recite the collected works of Ibram X. Kendi as a congregation anywhere, if that’s your Torah.

You’ll get tired of hypocrisy. Tired of rising antisemitism at both ends of the political spectrum, and tired of making excuses to rightly-offended white, Christian Gentiles, and rightly-offended Black and Brown Gentiles (and Jews) that white and Jewish Wokism infantilizes and subjects to the soft-bigotry of low expectations, or whose religion we insult in our haste to show the goyishe Elites how cool we are by dissing Christianity and Jesus.

Because guess what? Lots of Black and Brown people in North America, Europe and the Middle-East are Christians. There’s even some in Asia. And a lot of the ones who aren’t are Muslims who consider Jesus an honored Prophet. Christianity is growing rapidly in Africa, and by 2025 there may be some 760 million believers there...and not the wishy-washy liberal sort, either. The great white and Ashkenazi-Jewish Progressive Elite sport of dunking on Jesus and Christianity/Christians, smugly calling them backwards, and superstitious primitives, is going to become racially problematic with astonishing rapidity. One might even say that it will soon be A Very Bad Look.

But indeed, the entire point of conspicuous Wokeness is not to actually be less racist, but to deflect criticism on to others who “aren’t doing the work” (ie saying their approved lines) in the hopes that nobody will notice that you aren’t actually doing any work either. Imagine thinking that when you put up a Black Lives Matter square on your synagogue website people will forget that three years ago the Black French teacher you hired for your day school quit in outrage, after students called him a word which, were I to actually write it out, my writing it even in passing would generate more Jewish outrage than the students who actually wielded it aggressively in the first place. Imagine thinking I will forget you whispering in my ear that the Moroccan Sephardi cantor and the Bene Israel Torah-reader and their families were “taking over the shul my grandfather built”. Nobody will forget the hypocrisy, especially when it goes viral on Twitter. The chickens, and the tweets, will come home to roost eventually.

It’s one thing to be killed for practicing your religion, or because some liberal Jews helped Syrian refugees. I’d be honored to die for a good cause. Not happy about it mind, but honored. Even dying because the Rothschild’s were super rich, and some moron thinks they still rule the world is merely boring. It’s quite another to think you might one day be murdered because Israel decided to annex the West Bank or invade Gaza, again or drop a bomb on Iran because they volunteered to get roped into another religion’s sectarian proxy-war. Or because another Seth Rogen decided to gleefully poke the bear, and attack Christmas, white people and old men (you know, like my Dad, an old, white Christian) with another abysmally unfunny movie in the genre “White People Bad”, something assured to rile up not just actual white supremacists (for god’s sakes let sleeping bears stay sleeping as much as possible until they die off), but also apt to annoy and offend all sorts of ordinary people (even the Muslims were offended) that he can then cite as proof that white supremacy is everywhere and he is some sort of Jewish St George, out bravely slaying it. In short, that you’re now most likely to be murdered as a Jew because some other Jews decided to be drama-stirring douchebags in as public a way as humanly possible. Or because another Rabbi decided that since you can be anything you want online, he should be an Antisemitic Canard.

And it’s no way to behave. Punching down at the lower classes, the rural, the less educated, ingratitude towards those who’ve supported us, and Israel, making classist, racist, sexist anti-immigrant remarks at people who don’t share your politics, including belittling the opioid epidemic, an utter lack of empathy or forgiveness. This is not just elitism, it’s a chillul haShem (a desecration of God’s name). It makes Judaism, Jews and God look bad. I’d try to help God out here, but for some reason God has seen fit to give the Jews making Him look like a schmuck more money and bigger platforms in this world.

So this will be my final post on the blog I originally began to document my Jewish life. And it’s not a critique for the liberal secular Jews, who of course are oh so clever Ashkenazim, and could not possibly be on the wrong side of history here. They are about as likely to learn from a critique as the U.S. Democratic party, which is to say, not until they lose everything. They don’t want to hear a bad word about themselves. They only want to hear all the good things that drew converts in, not about the things that alienated and drove us away. The endless gaping hole in the soul of liberal Ashkenazi Jews that always needs to be filled with praise and adulation and goyishe acceptance. That’s why they love interviewing converts and writing books about us. We exist not to serve God alongside them, but to be served to the gnawing pit of collective bad self-esteem. We’re their narcissistic supply. We’re like an Oscar given to Sally Field, proof that they are loved.

