Eid Mubarak! :)

There are so many--I would check IMDB (Internet Movie Database). They list everything--theatrical releases, PBS, BBC, tv miniseries, etc. Search their database for the names of any classic British novels you can think of. That's what I do. :)

Sumatriptan (brand name Imitrex) has been a lifesaver for me, seriously. Before I had that, it was a bag of frozen vegetables covering the painful part of my head, and a dark room. Dh massaging my temple sometimes helped. About exercise: I've never tried this, but someone I knew years ago used to go running when she had a migraine. It helped her.

Wa alaikum as salaam and Ramadan mubarak! I'm in Houston and the fast is from about 5am till about 8:30pm. That's the longest fast I've experienced so far (I converted 20 years ago when Ramadan fell in the early spring), so it's a long day, but not too terrible. For suhoor, we all like something different--veggie omelet for me, cereal and/or dinner leftovers for dh, and the kids favor some combination of eggs, turkey bacon, and cereal. For iftaar I just cook dinner as usual, which could be Pakistani or almost anything else, but it always starts with dates, fruit chaat, and chole because my Pakistani dh loves them; they are traditional for him. Last night we had pasta; tonight will be chicken shawarma wraps. I also like to do a lot of soups in Ramadan b/c they're so nourishing and hydrating. My biggest problem, especially now that all the kids are fasting, is cooking just the right amount that we don't have leftovers, since nobody can finish it up for lunch the next day, lol.

Albeto has stated once or twice that the three Abrahamic faiths see the universe as corrupted by man's sins, and correct belief as the antidote. And in her latest post, Eliana had quoted Albeto as saying that the three faiths see religion as a baffle against evil. (Correct me if I've not paraphrased you accurately, Albeto.) And no, as I've touched on somewhere upthread, Islam does not view the universe in that way. We don't believe that humans messed up the previously perfect situation and introduced evil/death/suffering into the world. We have no concept of original sin. We believe that both good and evil exist in the world because God created it that way, that we might learn and grow spiritually, becoming as close to God as possible by striving to acquire the attributes of God. We can't learn compassion unless there is suffering, we can't become helpful unless there is need, we can't become generous unless there is want, etc., etc. The existence of evil in the world is necessary to our development of virtue.

Glad you're feeling better, Eliana. :)

By a "bad Muslim" I guess I mean someone who violates a lot of the teachings of Islam--who commits grievous sins--who causes suffering to others, violates their rights, etc. And I think you may have an inaccurate idea of what type of scholarly disagreements there are within the religion. There is no disagreement among Islamic scholars about things like the oneness of God, that murder and rape are forbidden, that aggressive war is forbidden, that killing of non-combatants is forbidden, that anyone who is managing someone else's money must do their best to increase it rather than wasting it or using it for themselves, etc., etc., etc. There is disagreement about things like whether all interest or only excessive interest ("usury") is forbidden, what position one's hands must be in during formal prayers, etc. The questions we struggle to answer, and seek scholarly advice over, are not things like "Is it okay for me to hit my wife?"--but things like "Is it okay for me to take an interest-bearing loan to purchase my house in a non-Islamic economy, or should I rent instead?" Where there is oppression or harm, the religion is being violated. As for Todd Akin, his statement was a scientific one, not a religious one. He wasn't claiming that Christianity teaches that a woman should shut out hostile sperm; he was claiming that science teaches that a woman can shut out hostile sperm. "Should" questions are addressed by (religious or non-religious) ethical systems. "Can" questions are addressed by science.

