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coe-lilium · 5 years ago

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TroS reaction (1st view)

Necessary premise in bullet points:

- I liked TFA when it came out and still do but as I dug into the franchise/canon (Disney only by choice) my enjoyment of it became more lukewarm. Came out of it dreading a potential Reylo but liking the two charas on their own.

- went into TLJ worried I’d hate it, came out with it being my favorite saga movie and sold on the Rey-Ren connection, whatever road it would’ve taken. Loved the “Rey’s powerful on her own/bc the Force wants to set Kylo’s wrongs right”. It felt good after two years of being bombarded with “this fucking Mary Sue can have any power only if she’s connected to powerful men of the saga, she has otherwise no right in being powerful” in forums spaces.

- went into TroS non-spoiled, wary of Palpatine return but relatively hopeful if soured about the “JJ our lord and saviour pleease save us from evil evil Jonhson” (HA!). The rumors about lore from the tv series being featured into the movie had me excited.

That said, here goes: [SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE MOVIE, ENDING INCLUDED, RIGHT OFF THE BAT]

I didn’t like it. I really hope to warm up to it more in future views, there’s absolutely stuff I liked or even loved, but as it stands now it was overall a massive disappointment on many sides and -worst of all- threatens to retroactively ruin my enjoyment in other previous stories.

First, the positives:

- Parentage notwithstanding, Rey was good. Her rage, her fears, her good heart, her commitment to the fight and the training, her longing for guidance… truly, if the bloodline revelation hadn’t retroactively ruined my investment in the character and themes I’d have fully, 100% loved her even if every single other part of the movie had been the same.

Except for a brief war flashback to Starkiller game abilities (I lolled) I wasn’t even troubled by all the new abilities or their scope. Movies’ been inventing new powers since the beginning and the Force does what the Force wants. Again, fuck the genetics “twist”, garbage stuff.

- Kylo, next to… 95% that involved him? TLJ did a great job selling him to me and surprisingly this movie added to that instead of retconning it away. More competent but still stupid and petty from time to time. I’m glad he came back, glad he choose right and glad he was allowed more time on the right side than Anakin. I love redemptions and he was portrayed as wavering the entire trilogy, I don’t even really care that it could’ve done better. I’m happy for him and his family, that’s all. The kiss got a laugh out me but not a malicious one, I was kind of running out of reasonable reactions by then.

I’m just conflicted on how I feel about his death. Back when TFA was released I wanted him to survive to face what Anakin didn’t: justice (the kid-friendly setting prevented a death sentence anyway), atonement and growth from there, I still wish it happened and maintain that a different pacing would’ve allowed it. On the other hand, I’m also kinda okay with him dying. He righted at least a bit of his many wrongs, he saved a person he cared for, that his parents cared for and that could help the galaxy much more than he ever could and he was at peace. It was a good death.

- Kylo’s vision/illusion of Han. A surprise but a very pleasant, well acted one. Would’ve I maybe liked Anakin more, as Ben idolized him so much and for all the wrong reasons and because I love that disaster? Yes. Does Han work much better in the economy of the movie and trilogy story and do he and Ben have a much rawer relationship and history? Absolutely. I am a teeny tiny bit baffled as for why Luke didn’t also show up, but the actual scene was good enough I forgive it.

- Rey and Kylo bond and connection was one of the saving graces of this mess and I utterly loved it. Both actors worked their asses for for all their scenes and it payed off, oh if it payed off. Their DSII duel was perhaps a tad long but great nonetheless (Republic era Jedi jumps!), the hurt and the sense of absolute loss and grief they both conveyed -and shared!- after Leia’s passing was incredible, Rey regretting the near kill and softly going “I would have stayed, had you renounced the dark side”. She cared, yes, but not to the point of ignoring the horrors (something Anakin never quite understood). The “dyad” stuff was a bit overkill, just call it a force bond, we can see it’s freaking powerful, but the Force Skype and sharing of objects that came with the package, that I loved. Surprise lightsaber, Ren fuckers! :D Bet Anakin and Obi Wan were really jealous, that would’ve come in handy during the war.

- Finn was now fully invested in the cause, at ease, visibly happy to be with his friends, ready to bond and reach out, quick to plan, to act and to adapt to the situation, brave but cautious and calculating. I wish it was given a bit more focus, but I loved he found other young FO defectors. Also fuck yeah, he’s force sensitive and his ability is used, not just thrown in as a useless wink. Jedi Finn in future material, c’mon!

- Poe’s also grown. He was probably going to have more screen time with Leia had Carrie not died but there was nothing to be done for that. I’m not as happy as for previous 3 charas for the backstory retcon I’ll tackle in the negatives.

- Jannah was cool, the addiction of other FO defectors a welcomed one and the scene were she and Finn excitedly went over their “I broke free” moment was adorable. Good bean, I’d read more about her and her company.

- A bit lot annoyed at Bloodline being kinda tossed outta the window but getting Leia with lightsaber was nice. Give me some ancillary material to deal with the clash and I’ll fully forgive it.

- Jedi! MY GIRL AHSOKA MY MAN KANAN! I mean, I sure wish they were in a better movie, but hey, recognition for something more than the OT? No slandering of the Order but all of them collectively kicking Sidious ass once and for all? I’ll gladly take it. Anakin, my dude, I’m sorry your sacrifice was next to nullified but it was good to hear you again ;_; I didn’t hear Ezra’s voice anywhere so I can still hope he’s alive, well and with the Ascendancy teaching all their Navigators. “I am all the Jedi” remains a terrible line.

And now, oh boi. Here comes the long list of annoying - bad - stinking shit stuff:

- If I wanted to watch a 2 and half long videogame cutscenes I’d have done that in the comfort of my home without spending money for tickets. Go to level x to retrieve related macguffin, move to next level to get next macguffin and so on and so on. I liked close to everything in the DS II sequences, but what would’ve that dagger pointed at if the wreckage had fallen even a little bit differently?

In general, many plot points gave me the feeling they were stolen from the tv series and badly executed, like a mockery (or incompetence?). Case in point: Hux betraying the 1st Order out of personal, spiteful hate? Potentially good! The execution? A poor man’s Rebels Agent Kallus, already over in little more than 5minutes.

- Palpatine himself is a poorly, ridiculously poorly executed Maul resurrection storyline from tcw and rebels.

Because Maul was 1. explained and 2. got a good, long arc that made you forgive the undoubtably contrived ass-pull it took to bring him back while Sidious is just… there. You gotta accept it because the writer said so.

How did he survive? We don’t know and fuck you if you expect an explanation (they really had the absolute galls to have him say the iconic/meme line from Rots and apparently it was supposed to be enough?!) How could he “have all Sith reside inside me” when canon’s clear that Sith do-not-get-to-retain-their-individuality-in-the-Force, do not work well together (lmao) and he as an individual never gave a shit about the Sith except when they could serve his own personal desires? His entire approach to the rule of two and other Sith stuff is “fuck that noise, everything in the galaxy exist to serve me”. He’s fine dying as long as “the Sith rule”? Who IS this character, because he’s not Darth Sidious (as presented in Disney’s own canon, mind). Oh, you wanted explanations? FUCK YOU, screams the movie.

The mess gets somehow salvaged in the end as he comes to his senses and siphon the life out of Rey and Ben to de-rotten/revive himself to rule in person, now *that* was in character. Was he actually lying his ass off the entire time waiting for the moment he could siphon them? Hopefully but who the hell even knows.

In the end it just wasn’t worth bring him back. A holocron, a different Sith, even a hive-mind of old records/tainted wraiths of Sith (perhaps wearing Palps face to buy the old empire aficionados loyalty, idk) would’ve been better than “actually, Anakin suffered nearly his entire life and sacrificed himself for barely more than 25 years of peace and it still wasn’t enough to rid the galaxy of the monster who destroyed his and countless other lives”. But Johnson was the one shitting on beloved characters legacy and accomplishments, uh? Surely at least he’s got company.

Ian was clearly having a blast, so there was… that? And the initial sequence being legit creepy and the Sith storm or whatever the fuck was that. That can stay, it was cool.

- Poe, the latino character, got retconned from former Republic pilot (a backstory established before TFA came out and faithfully respected ever since) into a smuggler and gang member. Classy. What does Lucaslfilm have a story group for if not for stopping stuff like this from happening? Bonus Zorii being used for a “no homo! homo? no homo?” wink wink and for generally being a poor man Solo’s Qi’ra.

- The movie makes you worry for a character death three (3) times in a row only to immediately backpedal on it. The survivors are grieving, the scene is sober… and then suddenly! they’re alive! isn’t it wonderful? let’s insert a comical scene now that we’re at it! Sigh.