This is a warning for other (potential) converts, because if you’re anything like me, and were drawn in by love of God, you will not be happy in Liberal Judaism long. You will regret other paths you could’ve taken, whether to Orthodoxy, or to other religions that would’ve served you better in serving God.

The thing you will end up most tired of is getting dragged further from God.

Since I’m officially resigning the Jewishness that Jews who disagree with me tell me I never had anyway, Merry Christmas.

Postscript: I decided to add an addendum to this, as I missed a rather crucial point: In this current climate of antagonism from Gentiles on both political sides exacerbated by the big mouths of Jews on each political side who are too busy virtue signaling and scoring political brownie points with “their side” to forget that all Jews are supposed to be ultimately on the same side, you’ll be exhausted worrying about the Jews you care about. Especially the ones who are visibly Jewish.

That might be because they are Orthodox or otherwise intentionally dress Jewishly, wear identifying jewelry, have bumper stickers on their car, or mezuzot on their front doors...or it might be because they are like my best friend, who my Dad referred to as “the single most Jewish-looking person I’ve ever met in my life”....which is neither here nor there for my Dad, who’s merely stating a fact, but is definitely here or there for others who I’d rather didn’t notice. Maybe with the beard we could pass him off as a Syriac Orthodox priest but that’s about it. I don’t think even a kilt, a Guiness t-shirt and a MAGA hat would cut it.

Unfortunately that’s the one worry that I won’t be able to lose along with my religion, because I’m keeping the token Jewish friend.

#Judaism #liberal judaism #conversion #wokeness #seth rogen #santa inc #bette midler #tired of this shit #merry christmas

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being-in-corporeal-form · 2 years

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I’ve had some people legit tell me that antisemitism doesn’t exist any more or is much lesser in degree. Those same people spout Nazi dog whistles with out even knowing it.

I’ve been asked, with full sincerity, if I had horns under a hat I was wearing. (they were young, I’ll give them that, but fact that that was engrained in their head already is down right terrifying.) You know the shit that the actual Nazis spread around to make Jews seem more demonic and inhuman?

That’s not even the worst of it. I’ve heard people in my classes before talk about “the Jewish upper echelon” and the space lasers that we apparently have.

This terrifies the ever living shit out of me, and I’m not all that connected with Judaism or my culture. I wasn’t entirely raised in it and I’m terrified for my safety when I hear all the shit that is going around.

Maus getting banned was brought up in a class of mine and I nearly broke down crying when some girl said “It was traumatizing! No one should read it!”

You don’t think people should read it?. When I got the point where I could actually retain knowledge, I learned about it. I had too, it’s my family’s history. And it wasn’t the watered down version of “lot of people died and those guys were bad!” No, I got shots of piles of corpses and the knowledge that two of them could be my great grandparents.

I’m tired of this, and as I said, I’m not all that connected. I shouldn’t be this tired. I’ve got friends who currently participate in the Jewish faith. It’s selfish that I even complain about my small problems when the synagogue has had to make sure they have bulletproof glass.

There is no sense to this I just needed to write down what I’m feeling.

#antisemitism #tw antisemitism #tw nazi #rant #corporeal speaks #i needed to rant #I don’t know how to process any of this

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lifeofresulullah · 3 years

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The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): His Youth, Trade Life, His marriage to Hazrat Khadijah

The Prophet goes to Damascus for the second time

Most of the Meccan people did trade for a living. Abu Talib also dealt with trade for a while. However, he no longer had the financial strength to trade due to having too many members in his family, tribal wars, and outbreaks of famine and drought. For this reason, he was unable to attain another opportunity in joining a caravan after the previous journey he made to Syria with our Holy Prophet (PBUH). He was making a living by doing some jobs in Mecca.

There was a rich widow, who lived in Mecca and was one of our Holy Prophet’s relatives, by the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid; she was a partner in the caravan trade.

When our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was 25 years old, the Quraysh was preparing to send another caravan to Damascus. This caravan was also going to carry Hazrat Khadija’s goods. As usual, Hazrat Khadija was looking for reliable and trustworthy men to deliver her goods.

