Dawah....Wilmslow road style

Dawah -

''Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance." -

Qur'an, Sura An-Nahl 16:125 - Yusuf Ali Translation





Once again the MYF has come through! A beautiful tuesday circle was ended on such a happy note with a mini Eid party! It was such a fun time, full of little kids running around, good food and junk food and catching up again with friends. What an Eid celebration should be about.
But the irony is just amazing.

At the same time as the MYF party, a mile and a half up the road was the embarrassment of Wilmslow road. Muslims celebrating ‘their Christmas’ according to any non Muslim that lives in Manchester or, God forbid, passer by who got caught up in it, all though I’m sure they wouldn’t put it as nicely. When I was leaving the MYF I got a call from my friend, almost in tears, who was stuck on Wilmslow road begging me to meet her or pick her up. She had set off from town at 6.30 and at 9.30 was stuck outside Tesco at the bus stop attempting to get on the 111 to as the magic bus hadn’t moved for over an hour and no taxis would come near the area.

The poor girl was harassed continuously until we could get there to pick her up. She had drunk ‘Muslim’ guys trying to hug her whilst saying ‘Eid Mubarak’, some trying to kiss her whilst slurring eid Mubarak. She was so shuck up, it was a joke and she is an incredibly strong woman. The more she tried to ignore these guys, the more abusive they got, swearing at her and accusing her of being a Hindu b**** (she’s an Indian Muslim revert). One guy was shouting at her and trying to chat her up from a limo (‘oh no…I’m not materialistic….I’m a Muslim‘) and because she again was ignoring him, he threw a glass bottle of WKD vodka at her!!! Muslim on Muslim alcoholic violence…well done. She went to wait in the hospital waiting area for us but even in there it wasn’t safe. Drunk guys and girls were chasing each other in and out of the hospital and toilets, screeching to each other how much there parents were “so gonna know I’m mashed!’’.

She said that there were non Muslims walking past swearing about all the Muslims and the way they celebrate their festivals. Believe me, it would have been safer for her to have been in a club than surrounded by ‘Muslims’ on Wilmslow road on Eid.

Yup, thanks kids, great Dawah carried out there.

Salaam and Hello!

After a year of continuous bullying (mainly by NM and MD) I have finally started a blog! I feel the first post should explain the name. Those of you who have been around me pretty much 24/7 during Ramadaan will get the name, others will think I am a weirdo. ‘Sponge’ is a word that a friend of mine randomly said live on air whilst on a serious radio programme which made me and her collapse with laughter, ‘spoons’ comes from a really weird animation on youtube called salad fingers (very disturbing!) and is about a creature that likes rusty spoons and ‘squirrel’ because I pretty much see at least one squirrel a day on my way to the bus stop or out of my window and it amazes me every time!

Ok, that out of the way, you all still think I’m pretty strange but that’s fine, we can work with that! On to a more serious note, this has been, ‘technically’ my first Ramadaan. I say technically because I fasted last year but I wasn’t officially a Muslim until a few months ago. The first day of fasting was a day to remember as well as it was the ANTI WAR demo. What a brilliant day. It gave you hope again that this world does have its beautiful people who will unite regardless of colour, religion, gender, political background ect when there is a just cause. This is especially important to remember at this time where Muslims are slated pretty much everyday on the news. Plus it was good to make a bit of noise and to lead a march!

This Ramadaan has been special on so many different levels. I have learnt how to pray (pretty much) and managed to keep it up 5 times a day, I have been to taraweeh prayer most nights and to my first qiyam, so it has been a much more spiritual Ramadaan as opposed to a practical ‘just don’t eat’ month. The amazing people I have around me also have to take responsibility for the beauty of this Ramadaan. (Amazing fact of the day - I have only had iftar on my own ONCE throughout the whole of Ramadan, every other time at some ones house or with my adopted family, NM‘s beautiful lot!) Without them, it would not have been this special, I wouldn’t know how to pray, what to do, where to go ect. There’s only so much a book can teach you. It really illustrates just how important the Ummah is, to feel so secure and welcome in your faith and social circles is something that many people will never experience. I have made new friends and built on older friendships and got to know people much better. You guys will never know how much you have done for me, to quote Native Female, you have brought me closer to God practically and spiritually. I love you guys!

Mushy stuff out of the way, I have also helped out with Radio Ramadaan which has been a privilege and a pleasure. Especially the journey to the radio and the infamous Masjid show!
Yup I realise that this is a looooong entry, but forgive me, its my first one and I’m leaving a lot out that I would like to put in! Lol, lots of back dated entries to come inshaallah!