Okay, so first I had to go and google No True Scotsman, lol. Got that now. I don't see that as much of an issue here, because we (Muslims) don't tend to call each other "not a true Muslim;" we're actually not allowed to do that. There's a Prophetic saying to the effect that no one knows the true inner state of someone else's belief. There can be very bad Muslims, of course, but they can't be called "not true Muslims" based on their sins. Anyway, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that since there's no central authority in Islam analagous to the Pope, for instance, who can have the one final say on interpretations of teachings, then anybody can interpret anything they like into the faith? Such as misogyny, etc. Or are you saying that since religion is not science, the "correct" interpretation can't be arrived at mathematically, so anything anyone wants to say on a teaching must be accepted as true? Either way, you're right, we don't have all answers to all questions given to us. Everyone must do some intellectual work. We believe that people are made to struggle, to learn, and to make choices, and no one can put that responsibility on someone else. Seek expert advice, yes, but use that advice to make the best decision you can. So it seems to me that you're saying that religion is not science and religious questions don't have one correct answer that can be empirically shown to be true, and therefore religion is not a valid decision-making system? (Correct me if I'm misunderstanding you here.) But many areas of human endeavor aren't science or mathematics and don't provide single valid answers, but are still quite important and useful as decision-making systems. Such as law and philosophy. Such as political and economic systems. All composed of scholars/experts who sometimes agree, sometimes disagree, who have human biases and human failings, but who use their training in their disciplines and their knowledge of foundational texts to advise people and governments on courses of action. So many areas of life require not the correct decision, but the best decision we can come up with given the knowledge and tools we have to work with. I hope I'm not rambling off into the weeds here. This discussion is going into very interesting territory for me, but I'm getting sleepy now. Oh, and I come and go on these forums, mainly because I sometimes run out of energy for any kind of interaction (I am a major introvert). I'm wary of getting into long, involved contentious threads for that reason. But I won't walk away from a discussion without warning. :) ETA: There's more i'd like to talk about here, but I'll leave it till tomorrow inshallah. Need to go to bed.

Of course you should be honest... why should you pretend to agree wholeheartedly if you don't? :) I can't tell you how to understand anything--that is utterly your business. I can tell you how I have come to the understanding I articulated above, and how most Muslims come to their own understanding of any Islamic teaching: we read the texts (Quran and authenticated reports of our Prophet's sayings and actions). We think about them, and we might also read additional commentary by scholars who are trained in the language of the texts, in Islamic jurisprudence, and Islamic history. If there is more than one way to interpret a teaching, or if scholars disagree, we might follow the interpretation that makes more sense to us, or the one favored by the majority of scholars, or simply the one that's easier to implement. :) It's up to each of us to use the knowledge and intellect we have, to seek expert advice, and to come to understandings and make decisions based on them. In explaining how I understand the fiqh (laws) surrounding menstruation, I wanted to challenge your perception of it as misogynistic/oppressive to women. If you continue to understand it that way, that is absolutely your right; all I can say is that Muslim scholars have not historically understood it that way, and Muslim women don't experience it that way. Thanks for your kind words--I really don't think you need to feel that you're on thin ice! Honestly, you are coming across to me in this thread as someone who is trying to understand a point of view that they don't share. Nothing whatever to object to there. :) Have a good night...

A fellow migraine sufferer wishes you a quick recovery, inshallah.

I'll just reply within the quote to one or two items that are addressed to me personally or that mention Islam: BTW, Albeto, I'll second Eliana in saying that I have not perceived anything you've said here as rude or threatening. I've very much enjoyed reading what both you and she have shared. :)

I've been following this discussion with great interest, and just thought I'd jump in very briefly to add that as a Muslim I would totally agree with what Eliana is saying here about menstruation and ritual. We also abstain from certain rituals and from sexual intercourse during menstruation, and there is absolutely no negative connotation attached to it, not now and not in the earliest days of Islam. We are absolutely not cut off from God when we are not performing a ritual; we are always worshipping, we talk to God any time we choose. Moreover, all of life is worship in our view--every act is an act of worship if done mindfully--this is a fundamental concept in Islam. And abstaining from sex during menstruation is specifically for the woman's comfort during a time of discomfort--that's not a modern recalibration of the rule, it says so in the Quran. I do think it's very, very easy to impose our own pov on others' practices--I'm guilty of it myself. I've had a misconception or two about Judaism corrected here also. :)

Anna Karenina has its tragedy, certainly, but it also has a parallel romance/spiritual growth story that is very uplifting. I found the book much less "heavy" than Crime and Punishment. Some other classics I've read during the past year and loved: The Grapes of Wrath, Jane Eyre, Les Miserables.