Surely Death is the result of Living

انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون

Inna lilahee wa inna ilaihee Raji3oon
"Verily we belong to Allah and to Allah we return"

The days have gone by so quickly, I know not where to start or what to say exactly. Feelings cannot always be expressed but in time it becomes easier to accept what we were feeling many days ago. Death is an absolute result of Living and all who have walked on this earth will surely experience departure from it. We all hope that our eventual and everlasting destination is one of beauty and serenity and it is in this hope that I raise my hands and make du'a for all my beloved ones whom have gone before me.

Ya Allah, grant my Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and now Great-Grandmother and all those believers who've gone before, a special place in your gardens of unspoken beauty and bountiful comfort. Ya Rab forgive them of their sins and have mercy on them. Ya Rab you are needless of punishing them, and we are dependent on your mercy for salvation. Forgive them and make their Qabr illuminated and pleasant for them all. Ya Rabbi make Barzakh a beautiful experience for them and grant them a place in Janaatul Firdaus. I ask you of this not for myself but for the love and memory of those who I can no longer hold or see. Ya Rab I beg of you to accept this from me, ameen ya Rab.

My intention is not to upset anyone or to evoke pity for we all have lost someone close to us and dying is as human as eating. This post is simply in respect and memory of those who I long to be reunited with inshaAllah. It is an effort to immortalise my Du'a for them and if by some chance you do read this please say Ameen.

For my mother, the first grandchild amongst many who lost her grandma I lend my support and shoulder to lean on. The tears that we shed today should make our reunion all the more sweeter and beautiful.

I salute a life that lasted for 97+ years and left this world to enter into the life everlasting. for the last time Assalamu Alaykum Maa.


Mama and Maa - 2006

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Lost Truth

It's the start of another year and I pray that it will be one where dreams are fulfilled and new ones take birth. "Everyday is a new day", is the only motto life teaches me in the moments past and present. I look to each day as a new beginning and time for renewal. Let's begin...Hello sunshine!

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I'd like to share this poem I wrote, with you. Though it's not very cheerful, it's true and an expression of my thoughts. Enjoy and do comment!

Lost Truth

Words born out of erroneous endeavour,

Haunts the resolve of a conscience meagre,

As truth is sacrificed at the hands of deception,

The devil rejoices the abundance of lustful perversion,

Another breath lost in the fires of destruction,

Subdued under years of ignorant transgression,

To withhold the tongue against the onslaught of the slanderer,

To abide by laws partial to the wealthier,

To silently witness the death of a mockingbird,

As it sings its song of justice that can no longer be heard,

All that whispers is the voice of the one sworn to desecrate,

Countless footsteps have walked on this time-limited fate,

Into darkness, light has drowned,

The moment of realisation never dawned,

Surrendering all whims for one final chance to feel,

To feel all that was camouflaged in an effort to conceal,

To bear the burdens that have not been mentioned,

The ink of the scholar is yet to be questioned,

The few faithful, continue to hear the torturous screams,

Of a soul that lies trapped in wilted dreams.

~27th-12-2009~

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Happy Birthday Baba!

"Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made."

~ Robert Browning

Today is like any other day yet it holds a special significance for me and my family. Today is the birth anniversary of my dear father and I would like to take the time to dedicate this blog entry to him. He who stood on hours at end day after day devotedly attending to our needs when we were young. A man who did not stay apart when the babies screamed or when they needed their pampers changed, nor did he demand of my mother more than he would willingly do himself.

With all of my heart I thank you. I will forever remain grateful to your guiding hand. It was he who taught me my basic concepts in math when the teacher failed to make me understand. A father who would sacrifice from his own enjoyment just to see a smile from one of his children even though we always had abundance to him our happiness meant more than satisfaction. My father, my one and only father, forever and always I will remember you. Today I am able to be in your company and I fear for the day when I cannot. For the time that I have with you I pray it will last very long and be more fruitful and enjoyable than the time that has already passed, inshaAllah khair.

May God bless you with the best of this life and the very best of the life hereafter ameen. My love to you is written in stone.

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Taken for Granted

“Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted”
~ Aldous Huxley (English Novelist and Critic, 1894-1963)

Over the past few days I have been deeply reflecting on the basic abilities that we take for granted. It has become so automatic that we no longer realise their existence and even far less do we appreciate them. The brain is indeed a beautiful and magnanimous organ and without it life would cease to exist. It controls all our daily functions even if we do not consciously make effort to do so.

One such function it co-ordinates with precision is “movement”. Not just any erratic movement but systematic movement. It enables us to walk, stand, sit or even simply to hug one another. Can you imagine not being able to control your limbs at all? It would be alien to some to even understand what this meant. This would mean to experience pain and difference in temperature yet to not experience the sensation of touch. I was recently shown a documentary on the life of Mr. Ian Waterman. Indeed what a remarkable man he is not for what he has but for what he has done with his life.

