#so prayer I don’t get sick till after the conference if at all?

[magpie-trove]

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[cosmospoons]

House MD season 2

30 second episode recaps from someone whos just watched em for the first time and has bad recall

Ep1: they gotta cure the death row dude so he can go back to death row to b killed, cameron is Bad at telling ppl they're dying, house n Wilson had lunch with the coma guy, they cured death row man, also they changed the theme and I hate it Ep2: House has hayfever lmao, this cancer girl with hallucinations is honestly just the coolest she's so positive I love her, shes nine and got chase to kiss her hero,, house an Wilson have a shared balcony amazing, Wilson is so good and pure and is amazing at his job holy shit I love this man. House actually 'temporarily killed' the patient to cure her and made people run drills on a dead man. House is 400% going to buy a motorbike Ep3: i prayed for Cuddy's handyman to fall off her roof past the window and then god answered my prayers and he did, house broke into Cuddy's house mainly to look at her underwear lbr and then won the 'can we chop off his arm' argument, house secretly speaks spanish and waited for the most dramatic moment to reveal this, they gate crashed a cock fight (ayy) and saved the patient Ep4: the patient is a doctor with an ego ((according to house lmao pot, kettle)) who wanted to sit in on the diagnostic process and honestly is actually full of himself,, house puts him on a tippy table and cranks it up, foreman made a patient cry except he was pretending to be house lmao house got in shit,, Cameron needs to stop please, can the patient get his head out his arse please. house gatecrashes the press conference that the patient called and managed to put him into cardiac arrest on live television and eventually cured him of everything cept bein a knob Ep5: Wilson's handwriting is such doctor handwriting and house definitely bought a motorbike and made Wilson pay for it he's so pleased with himself. The kid keeps getting electrocuted but like,, by his own body. House is avoiding his parents but Cameron n Wilson aren't letting him get away with it. I love house n Wilson's friendship so much it's worth 5k apparently lmao. These patients are fukin serial liars jc why are ppl like this, it was rADIATION wow houses dad is a fucking DICK. There were so many good interactions and the house/wilson ship is sailing Ep6: there was a cyclist who took a LOT of drugs which turned out to be curing him of the thing he had, house is a douchebag but we all knew that - he may b a dick to mark but m sure mark deserves it n I love him anyway. Wilson remains a sweet boy even if he cheats idgaf he's adorable look at him ((wilson: i net someone who made me feel funny, me: was it hOUSE)),, he n house are balcony buddies and house shud stop stealing his food, and he should definitely stop digging thru stacys life but actually fuck it why not he's not gunna let go of this why is she so pissy i wanna know Ep7: I love houses new pet rat Steve McQueen,, Wilson is 4000% done with houses Stacy related antics which is fair tbh he should stop but I actually don't give much of a shit about Stacy I've taken against her....he did deserve what she said after reading her file tho. The patient may have given Cameron aids and Cameron got high and slept with Chase, who she may have given aids lmao these ppl r messes but not as much of a mess as that father/son relationship jc...i dont remember anything else about the patient whoops Ep8: chase is being suuuueeeeddd and he keeps lying about why lmao,, house fuckin reamed him one which was probably called for but maybe not like that, turns out chase screwed up cus his dad died and foreman is houses boss ((supervisor)) now how well do u think that's gunna work (((not very))) Stacy's still a bitch and has ~~feelings~~ Ep9: foreman is in charge and house is doing his utmost best to be the dick of the year and it's fucking hilarious honestly I love this man the shit he pulls jc,,, Wilson is super aware of houses antics as usual and had a mild gay panic when foreman started to question him about house,, the patient was a big ol Faker™ but surprise surprise she was actually sick this time ((house totally injected her with a load of stuff so she’d b readmitted after they’s released her)) Ep10: house solved a case thru the phone alone and spent most of the ep at the airport except for those five minutes when he almost slept with Stacy who once had a terrible experience with curry apparently and called house a vindaloo, nice restraint very well timed phone call thank fuck,,, they will sleep together tho and I am Not Happy about it....the power play amongst the fellows is a boiling pot of trouble - the patient was v interesting I enjoyed the word scramble game Ep12: WHAT A GOOD FUCKIN EP so the patient orgasmed in the white chamber while unconscious and covered in burns but more importantly house gatecrashed the lecture of his old archenemy that he had arranged just so he could disturb it and criticise the dude who got him thrown out of med school for snitchin on his cheating all whilst Wilson told him to get better hobbies (('a hooker anything please')),, to test this dudes migraine meds he gave deliberately himself a migraine and the meds didn't work (unsurprising) so the fellows turned out all the lights while he had a nap under the table,, wilson took a diff approach and deliberately made a Lot of noise because he is a Shit even if he hides it better than house,,,, then house dropped a tab of acid and took a bunch of antidepressants, and cured his migraine as well as the patient Ep13: houses leg was super duper sore but at least we got some fantastic house/wilson interaction when wilson pretended to be God during that MRI, even if house hit him with a cane.... The patient was a teen supermodel who seduced her own father to get whatever she wanted,, house was super sure she had cancer and it turns out she did but it was testicular because she had xy chromosomes and was immune to testosterone - which was really fucking interesting...... Also cuddy played house like a violin and gave him placebo saline instead of a morphine shot to prove to him that his leg pain was psychological Ep14: House is stealing organs now. Ok so technically he did get the husband's permission to steal his newly dead wife’s heart for the dying old dude