The joys of namaaz alfresco

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:47 pm by Svend White

The joys of namaaz alfresco 2013-05-07T18:47:13-05:00 Svend White

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ever since I escaped the vain tumult of DC life, I’ve told people that its cost of living and paradoxically sterile civic and communal life achieved the psychological equivalent of the miracle of transforming lead into gold: a hopeless Yankee, big-city sophisticate who for the longest time considered any area too small to support a proper "alternative" newspaper an irremediably uncivilized backwater has been born anew as a country boy whose hearts sinks at the thought of heading into town. And my aversion to "civilization" grows only more intense with time.

We’re not really in the Sticks yet. It’s a wooded subdivision on land on the outskirts of Athens (technically, we’re in Winterville) that until recently was farmland–but at this rate, I’ll be hunting for a log cabin next time we move. (So long as it can get broadband.)

Today I discovered perhaps the best argument for living far from the Big City: Fajr on one’s patio in the open air, with crickets a-creaking, birds a-chirping, leaves a-rustling and no anxieties about perplexed neighbors ringing up Homeland Security. It was so peaceful and invigorating. (It also made this "ronin" wish he had a wird of his own, but that’s another discussion.)

Before you get overly impressed at this report, I must concede that Fajr and I aren’t nearly as well acquainted as we ought to be. As Shabana can confirm, I’m a particularly heavy sleeper, a sun-averse vampire who feeds only at night–I’m built for fjords, not beaches–a Rip van Winkle who can sleep for absurdly long periods if allowed, and an all around indolent individual whose cognitive faculties are severely impaired until a mid-morning carafe of coffee has been consumed and a tongue inserted into an electrical socket.Suffice it to say that Fajr has always been a struggle. This is of course the idea, but I don’t think it’s supposed to quite such a struggle, much less one so often lost.

Anyway, I’ve always marveled at how some Morning People can not only get up at the crack of dawn, but engage in vigorous, outdoorsy activities (Tai Chee, Yoga, Katas, jogging, chopping wood, powerwalking, …). Having actually ventured onto the surface world so early in the day for the first time in a while, I guess it’s not so crazy after all. Now I just need to invent a Rube Goldberg-style alarm clock that dumps a bucket of ice water on me, zaps you with a cattle rod, sends me through a wudu "car wash", and then drops me out a shoot onto a jai-namaz on my patio.

Legos

Previous Post

June 4, 2007

The infinite varieties of hijab

Next Post

June 6, 2007 The end is near for Akram's Razor

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category American Politics Animals in Islam Anti-Semitism Christian Jihadism Christianity Culture & the Arts Current Affairs Denmark Dogs in Islam Family life Film Gender Great MP3s Hate in America Imam W.D. Mohammed Interfaith Dialogue International Affairs Islam and the Left Islamic Thought Islamophobia Jihad Judaism Legos Link of the Day Marriage Misc Modernity/Post-Modernity Mormonism Multiculturalism Music Muslims in the Melting Pot Must-Listen Podcasts Non-Muslims and Islam Pakistan Pictures Pigs in Islam Polygamy Pork Progressive Muslims Race Relations Really Important Stuff Religion Required Reading Robert Spencer Scandinavia Science Science Fiction Sex in Islam So-called Globalization South Asia Star Trek Strange but True Studying Arabic Stupid Muslim Tricks Sufism/Tasawwuf Television The "Miami 7" hoopla The Corporate Media The Danish cartoons The GWOT The Jihad against Islam The Middle East Vikings! Wahhabism/Salafism Washington and the Middle East Web/Tech Women in Islam

Select a Month March 2014 February 2014 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 September 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What empire destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Greek Persian Babylonian Roman