Hello, I'm new

Salaam alaikum sister,

I'm sorry you feel like others are sowing seeds of doubt.
I'm sure their intentions are pure and are only trying to help you.

Be careful.

Pray. Learn Salat. Visit a Masjid. Talk to an Imam. Talk to sisters, not just the brothers. Talk to women in Islam.

P.S. When you refer to Allah, you don't say 'peace be upon him'. That's a term we reserve for our Prophets! The term we use is Subhana wa ta'ala (or SWT) which means Glorified and Exalted Be He. 

Welcome Sarah!

Tell me about yourself!

MrsNabil wrote: Whoa! Median income of $76K? That's almost twice the median income of MO! Average rent of $905! (I only pay $425 now.) But, if it's a good place, we'll look into it. It would be nice to live in a Muslim-friendly community. Nabil is the equivalent of a CPA; he needs to take intensive English classes to work on his grammar, and then tax laws for the US. His Graduate degree would be in Business Admin. I'm the one who is into software implementation and training, along with programming. [IMG]smileys/smiley2.gif" align="middle" />I have a Bachelor's in Spanish, but I want to go to Columbia Univ. and get an MS in International Relations Negotiation and Settlement. Having been to Palestine and the Middle East, I really believe that something has to be done about the Zionists. I hope to make a difference... but, perhaps that's just a dream. It will be very hard to have both of us at university at the same time, along with paying for my son's college. Thank you for your guidance!

Yep, all neighboring cities of Ballwin, like Town and Country, Creve Coeur, and Manchester have a good and well diversified Muslim population. Town and Country is a bit more upscale but you can enjoy a very good life in Ballwin and surrounding cities. There is a new Masjid in overland which is very close to Creve Coeur.
In contrast, if you are in Chicago, you will probably not get a 2 bedroom apartment for $900.00 in the same kinds of neighborhood as in MO.

MrsNabil wrote: ... when I hear something from a Muslim brother/sister here that challenges my faith in my husband's piety or honesty, I do get very upset.

[IMG]smileys/smiley1.gif" align="middle" /> Well, consider this scenario as also part of the test and a way of Satan trying to create a feeling of dislike towards other Muslims. So if that happens again, put a smile on your face and ignore the attack to move on with your life. These small things are not worth your time, and they should not create a hindrance in your way.

MrsNabil wrote: We do plan on moving to a larger city. We both want to go back to school for our graduate degrees, so we are looking at the Chicago area or Washington DC/Arlington County. I thought Chicago would be good because 70% of the Arabs living there are Palestinian. And, I'm originally from the Chicago suburbs, and my son and my mother still live there.

This is an extremely good idea, and I actually forgot to emphasize on it. Education is super important for Nabil to help him quickly integrate in the American Social Setup and become a positive contributor to his new country. He will get a good respectable job with a graduate degree and will be able to strike a good work life balance in contrast to a situation where doing odd jobs for a longer time will wear him off and create stress and frustration. If he has any interest in software and tech then I will most definitely recommend a pursuit of B.S. in Computer Sciences/IT. Good money, easy life!

Chicago seems a logically good choice if you have family there; however, it may be costly to live in Chicago when you don't have a good paying job.

I am not sure about your personal finance situation but do consider Ballwin, MO. They have a very good Islamic Community Center, good diversified Muslim community and affordable housing compared to Chicago. Ballwin has an extremely low crime rate and the area is nice and clean with a couple of good halal meat and middle eastern grocery stores.
There are good colleges where you and your husband can get enrolled to affordable tuition fees etc. It's only 5 hours from Chicago.

Let me know if you need more information on Darul Salam Masjid and Islamic community in Ballwin.

All the best to you.


Edited by ll0OoO0ll - 20 May 2014 at 7:37pm