For Amani

Amani asked and I have a hard time saying no to sisters but you don’t have to continue reading if you don’t want to.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before? Drove in NYC.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t make new year’s resolutions, but I did make a Ramadan dua list for the things I want or want to change before next Ramadan.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes.

5. What countries did you visit? Canada

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? More patience.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? None specific but the day my grandmother died and the hot summer day I was locked out of the house for more than 5 hours waiting for a locksmith will probably stay with me.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing Juz Amma and starting on Juz Tabarak.

9. What was your biggest failure? Conveying to my family especially mother why I declined to attend my grandmother’s wake and memorial service.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? A bout of food poisoning and had my remaining wisdom teeth extracted.

11. What was the best thing you bought? IzzyMo’s artwork, a jilbab from here, and an AlMaghrib hoodie.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The people that voted to elect Ingrid Mattson as president of ISNA.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I was appalled by the comments from the Mufti of Australia and the Pope but was not depressed.

14. Where did most of your money go? Bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? AlMaghrib seminars, seeing the ever-friendly sisters in Ottawa, Ghana beating the US in the World Cup, Alonso winning his second World Championship, and wanting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a group of sisters after seeing the IMAX film.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006? Recitations of Juz Amma by Haroon Baqai or Tawfeeq as-Sayegh.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Reading Quran and voluntary ibaadat (acts of worship).

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Talking, blogging, and road-raging

20. How will you be spending Eid/Christmas/Hanukkah? Eating and chilling with the people I like.

21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Yes, with the Quran.

23. What was your favorite TV program? A good F1 race, or good tennis match, or a good futbol match with Spanish announcers.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t think so.

25. What was the best book you read? An Introduction to the Sciences of the Quran by Abu Ammar Yasir Qadhi

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? That even after many years, I can still recall the lyrics to songs I listened to as a child.

27. What did you want and get? Some new clothes, a bike, and a promotion.

28. What did you want and not get? A pious husband that is a virgin and not presently married. I’m not desperate, so it’s not that serious, looking for a good wali, first.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Ghosts of Rwanda, Road to Guantanamo, One Day in September, and Srebrenica: A Cry From the Grave come to mind. Also seeing the IMAX film Kilimanjaro at the Canadian Museum of War.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Nothing, had my annual physical, went to an AlMaghrib class, same age as Amani.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Knowing for sure if my grandmother accepted Islam before she died.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Comfort is in.

33. What kept you sane? Reflecting on the mercy and blessings of Allah, the daily adkhaar, dua, and blogging.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? The Michelin Man.

36. Who did you miss? Several close Muslim sisters that made hijrah or moved away.

37. Who was the best new person you met? I’ve met a lot of good people in person and many more good ones through the blogisphere.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. The application and implementation of this hadeeth is difficult but if you can master it, you would have achieved something great.

39. What political issue irked you the most? The attack on niqabis.