Jawad Rasul
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And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousnessand says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims." Quran 41:33

China Packing List and Short Shopping Guide

7/19/2018

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What would I recommend to pack for China?

I just back from China about 10 days ago. I visited the cities of Beijing, Xi'an, Guillin, and Shanghai. I would say that the only things essential for you to take is medicine, money, passport, a few clothes, sunglasses, a sun-shade hat, good quality sneakers, and snacks that you like to eat and can sustain you when you are hungry and food is far away. 

Don't forget to take sleep aid pills. I personally would not go beyond any natural herbal stuff to help me fall asleep while I am suffering from jet lag. I used the pills every night and they helped me sleep all night and be awake and energetic all day, every day for 8-9 days. 

You should have a prayer/salah mat with you at all times. Although we were told by our guides not to pray in public, having a prayer mat helped out at our hotel rooms. There might be times when you need to pray outdoors somewhere and that mat will come in very handy. I usually carry with me the nylon-like pocket musalla which folds and fits into one's back pocket easily. 

Other than that, most of your clothes should be bought over there, used over there, and discarded over there if you do not have space to bring them back. 

A cell phone + charger + vpn is very important. Pleco is an offline chinese dictionary app. This can be extremely useful because the common people do not speak English and one cannot even take a taxi without speaking enough mandarin to be able to explain your viewpoint. 

During my time there, it rained a lot. We bought Rain Poncho's but they were extremely cheap in quality. A good quality poncho might be a good idea to carry. I personally do not believe in carrying umbrellas especially since I am there to enjoy my time. I like my hands to be free. 

What should you buy from China? 

You will see nice decorative art all over. Since the RMB (Yuen) is 6.4 compared to the USD, I would buy things that hold value. I bought a very nice Jade vase. I also would have liked to buy some Animal skins that I saw for sale outside the Terra Cotta warriors and Horses Museum in Xi'an. 

I regret not buying enough Chinese style shirts. They have a nice simple but elegant style in some of the chinese shirts. If I ever went back, I would buy them in many different colors. They can be worn on any pants and look very classy.

You might be approached by guys on the airport trying to sell latest iPhones out of a backpack. And there will probably be an unlimited number of them. They will show you a real Iphone. They will let you check the phone and check its IMEI number. It will be clear and the deal will look so good. What they do at the end is that they quickly swap the phone with another one which is not even worth $1 probably. So if you want to play that game, just understand that they are playing a game too and they are probably better at it. How do I know about this? Don't ask!
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When I remember more things, I will update this article. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
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People who speak against me behind my back!

7/12/2018

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Photo Credit: https://gofreedompestcontrol.com/pest/flies/

It reaches me from time to time that certain people who had personal grievances against me are speaking against me in my absence. Perhaps (just perhaps) I called out their corruption, didn't fulfill their unreasonable demands, didn’t allow them to monopolize the adhan on Jum’ah, or told them to stop packing food for home (or their employees) before people have eaten. These type of cowardly attacks are nothing big for people involved in the field of dawah. In fact, these verbal accusations are insignificant compared to the prison, torture, and exile that many people of knowledge including the Prophets of Allah have gone through.

Anyone who has been in the field of dawah/teaching long enough knows how important it is to have a thick skin. So I just want to make it clear that this doesn't bother me even as much as fly buzzing over my halal cheeseburger.  I am amused that these people cannot forget me even after a long time has passed. One thing they would hate to admit is that It seems that I had a strong impact on their lives. 

Once in a while, the haters stoop to new lows and that might hurt a little the first time. I know for a fact that some of these people have tried multiple times to send misinformation about me into my new community hoping it will cause me some harm. All praise is due to Allah who protected me when I was among them and who continues to protect me. We remind ourselves what Allah (swt) told Prophet Muhammad (saw) when he felt hurt by what the people said about him: "So exalt [ Allah ] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him]. And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).” (15:98-99)

I am not an angel. I have many sins and very few good deeds. I ask Allah to purify us all. However, the last thing we want to do is to give our good deeds to the one we dislike or take their bad deeds for violating their rights.  So brothers, consider yourself warned.

Also, people who are present when these false accusations are made, sweeping it under the rug is usually the response from most good people. I would like us to consider another approach. How about the next time someone accuses another in his/her absence, instead of sweeping it under the rug, what if we say “We are going to call the brother and ask him what he has to say about your accusation right now. Would you like to take back your words or should we start the verification process?” Knowing the type of people who slander and backbite, they are never brave enough to stand by their false accusations. They are cowards. This will not only shut them up, but also teach a lesson to other people around not to engage in this type of talk. (I do understand that this might not be the best option always because we do not want to fuel the fire.)

Lastly, a common complaint against Imams by people who have a grievance against them is that the Imam is/was “involved in politics.” Similarly, the most common false accusation against masjid management is “there is financial corruption.” If you remember the months and years after 9/11, if someone had a problem with someone else, they would say this person is involved with terrorism. These are the types of accusations that are so hot that one gets arrested first and gets investigated later. That’s exactly what they do with an Imam. 

The funny thing is, the same people who accuse one Imam of being involved in politics, go to another Imam and ask him to come in on their side. If that Imam comes in on their side, he is Sheikh-ul-Islam to them from then on. If he says, you guys are wrong and I am not going to support you, well…you guessed it…. "He is involved in politics.” That’s probably what happened between these guys and the first Imam too.

Just a few thoughts. Now, let me get back to my cheeseburger.

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