- The whole Threepio stuff was a contrived waste of time in a movie already full of more relevant plot treads that could’ve put that screen time to better use.

- Rey’s parents apparently aren’t assholes anymore bc they sold her into slavery to protect her from Sidious, which is… supposed to make it alright, a sacrifice in the name of love? If they had been shown trying to give her to a trusted person and then she was kidnapped that wouldn’t had been their fault, just unfortunate, but the movie shows them leaving their 5yo daughter with her in-all-but-name slaver so??

- Rey Palpatine… Rey. Palpatine. Gesù Cristo benedetto che minchia mi è toccato di vedere. That hurt. That was so hilariously over the top bad I just…I started laughing. On top of the entire thing, thank you so, soo much for validating all those fucking assholes who demanded Rey be connected to a powerful man in the saga to accept her powers and value, you hack. Jedi were never about power of blood and then you went and reinforced the very opposite. She ain’t powerful bc the Force recognized her as worthy to stop evil and chose to aid her anymore, she’s powerful bc grandfather was. Lovely stuff. Hilariously, now she has a lot more legit “Mary Sue” traits than before.

- Rose’s sidelining was a blatant bow to her and her actress haters whims. If in VIII she jumped at the chance of action, now she was fearful and “had to stay behind” studying maps. Fuck that noise.

- Even if she rejected it, underline is that the Skywalker line is wiped out and the Palpatine one thrives. I… just… wtf wtf wtf. A final “Just Rey” would’ve been more powerful -because now it would’ve been reclaimed- and less corny and in poor taste than a Palpatine taking on the Skywalker name. I’m not sure if Sidious is more offended or if he’s laughing his ass off in space!hell. Probably the 2nd. Bad.

- The final scene on Tatooine. It rang so empty because the planet brings warm memories only to the audience, not the characters. In-universe, that place brought nothing but misery to the Skywalkers: Anakin and Shmi were brought there as slaves and lived as such for years, Shmi was tortured to death and Anakin began his descent into the dark for crying out loud. Luke had to hide and saw his relatives murdered. Leia had no connection whatsoever to the place. The mera idea of burying Anakin Skywalker lightsaber into the sands of Tatooine and considering it a way of paying respect is… I don’t know, hilariously in bad taste? Rey, dear, what did you have personally against the guy? Put those sabers to rest on Naboo! Ah, but we can’t truly acknowledge the PT now, can we? Wack.

- It’s not TroS complete fault, that “honor” mostly sit at TFA’s feet but for all its omages, copies and almost slavish references, from a in-universe point of view it’s like the OT barely occurred.

The same evil man has been defeated (until next time?), the Republic must be rebuilt from scratch, a evil military is all over the place and must be dealt with, the Jedi Order has to be rebuilt… it’s depressing. A new evil taking advantage of the empire leftovers would’ve been one thing, but Sidious? He’s been effectively winning nonstop ever since he was elected Chancellor. He had all the power, all the influence, all the control and he maintained it all even as a rotten corpse in exile, the entire galaxy marching on his tune, controlled by his strings. And as the cherry on top of the cake he even managed to wipe out the family that could’ve, should have been his undoing! He effectively destroyed the Skywalkers. He outlived every Jedi, every survivor, every clone. I hate this. It’s sickening. I can’t even be happy Rex was on Endor anymore.

In general, the best word I can find for this movie is: coward.

So blatantly desperate to please, to be “forgiven”, to reference every single irrelevant thing -except the PT and the TV series in a intelligent way-, to throw fanservice after fanservice after fanservice no matter how nonsensical from all over that crossed the “corny” to wander into embarrassing territory many times over (Maz giving Chewie a medal outta nowhere? Come the fuck on now).

The cartoon series had twenty time the guts of this movie and I vehemently wish for Filoni to take the helm of the entire creative team in a very near future.

#tros spoilers #sw tros #star wars #star wars spoilers #tros negative #the more i think about sidious the more it sickens me #tros negativity

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quranreadalong · 7 years ago

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#64, Surah 9

THE QURAN READ-ALONG: DAY 64

We’re still complaining about the guys who didn’t want to help Mohammed threaten random Arab Christian cities into giving him money. Let’s pick up where we left off. I think we only have one more section until the end of this dumpster fire.

When Mohammed gets back from his conquest spree and glares at the evildoing cowards, they will beg him to leave them alone. Allah says “that’s fine, I got this anyway”:

Let them be, for lo! they are unclean, and their abode is hell as the reward for what they used to earn.

According to history books, the deserters were shunned for around 50 days. Mohammed said that people couldn’t speak a word to them, and even made their own wives separate from them, until “Allah” changed his mind.

I’ll hold off on the kuffar hell counter for now, just to be generous, since Mohammed here is condemning them (for the hundredth time in the past ten lines, it feels like) for not going to Tabouk with him. The fact that they’re disbelievers for doing so is stated in other ayat, but not this one.

It is, however, very bad, as is 9:97:

The wandering Arabs are more hard in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be ignorant of the limits which Allah hath revealed unto His messenger.

The word for “wandering Arabs” there is al-arabu, but he’s talking about men from the Bedouin clans.

Wait, who are the Bedouin?

The Bedouin are Arabs who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle in the desert. We saw many of them in this surah’s history lesson. In the Quran, Mohammed uses the word (or rather “a’rab”) to refer to semi-nomadic people, in contrast to city-dwellers like himself and most of his early followers. The Quraysh, Khazraj, Aws, etc were not Bedouin tribes. They all spoke the same language and were the same “race”, but the two groups--settled and nomadic--saw themselves as distinct from one another.

In time, the Bedouin clans will become the backbone of the Islamic army and colonize huge swaths of the Middle East and North Africa. But at the moment, most are recent “converts” (many of whom belonged to the clans Mohammed and his goons harassed in our history lesson) who really aren’t too into the whole Islam thing and really aren’t into the whole “unquestionably obey Mohammed and follow him into battle” thing.

Bedouin people had different customs and a different culture compared to sedentary city-dwellers like Mo & Crew, who very often looked down on them. There are many hilarious ahadith showing Mohammed trying and failing to interact with Bedouin people who “converted to Islam”. This is one of the reasons why I always think it’s hilarious when non-Muslims misconstrue Mohmamed as some random desert nomad. Dude had no idea wtf he was doing around these people.

Anyway, Mohammed viewed the Bedouin as untrustworthy and insufficiently religious, which, I mean, duh. I’ll skip way ahead to surah 49 to show you what I mean:

The wandering Arabs say: We believe. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye believe not, but rather say "We submit," for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts.

They’ve given in to Mohammed and “converted” because the alternative was getting raided by Mohammed’s lunatic followers forever, but they don’t actually believe this shit, and Mohammed knows it.

Okay, I get it. 👍

Moving on.

Some of the Bedouin don’t appreciate being forced to pay the zakat and really hope that Mohammed and his army meet some misfortune on the road so they can finally be free of this lunatic. Allah will smite them for it. (The ones who pay it willingly and actually believe in Islam are fine, though.) Let’s put it down as bad and neutral respectively, in context. This verse will be interesting to keep in mind when we talk about the Ridda Wars... I guess I’ll write an epilogue to this messy-ass project when we’re finished and talk about it then.

The ones who do get Allah’s love are the Muhajirun and the Ansar (The who? The people who left Mecca to go live in Medina with Mohammed and Muslims from Medina itself, respectively. Okay, I get it, again. 👍), who both get an express ticket to jannah. Neutral. On the other end of the Allah’s Favor Scale, you have these people in 9:101:

And among those around you of the wandering Arabs there are hypocrites, and among the townspeople of Al-Madinah (there are some who) persist in hypocrisy whom thou (O Muhammad) knowest not. We, We know them, and We shall chastise them twice; then they will be relegated to a painful doom.

Some of the Bedouin are munafiqun/fake Muslims, as we’ve already said, and apparently some of the poor souls who have been putting up with Mohammed in Medina for years are also fake Muslims, presumably including the Jews who converted to avoid death and/or expulsion. They’re all hellbound. Bad! Kuffar hell counter (1). But some of them are at least aware of their faults (in refusing to go to Tabouk) and Allah might forgive them for their sins, which is neutral I guess, even though it again implies that not engaging in conquest is a sin...

Allah commands Mohammed to take money from these remorseful soldiers for “charity” purposes, so that “thou mayst purify them”. Yes, they can make up for their earlier sins by paying money. Curious crossover with medieval indulgences. History books relate a story from a Medinan man named Abu Lubaba who gives Mohammed no less than one-third of his total wealth in order to be “forgiven”. Hmm. I don’t know how to classify this one. I mean it’s clearly corrupt, but is it bad? I’d say yes in context. He’s telling them they need to purify themselves by paying him money because they didn’t go on a conquering spree of innocent and peaceful towns!