Abu Talib, who was writhing in the distress of trying to get by, heard this news. He called his nephew, the Marvelous Master of the Universe (PBUH), to his side and was left with no choice but say the following:

“My nephew, you know that I do not own any property or possessions. This harsh famine and drought has dried up our stock; it has left us with no business and no strength and energy to stand up. Look, the tribe’s caravan of trade is preparing to leave for Damascus. Khuwaylid’s daughter, Khadija, is looking for some individuals from this tribe to load her goods to the caravan and to deliver them. Khadija is a wealthy woman who deals with trade and wants others to benefit from her wealth as well. She is in need of someone like you in this matter, someone who is trustworthy, loyal, and honest. If you go and explain this matter to her, she will probably prefer you over others due to your honesty and superior virtue.”

After this talk, he indicated his sadness and hesitation in this way, “I am hesitant about sending you to Damascus. I am afraid that the Jews will try to harm you. However, what can I do? I cannot think of anything else that will guarantee our livelihood.”

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) comforted his uncle by saying, “My dear Uncle, do whatever you wish.”

Hazrat Khadija heard about the conversation that took place between our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his uncle, Abu Talib. Khadija knew that the Master of the Universe (PBUH) was a trustworthy, reliable, honest individual and that he had a superior code of conduct. For this reason, she immediately sent for our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to come. When he arrived, she said to him:

“I would like to send my commercial goods that are to be shipped to Damascus with you. I know that you are an immensely trustworthy, honest, and ethical person. I am going to pay you a high sum that I have never paid anyone else."

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) informed his uncle of this offer. Abu Talib was happy beyond measure, “This is a blessing that Allah has bestowed on you”.

Abu Talib did not think it was appropriate for our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to set off on the journey without a price having been determined. Therefore, he told our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to discuss this matter with Hazrat Khadija herself. However, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) made it clear that he did not want to do this and so Abu Talib went instead. He said, “Oh Khadija, we heard that you gave two male camels for so-and-so’s services. We will not accept fewer than four camels for Muhammad’s services.”

Hazrat Khadija was glad to have found someone reliable. She answered, “Oh Abu Talib, you have asked for a very easy and agreeable fee. I would have still accepted if you had asked for a much greater one.”

Abu Talib was beyond happy for having heard these words.

Hazrat Khadija placed her slave, Maysara, under our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) authority and issued a warning:

“If he commands you to do anything, obey immediately. Do not do anything that goes against his words and do not make him repeat his requests. Inform me on his every condition.”

All the preparations had been made for the journey. Abu Talib and our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) aunts came to see him off and requested that those on the caravan look after him.

And the caravan set off on the journey…

The trade caravan arrived on the soil of Damascus after three tiring months. Every participant in the caravan set up his/her stand in a suitable spot in the Busra Market. The Master of the Universe (PBUH) went underneath an olive tree that was near a monastery.

Nastura, the Priest, and our Holy Prophet (PBUH)

Bahira, the priest who was in the monastery during our Holy Prophet’s previous visit to Damascus, had passed away and left a priest by the name of Nastura in his place.

The arrival of the caravan procession and our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) descent underneath the olive tree had not escaped from the priest’s eyes. He called Maysara, whom he met before, and asked about the person who was lodging underneath the tree.

Maysara replied, “He is a respected figure in both the Quraysh and in Mecca.”

For a moment, Nastura was lost in thought. Afterwards, he expressed an idea that had left him astounded: “No one, other than a Prophet, has sat underneath that tree.”

Later, he asked Maysara:

“Does he have redness in his eyes?”

When he received the answer, “yes” from Maysara, Nastura was certain in his recognition: “He is a prophet. In fact, he is the last prophet.”

Maysara was bewildered by his excitement. The happiness and bliss of serving the Prophet of the Future (PBUH) spread to all of his cells in an instant. The priest’s words became thoroughly engraved in his memory.

The sales were finalized and the necessary items were bought. They found out that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had made greater and more profitable sales than everyone else. This time, the procession’s amazement and bewilderment was added to that of Maysara’s.

The caravan departed from Busra and headed straight towards Mecca.

Angels Casting Shade

The caravan was advancing towards Mecca on top of the hot sands. The burning sun was thrusting its arrows of fire to the ground. Yet, what was this? Maysara could not believe his eyes. Was he imagining things?

No, what he saw was completely real. Two angels were shading our Holy Prophet (PBUH) so that he would not be bothered by the scorching heat, like a cloud.

