Note to self.

Hopelessness. A yearning that’s never going to end.

Enough.

 

Playing with fonts…

It’s time to break free,

It’s time to hope again,

It’s time to remember that you will rise again,

It’s time to move on, time to forget,

It’s time to know that life’s not always a scary threat,

It’s time to rekindle friendships, it’s time to stop being cynical,

Your deep mistrust in everyone is almost comical,

Remember, each person is not alive just to tear you apart,

It’s time to perceive life with an open heart,

It would be nice if you stopped wasting time,

Use the days wisely, you are in your prime,

There’s only so much you can mope,

Wherefore is that lovely thing called hope?

Adversity? Why does it scare you so?

That’s how life is, don’t you know?

If you will, with Allah’s will, defeat it!

Don’t let it kill your very spirit,

Come on, my friend, you know it’s time to embrace life once more,

Don’t miss the opportunities knocking at your door!

What’s happened, has happened, and may well scar you forever,

But to let it stop you from everything — now that’s not exactly clever!

So you’re a fool sometimes, and you’ve messed up pretty bad,

Seriously, those are experiences everyone’s had!

So please be happy, and please remember to smile,

Learn to hope again, and not just for a little while!

When the dying flower spoke…

 

 

 

Fadhkuruni Adhkur Kum… (Remember Me, I will remember you)

One of my favourite ayahs in Surah Baqarah. Allah Says:

The Arabic:

The Transliteration: Fadhkuroonee adhkurkum washkuroo lee wala takfuroon

The Meaning: So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.

Please feel free to share this amongst friends and even print it… (To see a larger image, click on the pic)

Anta Waliyyi Fid Dunya Wal Aakhirah

So I’m not blogging a lot, and I’m not very active on the blogosphere. Lots happening. Sorry guys, life.

Beautiful ayah from Surah Yusuf

 

I look up at the sky in wonder,

And I search for You my Lord,

The night descends with a stupor that hurts my ears,

My sight is blurred with tears,

My head is swimming with a million confusions,

With strange thoughts and impossible decisions,

The shore of the stormy sea is far away,

I hope to see the dawn of a pleasant day,

Allah I realize how helpless I really am without You,

Unless You will it there’s nothing I can do,

Not a step I can take not an eyelid can I blink,

Surely if You do not help me my boat will sink!

Our enemies are strong, vicious and armed,

Yet if Only you protect me I cannot be harmed,

Oh Allah, please have mercy on all those in need of Your guiding light,

Please be that Noor I desperately need in a never-ending night.

 

 

The light of mercy

Hope springs eternal, yet sometimes I wonder…

And just when I’m ready to throw in the towel and surrender and give up, something pulls me up again.

Was it Laylat ul Qadr last night? Sunrise Photos!

Peace be upon you all. Last night was the 27th night of Ramadan (in the Arab world) believed by many to be The Night of Power, the Night of Qadr of which the Quran speaks to be better than a thousand months.

As we know, the night may occur in the last ten nights of Ramadan, particularly the odd nights. Could the blessed night have been last night?

Please share your thoughts and experiences. Below are some pictures, unedited. It is said that after the night of power the sun rises up without rays.

If you still have the night in your hands, please make the most of it! In many places in the world, the 27th night is yet to begin! This is exactly what your life needs, break down and pray and praise Allah, don’t let this night go, and please remember me in your duas.

Signs of Lailatul Qadr

• The night will be peaceful, neither hot nor cold, with a clear moon shinning but with no rays.
• There will be no shooting stars in the night
• At sunrise the sun will rise as just a disc without and radiant beams of light.
• One companion of the Prophet reported that on Laitatul Qadr he tasted sea water and it was sweet.

Did we miss the night or did we make the most of it?

Honestly, it was the most amazing sunrise. As though the sun had no rays!

What do you think? No rays?

Allah knows best!