Anyway... Allah is the one who actually receives the money, apparently, and Allah judges all, and he dooms people to either heaven or hell. Neutral enough.

The next one is a trip. 9:107:

And as for those who chose a place of worship out of opposition and disbelief, and in order to cause dissent among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His messenger aforetime, they will surely swear: We purposed naught save good. Allah beareth witness that they verily are liars.

Well, what happened here? There is only one incident listed in any Islamic source that fits the description above. From al-Tabari:

The Messenger of God proceeded until he halted in Dhu Awan, a town an hour’s daytime journey from Medina. The people who had built the Mosque of dissent (Masjid ad-Dirar) had come to him while he was preparing for Tabuk, saying: ‘O Messenger of God, we have built a mosque for the sick and needy and for rainy and cold nights, and we would like you to visit us and pray for us in it.’ [The Prophet] said that he was on the verge of traveling, and was preoccupied, or words to that effect, and that when he returned, God willing, he would come to them and pray for them in it. When he stopped in Dhu Awan, news of the mosque came to him, and he summoned Malik b. Dukhshum ... and said: ‘Go to this mosque whose owners are unjust people and destroy and burn it.’ They went out briskly until they came to the Banu Salim b. Awf ... Malik said to Ma’n, ‘Wait for me until I bring fire from my people.’ He went to his kinsfolk and took a palm branch and lighted it. Then both of them ran until they entered the mosque, its people inside, set fire to it and destroyed it and the people dispersed.

Yep, al-Tabari says Mohammed burned a mosque to the ground. His sudden change of heart was due to “Allah” telling him that the mosque was actually built by munafiqun, in this case a Christian guy. Ibn Kathir records an absurd story in which this guy collaborated with no less than the emperor of Byzantium himself! (There is, naturally, absolutely nothing to support this accusation. In reality Mohammed was prolly just upset that people had built a mosque that might draw people away from the Mohammed-approved mosque that already existed close by.)

“Never stand in there,” Mohammed says of buildings like the mosque he just destroyed--or, in his more poetic words, “toppled with [the guys who built it] into the fire of hell”. Kuffar hell counter: 2! Finally, in the last word on this subject, Mohammed says that the destroyed mosque will cause its builders’ hearts to be full of doubt and mischief forever, until “their hearts be torn to pieces”.

Nice guy, that Mohammed. Sometimes I get the feeling that certain modern-day followers of Islam would make him proud...

NEXT TIME: We finish this hell surah.

The Quran Read-Along: Day 64

Ayat: 16

Good: 0

Neutral: 6 (9:99-100, 9:102, 9:104-06)

Bad: 10 (9:95-98, 9:101, 9:103, 9:107-10)

Kuffar hell counter: 2 (9:101, 9:109)

⇚ previous day | next day ⇛

#surah 9 #quranreadalong #at tawbah

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modestybae · 7 years ago

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Can you please tell me the punishments, and harm of free mixing and how haram is it? Be as harsh as you can be. 😔 I am trying to stop but girls are everywhere, and I need some fear of Allah instilled into me. Please help remind me.

]Assalam alaykum wa rahamtullah wa barakatuh,

These 2 links would tell you all you need to know about the punishments of free-mixing,

https://islamqa.info/en/1200

http://www.islamcan.com/youth/prohibition-of-free-mixing-between-men-and-women.shtml

We all need motivation, some need motivation by learning about Jannah and the infinite blessings and happiness there, others get motivated to do acts of worship and refrain from haram by talking about the Hereafter, the grave, and The Day of Judgment. Since you want me to scare you, I’ll go with the latter,

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:“Remember, as much as you can, the one thing (fact or reality) which (always) brings an end to all worldly joys and pleasures, (meaning death)”Related by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban. [Bulugh al-Maram- Book 3- Hadith1]

We tend to lose ourselves in dunya. Our lives take over and our rights and duties make us forget about the definite return. Death becomes a vague idea that would knock before its here. We think we’ll have time to repent or start praying so death would take us when we are praying. Thats not how it works. Death doesnt come with a warning sign or an alarm, it doesnt come when we want it. It comes and snatches you when you least expect it. And one of the signs of the nearing of The Day of Judgement is that sudden deaths would increase.

Let me ask you, do you believe in death?

If you do, then why arent you preparing for it? Why arent you preparing when no one but you will be held accountable for every second? For every look, text, word, touch? Even things you would have forgotten, every single thing would be viewed in front of everyone.

“And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.” [2:281]

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When (Allah’s) slave is put in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their footsteps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask, ‘What did you use to say about this man (i.e. Muhammad)?’ The faithful Believer will say, ‘I testify that he is Allah’s slave and His Apostle.’ Then they will say to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell Fire; Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.’ So he will see both his places.” (Qatada said, “We were informed that his grave would be made spacious.” Then Qatada went back to the narration of Anas who said;) Whereas a hypocrite or a non-believer will be asked, “What did you use to say about this man.” He will reply, “I do not know; but I used to say what the people used to say.” So they will say to him, “Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Qur'an).” Then he will be hit with iron hammers once, that he will send such a cry as everything near to him will hear, except Jinns and human beings. [Sahih al-Bukhari- Book 23- Hadith 127]

Personally, Im absolutely terrified of the dark, and if the lights ever turn off, I’d be able to turn them back on, and that gives me a sense of comfort. But in the grave, you’ll be alone, even your family and friends will rush to bury you and leave. You’ll be placed in a hole that perfectly fits the shape of your body, and it’ll be closed on you, no openings and no lights. Know what will keep your grave full of light? Your deeds. Know what will accompany you down there? Certainly not your family nor friends, but the Quran. Or it could be dark as ever and your bad deeds could accompany you. If you’re going on a 3 days vacation, you’d start planning for it months earlier. The tickets, the hotel you’ll be staying in, day to day planning, food, and packing; and thats for 3 days. We have no idea how long we’d stay in the grave, I mean some of the companions -may Allah be pleased with them- have been in their graves for almost 1400 years. Will the light of your good deeds last that long?

Abu Hurairah narrated that:The Messenger of Allah said: “When the deceased - or he said when one of you - is buried, two angels, black and blue (eyed_ come to him. One of them is called Al-Munkar, and the other An-Nakir. They say: 'What did you used to say about this man?’ So he says what he was saying (before death) 'He is Allah’s slave and His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.’ So they say: 'We knew that you would say this.’ Then his grave is expanded to seventy by seventy cubits, then it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him: 'Sleep.’ So he said: 'Can I return to my family to inform them?’ They say: 'Sleep as a newlywed, whom none awakens but the dearest of his family.’ Until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.”“If he was a hypocrite he would say: 'I heard people saying something, so I said the same; I do not know.’ So they said: 'We knew you would say that.’ So the earth is told: 'Constrict him.’ So it constricts around him, squeezing his ribs together. He continues being punished like that until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.”

I heard once in a halaqa that there was a man (I think it was Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may Allah be pleased with him) who said, if I knew that I would be dying tomorrow, I wouldnt be able to add anything to my good actions. Wallahi this sentence breaks my heart. If I’d know that I’d be dying tomorrow I’d add alot of things, another person would stop doing alot of things and repent. But this man, wouldnt be able to add anything even if he knew that he’d die tomorrow! This only shows me how negligent we are, or how particularly negligent I am.

The person who’d be able to answer the 3 questions is the one who lived them in his life. You’ll only be able to answer “My faith is Islam” If you truly portrayed what a Muslim should be. You’ll be able to answer “Allah is my Lord” If you truly lived by that, if you loved and feared Him. You’ll be able to answer “Muhammad is the prophet and messenger” If you knew him in your life; knew his sunnah and hadith and tried your best to follow them.

Know that “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” is a reality. To Him we belong and to Him we return.

Want to stop? Do it now. Repent now. Send a broadcast message to all the girls you usually text that you wouldnt be returning any of their texts, and delete their contacts too. Sincerely repent now, regret your actions, and decide that you wont ever get back to what you were doing.

'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah accepts a slave’s repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bed (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat)”. [Riyad As Salihin- Book 1- Hadith 18]

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased wth the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly. [Sahih Muslim- Book 50, Hadith 1]

Dont delay your repentance. Repent now. Ask Him to guide you. Ask Him to help you. Seek His aid and forgiveness, wallahi He will not turn you away empty handed. Jannah is worth it.