Maysara was unable to stand still in his place due to his wonder and excitement. The sun’s heat did not affect Maysara all that much after having witnessed the comforting warmth of this strange incident. However, he could not find the courage to explain everything that he had seen and heard to our Holy Prophet (PBUH). He was hiding his excitement, wonder, and bewilderment inside, and was using whatever energy he had to prevent it from being seen by others.

The caravan was now beginning to be seen in Mecca.

Hazrat Khadija was watching the caravan from the rooftop of her home with the Qurayshi women. She was amazed just like everyone else; the ones arriving were our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Maysara. What were those on top of Muhammad’s (PBUH) head? The two angels were casting shade upon the Master of the Universe (PBUH) once again. Khadija pointed out this strange occurrence to the other women with excitement, “Look, look, Muhammad is being shaded by the angels!”

The caravan reached Mecca. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) submitted the goods to Hazrat Khadija. Hazrat Khadija then sold the goods and made a great profit.

Meysara Explains his Observations

During this journey, Maysara saw and learned many things in regards to our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

First and foremost, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) observed cleanliness to the highest degree, his code of conduct was excellent, he was honest, and his friendship was sincere and in earnest. Nothing could be said about his honesty in trade.

Maysara explained all of this, all of what Nastura had said, and everything that he had seen on the journey, one by one.

Without wasting time, Hazrat Khadija went to Waraqa bin Nawfal, her uncle’s son, and explained him what she heard from Maysara and what she had seen.

Waraqa was a knowledgeable Christian and was not in favor of idol worshipping. He was a quiet and wise old man.

He was unable to hide his astonishment in the face of everything that Khadija had said. He then replied: If everything that you have said is true, than Muhammad is undoubtedly the Prophet of this community. I already knew that a Prophet for this community was going to appear and was awaiting his arrival. This is his exact time.

Hazrat Khadija’s heart was filled with happiness upon hearing this statement and acknowledgment.

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basicsofislam · 2 years

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PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)’s BIOGRAPHY : The Conquest of Khaybar.Part2

The Enemy Front

Khaybar Jews negotiated the situation and decided to remain in the castle and defend their castle.

The Jews that would fight gathered in the Castle of Natat, their strongest castle. They put their wives and children into other castles.

Fighting Starts

Fighting started when Jews started to shoot arrows at the mujahids from the Castle of Natat, where they had gathered. The Islamic army had encamped in front of the Castle of Natat.

The first day passed like that. About fifty mujahids were wounded by the arrows shot from the castles.

On the second day, upon the order of the Messenger of God, the Islamic army moved their headquarters to Raji’. Thus, the mujahids were protected from the attacks that could come from the houses around and they would be away from the swamp where they had encamped.

The Prophet and the mujahids took their weapons every morning and went to the upper part of the Castle of Natat, fought the Jews until the evening and then returned to Raji’.

The Prophet Gets Ill

Meanwhile, the Prophet had a headache. He could not go out near the mujahids. He appointed Hazrat Abu Bakr as the leader of the army to fight the Jews. Despite severe clashes, Khaybar was not conquered. Next time, the Prophet gave his white flag to Hazrat Umar and sent him to fight together with the mujahids. Severe clashes took place again but Khaybar was not conquered.[ Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 349; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, ibid, Vol. 5, p. 353. ]

It went on like that for seven days.

Meanwhile, one person from the Islamic army was martyred: Mahmud b. Maslama… While he was resting in the shade of the Castle of Natat in a very tired state due to the hot weather and severe clashes, he was wounded in the head by a stone thrown by the Jews from the castle and was martyred three days later.[ Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 4, p. 303. ]

Amir b. Aqwa is martyred

Meanwhile, Amir b. Aqwa and Marhab, one of the famous heroes of the people of Khaybar encountered. They started to swing their swords against each other. When Amir hit Marhab’s leg severely with his sword, the blade of his own sword moved toward his leg and cut the vein in the middle. He was taken to the headquarters of the Islamic army in a wounded state. He died there due to the wound.[ Ibn Sa’d, ibid, c 4, p. 303. ]The Prophet had pointed out before reaching Khaybar that he would be martyred.[ Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 3, p. 1428. ]

The People of Daws Join the Islamic Army

Tufayl b. Amr, the poet, the leader of the Daws tribe had talked to the Prophet when he was in Makkah and become a Muslim. Since then, he had invited his tribe to Islam.

