I was born and raised in Minnesota, the heart of the Midwest where the forests are dense and the prairies are vast, the valleys are lush and the abundant waters flow. I was brought up in a very loving Christian family that instilled a strong sense of moral values in me; I was blessed with a very stable upbringing. Read the rest of this entry »

So here it is finally, a new post. I know, I know, it has been a long time coming but I have been quite busy with my studies these days. The weather is starting to get quite hot and it is also the beginning of the rain season. Although there have only been a few drops of rain here in Tarim, the neighboring city of Seiyoun had its river overflow and block the main road twice in the past week.

My schedule has drastically changed since my previous entry for two reasons. The first being that I have started my new classes at the Badr Language Institute and moved into the student dormitory and the second is that Dar al Mustafa has implemented a new schedule, which leaves the students with little free time; this in turn has been reason for the cancellation of my class there. The new schedule demands that every student at Dar al Mustafa commit to memory approximately half of the Quran from Surah Kahf to Surah Nas, and they also must memorize approximately nine hundred and eighty hadiths from Riyadh as Saliheen within the next two months. On top of this rigorous schedule they are required to attend their other regular classes. Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say, “O Allah, grant me benefit in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase my knowledge. Praise is to Allah in all circumstances…

So this schedule change at Dar al Mustafa has, in turn, unfortunately caused me to not frequent there as much. Hopefully I won’t make a habit of this because my heart draws me there and I feel such a sense of comfort when I am around the students and Ulama there. However I don’t have any difficulty staying busy with my studies here at Badr. So I am in a way, quite content with staying at here and studying every day. I still make it to the Thursday evening Mawlids of course and see the students and Shuyukh at the Jumu’ah prayer. Mentioning Badr I suppose brings me to the topic of what the classes and environment are like here at the school.

To begin, our classes’ first lesson started on the third of May with a class size of eleven under the instruction of our beloved teacher Ustadh Umar Yunus from Sudan. Shaykh Umar is from Darfur, Sudan; and he has been teaching Arabic and English for thirty eight years. He first taught in Sudan, then in Sana’a Yemen for ten years, and has been here in Tarim for two years now. My fellow classmates are from various different places around the globe and at different levels in Arabic (which definitely has its bonuses for helping those of us who are new to the language). In my class there are four Americans, four Canadians, one Malaysian, and one Singaporean, the eleventh student has since left but was replaced two days ago by another from Malaysia. We have a lot of fun in class joking in Arabic with our limited amount of vocabulary, trying to put sentences into their proper context with a bit of help from the teacher for filler words. Every day proves to be a new and exciting experience that is ever more eagerly anticipated than the prior.

We began our studies with the book titled ‘Kitabul Sifr’, which is an introductory Arabic book comprising of basic reading, writing and verb forms and was studied until May twenty eighth after which we began ‘Kitabul Issasi’ book number one of the series. This book has proven to be very enjoyable as it begins with vocabulary and quickly branches out into various stories and situations that are read and practiced alongside other exercises. The course seems very quick paced due to the compilation of two years of study into one. I have recently found it very tiring to memorize and retain so many new words and tend to stumble quite often on which words to use, when to use them, and in what context. Praise God though this doesn’t seem to deter me as I just remind myself that all knowledge is with God and He gives to whom He wills, how He wills. Even if I leave with no Arabic, than it is only by His Divine will, and there is a purpose and benefit that God Almighty has ordained. So I try to be as assiduous and sincere in my efforts as possible and constantly remind myself that I am here in Tarim to become closer to Him and the reward of these efforts likewise is with Him. As we are told in our most blessed Quran: In the case of those who say “Our Lord is Allah” and further stand straight and steadfast the angels descend on them (from time to time): “Fear ye not! (they suggest) nor grieve!” But receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss) that which ye were promised! (Surah 41:30)

As far as the size of the school, it is quite small and houses around nineteen students in four different classes, so it is quite a close knit environment. We all pray, eat, sleep and study amongst each other each and every day. I can’t begin to express my immense gratitude to Allah for allowing me to be in such a welcoming and loving environment in which I learn to get along with many different types of people.
I have class six days a week, from Saturday through Thursday. We pray our morning Fajr prayer at the school, and then we have Quran class immediately after which goes until six o’clock. At six o’clock we begin the Arabic class which goes until ten o’clock with a half hour breakfast break around seven o’clock.
The housing is adequate, with eight bedrooms: four students per room, four bathrooms, and home cooked meals three times a day. There is a new store directly across the street that has fresh oranges, apples, locally grown dates, fresh ginger, and pure fruit juice, (along with a ton of junk food and candy of course). So I guess one may say that student life in Tarim is a not as anticipated, however the environment here compensates for a great deal. There is monthly pool rental for student’s to relax and enjoy a break away from the book’s and studies.

