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First Halaqa

Last Friday night (5.22.2010) our family had its first halaqa. My cousins came and my brother read and explained several hadith. He read the following narration:

The law is plain, and the unlawful is plain. Between them are doubtful matters that most people do not know about. He who avoids the doubtful has kept his religion and honor clear. But he who falls into the doubtful falls into the unlawful as the shepherd who grazes around a sanctuary, almost grazing therein. Verily there is a morsel of flesh in the body which, if sound, the whole body is sound, and which it ill, the whole body is ill. Verily, it is the heart.


It seems that most of our concerns fall into the doubtful. Personally, I find myself largely preoccupied with job seeking. I've been trying to find something temporary for the summer so that I can gain some momentum before I start graduate school at UPenn in the fall. I've interviewed with some organizations, but I am not willing to do unpaid work at this critical time.

Avoiding the doubtful means staying away from triggers of psychological stress and unhappiness. Avoiding the doubtful also entails doing the things that are good for the soul. Reading for 15 minutes a day; listening to a lecture on CD; calling a friend to talk; cooking for the family: These are the things that are most helpful for the soul. These are the things that help me avoid the doubtful, and it is important to keep them within my schedule and maintain these rituals.

There was also a discussion about maintaining the momentum, keeping the family in the loop about what's happening, enjoying each others company, doing activities together to keep the bonds of family intact. I hope to maintain this weekly/or biweekly ritual in place iA.

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