with a strangely young daughter but only after he kneed house in the balls super hard. House spent the whole ep goin on at wilson about the affair he thought he was having and at the end wilson showed up on houses doorstep but sURPRIse !! It was his wife who was sleeping around!! poor baby Wilson I know what goes around comes around but he's such a kicked puppy cmon Ep15: Wilson and house living together is a recipe for disaster and I'm living for it so good so many good interactions I love that house is gunna keep him for his food ((I'll never b over house hearing the voicemail about Wilson's new place, looking over at him sleeping on the couch and then deleting it so he has to stay)). The patient had a super cool marriage and didn't have lupus except whoops actually not a happy marriage his wife is tryna kill him thru gold poisoning. House needs to stop accosting ppl in bathrooms and should also stop destroying marriages Ep16: oh man good shit so,, first of all house n Wilson are still living together and there are some Domestic Antics happening right here including but not limited to a prank war which house desperately tried to get Wilson to participate in, the peak of which had house making Wilson wet the couch and Wilson sabotaging houses cane. The patients mum was ridiculously overprotective and house essentially kidnapped the patient to find the tick noone else thought was there,, surprisingly Wilson helped set that up despite the fact house was the reason he woke up wet that morning Ep17: first things first house could absolutely clean everyone out at poker if he knows Cuddy's tells that well through just a phonecall,, also he needs to stop calling Wilson out on his toenail varnish habits lmao. The patient was a smol boy who presented the same symptoms as an unsolved and dead case that house had 12 yrs ago so he really wasn't gunna let this one go cus he's like a dog with a bone. They were in formal wear all ep which was a Good Look™ and Wilson's retelling of how he won the poker championship may have been one of the cutest things I have ever seen Ep18: Emma from Glee is here and she has the black plague,, her gf decided to donate her liver n Cameron was all het up cus house had worked out plague girl was gunna leave her and sending the gf in blind would be ~~unethical~~ but turns out she knew and deliberately did that so Emma would stay with her out of guilt lmao. In other news Cameron's pissy cus foreman 'stole' her article and house spent most of the episode napping cus wilson is fuckin up his sleep cycle ;) I'm upset there was no physical wilson Ep19: the most annoying patient so far appears in the form of a 15 yr old faith healer with herpes. I feel like the degree to which unrelenting niceness irritates me rly says something about me but eh oh well. Chase (ofc it was chase) kept a tally on who was winning God or house, faith healer managed to shrink a womans cancer tumour through giving her herpes (((a miracle praise be))) and during poker night house called wilson out on sleeping with said cancer patient and discovered wilson was actually living with her whoops bad Wilson ((he totally regrets his life choices ((he should)))) Ep20: HOLY SHIT ITS A TWOPARTER AND FOREMANS GUNNA DIE !! Ok so,,, there was this cop who couldn't stop laughing till he could but then it got a lot worse and then foreman caught whatever it was which they began to realise when he smirked as house shot a corpse to see what a bullet in a brain would do to an MRI ((spoilers it broke the machine)) anyway long story short it wasnt the pigeons and the cops dead and foreman is gunna die even after that shitdick move he pulled where he stabbed Cameron with a needle so she'd go to the apartment Ep21: HOO BOY OK SO a lot happened so much happened the most important thing is foreman by the end of the ep is mostly kind of ok - he's just a bit muddled on his lefts n rights. During the ep house was stressed the entire time cus even tho he denys it he does love n care for his ducklings,, he even cares enough to deliberately attempt to poison Steve McQueen which didn't work but can be added to the list of stressful events. Cameron grew a spine a lil bit I literally yelled when she berated cuddy and she forced the biopsy cus foreman had the foresight (ayyyyy) to make her his medical proxy even if house managed to find the problem anyway so it was ultimately unnecessary and has just resulted in some possible brain damage Ep22: house keeps trying to pick a fight with foreman and failing because Foreman's all happy go lucky now, the patient was mad because of a thing and killed her baby accidentally on purpose, the music that played during the baby autopsy was super unnecessary and bizzare, and in the end the woman had cancer but she's refusing treatment cus of the baby guilt. Cuddy didn't have cancer, which we know because Wilson ((WILSON NOT HOUSE)) stole her dna and ran secret tests in the middle of the night, but it still wasn't a date Wilson despite what house said about skin lessions she was actually just going to attempt to use u as a sperm donor - have fun at the L-word marathon with house you big sad loser (I love u) Ep23: we meet an old house friend which is Super fun he is ridiculously naive and I love that he calls house g-man holy shit. House is now giving cuddy injections as part of a fertility treatment which is nice of him especially seeing as his leg was in a Lot of pain this ep,, like a LOT...he's self-injecting morphine now which is probably bad :/ house's friend's daughter was the patient at one point she pooped out her mouth gRoSs and house ran a paternity test n told the girl she was actually the dudes daughter ((except he was lYINg in support of his friend)) he does care Ep24: HOUSE GOT SHOT WHAT IS IT WITH THIS TEAM SUFFERING RN JC this was a very fun episode of 'guess when house is hallucinating', spoilers the answer is all the time the whole ep takes place in his head. That aside I absolutely loved the hospital gown/trainer combo (no I won't apologize) and the fact that house did almost none of his physio - instead relegating it to others which is....not how it works. The hallucinatory clinic patient was freaky deaky his eye exploded and so did his dick but dw cus to escape the hallucination house killed him ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ what can u do. At the end house woke up n requested ketamine we'll see how that goes

