my school

Dear Mom,

I am taking a class at my online Islamic university about death, the grave, afterlife, and the Day of Judgement. I love my professor, and I took a class last semester with him. The class is so interesting and I am loving every minute of it. My favorite part is learning the signs of the Hour. Though it can be challenging. I am a little worried, because I took a class with this same professor last semester and his final test (which was 75% of my grade!) was one of the most challenging tests I've ever taken. It was difficult because we have to know the chain of narrations and sources for each "saying" or dogma, I think would be the term. In Islam we must have authentic evidences for EVERYTHING from the religion. And in this there are chains of narrations upon trustworthy and pious predessors where each dogma came about and from where. There are specific and strict criteria on what makes a source authentic. And in this univeristy we must memorize them, which I find challenging, hopefully it become easier as I get used to it. In school previously, I was used to just memorizing the content. I guess that is Islam though. SubhanAllah.

Here's a video that is short but pretty moving, similar to what I am learning in my class...

I am mostly attending this university to gain the knowledge for myself and to pass it on to my future children. That is what is most important to me in this life. I also have been thinking about teaching maybe in an Islamic school. Such as my local mosque. I am tired of the beauty industry. It is so superficial and artificial, and everyday feel less and less like I fit in there. I think I have done my time in this cosmetic world, and am now a different and much better person than the materialist girl who started there out of high school. Alhamdulliah.