And finally, please do watch these videos in this order:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXZVW–1cG8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P79fCoqZrDQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk0Xv1adP3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39uavmcWpaQ

I’ll be praying for you anon, inshallah. May Allah guide you to His straight path and grant you the pleasure of imaan and repentance. Jazak Allah khair

#im sorry for taking long to reply #please forgive me and keep me in your prayers #jazak Allah khair #asks

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najallawala-blog · 6 years ago

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The Sovereign’s Hospitality- Hajj

I sat down to write about my memorable experience of hajj, thinking of a suitable title. My first few thoughts were ‘hajj memories’ or something along the lines of ‘hajj experience”. Just then it struck me instead of going with the cliched, if I were to describe the whole hajj experience in as little as few words.. what would it be? It would in fact be Almighty’s splendid hospitality upon His servants. In entirety; The Supreme-Most, Magnificent Host, greets us with His infinite generosity every step of the way. And what a blessing it is to be amongst those favored ones. It is a call from our Lord. To be in that Holy place for A-purpose is the greatest feeling I have ever had to experience. It is an amazing journey of a lifetime. While we hear this a lot from those who have performed hajj, it only makes sense after we have experienced it ourselves. It has been just over a month and I’m feeling nostalgic, yearning for that one more look at Kaaba and to have that whole experience all over again.

I’ll take you through my journey. It was a 14-day trip. Just about the perfect number of days for us. We live in UAE and have two young boys whom we had to leave behind in Pakistan with family.

a- We had never left our kids with anyone before.

b- They’re not used to living in Pakistan without us.

Yes, they’re very fond of their short visits back home during summer and winter holidays and love the attention from the family too. For them, going for holidays is one thing and being away from their parents is quite another. Imagine our anxiety at that!

I’d mention here that planning hajj had been on our mind for the last 2 years. We knew this was something we had to plan, but when and how; that we were not quite sure of. We had planned our holidays to Europe for august 2018, pretty much the same dates that hajj was. We bought the tickets much earlier and booked the hotels too. All arrangements for the summer holiday trip were in order. For us, hajj wasn’t remotely on the cards that year either. Somehow, we had a complete change of heart and we decided to cancel the trip and apply for hajj. Albeit the penalties we had to pay on cancellations at that point were hard on pocket. God had planned something bigger and better. And so, it happened for us. It was one thing after another. We were led by God all through out and it worked one by one. Indeed, Allah is the best of planners. And we couldn’t be happier that it happened in such a delightful way. All it took was intention and sincerity and complete faith in Allah to work it out for us. Believe you me, He works it in ways we can’t even imagine. Oh, the infinite gratitude for His guidance! Our biggest farz obligation was taken care of with utmost ease.

Our arrival was at medina first, which seemed like a good choice for us as it didn’t oblige us to be in our ihram. I found it easier Not being under ihram at the start of journey. Two quick days in medina were almost cut to one and half for us due to some flight issues. That was all we had to make the best of. We arrived in medina middle of the night. Dreading crazy immigration upon our arrival but much to our surprise, immigration was a breeze. It was quick and speedy. As a group, we headed for the hotel in the bus. All tired and exhausted from a long late-night flight, thinking how we would function that day with time so little and so much to do. Reached hotel at the break of dawn. Much to our surprise, our check-in was already taken care of at the hotel. When we arrived, we were handed our keys, which was a relief knowing we could finally get some rest.

The agenda for the day was to maximize our ibadat time in madina, as we were already pressed for time. We had quick breakfast, refreshed ourselves and left straight for the mosque. Fortunately, our hotel was close to the mosque gate, about a minute walk. We offered our nawafil at the mosque and paid our respects at Rouda. Entering Raoda Rasool was a long wait and struggle. Amongst packed roomful of women pushing and throwing others off, together with mini episodes of stampede, I slowly managed to make my way on to the green carpet- Which is a part of Riyaz ul Jannah. On a personal level, it was so emotional and rewarding to offer nafil there. However physically, it was challenging being almost squashed due to massive crowd. Despite all the chaos, there was a divine tranquility to it.

I spent a few good hours at the mosque after rauda. By 10 am we were exhausted and needed to get some power nap to gear ourselves for the rest of the day. A few hours of well rested sleep was need of the hour!

A ziarat tour around the city was planned for the afternoon, with our group members. It was an interesting and an informative tour. So much of history about our prophet and his followers is in Medina. We could feel their presence in the city. To experience it firsthand was sentimental, knowing prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his companions were once there. Visiting Masjid Quba was one of the exciting features. Offering nafil and prayers over there is equivalent to performing one umrah. How rewarding is that!

After city tour, we carried on with rest of the day, spending as much time at Masjid-Nabwi, offering each prayer at the mosque. The mosque is so peaceful. Just being there was powerfully meditating.

The following day, we left madina feeling content and now looked forward to reaching mecca. Around noon, we were ready to leave for mecca. We had our ihrams on, all set to start our journey, calling out our labbaik all the way through. It generally takes a couple of hours to reach mecca from medina. But this was a very long day for us. It took 10 hours to reach on a bus trip. Although, it was a private group bus, but that was about the time it typically took during hajj days. Tiring to say the least, it seemed like a never-ending road trip with our anxieties building higher. The stop overs on the way for prayers and snacks were a breather. What I don’t forget from this bus trip is the cup of tea we had at one of the small tuc shops on the way. The best thing about mecca and medina is, anything you think of, comes right there for you. No kidding! We were all craving a cup of tea, hoping we would find our kind of desi chai somewhere around the deserted highway. And There it was! A small shop that prepared fresh tea for all of us! I suppose we were in the moment, but hands down it was the best chai we ever had! I can’t ever forget that moment and that chai! Wallah, that cup of tea was god send. 😊

Long long day as it was, we reached mecca close to midnight. Our lodging was at azizia, where we headed straight after. First thought was to rest it out and stall the obligatory umrah for the next morning when we felt a little more relaxed. But that place has magical energy to it. A bit of fresh air was enough to gather ourselves for the next best thing. Without further ado, we left for haram to perform our first umrah of the trip. The feeling of walking into masjid- Haram and that first look at Kaaba is a moment that can only be felt. No matter how well I narrate the experience in words, I can never do complete justice. It is an indescribable feeling. Still as fresh in my mind as it was that day. Trembling steps, heartbeat faster, teary eyed, completely mesmerized! Despite thousands of people around, the instant was standstill. It was surreal; living a dream standing in front of Kaaba, tears trickling down only to sink in that feeling forever. Being grateful to our creator for bringing us there in good health, standing humbled in front of His home. That esteemed place of worship, only to submit to Allah.

Alhumdullilah, a smooth first umrah it was!

Getting closer to 8th zilhajj. We set out for Mina camps in our ihram, with our small backpack keeping it as light as possible. Mina was not very far from our accommodation in Azizia. The walk up to Mina through the tunnel, from our hotel-apartment was about 45 minutes. It was slightly uphill, that demanded physical agility. On a lighter note, engaging conversations with a fellow mate certainly made the walks less mundane.

I had imagined a completely different picture of mina camps, something shabby like Bedouin camps :D Thankfully, that was only my imagination. These camps were fairly decent with individual mattresses given to each pilgrim. Shared Camp-stay in Mina had its own thrill. It feels like an enormous, lively village community coming together. The likelihood of running into friends and relatives from other places is also high, that adds on to a fun stay. Although we were free to move around during the day, nights we had to stay in at the mina. Night-ins were a good bonding with girls from the group. The range of talks were from heart to heart to practicalities of life in general, Sharing personal experiences or simply going crazy laughing over meaningless things. That was the norm each night before we went to sleep. 5 mina days were a pleasant stay and a lovely experience altogether. We developed a good understanding with each other. It was important to enjoy the company of those traveling with us and feel comfortable, as we spent most of the time moving together. Not only we made new friends who were likeminded but also enjoyed a memorable journey with them.

Every day was a new day for us, with new energy and more love for the holy place. 9th zilhajj early morning after fajar, we headed to our designated bus. The vibes and the feel were downright spiritual. Chanting our talbiyah (labaik) together, we huddled for Arafat. I imagined Arafat to be an isolated mountain place, perhaps because of stories heard from elderly who performed hajj many years ago. :D Pleasantly, it was a colossal camped area. These camps were shared by other group hajis as well.

We were told to rest out until before noontime to get ourselves in form. Around noon, time for Arafat dua started ticking. This was the time we had to maximize. It was a time to be seized and ask Allah for forgiveness, His mercy and whatever duas we needed to make. As this is the day when every dua comes true. We prayed and prayed and submitted ourselves to Allah like no tomorrow. I had a list of duas prepared for myself and also had the one that my friends/relatives asked for themselves. Having dua’s at hand made it easier for ready recall. Regardless, so many heartfelt dua’s kept coming to my mind, and I revered in that moment and place in Arafat. The time was very precious, not a minute was to be wasted. From dhur until maghrib is the time for duas. Prayed with all my heart and prayed that Allah accepts our hajj in the highest degree.