Season 1

[missjackil]

The Not-So-Bitter Sam Girl

Let me first establish that I love Sam Winchester with everything in me. I eat, sleep, drink,and dream Sam Winchester. Often times, like many Sam girls, I feel like he is treated unfairly, and that makes me bitter, but I read a lot of the meta from other Sam girls, but I don’t agree with a lot of what you all are bitter about. Let me also say, that I love Dean too. The brother’s relationship is the only reason I am addicted to this show. I couldn't care less about the monsters and most side characters to be honest, but I definitely favor Sam. I have only been watching the show, via Netflix, for just under a year, but I am a CHRONIC re-watcher. There isn’t an episode or season I havent watched at least 15 times, and some more than 40 times (yes its a sickness) the only episodes I dont watch much are Bitten and Bloodlines.  I will try to explain my view on some of the most common things I see bitter Sam girls write about, and hopefully give a new perspective. WARNING: This is indeed long, you may scroll through and read topics of interest, and feel free to send me an ask or a message about anything you would like to debate or discuss further :)

Dean gets more air time! From my point of view, I will agree this is the case, but not throughout the whole series. A prime example is the S4 episode In The Beginning, when Sam is only in the first 45 seconds of the episode. I dont consider this the show favoring Dean, but the knowledge that it was in a time when no one was sure if Jared could continue do to his mental health. He had a breakdown during the filming of Mystery Spot, and things were rocky for a while. I don’t know what was going on during the time of In The Beginning, but it’s quite possible that Jared needed time off. Granted there are no episodes were Dean is only in 45 seconds of, but they probably don’t like do episodes that the boys dont share time, after all, the show is about them both.  The Panic Room! Yes, definitely the panic room! It might be the first time I felt my bitter Sam girl come out. How DARE they lock him in a room to detox alone??? It tore my heart out! But on one hand, it was an extremely Sam heavy episode. We got to see inside his head through his hallucinations, which up till then, we’d only see glimpses. It was hard for me to piece together what exactly was going on with Sam in S4 until this episode. It was confusing. On one hand he had been his normal, cute, nerdy, sensitive self, but hiding his baddass, sexy, dark side. Up till then i thought he just didn’t want Dean to be angry with him for what he was doing, but then I realized, he was genuinely addicted to the demon blood, and didn’t want Dean to know because he’d want him (make him) stop, and he also feared Dean would hate him like a monster. He felt like he disappointed everyone he loved, even himself, and coming off felt like torture. (hence the Alistair hallucination) So story wise, we needed for him to be alone this time so WE the viewers would see what all he felt, which he may not have, if Dean sat with him to comfort him. And having dealt with addicted people personally, I know that sometimes, an addict will use their addiction for the sole purpose of having someone sit and suffer with them, which sometimes makes the addiction worse. However, the second time Sam was left to suffer alone in the panic room was 100% uncalled for (S5 My Bloody Valentine) If the writers wanted to show how bad Sam’s problem was affecting Dean, which Im sure it was... he could have prayed that prayer while holding Sam through the detox, and it would have been 1000 times more powerful. So this one, I am bitter as well.  Soulless Sam wasn’t that bad!! No, he wasn’t. I actually really enjoyed him! He was definitely hornier than our normal Sam, less inhibited,  snarkier, funnier, but still, not quite Sam. Why would Dean be so freaked out? Well, we’ll overlook Sam allowing him to be turned by the vamps, because Dean felt creeped out before then. So consider the fact that dozens of years, Sam and Dean were glued to each others hips for the most part. Especially when John left them alone as children, and since Sam was back from Stanford, and now, he was back from Hell, no one knew how, and not his normal self at all. Dean, being Sam’s soulmate, knew something was wrong, and at first was scared that maybe it was still Lucifer in Sam’s vessel. That to me, sounds like it could be scary. Think just for a moment, if the person you love the most, that you thought was dead, is suddenly back but not anything like they used to be. This would be terrible, especially if you thought there was a good chance they were actually Satan wearing their body.  Once Dean knew it was actually Sam, but without a soul, he could have lightened up a bit. Yes, I think so too, BUT Sam was still not anything like what Dean loved about his brother. Sam didnt love him back, didnt even care about him, he was Sam otherwise, but i dont blame Dean for wanting to get Sam’s soul back, especially with the knowledge that he could be fine, so long as he doesn’t regain the memories. And even if he did, there’s a good chance he could fix him.  