Islam is a faith like no other in that we celebrate acts of worship. Our main two celebrations, Eid, both happen around two (of five) of the pillars of faith: fasting and pilgrimage.
(more…)Tag: Islam
-
لم أكن أعتقد أن الانتقال للعيش في الغرب سيكون صعب، بالأخص أنني لست غريبة على الغرب فلقد عشت أيام طفولتي هنا حتى بداية المرحلة الثانوية وسافرت لدول غربية مرارًا وتكرارًا وعملت مع جهات غربية لسنوات ودرست الماجستير في دولة غربية الخ ولذلك أعتقدت أن الانتقال سيكون شئ سهل وسلس وربما بديهي في التعود. ولكن الواقع كان مختلف تماماً فالاستقرار في الغرب من أصعب التحديات وأثقلها حملاً دون تجاربي مع الحياة. وربما من ما زاد من الأمر صعوبة وبرز الفرق بين الحياة في الغرب والشرق هو تأثير الجائحة والتي جعلتنا نختبئ بين جدران منزلنا لأشهر ونعيش في مساحة ضيقة ولكن في ذات الوقت مساحة مريحة تحمينا من أي شي دخيل او غريب علينا ولذلك أصبح لدي تعود على “منطقة الراحة” أكثر من أي وقت صعبة
(more…) -
The title to this post in a line from one of my favourite songs Warrior//Worrier by Outlandish. I was driving on the highway after dropping my daughter at school a few weeks back and as I was driving I was scanning my head for trying to think of something to listen to that would give my spirit a spark. This song came to my mind and I turned it on; from the first line it was like it was the missing piece that tied so many life experiences together into a nice package that made it all make sense. That’s the beauty of art – something I have come to really appreciate in these « panorama » days of our lives.
(more…) -
We live in a world full of opportunity and with each opportunity dozens of options. In the midst of all these choices I have also begun to notice a culture of control, rather than having these options expand our horizons and provide a new sense of freedom, instead I find it nails down our limbs and limits our expectations. We now only expect what we want and are almost never willing to try something different or do something new outside the boundaries of our own expectations.
-
منذ فترة كتبت الخاطرة التالية: “ليس هناك أصعب من مسامحة نفسك .. وليس هناك أسوأ من الندم”، لا أدري ما هو الأمر عند الرجال ولكن أعرف أن بالنسبة لنا نحن النساء نمر بمراحل عصيبة نتسائل هل نحن نستحق ما نحصل عليه؟ وهل كل ما نفعله كافياً؟ وأهم سؤال… هل هناك ضوء في نهاية النفق؟ والإجابة العاقلة هي بكل تأكيد نعم دائماً هناك أمل ولكن في بعض الأحيان من الصعب على العقل إقناع القلب بهذا الإيمان في الله في هذه الظروف الصعبة (more…)
-
I love reminders. As humans we are forgetful and we need to be reminded of things we already know. Some of the most beautiful and heartwarming reminders can be found along #Libya’s coastal road. This is my favourite reminder:
http://instagram.com/p/sDlqImycNS/ -
I have been into photography for about three years now. I love my DSLR camera and cannot go on a new adventure (no matter how small) without it. I don’t pretend to be a photographer, because I am not, but looking through the camera lens trying to capture something I pictured in my head is something I love.
Over the past three years I have come to realize how amazing human sight is. No matter how hard I try pictures never seem to be as beautiful as nature, especially since I do not edit any of the pictures I take.
Last night there was a power outage (hence the late post) which I have reason to suspect was widespread across the country. I stepped outside on the porch and the sky was gleaming with hundreds of stars. I didn’t even bother going to get my camera because it would never be able to catch the sparkle. I walked around the yard in the dark hoping I wouldn’t trip on anything with my chin high up.
And this verse came to mind:
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
-
The first day of fasting has now passed and I must say time flew by today! After a productive morning making arrangements so that I would have Ramadan to myself this year with no other obligations I returned home a few hours after midday. I took a nap for a couple of hours and woke up refreshed to the call to Asr prayer.
After praying Asr I had a bit of time to continue reading where I left off the night before until I got called in to the kitchen to help with making Iftar. Thank God we don’t cook more than we can eat at our house and food is definitely not the main focus of Ramadan which is something I appreciate given how I see other people prioritize the kitchen in the Holy Month. In the midst of the potato slicing I stepped away from the kitchen to watch one of the few programs I have been following for many years now, Khawater with Ahmed Shugairi. The program for me has been one that has given me hope for the Islamic world and has always been simply inspirational.
-
I didn’t realize it at first but I have been impatiently waiting for Ramadan, not consciously waiting but for some time I could feel the disparity in my heart for an opportunity to start over and my mind for some clarity. A couple of nights ago I read that one should start Ramadan with the intensity that in which they ended the last and so I cuddled in the calmness of my grandparents’ home I took out my iPad and started read Surat Al-Zumar. This Surah is one that doesn’t make me cry, it makes me weep into a flood of tears; the main verses that stand out for me are the ones that speak about forgiveness of God.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
That was what I did to get myself ready for Ramadan and what it allowed me to do is welcome Ramadan with an open heart knowing that God’s Mercy is in my reach and it also gave me a head start Imaan boost.
-
At some point we have all found ourselves looking at people who surround us, trying to see who’s still standing un-wavered and who in retrospect has let us down. We realize it is often people who we paid the least attention to, those we gave the least importance and those we were harshest with who remain standing solemnly next to us. It’s as if they have sworn to be there by oath, like their own survival depended on them being right there next to us.
We are told we live in a world where its survival of the fittest. We have sunk to a level where we are willing to hurt others and deprive them of happiness so that we are happier; even if just relatively. Rather than building relationships for the betterment of ourselves through providing for and learning from others, we are insist on prying off one another.
Having given it some thought, I came to realize that in order to have healthy relationships that last we must have open and forgiving hearts. We must truly work to build those bonds of trust and possess the willingness to commit; that means we aren’t going to “see” if it works out rather it means we want it to work out. It means we will do everything in our will-power to keep the relationship moving forward; with an open and forgiving heart.
An open and forgiving heart is what allows us to see beyond the day to day little things that engulf our mind and bodies into tiredness. An open and forgiving heart is what allows the dust to settle and the calm to instill our minds because it’s no longer a struggle of egos trying to overpower one another. An open and forgiving heart is what allows us to realize that when we leave this world we leave with so very little, it’s best to carry the baggage that counts.
An open and forgiving heart allows us to love and care not for the selfishness of wanting the same love and care back, but for something much greater. We love and care with our hearts because it’s part of our human nature. Whilst we do get hurt walking vulnerably around with open hearts, it doesn’t mean we should ever stop.
You see we were never opening up our hearts for them, it was never about them. It was always about us and Him. For He, God, shows us the most affectionate forgiveness and unconditional love. Perfection is He, so we idolize Him. We as humans are always striving to be perfect, unconsciously striving to bring ourselves closer to Him. In this natural strive for perfection there also comes the natural need to be affectionate and forgiving.
So as we love, investing our care and concern in others, with our open and forgiving hearts let us do so with no hesitancy. Let us do it because we are human, because we carry moral values and because we realize to be kind with other people opens doors of greater goodness.