Ian Waterman

Ian from his neck downwards has lost sense of where his limbs are and control of his movements. In fact he feels pain yet he cannot sense the position of his limbs in space. Ian has lost his propioception. Propioception is defined as the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. Ian suffers from acute sensory neuropathy. He is not paralysed but such a diagnosis would leave one very limited in motion and usually bed-ridden or confined to a wheel chair.

However, Ian walks, stands and gestures with significant precision more so gestures like any average human being with propioception. How is this that he is able to defy the odds and perform the almost impossible? He plans his every movement with the aid of sight. Can you imagine thinking out every single movement we had to do in order to do it? Ian is completely debilitated without light as he cannot see where his limbs are. His sight and immense brain concentration is how Ian gets through normal tasks that we take for granted.

What was even more discerning was that Ian was not always like this and he once was a normal thriving young man with absolutely no ailments. It is still unsure of how his nerve fibres for propioception were damaged but it is thought it all began with a cut. Ian worked long hours at his family’s butcher shop at the age of 19 where cuts were normal with the high usage of sharp instruments. However, this time it would prove life changing as most likely a virus entered into his system via the cut opening. It is still unknown why the virus did not destroy all of his nerve fibres but it is speculated the nerve fibres for propioception may have resembled the virus itself and the body’s immune system began to attack and destroy them.

With sheer determination to not be confined on a wheel chair, Ian now walks without aid and carries out daily life just as any of us would except he does so in a very different way. Remarkable? Indeed it is!

Watch His video here...

The man who lost his body - Part 1

For the other parts:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

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Reply to Your Duel

I would like to share this reply that I had written to "someone's" poetical duel. For reasons of anonymity I will refer to the person who had originally posted the duel as Curry. Of course the reply was written by me as I stated before and my identity is apparent. Hope you enjoy and do share your reactions!

The Actual Duel

Idea.
Challenge me to a duel,
make it worth your while,
I tell you 'bring every tool,
'and all of your style.
Make a thought more effective than me,
attempt flawless execution,
disguised it as divine strategy.
I find myself without direction.
I wonder if there is someone who can lead the way.
Perhaps the only guarantee is that there are none,
and cold,
emotionless initiative will save the day.
-Missing.

It feels like there is something missing, and this.. this is precisely how I feel. This poem has direction and none at the same time.. and it is complete yet incomplete all the same.
I challenge everyone with an idea to bring it to life. This is a competition to see how much good you can do with your mind and initiative alone.
Happy New Day.

~Curry~

***

This was my reply...

In accepting this poetical duel,
I contest one's ability to remodel,
Shift the focus to do lyrical battle,
Attempt to camouflage your previous babble,
Twas fate this muddled riddle,
Should fall upon the doorsteps of a maiden able,
Remedy the ambitions of an unfinished castle,
Promising to effect with exact schedule,
Whilst dull abandon adorns this yielding knight's table,
Circular thoughts never cease to baffle,
Non-sensical rhymes born from blissful idle,
Directions lost is but a school boy's fable,
Chasing one's own tail to a canine's waggle,
Bewildered by the anonymity of his rival,
Dormant thoughts strewn over the silent verbal,
Insatiable thirsting plagues a conscious mortal,
To a missing fate lies the secret to denial,
Ample response given to an ineffective oral,
Exposing the ever flawless execution's betrayal,
Creative amusement summated my arousal,
In spirit of sportsmanship I remain civil,
Though objectively seeking to prove one's effort trifle,
Pardon me for my undue taunting jostle,
Seeking completion is a lifelong hurdle,
To endure patiently is sufficient vigil,
I humbly bid farewell hereby ending my response to your duel.

07-February-2009

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The Whisperer

Poetry that was expressed,
Insight addressed,
Read what was written,
Comment if befitting,
Gratitude is what I offer to thee,
Penned by yours truly.

I wrote this poem at the age of 12. Poetry has developed into my way of expression. From then onwards; though I had written poems prior to this; my love for poetry has grown gradually and magnificently. The incentive to write even more continued when this poem was published in a local Islamic youth magazine much to this happiness of a young girl.

Please do read and leave your comments.

The Whisperer

He who whispers in one's ear,
No one does he spare,
He tries to persuade and soothe one's mind,
But when he's finished you're left behind.

You will have to face your deeds alone,
He will not be there, for you have lent him a loan,
Now he your enemy sits on a throne,
Hence his work is to cause chaos and not to moan.

Today he will be your closest friend but tomorrow he will be your worst foe,
He is whom that cannot be ignored,
For his words to you are so implored.

