Champion Dropout

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...

Assalamu Alaikum...

I had been planning to deal with this post days before today. I'm just glad and thankful to Allah that I'm dealing with it now. This post is obviously the last one for this month. It would be somewhat short, but I don't mind that. On the 18th of June Spain lost to Chile 0-2 and dropped out of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Spain won its third match against Australia 0-3. That didn't help though. It seems Spain is focusing on the Euro Championship now. I think it is best that Spain dropped out when it did. On the 19th of June 2014, Thursday I withdrew some money from my bank account. I visited a friend of mine on that day.

I checked the empty shop on that day. I won't get into details about that. King Felipe was sworn in as new King of Spain on that day. On the 22nd of June I took out the garbage. On the 24th of June I had an outing for some shopping. On the 25th of June 2014, Wednesday I took a bath and a shampoo.

I clipped my finger and toe nails on that day. On the 26th of June I had an outing for some shopping. On the 27th of June 2014, Friday I had a dream I dubbed as "Jacake Return". I won't get into details about it though. I had a dream I dubbed as "Glove Power" on that day. That's two dreams that I dubbed in one day.

I thought up the fandom codelimin story "Glove Squadron" on that day. Yesterday was the 28th of June. I thought up the news article "Era of Jihad" yesterday. I don't know when or if I would start writing it though. Today is the 29th of June 2014, Sunday. Orchid Ramadan or Ramadan 2014 started today.

Algeria was able to advance to the next round of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Its fourth match would be against Germany and it would be tomorrow (30.6.2014 Monday). I don't know how it would turn out but I don't mind if Algeria is defeated by Germany. Afterward I would just be interested in who would become the new champion.

I'm fasting of course alhamdullah. This Ramadan might be a really special and interesting Ramadan. I have every intention of trying to get closer to the Creator this Ramadan insha' Allah. I'm somewhat glad that Jordan wasn't able to make it into the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. I'm glad and thankful that both Chile and Uruguay were defeated.

The Assadite Alliance is making mischief against the ISIS in Syria and many people don't even see it! I won't get into details about that though. It is somewhat strange that al-Maliki and his supporters are focusing on Tikrit. What about Mosul or others? Considering the history Tikrit has, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

I'm somewhat glad that some Arab media are mentioning the revolution in Iraq as it is. They are mentioning the "Sunni" tribes being behind the revolution and that's how it is and should be, yet Iran is criticizing them for that. I think what Ukraine did with the EU was a bad move and a mistake. Ukraine might not realize that though.

The title of this post was inspired by Spain (former World Cup in Soccer champion) dropping out of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil obviously. No photo for this post obviously. Take care, and assalamu alaikum...

Strong Fan of Al-Andalus

Assalamu Alaikum...

The beginning of this post of mine would be unusual. I want to talk about Al-Andalus for awhile, then I'd get into the summary of what has happened in my life since my last post.

This might not be the only post of mine in this journal of mine about Al-Andalus. There is a lot of history about Al-Andalus, and I know of different pieces of the puzzle of the history of Al-Andalus, as I don't know everything about it.

Since I don't know everything about it, I don't have all the pieces of the puzzle. It was through a clip that I came to understand something that was wrongfully spreading the internet. It was spreading amongst Muslims to be more precise.

I had, one way or another, received messages through groups I'm in about not using the words such as "mosque", and use the original, which is "masjid". Some brethren were amazing in responding to such posts.

It is said not to use the word "mosque" because it is similar to "mosquito". Only Allah knows, but I think I understand the source of the whole "mosquito"/"mosque" issue, and it probably could be traced back to Andalusia.

Andalusia is the southern province of Spain, which was the last part of Al-Andalus that Muslims were kicked out of brutally through the Spanish inquisition. Al-Andalus wasn't always only Andalusia. Al-Andalus covered most of the Iberian Peninsula.

Anyhow, back to the "mosquito"/"mosque" issue. There is a famous landmark built by the Muslims in Cordoba during Al-Andalus era. The landmark is a large mosque, and in the 500s a Cathedral was built in the middle of it.

It's known in Spain as the Cathedral, where as locally it was known as the Mosquito. Linking mosquito and mosque together, and that's where the misunderstanding about mosquito and masjid comes from most likely.

I've indirectly learned of this through a clip about Al-Andalus history on YouTube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRSEFMCqK7I



UPDATED 18.9.2009 Friday (28.Ramadan.1430): Really, really hateful! I've just found out that the clip above has been removed from YouTube! Fortunately I had downloaded it onto my computer some time before that happened and so I have a copy of it. I'm aware now of the importance of downloading ALL of the documentary onto my drive.

That's in my opinion only though. Al-Andalus has numerous names, including Land of the Vandals; Islamic Spain, and Moor Spain. I prefer the title of Al-Andalus. Led first by Tarek ibn Ziyad, who was the first Muslim leader to open the Iberian Peninsula, and then followed later by Musa ibn Nusair.

The opening was from the land which is currently known as Morocco. A worthy note of attention is that there was some territory in Morocco that the Muslims couldn't get to, and that was Ceuta, or known as Sapta (سبتة) in Arabic.

With help from the Christian leader of that place, the Muslim army, led by Tarek ibn Ziyad, was able to open the Iberian Peninsula. That was the first opening the Muslims had in Europe.

The second came centuries later through the Ottoman Khilafa, and the opening of the Balkans. That's a whole other issue together. Al-Andalus wasn't always in unity during its era of existence. The unity came at different separate times.

One of those that united Al-Andalus was a survivor of the Umayyad Khilafa, who fled to Al-Andalus. He was Abdurahman. It was through him that the Umayyad family continued, even though the Khilafa under its rule was destroyed.

It was destroyed by the Abbasids, who became the new Khilafa for the Islamic Nation. I know of certain famous Muslims that came from Al-Andalus, or somehow were relevant to that Islamic land. I know of Ibn Sina. There is also Yusuf ibn Tashfeen.

Others include Abdurahman Al-Ghafiqi, who was a military commander, who died in the battle of بلاط الشهداء. After he was martyred, the Muslims were divided and without one strong commander, and so they lost in Poitiers in 732.

An interesting thought is that even with all the divisions amongst the Muslims, being fans of Al-Andalus could be a key to help unite the Islamic Umma. There are Sufi fans of Al-Andalus and Salafi fans of Al-Andalus.

Some day I would like to go visit southern Spain, or Andalucia. I would love to see what the Muslims during Al-Andalus period made and constructed with my own eyes. Al-Andalus isn't commonly known as "Al-Andalus".

Even if the Muslims get back Al-Andalus somehow in the future, I don't think it could ever be like the Al-Andalus of the past. Take care, and assalamu alaikum...