Dean did act irrationally, wont argue, but we know they are both irrationally co dependent on each other, and if the tables were turned, Sam would have done something equally irrational to get Dean back. (As we see in About a Boy when Sam wasnt in favor of Dean being 14 so that the Mark was gone. He’d be willing to take Dean back, Mark included, so long as Dean was the Dean he knew and loved today) The narrative is heavily in Dean’s Favor! No, I dont think so. Occasionally yes, but for the most part no. When bitter Sam girls see Dean scolding or berating Sam for being wrong about something, most of the time Sam isn’t wrong about the thing. We see it, and most people see it, so the narrative makes Dean look like a douche. Yes, there are Dean girls that throw Sam hate all the time, but they’re not the majority. They’re just loud on Tumblr. Honestly, in real life, Dean girls, just like Dean’s looks, or personality better than Sam’s and thats simply taste. Tall, long haired, sweet, intelligent, badass, nerds arent everyone’s favorite flavor (dont know how that’s possible but....) thats fine, but ive yet to come across a real life Sam hater.  Theres some on tumblr and occasionally some might give Jared grief at a conference, but again, thats not the majority. And I see bitter Sam girls also throw the same hate Dean’s way too. But anyway, getting off point. Dean has always been “its not what you do but who you are” and Sam has always been “its not who you are but what you do” from early on. And we all know Sam’s view is better. Sam is always willing to talk, and give people/monsters a chance to choose good. Dean has only recently agreed to go that route too, but will still think “monster” first and then bend Sam’s direction. killing Sam’s friend Amy in S7 just because she was a monster, was a huge douche move on Dean’s part and everyone thought so Im sure. It was also the last time Dean killed someone for just that reason. Sam’s view of situations like that have always been to give the monster the benefit of the doubt if they wanted to be good, from the beginning, so that narrative has always been in Sam’s favor.  Dean was mad that Sam’s happy memories didn’t include him!! Not true. Dean may have been disappointed that Sam’s happy Thanksgiving memory was at someone elses house, but after that, Sam’s best memories were Deans worst. That’s what upset him. Not that Dean wasnt in them, but they were terrible times for him. When Sam was alone in Flagstaff with his dog, Dean was home worried sick that Sam was dead because he ran off while he was watching him. “And when Dad got home....” Dean probably got his ass beat. When Sam went off to Stanford, Dean says it was one of the worst nights of his life. Zachariah was manipulating their memories so it could appear they were happier without each other. Sam didnt get to see the part when he and Dean shot off the fireworks, only the part of Dean’s life when he was happy with Mom. I am sure that if they got to explore more of their heaven, they would have found plenty of memories that were just those two.  The writers feminize Sam and make him the Damsel in Distress!! Lord, I have seen HUGE meta on this and I disagree with so much. The male/female formula when there are two protagonists is a common formula to use. This is true, but it is not the only formula to use and its not always Sam that is feminized. Other formulas are the classic comedic/tragic, the big one/the small one, the smart one/the dumb one, light/dark, good cop/ bad cop and so on. The brother have fallen into all these formulas at different times. Sam has a few feminine qualities, it’s true, he cries sometimes and he’s generally nicer than Dean, he has long hair, compassionate and empathetic, he isnt as “butch” as Dean and is conscious of his diet. Dean also has feminine qualities, he cooks, cleans, and irons their clothes. He is very much a nurturer, not only to Sam but to Kevin, Garth and Charlie as well. Dean is much more physical than Sam is. Dean is usually the one initiating the bro hugs, and its not likely that the “Dean is bisexual” thing, would be a thing, if he initiated as many manhugs as Sam has. He cries more than Sam does, he admitted to have enjoyed wearing women’s underwear, loves chick flicks, and said “All women lie about their age” and Sam said “Wait, you told our waitress you’re 29″ and Dean said “Yes”. Often times Sam and Dean are paralleled with married couples, but not always, sometimes its siblings, sometimes best friends, sometimes Rocky and Bullwinkle LOL... but not always male/female, in fact, in the parallel of John and Mary Winchester, Sam is John and Dean is mom. Sam was named after their grandfather, and Dean after their grandmother.

