About the Blogger

Hi there! My name is Nur Banu. I am 25. I have been writing quirky bios about myself for over a decade so I feel like I am out of material at this point.

It feels like the movie montage of idiosyncrasies lovers give of their now-dead partners at funerals…

“Nur Banu… [sniff sniff] we all know she loved 3000-piece puzzles, listened to audiobooks while she ran, and always complained about cleaning the litter box. Up close and personal though, she was fierce, and opinionated, and always came up with the most infuriating philosophical thought experiments. [sob] I miss her. I know we all do.”

Something like that. Lots of crying and sniveling, followed by a small group discussion and Scrabble tournament in honor of the deceased. “She would have wanted us to laugh.”

Of course I kid since Islamic funerals aren’t like this at all. Nobody goes up to make a speech. There is a congregational funeral prayer and then you are in the dirt, from whence you came. 😂

About the Blog

Said Nursi, my favorite scholar, says, "Minds should be enlightened with science, and hearts need to be illumined with religion.” This has been, and is, my approach to belief. It's dynamic, fresh, always growing. There are questions and doubt and more questions. It's existential, it's fundamental. It's necessary. It's rational. This blog will encompass some of that. I'll share some of my questions and the answers I find. An ongoing discussion if you will. Not only between God and myself, but also between me and you. 

About the Title

Prophet Jonah's story is one that's pretty popular. Some things happen, defiance exists, and he ends up in the belly of a big fish. It is in the belly of the fish that he makes the prayer, "There is no God but you. Glory be unto you! Indeed I was among the wrongdoers." It is there, in the dark of the night, the turbulence of the sea, and the belly of the fish, with no hope and no power, that he realizes his own place in the world. It is in that moment of reflection that he understands the secret of the universe and existence. And that's where I'd like to be. In that moment of reflection and ultimate clarity. God willing.