I don't believe...

November 17th, 2009

That God gave us talents only to be told by others that it is 'haram'

or violates 'such and such rules of propriety'

or that we are committing some act of sin because the boy in the third row got into a frenzy of lust.

I don't believe

that God is unjust.

That we aren't here for a reason.

I don't believe

That with whatever talents we have, with God always in mind and always first to please,

we must conform to other people's standards of 'religiosity'

I won't believe,

that I must look like my fellow sister Aicha down the block to be considered 'a perfect muslimah'

Nor do I think that everyone has to conform to one standard of Islam.

I do believe

that people do things in stages

Like a crescent moon slowly waxing into a full moon

so does sister Laila take steps to wearing hijab

I believe

that any woman -hijabi or not- is a sister to me

I believe

in destiny

in human goodness

in the light at the end of the tunnel

in the calm after the storm

I won't believe in everything of this life

But I will believe in God

-Modest Justice