He is afraid of only those who believe,
They are the ones who will strive and achieve,
He deceives, opposes and makes mockery,
For he knows only treachery.

He whispers into the hearts of mankind,
And demolishes the noor from their mind ,
Who is he?
We all know!
Don't we????????

[1999]

***

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Eid Mubarak!

"When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me. The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided."

[Qur'an - Chapter 2: Verse 186]

I would like to wish all of you a most blessed day of Eid. May it be one filled with happiness, sharing, generosity and reflection ameen ya Rab.

Take this time to spend it with family and friends as we rejoice in the accomplishments of our past month of fasting and Ibaadah. The feeling of departure of a loved one as Ramadhan bids us farewell is evident but let us make effort to utilise all that we have learned and strived for rather than regret lost time.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be on each of you!

Eid Mubarak!

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I would like to share this video with all of you :)

Enjoy!

A Day At The Beach For Palestinian Children

New Beginnings

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”
~ Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid 1st century AD)

Another academic year is about to begin and the seasons have changed. Time defines everything in our lives and its “ever changing yet the same” rhythm keeps us on track with our daily life. To feel anxious in these precious remaining moments of freedom is expectable and almost inevitable as we are uncertain of what lies in the road ahead of us. I am no stranger to these feelings but I feel comforted in knowing that it is a start with the company of Ramadhan and a start that has no strings attached. No burdens to carry forth so I also feel excited to start and open to new experiences, inshaAllah khair.

In this time I seek the counsel and guidance of my Rab, may my every step be guided with the best of guidance from the best of Guiders, ameen.

I begin in the name of the Most High, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. With my right foot first I begin my path for knowledge and refinement, inshaAllah khair.

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...not going all the way, and not starting.”
Buddha (Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

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A Year has Passed

I begin in the name of the Most High, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

One year has passed since I started this blog and through its course I am continuously developing my inner personality. Giving voice to the written has helped me express myself in ways that help release one from all the burdens we carry around in our conscience. What started off as an avenue for expression that was built for the purpose of having something worthwhile to look forward to has become an integral part of me and how I give voice to what is inherent in me. Today is a much brighter day and from the clutches of feeling hopeless I am free. Express all that is in your heart and you will have your glimpse of freedom right on this material earth. I thank all who supported me in this effort, though my blog is humble you all made it into importance by your presence here.

I am thankful for the 1200 plus visits during this year and I think to myself with almost 3 visits a day there is no room for me to be ungrateful. My written voice has been heard, alhamdolilah (all praise be to God).

I wrote this poem to commemorate my blog’s anniversary. Read and comment if you so please as I gladly welcome them.

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Everlasting Voice

One year has passed by swiftly,
As my written voice stands humbly,
To climb out of the grave of depression,
Took pen to paper in the form of expression,
I thank God above for all the inspiration,
In the hope for everlasting salvation,
My growth with thee is limitless,
As time sells deception to the faithless,
I mark this day with my words of gratitude,
As I constantly seek enlightenment from your sanctitude.
The pen shall write till the ink has run out,
The heart shall express without any doubt,
The mind shall endure to see another day,
The soul shall taste freedom along this way.

19th August 2009

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Without forgetting we stand at the brink of yet another blessed month of Ramadhan and I take this time to wish all of you a most sacred and beneficial month of Fasting and Ibaadah inshaAllah khair…Ramadhan Kareem to all!



I now share with you an excerpt from the work of Maulana Jalal-ul-din Rumi on the month of Ramadhan

"There's a hidden sweetness,
In the stomach's emptiness,
We are all lutes, no more, no less,
If the soundbox is stuffed full of anything, no music,
If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting,
Every moment a new song comes out of the fire,
The fog clears, and a new energy makes you run up the steps in front of you,
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry,
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen,
When you're full of food and drink,
Satan sits where your spirit should,
An ugly metal statue in place of the Ka'aba,
When you fast, good habits gather like friends who want to help,
Fasting is Soloman's ring,
Don't give it to some illusion and lose your power,
But even if you've lost all will and control,
They come back when you fast,
Like soldiers appearing out of the ground,
Pennants flying above them..."


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[Photography by: Asma Mirza

& Pink Sherbet Photography]

Shahr Ramadhan - Tamer Hosny

Much Ado About Quotes

Today is just another day spent in contemplation. I share with you these picture quotes that I think for the most part are a suubtle reminder for some and a warner for others. Do Enjoy!

"The most powerful tool you have is the power of your thoughts and you can invite a wonderful day with your charm and beauty. The whole world is waiting to respond to you with the best of everything. So launch your rocket of desires with affirmations and you will get what you want!" ~ Author unknown

"I have gathered a posie of other men’s flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own." ~ John Bartlett (of Bartlett's Familar Quotations)

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