Tufayl b. Amr went to Madinah with about four hundred Muslims from his tribe in the 7thyear of the Migration. When they heard that the Prophet went to Khaybar to fight, they came to Khaybar and joined the Islamic army and fought against the Jews.[ Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 4, p. 327. ]

Abu Hurayra, who was going to be famous later, was among the four hundred people.[ Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 4, p. 328. ]Abu Hurayra, who met the Messenger of God in Khaybar, joined the people of Suffa and never left the Prophet after that. Since God Almighty granted him a strong memory, he narrated many hadiths. He said, “Abdullah Ibn Umar knows more hadiths than me; he wrote what he heard but I did not write.”

Hazrat Ali Has the Flag

The siege continued.

Once, the Messenger of God said, “I will give the flag to such a person tomorrow that God and His Messenger loves him and he loves God and His Messenger. God will realize the conquest through his hands.”[ Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 2, p. 111; Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 3, p. 51; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 3, p. 353. ]

The mujahids became very curious: Who was going to have this great honor? Every mujahid had the same sincere desire and feeling: to be able to receive the flag from the Messenger of God. Everybody spent the night with a hope and desire. In the morning, their curiosity and excitement increased. Later, Hazrat Umar expressed his excitement and sincere desire by saying, “I had never wanted to be the commander so much as I wanted it in Khaybar.”[ Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 4, p. 1872. ]

All of the mujahids were waiting with the same desire, excitement and feeling; the Messenger of God ordered the flag to be fetched after the morning prayer. The flag was brought. Everybody was looking at the flag in the blessed hand of the Prophet carefully and waiting for the words that his blessed mouth would utter the name of the person who would realize the conquest. Amongst this curiosity and excitement, the Messenger of God said, “Where is Ali?”

The conqueror was certain now.

Strangely, Hazrat Ali had a pain in his eyes at that time.

They said, “O Messenger of God! He has a pain in his eyes.”

Despite this, the Messenger of God said, “It does not matter! Call him here.”

When Ali was informed about it, he went to the presence of the Prophet. His eyes that had a pain were cured through the blessed prayer of the Messenger of God.[ Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 340; Bukhari, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 51. ]

The Prophet also prayed as follows for him: “O God! Make him free of the troubles of heat and cold.”

Hazrat Ali said,

“I have never been disturbed by the heat or cold since then.”[ Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, ibid, Vol. 1, p. 99. ]

Indeed, Hazrat Ali was not disturbed though he wore a warm coat in the summer; he did not feel cold in the coldest days of the winter even if he wore thin clothes.[ Suhayli, Rawdu’l-Unf, Vol. 6, p. 560. ]

Now, Hazrat Ali had the white flag of the Messenger of God. The curious looks were transformed to envious looks. He was the person that God and His Messenger loved; and he was the person who loved them. Khaybar was going to be conquered by him. Each Companion envied this hero of Islam.

The Messenger of God gave the flag to Ali and clothed him an armored shirt. He placed his sword, Dhul-Fiqar, around Ali’s waist and said, “Fight until God grants you the conquest and never turn back!”[ Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 349; Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 2, p. 110; Ibn Kathir, Sirah, Vol. 3, p. 352. ]

Ali proceeded heroically with the flag in his hand. After he walked for a while, he asked, “O Messenger of God! What will I fight for with them?”

The Messenger of God answered,

“Fight them until they witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. If they witness so, they will save their lives and goods. God will account them for what is in their hearts.”[ Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 2, p. 110; Ibn Kathir, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 352. ]

After receiving this answer, Hazrat Ali said resolutely and joyfully, “O Messenger of God! I will fight them until they become Muslims.”

Thereupon, the Messenger of God said, “Walk solemnly until you reach their castle; then, invite them to Islam. If they become Muslims, inform them about their obligations. By God, if God makes only one of them a Muslim through you, it is better for you than having many red camels and giving them away to the poor in the way of God.”[ Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 3, p. 51; Ibn Qayyim, Zadu’l-Maad, Vol. 2, p. 149; Ibn Kathir, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 351. ]Thus, the Prophet stated what the purpose of Islamic conquests was.

