Returning after 3 years

Asalamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu,

Peace be upon you and welcome to non-Muslims.

I haven’t posted on this blog for under three years and I have decided to resume. This blog was started 15 years ago. 15 years….wow. That’s a long period of time. Enough for someone from turning from an innocent little toddler to a fully-grown young man capable of fighting in a war.

During that time period a young child can transition from early teenage to late teenage and to young adulthood. They undergo major changes in their life including physical such as puberty and becoming a sexual being and being a ‘child’ who is a dependent of their parents onto becoming a young adult who in some cases may become one of the breadwinners for their family.

It’s a massive period of time and anything between a quarter to a fifth of many people’s lives.

This blog was started in 2008, as mentioned earlier, when the world was a very different place. George W Bush was the US president, Donald Trump was a relatively non-controversial billionaire famous for being rich and in some ways famous for being famous, far from the divisive character that he started to become seven years after the inception of this blog. The US was undoubtedly the world’s only real superpower and the US could metaphorically snap it’s fingers and often get two hostile states in different regions across the world to come together in moments of tension and speak, such was the power of the USA……..back then.

The smartphone was not in mass circulation and the internet was no way as big as it is now. When I used to tell people I was a blogger there was a degree of respect from the very few I told it to. For those who know me I’m a somewhat private person, and to be quite ‘objective’, humble and a calm person so seeking fame or attention is somewhat alien if not uncomfortable for me. The internet since 2008 has exploded with one main reason being the emergence of the smartphone. Nearly everyone who is anyone has an online presence. Many big and also ‘normal’ people have their own youtube channels or social media accounts e.g. twitter, instagram etc. This blog does not have the ‘power’ as it once did. There are far more widely-followed Islamic personalities out there on the internet particularly on Youtube. However so be it. I have sometimes wondered if there is even a space for blogs such as this? However the answer was of course yes. There are still private Muslim study circles where maybe even half a dozen people attend, and so even if a couple of dozen people read this blog then that is something.

In addition to speaking about Islam in a non-controversial, non-denominational way I may from time to time blend some of my Islamic-articles with a touch of socio-political commentary. Maybe even some aspects of history and culture. The key word here is ‘may’, this is rather than being a ‘promise’ just a personal musing foremost.

When following Islamic speakers, thinkers, writers etc on social media e.g. twitter what will immediately hit many, primarily Muslims but even many non-Muslims, is the heavily divided, polemical nature of the Muslim cyber-world. I do not wish to be part of that and will stay well away from that though I am aware of these things.

So, now having said I am resuming blogging what does the future hold? I will try and share (time and energy permitting) my metaphorical 2 cents to anyone who ventures to read this blog, those who stumble across it or anyone who happens for whatever reason to come here.

Anyway to get the ‘ball rolling’. Let me start off by talking about converts. 13 years ago in 2010 I wrote a blog called ‘support for converts’. Here’s the link: https://faatih.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/support-for-converts/

Support for converts.

Back then in 2010, as mentioned before, the internet was no way what it is now. Far less universal, commonplace and somewhat even in some ways slightly marginal. There wasn’t that much for converts. Now with the digitalization of the entire globe and universal and instantaneous access to the internet, a modern convert to Islam can go to facebook groups, youtube channels and other virtual places for potential ‘support’. There are some non-Muslims who follow famous Muslim Youtubers and channels talking about Islam and actually know more about Islam than many Muslims who are not particularly religious and have an overly relaxed attitude towards their religion.

In a way that’s a nice thing. Something I tried to do in 2010 is now a reality. More and more people are becoming Muslim or have become Muslim including famous celebrities such as Andrew Tate, Sinead O’Connor and others. It’s easier for people to access information about Islam or contact Muslims than in 2010. That’s the good news……so that phrase ‘the good news’ is itself somewhat ominous and usually prefaces the converse phrase ‘the bad news’. Well, yes there is bad news. Well that’s life. Duality. Night and day, male and female….things come in pairs. The bad news are that many mosques in the west are still very insular, ethno-centric places. In some of these masajid (Arabic for ‘mosques’) there is a degree of hostility to the ‘other’ (including the ‘wrong’ type of Muslim, be it religiously or even ethnically). Some of the wudhu facilities are appalling and it personally distresses me to think of a convert from the still much more modern and developed west used to high standards of organisation and professionalism even venturing to enter some of the horrible ablution and toilet facilities in many mosques in the west. It might even make some question certain things, including if Islam is so great why is it that Muslims cannot even get the basics right.