Also, Sam is NOT a Damsel in Distress! My friend went through S1 thru 11 and counted how many times each saved the other, and Dean only beats Sam by 3 saves. Ahead by 3 out of 240 (some episodes have more than one salvation scene, some have none or they save each other) episodes is well within the margin of error and it means neither one is a damsel in distress. HOWEVER Tumblr makes Sam overly feminine! But that’s a whole other rant.  Season 8 was a horror fest of Sam hate! Omg is so was NOT! i felt there was more love from Dean towards Sam than any season before it. This season was an emotional roller coaster between the boys, its by far one of my favorite seasons (5 and 11 are my other faves) but i think all the meta written about being a Carver catastrophe and trying to explain WHY it wasnt OOC for Sam to not look for Dean, made some of you not watch the season, or at least, not all of the season, or watched it after reading the meta and thus missed the whole point. However I will agree, like even Jared did, that Sam not looking for Dean definitely was OOC for Sam, especially only knowing what we knew in the beginning. Sam went right away to the promise the boys made not to look for each other, even though he knew Dean looked for him when he went to Hell. It was very OOC for Sam to at least try to make sure Dean was dead first, he had no idea where he was, there was no blood or body, just black goo. Take into consideration that 1) It has been said that S8 was going a different route, but the producers decided to change it, so it’s likely there was more to that story than we actually got. 2) it was the beginning of the season and neither we, nor Jared knew that Sam would later say “I lost my brother a few months back, and my world imploded and everything rained down on me, and i ran” None of us knew that before hand, and Dean was never even told. All he was really told was that Sam was alone, and didnt know what to do so he fixed up the Impala, and just drove. Took time to enjoy the good things, and get a dog and a girlfriend and a home in Texas. Will I will agree that Dean didnt have the right to berate Sam, but he had every right to be hurt and feel betrayed. Sam later turned the table and berated Dean for having Benny. Again, Sam had the right to feel hurt and betrayed, but had no right to berate him, but since they both griefed each other about how they spent the last year, Ill call them both even. This fight that was nothing less than watching a married couple fighting over each other cheating, but once Sam decides to stay with Dean, and Dean cuts ties with Benny, the boys relationship is beautiful again. I say there was so much love shown even in their fighting because we learned part of the depth in which they love each other. Not unlike a married couple.” Don’t ever let someone be more important than me” And though I know, at the end of S8 when Sam was reminded of his “failure” by Dean, Sam was ready to die, but in the middle when the trails are about to start, Dean recalls what kind of life Sam wanted, and was ready to die so Sam could have it. Watch Trial and Error, I think its a great place to see where the boy’s heads are at, at that point in the season.  Dean had no right to trick Sam into letting Gadreel possess him! Absolutely true, he had no right to do that, but Dean knew it too. He knew Sam would never agree to such a thing, and he would rather die. But Dean JUST saved his life back at the church, despite that good that would come of if it Sam finished the trials. This didnt matter to Dean anymore if he didn’t have Sam beside him. It wasn’t like Swan Song... now he KNEW what life without Sam was like and didnt want to do it again. Now he sees that Sam is moments from dying, and has an option... a bad option, but an option. He acted in sheer panic. I cant honestly say I wouldnt do that either. But immediately after, Dean had regrets and fears. Did he make the right call? Was this angel gonna take Sam over or tear him apart? Dean wrestled with this every episode till they finally got Gadreel out. He knew Gadreel taking over and killing Kevin was his own fault and whatever backlash was coming from Sam, he deserved. Now after this I fully understand Sam’s hurt 100% and I think he was even hurt that Dean chose to leave afterwards, but his words at the end of The Purge hurt me for Dean’s sake. Not “Same circumstances, I wouldnt” because of course he wouldnt do the same thing. But telling Dean theres no upside to him being alive, and how Dean tells himself that he does more good than bad, but he doesnt, and “Ill hand it you, you;re willing to do the sacrificing, as long as you’re not the one being hurt” was crushing. Dean has always been hurt in his sacrificing, it was like Sam forgot Dean sacrificing his soul for Sam to live and spending 40 years in hell. So, where I will agree Dean says some crappy things, Sam has been guilty of that too. Both have every right to feel what they feel, but that doesnt give them the right to do or say whatever they want.  Dean always gets friends and Sam doesnt! Now this I think is basically their make up, not a narrative bias. Sam learned in S1, Skin that friends are a liability and having them in their line of work, puts them in danger. Sam is kind and compassionate and the one who talks to the victims and witnesses with care so they trust him, but he doesnt try to pull them closer, to be friends, because he knows its dangerous for them, as he explained to Adam in Jump the Shark. Dean knows this too, but he needs people. He makes friends and tried to have a family outside the job... it never works out, but he still tries. I think Jody is more drawn to Sam, and probably even Rowena, it also looks like Mary is more drawn to Sam,  but Sam is still leary of being close to people. I dont think this has anything to do with the writers wanting us to think Dean is more likable, but to see that the boys need different things. Like Dean has a lot of sex, he needs physical, Sam doesn’t he needs verbal. This is why he has conversations with everyone.  Dean has more dialogue than Sam! He does, often times, I guess if its measured, Dean has probably had more onscreen lines than Sam, but I think they make up for that by giving Sam the bigger story arcs. They give Jared the harder roles to act. Dean’s arcs are almost always the same, he is either more violent, or less violent, whereas Sam has been possessed numerous times, went through addiction and withdrawal, Soullessness, fighting against himself, and acting along side his own different personas, insanity, twice, hallucinations,severe physical illness, loss of loved ones,  sexual assault, and torture, torture, and more torture. He’s been as weak as a child and yet the biggest badass on the show ever. Dont think because Dean says more that Sam doesnt impact the show just as much, if not more. If both shared the same character arcs, it would be monotonous, if Dean didnt have more dialogue than Sam, compared to Sam’s story lines, Dean would look like the antagonist. Oh trust me, I wish every episode was Sam centric, but its not, thats not how the show works, and I have accepted that.  I know I missed many more, but I tried to hit all the ones I see the most meta on. i just want all you Sam girls (Bitter or not) to know that not every Sam girl has gotten as negative of a view as many of you have. Feel free to add to this if you want to, I welcome opposing view points too :)

