My jawn!

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

Date Palms

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beloved Al Ikhwaan!!!

I pray Allah that these words find you in the Best of Health and Happiness and Enjoying Abundant Blessings from Our Saviour Allah. I am happy to write that I am the same. Al Hamdulilah!

Beloved Ikhwaan, you know I am a proponent of eating fruit where you can leave the seeds in a land that is fertile and minerally rich, right? Well, I was walking down one of my regular promenades and Wallahi! There was a small orchard of cherry trees, where I had, indubitably, sat and enjoyed my third favorite! Allahu Akbar!!!

I had never even seen a Cherry Tree before. So that was what I noticed first. The novelty of the tree itself! I went off the road to get a better look and actually FEEL it.

So, as I was investigating this beautiful specimen of arbor, I made my way up from the reddish bark of the trunk, to the limbs/branches to the leaves and on to the fruit, which were some cherries! It was an epiphanous experience.

So, I remember watching the Jackson 5 movie and Angie, as Katie remarked something like she never thought she would see a palm tree in her lifetime!

These types of statements resonate strongly with me. I lived on a street were there were three different varieties of Palm Trees growing just on my block!

None were date palms, however they used to bear a similar fruit that were a bit rounder and orange instead of yellow. Haqim told me our Brother Neighbor used to eat them. So, although they are not nearly as fleshy as dates, it was rather sweet.

You will not believe some of things I’ve seen. I dhakir and Al Hamdulilah for being chosen to be Muslimah!

I can share some of Allah’s Blessings with you all, My Beloved Ikhwaan, In Sha Allah.

If you are able, purchase some DATES from your local market. They will be in the produce section, most likely on the shelf, as I have never seen them in a grocery store unless they are dried.

Make sure that you get the ones that have SEEDS.

Although, the correct term is STONE.

I am still studying why we, Muslims, refer to the seed of a date palm, unlike any other fruit, as a STONE.

The article below refers to them as “bones,” kinda creepy. I prefer seed or pit to that.

The best fruit or food period that I have ever had in my life was that of a date palm.

I happened to visit the Farmer’s Market during the time of year when there were FRESH Dates, not dried. available. My only regret was that I did not purchase them all, as I have never again been so lucky.

Although, I was walking in New Orleans and came across some fruit bearing date palm trees. Of course, I was not physically fit enough to scale the tree and attain access to the choice fruit at the top of the tree but I found some good ones!

People were driving by, probably thinking I belonged in Bellevue, but I just shined them on as would anyone else who has the intelligence to pick up the gold that everybody else is trampling underfoot .

So, if you can’t find them locally (you may have to visit that peculiar store with the statues or pictures of elephants), try Amazon.

So, I have never taken advice from anyone except my great-grandmother when it comes to planting and I have not personally tried this method but plan to as I have not come across any palm leaves growing up in my stomping grounds.

How To Grow A Date Palm:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fabiosa.com/amp/lh-lbmkt-7289-auspp-pbdar-date-palm-from-a-stone-how-to-grow-an-exotic-plant-at-home/

My #2

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum My Beautiful Black Bebies!

I feel like Queen Mother for real. Nearing fifty and bout to blow up the spot! Yall not hearing me!

This BEACH LIFE IS LIITTTTT!!!! Me and Ibni are on The Fourth Day of our Celebration of Eid! With no End In SIGHT!!!

So crazy because there were like five holidays all on the same day but EID outshines them all!

We’re gonna just keep celebrating until the reason becomes secondary and just dovetails into a General AL HAMDULILLAH!!! Until next year!!!

I mean really. If you have to have a reason to say Al Hamdulillah, something is definitely wrong upstairs…

Anyway, if you are new you probably don’t know this but I am a music lover. I mean, I’m in the

class of music lovers.

So, I have been telling anyone who would listen that NWA ruined any chance of hip-hop redeeming herself from an humiliating foundation of plagiarism.

What, with their egregious use of foul language, glorification of street life, i.e. prostitution and whoremongering; gangbanging and guns; and the proliferation of illegal drugs permeating the Black community) not to mention the blatant disrespect, mockery and degradation of all Black Queens, they singlehandedly ensured whatever redeeming qualities that lay dormant in this burgeoning art form would never rise to the surface.

Enter my #2.

Little did I expect when Eric B is President dropped that my GOAT would be firmly established in the person of RAKIM ALLAH.

Nearly forty plus years later, he has maintained his position unchallenged. So much so that the idea of a Runner-Up never entered my mind until I heard this song via the music video by BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS, so adeptly fronted by one Mister KRISNA PARKER better known to the world as BLASTMASTER, KRS ONE.

After seeing this, the idea of a Number Two was so obvious.

I mean, you would have had to bear witness to The Golden Era of Hip-Hop to fully grasp why Rakim was in a class by himself also the unnecessarriness of a Runner-Up.

Everyone else was on equal footing. Chuckie, J and yes Kris, were tied when it came to consciousness, skill, flow, wordplay and musical production. At least in my humble opinion.

But time makes all things manifest, and the cream has indeed risen to the top.

Brother Kris may never win the accolades of his peers in the form of a statue representing their acknowledgment, if not respect, for his craft (Grammy) but his longevity and permeability speak for themselves.

I’m from LA and the quality of hip hop out of The West is embarrassing. Pac was the only one saying anything and that was only half of his discography. The other half was almost as bad as his predecessors. Worse, he’s originally from NYC.

I wasn’t feeling Nip, but I think I was alone in my criticism. He had some worthwhile product. I think he resonated with his age group, which is impressive enough.

Quite simply, the quantity of emcees spitting positivity hailing from the other side of this Lake of Fire to be, dwarfs my coast to the extent that you can’t even find them.

Anyway, shout out to My Brother, KRS. If I may, ALLAH HAS THE BEST NAMES. I KRISEN YOU

K A R I M

Update

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

As Salaamu Alaikum Ikhwani!!!

I really just wanted to remind you how important it is to know how to sew.

At the very least you should always have a small portable/travel sewing kit with needle and thread that you can get at the grocery store so that you can mend seams, replace buttons and hem.

Also, update on my personal life: I’m doing well. Happy and healthy. I was able to start my Prison Ministry. Al Hamdulillah! Zawji and a good former friend of mine are sporting.