I do want to add here; the obligation of hajj itself is reaching Arafat. Upon entering Arafat, we are supposed to stay there until sunset. The dua and ibadat time is a bonus that Allah gifts us with it. The gratuity of the whole hajj experience is rich eeman and a cleansed soul. We are clean slate and as pure as a newborn child. Subhanallah!

Having maximized our arafat time to the fullest until maghrib. We then set out for a stay over at muzdalfa. There’s great significance of duas made in muzdalfa too. It is another bonus time from Allah. Such is the generosity of our lord. Indeed He’s the most Raheem of all.

Followed on to a night in muzdalfa, which is a massive sandy open area. We collected small stone pellets for rami from here for all 3 days. There’s a limitation to the size so these must be picked carefully. We practically spent the night by the road side with noise, pollution and broad beaming flood lights over us. The idea was to sleep a few hours, and all those circumstances certainly made it difficult to sleep. One way or another most people do manage to catch a few winks. I remember sleeping like a baby (very grateful to Allah for that :)). Despite the hot humid sticky air and dusty whiffs of engine smoke around us, we slept on a flimsy sheet on a bare sandy ground. It is a true reminder that we are all equal in the eyes of Allah. There is no rich or poor on that day. Everyone is at the same level as a meager supplicant in front of Allah. All in the same appearance, all equally vulnerable seeking Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. In reality - we were created from clay, sent on earth, and ultimately be resting deep into the very same earth!!

After offering fajar at muzdalfa; the next set of obligatory rituals for 10th zilhaj were Rami, qurbani, and Tawaf ziarat. Rami was supposed to be done for 3 consecutive days at jamarat. There’s much significance of doing 4th day additional rami. It’s not a requisite but favored. Hence, we decided to stay back in Mina for one more night. Afterall earning more and more hasanat is what we are there for. Considerable number of people leave Mina after the 3rd day of rami. The place looks widely empty and the jamarat is accessed easily too.

Last few days of our journey were fast approaching. By that time, our fatigue was escalating by the minute. Friday is always overly packed at haram. For us, it was a very long, hot and draining last jumma at haram. After that, my husband and I both came down with fever and bad flu that we were resisting for these many days. It is very normal for pilgrims to fall sick at some point during their journey. They say, it’s a takeaway of hajj. Nonetheless, that fever got to us badly. It was accumulated fatigue and tiredness and multitude of viruses that our body was resisting up until. It took us two days to recover and pick up on our energy for the last 1.5 day that we were left with. Thankfully, we gathered enough strength to make a trip to haram and do our final tawaf wida. It was a very emotional time. We spent several hours as this would be the last day before we bade farewell. The longing was very strong to stay there and not leave at all. Regrettably, we had to! But praying continually to visit again and again! Filled with whirlwind of emotions, happy tears, blessed feelings and contentment of heart; we made duas in front of Kaaba for one last time.

In my personal view, hajj is about establishing a firm bond with Allah. The supplications made between Allah and oneself, bring us in closest contact with Him. Tolerance and humility are tokens that we take forward, to evolve into better individuals.

Hajj is a time where so much is happening with scores of people at the same time. Each tries the best to their abilities. But there are occasions that put limitations; such as time constraint or logistic confines, even having fallen sick or something unavoidable. The thought occasionally did lurk on me; perhaps I went easy on my efforts or that I could have possibly spent extra time at haram. Let that not dishearten us! It is a struggle to even make way into the mosque. Pilgrims stepping over each other and doing tawaf packed in between so many. Unknowingly, we even make mistakes along the way. In hindsight, what really matters is submission to Allah, no matter where we are. God is present everywhere and he knows the good intent that we hold. We are there for one purpose, that he is aware of and clearly He sees the sincerity of our efforts. The fact that we are in Allah’s house should give us solace that He is happy to host us there . I had to remind myself too, what I did was best in my capacity. Much to my heart’s content, Allah is our best judge. That said, I repeatedly pray to Allah with all my heart that He accepts our hajj in the highest possible grade. The perks of hajj are absolute forgiveness and being given a chance by Allah, of a fresh new start. To express our gratefulness in response, we must also adopt a forgiving stance and a kinder approach towards people. As individuals, our greatest responsibility after huqooq Allah, is huqooq ul ebad (duties towards mankind). The holy experience by far changed my outlook to life at so many levels, in a much-improved way.

Ending on a happy note, the whole experience was fulfilling and rewarding from the word go. Back home, the kids were well taken care of, by the family in our absence. Happy kids, happy parents. ( I feel blessed). It was heartwarming to come home to our loving family, cheerful faces of my children, tons of mubarakbads (read “gifts/ envelopes” 😉) and family & friends eagerly hosting us, to honor our new haji status. 😊

-Najia Al

#hajj hajjandumrah hajjtravel travel hajjblog hajjexperience personalhajj

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chicagoindiecritics · 5 years ago

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New from Robert Daniels on 812 Film Reviews: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ – Sinks Under its Self-Made Weight

Rating: 1.5/4

The end of Star Wars? Probably not. There will be more to come. Instead, this newest installment denotes a farewell to the characters and stories that once began as the daydreams of an independent director, and now populate the coffers of a media empire. JJ Abrams returns to the franchise to conclude a story that’s taken over 40 years to tell. Nevertheless, his Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is bereft of ambition, excitement, and grand ideals. It’s a languid dull tale that acts far more as a warning against the powers of pop culture in the face of art, than as a compelling picture.

For instance, there are no plot spoilers for The Rise of Skywalker because there’s no plot. Sure a couple of revelations will cause a general pearl clutching sensation for die-hard fans, but Abrams’ film drips with the malaise of fan service disguised as macguffins. That is, the filmmaker commits the greatest sin of all: He co-opts his vision to appease first, and create second.

Unfortunately, I now struggle to conjure up what I liked about the film. The character arcs of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) all take a massive step back. Even so, a bevy of strong performances from the cast admittedly provide The Rise of Skywalker with a slightly graceful limp, especially the bromance between Finn and Poe. They inject a playful radiance into this tedious string of events.

New characters are introduced like D-O (a droid), Jannah (Naomi Ackie), and General Pryde (Richard E. Grant), but are never handled with the care required to shape them from new-line merch into critical narrative elements. Nevertheless, the picture’s treatment of Leia (Carrie Fisher)—the only component that’s artfully composed—hints at the emotional payoff Abrams probably wanted his entire film to emit. That same emotion only arrives as a trickle in the form of Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and Chewie (Joonas Suotamo), and C-3PO (Anthony Davis) taking center stage. But in totality, the material doesn’t do much justice to anyone.

Even the film’s technical elements are a step down from the previous installments. Abrams never steadies his framing or compositions. I felt as though my eyes were needlessly unfocused, not directed toward any action in particular. Worse yet, the action lacks energy. These might be the worst shot lightsaber fights in the history of Star Wars. Abrams, to his detriment, too often relies on close-ups making every shot want for space. That is, while we hear the impact of the plasma blades, we often miss the swing. A critical error in an all-too safe movie that doesn’t take nearly enough swings.

In Episode IX the maxim holds that every element must overtake the screen. More destroyers. Bigger destroyers. More action. Bigger Explosions. Poor Abrams. Does he really think big emotions come from big images? The only element that holds is John Williams’ admirable quest to discover new brilliant suites within his past score.

In fact, one gets the sense from the milquetoast ambitions of The Force Awakens that Abrams doesn’t persevere well in the crucible of this fandom. To his chagrin, his task certainly became heavier with this final film, a terrible burden to carry. But nevertheless, a cage he gladly gilded for himself. The Rise of Skywalker is one of Star Wars’ worst films. Not solely because of quality, but due to intent. Even those prequels had some fun and heart behind them. This on the other hand, takes the previous films’ grand mythical elements and reduces them to a Fast and the Furious platitude. “It’s all about family.” Indeed, the main characters droll on-and-on in regards to a family we’ve barely gotten to know—even over the course of two previous films and a 142 minutes.

Instead, Episode IX doesn’t ask: What can it accomplish next? It demurs: What can it find again?

A film may be mindlessly fun, sophisticated and cruel, haughty and humble, but above all else, it must be bold and courageous. Boldly stupid. Courageously kink. Thoughtlessly free.