What is this Night of Power to Muslims anyway? http://www.al-islam.org/ramadhan/Intro.htm

And this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8hoWlXJjC8

The moments slip by

 

Photo and Text by me

 

Someone stop the hands of time,

They’ve tricked me time and again,

Time’s slipping by like a sailing ship,

Or like sand through my fingers, I can’t get a grip,

I know the time is near, it’s almost staring me in the eye,

To use it wisely I have to try,

Oh Allah, why did the moments of the blessed month pass away so soon,

It seems like only yesterday we saw the Ramadan moon,

I thought I’d fast and pray and get closer to You,

I thought I would find that which is pure and true,

But the month just went by and I couldn’t even hold on,

Allah, Oh Allah, it almost appears to be gone!

The blessed night remains concealed,

During which Your book was revealed,

I thought I’d find it and it would change everything,

Oh how much peace and blessings it would bring!

But Allah will I find it, or will I remain in darkness?

I implore You My Lord, praised be Your greatness!

Allow me to find it, guide me and hold my hand,

Make it easy for me to in worship stand,

My heart is sinking, my face is covered with shame,

Truly my Lord, I am the one to blame,

Oh Allah my ibadah is like a man without limbs and without senses,

So imperfect, pitiable, lacking – yet I seek Your good graces,

Perhaps next Ramadan I won’t be around to witness,

Please Allah answer my call of distress,

My deen and dunya are both precariously poised,

Around me there is strife and a surreal noise,

Make me steadfast and amongst those pardoned,

Save me from losing hope and feeling disheartened,

Please don’t judge me Allah, have mercy upon me,

In the gardens of Jannah please let me be.

Amen.

The Spirit of Ramadan

 

A collage of some images in my gallery

Published today in Gulf News: http://gulfnews.com/opinions/offthecuff/the-spirit-of-ramadan-1.1058147

I can’t believe that we are halfway through Ramadan. Before the month of fasting began, I have to admit that I was a bit worried — what with the searing heat of Dubai and no food or drink for 15 hours! Then Ramadan began, and I was surprised when things began to feel relatively comfortable after the first few days.

As time passes it gets easier to ignore that big bottle of cold water every time you open the fridge, and it becomes less agonising to feed your little ones, who insist on eating chilled mangoes every few hours.

One thing, however, still remains difficult. Fasting was prescribed on us so that we may become better people, so that we become God-fearing individuals who improve upon their personalities in an important and spiritual way. Yes, our tummies are supposed to get a break too — but most of us tend to over-compensate at iftar when we come face to face with deep-fried golden brown samosas and their co-conspirators. However, the part about achieving a better spiritual state is the most challenging.

We abstain from giving in to our physical desires yet our hearts are just as burdened with ill-feeling as they were before. We still remember that high-school grudge, the friend who wronged or embarrassed us and the co-worker who always takes all the credit in front of the boss.

Dealing with envy

We all but seethe at the mention of certain specimens of mankind and yes — we eye yet others with that very debilitating thing called envy. Our hearts are still mired deep in resentment and we hold on to the mistakes of others and vow never to forgive them or forget what they did to us. We act as vitriol for own ill-feeling, and whether or not we consume food hardly matters.

When we introspect, we refuse to forgive our own selves too. Our hearts are hard, not just for the world but for our own selves. The bitterness overwhelms any positivity that the holy month brings — simply because we have become too accustomed to living life with a lot of unnecessary baggage.

As this month draws towards its end I hope to shed all that excess baggage, once and for all. I am not only referring to the excesses that reside peacefully around the waistline (someone hide the samosas at iftar!) but also to all the negativity that has all but become a part of me.

I want to let go of all those unpleasant memories that I subconsciously kindle inside my heart. It is to let go of that burning feeling of revenge I get every time I think of certain things — to forget about what so-and-so said behind my back or how I felt when such-and-such thing happened. Clean slate. I mean it.

In many ways this month is a celebration for Muslims around the world because the Quran was first revealed in this month. And what better way to celebrate than bring about a significant and much-needed positive change within my own mental make-up?

I already feel a lot lighter, and this has nothing to do with the bathroom scales which, it has to be said, remain as obstinate as ever.

One of my favourite duas from the Quran

The Quran: Chapter 7 , Verse 23

Photo and design by me

The Arabic:

The Roman Arabic:

Rabbana zalamna anfusana wa il lam taghfir lana wa tarhamna la nakunanna minal-khasireen

The meaning:

They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”

For more prayers from the Quran http://mehmudahrehman.wordpress.com/category/rabbana-dua-from-quran/