So all in all, I anxiously anticipate what awaits me in the following month’s here, as so much has already happened in such a short period of time. There are definitely hardships as would be expected when one travels in anywhere in pursuit of sacred knowledge. If ones intention is sound and their heart is eager, all hardships are easily overcome with Almighty God’s permission. If one possesses a drop from the prophetic vision than all problems become insignificant and are seen as a preparatory stage for the problems we will face in our home countries on returning from such a blessed land.

I am currently compiling some basic student information (background, purpose’s behind coming to Tarim, and their views of what it is like here), which I plan to post so that you the reader, may see Tarim through more than my minimal experiences. I will also be posting contact information for Badr with times to call, names, phone numbers and who to speak with if one needs to speak English, God willing.

If there are any questions, comments, or suggestions as to what one would like me to write about in future posts, please feel free to Contact Me. Also if there is anything one would like to know about Tarim in general I will try my level best to assist in any way possible.

[Random thought while sitting outside of school before Fajr, watching the daylight appear]

The bright shining stars that sparkle in the vast, dark, night sky disappear as the day breaks; this however does not diminish the reality of their existence. Although hidden from the human eye, their grandeur still remains in the beautiful heavens above. The perfect and majestic beauty of God’s creation is manifest to those who are aware. The disguises’ of the heart cause an inability to appreciate His altruistic beauty and are veiled by that which we are often unable to perceive. This impedes our ability to understand the true purpose of the creation within its temporal existence. Although many are heedless of this reality and may even deny it, it does not diminish the Majestic reality by one iota.

I have recently received many requests for a new post. Although nothing in particular comes to mind at the moment, I will try to say a few words about my daily life here, and tell of recent news pertaining to my studies. My start date at Mahad Badr has been delayed a bit because they are waiting for a couple more students to enroll, (how long that will be they are not sure as yet), so I am staying busy with my private classes in the meanwhile, for we are told in the Quran, “Indeed Allah is with those who are patient”, so patient I must be. Currently my schedule includes three to four classes per day. The three daily classes are personal (teacher/student) classes at Dar al Mustafa.

The typical day starts with Fajr (Morning Prayer) at four twenty or so at Dar al Mustafa, I am still staying across the street from Dar al Mustafa at Habib Ali al Jifri’s guest house. It is such a great blessing to hear the Adhan and pray every prayer behind such pious and spiritually pure people. I have three regularly scheduled classes everyday except Thursday and Friday (it’s their weekend here in the Muslim world). One of the classes which I really enjoy is my second daily class; it is on the essentials of Islam (Fard Ayn). It is basic Shaafi’i Fiqh and incorporates Tasawuuf and Aqida as well. The text I am studying from is in Arabic; it is titled ‘Risalatul Jamiyyah’ ‘The Essentials of Islam’ by Ahmed Ibn Zayn Al-Habshi. My teacher is extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and is also a student at Dar al Mustafa. I translate the Arabic text on paper according to his explanation and re-teach it to him the next day, word for word; he also has me memorize the hadiths (traditions and sayings of Prophet Muhammad) there from. I am taking this basic class because I personally never had any concrete or sound teachings on the subject matter. In the past years I was taught that different schools of thought were not to be followed individually and I became quite confused as to what was the correct way to perform certain acts of worship. Many of these teachings were mixed together, different, incomplete, and not from sound sources. When I think back on this I am reminded of a nice poem which really struck a chord with me. I was introduced to it not long ago by a good friend Khalil Moore, who has helped me greatly with my journey to Tarim and otherwise. It is a poem by a very close lifelong friend of Khalil’s by the name of Aaron Haroon Sellars, and it reads as follows.

MUSLIM SALAD

Before Islam I was lost
And after Islam I was lost
Between this and that group
Was I tossed

A bookstore Shaykh
Not even worth a dollar
With do-it-yourself Islam
Who needs a scholar?