Sound enticing? Too bad—none of that exists here. Hoot and holler, applaud for the limpid theme park whose calculated maneuvered rides leave the system quicker than sticky confections, and buy a ticket for a movie that gives you what you want, but is too frightened to tell you what you really need.

Some might say, it’s just a movie. Well, be weary. Weary of the same “jovial” viewers who decried the previous film with greater ire than given to any real-world tragedy. No one’s paid to care in our time-looped world, no one made to consider. And with that in mind, The Rise of Skywalker eases its viewers into comfortable resignation and uncomplicated callbacks meant to pacify and not injure. Even a sterling final 15 minutes doesn’t fill the appetite. It’s a pitiful fall for a franchise born from the plucky self-belief of a daring vision that once walked and skipped in the expansive sky, but now only seems to exist as a fragile echoed whisper decaying in a galaxy far, far away.

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#IFTTT #WordPress #CIFCC #film critics #movies #film #Chicago

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twincitiesgeek · 6 years ago

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Star Wars Celebration Episode IX Panel.

It’s April 10, 2019, and I’m cursing the Minnesota winter. As the Cities get around eight inches of snow, I know that my odds of making it to Chicago have gotten worse for an event I’ve been looking forward to for a year: Star Wars Celebration. The convention, dedicated to Star Wars fans, ran from April 11 through April 15 this year. It might be a little unknown to some, but for die hard Star Wars fans it’s mecca, and a time to celebrate everything we love about the Star Wars franchise. Luckily for this nerd, we were able to brave the snow, freezing rain, and thunderstorms and make it to Chicago in time to celebrate our passion for Star Wars!

I had been planning for weeks leading up to the event, buying autograph sessions and planning the weekend out—especially with the help of this wonderful Star Wars Celebration Fan Group that was jam-packed with helpful tips to prepare for the show. A portion of the event that was polarizing for fans was a lottery system that ReedPOP, the events company who put the con together, decided to install for most of the show’s exclusive panels and merchandise. I was lucky enough to win three of the five that I entered—winning tickets to the Episode IX panel, the Hasbro Action figure exclusive, and tickets to The Mandalorian panel on Sunday. This event would be my second Star Wars Celebration and my second major convention. Last time I went completely unprepared in Orlando, and to my chagrin, ended up spending the entire convention waiting for autographs from Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, and Jeremy Bulloch. This year I prepurchased all my autograph tickets and spent a couple days putting together an itinerary curating the events that I most wanted to go to while at the event.

Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.

My friend Mike and I got up early Friday morning and both made our way directly to the Episode IX panel. I didn’t really know what to expect, and I think the fandom was overly nervous due to the polarizing reaction to The Last Jedi. The event started off with a bang as Stephen Colbert made his way to the stage to moderate the panel. As the main cast and crew started to filter onto the stage and the excitement started to build, I remembered why I love the franchise so much. The panel itself didn’t bring forth too many details on the new film, The Rise of Skywalker, except for when Colbert probed into the heritage of Naomi Ackie‘s new character Jannah—likely somehow related or connected to Billy Dee‘s Lando Calrissian in the film. I was proud of my fellow Star Wars fans as Kelly Marie Tran came back onto stage and was immediately received by the audience with a standing ovation and fans shouting “Kelly! Kelly!”—something that she specifically deserved after all of the hate-filled online abuse she took from the anti–Last Jedi trolls.We got a couple new stills from the film—a few that reminded me very much of Indiana Jones, especially Oscar Isaac‘s new Poe Dameron outfit. As the panel wrapped up, we got our first glimpse at the new teaser for the film. I was absolutely blown away by it, but my skin crawled as the teaser came to a close and we heard a familiar sinister cackle that could only come from one character in the franchise: Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine. I couldn’t process for very long, as the actor himself briefly appeared on stage, and, in his most sinister Emperor voice, he commanded the A/V team to “roll it again.”

My Friend Mike and I donning our best Lando capes with R2-D2.

The panel started my weekend on an incredible high—a high that was very hard to top for the rest of the weekend. As with most major conventions, though, it was not without its problems. ReedPOP was attempting to bring the convention scene into the 21st century with app-based technology. Unfortunately, the app crashed frequently, and the “light speed lane,” where you could get rapid access to the celebration store with exclusive merchandise and enter panels the morning of, didn’t really work until Sunday of the convention. My buddy and I were able to make it into the store after being in line for nearly three hours on Saturday, which was significantly better than the five hours I heard about on the first day, when the store’s point of sale servers kept crashing. Overall though, the event was significantly better than Orlando. From what I experienced and what I heard from fans, the Orlando event was a logistical nightmare with lines consistently being over five hours long.

I had an incredible con, as I got autographs from Billy Dee Williams (Lando), Sam Witwer (voice of Darth Maul and Starkiller from the Force Unleashed series), Ray Park (Darth Maul), and Warwick Davis (Wicket from Return of the Jedi). My personal favorite was meeting Ray Park. He ran about two hours late due to the infamous Chicago traffic, but he still took his time with each person in line, personally thanking them for being patient and talking to every fan for a good five minutes. He also took the time to personalize his autograph and add quotes to the picture, which was amazing knowing that most of these autograph sessions tend to be transactional 10-second interactions with your celebrity of choice.

Life-sized X-Wing Starfighter.

I met some amazing people in line, and what always has struck me about Star Wars Celebration is the friendliness of the people that attend. It seems that most people in the Facebook group make friendships or even meet a significant other at these events and forge relationships that last a lifetime. It’s fun being at an event where everyone is as passionate (and usually more passionate) about the same fandom. We constantly struck up conversations while we were waiting in line for the store, for autographs, or for any of the exclusives in which waiting was mandatory. We even met some great guys from Minnesota who were behind us in line for the store.

There’s so much to do at the event that I felt like two full days wasn’t quite enough; I could have spent an entire day just doing panels, or an entire day just getting autographs. My favorite part of the event though, besides the Episode IX panel, was just wandering the floor with my buddy Mike. At about 2:00 p.m. each afternoon, we would proceed to the beer stand to get a couple of beers, then wander the floor just checking out people’s amazing cosplays and taking in the various stands. This practice, of course, led to a few impulse purchases between the two of us.

The Entire Star Wars Saga by Jason Palmer.

The event was phenomenal and definitely worth the investment in the con, but likely something I won’t do every year now that I’m home and broke. Next year’s Star Wars Celebration will be back in its home town of Anaheim, California. The dates are to be announced at this point, but my guess is that they will do something in April with tickets going on sale at some point this summer. If you are interested, I recommend staying up-to-date on announcements on the official website and buying tickets the day they go on sale; this year’s event in Chicago was sold out within days.

My Star Wars Celebration haul.

If you’re interested in any of the panels from the convention or a recap, visit the Star Wars YouTube channel, which livestreamed most of the panels. Also feel free to take a look at this author’s haul from the event above. It was most impressive.

Mike and I playing our best Emperor

Mike and I in the hallway of the Millenium Falcon

Alan Tudyk being interviewed on the Star Wars Stage

Darth Vader’s Helmet from Return of the Jedi

The cast of Episode IX

Oscar Isaac himself

Awesome George Lucas cosplay

The march of the Ice Cream Men!

The march of the Ice Cream Men 2

Chef Darth with some Porgs

Some great cosplay at the event

Star Wars Celebration had surprise guests, amazing cosplay, and the first glimpses of Episode IX. Check out one attendee's firsthand experiences from the convention. It's April 10, 2019, and I'm cursing the Minnesota winter. As the Cities get around eight inches of snow, I know that my odds of making it to Chicago have gotten worse for an event I've been looking forward to for a year: Star Wars Celebration.

#Billy Dee Williams #Chicago #Episode 9 #Episode IX #J. J. Abrams #Kelly Marie Tran #Naomi Ackie #Oscar Isaac #Ray Park #Sam Witwer #Star Wars #Star Wars Celebration #Stephen Colbert #The Mandalorian #The Rise of Skywalker #Warwick Davis

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appjannahblog · 2 years ago

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#Traveling Jannah #airfare #hotels #car rental #discounts #application #My Travel Jannah #app #travel itinerary #airplane tickets #low price airfares #plane tickets #free app

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joshuamshea84 · 6 years ago

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Explore Sydney on a Budget: 13 Cheap or Free Things to Do

Updated: 11/06/2018 | Novemebr 6th, 2018

As my friends and I drank wine in the shadow of the Opera House, I couldn’t help but be happy – I was back in Sydney for the first time in five years and I was here for over two weeks!

“Shall we go somewhere else?” my friends asked.

“Sure, let’s get the bill!” I replied.

When our check came, I was reminded of something about Sydney I had forgotten: its high prices. Even with a currently weak Australian dollar, Sydney was more expensive than I remembered.

