Thought Dominion

I bought 7 books from an annual book fair called Big Bad Wolf. Hence the title. Three of them are fiction. Four are not. This post will summarize each of these books and why I selected them. Starting from my fiction basket: 1. A Strangeness in my mind - Orhan Pamuk I bought this for the author: Orhan Pamuk is a legend in modern Turkish literature. The guy is a master at weaving stories imbued with Turkish culture. Unfortunately my Turkish was never enough to properly enjoy Turkish-language literature. But an English translation is a different story (pun intended). Given my five years in that beautiful country, I believe this novel will be particularly appealing for me to read. 2. Half World - Hiromi Goto Bought this for the cover. And the outline. A young girl spirited away to a strange world? Sounds like a certain box office hit anime film. I'm expecting a kaleidoscope of settings, a Louvre gallery of characters, and a meteor show

Is Islam a destroyer of love, a noose of feelings, an extinguisher of romance? Dead wrong. Islam is a channel that directs the river of romance into a vibrant ocean. In fact, Islam commands that married couples prioritize each other and their relationship above almost everything including their children. Seriously, even just holding hands and feeding each other are rewarded. I have consumed quite a bit of manga and anime, and thus (unfortunately) have been exposed to romance and love themes more than a Muslim should be. But it has also allowed me to ponder how the "mainstream" version of love compares to the love Islam endorses. Indeed, even within fiction I am skeptical of relationships based primarily on physical and worldly external attributes. "Isn't she cute, I'd like to date her". "He's a star football player, I'd love to become his girlfriend". Cuteness and athleticism will lose their appeal after a short while, particula

A university student has just finished all his courses.  But before he could  take his  diploma, the university asks him to return his student card. Is it unfair this student has to give back his student card? Even though he did nothing wrong?  Of course it's fair. Firstly, the card always belonged to the university, who only lent the student the card for his student period. So of course the university can take it back when he graduates.  The same applies to all blessings. We don't actually have what we have. They all belong to Allah. وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّهِ   (And whatever you have of blessings/favor, is from Allah) So when the Owner takes back what He Owns, we need to accept and allow Him to take it back. Aka إخلاص. We have no right to complain. But remember, Allah is Al-Hakim, al-Alim. The Most Wise, the all-Knowing. And Allah is Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim. Allah is very, very kind to us, despite our sins and mistakes. He loves to give. So when

Going abroad to study is not necessarily a sin. Watching films may not by itself be a sin. Talking to the opposite gender is often not a problem. But it's all too easy to mix with the wrong crowd abroad, come across inappropriate scenes in films, and walk down the path to zina. Too often we do not consider avoiding actions which may not be sins by themselves but open doors to sin. Not reviewing before exams doesn't cause you to fail directly. But it's pretty obvious what would happen to such a person. Similarly, mixing with the wrong crowd or watching a certain film may not be a sin by itself. But if sinning is the probable outcome, then you're better off avoiding it. I will not ask that you must avoid all that "might" contain sin. Rather, I ask that you think twice and ask yourself: Is the benefit worth the risk?

To believe oneself to be above average intelligence is not arrogance. To believe oneself to be handsome is not arrogance. To believe yourself to be the richest person in the world, if there is strong evidence, is not arrogance. Arrogance is rejecting the truth. If someone advises you properly about your flaws, but you refuse to listen simply because the advisor is seemingly poorer or less intelligent than you, this is arrogance. Thinking you are definitely a better Muslim than another Muslim is arrogance. Because Allah states we do not know a person's true ranking with Him, so to proclaim otherwise is rejecting the truth. Believing you can get away with sinning without repenting is arrogance. Common sense says otherwise, Allah states no one is guaranteed safety from the Fire, so why would you reject this truth? To conclude, believe in yourself and your strengths - this is self-awareness. But never delude yourself into thinking you are above the truth, for this is tr

Thieves stealing your money and belongings. Co-workers plotting to prevent your promotion. Political rivals spreading lies and working for your character assassination. People who try to put you down by constantly asking for your time and effort. This world is filled with evil. Some against good countries and organizations. But there is evil which is aimed at us personally. For those who believe in the Day of Judgement, how should such evil be dealt with? Two things to keep in mind: The three stages of preventing evil in general, and the Day of Recompense. Muslims should be against all evil no matter who it is directed at. Ideally, the evil should be acted against. If not possible, spoken out against. If even speech is infeasible, then the Muslim should at least hate such evil. Thus, like an Islamic nation at war with an evil state, the Muslim should prepare and fight without being excessive. Make allies, showcase your achievements, verify before trusting, and refu