Tossed so much
Might as well been a salad
I was quoting Hadeeth
But my wudu was invalid

If I can’t purify my outer
Then what about my inner?
Piles of books
But still a big sinner

What I know, doesn’t show
And now I know better
That’s what happens without the spirit
And only the letter

So attach myself I must
To scholars with unbroken chains
For this is the means
By which pure knowledge remains

My other two daily classes are one on one (Arabic), with the teacher and me. I have one in the morning and another at noon. I am currently studying basic grammar and sentence structure as well as the text of Kitabul Isassi, (which is the main book they use at Badr). I absolutely love learning this language. I get so happy when I am able to recognize words, and/or put together jumbled, simple sentences when speaking to others. I was testing the waters, and decided to try a separate grammar course which proved to be quite difficult for me (it is a course that is not given until the third month at Badr); so I decided to take a step back for the time being, and withdraw from it. The teachers and students here are so knowledgeable and amazingly dedicated that it would be a shame to waste their time if I was unable to give the course work my full attention. My schedule is quite busy, Praise God, from morning until night with classes and studying. I very much look forward to starting at Badr soon because I will have more in class time, as well as it being a more secluded environment for me to study in, and focus on my Arabic.

Aside from all of the classes and study time, there are a few other activities. Shaykh Yahya gives a class in English on Ahlul Bayt (the family of the Prophet Muhammad), and Shaykh Abdul Karim’s (a teacher at Sunni Path Academy online) classes are on Shaafi’i Fiqh and the life story of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). Then there are the eagerly anticipated Thursday night mawlids which are very spiritually uplifting. Visiting Shuyukh as well as the amazing Habib Umar always give really good, heartfelt talks, with a translation given by Abdul Karim. Afterwards, many of the westerners go down the street from Dar al Mustafa to the grade school’s basketball court and play ball with the local Tarimies. It’s a great chance to get some exercise, share a few laughs, and get to know one another a bit better after a week of hard work. It has been a good six or seven years since I last played basketball, so it was quite fun for me to get back on the court. Every other Thursday there is also a meeting that was established for the westerners in order that we may get to know each other a bit better, share stories, interests, advice, concerns etc…(kind of a support group if you will). It was a nice chance to get to know one another a bit better, and I look forward to our next meeting. Fridays are always laid back and relaxing, they remind me of Sundays back home when I was a child. Everyone heads off to Jumu’ah around eleven thirty or so. Afterward the streets are lined with students, and Shuyukh, Fathers, Mothers and children all dressed in their “Friday’s best” happily conversing with one another. It is tradition here for the students to get ice cream after Jumu’ah from the local markets and corner stores, which definitely adds to the appeal of a day off.

All is well in the blessed city of Tarim. It has finally dawned on me that I am part of this place, as I get to know and befriend more and more smiling and happy faces, as I now know how to navigate my way around much better, and as I am settling in with a routine (until I start at Badr). My love and appreciation for this place and these people, continues to grow day by day. It is hard to believe that I have been here for a month already as the time is passing very quickly. It is just another reminder that I must keep renewing my intention and strive harder for the attainment of knowledge.

This was a thought that I had whilst walking alongside the road on my way to Dar-al-Mustafa after a class that Shaykh Yahya Rhodus Gave on The Importance of respecting and loving Ahlu Bayt (the family of the Prophet).

We cannot be gratuitous for God’s favors, except that it is by another favor given through His Mercy; and what a mercy is the love which He has allowed us to attain. The ultimate manifestation of such a love is unto God alone. As He, the Most High sends down the rain to purify the earth, so does His love rain down to purify our hearts. For we are told by our Prophet (p.b.u.h.) “Love God because He feeds you with His bounties and because of God’s love, love me, and because of my love, love my family.” What a beautiful way to express our gratitude, draw close to Him, and show love to one another, through loving the Prophet and his family. May God let the drops of rain overflow and flood our hearts with love for God’s Beloved Muhammad and his noble descendants, and may this love spill over onto one another. May we attain such a love that our hearts be washed and cleansed of such diseases as hatred and envy, for true happiness is found only through such.