With its 10 AUD sandwiches, 10 AUD beers, 19 AUD cocktails, 30 AUD hostels (sometimes up to 40 AUD!!!), and outrageous restaurant prices, Sydney can burn a hole in your wallet quicker than actual fire. It was going to be an expensive two weeks if I didn’t figure out how to enjoy the best this city had to offer on a budget. Leaving no stone unturned (OK, probably one or two), I found several ways to save big here – while still filling your days and having a lot of fun.

While Syndey is never going to be the cheapest destination to travel to in the world, there are plenty of ways to save money in Syndey thanks to all the free and cheap things to do there. Between museums, markets, beaches, nature walks, and some local deals, there are plenty of ways to lower your costs on your next visit!

I’ve divided this blog posts into two sections:

Part 1: Free things to do in Sydney Part 2: Cheap things to do in Sydney

Just click on the link above and get to the section you want!

Free Things to Do in Sydney

1. Get an Opal card This metro card is free — you just need to load it with money — and worth using for three reasons: it offers discounted fare compared to purchasing one-use tickets (this varies by distance); there’s a maximum fare charge of 15 AUD per day; and on Sundays, the maximum is 2.50 AUD. That means you can go anywhere on the transportation system – whether by metro, ferry, or light rail – and you’ll never pay more than 2.50 AUD! It’s an amazing deal.

2. Explore the free museums Australia has a lot of expensive museums, but tons of free ones too. Some worth considering are:

The Mint (a small exhibit on how they used to make money)

The Australia Center for Photography

The White Rabbit Gallery (beautiful art)

The Manly Art Museum

The Sydney Observatory

The Rocks Discovery Museum!

3. The Art Gallery of New South Wales The Art Gallery of NSW is one of my favorite museums in the city. There are so many exquisite landscape paintings, portraits, and statues in its collection by Australian and European artists (and even a few by Monet). It’s a really substantial collection. Some of my favorites were Albert Hanson’s “Pacific Beaches,” Guerard’s “Jebel Cherib” and “Milford Sound,” Peter Paul Rubens’ “Self-Portrait,” and Batten’s “Snowdrop and the Seven Little Men.”

4. The Museum of Contemporary Art The contemporary art museum also is free and features Australian artists, including many Aboriginals. While I’m not a huge fan of this type of art (bottles on the floor is NOT art), the Aboriginal collection was breathtaking. You can really feel the artists’ connections to their land and culture as well as the pain of past attempts to take it away from them.

5. Visit the beaches Sydney is a city famous for its (free) beaches, and there’s no better way to spend one of the city’s many sunny days than by enjoying one of them. Try to avoid going on the weekends, when they fill up and you have to fight for space. While Bondi is the most famous, be sure to check out some of these other great beaches:

Manly

Watson’s Bay

Coogee

Bronte (my favorite)

6. Take a nature walk There are a number of stunning public coastal walks that allow you to take in the breathtaking natural beauty of Sydney’s harbor and coastal cliffs. While tons of people do the two-hour Coogee-to-Bondi walk (avoid it on the weekends), I found Watson’s Bay and the Split-to-Manly walks quieter, more relaxing, and beautiful. Some other walks worth checking out are:

Rose Bay to Watson’s Bay

Watson’s Bay to Dover Heights

Chowder Bay to Balmoral Beach

Jibbon Beach Loop Track

7. Free walking tours One of the best ways to explore a new city is by taking a free walking tour. These will introduce you to all the major sites and give you a solid introduction to the city’s history and culture. Best of all, these tours are free (just make sure to tip!). Two suggested companies for walking tours in Sydney are:

I’m Free Walking Tours: Daily tours of the city center and The Rocks (Sydney’s original settlement).

Sydney Greeters: This is a free service that connects you with locals who will show you their neighborhood (advanced booking required).

Cheap Things to Do in Sydney

8. Take the Town Hall tour Built in 1889, Sydney’s beautiful town hall is a picturesque Victorian building. On Tuesday mornings, there’s a detailed two-hour tour that you can take for only 5 AUD. It’s a great way to learn some extra history about the building as well as the city.

9. Visit the markets Sydney has a ton of amazing markets to walk through. No matter what you’re looking for, from antiques to food to local crafts, you’ll likely be able to find it at a market. I love the Paddington Market and the farmers market the best. They draw an eclectic crowd, and the farmers market makes me want to cook nonstop. Here are some other great markets worth checking out:

Glebe Market

Rozelle Collectors Market

Orange Grove Organic Market

Bondi Farmer’s Market

Manly Market Place

Chinatown Night Market

10. Attend one of Sydney’s many events Since Sydney has a complex about Melbourne being called the culture capital of Australia, it tries to outdo its rival by hosting over dozens of events each year. It has art gallery nights, concerts, festivals, and much more. Most of them are free and can be found on the Sydney tourism website. Some of the more noteworthy events are:

New Year’s Eve (Sydney is one of the biggest New Year’s Eve destinations in the world)

Lost Paradise (a 3-day music festival)

City2Surf (an annual race and fun run)

Vivid Sydney (an annual light, music, and idea festival)

Twilight at Taronga (summer music series)

11. Eat cheap! Need a cheap meal? The sushi trains around the city offer a filling meal for 10-20 AUD, the noodle and dumpling shops in Chinatown offer tasty and authentic meals for less than 10 AUD, and Lentil as Anything (a vegetarian restaurant in Newtown) offers meals on a “pay as you feel” system. Another cheap place to eat is the food court in the MLC Centre, a big office building in the heart of the business district and popular with office workers. From Mexican to sushi to salads to sandwiches, you can find big-portion meals for 10 AUD or less. For more cheap eats, check out:

El Jannah (chicken sandwiches)

Chinese Noodle Restaurant (homemade noodles)

Spicy Joint (spicy Chinese food)

Spice I Am (Thai food)

Wish Bone (fried chicken and poutine)

12. Avoid the expensive stuff In many parts of the world, the high end offers some value and you can walk away from an expensive meal and say “that was worth every penny!” However, that’s not often the case in Sydney. I was always disappointed. From cocktail bars to upscale steak and sushi dinners, I always left hungry, unhappy, and thinking about the lack of value I got. Stick to beer, wine, and the low-end restaurants when you’re in town. You’ll get more bang for your buck!

13. Visit backpacker bars for cheap drinks Drinking in Sydney is expensive – with beers costing up to 10 AUD each – but the backpacker bars are where to go for a cheap pint. World Bar and Ivy Hotel have backpacker specials for 4-7 AUD, and the Peter Pan Travel Agency in Kings Cross has free drinks on Tuesdays!

***Sydney is a vibrant, laid-back beach city with an incredible array of activities. If you don’t watch out, it will bust your budget really fast! Sydney may not be one of the cheapest cities in the world, but there are plenty of free and cheap events to keep you busy during your visit. I found myself with plenty of full days that ended with an even fuller wallet!

Book Your Trip to Sydney: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. My favorite places to stay in Sydney are:

Wake Up!

YHA Rocks

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Note: All prices are in Australian dollars.

Photo Credit: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14

The post Explore Sydney on a Budget: 13 Cheap or Free Things to Do appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/free-cheap-sydney/

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travelguy4444 · 6 years ago

Text

Explore Sydney on a Budget: 13 Cheap or Free Things to Do

Updated: 11/06/2018 | Novemebr 6th, 2018

As my friends and I drank wine in the shadow of the Opera House, I couldn’t help but be happy – I was back in Sydney for the first time in five years and I was here for over two weeks!

“Shall we go somewhere else?” my friends asked.

“Sure, let’s get the bill!” I replied.

When our check came, I was reminded of something about Sydney I had forgotten: its high prices. Even with a currently weak Australian dollar, Sydney was more expensive than I remembered.

I’ve divided this blog posts into two sections:

Part 1: Free things to do in Sydney Part 2: Cheap things to do in Sydney

Just click on the link above and get to the section you want!

Free Things to Do in Sydney

2. Explore the free museums Australia has a lot of expensive museums, but tons of free ones too. Some worth considering are:

The Mint (a small exhibit on how they used to make money)

The Australia Center for Photography

The White Rabbit Gallery (beautiful art)

The Manly Art Museum

The Sydney Observatory

The Rocks Discovery Museum!

Manly

Watson’s Bay

Coogee

Bronte (my favorite)

Rose Bay to Watson’s Bay

Watson’s Bay to Dover Heights

Chowder Bay to Balmoral Beach

Jibbon Beach Loop Track

I’m Free Walking Tours: Daily tours of the city center and The Rocks (Sydney’s original settlement).