Hazrat Ali against Marhab

Hazrat Ali walked in front of the mujahids and planted the flag in his hand in the ground in front of the Castle of Natat. He explained the Jews about the principles of Islam and invited them to become Muslims. However, the Jews did not accept to become Muslims. They left their castles to fight. Many Jews were killed by the mujahids during the clashes.

Meanwhile, Marhab, who was regarded as the bravest person among the Jews, heard that his brother had been killed; so he left the castle with his men. He had two armors on it. He had two swords and he had wrapped two turbans around his head. He shouted and boasted while he walked solemnly, “I often kill lions with my sword and spear even when they come roaring!”

Hazrat Ali, who was a brave hero, did not heed what he said and answered, “My mother named me Haydar [Lion]. I am like the most majestic lions in the jungle in terms of courage. I will not let you live. I will kill you.”[ Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 347; Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 2. p. 112; Tabari, Tarikh, Vol. 3, p. 94; Ibn Kathir, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 357. ]

In the one on one fight, Marhab, the strongest man of the Jews, could not resist Hazrat Ali, “the Lion of God”, and his head was cut off by Ali’s sword Dhulfiqar. ]Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 2, p. 112; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 4, p. 52. ]

When the Messenger of God saw it, he gave the good news to the mujahids: “Be happy! Now, the conquest of Khaybar has become easier.”[Waqidi, Maghazi, Vol. 2, p. 657.]

After that, the mujahids attacked the enemy courageously and killed several of them. Hazrat Ali alone killed eight Jews that day. During the fight, he dropped his shield. He pulled away the gate of the castle near him and used it as a shield. He did not drop the gate until the castle was conquered. After the castle was conquered, Hazrat Ali put the gate on the ground. Eight people tried to lift the gate together but they could not lift it.[ Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 349-350; Ibn Kathir, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 359. ]

When the other Jews saw that their men were killed one by one, they started to run away back to the castle. The enemy was being defeated. As the Messenger of God had stated, God realized the conquest through the hands of Hazrat Ali. Hazrat Ali and the mujahids entered the Castle of Natat running after the Jews that were escaping. However, they found only children there. They did not touch the children. When the Jews saw that they would be killed, they had to leave the Castle of Natat.

This time, the mujahids proceeded toward the Castle of Naim. Severe clashes took place there too. The enemy lost many of his men in the clash that took place in front of this castle. Then, the castle was captured by the mujahids.

After the conquest of the Castle of Naim, the Castle of Sa’b b. Muadh was conquered.

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sopxhiea · 4 years

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Amusing

Alfie Solomons X Reader

Same universe, different story

| Prompt

“Good, bad, I’m the one with the gun.”

a/n: I like enemies to lovers plot way too much....enjoy :)

It had been a while.

You moved your shoulders, getting from the chair that had been accommodating you for the last two days. Your eyes fell on the clock on the table, residing next to the forgotten cup of coffee you refused to drink unlike what your assistant had been trying to get you to do.

You hadn’t been out for the last two days, the office walls felt a little too familiar now as you eyed the wooden material. At least it was you who’d designed the space so it felt good to be around a place you knew well. The familiarity of it brought comfort.

That hadn’t been the case with him.

It had been a couple weeks since he’d disappeared, his impromptu visits were long gone as well as the sight of him. After the day you woke up with him all around you, he’d been exceptionally smooth and kind with the way he did things around you, you appreciated the gesture but there was a feeling in your gut telling you that he felt awkward.

It was only normal.

You’d woken up with him all over your body, hugging you as you tried to shift for a more comfortable position. Unlike his first thought, you hadn’t told him to wake up and get going but you’d let him be, it had been pleasant for you for the fifteen minutes that it lasted even though you didn’t admit to yourself.

You heard Joe’s familiar footsteps approaching while you continued to move around the room, trying to get rid of the stiffness around your body while he opened the door quietly. Your eyes met your assistant’s across the room when he came in, there was an apologetic smile on his lips which meant that something was up and before you could ask him about it, the familiar jewish man appeared out of thin air.

There he was, in all his glory.

He had his usual smile, coat a little dusty while he settled on the sofa in the middle of the room. His chirpy voice filled your ears while you watched him move.

“’ello, little one.” he spoke, watching you eye him like a prey.

“Good evening, Mr. Solomons.” you spoke, knowing it irritated him for you to call him by his last name after you’d slept on the same bed, even though you had done nothing but cuddle and that was accidental on your part.