Not a lot of time has passed since my last journal entry, but I feel so much has happened that I must put down a few words. Over the past two weeks there has been a lot of quiet time and patient waiting for the start of classes. I went to Badr Arabic Language School and was introduced to one of the teachers and the Mudeer (principal). We filled out some paperwork to get me enrolled to start classes on the twentieth of this month; I also should be moving into their student housing around that time. Shaykh Yahya Rhodus and many other new found friends have continued to offer their endless generosity and assistance in making me comfortable and facilitating matters for me; God has truly blessed me to be around such amazing people. So if all goes accordingly this will be my new schedule, God willing. This comes as a pleasant surprise because initially I heard that my classes wouldn’t begin until May at the very earliest. In order to fill time and stay busy, a couple of private classes have been facilitated for me as well in order that I may get a head start on my Arabic.

At the beginning of the week I started a beginner class in Arabic which entails learning basic vocabulary and grammar. I really enjoy this class as my teacher is extremely complementing, helpful, and patient with any and every question I may have. It is such a satisfying feeling to learn new words and sentences and actually be able to use them. There are times where I catch myself getting slightly frustrated but then see the ridiculousness in such. I just have to remind myself that everything I learn and experience is from God, and if I don’t get it right away, I just need to accept that I am not meant to and need to work harder at achieving my goals for the sake of God. The wonder and beauty of studying in such a place as Tarim is that I am constantly reminded of the importance of relying on God and turning to Him in both times of ease and of hardship; in doing this there can be no disappointment with the outcome, whatever it may be. For if study is done diligently, correctly, and for His sake then there is only reward and good for this as it is in itself a worship of God. The most important thing in studying and acquiring knowledge is to remember one’s purpose and keep the intention pure, as we are told in the Quran: “Those who have earnestly striven in Our cause, We shall surely guide them to Our ways” (29:69), what more could one hope for than Divine guidance? I also began a private class studying my first Arabic text, “Essentials of Islam” by Ahmed ibn Zayn al-Habshi. It is a book on the very essentials of Fiqh, and it also inculcates Tasawuuf and Aqida. I was taught previously, (what was to me) a quite confusing type of Fiqh (Islamic rulings) where everything of the four schools are basically mixed together into one. It was very difficult for me to differentiate between what was needed and what was correct. Therefore I need to go back to the basics and reestablish my knowledge from the rulings of one school in order that I may have a sound understanding and base for myself, and feel more secure in its practice. My teachers at Dar al Mustafa are so incredibly selfless that it really gives me a sense of appreciation to God for them. The teachers I am currently blessed with are also students at Dar al Mustafa, which means they have an extremely rigorous and demanding schedule, yet they dedicate their time to me purely for the sake of God. I also started attending classes in English given by Shaykh Abdul Kareem (Sunni Path) and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus four times a week. They are on Fiqh and the Seerah (life story) of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.).

Other news aside from the classes: I have a new roommate that arrived this past Saturday, April seventh, his name is Ali and he’s from Chicago, (a very kind friend whom I seem to have quite a bit in common with). We have spent some time going around Tarim together and visiting various different places, (it’s a bit easier with him around as well because he has some previous training in the language). Many of the places we went to have a very deep, historical and spiritual significance, but this would take far too much time to research and explain here, (perhaps in the future if God wills it). Very many of the Masjids, buildings and structures here have such an ancient and simplistic beauty to them. We went to Masjid Mihdar which has the tallest mud brick minaret in the world, (all mentioned sites should be in the picture gallery section). We also visited Masjid al Haddad where we were accompanied by four Malaysian brothers. We met them at Masjid Mihdar and they also wanted to go to Masjid al Haddad, so we all shared a taxi. This was a very beautiful Masjid. The door was locked so we had to search out the man with the key, and were only allowed a limited amount of time. Nonetheless it was a very nice opportunity to be able to see it. After that we went to Masjid Ba Alawi. This was by far my favorite Masjid I have ever been to. I felt such a connection and sense of belonging there. It is very simplistic and ancient as well, with an inspiring and heartfelt history. There is one wall there that is original and over a thousand years old, and the rest of the structure is eight hundred or so years old. It is quite a long walk to get there but I decided to go back a couple of times since, it is a very quiet and tranquil place to reflect, pray, and study. On Tuesday night after the Isha prayer Shaykh Yahya took Ali, two others and I on a guided visitation to the graveyard of Zanbal. This graveyard has around seventy (if I recall correctly) of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) buried in it, thousands of descendants of the Prophet, and over two hundred thousand Awliya (friends of God) ie…great scholars and saints throughout our history. It was a very spiritual experience as we were told of the greatness and character of many of these people of Islam. Shaykh Yahya then brought us all to visit the Ba Alawi Masjid, which was also quite a privilege because we learned a bit of history about it. It is Thursday night now so we had a Mawlid at Dar al Mustafa, (I love this place), after which, Shaykh Yahya took many of us to Masjid Haddad for yet another. There were many visiting Shuyukh from surrounding areas that came to visit and speak. I must say yet again, what a blessed place this city of Tarim is.