[abukhadeejahsp]

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds; may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger Muhammad, his family and all those who follow him correctly until the Day of Resurrection. To proceed:

Maldives, a beautiful country with a pleasant climate and friendly people.

The Maldives are a group of islands spread over 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles), making it one of the world’s most dispersed countries. There are close to 1,000 islands that make up this beautiful tropical country, with its golden sandy beaches, deep blue and crystal clear waters. Malé is the capital and the most populated city. It is said that a Moroccan, one Abu Barakat the Berber, was believed to have been responsible for spreading Islam in the islands back in the 12th century CE. The state religion is Islam and the country is a Muslim country with a Muslim president, government and military, may Allah preserve them.

My visit was at the invite of the Salafi brothers (Al-Maktabah As-Salafiyah Maldives) based mainly in Male and also in the closest island to the capital, Hulhumale, which is where we stayed for the most of the trip. It is from there that we would commute by speed boat or ferry to the capital, Malè, daily for the lectures.

The noble brothers in the Maldives had been inviting me to visit for a series of lectures for several years, yet other commitments had always prevented me. The Salafis have with them a resident Maldivian graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah, Abu Anas Muhammad Hasan (hafidhahullah), who is very active in translating, teaching and cultivating the Muslims in the Maldives. The brothers with him are also active in calling to Tawheed and the Sunnah through “Maktabah Salafiyyah MV”. They have published several translated works of the scholars such as the writings of Shaikhul-Islam Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhāb, Shaikh Ibn Bāz, Shaikh Al-Fawzān, Shaikh Rabee’ and Shaikh Abdullāh Al-Bukhāree. They have a small day school (which needs our support) where children are taught Islamic beliefs, rulings and manners. I myself have heard Shaikh Ubaid al-Jābiree and Shaikh Abdullah al-Bukhāree praise the efforts of our brother Abu Anas and those around him. Others have visited the Maldives before me for the purpose of da’wah: Shaikh Abdullah al-Bukhāree (Madinah), Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Ghālib (Dubai), Abu Mu’ādh Taqweem (Nelson UK) and Abu Idrees Muhammad (Birmingham UK) – so may Allah reward all those who preceded me.