Sydney Greeters: This is a free service that connects you with locals who will show you their neighborhood (advanced booking required).

Cheap Things to Do in Sydney

Glebe Market

Rozelle Collectors Market

Orange Grove Organic Market

Bondi Farmer’s Market

Manly Market Place

Chinatown Night Market

New Year’s Eve (Sydney is one of the biggest New Year’s Eve destinations in the world)

Lost Paradise (a 3-day music festival)

City2Surf (an annual race and fun run)

Vivid Sydney (an annual light, music, and idea festival)

Twilight at Taronga (summer music series)

El Jannah (chicken sandwiches)

Chinese Noodle Restaurant (homemade noodles)

Spicy Joint (spicy Chinese food)

Spice I Am (Thai food)

Wish Bone (fried chicken and poutine)

Book Your Trip to Sydney: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Wake Up!

YHA Rocks

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Note: All prices are in Australian dollars.

Photo Credit: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14

The post Explore Sydney on a Budget: 13 Cheap or Free Things to Do appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/free-cheap-sydney/

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tamboradventure · 6 years ago

Text

Explore Sydney on a Budget: 13 Cheap or Free Things to Do

Updated: 11/06/2018 | Novemebr 6th, 2018

As my friends and I drank wine in the shadow of the Opera House, I couldn’t help but be happy – I was back in Sydney for the first time in five years and I was here for over two weeks!

“Shall we go somewhere else?” my friends asked.

“Sure, let’s get the bill!” I replied.

When our check came, I was reminded of something about Sydney I had forgotten: its high prices. Even with a currently weak Australian dollar, Sydney was more expensive than I remembered.

I’ve divided this blog posts into two sections:

Part 1: Free things to do in Sydney Part 2: Cheap things to do in Sydney

Just click on the link above and get to the section you want!

Free Things to Do in Sydney

2. Explore the free museums Australia has a lot of expensive museums, but tons of free ones too. Some worth considering are:

The Mint (a small exhibit on how they used to make money)

The Australia Center for Photography

The White Rabbit Gallery (beautiful art)

The Manly Art Museum

The Sydney Observatory

The Rocks Discovery Museum!

Manly

Watson’s Bay

Coogee

Bronte (my favorite)

Rose Bay to Watson’s Bay

Watson’s Bay to Dover Heights

Chowder Bay to Balmoral Beach

Jibbon Beach Loop Track

I’m Free Walking Tours: Daily tours of the city center and The Rocks (Sydney’s original settlement).

Sydney Greeters: This is a free service that connects you with locals who will show you their neighborhood (advanced booking required).

Cheap Things to Do in Sydney

Glebe Market

Rozelle Collectors Market

Orange Grove Organic Market

Bondi Farmer’s Market

Manly Market Place

Chinatown Night Market

New Year’s Eve (Sydney is one of the biggest New Year’s Eve destinations in the world)

Lost Paradise (a 3-day music festival)

City2Surf (an annual race and fun run)

Vivid Sydney (an annual light, music, and idea festival)

Twilight at Taronga (summer music series)

El Jannah (chicken sandwiches)

Chinese Noodle Restaurant (homemade noodles)

Spicy Joint (spicy Chinese food)

Spice I Am (Thai food)

Wish Bone (fried chicken and poutine)

Book Your Trip to Sydney: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Wake Up!

YHA Rocks

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Note: All prices are in Australian dollars.

Photo Credit: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14

The post Explore Sydney on a Budget: 13 Cheap or Free Things to Do appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site https://ift.tt/2qxtIQQ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

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worldhotelvideo · 6 years ago

Video

youtube

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#whv #YouTube

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travelndours-blog · 7 years ago

Text

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quranreadalong · 7 years ago

Text

#57, Surah 8

THE QURAN READ-ALONG: DAY 57

Between the crazy prophet stories of surah seven and the total lunacy to come in surah nine, I must say that I am growing pretty fond of surah eight, relatively speaking. We’re done already! Here are the last few ayat to wrap it up.

8:63-64 tell Muslims that Allah has united them and therefore Allah alone should be sufficient for them, which is fine and neutral.

Then Allah tells Mohammed to command his goons to fight for him, and they’ll definitely win because disbelievers are bad and dumb:

O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty steadfast they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a hundred (steadfast) they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are a folk without intelligence.

As I said before, the only bright spot here is the fact that they got their asses served to them on a silver platter at Uhud and Mohammed had to come up with a whole lot of excuses for their failure. I mean, he promised them that Allah would help them win against an army twice their size, or even ten times their size, so you can’t blame the Muslims for being a bit shaken after that battle.

Now here’s a happy series of ayat! Let me just copy and paste the whole thing:

It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desireth (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah is Mighty, Wise. Had it not been for an ordinance of Allah which had gone before, an awful doom had come upon you on account of what ye took. Now enjoy what ye have won, as lawful and good, and keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Okay, so what’s happening here, other than slaughtering and enslaving people, obviously?

After Badr, you see, there was some debate as to what to do with the prisoners of war who had been taken. The immediate issue is that the prisoners were mostly from Mohammed’s tribe, and therefore his kinsmen, so many believed that killing them would have been disgraceful. Al-Wahidi gives the following story, based on this sahih hadith:

Abu Bakr said: 'O Messenger of Allah, these are your people and kin, spare them and wait that haply Allah, glorious and majestic is He, may relent on them'.

'Umar, on the other hand said: 'They have given you the lie and expelled you, bring them forward and chop their heads off'.

(Umar is consistently the worst.)

We are told that Mohammed ultimately decided to go with Abu Bakr’s suggestion to ransom a few of the prisoners, allowing them to live in exchange for money. But Allah was displeased with this.

The next day when I (Umar) came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I found that both he and Abu Bakr were sitting shedding tears. I said: Messenger of Allah, why are you and your Companion shedding tears? Tell me the reason. For I will weep, or I will at least pretend to weep in sympathy with you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I weep for what has happened to your companions for taking ransom (from the prisoners). I was shown the torture to which they were subjected. It was brought to me as close as this tree. (He pointed to a tree close to him.) Then God revealed the verse: "It is not befitting for a prophet that he should take prisoners until the force of the disbelievers has been crushed..."

So “what ye took” here is the captives’ ransom. Allah agreed with Umar that the captives should’ve died instead of being ransomed off for money, but because a previous "revelation” (which we haven’t gotten to yet) did allow them to ransom prisoners, Allah cuts them some slack and doesn’t punish them for it. Apparently Allah’s issue is that Badr was simply a skirmish and did not totally destroy the disbelievers, and he intended the Muslims to only ransom their prisoners in this latter total-slaughter scenario.

Well, that sure was.... a story. Uh, I guess 8:67-68 are pretty objectively bad, but 8:69, telling Muslims they can enjoy “what they have won” is... neutral?

Moving on to the regrettably not-dead captives in question, Mohammed tells them that Allah will “give you better than that which hath been taken from you” if they are good, but Muslims shouldn’t be surprised if they are bad, because they “betrayed Allah” already. They shouldn’t worry, though, because Allah gave them power over the disbelievers anyway. Sigh. What is this, neutral I guess? At least out of context (of Allah wanting these people dead but letting them stay alive on a technicality). I will be extremely, probably absurdly generous and say that 8:70 (the one about captives getting better than what was taken from them re: the money they were ransomed off for) is good.

8:72 has Mohammed praising his people (those who “believed and left their homes and strove with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah”) while shading those Muslims who have not emigrated to Medina yet: “ye have no duty to protect them till they leave their homes”. Neutral. As I said in the history lesson, many Muslims were still chilling in Mecca at the time, quite unbothered by the “persecution” that Mohammed desperately wanted to convince his followers was occurring there. People should still help their non-emigree fellow Muslims in matters of faith, though, as the disbelievers are auliya of one another so Muslims must also be auliya of one another. And also your Muslim relatives take precedence over non-relatives, with regards to inheritance money and such. Sure!

And that’s it. So what have we learned, exactly? Well, we learned that Muslims kicked disbelieving ass at Badr with Allah’s help, mostly. We also learned that disbelievers suck and deserved to be slaughtered, and Allah would really prefer it if they were all killed instead of ransomed off for money, but he guesses it’s fine either way; also, Muslims who wage war on behalf of Islam are granted free tickets to jannah. I’d say that those points summarize the surah.

At least it was short!

The Quran Read-Along: Day 57

Ayat: 13

Good: 1 (8:70)

Neutral: 9 (8:63-64, 8:66, 8:69, 8:71-75)

Bad: 3 (8:65, 8:67-68)

Kuffar hell counter: 0

⇚ previous day | next day ⇛

#quranreadalong #surah 8 #al anfal

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