He knew you didn’t pull back that day.

He had realised your shifting on the bed and was certain he had heard your soft groan when you woke up but he’d played along, pretending like he was asleep while he felt you try to figure the situation out as he hugged your much smaller form. He knew you stayed in your exact place, absorbing the warmth he provided both around your body and your heart.

He knew you didn’t want to pull back.

You looked at his seated form as you fell back on your chair with a rather loud thud. He watched your tired form, you looked like you were out of it and you truly were. You arranged some papers on the desk, waiting for him to speak but he just watched.

His eyes fell on your locks, some fell out of your bun and resting on your shoulders. Your hair was getting shorter each time he visited, he didn’t say anything about it but you’d see the glint of his eyes. He liked seeing your face more and more. You looked up at him after a while, a nod of your head while your sweet voice filled the wooden walls.

“It’s rude to stare, you know?” you spoke, a low smile appearing on his lips at the words as he spoke up.

“I came ‘ere to talk business, lass.” he spoke, catching your attention at last.

“Alright..” you leaned back on the chair. “Speak then.”

After an hour of him talking about Sabini and this new deal he was thinking of taking with you, you rubbed your forehead. It was a long day, you hadn’t slept in the last two days and even though that usually was the occasion every now and then, his voice felt comforting as you listened carefully.

It was a smart plan.

You nodded, understanding where he was going with it. He didn’t trust the man unlike what you’d initially thought. You knew Sabini was an asshole and not a good businessman but he’d do anything for some popularity in the ranks of the business and a pretty lady.

You were the pretty lady in this case.

You weren’t going to blow his brains out, Alfie didn’t need you for that. You were going to be the pretty lady who would sweet talk him into the offer. You knew he wasn’t entirely stupid so it would take extra convincing which meant that you’d have to look extra ravishing which you had no problem with.

“Okay.” you said, he waited for another word after that.

“I’ll get some extra guns just in case.” you spoke, watching him nod this time.

A part of him thought you wouldn’t agree so he was processing your acceptance of the offer. He knew you were high in demand, it was because of how good you were on the job and he had gotten to experience it first hand weeks ago. He knew why you were in the place you were.

He still remembered you hiking your skirt up to reveal five large blades on your upper thighs.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the image that had been circling around his mind ever since he’d seen it. You looked at him, waiting for him to speak. He had awfully silent and he was usually the one to make conversation between the two of you.

“Ya’ don’t need ‘hat many guns, yeah.” he spoke, watching your face scrunch as you made a sour expression.

“Why?” you spat back immediately, the more guns the merrier.

He looked at you for a while, trying to find a good response. Your quick with had been a gift to you from your mother and he enjoyed seeing you bite back responses, make man twice your size dumbfounded with the sweet tone of your voice as your words cut deep.

“Yer supposed to be the good girl..” he said, looking at you right in the eye as you waited for him to explain. Ollie wasn’t with him today. “The pretty lass who’ll do the talking...” he spoke with a serious tone, he was more like a wolf when it came to business.

You nodded, getting up from your seat and walking towards the desk at the end of the room. It had the drinks Joe had brought from the beginning of the meeting. The coffee wasn’t at its best state as you poured it into your white cup, he’d ask for some if he wanted.

You came back to his curious eyes, he had been watching the whole time.

“Good, bad, I’m the one with the gun.”

He snickered at your response, this was a part of you he adored. He liked that you were quick on your feet, and also not scared of him. There was always someone who was frightened of the wandering jew in the room but with you two alone, he was scared of you.

He knew of the things you were capable of. He’d heard the stories and the blade image spoke for itself. He knew you weren’t afraid to kill a man, it would be your pleasure since you seemed to resent almost all men.

Not him.

After his gentlemen act that day of the cuddling, you’d decided that he was nice. You still didn’t like him much, his cocky attitude and breezy walk were still there but you could ignore them since you’d seen him in a vulnerable position. You didn’t let your walls down just yet, but you were allowing him to see what was beyond those borders you had created.

You were giving him small peeks, making him hungry for more.

He pulled at his beard for a while, eyeing you to see whether you were sincere since most of the time you were being sarcastic, he’d figured it was your way of dealing with things just like his was anger and avoidance. He got up silently, reaching for your hand to shake it and the scene felt all too familiar.

But this time, you didn’t hate him.

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