My particular trip was for the purpose of lecturing on the subject of the hallmarks of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā’ah, its distinguishing characteristics that remain unaltered since the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions ([Islamic phrases=”Radhiyallahu ‘anhum”]M[/Islamic]) till this day, alongside a strong emphasis upon rebutting the ideas of the extremist, revolutionary and terrorist groups (Khawārij and Rāfidah Shi’ah) who have distorted the revealed texts, and thus maligned the beauty of Islam in the eyes of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The organisation of this event which lasted six days with daily classes followed by extensive question and answer sessions broadcast across the Maldives and worldwide through the internet, using all the social media platforms available to the brothers (and sisters) required a great deal of planning and organisation. I ask Allah to reward the brothers and sisters and their families for fulfilling this weighty task: Abu Anas, Abu A’isha Mu’ādh, ‘Ali, Isma’eel (the social media coordinator), the other Ismā’eel, Āsif, and the list goes on and on. Likewise may Allah reward those who cooked and provided the food for hundreds of attendees at the venues; and those who coordinated with the authorities; and those who made our entry and exit through customs easy, and those who arranged the various means of transport for myself and my family – may Allah preserve them.

The lectures began in earnest in Malè the day after we arrived and I was pleasantly surprised by the large turnout, and even more pleased with the attentiveness of the audience, many of whom were taking notes. I was also amazed at the variety of the audience: locals from the capital, guests from far off islands who had travelled for several hours by boat to attend the lectures: there were also members of the police, the military and local businessmen. All of this brought joy to the hearts because it is an indication that the da’wah is spreading and getting stronger in the Maldives. The brothers decided on several important topics and equally important questions that needed clarity. As a result we received positive feedback from government officials and dignitaries, may Allah bless them.

All of the lectures were recorded and uploaded for replay or download for those interested. Here’s just a taste of some of the topics discussed (you can click at relevant highlighted points to listen):

Hear the first Islamic Conference held in the Maldives against #terrorism #radicalisation #Isis with @AbuKhadeejahSP

Q&A: Did Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhāb & the Saudis rebel against the Ottoman Empire? Is that a justification for rebellion & protests today?

Q&A: What is the comprehensive ruling concerning photographs on #socialmedia #avatars #selfies etc? Does it agree with Prophetic guidance?

Q&A: What is your advice to youth in our times who busy themselves with social media and #ISIS propaganda?

Q&A: Can Muslims visit non-Muslims in their homes?

Q&A: Will the Angels gather in Mosques where there are graves, to invoke the mercy of Allah upon those who remember Him therein?

Q&A: Is it allowed to attend the funeral rites of a non-Muslim? What can be done instead?

Q&A: Is it allowed to pray in a Masjid wherein there is a grave or a Mosque that is surrounded by graves?

Q&A: Is #ISIS #DAESH considered to be a state (dawlah) or a legitimate government?

Q&A: Is it allowed to pray behind those who carry the ideology of the #Khawārij?

Q&A: Under what circumstances is it allowed to rebel against the likes of Bashar Asad in Syria?

Q&A: Is it allowed to demonstrate and march in the streets against the rulers when you see tyranny and oppression?

Q&A: Is there #Jihad now in #Syria and #Yemen against the terrorist insurgents and who is carrying it out?

Q&A: There are those who say “don’t get angry with Ahlul-Bid‘ah because at least they are Muslims unlike the Christians”?

Q&A: Can a person fight alongside the Muslim coalition against the terrorist insurgency of #ISIS #DAESH?

Lecture: The stance of Ahlus-Sunnah, the Salafis, towards the proliferation of groups and parties, and the effects of bid‘ah upon unity.

Q&A: What is the current situation in Syria? How did it get there? Who was responsible? What is the position of the Salafi in the aftermath?

Q&A: What should a woman do if her husband leaves her and goes off to #ISIS #DAESH

Q&A: A women separated from her husband as he was an #ISIS #Khārijī. Her young child had kidney failure, should she return to her husband?

A photo taken by an indoctrinated Khārijite and posted on Facebook claiming we are agents of the West!

Q&A: How do we deal with graduating students from the University of Madinah who oppose the Salafi Manhaj and call to bid‘ah?

There is, as one can see from the questions posed, a small but vocal body in the Maldives who carry the ideology of ISIS (DAESH), Lashkar Taibah and Al-Qaeda, and call to it. Some young people have been indoctrinated by the extremism of these ignorant callers. A few were deceived to the point that they travelled to Syria to join ISIS – where they have been killed fighting for this un-Islamic group.

