Hi Aisha, Are You Pregnant?

Having being newly married, I am constantly asked by people when I'm planning to have a baby. Not always is the question posed so nicely and with such civility. Sometimes people even ask me if I'm planning to make a baby soon. Others shout out at my husband, 'So is your wife pregnant already?' as if we've been trying for ages and failing. Lol!

The answer is quite clear in my mind. I simply can't afford a baby at this stage in my life. I'm still a student and I'm going to face a flood of student loans when I finish my degree a year from now. Leaving my financial status aside, I don't want to have a baby unless I'm sure I am in a position to fully live up to my responsibility towards the baby as a parent. Quite honestly, I'm finding it hard enough balancing marriage and studies. Even with my husband helping me as much as he can around the house our apartment is falling into complete disarray. I don't think I can devote the time, attention, and care to the baby that it deserves. That being the case, I don't think it's fair for the baby that I'll be dragging it to my classes and to the library and everywhere else all over the campus, exposing it to all sorts of international fevers and colds that even I can't seem to avoid (in the International Islamic University). Especially if I can't give it enough attention in between classes.

And whenever I get asked if I'm pregnant, or planning to be pregnant soon, or anything of that sort, I try to explain to whoever asks me the question, in as little an amount of words as possible, this reasoning. Many people do agree with it (and suggest I get pregnant as soon as I finish my degree), and some few think it just shows how little I believe in the Will of Allah.

There seems to be a belief among some Muslims that babies are a gift from Allah and we simply have no right to turn away from a gift that Allah sends our way.

While I cannot agree more that babies are bundles of love that Allah gives us as gifts, I cannot look at parenthood as a gift alone. I think it is wrong to equate a baby to the gifts that we sometimes receive on birthdays, say, that are later left forgotten at the back of shelves gathering dust.

Since it is agreed that babies are in fact gifts from Allah, let's look at what a gift from Allah means. A gift from Allah, whatever it maybe, comes to us with certain responsibilities. Let's look at our lives for example. Life in it self, the short time span that we spend on earth, every single millisecond, is a gift from Allah. And it is our duty towards life itself that we spend it in the service of Allah. Our lives were not given to us to be wasted. Our bodies are gifts from Allah. And we owe a responsibility towards our bodies: to keep it healthy and safe from diseases as much as possible. To seek treatment in case we do contract a disease. To not endanger ourselves and put our bodies in hazardous situations. And these are responsibilities that we owe to gifts that were given to us as our sole right. What with a baby it is another soul. And when you bring a child into the world, you have a responsibility as a parent to take care of it and take all possible measures to give it a good future. And while it is true that the future is in Allah's hand, isn't it just as true that Allah commanded us to plan for the future?

Muslim scholars have taken a purposive approach in their discussion of the position Islam towards marriage and this approach has accepted by consensus in the Muslim world. The position of the person in life, his physical well-being and his financial capability included, is taken into consideration when discussing whether he or she is required, recommended to, or prevented from getting married.

Perhaps the same should be done in our discussion of the Islamic view of different methods of contraception. First of all, sterilisation is not the only contraceptive method available. So, it won't be proper to generalise the ruling on sterilisation to include all the other methods of contraception. Secondly, pregnancy, birth, and parenthood should not be looked at as the sole experience of the parents. It is first and foremost the start of the baby's life, and that is how we should look at it. And the idea that a couple who are not sure whether or not they can fully take care of the baby, or are sure they cannot give the baby the love and care it deserves is in my mind irresponsible.

Gifts from Allah are not to be treated in that manner. These gifts from Allah are facets of our being viceroys of Allah on earth. And as the Qur'an explains in Al-Ahzab: 72, this is an undertaking that the whole universe shook and shivered from its might and weight.

This being the case, we can't possibly in our right minds jump into such a responsibility with closed eyes. We need to plan for our future, our children's future and such plans are very much in line with Islam, as opposed to being against it. That's the proper way of believing in Allah's Will.

Dance Parties, Tsunamis, and Bordering on Atheism

This has been my first time to read former Information Minister Mr. Mohamed Nasheed's blog. Even now as I type these words, I ask myself why I am bothering to comment on the blog; maybe it's because it relates to the status of the religion of Islam in the Maldives more than it relates to politics, or maybe it mentions Mr. Mohamed Nasheed's educational credentials as a graduate of the International Islamic University Malaysia, the same university I myself am studying in.

It seems to me that Mr. Nasheed has been angered into an outburst of “conversation” by the decision made by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to ban “dance parties” that were planned to be held in Male’ on New Year's Eve. It seems that Mr. Nasheed is of the opinion that such parties should be allowed and that the decision by the Ministry to ban them is one that will breed further extremist thought among Maldivians.

Mr. Nasheed’s idea that DJ’s that are planned to be a place for young people to hook up is part of Maldivian tradition is absurd. What’s more absurd though is his idea that there is a more modern ‘version’ of Islam that would allow such behaviour.

In his frustration at the Ministry’s decision, Mr. Nasheed has moved on to question the Islamic Affairs Minister’s comments regarding the 2004 tsunami. Apparently, the Minister’s comments that the tsunami was Allah’s Punishment and Wrath didn’t make sense at all to the former Information Minister.

We all know the science behind a tsunami: an underwater earthquake or landslide causes a sudden large movement in the water, creating a fast moving wave that slows and gains height in shallow water.

What we all also know about the 2004 earthquake and tsunami though, is the fact that the earthquake which took place on December 26th, 2004 was greater than anyone could have expected: The location where the epicenter of the earthquake was was a completely different location from what scientists had anticipated. Scientists had identified the southern part of the fault-line near Sumatra as being at risk of an earthquake. The rupture had occurred further north. In addition to that, a weakness in the Earth's crust near that area created a shortcut allowing energy to the surface.

The 2004 Tsunami was in fact a series of tsunamis: one caused by the displacement of the seabed when energy escaped to the surface through 'cracks' in the Earth's crust, another caused by the movement of the tectonic plates themselves.

The question is why did the rupture occur further north than could have been anticipated? Why were there weaknesses in the crust in that particular region? Why was even the rupture far greater than expected? Why do ruptures occur in the first place? Why are there plates in the Earth’s crust? Chance? Science? No. We Muslims are supposed to believe it's Allah's Will.

We as Muslims are supposed to believe that there is a force above science, and above nature; a more powerful force. That's what belief in Allah is. We don't believe in Allah the way ancient people used to believe in their numerous gods; that they created the Earth and that was it. That they didn't have anything to do with what was going on.

Natural disasters are Allah's Wrath, as well as His Mercy. His Wrath for those who indulged in wrongdoing until their very last moment. His Mercy for those god-fearing people who were nonetheless affected by the disaster. His Mercy because Allah has promised them reward. "Such is the Promise of Allah. Never Doth Allah fail in His Promise." (Surah Al-Zumar: 20)

What really shocks me as I write all this is that the person who finds the idea of a natural disaster being Allah’s Wrath as absurd is a graduate of International Islamic University Malaysia. I have studied in this great university for 3 years now. And never have I heard anyone here, neither lecturer nor student question this concept before. And according to what I learned here, believing in Allah’s Will is the six pillar of Iman (faith).

In any case, I believed it was my duty to deliver the message of knowledge, in case you didn’t know. And if you did, please accept my humble reminder!