So that’s just about all of the highlights I can think of right now. I have quite an exciting future here in Tarim and I enjoy it more each day that passes and eagerly anticipate what is yet to come.

This thought came to me as I was sitting in Masjid Dar al Mustafa studying my Arabic vocabulary. The sunlight shone through my transparent pen and cast a bright blue light upon my shirt.

‘When the light of the sun touches a prism, it creates a multicolored rainbow effect within and further projects this awe inspiring array to its surroundings. It is not the prism itself that changes, but rather the effect of the magnificent sunlight which creates this beauty. Similarly in a human being, when touched by the light of Islam, it is not they who cause the change. Rather it is a manifestation of the light of God which instills itself inwardly, and then projects the beauty of ihsan outwardly. For this is a mercy from ones Lord which can only be known experientially, and only by His infinite wisdom is it gifted.’

My fondness for this place and these people seems to grow with each passing day, one feels a sense of closeness to God here in this blessed city, (they call it the second Medina). Everyone on the street, in the Masjid, and at the suq (marketplace) is not a bit hesitant to give a smile and a greeting, they hold true to the tradition of our Prophet where he says “Even a smile in the face of others is a charity”. It is very rare to hear of a crime being committed here; I was told that a year and a half back or so that some kids tried to steal a motorcycle and it was a huge surprise and shock to everyone.

This is also the month of the birth of our Beloved Prophet so the blessed mawlids are in abundance during this time of the year. A mawlid is a celebration in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, where nasheeds are sung, talks are given, and prayers are said. They are such a reminder to one of the greatness of our Beloved Prophet and what true love these people have for him (p.b.u.h.). They also have a mawlid every Thursday after the Maghrib (evening) prayer throughout the whole year. There have been many in the past couple of days that I have been fortunate enough to attend, praise God. This past Monday there was a very big one at Dar-al-Mustafa after the Fajr prayer where Habib Umar and many visiting scholars spoke, (Shaykh Abdul Karim from Sunni Path Academy did the translating). A famous nasheed singer from Morocco by the name of Abdel Salam al-Hassani was visiting as well (such a kind hearted man, whom I was graced to have breakfast with the following day). It was beautiful, and the talk by Habib Umar was unexplainably heart clenching, such an encouragement for me to learn the language, God willing. Then there was another mawlid at Habib Umar’s house at lunch time which I was invited to, and yet another at the Masjid down the street later on, (all in one day), and again the following day there was one through the streets of Tarim after the Maghrib prayer, then there was a huge mawlid held in Seiyoun on Thursday night. We packed a taxi with twelve people for the half hour drive.

Last night, (Thursday) it seems I have finally gotten the dreaded upset stomach which I am told everyone gets at least once when becoming acclimated to a new place. So I have been relaxing around the house today where the washroom is nearby.

To describe the atmosphere of Tarim a bit, from an outsider’s perspective who doesn’t speak the language yet; the people are very kind and welcoming throughout. The roads (other than the main roads), from a westerners viewpoint would not even be described as such. They are rutty, bumpy, and narrow to narrower, winding and weaving dirt roads, most of which are worse than the country roads one sees at a state park back home in the marked “low maintenance road”. Family goats, chickens, and roosters roam around freely Most people ride and drive motorcycles, (I have seen families of five on a small 125cc bike), and the traffic rules cease to exist, it is quite amusing to watch. Every taxi ride is like a safari trip, especially through the alleyways of the main suq area. There is zero road rage though, whereas back home people get cursed at for driving too fast or too slow. The kids run around in the yards and streets playing freely. Most of the houses and buildings here are made of mud brick which keeps them quite cool, (the color of the buildings matches the surrounding landscape) and some have open roof rooms/courtyards inside. The majority of the people here are extremely poor, yet very happy. They live for God and are quite content with what they are provided, it seems. One may term this as “simple” but I tend to see this word as having negative connotations. The Adhan (call to prayer) is heard five times a day and is so beautiful to listen to out on the streets. Nasheeds are played from storefronts and street venders as a nice reminder to many. At night the streets quiet down and people settle in. The wild dogs come down from the caves in the surrounding mountains at night to scavenge the streets; they bark a lot but don’t ever hurt anyone.