When I arrived in the Maldives, a group of these deluded political agitators and Khawārij became angered because they knew the the purpose of the lecture series – so they spread falsehood, confusion and negative propaganda against the conference, the Salafi brothers and myself in order to warn people from attending the classes. They accused me of being an agent of the unbelieving Western nations! They took a picture of a small group of us after prayer in a masjid in Malè on the first day and posted it on Facebook in order to warn against the lecture series – one of them declared me to be an unbeliever (kāfir)! Such was the fear they felt from our presence. Alhamdulillāh, their negative speech only bolstered and increased the attendance because people are sick and tired of the extremists and political agitators who are known for street demonstrations and anti-government rallies wherein they rabble-rouse against the Muslim ruler of the country. I’ve see photographs of these political agitators gathering veiled women in the streets making congregational supplications against the ruler! They take much of their revolutionary ideas from Western political thought, Marxism and Communism yet they accuse us of being “agents of the West”!

Women in the Maldives encouraged by political agitators to march against the ruler.

Lecture after lecture brought more and more clarity to the people, and all praise belongs to Allah. I read constantly from the writings of the great scholars, past and present, such that the people comprehended and accepted the truth. I included readings from the great scholar Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H) wherein he clearly warns against rebellion and displaying public outrage against the ruler regardless of whether he is pious or oppressive. I explained the methodology of the early Salaf in how they understood the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah and how that in turn brings about unity of the Ummah, stability, brotherhood and peace.

I was amazed and humbled in equal measure at the response of the audience and we constantly took note of feedback from young and old, male and female. That gave me the opportunity to develop ideas for the following lectures. Abu Anas Muhammad Hasan and Abu A’ishah Mu’ādh were a constant help in explaining to me the challenges faced by Muslims in the Maldives and how the political agitators had tried to hijack the Islamic call and distort its pure message.

Some of the places we visited and local foods we were introduced to.

All of��this should give the reader a taste of what was achieved in the Maldives in terms of da’wah and clarification of the truth, refutation of Ahlul-Bid’ah and the Khawārij, a defense of the Muslim scholars and rulers, and the basis of the unity of the Muslims. We took time out to answer questions about raising an Islamic household and inviting people to the beauty of Salafiyyah with excellent manners. I found Maldivians in general to be very receptive to the da’wah once it is explained to them.

We can only thank and praise Allah, the Mighty, Majestic and Kind for giving us the opportunity to meet our brothers and sisters in the Maldives who along with their families showed myself and my family hospitality that was overwhelmingly kind, generous and heart-warming.

Myself (and my brothers from the students of knowledge) never seek wages whenever we travel for da’wah, alhamdulillāh. Yet our brothers provide such hospitality and companionship that surpasses the bonds and relationships of the world. These are ties of brotherhood established for the sake of Allah and Salafiyyah. The brothers and their families showered us with pleasant gifts (chocolates, perfumes, souvenirs, etc) as a sign of their love and affection for ahlus-Sunnah.

After each of the lectures local families would invite us for dinner either to their homes or to one of the good restaurants on the island. After the lecture series was over the brothers had arranged for us to see the beauty of the Maldives that Allah had blessed its people with, so we travelled to a secluded island with a group of families, to experience the wonders of Allah’s creation.

The Muslims of the Maldives have a lot to thank and praise Allah for, and then they should thank their rulers and government who do not prevent them from practising their religion, and cultivating and caring for their families. They are in a land of Islam and Muslims; a land of peace and security; they live in reasonable prosperity; the Adhān is heard five times a day, the Religion of Allah is practiced openly – so we ask Allah to strengthen this land further upon Islam and the Sunnah, and to make it more prosperous – and to guide its people and its rulers to His pleasure.

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Finally, the Salafi brothers and sisters in the Maldives should be commended for their steadfastness upon the Book and Sunnah, and for holding firm in these difficult times. They face opposition in their land (and elsewhere) from the callers to innovation, partisanship and sectarianism, but still they remain united upon the truth, alhamdulillah, so may Allah preserve them. We see them attending the seminars in Madinah with our scholars alongside hundreds of others who gather for the “Salafi Publications Madinah Dawrah” each year from around the world. The Salafi community in the Maldives is still relatively small and they are working hard to spread the da’wah and to cultivate their children. I ask every Salafi to extend his/her support to the brothers in the Maldives to help them establish a Salafi Madrassah and Learning Centre. Please contact me (or the Salafi Bookstore in Birmingham) for details on how to help them financially.

I ask Allah, the Most High, to bless Ahlus-Sunnah in the Maldives, to strength the da’wah of Ahlus-Sunnah there, to protect the rulers from the evil intents of the political agitators and the Khārijite extremists, and to guide us and them to His pleasure and the pure Sunnah, the clear proof that our Prophet (ﷺ) left us upon: its night is like its day, such that none strays from it except that he is destroyed.

And all praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger, the Companions and all those who follow them precisely.

  NEW: What I witnessed during my Da'wah Trip to the Maldives: Dec. 2016 & Jan. 2017 With pictures! All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds; may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger Muhammad, his family and all those who follow him correctly until the Day of Resurrection.