I have temporarily relocated and been welcomed into Habib Ali al-Jifri’s home, what a blessed home to stay in indeed. I feel a bit guilty actually because I am being pampered so much, hot meals of wonderful food, private bathroom with a shower, and praise God I am directly across the street from Dar-al-Mustafa, (God has truly blessed me with such a visit). Shaykh Yahya has been such a Godsend and has really worked hard to make me feel comfortable and at home, may God ennoble his blessed soul. It seems that all of the paperwork has been completed for Badr Arabic School, and to my surprise, it seems I am starting class in two weeks. I will be staying in the student housing there, which is quite close walking distance to Dar-al-Mustafa, (about fifteen minutes). I really look forward to getting my studies in Arabic underway. I eagerly anticipate my lunches and dinners here at the house as it gives me an opportunity to practice and learn various words and phrases, (at times it looks like we are doing a bit of role playing). I feel positively optimistic about learning the language, as the students at Dar-al-Mustafa and many at Badr are extremely dedicated, so I don’t foresee getting help with my studies to be a problem whatsoever. The students have a rigorous schedule that they take very seriously, (sleep little and study hard). I have made many friends already and I thank God so much for allowing me such an amazing opportunity such as this in order that I may strive to please Him. This place is a beautiful hidden jewel of spirituality in the middle of the desert. May God bring such a journey as this to fruition, and I pray its outcome is beneficial to all. I am still working on a good way to post pictures, (currently it takes twenty minutes to load one page on the internet, and windows is all in Arabic) and it will be figured out soon God willing. Until next time….Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullah.

The long and exciting anticipation of embarking upon this amazing journey has at once come to dawn, the dream has now become a reality. I wanted to start this first entry off by thanking all of those whom God has used to facilitate and make this trip happen, thank you all for the love, support, and assistance in my making this journey happen. The actuality of this trip had seemed quite surreal until the moment when the airplane lifted its wings from the JFK runway, on its way to Abu Dhabi. I am now on my way!

The path of seeking knowledge for God’s sake is unfortunately all too rare nowadays. It should be one which is highly desired and/or sought after by all Muslims, especially in this day and age with so much confusion and disagreement. As was said by Hasan al Basri, “Nothing which Allah has created is greater, in terms of its reward, than seeking knowledge, neither Hajj, nor Umrah [lesser pilgrimage], nor Jihad, nor Zakat, nor emancipating slaves. If knowledge had a physical image it would be more beautiful than the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, and a magnificent throne”.

Being reminded of this I felt a sudden and forceful urge, a need, to turn to God in gratitude and thankfulness. I was so immensely thankful that He had answered my prayers, and given me the amazing opportunity to tread in the footsteps of the righteous, (a task which I am by far not worthy of). I have slept very little in these past days of flying and layovers; all the while I am quite at ease and without much grogginess or lag, (although my attention span seems a bit low). I could talk about and explain the flying details, although that would be all too uneventful and mundane. Although I will mention that the flight over the seas gave me some much appreciated time to read, write and reflect.

I was fortunate enough to accompany Shaykh Yahya Rhodus on the flight from Abu Dhabi into Seiyoun, Yemen (he was on his return from international travel, which I had heard might prove to be the case); this made my arrival into Yemen very pleasant and easy, (and what better company could one hope for) glory to God. We were greeted at the airport by two very beautiful brothers who drove us to Shaykh Yahya’s home, where I have been given such loving hospitality and catered to as if I were someone of great importance.

Although we only drove through the countryside and the city of Tarim, (I have not yet been around to see the sites and such). There is a serene and simplistic beauty about this place which leaves one with a sense of awe. Just being here by itself leaves me with an immense feeling of unexplainable happiness. There proved to be many tests and hardships in the planning stages of this trip, but relying on God and knowing that all is by His divine will, leaves one with no real worries. As I sit here now writing this entry, all of those hardships seem as if they were ancient history anyhow. The help and selfless assistance of Khalil Moore, Kazim Beg and many other very kind hearted friends made matters very easy as well. May Allah make the knowledge come easy and the hardships be overcome by turning to Him for guidance and truth.

So here I am in this blessed city of Tarim, and it is definitely a God send, my thanks and gratuity to God could never be enough. For now I must situate myself and delve into the life of a seeker of knowledge, God willing.